25th December, 2017.
You know …
You can — sort of — guess I need to be up early, for work, tomorrow.
I’m writing this, for heaven’s sake: rather than doing something more Christmas.
But, to be fair?
I have spent a lot of time with my family, today: with lots of presents given and received.
Of and at least one smashed plate, one dropped glass, and a lot of frayed tempers!
But that’s Christmas for you.
Happy … with grotty bits …
~≈§≈~
That’s truly Christmas for you.
The extraneous bits of Christmas?
Well, I think I can say the gifts I’d managed to get my family went down well.
And one or two gifts I got given caught my eye.
There’s an iTunes card in there: from Ruth and Jude.
An Amazon Gift card from my mother.
And a copy of the newly remastered Tom Baker era Shada: famously never finished because of a strike.
All gratefully received, I should add.
~≈§≈~
Of course, the really extraneous part of Christmas?
For me as a Dr Who fan is extremely extraneous.
Yep.
You’re right …
It was Twice upon a Time …
And Hmmm is a possible response.
~≈§≈~
Twice upon a Time opens where The Doctor Falls leaves off: showing us a 12th Dr reluctant to regenerate.
Confronted by a 1st Doctor who — in a frozen moment of time — in the lead up to his regeneration.
Both … are confronted by a bemused WW1 British Army Captain (Mark Gatiss) who needs help.
He’s seen time freeze: just as he was facing a kill or be killed moment against a German soldier.
It’s only then that the 12th Dr’s TARDIS is stolen …
Only to be met by a mysterious humanoid figure: seemingly made of glass, and seemingly keen to question the Doctor about his past …
Oh … and introduce him to Bill Potts …
~≈§≈~
Now …
That’s possibly given you short shift on Twice upon a Time, now isn’t it?
Quite possibly.
After all, Steven Moffat is famously given short shift about his plots.
Which this doesn’t deserve, I think.
Basically, both the First and Twelfth Doctors are seriously considering death as an option.
So are visited by the Testimony: an organisation that’s only seemingly evil. But are, in fact, a future equivalent of the Time Lord own Matrix: recording a human’s memories, just before they die, and adding it to a huge repository of knowledge.
It’s only with the help of Bill they realise what’s happening.
And decide to live as a result.
Sending the Captain back to his proper timeline, first: to the day, in 1914, when English and German troops declared a truce. (Turns out he’s Captain Archibald Lethbridge-Stewart …)
Sending the First Doctor, to make the change he must.
And leaving the Twelve … ?
To his regeneration into a radically new form …
~≈§≈~
That’s not necessarily what you’re wanting to know, though, is it?
You’re wanting to know what I thought, aren’t you?
I have to admit, I liked it: really.
Granted I have my reservations.
I don’t know if Twice Upon a Time is necessarily his best: that possibly goes to Blink or the Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone two parter. Or possibly World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls.
But … ?
But it does serves as a good last bell for Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, and good study of how he and Bradley’s take on the First Doctor are different†, yet similar …
And as a brilliant cliffhanger introduction to the 13th Doctor.
That’s where I think Twice Upon a Time scores.
It’s a good handover from one Doctor to another, with enough references for those of us in the know to take some glee in* …
And a good way for the now retired show-runner to hand over.
Well played Mr Capaldi.
And thank you, Stephen Moffat, for keeping the torch lit.
* Back in the day, there was a children’s character called Mr Pastry: played by an actor called Richard Hearne. Apparently, some at the BBC considered him a suitable replacement for Jon Pertwee, when the latter gave up the role of the Doctor.
† In one scene, the Twelfth uses his sonic sunglasses to work out something is a computer generated image. The First Doctor spots it isn’t: because the face is un-even. And uses his naked eyes to do so. Good ol’ fashioned, scientific observation: rather than gadgets. I hope Jodie’s taking notes …
1 comment:
I'm with you, Paul. Probably not the best episode, but full of ... fan moments, shall we say? :)
And I loved the way the First Doctor mocked all the Twelfth's gadgetry! Yes, good old naked eye observation.
Jodie's going to rock the part. You heard it here! :-)
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