Under the Lake
Oct. 3rd, 2015 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daibhidcSpooky!
I very much enjoyed that. Getting a futuristic seabase (lochbase, whatever) to function as a haunted house is one of those things only Doctor Who could do, and it does it beautifully, And I love stories where the Doctor is all scientific, which in my view doesn't mean "there's no such thing as ghosts" but "okay, the evidence currently suggests there are ghosts, but how and why are there ghosts?"
(To clarify, I personally think there is in fact, no such thing as ghosts, but I haven't seen evidence to the contrary.)
And there is a scientific explanation for the ghosts (well, a Doctor Who scientific explanation): it's all done with electromagnetism; the Doctor actually explains the message in terms of magnetism, and it fits with metal being "solid" to them (the weaponry, the Faraday cage).
And the character of Cass was brilliant, especially the fact that her deafness is just a thing; it's not that the ghosts have sonic attacks and she's immune or something. (Okay, her lipreading skills provide an important clue, but that's all.) Also the Doctor's complete dismissal of Pritchard was fun - it happens even before he's established Pritchard's an idiot, so I assume he's annoyed that, even in the 22nd century, this planet is still dependent on a mineral slime.
(I wondered if I recognised the actor from anything - more his voice than his appearance - so I googled him. He's appeared in a lot of excellent stuff, but nothing I actually watched, so I think I just recognised Pompous Prat Who Thinks He's In Charge from other Doctor Who stories.)
I laughed at the scene with the cards, although I'm not sure it's a useful idea; Most people would not consider the Doctor blatantly reading off a card and clearly not understanding why to be an improvement on the Doctor being unthinkingly rude. As, indeed, the base personnel don't.
And apparently the sonic sunnies are staying. Ah, well.
Cliffhanger, possibly the most predictable thing they could have done, but it still works. Although ... that's the second story in a row where Part One foreshadows the Doctor's death in Part Two. Is this going to be a thing?
I very much enjoyed that. Getting a futuristic seabase (lochbase, whatever) to function as a haunted house is one of those things only Doctor Who could do, and it does it beautifully, And I love stories where the Doctor is all scientific, which in my view doesn't mean "there's no such thing as ghosts" but "okay, the evidence currently suggests there are ghosts, but how and why are there ghosts?"
(To clarify, I personally think there is in fact, no such thing as ghosts, but I haven't seen evidence to the contrary.)
And there is a scientific explanation for the ghosts (well, a Doctor Who scientific explanation): it's all done with electromagnetism; the Doctor actually explains the message in terms of magnetism, and it fits with metal being "solid" to them (the weaponry, the Faraday cage).
And the character of Cass was brilliant, especially the fact that her deafness is just a thing; it's not that the ghosts have sonic attacks and she's immune or something. (Okay, her lipreading skills provide an important clue, but that's all.) Also the Doctor's complete dismissal of Pritchard was fun - it happens even before he's established Pritchard's an idiot, so I assume he's annoyed that, even in the 22nd century, this planet is still dependent on a mineral slime.
(I wondered if I recognised the actor from anything - more his voice than his appearance - so I googled him. He's appeared in a lot of excellent stuff, but nothing I actually watched, so I think I just recognised Pompous Prat Who Thinks He's In Charge from other Doctor Who stories.)
I laughed at the scene with the cards, although I'm not sure it's a useful idea; Most people would not consider the Doctor blatantly reading off a card and clearly not understanding why to be an improvement on the Doctor being unthinkingly rude. As, indeed, the base personnel don't.
And apparently the sonic sunnies are staying. Ah, well.
Cliffhanger, possibly the most predictable thing they could have done, but it still works. Although ... that's the second story in a row where Part One foreshadows the Doctor's death in Part Two. Is this going to be a thing?
