Christmas Invasion

[kerravonsen]

Yes, well, I finally decided I couldn't hold out any longer, so I watched it. I'm rather dissappointed, actually.

I didn't like how it was all "oh, we're all so helpless without the Doctor" stuff. I mean, sure, it's usually the case, but it was really irritating being beaten about the head with it. I mean, geeze, nobody tried to do anything, except for Harriet Jones. I can understand why some people would be dissappointed with her, but sure, she did the wrong thing at the end, but it was an error in judgement; I still like her. I have very mixed feelings about the "don't mess with me, I'm the Doctor, and I'll bring down your government" -- because it felt like a pissing contest. On the other hand, if you make errors of judgement like that, you probably shouldn't have that power, so it kind of served her right. And it was so beautifully clever.
I have a kind of wistful hope that she, being humbled, learns her lesson and comes back and uses her power for Good.

I dunno... the whole Sycorax duel thing -- I mean, it isn't as if the Doctor hasn't participated in duels before either. But he's supposed to be more subtle than that -- which is probably why I liked the "Don't you think she looks tired?" thing, that was subtle and clever. Mixed feelings.

But all those things that were supposed to make you cheer, like "It is defended" and "this is a fighting hand", they didn't make me cheer. Because they're ruddy Hollywood cliches for action heros!
It kind of reminds me of how some people were complaining that last year Rose was being touted as all Speshul, and we were being told that, not shown it. I think there was something of that here: it was Doctor-Sue time. Ick!

I liked the bit where they were realizing the TARDIS translation field was working again.

On the other hand, the whole Santas and the Christmas tree thing actually don't make any sense in the context of the rest of the plot. Unless they weren't connected with the Sycorax at all.

I'm not saying that Tennant is bad as the Doctor, not at all. But he will be bad as the Doctor if all the other episodes are written like this one.

On the other hand, it makes me more determined than ever to finish my finish-a-thon story, so I suppose that's good.

Comments

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I too was disappointed in it overall, though there were some good things. I agree with most of what you wrote.

***Spoiler***






I suppose that the Doctor's experiences in the Time War may have made him more pacifistic than ever, but I thought that Harriet Jones was hard done by. Having seen two of her aides cold-bloodedly murdered for no reason, and the Sycorax leader showing that he - and therefore very probably his people - couldn't be trusted to keep a bargain, I think that she was right to do what she did. The "Don't you think she looks tired?" thing was very clever, but using it needed better justification than was given in the story.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Me too. I think I might well have done what Harriet Jones did. As she said to the Doctor "You won't always be here.".

Is she supposed to gamble Earth's safety on the whim of a passing alien who likes to sight-see round the universe?

[kerravonsen]

Is she supposed to gamble Earth's safety on the whim of a passing alien who likes to sight-see round the universe?

Another good point. And it had been driven home to her when she made that public appeal to the Doctor, and he wasn't there.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I suppose that the Doctor's experiences in the Time War may have made him more pacifistic than ever

It didn't come over that way for most of last season!

As I've said elsewhere, I'm not convinced that she was forced out by the health scare (though I've seen it only once); my guess was that it was his warning shot.

Re Santas: my understanding from the remarks about Pilot Fish is that they weren't directly connected with the Sycorax, they just hung around them looking for interesting bait. And that they'd homed in on the Doctor and his technology, but the Sycorax were focused on Earth and the probe, so didn't really take in that he was around. I think. Those who have watched it more thoroughly may be more coherent on this.

[kerravonsen]

Re Santas: my understanding from the remarks about Pilot Fish is that they weren't directly connected with the Sycorax, they just hung around them looking for interesting bait. And that they'd homed in on the Doctor and his technology, but the Sycorax were focused on Earth and the probe, so didn't really take in that he was around.

Ah, that makes sense. Though why they would send a lethal Christmas tree after the Doctor when they would logically be trying to capture this energy source rather than destroy it still doesn't make sense... ah well.

[kerravonsen]

and the Sycorax leader showing that he - and therefore very probably his people - couldn't be trusted to keep a bargain

Good point.

The "Don't you think she looks tired?" thing was very clever, but using it needed better justification than was given in the story.

Which is why it felt like a macho pissing contest thing to me -- because there didn't seem a good enough reason for it.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I didn't bother to review it in my journal, so I'll cheat and reproduce my comments in someone else's (as you may gather, we may be a minority, but your reaction wasn't unique):

Like you, I was underwhelmed, though I've watched it only once and I realise from other reviews that there were a lot of things I missed. I didn't take to Tennant until the final scenes when he turned nasty with Harriet. And that was the plotline I found most interesting. At first, I didn't believe she'd do it, but then I remembered that her Big Decision in her previous appearance was to order the Doctor to launch a missile strike on Downing Street. So I wonder if, despite the very different circumstances, she instinctively felt that, well, that had been right last time, so it might be this time. And she could point to the fact that the Sycorax champion had attempted a sneak attack on the Doctor after being defeated, so she could hardly be confident in his compatriots' sense of honour. And maybe there's intended to be a massive irony in that apparent throwaway line to Rose last year - what was it - "You seem to be a very violent young woman!"

