The Sound of Drums

[kalleah]

I don't even have anything to say that isn't spoilery, so here you go.

Look everyone, it's Dance Party time!

I have that damn rhythm stuck in my head too, like everyone else who saw that episode.  Nice job, Rusty.

I have general thoughts.

• I wanted to know more about Utopia.  Oh well.  Goodbye, minor plot point.
• Jack probably can't hang on to his nice vortex manipulator, since it would be a little too handy for Torchwood.
• Yes, Lucy Saxon is evil!Rose with the hair of Madame de Pompadour.  ::tips my virtual cap to Rusty again::
• Martha's been gone for four days.  As a med student, wouldn't they have fired her ass by now?
• That nice little perception filter on the TARDIS key might have come in handy before now.
• POOR TARDIS!  OMG.  She is so going to have to redecorate.
• The Time Tot stuff was a little ... weird.  I'm going to have to rewatch to see what I really think about it.  It explains Reinette's "lonely little boy" comment fairly well.
• Will reserve final judgment until next week.  It's hard to judge a two-parter by the first half.

And finally ... when the Doctor was aged, was I the only one who yelled "Not the face, you bastard!"  (I think not.)

(An addendum to that comment.  We didn't see a lot of the Doctor in the teaser, so I suspect he'll be fine.  But ... that machine better not have made his bum saggy, or I'll cry.)

Comments

[ivydoor.livejournal.com]

I wanted to know more about Utopia. Oh well. Goodbye, minor plot point.

I don't think it was quite pointless. The Master set himself up as the human who knew everything. I think he set up Utopia for his human self to have a purpose. That would explain his contempt at the end when he ejected the data disc. They really weren't going anywhere.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

But I wanted to knowwwwwwwwwww. ::sniff::

[misssara11.livejournal.com]

Yes, Lucy Saxon is evil!Rose with the hair of Madame de Pompadour.

Really? I thought her hair was more Joan myself. But boy do I love her (and her shoes). And she SO is evilRose.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

I thought her hair was more Joan myself. But boy do I love her (and her shoes).

Either way. She's definitely the counterpoint to Rose, with the whole unconditional loyalty to the Master. She was way creepy. Yay.

[platypus]

Not reading, not reading, notreading...

Aww, c'mon, at least hint outside the cut whether it sucked or not. I am still downloading and I have no willpower.

[ivydoor.livejournal.com]

I'll say this...it doesn't suck and has some awesome moments, as long as you keep in mind that this is not the climax. It's meant to be a story builder. It does seem to run a bit thin at times, but there's a lot of info in there.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

It does seem to run a bit thin at times, but there's a lot of info in there.

Yeah, but I don't feel like they hit me over the head with the Rubber Mallet of Exposition, either. It kept moving most of the time.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

It didn't suck ... and I suspect I will like it very much in hindsight. It had a lot of very successful elements in it. And John Simm is brilliant. Hee.

[platypus]

Oh my God, I've made it halfway through and I am only checking my mail because I keep having to stop and run around squealing like a little girl or I will actually die of squee. I hope it stays this good. I had the shittiest day ever, so this is good.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

I had the shittiest day ever

Wasn't this the duck gathering day? Uh-oh.

[platypus]

Without me. Yes.

But man, I think I am possibly in love with the Master. I was a little worried at the manic stuff last week but OMGWTFSQUEE. MUST WATCH MORE.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

I think I am possibly in love with the Master.

He's enjoying himself richly. Any really good villain has to have charisma ... and he does, oh he does. He's the Doctor's less emo evil alter ego.

Without me. Yes.

Hugs. Sorry.

[platypus]

Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. It's how many hours until the next episode?

The only thing I didn't like about this (well, the over the top, um, pop song was a bit.. much) was that they did the horrible aging makeup again. It is a travesty to cover up David Tennant. With anything. Including clothing. I mean, did they really have to give him creepy eyelids? (Also? He doesn't age at the same rate as a human. No way would he look like that in a hundred years. I'm willing to grant that he *does* age, even though he said he didn't in School Reunion, but if he really aged like that, he *could* just settle down and live out the rest of a given incarnation with, oh, some nice lady.)

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

It is a travesty to cover up David Tennant.

No disagreement there.

if he really aged like that, he *could* just settle down and live out the rest of a given incarnation with, oh, some nice lady.

Precisely right, but I suspect even as an old guy, he's a little ADD.

