"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Doctor Who: “Dark Water” & “Death in Heaven” Revisited – Now with Spoilers!

 
Ah, that’s better – or at least easier.  How do you talk about a two-part Moffat finale when you don’t want give away any twists?  The answer is, “Vaguely.”  So, let’s give these episodes another look.  Full-octane nerdage and spoilers included.
 
Let’s start with the Nethersphere.  Although the concept is great and freaky, I’m really glad that it all turns out to be a ploy by Missy/the Master and the Cybermen.  The idea – that the dead remain conscious and feel everything that happens to their bodies – is a classic Moffat scenario, and I love Seb’s analogy about how, if babies in the womb could talk to one another, they’d assume life was only nine months long, since no one comes back once they “step into the light,” so to speak.  Still, it’s good that it’s just a fear-mongering tactic to convince people to preserve dead bodies (ripe for Cyber-exploitation;) you could’ve wound up with some seriously traumatized kids, especially with the whole “Don’t cremate me!” mantra.
 
It makes sense that the Cybermen would want to experiment with converting dead bodies, and in theory, it’s probably easier to manipulate uploaded consciousnesses before putting them into Cyber units – goodness knows that emotional inhibitor has caused them enough trouble in the past, and you’d think this setup would let them subvert that process.  So, it’s unfortunately nonsensical that they give a consciousness the option of deletion (presumably of feelings/emotions.)  Why not just do it as a matter of course?  Why go through all that rigmarole?  And I’m sorry, but magic Cyber-rain that apparently grows Cybersuits out of a single particle of Cyber material is patently ridiculous.  I mean, what is that?  The show could’ve at least tried to explain it away, saying the metal becomes self-replicating when bonded to organic matter or something.  But nope – it’s just, “BTW, an exploded Cyberman basically turns into a cloud of instantly growing Cyber-spores.  Could they always do that?  Who cares?”  No thanks.
 
The whole “Doctor’s choice” moment falls flat for me as well.  First, since the Doctor tells Clara that switching on Danny’s inhibitor will turn him into an unfeeling monster that will kill her in an instant, why does he assume that Danny will still cooperate and give him intel if he turns it on?  Second, Danny wants the inhibitor turned on, so why does he give the Doctor attitude about being a “general” who blithely sacrifices the foot soldiers to further his aims?  I would’ve liked a hint that Danny knew the Master’s plan but refused to reveal it in the hope of forcing the Doctor to switch on the inhibitor.  On the other hand, I’m mostly happy with the Doctor’s epiphany – not so much the “idiot” part (the show throws around “idiot” and “shut up” way too much lately,) but the idea that the Doctor isn’t a good man or a bad man, a hero or a monster.  He’s simply a traveler who tries his best to help those who need it.  I also like that he doesn’t condemn Clara for attempting to make him rewrite time and bring Danny back.  Once you ignore the fact that the Doctor can open the TARDIS by snapping his fingers, what Clara does – coolly, calmly plotting to force his hand by drugging him and then destroying the TARDIS keys when he comes to – is horrible, but he’s beautifully gentle with her.  “Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?” is a gorgeous line, and the entire situation is really indicative of their relationship.  Despite his gruffness, he forgives even her worst violations, while she goes straight to lying and blackmail when she wants his help.  What’s up with that?

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