Doctor Who - Bad Wolf

[iainjclark]

Well, that was.... rubbish...

Okay, I'll be honest, it wasn't completely rubbish. Despite the ludicrous TV parodies it rattled along being oddly serious about the whole thing, if not particularly interesting.

What I can't get past is the essential ludicrousness. Why would all the games be based on 20th Century TV? Other than satirical value, which doesn't require such spot-on riffs on particular TV shows, it makes no logical sense whatsoever. The best justification I could use is the same as for the Britney Spears song in episode 2 - they're considered classics. But really, every single show being exactly like their 20th Century incarnation? I think not.

Moving on, since this will either be rationally explained next week or (far more likely) never mentioned again, what about the rest of the episode?

Well, not a great deal else happened. The episode was heavy on continuity and running around, light on drama and characterisation, and as such made little impact. The most interesting part is clearly the Dalek aspect, even though shorn of the Dalek With A Soul angle they are once again reduced to shouting at one another:

"I TALK IN A MONO-TONE"
"YES, I TALK IN A MONO-TONE ALSO"
"MY MONO-TONE IS AT A SLIGHTLY DIFF-ERENT PITCH THAN YOURS"
Etc.

The idea of the Daleks hiding in orbit is fine (although, why the obsession with Earth - is it just that the Doctor likes it?) and their flying saucer craft are both consistent with what we've seen in the past, and as cool as a flying saucer is likely to get. I'm less keen on the idea that the Daleks have been manipulating Earth history for a long time, although to be fair it does just about satisfactorily explain the various Bad Wolf references (even the ones Rose remembers despite not seeing in the first place *cough*), and explain how, as a result of the Time War, the Daleks might be "wrong" enough to pervert accepted history. But the question of, well, "why?" seems rather pressing at the moment. On this issue I feel reasonably confident that we will get an explanation next week.

Overall - a bit meh, depressingly so because it's part of the two-part season finale and features the return of the series' major villains. Ah well.

WARNING: Potentially spoilery speculation about next week's episode follows:

My wife and I have been theorising about the identity of Bad Wolf (presumably whatever saved the Daleks). Given the fairly insular mythology the season has followed, we feel it must not be a character from the fannish Doctor Who past such as Davros, but a character from this season Also, PsychicMaid!Woman implied that Rose had already met the Big Bad wolf by episode 3. If correct,that must leave either the Nestene Intelligence or one of the far future characters like The Face of Bo (namechecked this week).

Since the Nestene Intelligence was involved in the Time War, hates the Time Lords, and loves large smog clouds, that's where we're piling our chips. It would have the added value of bookending the season.

We may of course be completely wrong. :-)

Comments

[fba.livejournal.com]

although, why the obsession with Earth

Earth is, universally speaking, on good bus routes and handy for the shops. I can't think of any other reason why the world and his wife would want to invade...

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Didn't they always use to want its magnetic core?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

My reaction to the first half: Actually, this is quite fun, you know. Although it would have been even more fun if they'd extrapolated a bit and built up some more social conventions/rituals around the games, rather than just recreating what we know.

My reaction to the second half: Ahahahahahahahahaha. Oh. Wait, am I meant to be taking this bit seriously?

Summary: Russell T is not going to be giving Joss Whedon any competition in the arc-writing stakes any time soon. And that, let's face it, is saying something. And if anyone who dissed Jasmine praises this I will laugh in their face. :)

[tizzle-b.livejournal.com]

Jasmine .... this

Can we not try to draw together two completely different things?

One was a (mostly) poorly executed hash of a season from a man with a proven track record and the other is ALL!NEW Doctor Who with no substantial arc and no attempt to ever construct one from the start.

No, I'm not taking subtle references to a "greater plan" as a substantial arc. Unless it's proven to be OH SO CLEVER next week, it's could just end up being all OMG!FANBOYWANK-esque.

*out*

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not taking subtle references to a "greater plan" as a substantial arc.

