Doctor Who 5x06: Vampires of Venice

[kerravonsen]

I enjoyed that. A mix of scary-creepy, silly, and insightful.
And it wasn't written by Moffat. Thank you, Toby Whithouse.
(looks things up) Aha! He's the one who wrote "School Reunion". No wonder this episode worked.


I loved the whole idea of the Doctor dragging Rory along on a trip so that Amy and Rory's relationship won't be ruined. Also fun how Rory took the wind out of the Doctor's sails in his response to the TARDIS, because Rory did his homework after the first adventure he was involved with.

It was a nice twist that the vampires turned out not to be vampires. The Doctor had a very good point that if they didn't mind people thinking that they were vampires, they must have something else even worse to hide.

It was amusing how the Doctor was practically giddy with excitement when he realized he was dealing with something dangerous and paranormal. And then that bit where he and Amy are babbling to each other about it. (grin)

Rory's comment to the Doctor: "You make people want to impress you" and that it makes them a danger to themselves, because they become reckless for it - that was one of the insightful bits. And then you get the Doctor's response later, where he calls Rory on it, saying that "one minute you're calling me dangerous, and then it's "we're not leaving you" and who gets the blame when you get squashed or crushed or...?" - which is also a good point.

I loved the interaction between the Doctor and Signora Calvierri; the whole question-for-a-question scene, yes. That he gave her a chance. That he swore to ruin her plans because she couldn't remember Isabella's name. Perhaps some might think that harsh, but what I take from that is that Rosanna didn't think of her converted "brides" as people; they were just commodities. They certainly seem to have lost their individuality, considering how the girls spoke in unison when the Doctor first encountered them.

"You're a fish, I'm a Time Lord - think of the children." (snerk)

Rosanna chose to commit suicide, something that the Doctor had turned away from, though their circumstances were similar.
Though her remark about him being responsible for the death of another race, huh, I want to roll my eyes at that, for a number of reasons.

1) Oh, please, don't keep on playing the Guilt Card.
2) She was partly responsible for her own fate. So much like a user to have no guilt and try to cast all the guilt on others.
3) The Doctor had actually committed genocide before the Time War.

Look, can't we have an alien race who doesn't want to murder thousands of humans as part of their refugee resettlement plan?

Question, though: how come Rosanna recognised the name "Gallifrey" and "Time Lord" and knew that the Doctor was responsible for the death of his own race? Judging by Jabe's reaction when she met Nine, the Time Lords ought to be a myth, and their loss attributed to the Time War. How come Rosanna knew the truth?

I like how Amy and Rory reconciled in the end.

Annnnddd.... we have the spooky silence, as all those people and animals "softly and suddenly vanished away"...

Comments

[tptigger]

Look, can't we have an alien race who doesn't want to murder thousands of humans as part of their refugee resettlement plan?
We could, but it would certainly be more boring television.

[kerravonsen]

Not really; the drama could be in protecting them from rampaging humans...

[tptigger]

Unfortunately, that would make the humans the bad guys. Earth TV is homo sapians centric don't you know. (-8

[tree_and_leaf]

I think it's interesting to contrast this episode with 'The Runaway Bride', in particular the Doctor's attitude to Rosanna and to the Empress of the Racnaross. Eleven's much more willing to be forgiving.

[kerravonsen]

Also interesting to compare it with Ten's attitude towards the Krilitane; there he did meet with their leader to offer them a chance, but the attitude was more of "I'll give you one warning before I stop you". But the meeting was still a piece of detente, with some fascinating words exchanged.

[jhall1]

With regard to Rosanna playing the Guilt Card, she obviously felt it was her best chance of swaying the Doctor. The important thing was that it didn't work.

[kalypso]

Jabe says (according to IMDB quotes): "I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. Refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I couldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, it's remarkable that you even exist. I just want to say... how sorry I am."

I took that - in particular the fact that she was sorry - to mean that they persisted in memory, as a race that once existed but disappeared in calamitous circumstances, whether in the past or in some alternate reality which somehow continued to haunt the one in which Jabe lived. Her machine could still identify him, it just thought that he shouldn't exist.

[azarsuerte.livejournal.com]

Jabe was living in the year 3 Billion, wasn't she? I guess I just figured by that point in time, the Time Lords *would* be just a myth. But in 1580, the Time War is still either a) ongoing or b) a recent memory for the other advanced races. That's my personal canon anyway. :-)

[kerravonsen]

That doesn't make sense to me, though, because a Time War would occur in multiple eras simultaneously, so to speak. So it wouldn't matter what era one was in, one would either have heard of them, or one would not.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

It was fun, wasn't it?

I am really enjoying this new era...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I was puzzled by Rosanna (another Rose-type name?) knowing about Time Lords too. I thought that once they were removed from time, they were no longer fact but a vague legend.

I hope Rory stays on as companion. It's time we had a male one, and more than one: fun dynamics.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

The bit I liked was the Doctor being delighted they were possibly vampires.This kinda implies Vampires are real! Bit disappointed to find out they were space aliens instead, mind you I think he was too.
This though had a lot of the old Movie style vampire scenes in, especially with the "brides".

[kerravonsen]

But vampires are real in the Whoniverse. In TV canon, there was the Great Vampire, which the 4th Doctor killed, and the Haemeovores in "Battlefield" which the 7th Doctor defeated.

In both the New Adventures and the Big Finish continuity, there are "classic" vampires also, but they don't really count as canon, except on Thursdays.