Doctor Who - Utopia

[lonelybrit]

I'm going to agree with the gist of the Radio Times review - i.e. not one of the best episodes of the season. BUT it features the return of You-Know-Who who is always great, legendary guest actors (Sir Cadfael!) and some brilliant epic scene-chewing supposedly-suprise-revealing final ten minutes. The quality guest stars this week meant that even a more clunky 'main' plot ticked over nicely until the real deal could be set in motion. So yes, technically not the most fantastic, but still this ep is sure to go down as one of the The Eps of this season :)

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! *FLAILS* OKAY SO IT WAS THE WORST KEPT SECRET EVA BUT BUT BUT I DO. NOT. CARE!!!

"What is your name?"

AND BY THIS POINT ME AND THE FRIEND WERE BOTH SCREAMING AT THE TV 'GO ON!! SAY IT SAY IT!!!'

AND THEN IT IS 'THE MASTER' AND SURELY FANDOM EXPLODED AND CADFAEL WENT EVIL AND THEN DIED AND THEN THEY ONLY WENT AND GAVE US JOHN BLOODY SIMMS!!!! ONE EP EARLY AND MY FANNISH HEART DOTH EXPAND *SWOON*

...

And breathe.

I'm imagining that some folks will not be too enamoured of the Doc's reaction to Jack, i.e. running away because Jack freaks him the f**k out. But actually I liked that, in some peverse way, it makes Jack special and the Doc more human. The Doctor has seen all of time and space, but he can still get genuinely disturbed, even frightened, and not stick around to face his fears. It was good to see the Doc and Jack get these things out in the open, and I liked that Jack called the Doctor on it and the Doctor accepted that maybe he did have some learning to do.

My other favourite moment? Jack's faith in life beginning to be restored. I really liked that whilst it was only possible because of the Doctor (i.e. TARDIS and time travel), it wasn't the Doctor himself who made Jack think maybe death wasn't the greatest thing after all. In the end it was simple humans and humanity - and eventually I'd imagine this will suit him well considering he's going to eventually return to TW with hopefully renewed determination to continue standing impressively atop of large buildings in his quest to help humans and his frankly lovely if emotionally dysfunctional crew.

Loved Martha and Jack bitching about Companions getting the short end of the stick.

Loved Jack hitting on Martha and the alien lass and neither wanting him to stop, loved him hitting on the guy outside the rocket. I am shamelessly using my Jack/emo twiglet icon because despite all that (and honestly I would like Martha to get at least one more decent kiss this season), Jack is Jack, he has a lotta love to go around, Cardiff will still be there waiting for him once they've stopped Saxon trying to squish it (and presumably the rest of Earth).

Comments

[boji.livejournal.com]

I'm imagining that some folks will not be too enamoured of the Doc's reaction to Jack, i.e. running away because Jack freaks him the f**k out.

Yes, that would be me. But, I swear my more rational self will be back at the reviewing helm tomorrow.

[lonelybrit]

I think as the hours have passed that I'm beginning to start feeling just really really bad for Jack. Once you've got past the fact that it's interesting characterwise for him and the Doc, and that it made good TV, it was just such a horrid thing to happen to him. The one thing that has constantly given him some hope throughout all of Torchwood has been the belief that when he finally finds him, Jack will be able to get an explanation from The Doctor. The Doctor is 'It' for Jack.

And yet when they meet, Jack finds himself being told 'You're wrong. That's why I ran away from you.'

Which eventually might be good, in that it might end Jack's unconditional hero worship of the Doctor, make him realise he's human. Conditional love is far more healthy for all concerned.

[sweet-exile.livejournal.com]

I didn't know. Okay I knew why John Simm was in the last two episodes but had deliberately stayed spoiler free. It wasn't until I saw the watch I realised what was happening.

I screamed at the TV when to be continued appeared!

[lonelybrit]

I knew the rumours that Simms would turn out to be the Master, and I knew that he was going to be in the final two eps.

I have no idea it was all going to be kick-started in this ep, so yes, it was when the Professor was called 'a genius' by Ten, and then we saw the watch that the penny began to drop =)

[sweet-exile.livejournal.com]

I had heard those rumours too but put most of them down to wild fanboy speculation. I hoped of course because it is cool.

Derek Jacobi was just fantastic the change from nice Professor Yana to The Master was brilliant.

I liked the Doctor's reasons for leaving Jack behind. It made a lot of sense and can see why he would think that.

[lonelybrit]

I liked the Doctor's reasons for leaving Jack behind. It made a lot of sense and can see why he would think that.

Agreed. Horridly cruel and unfair for Jack, obviously, but it felt right for the Doctor to be so freaked out by time and physics simply not applying to one person like that.