prof_pangaea | PARTNERS IN CRIME (Reply)

first things first: CATFLAP!! unless someone gives me a good enough reason (i am currently discounting logic SORRY), this catflap and the lines: "Well, thing about cat flaps is, they don't just let things in, they let things out as well," is a complete and wonderful reference to Survival (which of course had the working title of "Catflap", guys!!). also the line about meeting cat people, because he met those cat people before them ones on new earth. this is obviously foreshadowing for the return of ace.

ANYWAY. the new theme is pants and i will try to ignore it. the important thing ~~other than seven n' ace~~ is that this episode was GREAT. i don't mean the plot was great, because it obviously was not.

donna tries to mime the plot to the doctor.

doctor's face == audience.

but it was fun, and funny, and donna was fantastic, and the doctor was... the doctor. i mean, he was really the doctor, the real doctor, never cowardly nor cruel, the person who loves everyone, who wants to save everyone, who even tries to save the villain. oh man, it was good to see him.

he's still the same person we've known the past couple of seasons, just a continuation of him. YES CONTINUITY IT IS THERE. also i get to be very happy that my theory about why he said nothing to martha when she left was TRUE: because he knew he had messed up her life, and that she deserved better than to be with him. he knew she was right, and he knew that he couldn't say anything because if he tried he would have asked her to stay. (see: when mel [MEL!] was trying to tell him goodbye). my theory on martha at the time was that she would eventually end up coming back and travelling with the doctor at the end of this season -- now, i'm not so sure, but i am sure that she'll keep having a place in the series, and not as "the one he didn't love". he loves her.

the doctor we see here explicitly is the one that we kept being presented last season, but often implicitly: his fear when he thinks he can't save the million people affected by the adiposeans and his absolute joy when he and donna DO save them reminded me a lot of when 42 aired and i was like, "well, there you go. he doesn't just want to save everyone, he's GOT to save everyone." (like i said here). he's lonely (NO SURPRISE), he wants a friend but he's afraid of getting too attached, he's afraid of what might happen to them, and to him -- same as last season, except this time the doctor actually says it.

it's a funny old world...

relevent dialogues included:
doctor: "this is your one chance." (followed by him giving her another chance and trying to save her from certain death. <3<3<3333!!)

donna: "you look older."
doctor: "thanks."
donna: "still on you own?"
doctor: "yeah. well, no. i had this friend, martha, she was called. martha jones, she was brilliant. and i destroyed half her life. but she's fine, she's good. ...she's gone."
donna: "what about rose?"
doctor: "still lost."

donna: "what you going to do then? blow em up?
doctor: "they're just children. they can't help where they came from."
donna: "oh, well that makes a change from last time. that martha must have done you good."
doctor: [pause] "yeah she did. yeah. she did."

BEST EXCHANGE EVER? MAYBE. i know some people are all *frowny face* over the doctor then saying, "...she fancied me," but come on, we all know the doctor. he is rubbish at saying serious things (well, about emotions). he must deflect attention, and make things seem less serious. and of course, it is useful on account of how later we get:

donna:"you're not saying much."
doctor: "no, it's just -- it's a funny old life. in the TARDIS."
donna: "you don't want me."
doctor: "i'm not saying that."
donna: "but you asked me. [pause] would you rather be on your own?"
doctor: [quickly] "no. actually, no. but... the last time, with martha -- like i said, it... it got complicated. and that was all my fault."

pretty much: "it was all my fault because i knew she fancied me, and i let her, because i couldn't bear to not have her with me, and also i deposed the rightful prime minister and then my evil ex-boyfriend showed up and took over the planet and martha had to go and walk through the destruction of the earth for a year while her family was held captive and i was tortured. i regret that, rather."

also there is that bit where donna kicks him in the face:

"i've got you! i've got you! stop kicking me."

and now: MYSTERIES:

01.) on the roof, before they make their daring almost escape, donna mentions how she's been keeping track of all sorts of crazy conspiracy stuff, including the claim that "all the bees are disappearing". WTF??
02.) when the doctor is giving miss foster his (totally fake, yay!) ultimatum, they have this exchange:
foster: "i've been employed by the adiposean 1st family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost."
doctor: "what do you mean lost? how do you lose a planet?"
foster: "oh, politics are none of my concern. i'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."
03.) apparently the taxi that ran over a couple of adipose babies had a sign in it that said ATMOS.

but what was my favourite bit? hmm. other than the stuff i've already mentioned, well, there's that scene at the end where the doctor is trying to be impressive with the TARDIS and donna says: "i know all that bit. although frankly you could turn the heat up." and the doctor looks... i'm not sure. surprised? like he'd forgotten. like he hadn't had any humans on board for so long he hadn't realised the temperature was back to normal for a time lord. i'm not sure, but it was just... poignant.

speaking of...

is this a theme for this series, or just this episode? seeking something, and never knowing it's so close? looking in the wrong place? the vagaries of fate? maybe it was just comedy. but maybe not. i noticed (er... sort of recently *facepalms*) that gridlock was really the entire series three in miniature, even down to the bit where you believe in the doctor and he saves you ~~from damnation~~ (except done with better metaphorical quality than LotTL, which is to say, er, any). there is a bit of meta in my brain about literalism and how it is not a good idea to apply that to religion, but i'll probably save that for the UNEXPECTED DAWKINS episode. but anyway, maybe this is THE ENTIRE SERIES IN 45 MINUTES? maybe the finale will reveal that the doctor has almost run into ~~ace romana the master braxiatel~~ rose every episode of last season?? o___o