Favorite Characters: Romana II (Doctor Who)

You really can’t go wrong with Romanas.  True, we only see two incarnations of her on the show, but both of them are slamdunks.  And, just like with Doctors, both are very different from each other while still being recognizably the same Time Lady.

I don’t know how common a practice it is or isn’t on Gallifrey, but Romana is the only instance we really see of an elective regeneration.  When Romana I generates, there’s no indication at all that she’s near death, whether due to injury, age, or any other reason.  Instead, she changes bodies the way someone might change their hairstyle, on a whim and by choice.  She simply steps into the console room one day announcing that she’s regenerated.  Furthermore, she not only has control over what she looks like (taking on the form of Princess Astra, who she and the Doctor met a previous adventures,) she also seems able to try out several different appearances before settling into her permanent Romana II body.  Again, maybe a lot of Time Lords do this, but after having mainly seen the fatally-injured Doctor regenerate into bodies he has no say over, it’s interesting to see how coolly and casually Romana does it.

The new Romana is similar to the previous one in plenty of ways.  Her intellect is still the first thing you notice about her, although she mostly trades her psychological observations for scientific/technical knowhow – the woman even makes her own sonic screwdriver!  She also continues to have a high opinion of said intellect.  While not quite as imperious as Romana I, she definitely knows she’s the smartest person in nearly every room and isn’t shy about saying so.  I love the exchange in “City of Death” where Duggan says, “You know what I don’t understand?” and Romana simply replies, “I expect so”; best nonchalant burn ever!  Another similarity between the two Romanas is their tendency to be fairly cool under pressure.  When captured, Romana is as likely to give the baddies a withering side-eye as anything else.

But every regeneration, of course, has differences from the iteration that came before it, and Romana II is no exception.  To some extent, she feels like a reflection of how her time with the Doctor is changing her, because she picks up some more Four-ish traits with her regeneration.  She’s more adventurous, doesn’t take herself as seriously, and isn’t as much of a stickler for protocol/convention.  She’s a little more impish, with more of a mischievous glint in her eye and a bit more of a habit for stirring up trouble.  This can be seen even in her dress.  Like Romana I, she has a penchant for new ensembles, but while Romana I generally chooses the most fitting (and glamorous) outfit for the occasion, Romana II’s style is always a bit off the mark.  It’s just a little quirky, a little out of place – much more experimental and not so concerned with whether it’s “right.” 

All in all, it adds up to a somewhat looser, freer Romana very different from the one fresh out of the Academy who’d never left Gallifrey before.  Really, she’s something of a literal demonstration of how people are shaped and changed by their experiences and those around them.

First Reformed (2018, R)

Another Best Screenplay nominee, original this time.  Before the nominations came out, Ethan Hawke’s name was also kicked around as a Best Leading Actor contender but he didn’t wind up getting on the list.  An interesting film that definitely has something to say.

Rev. Toller keeps plugging away with his miniscule flock, despite enduring emotional and physical hardships of his own.  One of his congregants, Mary, asks him to meet with her husband Michael.  An ardent environmental activist, he’s just found out she’s pregnant and is convinced it would be more ethical to abort than to bring a child into the climate-change-ravaged future.  In their talks, Toller finds a new spark and purpose in the challenge Michael’s ideas present to him. 

An intriguing premise.  At the center of it, of course, is the intersection of several pretty charged notions:  the looming effects of climate change, abortion, faith, our duty to the Earth, and the place where activism becomes terrorism.  It’s a lot to chew on, and there are places where the story takes a back seat to the message.  This can make it feel preachy in places (ironic, considering it’s usually not coming from the religious side of the film.)  I don’t doubt the veracity and urgency of the message it’s making, and I’m certainly not saying that a movie isn’t an appropriate venue in which to make it, as I like/love plenty of films that drive home important theses.  It’s more to do with how it goes about making it – it seems to me like it could bring its points home more effectively by letting it rise out of the story.