'subtle'?

Also, more speculation: if the dalek disintegrator-transporter sent people to their fleet, then they're making humans into daleks, aren't they?

[icundell.livejournal.com]

Unless it's proven to be OH SO CLEVER next week, it's could just end up being all OMG!FANBOYWANK-esque.

Is there a sweepstake? Can I put £1 on it being The Master?

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

if anyone who dissed Jasmine praises this I will laugh in their face. :)

Well, Jasmine was a god who manipulated every second of everyone's lives for several years, potentially including every episode of the previous four years. The Daleks (or Bad Wolf) are aliens who subtly influenced the course of human civilisation over many hundreds of years, although the actual events of the season's episodes appear to be genuine.

I'm hard pressed to say that one is inherently more implausible than the other. Both require a large suspension of disbelief, but I happen to think both of them can be swallowed relatively easily. In the case of Doctor Who, it's the motivation I'm struggling with, and the fact that the big reveal was too riddled with unanswered questions to have much impact.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'appear to be genuine'. But then, I'm still in the camp that thinks that just because someone puts you in a position to kill or not kill doesn't mean you haven't made the choice whether or not to kill. :p

Anyway, I'm not saying the Bad Wolf stuff is bad because it's implausible. I actually quite like it, or would if the revelations hadn't been so cack-handed. I'm just saying that the concept--powerful forces manipulating Our Heroes to their own ends--is not a million miles away.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

I call bullshit on you. Massive retcon that undercuts previous drama ham-fistedly jammed in vs. an arc built-in (albeit not very well) to a 13 episode series.

The best thing about this series is not the fore-shadowing nonsense but the Doctor and repercussions. "Ha, I fixed this aaages go. It's what I always do." "No, you fucked it all up." "Hoshit."

That and FOUR! HUNDRED! THOUSAND! DALEKS!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Also, PsychicMaid!Woman implied that Rose had already met the Big Bad wolf by episode 3.

But was that the first bad wolf reference, or was there one in the first two episodes?

I reckon it could be the kid from 2012.

[truckerr.livejournal.com]

I reckon it could be the kid from 2012.

Todd from Coronation Street?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Sure. He had the tech-thing in his head, so it wouldn't be too much of a cheat to have him figure out time-travel. He's got a grudge against the Doctor and Rose. We've met him before (I agree with Iain that that's an important criteria). He knows what the Doctor did, so he could see an opportunity there. And he is (or at least, was when we met him) human, which I suspect for this production team is a big plus over the Nestene consciousness.

Probably wrong, though. :)

[snowking.livejournal.com]

The little accountant thing talked to the Face of Boooooo (Selecta!) about a "Bad Wolf" scenario I believe. And Billie wore a red hoodie.</pushing it>

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Bad Wolf is The Doctor or something.

[fba.livejournal.com]

See - I'm getting this too.

Isn't the fact that we are discussing this proof that this is a good and important TV show?

[immortalradical.livejournal.com]

No, it's proof that your TV-starved fanboys. :P

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Why would all the games be based on 20th Century TV?

Because it's funny! Why are costumes in Firefly based on Han-dynasty Chinese designs? It looks cool! Some people are not about building a rigourous SF world. And Sinny and Trusannah are 21st shurely, guv?

DALEKS! SOOOOO MANY DALEKS!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

DALEKS! SOOOOO MANY DALEKS!

I'm at a complete loss as to why so many people think this is a good thing, you know.

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

Because it's funny! Why are costumes in Firefly based on Han-dynasty Chinese designs?

Exactly, but that's the whole premise of the show. It's stupid, but it's there, and you either accept that the whole show is a western pastiche or you don't.

If, however, you establish a different universe where that isn't the case, and then suddenly introduce a spot-on pastiche, then it deserves to be questioned because it damages the show's internal logic and the audience's suspension of disbelief. Okay, satire¹ is all very well, but the exact sets, formats and personalities of C20th television? This isn't futurama!

