Reaction post for The Impossible Astronaut: likes, dislikes, and recurring themes

[shinydinosaur]

[INSERT FANGIRLY JOY THAT THE SHOW'S BACK ON THE AIR]



MARK SHEPPARD. BRAVE HEART, CANTON. RIVER IS BAMF WITH EPIC MONOLOGUING AND EMOTION. RORY OMG ILU YOU'RE SO ADORBS. AMY ISN'T ANNOYING ME SO MUCH ANYMORE. CRAZY CREEPY SLENDERMEN BAD GUYS. LODGER!TARDIS. MAKE HER BLUE AGAIN. THIS IS AMERICA (CUE GUNS). SCARY UNKNOWN STUFF. AMY'S PREGGERS (OR NOT!). TIMELINES AND CLIFFHANGERS AND WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.
/capslock

Time for the srsbns, guys and gals.

GENERAL NOTES:
- In the BBCA version, they had a "In memory of Elisabeth Sladen" at the very very end, with a picture of her (I think) from School Reunion, although it was about 0.3 seconds long before the credits hit so it almost seemed to fade as soon as it arrived onscreen. The version I'm using to do the rewatch has it at the beginning, for longer, which I appreciate more. It's less rushed/crammed/forced and more touching that way.

- I know the show is all about making it easy for people to just jump in and start watching, but I'm getting so tired of each new series opener assuming that the people watching know absolutely nothing about the show, like explaining yet again that the Doctor is an alien Timelord who's like 906 (LIES ALL LIES), can regenerate, and travels in time/space with people... I mean, the previews for the show as a whole or even just a casual fan/googlesearch/wiki could tell you that. (Probably doesn't help they just finished doing a 'Doctor Who Rewind' on BBCA which is pretty much a giant recap of s5/intro to basic premise before the episode started - and they covered all of this there too)

- I don't know if it's my absorbing plenty of Classic Who or what, but I basically much prefer the toned-down, quieter scenes to the LOUD EXPLOSIONS AND RUNNING AND DRAMATIC ACTIONS. There doesn't need to be *so* much going on so quickly to make a good story! I'm about to rewatch now and I'm realizing from comments how much I missed the first time around because it went by so fast.

EPISODE SPECIFIC STUFF. ANALYSIS WITH THE HELP OF crumplysnorkack.

- Pirates of the Carribean! And that ridic painting lolwat.
- I think Eleven being under her skirt is really OOC for what it initially implies , but it's something Ten would do, sure; crumplysnorkack thinks it's more of him simply just totally being okay posing nude and then hiding when people came in.
- Heee. It's a planet called America. Totes.
- Epic credits. Did they totally go and change the font or is that just me?
- Yeah, Eleven totally is acting off here. Trying to be current!Eleven and failing a bit hard. Definitely foreshadowing everywhere. Random weight comment at Amy which probably isn't helping the I'M PREGNANT comment later. I do find it amusing that he doesn't like wine.
- Older!Canton brought gasoline, and there's ALWAYS a boat, okay. It's like, a thing in epic series when important people die. LotR gives us Aragorn in a boat, and Denethor lighting his son on fire.
- Do they all really have to do that arms-out pose when they regenerate? Can't they just regen without it? It's grating on my nerves. D:
- Inside the diner, it just seems so.. American, the feel of the scene. Like, overly American. Weird.
- "I'm always okay. I'm the King of Okay! No wait, that's a rubbish title." <3 JUST THIS. This was adorable. And the hug. Although it reminded me too much of the darker Doctor/Donna conversation "You alright?" "I'm always alright." "Is 'alright' Time Lord for 'not really alright at all'? Because I'm always alright too." from season four's SitL/FotD. Which could be intentional for the audience, knowing what's going to happen to Eleven before he does. Or just lazy, I haven't made up my mind yet.
- 1969! Another callback, when Ten says "1969! Hell of a year!" to Rose in (I think) Idiot's Lantern. I don't think they meant to reference this, it just happened to be a good time to go to involving Nixon. crumplysnorkack reminded me that 1969 is also the year in for Blink.
- Saturdays are cool! HI THERE META.
- "I am being extremely clever up here and there's no one to stand around looking impressed! What's the point in having you all?!"
- In the TARDIS, Eleven getting in River's face is just.. scary. Unexpected and dark.

crumplysnorkack: "there's a touch of the other Eleven here
*the dark one
*the mean one
*"don't think you're ever ever capable of that"
*Matt Smith has said he is silly because he's seen some shit and the only way you make it through is by moving on and being happy. perhaps something is reminding him of something else?

