Secrets that Must Never Be Told: The Name of the Doctor (3/3)

Also known as what the Moffat!

The name I chose is the Doctor. The name you choose, it's like, it's like a promise you make. He's the one who broke the promise. 

I'd heard rumors of John Hurt's character before this episode, but I filed it away, more concerned with River's gravestone and Clara's identity. After all, he wouldn't be showing up until the anniversary special. Figures. I should have known better than to trust Moffat. And if I thought the summer between GMGTW and LKH was bad, this will drive me doolally. Who is he?

Because we’re not sure where the John Hurt character comes, and his actions were/are/will be so horrible that he renounces the title of Doctor, all posts related to him will be tagged Echthros, a Greek word for Enemy used for the nihilist destroyers in Madeline L’Engle’s  Time Quartet. I think it’s also appropriate because the emphasis in that series is on Naming, and this incarnation lost his right to the title of the Doctor, having to go by his old name. 

The following conversation is all we have to go on:

Clara: Who is he?The Doctor: He's me. There's only me here, that's the point. Now let's get back. Clara: But I never saw that one. I saw all of you. Eleven faces. All of them you. The Doctor: I said he was me. I never said he was the Doctor.Clara: But I don't understand.The Doctor: My name, my real name, that is not the point. The name I chose is the Doctor. The name you choose, it's like, it's like a promise you make. He's the one who broke the promise. Clara? Clara! He is my secret.The Old Man: What I did, I did without choice. The Doctor: I know.The Old Man: In the name of peace and sanity. The Doctor: But not in the name of the Doctor.

This one "broke the promise." The immediate association is the Time War,  implying that Ecthros came between McGann and Eccleston. But the Doctor has spoken of the Time War, though never in detail, and though he committed at least double-genocide,  the implications that Nine ended the war are difficult to overcome.

He could also be the Valeyard, who came between the Doctor's "twelfth and final" regeneration.  He appeared during the  "Trial of a Time Lord" arc in Six's final season, but his actions in that serial are reduced to threatening Six in an attempt to steal his remaining regenerations. It was also stated that he was the Doctor's dark side.  But if Ecthros is the Valeyard, how would Eleven know precisely what Ecthros did?

These theories seem most likely to me.  I doubt Echtros is a pre-Hartnill incarnation, because how could one break the promise of a name that has not yet been used (in the EU,  "Doctor" is a pseudonym chosen early in his adventures, and even in the revived series, the Master confirmed that the Doctor chose his name.)

The statement "he is my secret" is also intriguing.  Generally, a secret is something you know that you don't want anyone else to know.  I don't think Eleven's forgotten Echtros--this seems inconsistent with his behavior towards the man. The Doctor has disowned Echtros, but has not forgotten him.

Finally, what did Ecthros  "in the name of peace and sanity?" As I said earlier, the most obvious answer is the Time War. We've already heard suggestions of horrible events, from Armies of Meanwhiles and Never-Weres to the simple statement "I couldn't save any of them." But the Doctor has claimed the end of the Time War--hated to do so, but he's admitted to those actions.  Even Eleven says "I killed all of them [Time Lords]," which seems out of place with claiming those same actions were "not in the name of the Doctor."

On the other hand, there have been allusions that suggest a bloodstained past for him. The writing on the Pandorica, the references to him as a "great warrior;" it all seems to be adding up to something, Another intriguing clue is his statement in Beast Below that if he lobotimizes the Star Whale, he'll "find a new name, because [he] won't be the Doctor anymore."

The Doctor is a "word for healer and wise man throughout the universe," as River says at Demons Run.  His greatest value, his core ethic, is a concern for sentient life and individual freedom.  Something that could have made him lose/renounce that name probably involved a deliberate act of murder, but even more, the force of an action against someone else's will.  My money is on something like what Jack did to Stevie in Children of Earth (No, I haven't watched it. No, I don't recommend it.)--killing an innocent who trusted him in order to save others. The Doctor is willing enough to sacrifice himself,  but Ecthros would force that death "for the greater good."

