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Dr. Who, season 5: still awesome

Dr. Who, season 5: still awesome published on 1 Comment on Dr. Who, season 5: still awesome

I just watched 5.2 and 5.4, "The Beast Below" and "Time of the Angels." The latter appears to be the first part of a two-parter starring my favorite Dr. Who monsters, the Weeping Angels, who look like life-sized cemetery statues when one is looking at them, but transform into fanged killers when one doesn’t look at them. I can’t wait till the second part, "Flesh and Stone," to resolve the story!

I would like to report that I still like Amy better than the Twelfth Doctor; with her sharpness, briskness and quick thinking, Karen Gillan’s portrayal reminds me of a less infatuated, more intelligent Rose. Gillan seems to have more range than, say, Freema Agyeman.

However, even though I prefer Amy over Matt Smith’s Doctor, at least the Doctor has settled down a bit from the first ep and shown himself some more consistent personality. He’s slapdash, risk-taking and fond of waiting till the last minute for his genius to kick in. In his dramaticness [yes, that’s a word that I just made up] and unpredictability, he seems a close follower of Tennant’s portrayal.

Lil BJDs I want

Lil BJDs I want published on No Comments on Lil BJDs I want

After I move, I think I’m going to get a new 1:6 BJD. I certainly don’t need one, but I want one. It will be one of the following:

  • Elfdoll 14cm Olivia. She is a sleeping elfy dolly, the same size as Waverley.
  • Elfdoll 20cm Doona Ryung. She is the same size as Submit, but with a headsculpt like the 60cm Elfdoll Ryung.
  • Soom Mini Gem 27cm Aren. She has a sweet face.

Doll club, 4/10/10

Doll club, 4/10/10 published on 3 Comments on Doll club, 4/10/10

Just a few people [six] came to doll club today, so the meeting lasted shorter than usual. I brought Tamsin, a doll customized by Andrea and wearing a combo of dress, apron and stockings made by Andrea, sitting in a Vitra mini chair from a package from Andrea. Tamsin’s multicolored hair and detailed paint job were much exclaimed over.Continue reading Doll club, 4/10/10

Dr. Who season 5: new theme music, Doctor, new TARDIS, new companion

Dr. Who season 5: new theme music, Doctor, new TARDIS, new companion published on No Comments on Dr. Who season 5: new theme music, Doctor, new TARDIS, new companion

Matt Smith, as the eleventh Doctor, and Karen Gillan, as companion Amy Pond, blast off in the season 5 pilot of Dr. Who with an episode light on plot and actual information and heavy on loosey-goosey antics from the latest incarnation of the character, whose David Tennant form I liked better.

As the Doctor, Smith plays a bouncy, funny, nearly addlebrained version of the BBC’s flagship alien, who talks faster and jumps around more than previous versions. Smith’s Doctor seems much looser and more out-of-control than even Tennant’s, kind of like a puppy whose feet are too big for it.

Meanwhile, with her crisp primness and matter-of-fact reactions to a spaceship in her front yard, Amy, as played by Gillan, offers a certain uptight confidence that is quite likeable. Possibly she is also a study in the faithfulness of human nature, given that she’s been waiting most of her life for the Doctor to come back.

So far, after one ep, the Doctor feels like a big collection of personality spasms and tics rather than a fully fledged character. Amy comes across as more well-rounded and -grounded. In this case, the companion transmits herself as more endearing and accessible than the Doctor. Meanwhile, there is some hope for Matt Smith, as he’s definitely demonstrated the comic chops necessary for the role. It would be nice for him to find the center of the character beyond the farce, however. So far, I haven’t seen it.

P.S. Despite the fact that it’s missing the signature long electrical warping sounds [weeeeee-ooooooooooo!], I do like the new theme. And the new TARDIS looks cool too.

Companions of the New Who: how they stack up

Companions of the New Who: how they stack up published on 1 Comment on Companions of the New Who: how they stack up

Just as each actor who plays the Doctor brings something new to the role and makes it a different show, so each person who plays a major companion of the Doctor’s changes the balance of the show as well.

Rose, played by Billie Piper, seems to be the most quintessentially human of the Doctor’s companions. Neither particularly smart nor particularly stupid, she is notable for her compassion, even towards Daleks in season 2’s "Dalek," and her adventuresome curiosity that more than matches the Doctor’s in whatever form he’s in. Her constant sense of wonder toward her weird adventures and her ability to see the personhood of non-human aliens makes her the representative of the best of human nature. I think it also helps that Piper had one of the longest-running companion roles, allowing her a full range of emotions in her performance, which thus lets her sort of embody the full gamut of human sentiment. As an actor, Piper is convincing, competent and naturalistic, a permeable Mary Sue with adorable qualities.

Martha, played by Freema Agyeman, seems to be the most academical and dependent of the Doctor’s companions. With her doctor training, she represents human knowledge, but she does not seem to have the same voracious spirit of adventure demonstrated by Rose and Donna. She appears less interested in the awesomeness of space and time and more interested in the Doctor as a love object. Therefore she sticks like glue to him and gets very very anxious when he’s, for example, human in season 3’s "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood." She comes across as more desperate than the other companions of the New Who, probably because of her unrequited love for the Doctor. As an actor, Agyeman gives a performance with remote, high-strung and occasionally wooden notes. Even though I have a very cute doll of her, I dislike her the most of the New Who companions.

Donna, played by Catherine Tate, seems to be the most energetic and snarky of the Doctor’s companions. Her rubber-facedness matches perfectly with Tennant’s [see season 4’s "Partners in Crime" for brilliant examples], while her dry remarks demonstrate that she has a cool self-possession that she almost never loses. Thus she represents the human sense of humor and ability to take weirdness in stride. With her matter-of-fact negotiation of her role as the Doctor’s "mate" and her eagerness to fly around with him, she shows a sort of practical sense of wonder. She’s also the most mature character of the three companions. As an actor, Tate shines with comic flair and energetic snippiness.

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