Doctor Who "Rosa" reaction post
Oct. 21st, 2018 09:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dbskylerSo I don't know what the hell I just watched, but it wasn't Doctor Who.
Honestly, it was a lot closer to an episode of "Timeless," which was an entire television series about going into the past to stop other people from changing the past. However, at least on "Timeless" we actually understood why the history-changers wanted to change history. As far as I can tell, Krasko wanted to keep Rosa Parks from sitting on the bus because an asteroid killed his dog? I dunno, I'm kind of confused.
But seriously, are we supposed to believe that a criminal from the 79th century goes to 1955 Alabama to change history because he doesn't like black people? His motive for what he was doing made absolutely no sense. First off, how does keeping Rosa Parks from being arrested on this one night stop the American Civil Rights movement? It wouldn't have happened in some other way? Really? And even if you buy that premise, how does stopping the American Civil Rights movement get rid of black people in the 79th century, anyway? I mean, aren't all the black people in the 79th century British? (Just a little facetious meta-humor there, but hopefully you get my point.)
And as for Krasko himself, as the main antagonist to the Doctor, he was a pretty pathetic villain who should have been taken care of within the first five minutes of the Doctor meeting him. In fact, Ryan didn't have any trouble sending him packing, did he? So why the hell didn't the Doctor take care of him first? Because the best way of stopping Krasko isn't with all that ridiculous research to get Rosa Park's work address and bus route schedule, phone calls to Sinatra to set up fake lotteries, securing buses, and finally chasing old people down the street to try to get them to ride the bus; the best way to stop Krasko is by stopping Krasko. I mean, come on, guys. The "Timeless" crew would've had this one wrapped up by the first commercial break. And this is the Doctor? The Oncoming Storm? The Time Lord who used to save the whole world on a regular basis, who won the Time War, who once held the Key to Time in her hands? And when she meets Krasko she waves her sonic screwdriver at him and leaves? Because, what, she can't think of anything else to do?
Speaking of the sonic screwdriver, I am officially over the way the Doctor has to bring it out and use it every five minutes or so. Someone please tell Chibnall that it's actually possible to go through an entire episode without the sonic screwdriver being brought out. And that it's possible for the Doctor to gather information without it. And that it's possible for the Doctor to act like the Doctor without having the sonic constantly in her hand as a prop.
Now can we please get an episode where the villain isn't pants, the plot pantsier, and the Doctor strangely ineffectual? Is there an episode coming up that Chibnall had no hand in writing, pretty please?
Honestly, it was a lot closer to an episode of "Timeless," which was an entire television series about going into the past to stop other people from changing the past. However, at least on "Timeless" we actually understood why the history-changers wanted to change history. As far as I can tell, Krasko wanted to keep Rosa Parks from sitting on the bus because an asteroid killed his dog? I dunno, I'm kind of confused.
But seriously, are we supposed to believe that a criminal from the 79th century goes to 1955 Alabama to change history because he doesn't like black people? His motive for what he was doing made absolutely no sense. First off, how does keeping Rosa Parks from being arrested on this one night stop the American Civil Rights movement? It wouldn't have happened in some other way? Really? And even if you buy that premise, how does stopping the American Civil Rights movement get rid of black people in the 79th century, anyway? I mean, aren't all the black people in the 79th century British? (Just a little facetious meta-humor there, but hopefully you get my point.)
And as for Krasko himself, as the main antagonist to the Doctor, he was a pretty pathetic villain who should have been taken care of within the first five minutes of the Doctor meeting him. In fact, Ryan didn't have any trouble sending him packing, did he? So why the hell didn't the Doctor take care of him first? Because the best way of stopping Krasko isn't with all that ridiculous research to get Rosa Park's work address and bus route schedule, phone calls to Sinatra to set up fake lotteries, securing buses, and finally chasing old people down the street to try to get them to ride the bus; the best way to stop Krasko is by stopping Krasko. I mean, come on, guys. The "Timeless" crew would've had this one wrapped up by the first commercial break. And this is the Doctor? The Oncoming Storm? The Time Lord who used to save the whole world on a regular basis, who won the Time War, who once held the Key to Time in her hands? And when she meets Krasko she waves her sonic screwdriver at him and leaves? Because, what, she can't think of anything else to do?
Speaking of the sonic screwdriver, I am officially over the way the Doctor has to bring it out and use it every five minutes or so. Someone please tell Chibnall that it's actually possible to go through an entire episode without the sonic screwdriver being brought out. And that it's possible for the Doctor to gather information without it. And that it's possible for the Doctor to act like the Doctor without having the sonic constantly in her hand as a prop.
Now can we please get an episode where the villain isn't pants, the plot pantsier, and the Doctor strangely ineffectual? Is there an episode coming up that Chibnall had no hand in writing, pretty please?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-22 06:47 am (UTC)No, because AFAIK, Chibnall's operating a writers-room approach to this season, hence his co-writing credit with Malorie Blackman.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-22 07:01 am (UTC)And given both the hostile environment engendered in the UK by the shambolic Brexit referrendum, AND the outrageously mainstream casual racism of the US president and GOP, I think the episode was exactly what was needed by both our countries.
But your mileage varies, clearly.
(*Not a typo)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-22 09:37 am (UTC)Also, the very fact that Ryan was the one to get rid of Krasco, after being the one most racially oppressed by the shitty white people of Montgomery, was significant. It represents a triumph for him (esp given his confidence issues as a result of his dyspraxia) and I felt as much emotional satisfaction about him sending Krasco off into the far past (esp given K's racist dismissal of Ryan) as I did about Rosa sitting back down in her seat. Both are instances of Black people defying/overcoming white people - and the story needed that, not the Doctor getting rid of Krasco in the first 15 minutes.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 04:42 am (UTC)And actually, standing solely as a piece on racism, I wish it had gone farther. As an American, I thought it was a big omission to talk about Obama but then not mention Trump. Things may get better, but they don't always stay better, which is a pretty important point to make, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 04:48 am (UTC)Personally I don't mind if there isn't some big ugly alien every week.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 05:12 am (UTC)I'm not asking for a big ugly alien every week, and I don't even need Oncoming Storm. I'm fine with a more Classic Who approach of the Doctor just being someone who stole a TARDIS and ran off, and she is only special because she interferes and tries to do the right thing. But Classic Who still had plot twists (even cliffhangers!) and interesting villains (Solon! Scaroth!) and the Doctor upending things / saving the world / holding the Key to Time in his hands every now and again.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 05:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 06:09 pm (UTC)I've never liked Chibnall's writing, and wasn't going to watch his showrunner output, but got dragged into doing so because it's DW, and I've watched all eras. I may not be doing any more of that, because he's clunky and infodumpy as all hell, and I can only figure he has a good reputation because he delivers everything on time. It can't be due to quality of writing and imagination.
I don't need to adjust to that, and how badly Peter Capaldi was treated by the BBC, media, and fandom, if I don't want to, right? Good. Because I doubt I will, and I'd rather be watching "The Expanse" these days.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-23 06:19 pm (UTC)I was just trying to make a suggestion that maybe some people will need time to adjust to a different show runner since it's obvious, to me at least, that this is a whole new kind of Who - longer episodes and a shorter season, a different dynamic with regard to the Doctor and her friends (since we've not had a 4 person TARDIS team since the days of Fivey), etc.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-24 04:48 am (UTC)he's clunky and infodumpy as all hell
Yes, and his villains are pathetic, and his plots are just a series of events happening in a straight line, and he doesn't seem to think that a female Doctor can save the world.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-10-26 02:08 pm (UTC)