Secrets that Must Never Be Told: The Name of the Doctor (2/3)

Also known as  OTP FEELS!

You're always here to me. And I always listen. And I can always see you.*

Post-Library River.
From the first moment I saw this confirmed, I had a wild, crazy hope that he'd saved her from the Library. Or she'd saved herself, or they'd worked something out together--somehow, some way, she'd come back from that empty world. I even thought that might be what Clara was attempting to do with the column of light: find a way to bring River back for the Doctor.
The first part I saw was a brief clip from the sleep seance.  It was so good to see her again, to finally see how she'd react to Clara (well, how Clara reacted to her. I knew River didn't want the Doctor to be alone.) But Clara's genuine confusion--"he never mentioned you were a woman." It made sense; he doesn't like to talk about his past. He may have mentioned her once or twice, but to tell the whole story would be more painful than he could bear. And then these four lines

Clara: So, So you're a friend of his then.
River: A little more than a friend, a long time ago. 
Vastra: He still never contacted you?
River: He doesn't like endings.

Which all but confirms Darillium before The Snowmen. So he wasn't just mourning his Ponds up there--he had lost her too. I didn't think that would happen; if nothing else, I assumed Moffat wouldn't miss the chance to troll us with feels. And how easily River shrugs off his silence. How long has it been for her? Years? Centuries? Thankful, we get the amusing-ness of River slapping everyone else awake before things can get too complicated between the Mrs. and the girlfriend.

She's been dead for a very long time. 

Again, how long has it been for him? If he can poke around for 200 years before his own death, how long might he have been sitting on that cloud? This scene is a hundred times worse when he confesses that he could see her all along, but even before that....her grave.  She didn't have one at the Library, so I knew something was up when it showed up in the trailer, but....and his line

They'd never bury my wife out here.

He calls her wife. How can anyone still claim they're not married? There's just so many painful lines in this episode.

I died saving him. In return he saved me to a database in the biggest library in the universe. Left me like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye. He doesn't like endings.

And I'm so glad she was there to open the TARDIS. Even in death, Idris is watching over her thief and her child. Though it was amusing that the door opened just as the Doctor said "please..."  A moment of ??? for everyone.  The worst part, though, was after Clara had sacrificed herself.  The Doctor, displaying his normal papa-wolf-before-reason habits, is about to jump in after her.
 River is just about to slap some sense into him when he catches her hand. He confesses that he's always seen her, always heard what she was saying. He had to listen when River explained how she died, had to walk through her ghost to touch her grave, had to pretend he didn't see her all the time. Once again, how long has he known? Logically, Ockham's razor suggests it's only been for this adventure, but my headcanon is that she's been haunting the TARDIS since the Library.

River: Then why didn't you speak to me? The Doctor: Because I thought it would hurt too much.River: I believe I could have coped.The Doctor: No. I thought it would hurt me. And I was right

When he said that, I knew he was thinking over his own feelings, not hers.  He doesn't set out to hurt her, he'd never do that, but he's selfish to the core, and has suffered so many losses that he can't do anything else that would cause him pain, even if it would comfort someone else.  And this can't be the end, it can't been. I want to see her learn his name, and see them explore the Bone Meadows or meet Jim the Fish. I want River to jump out of more things and have him catch her, or maybe the other way around. I want River to get out of the Library and surprise him with a squirmy, wiggly baby who is quite sure that bowties aren't cool.
I refuse to believe this is their last adventure. There must be more.

*my graphic edit, featuring a quote from Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Secrets that Must Never Be Told: The Name of the Doctor (1/3)

First of all,  this was one of the most explosive episodes I've seen in a while. Therefore, I'll be splitting this review into three parts: one for Clara's identity, one for the Doctor and River's relationship, and one for John Hurt's character. A fourth section may be necessary for other comments.

I blew into this world on a leaf. I'm still blowing. I don't think I'll ever land. I'm Clara Oswald. I'm the impossible girl. I was born to save the Doctor.

