It Takes You Away
Dec. 2nd, 2018 07:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daibhidcWow.
An episode that starts off as Scandi horror, turns into a Lotus Eater Machine plot, and ends with the Doctor making friends with an entire universe in the form of a frog, certainly can't be faulted for ambition.
Characterisation was nicely done. Of course Ryan's first thought is going to be that the kid's dad abandoned her, which makes it all the more surprising when he turns out to be basically right. And Graham wanting to believe Grace was real but kind of knowing she wasn't was well done. And Yaz was there too, since it's becoming apparent that, with the exception of the episode that's Specifically About Her, the writers are much more interested in Ryan and Graham. I'm honestly coming round to the opinion the TARDIS is a bit overcrowded -- three companions might have worked in the sixties, but I'm not sure it really worked in the eighties, and with done-in-one 45 minute stories, somebody's going to get crowded out.
The supporting cast was also excellent, especially Hanne, although maybe Erik was played a little too much as the dad who loves his daughter but makes horrible decisions for the end to be quite as happy as it thinks it is. We're told he's accepted Trine's death and moved on, but honestly, we don't really know what that Erik is like. And Ribbons, despite being blatantly there because Every Doctor Who Story Needs An Alien Monster, was fun.
One last niggle: I never thought I'd say this about any programme, but I'm not sure the writers understand how string works. Surely when Ribbons cut the string, the Doctor should have felt it go slack? But then, it's still taut when Hanne finds it, so maybe it's high-tech string that doesn't go slack...
An episode that starts off as Scandi horror, turns into a Lotus Eater Machine plot, and ends with the Doctor making friends with an entire universe in the form of a frog, certainly can't be faulted for ambition.
Characterisation was nicely done. Of course Ryan's first thought is going to be that the kid's dad abandoned her, which makes it all the more surprising when he turns out to be basically right. And Graham wanting to believe Grace was real but kind of knowing she wasn't was well done. And Yaz was there too, since it's becoming apparent that, with the exception of the episode that's Specifically About Her, the writers are much more interested in Ryan and Graham. I'm honestly coming round to the opinion the TARDIS is a bit overcrowded -- three companions might have worked in the sixties, but I'm not sure it really worked in the eighties, and with done-in-one 45 minute stories, somebody's going to get crowded out.
The supporting cast was also excellent, especially Hanne, although maybe Erik was played a little too much as the dad who loves his daughter but makes horrible decisions for the end to be quite as happy as it thinks it is. We're told he's accepted Trine's death and moved on, but honestly, we don't really know what that Erik is like. And Ribbons, despite being blatantly there because Every Doctor Who Story Needs An Alien Monster, was fun.
One last niggle: I never thought I'd say this about any programme, but I'm not sure the writers understand how string works. Surely when Ribbons cut the string, the Doctor should have felt it go slack? But then, it's still taut when Hanne finds it, so maybe it's high-tech string that doesn't go slack...
no subject
Date: 2018-12-04 10:28 pm (UTC)