- River knowing exactly what buttons to push in the TARDIS while Eleven acts all clueless is getting old on me. Cute, perhaps, the first time, but now it's just.. no. The 'parking brake' joke wasn't even funny to me, back when River said it.

- And now they're like LOOK LOOK WE'RE IN AMERICA GUYS AND GUNS AND WE'RE IN AMERICA AND THIS IS AMERICAN AND THE BEST LAND EVER, AMERICA! Totally adorable, although YES WE KNOW YOU'RE IN AMERICA starts to set in. Kind of like City of Death in Classic Who where they're like LOOK AT US WE'RE IN PARIS AND THIS IS IN PARIS AND NOT A ROCK QUARRY BUT PARIS. <3

- I love that Eleven just sneaks in and starts taking notes. And then Nixon sees him and the Doctor is just 'hi, carry on' and then he does a double-take.

- I WAS LOOKING FOR THE, UUH, OBLONG ROOM. <33333
- MAKE IT BLUE AGAIN!
- THIS IS AMERICA. Thanks for that, River. So naturally, that's why they've got all the guns. Because nobody in the UK has one, apparently. America's got the monopoly on them.
- LOOK WE'VE PUT OUR HANDS UP. ilu Rory sfm
- A police box, can't you read?
- MAPS EVERYWHERE. Oh, and HI BADGER! Love that Mark Sheppard's character's name is Canton. Totally not a coincidence. XD
- Eleven has an addiction to fezzes and callbacks.
- "Is that a Star Trek thing?" Ha ha, Star Trek. NO ACTUALLY IT'S A DEMENTOR.
- Props, Amy, taking a pic casually with your phone.
- Eleven's bringing up a future plot point! Looking for something else with the maps not directly related to the phonecalls.
- "You've got that face" "What face" "That impressed-with-me face" "This is my normal face!" "Yeah it is." HEEEEEE. <333
- Rory's the newest, so he's in charge of showing Canton the ropes. ILU Rory.
- BRAVE HEART, CANTON. <--- THIS THIS THIS. FIVEY REFERENCE. ILU SO MUCH MORE. Little things like this make me unbelievably happy.
- "What would you call me?" "Alien." "Oi!" <3333 Amy's growing on me.
- "Shout if you get in trouble." "Don't worry, I'm quite the screamer. Now there's a spoiler for you!" OKAY WHAT. They actually got away with this in the script. Lmfao.

- This whole scene with River and Rory. Apart from being like their first REAL scene together. Her monologue about her relationship with the Doctor. Omfg. I'm SOLD on her with this. Alex delivers it with such conviction and emotion that you simply believe it and can feel it and omg. "The day is coming when I'll look into that man's eyes, my Doctor, and he won't even know who I am... and I think it's going to kill me." Beautifully done.

- LODGER!TARDIS RETURNS! Exciiiited. Is she saying there's lots of these ALL OVER THE PLACE because that would make tons of sense since they're in 1969 or whatever.
- LOOK IT'S SLENDER MAN. SRS. NIGHTMARE FUEL HIIIII.

- Amy: morning sickness because of pregnancy or just getting sick after seeing/forgetting the Silents? I'm inclined to go with the first being a red herring and the second as the truth. Pros for red herring: River does that sick-feeling thing too, Amy would have no reason to tell the Doctor before Rory especially as the Doctor's been off doing things before start-of-ep, Rory doesn't seem all that concerned for her, and she's drinking WINE. They make a huge deal of it being specifically wine.

- Crumplysnorkack says (1:03 AM):
*so
*she is not actually pregnant
*she just thinks she is
Katherine says (1:03 AM):
*THE SILENTS GOT IN HER HEAD
Crumplysnorkack says (1:03 AM):
*because the Silence has some ability to effect her
*ahusilfa
Katherine says (1:03 AM):
*IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING
Crumplysnorkack says (1:03 AM):
*could've done to the Doctor too
*hafluisa
*would explain him being fucked up
Katherine says (1:03 AM):
*got in his head you mean
*or got him thinking he's pregnant
Crumplysnorkack says (1:04 AM):
*hahahaha
*got in his head
that could totally be it
*then maybe he's not acting entirely of his own accord?


