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ahhh - so i wasnt the only one to wonder when david mcallum and joanna lumley were going to appear...
Posted: 21:29 May 30 2006
Doctor Who 28/2x07 The Idiot's Lantern
And so we reach the half-way point in the second series. After a rather flat two parter, its back to a self contained episode, and a strangely trad one at that.
The Coronation setting certainly works in its favour, even though its laid on so thick they must have used a trowel. But the choice to focus so heavily on the family is a mixed blessing, stand alone episodes can often lack proper character work outside Rose and The Doctor, thats not a problem here, but the focus shifting too far from the lead characters is.
The Wire can be credited as one of the series more creative villains. While the exact purpose of face sucking remained unclear, and the history of The Wire was left to some crowbarred exposition, the imagery and general spookiness of the concept which is more Sapphire & Steel than Who wins the episode several points. Maureen Lipman may have seemed like odd casting, but was a good fit for the 50's face of the BBC.
Unfortunately for every upside theres a downside, and the main blight on this weeks episode is oh so heavy handed verbal sparring of the Doctor and the Father about his sexist values. What started as a clever quip ("would you expect the Queen to do the housework" ) became laboured and overtly PC. While Rose's attitude could be understood, with all the different cultures The Doctor visits, he doesnt launch into an attack on any value system he doesnt like, so why now?
Generally a fan of Tennant, three aspects of character have been manifested so far, the 'childish wonder', the 'Doesnt-she-look-tired' underplaying, and 'Doctor Shouty', unfortunately its this last element that gets most screen time this week, and its the element that shows the weakest side of DTs performace, hopefully future episode will play to his strengths more.
The final showdown on the transmitter may be second only in the cliche stakes to last weeks 'ladder-climax', but was impressivley realised. Watchers of Dr Who Confidential though, will mourn the loss of possibly the best line from any episode so far.
A solid and creative effort that isnt quite as cohesive as the authors effort from S1, The Unquiet Dead.
Next week, a proper alien planet, about bloody time!
(Edited by Wobag 30/05/2006 19:17)
2 Replies and 3956 Views in Total.
Posted: 21:29 May 30 2006 
Was definately a better episode than the Cybermen but I really don't feel the series has hit par with last season. Although it has had some great moments the last few weeks seems to have been a bit weak.
(Edited by Chambler 30/05/2006 22:52)
I love that part and I could completely understand the doctors reasons as although he normally doesn't meddle in the cultures of others he needed to get information out of the mother and the kid. To achieve this he had to undermine the alpha male position of the father. To get the information he needed he either needed to take the mother and kid out of that particular situation so they could speak freely or he had to become the alpha male which meant he had to beat the father at his own game and humiliating him in the process.
by Wobag
Unfortunately for every upside there's a downside, and the main blight on this weeks episode is oh so heavy handed verbal sparring of the Doctor and the Father about his sexist values. What started as a clever quip ("would you expect the Queen to do the housework" ) became laboured and overtly PC. While Rose's attitude could be understood, with all the different cultures The Doctor visits, he doesn't launch into an attack on any value system he doesn't like, so why now?
I couldn't agree more!
Next week, a proper alien planet, about bloody time!
(Edited by Chambler 30/05/2006 22:52)
Posted: 22:51 May 30 2006