¹At times it felt like that Monty Python caption should be flashing at the bottom of the screen: SATIRE... SATIRE... :-)

[fba.livejournal.com]

Why would all the games be based on 20th Century TV?

I think you mean 21st Century - you are obviously still lagging :p

The Doctor and Lynda talked about the other shows broadcast from Satellite 5 and not all of them were real things. If you are going to satarise reality TV then it is probably best to stick to things that, y'know, actually exist...

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

One of the things I'm reading at the moment is a collection of short stories by Gene Wolfe. One of the better stories is 'Viewpoint', which satirises reality tv quite effectively, thanks, without being a direct copy of any existing shows.

On the other hand, 'Viewpoint' is set roughly now, while 'Bad Wolf' is set a hojillion years into the future. I still think they'd have been better to take the quirks of each show and show how over the years they've become quasi-religious rituals, or something.

[ajp.livejournal.com]

My initial reaction was that it was a spectacularly poorly executed attempt at an exciting, tension building, end of season penultimate-episode. Throw us off guard with the "funny" stuff (and I used that term advisedly), and then give us the left hook of all the daleks controlling everything.

Of course it fell short, as the "funny" parts were about as funny as dental treatment; but more critically because of those damned trailers. Even with the "jokes" as duff as they were (and I refuse to be drawn into a conversation about why C21 games were used - C22 shows haven't been invented yet to parody) it might have worked, if they hadn't tipped us off to expect daleks LAST WEEK. What were they thinking?

TV Writing lesson #12: "Don't give away the end of the story (or any other big "reveal") in a trailer..."

Anyway it's set up some exciting looking stuff for next week - though once again the execution is key. Frankly I have concerns about being able to do this much, in 45 minutes. Buffy, et al (or even Classic!DrWho) would have taken at least a double episode to play out what is being billed as a major story-line. Much as I've quite enjoyed most of Neo!DrWho - the pacing in the single episode stories has consistently sucked.

Oh, and my guess for the individual behind all of this: The Master.

[iainjclark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think you're right. Clearly they spoiled us on the Daleks last week because it would boost ratings, but unfortunately at the expense of tension and dramatic impact. For me all the squeeing happened last week, and was severely dented by the crap TV show elements in the trailer.

I also agree about the pacing, and the fact that it didn't work. Unlike others I wasn't even particularly wowed by the Daleks in this episode because there were too many bits of my brain distracted from the coolness by going "Eh? That doesn't make sense? Huh? Why? What? Bzzt."

I do hope next week will right these wrongs, though.

And as for Bad Wolf being The Master - I could just about believe it, since he would be tied to the destruction of the Time Lords, but for me it could only be The Master if we'd seen some reference to him this season. If the Doctor had mentioned him while lamenting the Time Lords (however much misdirection was involved) then yes, maybe. As it stands, I don't think so.

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

What I can't get past is the essential ludicrousness

I was suprised by how badly they managed the whole "games" thing, tbh. I mean, how hard can it be to suggest that all TV has been turned into a plethora of forced-participation, win-or-die gameshows, without reducing the execution of the idea to cringe-inducing hideousness. Hmm. Actually, the BB stuff wasn't *that* bad; but the other two shows were painful to watch. I will admit to one gigle at the realisation that one of the Trinny/Susanna bots had much bigger boobs than the other, though (yes, I'm shallow, quelle suprise).

[mantium.livejournal.com]

I kind of enjoyed it, actually. This may be because I have stopped even trying to take the show in any way seriously - as soon as I stopped thinking about the score, or mentally comparing the CGI to the new BSG or whatever, the whole thing becomes a lot more tolerable :)

I guess my biggest problem with the first half was that for a long, long time it was just like watching a real episode of the Weakest Link, and y'know, if I wanted to do that... The second half therefore was a lot more intetesting and fast paced, and I thought the design of the Controller girk was kinda striking actually.