- crumplysnorkack: *the Doctor in the future has something very specific in mind that he wants them to do that he wants them to figure out or that he knows they will do even if they shouldn't.
*he needs River for this and she is priority after him. They can't kill the thing before it kills him
*unless they can
*unless he knows they will
*the Silence is here
*wants them to find it
*and after that
*Well, it's something he's probably not happy about

I'm fairly sure the Doctor knows exactly who sent these letters but isn't going to say anything. 'Amy's Choice' already showed us that he is the person he hates the most, and I'm sure he'd trust/know himself the most (hence #1 being his envelope, then #2 as River as she knows more about him than Amy/Rory currently do.) He's not an idiot, despite acting like it at times. Future!Doctor is very aware of all of this as well. He's definitely set everything up, but WHY is the question.

- The Silents remind me a looooot of the Gentlemen in Buffy's Hush. Mostly in a physical aspect. Also Slendermen. *creeped out* They aren't as utterly terrifying, but they're close. They've barely spoken so far, and they definitely have an effect on those they come in contact with. Like sucking your soul out and making your body burst into bloodless fragments afterwards although I'm pretty sure the Gentlemen didn't do that.


MOFFAT'S THEMES
- We're dealing with a child being important in some way. (Empty Child, young!Reinette, Cal, Amelia, etc)
- Wibbly-wobbly plot/arc: Another story with backtracking and time doing weird things. The Doctor dies less than ten minutes into the story and I assume the second episode will be leading into it. River's timeline, of course.
- playing on basic fears: in this case, it's things you're forced to face in order to defeat (I assume). Other Moffat!induced fears include clockwork monsters, shadows, cracks statues, clowns comfy chairs, fear of the unknown, things in your peripheral vision...
- Moffat loves his references to past episodes: certain lines as well as specifics - jammie dodgers, fezzes, things being cool, Amy's outfit, fishsticks and custard, BRAVE HEART, TEGAN CANTON (okay, that one was more than worth it and Moffat didn't originate it)
- crumplysnorkack: things depending on the body/mind of a young girl/woman Amy's pregnancy is a factor here. (Amy brings back the universe, Cal is sustaining the entire library/miniverse in her mind, Reinette's organs are going to power a ship, astronaut-girl, the Doctor comes to a young River Song, the mother in Empty Child admitting something, Sally Sparrow remembering to give Ten the DVDs and pics to make the whole thing happen)
- crumplysnorkack: His plots largely depend on the Doctor making sure that other people make sure that things happen.

So, specific connections to previous episodes:
1969: (the Doctor and Martha are sent to 1969 in Blink, it's the year man went to the moon)
The Lodger (The Lodger!Tardis appears again, and last it was seen someone unknown flew it away. Silence, perhaps?)
The Beast Below (crumplysnorkack: It's made extremely clear that the Doctor will help children; presumably, the Silence have been around the whole series 5 and know this, so using a child's voice in The Lodger and The Impossible Astronaut would have the intentions of targeting him specifically. - What else would something watching the Doctor from that distance gather about him?)


WILD MASS-GUESSING
- The astronaut girl is a young River Song (via crumplysnorkack)
- Amy IS actually pregnant... but not with Rory's child!
- The Master was burned but his ring brought him back; the Stetson could bring the Doctor back (crumplysnorkack)
- The person in the astronaut suit that Amy shoots at isn't the girl, because that thing is made for a huge human and it's freaking heavy. JSYK.
- crumplysnorkack River isn't the Doctor's wife, she just thinks she is.
- The Doctor is involved inadvertently in Watergate with missing audio and all that? Something that has to be kept secret for the safety of mankind, idk.
- SILENCE WILL FALL. The Silence grow large and crush everyone on earth. The end.



THOUGHTS ON FUTURE EPISODES/STORY ARC
crumplysnorkack believes that "the Doctor is totally lying about something here. He's not going to be totally truthful with anyone. I wonder. He's not a fan of Nixon. Nixon was involved in a lot of shady shit but he did do some good, as River pointed out, like brought peace between the USSR and China, SALT talks and junk. But the things he did behind the scenes, Watergate stuff, to make sure that this stuff could happen.. he's doing these horribly deceptive things, claiming exemptions to rules because of who he is and being a great benevolent power on the outside.. who does that sound like? And we know the sort of things that would put the Doctor in a bad mood, like being reminded of how fucking scary and manipulative and destructive he has been might not be comfortable for him to be face-to-face with that.
*Maybe they did their research. Question is, how long has the Doctor known that he was going there to be killed? We should keep an eye out if the Silence ever has him alone."