As for the story, even if it sometimes feels like the film views it as a “necessary evil” by which to deliver its message, it actually has a lot more going on, character-wise, than it seems to have at first glance.  Much of the direction is very spare and there are lots of quiet sequences of Rev. Toller mutedly going about his day over voiceover (he’s committed to a year of journaling,) but there are a number of threads making up the details of his tragic past and troubled present.  These details are introduced slowly over the course of the film, and his relationships with God and the people around him, as well as the stalemate he seems to have with himself that’s slowly coming to a head, add more dimension to the puzzle as we go.

The same can be said for Ethan Hawke’s performance as Toller:  deceptively simple, but with more going on than initially appears.  I wasn’t familiar with too many people in this movie, but it also features Amanda Seyfried (former Mean Girl and immortalized as the late Lily Kane on Veronica Mars) as Mary and Cedric the Entertainer as the pastor of a neighboring mega-church.

Warnings

Drinking, violence, strong thematic elements (including suicide,) and disturbing imagery.

News Satire Roundup: January 28th-January 31st

Monday, January 28 – First was Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz possibly running for president – I liked the bit about the ballots spelling his name wrong.  We also had a few jokes on Facebook merging with Instagram and WhatsApp, and the U.S. agreeing to tentative peace terms with the Taliban (good joke on how long that war’s been going on, the “Grey’s Anatomy of wars”:  “I think we all lost track around season 9.”)  The big story was the end of the shutdown, with billions of dollars lost to the economy, the IRS being behind for up to a year, and the chance that this could all happen again in three weeks.  I liked the piece on Roger Stone’s arrest, especially Trevor comparing the Fox News pundits’ critiques of the FBI raid with their indifference to police brutality against Black people.  The guest, comedian Mo Amer, talked about the 20 years it took him to get citizenship and trying to travel the world as a comedian with no passport.

Tuesday, January 29 – Good jokes on how nervous Matt Whitaker looked talking about the Mueller probe – my favorite was, “Is this press conference in a sauna?”  A couple quick tech bits:  an app in China that alerts you to debtors in your immediate vicinity(???) and a FaceTime bug that lets callers spy on you until you respond.  More on Howard Schultz, with Democrats not wanting him to split the vote and Trump eager at the prospect.  I loved the bit about Trump using “reverse psychology” (insulting Schultz on Twitter to get him to run) and then announcing that’s what he was doing (at a rally.)  Crazy story from Desi on fracking wells going up next to a school; that’s despicable, especially the news that the wells got moved from their first planned site (near a fancy charter school.)  Great interview with Sallie Krawcheck, talking women in business and the drastic actions needed to bust up the systemic sexism across industries.

Wednesday, January 30 – Opening blurbs on Fyre Festival, an anti-vaxxer-driven measles outbreak (loved the bit about a doctor saying, “Oh, so now you want my advice?!”), a chicken nuggets recall, and an art installation blasting Toto’s “Africa” in the desert (great joke about someone lost thinking they’ve found civilization, only to discover that it’s just a giant iPod.)  Next was the polar vortex – we looked at news anchors who go out into dangerous weather to report on it and Trump’s stupidity over climate change.  I loved Ronny’s attempt, once more, to explain the difference between weather and climate, which ended in a fit of rage.  We also got Trump at odds with his own intelligence community; fun bit on how he lists the now-fired “bad ones” like Santa’s reindeer.  Chris Christie was the guest.  No doubt Trevor could’ve gone further, but it was interesting to get a glimpse of someone who continues to support Trump.

Thursday, January 31 – I loved Trevor’s impression of Mitch McConnell getting huffy at making Election Day a federal holiday, “because if all the maids and butlers go vote, who will iron my toast?”  More on Republicans worrying over Roger Stone, a fun bit on social media as a factor in insurance premiums, and Trump cracking down on not calling the wall a wall (when he was the main one wavering over what we were calling it.)  Michael and Roy did a pre-Super Bowl piece – the bit about the “line-back” coach was so funny, great visuals.  Neal Brennan had an amusing piece proposing “common-sense social media control,” like background checks (i.e. making sure your baby isn’t in your thirst trap photos) and mental health assessments (“#3. Do Jews control the weather?”)  Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar was the guest.  I really liked what she said about her remarks on Israel and the difference between criticizing a government and its people.