He doesn't age at the same rate as a human. No way would he look like that in a hundred years.

Eh. Saxon's been tinkering. Maybe he can do what he likes.

Do not mock evil genius plan.

[platypus]

I'm going to pretend he said a thousand years. Then I can be happy again and not nitpick. For several minutes, at the very least. Probably.

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Hee. That is, word for word, exactly what I decided to do.

Hasn't quite worked yet. Hope you have better luck. ;)

[starlightmoonla.livejournal.com]

I wanted to know more about Utopia. Oh well. Goodbye, minor plot point.

I would love for there to be more about this during the next episode.

Yes, Lucy Saxon is evil!Rose with the hair of Madame de Pompadour. ::tips my virtual cap to Rusty again::

Yes. I actually enjoyed her character and if only we'd be able to turn the clock forward so we can see the next episode!

POOR TARDIS! OMG. She is so going to have to redecorate.

I hope they don't redecorate the TARDIS because I really love the current set. That scene got to me cause I love John Simm as the Master but I started to really dislike him when I saw what he did to the TARDIS.

And finally ... when the Doctor was aged, was I the only one who yelled "Not the face, you bastard!" (I think not.)

You weren't the only one...

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

Yes. I actually enjoyed her character and if only we'd be able to turn the clock forward so we can see the next episode!

Lucy was awesome. She, and the Master, and Bilis of the no-eyebrows are probably the most interesting baddies we've had.

::shudders:: Seriously, Bilis still gives me the creeps.

I started to really dislike him when I saw what he did to the TARDIS.

I've been thinking about that more and I think part of it was the shock -- they ran inside, all gleeful to see the TARDIS, and then saw her bastardized like that. It's horrible. Also, last time the Doctor tried to get into the TARDIS, his key didn't work. I suspect that the Master let him in, to let him see what had been done to the TARDIS, as a part of his punishment of the Doctor. That is a horrible thought as well.

[starlightmoonla.livejournal.com]

Also, last time the Doctor tried to get into the TARDIS, his key didn't work. I suspect that the Master let him in, to let him see what had been done to the TARDIS, as a part of his punishment of the Doctor. That is a horrible thought as well.

Going along with the thought of possibly wanting to punish the Doctor, others have thought that the Master may use Rose to get to the Doctor as well. Of course, this scenario is probably not going to happen but it would definitely hurt the Doctor.

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

others have thought that the Master may use Rose to get to the Doctor as well

I thought this was quite likely before this last episode, but I don't think so at the moment. We'll have to wait and see, of course, but somehow ... I think the Master's thinking larger scale than that. If he had plotting with Rose, I think he might have hinted at something earlier. Maybe, maybe not.

[blackcat-1.livejournal.com]

Yes, Lucy Saxon is evil!Rose with the hair of Madame de Pompadour. ::tips my virtual cap to Rusty again::

That's what everyone's been saying on butterfly's lj!

Will reserve final judgment until next week. It's hard to judge a two-parter by the first half.

I agree. Felt a bit anticlimactic after Utopia, but it's not fair to judge yet, I suppose...

Martha's been gone for four days. As a med student, wouldn't they have fired her ass by now?

That's what I'd been thinking...

But ... that machine better not have made his bum saggy, or I'll cry

Hee Hee!

Did anyone else wince when Martha screamed at he Doctor that it was all his fault?

One final thing - if a Time Lord looks into the Time Vortex, they become a vengeful God (Utopia). So it turns out that the Master did that as a child (have I got that right?) So what happens when a human does the same thing? Nothing????

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

I agree. Felt a bit anticlimactic after Utopia, but it's not fair to judge yet, I suppose...

It really is. It's half of a pair, or a third of a series, or whatever. We're not finished.

Did anyone else wince when Martha screamed at he Doctor that it was all his fault?

Yes.

One final thing - if a Time Lord looks into the Time Vortex, they become a vengeful God (Utopia). So it turns out that the Master did that as a child (have I got that right?) So what happens when a human does the same thing? Nothing????

I gathered that it was the act of absorbing the Time Vortex that would make a Time Lord a god -- not looking into it. From the description, simply looking into the Time Vortex was routine for Gallifreyan children.

When Blon looked into the heart of the TARDIS, she regressed to an egg, so I think there are some other analogies. And as for Rose -- she had the power of a goddess and would have died as a result, had the Doctor not intervened. So, in theory, he had the power of a god, albeit for a brief time, with never any intention of keeping it.