Observations on the Silence/Silents: They're not literally silent. They kill by an energy discharge from their hands (according to the Wiki) that makes them combust. Like the cousin of the Dementors. They are implied to have something to do with the cracks from s5 and the end of time. They move very quickly and you forget them after you've seen them. This is probably what that quick, slender moving thing was when the Doctor first goes to Amy's house.

I think they're the Silence, rather than Silents, based on the Doctor saying that "the Silence is still out there". It makes more sense grammatically and they're definitely a race of creatures. A single creature is a Silent though, I should think. Or you could call it a single Silence. Like single sheep and multiple sheep. The wordplay makes it hard to detect sometimes whether they literally mean silence or the Silence. For example: The final lines of Abigail's Song repeated the line "Silence will fall / Silence will fall all around".




Too many things to remember all at once on the first go. And I wasn't taking notes like the Doctor was.

Comments

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Well I mean, I know someone on another site who dissected all of s3 and I think some of s4 with the overarching themes, and did it BRILLIANTLY. I'll have to go take another look at his work and see which of the Moffat episodes have more in common with this one/series five.

Anmd okay, those last two things were like, jokes. They're just random things I thought of at 3AM and threw in, not something I'm seriously considering. :P

I am agreeing more now that Moffat's portrayal of women isn't all that great, although RTD did his fair share of damage as well.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Aah, with Moffat and RTD, you usually either love one and hate the other or are simply indifferent with both.

Like RTD's 'gay agenda' - people who love that naturally tend to dislike Moffat for not including it, or the opposite.

I can point out things with RTD and female characters too, probably.. they're all defined by the Doctor, it's all how the Doctor makes them better people.. Rose was selfish to a fault, Martha was like Rose but minus mutual attraction and finally managed to let go ...and wound up marrying Mickey, and Donna thought nothing of herself until the Doctor made her better and then bam she's lost her memory of it all.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she wasn't entirely selfish, but she had plenty of moments.
And yeah, more and more now it's about the appearance/attractiveness... River's different because there's still a lot we don't know, but to me at least she seems to have a few more layers than say, Amy or whoever.

I can definitely understand now what you mean about Moffat. He does have excellent storytelling ideas/techniques and dialogue, but -- wait, what. Did Moffat or RTD say those quotes you brought up? *annoyed at both of them*

Oh, haha, you're so not the only one who has issues with Donna's ending.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat. Oh, Moffat. Seriously. What is wrong in your brain there, buddy.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

*reading*

I'm always open to other sides of the picture, thanks!

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Yeaah, point taken. But surely they could have a decent enough life outside of meeting the Doctor? Rose/Martha/Donna's first episodes were all blah to me because it had so much about their families and how much their lives sucked.

I'd actually like to see the Doctor pick up a companion who was doing rather well.. not superbly, mind you, still having a few problems, but less with the nagging families and living at home and more of the self-dependence?

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Okay, fair enough. One of the few things that I liked about her character, now that you bring it up. Of course this is totally overshadowed when she's ripped from her life and starts fawning all over emo!Ten.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Gotta agree there, even though the year had a big reset button. Her personal arc ends best because she's the only one to learn to be her own person. Rose doesn't get the picture and Donna's wiped. Funny how I like her least, though. Weird. S3 just didn't do a lot for me overall.

[harbek.livejournal.com]

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

*BRAIN BLEACH*

Although laawl, the cherub-y things in the background.

[steamshovelmama.livejournal.com]

"Because nobody in the UK has one, apparently."

Pretty much nobody does - a few shotguns in the country for farmers and bored huntin' shootin', fishin' aristocrats, a few Big Things (no idea what they're called) that appear in the hands of a few police when the terrorist threat hits th highest level. Hand guns, no. Except for a vanishing small number of enthusiasts who use hand guns in an (indoor) heavily regulated club setting. For most people in the UK seeing a gun particularly a handgun, in public is a somewhat freaky experience which gives you a OMG!WTF! moment.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Well.. I was saying all of that rather tongue-in-cheek. :P

[steamshovelmama.livejournal.com]

Ooops! I fail at teh intahwebs...:-P

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Brave Heart, Tegan, is something that Five used to say to his (best) companion, Tegan, nothing to do with Firefly.

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Lawl, I know that. I'm just sayin that Canton's name may very well be a reference on it's own. I guess I just picked the wrong pimento mention it. Five's my favorite Doctor, so...

[shinydinosaur.livejournal.com]

Pimento? Thanks, spellcheck. That should read *time to.

[cyriljackal.livejournal.com]

Ok here's my thought.
-The Silence are actually the good guys!
-Silence will Fall means they loose, and that's not good!
Subversion of the meme!