This section will analyse Clara's character, building on certain points from the previous post "Mysteries Worth Solving."  Once again, I apologize for any unintended ill will towards Clara as a replacement for the Ponds.  Anyway, the opening was a jaw-dropper, right from the get-go. Clara on Gallifrey. Clara seeing  Bessie. Clara in a guard uniform from Invasion of Time. I'd borrow the Once Upon a Time meme and say we've been Cora'd, but  as they all turned out to be her, it's not entirely correct.

At least I guessed part of it. When I saw the pillar of light in the trailer, I thought it would scatter Clara, creating echoes of her throughout time and space. On the other hand, I thought her comment "I was born to save the Doctor" meant she was a tool of the Silence, which she still could be, but that's a bit of stretch.
 
Am I satisfied with this reveal? Yes and no.  It's something different, not like River, where they keep meeting out of order, or Donna, who keeps running into him.  Instead, he meets two echoes first, only meeting the original and allowing the creation of said echoes afterwards.  On the other hand, it doesn't seem the natural conclusion to Clara's arc; there's no moment of AHA! after she leaps into the Doctor's timestream.

I actually think this plot would have been better served by an authorized novel than the TV series. While the modern tie-in novels are one-off adventures (I have some reviews posted),  this would have been a great plot to launch something like the Virgin New Adventures or Eighth Doctor Adventures for Eleven.  Those novels, published during the wilderness years of Doctor Who, had reoccurring characters and varying degrees of arcs--Compassion is one example. A member of an alien race know as the Remote, she undergoes various degrees of media manipulation before becoming a Type 104 TARDIS.  Something like that would have been the perfect medium for Clara's story--more time to explore her story,  more physiological insight, and the chance to insert scenes showing her with past Doctors, without the limitations of stock footage and replacement actors.

I also didn't feel a solid connection between Clara and Eleven for most of the season, so it surprised me that she was so willing to sacrifice herself.  I can think of maybe three non-family members I'd die for, and they're all people I feel I could tell anything to.  Would Clara really be willing to do that for the Doctor? Perhaps it would have made more sense if she'd done it to save the universe; stars were going out again, as the Great Intelligence's rewrite was erasing every world the Doctor had saved.  Maybe if we'd seen Earth disappearing, the whole world vanishing and Clara, at the Eye of the Storm, knowing everyone she knew would be gone otherwise... I couldn't see her doing that.

River would have. Without a doubt, River would have done that for him, if she'd been able to. But that's another post.

And what's next? If I remember correctly, JLC's contract is renewed for season eight.  Is he going to get her out? Or will he end up chasing her echoes through time and space forever? It would be amusing..."She died saving me. Again. Guess I'd better go find another one."

The Only Mystery Worth Solving: Why Clara's Arc Didn't Work (but River Song's did)

a/n: written before Name of the Doctor, so I'll complete some of these thoughts in my episode review.

Since Clara’s initial appearance in Asylum of the Daleks,   it was clear that something was going to be different about this new companion.  Her reappearance in The Snowmen confirmed this suspicion, sparking jokes about Soufflé Girl giving Rory a run for his money in the most-deaths category. This isn’t the first time Moffat’s introduced a character with a mysterious past; his most famous example is River Song. But despite her divisive nature, I feel her plot arc succeed in in a way Clara’s has not. 

First of all, River Song’s role as a reoccurring character allowed writers to space out her episodes,   instead of continuously having to incorporate a mysterious background.  Between River’s introduction in season four and the reveal of her identity in season six were 30 episodes*, of which she appeared in nine (all but one were two-parters).  In comparison, Clara’s introduction and reveal have been compressed into one season, appearing (in some form) in all but four episodes.   While the compressed nature of this arc could be justified by Clara’s role as a companion, it creates a cramped feeling. While River’s arc stretched longer, it was interspersed with other plots, such as the cracks in time, and didn’t become the key arc until season six.

Secondly, each story of River’s arc adds something new to the viewer’s understanding of her.  At the Library, we are as befuddled as the Doctor, knowing only that she’s met him before.  The episode ends with the first significant clue: she knows his name.  

In Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, viewers learn slightly more. She can fly the TARDIS, having had lessons from “the very best. Shame (the Doctor) was busy that day.”  More ominously, she is in prison for killing “a good man. The best man she’d ever known.”   Though the second part isn’t part of her initial identity, it remains in play to the end of season six.

The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang are more plot-driven, though we do see her leave messages for the Doctor (with the implication she does so regularly) and make a Dalek beg for mercy.  The latter heightens our curiosity---what could she have done to inspire that level of dread? The nature of her connection to the Doctor is teased as well.

Are you married, River?Yes.Hang on, did you think I was asking you to marry me or asking if you were married?Yes.But was that yes or yes?Yes.

Her reappearance in the season six premiere focused more on her relationships with the Ponds and the Doctor,  though viewers learn that the first time the Doctor met her, as a child, he already knew “everything about her.”   Only in AGMGTW do we learn her true identity, tying together the main themes of season six: Amy’s pregnancy, the regenerating child, and River’s background.

While it is still possible that Name of the Doctor will pull off a similar connection, the lack of visible clues leaves me concerned that Clara’s identity, whatever it is, will seem random, rather than purposeful.  Despite the plot twist of Oswin’s true form in Asylum and the confirmation of a connection in The Snowmen, very little has been revealed since then. In fact, all indications, from her childhood background to the conclusions of the empathic psychic, suggest that she’s a perfectly normal girl who just happens to have two duplicates with a similar interest in soufflés and identical tastes in last words.

*two-parters counted as two episodes

Rise of the Guardians

We go by many names, and take many forms. We bring wonder and hope, we bring joy and dreams. We are the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy, we are the Easter Bunny and Santa. And our powers are greater than you ever imagine.

Last night, I finally watched Dreamwork's Rise of the Guardians.  I have a mixed attitude towards their works: How to Train Your Dragon was amazing, but I tend to associate them with more potty-mouth,crude humor, as in Madagascar, Over the Hedge,  and Monsters vs Aliens. However, I'd seen enough of the Big Four (also known as Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons) posts on Tumblr to understand parts of it, as well as know the big spoiler of Jack's origins. 
I really like fairy tales and mythical creatures, but I'm also wary of Dreamworks' approach to such stories--Shrek was horribly modern for my tastes.  At first glance, Jack might seem to be a similar character--he dresses much more modernly than the other guardians and laughs at authority, but he also has hidden depths and genuinely cares about the children. Pitch was an interesting villain as well, especially with his similarities to Jack. However, Jack still chose to accept his role, even though he wasn't happy with his situation.
 My biggest concern with this movie was that a lot of the ninety minutes was taken up by fight  scenes and action sequences.  While I can understand the audience appeal, especially for younger kids, I would have liked to see more world development--what exactly are the roles of the Guardians? Why do they take on certain appearances? How does the belief/strength equation work out, anyway? However, I still thought it was a good movie. 

Magnificent Malevolence

Magnificent Malevolence  attempts to evoke the spirit of C.S. Lewis's  The Screwtape Letters by laying out the grand agenda of the Lowarchy over the past half-century. It's an impressive goal, but also a notable departure from Lewis's focus on an individual tempter and patient. Another difference is the format--as the subtitle declares, this book is written as a memoir, rather than letters. While this makes sense with today's genre preferences, I feel the author missed a chance to introduce further conflict within the story.
The book was well-unified, with intriguing, sometimes controversial interpretations of recent events. But even when I disagreed with the author, I felt he raised valid concerns with contemporary American culture. However, the book fell short in the most important area: the tone.  Although The Screwtape Letters has a very dark, gritty tone, there are also moments of levity and irony when the reader realizes flaws in the demons' arguments. Magnficent Malvolence takes itself so seriously that the darkness threatens to suffocate readers. It rates a solid three stars, but I'd recommend As One Devil to Another by Richard Platt for someone looking for a modern perspective on devilish correspondance
I received this book for free from Kregel Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Nightmare in Silver

