Well, Doctor Who season 2 just keeps getting better and better doesn't it? I imagine old-school fans were rather pleased to see the return of Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) but to a newbie like myself, it was every bit as enjoyable seeing the claws-out tension between Rose and Sarah-Jane simmering away through the first half of the episode which only served the highlight the 'shipper elements of the resurrected Doctor Who. Once again gentle readers, I presented to you my (kind of) regular dissection of tonight's episode in gushy note form:
- I imagine that I'm not alone in this but I do love the Doctor in his emo-glasses. Rreow. My reaction to the opening teaser scene can be succinctly encapsulated in the Doctor and Sarah Jane's first exchange: "Hello." "I should think so!"
- Tonight has confirmed what I have suspected for a while: dinner ladies are inherently evil. Anyone who forces beetroot, custard and toxic oil on you is definately to be avoided.
- Am I the only one who was left disappointed at the end of the episode because I was eagerly awaiting Mickey's I-told-you-so-dance? (Perhaps a dance to rival Numfar's Dance of Joy?* I know I said I would stop with the Whedonverse comparisons but I think considering tonight's guest star, I can let myself off the hook.)
- Which leads us neatly into this: Anthony. Stewart. Head. (!!)
- Was I the only one who found David Tennant and Anthony Stewart Head's showdown totally
- Oh Micky you're so fine... Hurrah, Mickey's back! The much maligned Mickey, poor Mickey. I think the best lines of the night went to him: "...I'm the tin dog!" and "Go sit at the back of the class with the safety scissors and glitter."
- Were the vacuum-packed rats a reference to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy along with the hive brain idea? Or am I geekily overreaching?
- I spy... more portents of tragedy for the end of the series. If last week's Anvils of Doom from Queen Victoria wasn't enough, Mr. Finch's observation that the Time Lords were "peaceful to the point of indolence" and that they were terrified of change and chaos, yet this Doctor is different.
- The Doctor stroking his Tardis? Well, as he said, being a Time Lord is awfully lonely.
- Micky, Rose and The Doctor all together in the Tardis, I am rubbing my hands together with glee as I type.
All in all, an excellent episode, better than the plot-light, characterisation heavy opening episode of this season but perhaps not as tightly plotted as last week. Compelling viewing all the same and the CGI-morphs this week were ace.
In other news: I was so bored at work today, I was even nice to the kids. I have discovered that I am unbeatable at Connect 4.
I also broke my self imposed no-drinking resolution yesterday. I ended up at the EDT last night after work for leaving drinks for a colleague. I obviously have no will-power at all. I think perhaps I overreacted a little after last Thursday, I shall just have to learn how to take my drink or just be more sensible. I even left relatively early because I intended to go home and do some more writing (rather optimistic, I ended up spending the rest of my evening on the phone, writing emails and watching half of Breaking the Waves.) Walking to my bus-stop I was taken over by a fit of pique that seems to overcome me whenever I've been drinking and I decided to walk all the way home from Dulwich to Peckham. I think drink takes the edge off the fear of being stabbed up by any passing electro girls.
When I got home, I had post waiting for me. As much as I love the Internet, I do quite miss the good old days of postal correspondance. This generation won't have the same thrill of getting a badly written letter from a pen-pal in Brazil. I am currently waging a one-woman effort to bring back the art of letter writing. Anyway, nothing as exciting as a letter (grumble, grumble) but it was the Mania album sampler that I had bought off eBay which is almost as exciting.
Mania in 5 easy to digest factlets:
- Mania were a girl-duo who were less Daphne & Celeste and more like a duo of poppier Siobhan Donaghys/Sugababes Mark I.
- Mania were Giselle Sommerville and Niara Scarlett who met whilst writing for pop-genii, Xenomania
- Their album was spectacularly titled Do You Know Your Daughter's On The Roof?
- Unfortunately, they seem to have sunk into the Pop Quagmire and some of their stuff has been covered by the T4 prock (that's "pop/rock" for the uninitiated to my imagination) band, Frank.
- Their debut and in fact, only, single Looking For A Place is possibly the best song ever that includes whistling. **
Anyway, it is late and I haven't had anything to eat apart from Haribo today. I have developed an insatiable craving for hummus and am currently contemplating whether to make a late-night dash to Sainsbury's. Although I am already in my pajamas.***
*For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of watching Numfar's Dance of Joy, then settle down for the best 1 minute and 42 seconds of your televisual viewing life:
** All Time Top Five Songs That Have Whistling In Them // "Looking For A Place", Mania; "Love Generation", Bob Sinclar feat. Gary Pine; "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" Eric Idle; "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay", Otis Redding and "Walk Like An Egyptian", The Bangles
*** Gold star to the person who gets the reference. No googling otherwise you shall face my wrath which is akin to the heat of a thousand burning suns.
No Give A Little Whistle from Pinnochio? The only reason I can think of to be swallowed by a whale. Or Jealous Guy (Roxy Music; I can't remember if Lennon had whistling too)? Also, "hot bridesmaid" is intentionally vague; I can't decide whether she's attractive or it's just sweat plus taffeta. Either way, my mouse-bottoms salute you.
Professor Farnsworth is in my top 5 animated characters.
That was the best Doctor Who episode of the series so far. But there have only been three. Sarah Jane! I liked it a lot but for God's sake... Sarah Jane was assistant to Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker - she never had a thing for either of them! Maybe she developed it on the spot when she saw Tennant...
Haha, in the words of the Doctor, "correctamundo!" Farnsworth is an excellent character but if we're talking Futurama, then my heart lies with either Bender or Fry (my cartoon boyfriend).
Having never watched the old series of Doctor Who I can't attest to the Sarah Jane did she/didn't she fancy tombstone-toothed Tom or pointy-faced Pertwee but from watching Doctor Who Confidential last night, hers and the Doctor's leaving scene was definately a breakup scene. However, if she did develop a crush on the Doctor on sight of Tennant, I can't say I blame her.
How great was Anthony Stewart Head though? Makes me pine for the Ripper series that was planned a few years back. I want more bad Giles!