By the way, I don't know whether you're aware that the destruction-of-a-retreating-enemy motif is supposed to have been a reference to Margaret Thatcher ordering the sinking of the Belgrano - I think someone said Russell T. Davies admitted that. Which some people thought a bit out-of-date as satire, though I was more worried by the implication that any female prime minister of the UK would inevitably follow that course... But I think there are differences, most obviously of number: Harriet doesn't know how many ships the Sycorax might have available for a follow-up attack, and she does know how many lives on Earth might be threatened. Ideally, you'd want her to say "let's improve our detectors and be ready to fire if they come back", but what if they come back with a hundred ships? It was implied that it took Torchwood a while to get the weapon ready to fire, so it might not be able to handle multiple targets in quick succession. It still doesn't make her morally right, but I can see how she'd be thinking as she has to make a snap judgment.

I'm not quite sure she was forced out at the end; the Ninth Doctor said she would serve three terms as PM, and this appeared to be her first. He's not above meddling with the timeline, of course, but it's possible the health scare was a warning to her rather than a final punishment. Didn't he say he could take her down, rather than he would?

And the bit I really couldn't believe was where she addressed the nation flanked by Union Jacks. That was so embarrassing. We just don't do that.

[kerravonsen]

as you may gather, we may be a minority, but your reaction wasn't unique

I am not alone! Whew! I was wondering if I'd overreacted because, while people have been fairly good with cutting spoilers in posts, they haven't been avoiding spoilers in icons, so I aready had seen some of the key lines such as "The President is not my boss" and "It is defended" and "This is a fighting hand". On the other hand, I really liked the "Tell the President he is not my boss" line, even though I'd seen it on an icon, so I suppose I can't blame spoilers for my reaction.

On the other hand, the biggest spoiler of all, that the Doctor was going to spend most of the episode in a coma, had actually been spoiled by the Beeb on their site, if I recall correctly. And that set up expectations and hopes that weren't fulfilled: to wit, that this was an opportunity for the companions to strut their stuff and show their mettle -- and they didn't. Though kudos to Mickey for holding off the Christmas tree with a chair.

So much for Rose being Speshul. I mean, think about some of the best of the Old Who companions... Leela would have made a decent Champion all by herself, Ace would have blown them up, Romana would have done something technical and clever, Nyssa would have sussed to the "blood control" thing straight off... (sigh)

And she could point to the fact that the Sycorax champion had attempted a sneak attack on the Doctor after being defeated, so she could hardly be confident in his compatriots' sense of honour.

(Nods) I'd forgotten that in the context of her decision.

By the way, I don't know whether you're aware that the destruction-of-a-retreating-enemy motif is supposed to have been a reference to Margaret Thatcher ordering the sinking of the Belgrano

I wasn't aware of it, but after I wrote this post I back-tracked through my flist for posts on TCI and found a mention of it in communicator's journal and looked it up.

I'm not quite sure she was forced out at the end; the Ninth Doctor said she would serve three terms as PM, and this appeared to be her first. He's not above meddling with the timeline, of course, but it's possible the health scare was a warning to her rather than a final punishment. Didn't he say he could take her down, rather than he would?

Oh, I like that idea. I was also thinking this morning that it was probably the health scare in combination with her public appeal where she admitted in front of the nation that she didn't know what to do. I was thinking at that point in the episode "Now, that's admirable, because it's extremely risky for a politician" -- so she was already politically vulnerable.
I'd forgotten how many terms Nine had said she would be PM but I was thinking that if she got kicked out after one term it would be an awfully short "Golden Age", wouldn't it?

And the bit I really couldn't believe was where she addressed the nation flanked by Union Jacks. That was so embarrassing. We just don't do that.

I liked the bit about the Royal Family, though. 8-)

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Though kudos to Mickey for holding off the Christmas tree with a chair.


Oh, I'd forgotten that! A moment I did like very much.

On the other hand, it makes me more determined than ever to finish my finish-a-thon story, so I suppose that's good.

And I forgot to say that I'm looking forward to that, too.

[kerravonsen]

And I forgot to say that I'm looking forward to that, too.

Ulp! I mean, I don't know if I can pull off what is required...