Okay, so I'm not coming up with a clever title for this review, but that's because Neil Gaiman's title was  so brilliant. I mean, what story could live up to that promise?
It came pretty close. Okay, I'm still not scared of the Cybermen, but considering that the top three scariest monsters on the show, in my opinion, are the Weeping Angels,  Vashta Nerada, and Silence, the Cybermen didn't stand a chance. They are definitely much more of a threat now, with the instant-upgrades ability and universally comparable-ness.
My biggest concern with the episode was Angie and Archie. Okay, I like kids, I love seeing the Doctor interact with kids, but I don't think they added anything to the story. In fact, they seemed kind of bratty. You threaten your nanny, get taken to a futuristic planet, and wander off to be turned into zombies.  There was a cut scene explaining why  they weren't just sent back to the TARDIS to nap--Gaiman's twitter confirmed it--but I'd kind of like to know why myself.


Let's see, what else? The Mr. Clever vs the Doctor was good, kudos to Matt Smith for high-quality acting. Clara did a good job mobilizing the soldiers as well, but...well, I have a whole separate post about Clara's mystery and why I don't feel it's working.

And a Wreath of Gold: thoughts on the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who

This article title says it all, really: Is Enough Being Done for the 50th Special?

As far as we know,  the  "special" is one hour-long episode, filmed in 3D that will be aired on TV and released in some theaters for those who do not have 3D television.  David Tennant and Billie Piper's returns have been confirmed, as well as the character of Katie Steward, canon immigrant and daughter of the Brigadier.  Big Finish is producing a multi-doctor audio adventure called "Light at the End of the Tunnel;" there are also comics and short stories being written for all the Doctors, but I'm focusing on the TV events.
In my opinion, a fiftieth anniversary for a TV show should have certain aspects in common with a 50th wedding anniversary: looking back at favorite moments and setting the stage for new adventures.

In a perfect world, this would involve bringing back iconic characters from previous series--the Brig and Sarah Jane Smith immediately spring to mine as ones most fans, NuWho and Classic, have probably heard of, if not seen. Unfortunately, that is not an option. The Brig's death was mentioned in Wedding of River Song, and followed up on in Power of Three with the introduction of his daughter.  I am excited to see more of Katie and feel this is an appropriate way to celebrate the character and the actor's legacy. However, I'm not sure how I'd want them to reference Sarah Jane Smith.  Because the Sarah Jane Adventures'  primary audience was younger kids, the character did not die with the actor--the last episode ended with a montage of clips and the caption "and the adventure continues...forever."

On one hand, I really, really, want Sarah Jane's son Luke to come back. I was even (fruitlessly) pulling for him as the next companion for Eleven after the Ponds' departure.  His involvement would not only honor  Sarah Jane's long history in the show, but has more basis than Kate Stewart's sudden appearance--he actually appeared in Journey's End and Stolen Earth, so even those who haven't seen the Sarah Jane Adventures would have something to refer to. The problem is, it's pretty hard to involve him without risking a "Say, what's your mom up to?" In that case, we'd get either a glossed-over explanation, or they'd acknowledge Sarah Jane's death, as well as Elisabeth Sladen's. I don't want that--I'd be a mess again, and the Doctor wouldn't take it well either. If they did have the character die, I'd want it to be the focus of its' own episode, with all the Sarah Jane Adventures characters....who am I kidding, that'll never happen.

Likewise, I have mixed feelings about bringing back past Doctors. It can be done well--Time Crash was delightful--or can make a mess of the plot.  I'm not too concerned about them aging--just add some technobabble about time differentials, throw a lampshade over it  and move on with the story.  But having only Ten come back? Seriously, all the other living actors (except Eccleston) said they were available. If age was an issue, only use McGann. Or cast them in different roles with one or two quirks like the Doctor they played. And then Eleven could be like, "Everyone looks strangely familiar;" Big Finish used the same tactic in their 40th anniversary special Zagreus.

