So... Season 8 of Doctor Who

Yeah. I gave up on talking about the show. I should of liked "Listen" and "Time Heist" but... nope. It was all downhill from there until I finally hit a blissful spot of "don't care".

I felt a little like when I started watching Stargate SG-1 because cast members from Farscape had joined it. Stargate wasn't a bad show. In fact, I had enjoyed it in the past. But it was so dry and hard compared to the emotionally-driven and messy (and canceled) Farscape. And it was also in its own steady wind-down with fleeing castmembers and ideas running out. There wasn't as much heart in it as classic Stargate and nowhere near what I came from as a Farscape fan.

And I literally almost typed "ideas" and "eyedeas". No clue why.

I can't put a finger on what is actually going wrong with Doctor Who (well, story-telling wise), just that I'm not enjoying it the way I enjoy the hell out of "Partners in Crime" every time I watch it. I like Clara and I like Capaldi... but they seem to be in different shows.

And Twelve is so fucking difficult to get a read on. I just... I think I like him as a Doctor? But I feel like I still don't have much of a clue as to who he is as the Doctor after 12 episodes. Like, I keep wanting to compare him to Gregory House- also a grumpy doctor that was an unlikable character yet the audience wanted to keep watching him. You have to give the audience something to connect to the character with or else there's no way to emotionally invest. This was also my problem with Eleven- who started off as a collection of ticks and by the end of his first series, I wasn't sure if I knew who the hell he was other than that collection of ticks and hats. By the end of Eleven's run, I finally got comfortable with the character, but it should not have taken that long.

Twelve has swept the ticks and hats out of the way, but he's also swept his relationship with his companion out of the way. He sits in the TARDIS and ponders episode concepts on his own until it's time to pull Clara out of her rom-com with Danny and into a sci-fi plot. What the hell? Couldn't he at least be in a bar or a Stars Hollow town meeting watching differing opinions interact with each other when he's pondering these concepts? Give him some business other than sitting on the TARDIS with a blackboard.

And don't get me started with Cyberman rain and poor Danny.

So... Robot of Sherwood

Peter Capaldi, I think you're great. I will never stop telling people to watch Children of Earth because you rip out my heart and stomp on it beautifully every time I work up the courage to watch it again.  And you've got a great physicality happening that's so smooth and sexy after Matt Smith's gawky flapping about.

Mark Gatiss, you know I love you, right? Some of my all-time favorite commentaries are commentaries including you, sir. And I really loved how you looked like you wanted to punch Chris Hardwick (who I also love, but...you know) during the premiere after-show episode because you are so much more a Whovian than anyone else on that stage ever was. You're probably second only to Nick Briggs on actual Who knowledge.

Ben Miller, I was so happy to see you. I'm so happy every time you show up in something. I'm so happy about you being in What We Did On Our Holiday later this month. How have you not been on this show before? How much did you seem to be enjoying yourself?

Jenna Coleman, you know you're awesome. You can do anything and pull off any outfit. You are the living breath of this show and bring a necessary spunky attitude.

That said... gah, what a boring episode of television. I'm already tired of these stupid droids. Also, while I really do love Capaldi... Twelve is too cranky. He is an unlikable level of cranky. Which is stupid writing. You don't make people not like the Doctor! That makes the show not be fun to watch! You can keep him cranky, but he has to be a likable cranky. Hugh Laurie did it for years.

 

Hey, Look, The Round Things! The Day of the Doctor

Well played, Mr. Moffat. Well played.

Let's just ignore how poorly chosen the Eccleson and Davison stand-ins are, okay?

I don't even know what to say. I'm almost twelve hours late in seeing it, due to adult responsibilities. And I really shouldn't be trying to express anything about it so soon after watching but... well played. Very satisfying.

Yes, there were still issues.