god complexes

[prof_pangaea]

interesting line of the eighth doctor's from the big finish audio "faith stealer":

doctor: "If you're experiencing mental strain the last thing you need is someone giving you a god complex."


indeed, doctor, indeed.

Comments

[infiniteviking]

Word.

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

*coughs at second season generally, also the finale and the christmas special AND PLS STOP MAKING THE DOCTOR JESUS*

ahem.

[infiniteviking]

The whole 'lonely god' thing is just ehhh in general. I didn't hear anyone mistaking the Master for a deity, even when he had a beard. It ends up leaving the Doctor (and the whole concept of religon) seeming more pitiful than anything else -- even having characters mistake him for a prophet would be less cheesy.

DW has been taking digs at crooked clerics and badly organized religions since the dawn of time, but RTD seems to be saying that there is no chance of any faith being genuine in his universe and nothing is allowed to seem more godly than a vengeful, traumatized Doctor (unless it's an evil, scheming imposter, in which case it's slated to be defeated anyway). It seems a limited view at best.

*/rant* ;)

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

*agreements*

also:
I didn't hear anyone mistaking the Master for a deity, even when he had a beard.

*chokes*

i would like a multi-doctor story for the moment when ten would see his former self (almost any would do) and see how far he has gone from the things he used to value so highly. that would be a spiritual crisis worth seeing.

[infiniteviking]

the moment when ten would see his former self (almost any would do) and see how far he has gone from the things he used to value so highly

Absolutely. That'd be fantastic... unfortunately it would require the producers admitting that the Doctor's former mindset actually existed and was preferable to the one he has now. (I'm afraid it would be interpreted as wimpy and naive, defeating the whole purpose.) It would have been a much better sub-conflict in 'School Reunion' than egad-Sarah-sekritly-loved-the-Doctor *unrepentant genficcer speaking here*.

Eighth Doctor, I say. Possibly more feasible in terms of real-life acting, and the Eighth has a certain gentleness underlaid with the kind of moral fierceness that would be an excellent foil for the Tenth's arrogance. Even the Seventh, with his latent darkness, could provide a fascinating mirror for the current Doctor. I've been wishing that all the Tenth's flaws were leading to an arc where he RECOGNIZES them and tries to do something about them. Flaws with inner conflict are realistic. Flaws with self-righteous narcissism are... well, not my Doctor.

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

i was king of the "wait a bit, guys, there's a PLAN" theorising style of interpreting new who; you know, "the doctor is going through a really interesting character arc, and sometimes it isn't handled perfectly but it's going somewhere and i'm really excited to see where" -- until voyage of the damned aired. that story could have occured just after season two and it might have made some narative and emotional sense, but as it is... not so much.

and now i really and truly have no idea if there is an arc happening with the doctor or not. i still think it's possible, but if so, i have much lower expectations for it making much sense or being especially moving. ;____________; but on the other hand VotD was SO lazy and inconsistent that it may actually be completely untethered from the surrounding seasons and have nothing to do with the character arc that i was expecting all along. although that would still be a rather distressing, i strangely prefer it.

school reunion... so much potential. mainly wasted. although we have 01: the doctor telling sarah jane about the war almost IMMEDIATELY, which he does with no one else in the series, 02: sarah jane being the one who stops the doctor at the end of the episode, i.e. the reminder of his past life is the one person who makes him see what a monstrosity he is contemplating. so producers may know what they're doing here, but not be putting as much emphasis as is needed/we want.

according to certain sources that i met at chicago TARDIS the likelihood of an eighth doctor crossover is extremely low (down perhaps to nigh impossible) due to unlikelihood of mcgann being employed by the bbc. also i must say that i would doubt it would be the type of thing he would be very keen on. he spends a few days a year recording audios for BF, no costumes, no make-up, no line-learning, and above all, very low-key, which is a big difference from the way new who is produced and the demands it would make on any guest star. *sadness*

meanwhile same source says that likelihood of davison being asked back == HIGH. hurrah! but same source also said that mccoy can't act, so i challenged him to a fight to the death. mccoy is a fucking great actor who needs a good director to keep him tight, and not spiralling all over the place, but the point is, that he IS actually good. apparently he has trouble learning large chunks of dialogue but i say that's what david tennant is for anyway. which reminds me that i wish time mchines existed for the sole purpose of me going back in time a month or so in order to seeing ian mckellan and sylvester mccoy TOGETHER (http://www.observer.com/files/imagecache/article/files/Heilpern-KingLear1H.jpg) (with jonathan hyde!!) in king lear. that is... i can't come up with anything better than that.

anyway my point is that sylvester mccoy would kick ten and then ride off with martha in a dramatic sunset of awesome. or something.

[infiniteviking]

I will hold on to 'There is a PLAN (preferably involving the Valeyard)' until the bitter end, probably without believing it much, but if the possibility is there.... *sigh*

They may know. But the whole 'you need a companion to prevent you from turning into a monster' thing sticks in my craw too. School Reunion: *agrees* Haven't seen VotD yet, but it sounds like one of those episodes that really happened to that other Doctor in the alternate universe -- you know, the one we never meet when we go over there because he's too improbable.

Aw, that's too bad about McGann, though I can see his point about the rigors of being a guest star. But more Davison = WIN!!! Also McCoy = WIN if his involvement is properly handled. Heh, hope you killed that guy (and he regenerated so as to tell you more stuff). Egad, that picture was taken a few months ago? That's it, he has got to come back. Gaah, I haven't seen nearly enough of the Seventh, but there's so much potential there.