As for monsters, I think the Zygons are interesting and have a lot of potential, so I'm not too worried about that.  But I think I'd be more comfortable if we had more specials, instead of just the one.  I guess one way to explain my feelings is to look at the season four finale and the End of Time.  Both--especially the former--are the closest things to anniversary specials/reunions the new series has currently produced,  and they did a fair job of it.  I think some of the characters got the short shaft in the season finale, but the plot had a viable reason for them to end up together, and there were some good interactions between those who had not previously met.

And now for the highly controversial SPOILER of John Hurt's role:
Seriously, stop reading  if you don't want to be going crazy until November 23



So, you have surrendered your sanity?
Onward....


The actor has said he plays a "part of the Doctor" in a  "kind of trinity" that involves David Tennant.  Some sources have extrapolated that Hurt will be an incarnation between McGann and Eccleston,  and this Doctor, not Eight, ended the Time War, but was forgotten afterwards.
WHATTTT! No. No no no. McGann is the mysterious Doctor, the one who we will never  really know. We do not need another Doctor in that position.  Not to mention how it would mess up the numbering of the NuWho Doctors--would Smith be Eleven or Twelve?  It...it just...no, no no, it's too gimmicky.  I refuse to accept this rumor.

Victorian Values: The Crimson Horror

Okay, first of all, I have a confession to make: I really don't care for the Paternoster Gang, so their presence in this episode didn't exactly thrill me. I mean, I think Vastra's got some great insights into the Doctor's character,  and Strax is rather amusing, but the whole Victorian inter-species lesbians thing feels gimmicky at times.  And you can all yell at me for this if you want--I'm already stressed out enough with finals that it won't make my days much worse--but I have moral objections to homosexuality and bestiality.* Not to mention that my elementary-age brother likes to watch with me, and I don't want to explain why a lizard is calling a normal girl her "wife."  As individual characters, they're okay, though I'm not sure how Jenny learned martial arts in 19th-century London--did we really need a helping of Action Female?

I think this was meant to be the Doctor-lite episode of the series, but I'm not sure how well it played out. The Paternoster Gang did a good job of getting to the action, but Clara didn't really seem to jell in her roll. Okay, so anyone could get dipped in prehistoric venom and be put out of commission for most of the episode--it happened to the Doctor too--but I thought that Ada had a much more interesting connection with the Doctor, protecting him from her mother, calling him her "monster"--which brings back the Hide quote about "every lonely monster needs a companion." I kinda hoped the Doctor would stick around for a while and make sure she was okay.

And finally, the ending was funny and I'm looking forward to seeing Eleven with more kids--seriously, he's wonderful with kids--but did nobody consider that the pictures of Clara could have been faked? Even if the kids were convinced, Clara could have done a better job of throwing them off the track. And seriously, would their dad believe them anyway?

*in speculative settings, near-human races don't count, but certain humanoid ones would.  So in LOTR, elf/human,  human/hobbit, would be normal, but human/orc would be bestiality.

Flags and Fantasy

Several weeks ago, I came across an online opinion piece with the subtitle "Where are all the American fantasy characters?" A few weeks later, my favorite blog posted a brief discussion of it, but I still feel like I should explore some of my own reactions. If you don't have time to  read the whole article, his argument can be summarized in two sentences--

The problem is that most of our Fantasy isn't written by Americans about American culture and values.Even American Fantasy writers write like they're British. 

Apart from his capitalization of  the genre--English major pet peeve--I fail to see the problem with this situation. Yes, my favorite writers/producers are British--Lewis, Tolkien, Moffat, Neil Gaiman (though he currently lives in Wisconsin) and Jasper Fforde--but is there a problem with that? It's not like their characters go around eating scones and singing "God Save the Queen" every ten pages, even when the events primarily take place in "our" world. As for American values--er, I don't think we're doing so hot in that area either. Look at our economy, look at our crime rate, look at how causal we are about truth--modern (secular) American values are nothing to celebrate. And so many of the values celebrated by the best speculative works--self-sacrifice, friendship, strong leadership--should be INTERNATIONAL values, not merely British or American.
As for "even American fantasy writers write like Brits," my response is partially "so what?" and partially "you don't understand the genre. He mentions George R.R. Martin as a famous American fantasy writer, but dassifies him as primarily British for using a medieval-European setting. Seriously? America doesn't have hundreds of years of history to draw from--the oldest we can reliably refer to is the 1600s, which isn't old enough to have a mythic atmosphere, and records from further back are scarce, not to mention possible accusations of plagiarism from native peoples.
For "American fantasy," the article mentions two examples: Twilight and the Hunger Games. At least he acknowledges the poor quality of the former--but I'm still not sure the Hunger Games has the world-building of other famous series. Yes, it would be nice to have some American fantasy writers, but can we just keep looking for GOOD fantasy in the meantime?

Flags and Fantasy

Several weeks ago, I came across an online opinion piece with the subtitle "Where are all the American fantasy characters?" A few weeks later, my favorite blog posted a brief discussion of it, but I still feel like I should explore some of my own reactions. If you don't have time to  read the whole article, his argument can be summarized in two sentences--

The problem is that most of our Fantasy isn't written by Americans about American culture and values.Even American Fantasy writers write like they're British. 

Apart from his capitalization of  the genre--English major pet peeve--I fail to see the problem with this situation. Yes, my favorite writers/producers are British--Lewis, Tolkien, Moffat, Neil Gaiman (though he currently lives in Wisconsin) and Jasper Fforde--but is there a problem with that? It's not like their characters go around eating scones and singing "God Save the Queen" every ten pages, even when the events primarily take place in "our" world. As for American values--er, I don't think we're doing so hot in that area either. Look at our economy, look at our crime rate, look at how causal we are about truth--modern (secular) American values are nothing to celebrate. And so many of the values celebrated by the best speculative works--self-sacrifice, friendship, strong leadership--should be INTERNATIONAL values, not merely British or American.
As for "even American fantasy writers write like Brits," my response is partially "so what?" and partially "you don't understand the genre. He mentions George R.R. Martin as a famous American fantasy writer, but dassifies him as primarily British for using a medieval-European setting. Seriously? America doesn't have hundreds of years of history to draw from--the oldest we can reliably refer to is the 1600s, which isn't old enough to have a mythic atmosphere, and records from further back are scarce, not to mention possible accusations of plagiarism from native peoples.
For "American fantasy," the article mentions two examples: Twilight and the Hunger Games. At least he acknowledges the poor quality of the former--but I'm still not sure the Hunger Games has the world-building of other famous series. Yes, it would be nice to have some American fantasy writers, but can we just keep looking for GOOD fantasy in the meantime?

The Swimming Pool in the Library: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

Now that's just showing off!

I've been looking forward to this episode since the title was announced. Even in the classic series, the only episode to really explore the TARDIS interior was Invasion of Time--other episodes have given quick glimpses of certain rooms, such as the wardrobe or secondary control room, but it's far past time for a proper look inside our dear friend. And the episode delivered!
Never mind the plot for a while, let's see what we found....swimming pool, observatory, the Eye of Harmony (much better done than the TV movie), a room full of memories--who here screamed COT! when they saw it?--and this fantastic, huge library with Gallifreyan encyclopedias in bottles and a book on the Time War. Why the latter is in English is a slight mystery--I've heard theories that River wrote it, which is kind of interesting, given her role as a professor, but I also like the theory that Nine wrote it as a confession of sorts after the War, in which case the English would be because he couldn't bear Gallifreyan at the the time...anyway, PRETTY TARDIS IS PRETTY!
As for the plot, my biggest issue with it was the implication that the Doctor would threaten to destroy the TARDIS for Clara's sake. I buy the Doctor being protective, especially with someone he's already lost twice, but blowing up the TARDIS for her? Not so much. So I was very pleased when he announced it was all a bluff, since it didn't make that much sense to me. As for the rest of it, it was pretty cool, and I liked his discussion with Clara about her other? selves--presumably that will come up again later.
Overall, I really liked it--8  or 9/10