Tick tock

[icepixie]

I got anise hard candies in a pretty little box from the bookstore yesterday. Yes, I realize I'm the only person in the world who likes licorice-flavored things. Whatever; more black jellybeans for me!

*

Stephen Moffat may be the new Justin Monjo.

Well, y'know, not a shippy way. In a level-of-awesomeness way, though...yeah. Definitely. 'Cause whoa, coupled with "School Reunion," this was definitely a one-two punch in the gut for rabidly single-minded Doctor/Rose shippers, but it was probably the best episode of the season so far in a lot of ways.

- The ticking in Reinette's bedroom at the beginning? CREEPY. Creepy in the same way the phantom typing in "The Doctor Dances" (or maybe it was "The Empty Child"...somewhere in that two-parter) was creepy. Sound can be way more terrifying than sight, and they definitely used that well here. Hail Moffat!

- The clockwork monsters were perhaps a little cheesy here and there, but not too bad. As the Doctor said, they were actually kind of beautiful. (He's saying that a lot this season about monstrous things. I think it may be a theme. Shhh, don't tell.) The sequence when he takes off the leader's(?) mask and it slowly winds down before they all "die" was lovely. Although the "wind you up" pun was truly awful.

- The horse was random, but pretty awesome and hilarious. Aw, poor DT had to ride another horse! (If you haven't seen them, try to track down the outtakes from Casanova. He had issues with horses there.)

- The Doctor...does Vulcan mind melds now? Ooookay. It seemed a bit crutch-like to get him and Reinette to the closeness they needed to be at for the ending to work, but does open interesting possibilities for later. If Rose finds out, for instance, and gets even more jealous than she already is--that could be fun.

- OMG the costumes. And the set. AMAZING. *spent a day at Versailles last year and would like to go back*

- Loved the whole "slower path" thing, although it did make it hard to buy that the Doctor would begin to care for Reinette so quickly since he'd only known her for a couple hours, really. I'm not absolutely certain he fell for her, really, although she apparently did for him. I dunno, that random kiss she gave him (after seeing him twice? When she was seven?) and the letter seemed a bit forced on her part as well. *shrug* I swear to God, this is not my shipper glasses being locked in palce, but it really did seem like the whole romance angle was a bit forced there. Caring for a lot, sure, but romance...nah. I'd buy it a lot more without the whole time crunch thing, I think. I did enjoy his little schoolboy-with-a-crush antics on the palace lawn, hiding behind the balustrade and all. *g*

- "None of [the years] show on your face." Nor on yours, Louis. Or Reinette. Makeup could have done perhaps a bit more there...just a thought...

- And for pretty much everything else--repercussions for Rose/Doctor, connections to "School Reunion," and various other bits--I'm going to direct you to mrv3000's post here, because she said it much better than I could.

*

I've been blazing through the Eighth Doctor audios over the past two weeks. I'll be making a big ol' commentary post come...soonish. Possibly tomorrow. Although at some point I really ought to finish those two essays for the Mongolian Empire class... *sigh*

Comments

[nickless.livejournal.com]

Yes, I realize I'm the only person in the world who likes licorice-flavored things.

Ooooh, black licorice is the best. Anise is usually a bit too bitter for my taste, but straight-up black licorice? Black jelly beans? Yummy!

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, so good. Have you guys had much salmiak? It's great salty licorice. :D

[icepixie]

"Salty" and "licorice" don't seem like things that ought to go together...

[icepixie]

Yeah, these anise drops have a sort of bitter, planty taste at first that I wasn't expecting, but it quickly settles down to yumy licorice-flavor.

Black jelly bean-lovers unite!

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

The Doctor...does Vulcan mind melds now?

Actually, there is a canonical precedant for Time Lords being somewhat telepathic. One of the ways the Doctor knows there is nobody left - I can't feel them "in here". Earlier doctors have done this sort of thing before, though infrequently.

The Doctor is also extremely good at hypnotism.

[calixa.livejournal.com]

Sometimes he traps alien creatures in his mind if they get too nosy!

(Well, Eight does in one of the audiobooks.)

[icepixie]

Oh, I think that's Caerdroia! With the Kro'ka, yeah? (Which for the entire time I was listening to that one, I thought was "Croaker." My interpretation of British accents sucks.)

[calixa.livejournal.com]

Yes! This clearly demonstrates my complete inability to watch ANY Who and not relate it back to Eight somehow (he's "my Doctor", as they say).

I thought Mrs. Baddely was Mrs. Bradley up until last week, when I read a review of Chimes of Midnight and was properly embarrassed.

[icepixie]

This clearly demonstrates my complete inability to watch ANY Who and not relate it back to Eight somehow (he's "my Doctor", as they say).

Heh. I enjoy being "My Doctor"-less; I sort of dove headfirst into the whole shebang this February and thus had all of them at my fingertips. Although to be fair, I've only seen/heard Five, Eight, Nine and Ten, so it's a bit easier to do equal-opportunity lovin' than with all ten.

I thought Mrs. Baddely was Mrs. Bradley up until last week, when I read a review of Chimes of Midnight and was properly embarrassed.

Heh. I read a review first before that one, which helped with the names. (I have to be able to visualize these names in print when I hear them. Only then can I construct an image of the character. I think it's an English major thing.)

[icepixie]

I knew there was some telepathy going on, but have they ever done the equivalent of a mind-meld before? Particularly with the fingers on the head, that seemed...very Star Trek.

The Doctor is also extremely good at hypnotism.

Interesting...

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

Not sure, but there is a discussion on it here (http://community.livejournal.com/dwcanon_fodder/49787.html).

[icepixie]

Thanks. I'll be sure to take a look at that.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Heheheh. Yeah, I loved this too--and Stephen Moffat is definitely The Man.

The Wind-Up Pun: Y'know, my first instinct was, yeah, "ooh, baaaad pun"...but then I realized the subtle brilliance. No, really! It's a double entendre--not just "I'm not lying to freak you out", but also, "you're breakin' and I ain't fixin' ya, bub". Which is pure Doctor, really, especially this Doctor.


The horse: So loved the horse. Capped that mirror entrance, need icon... *snerk* (Also capped Madame Du Pompadour leading Ten off to dance...need to find someone to help me figure out if I can fit "There comes a time when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance" all on the side, readably. :?P)

Vulcan Mind Melds: This actually isn't unprecedented in the old series; Time Lords are supposed to be mildly telepathic, though they use it very rarely.

Versailles: Ok, yeah, I wanna go there now too. *g*

The romance: On Reinette's side, I think it actually made sense. The kiss surprised me at first, but then I thought about it...to him this man was almost literally a dream. He'd shown up twice, magically, in her childhood, then vanished again, but clearly she'd daydreamed (and maybe nightdreamed) about him over the years. It actually reminded me a little in ways of a situation in my own novel. As for the Doctor...I think at first it was the wonder of meeting a famous, amazing person--rather like getting snogged by a film star you've a crush on, perhaps. But I think the real feeling set in with the mind-meld; they were inside each other's minds, which let them get to know each other much faster...and it meant that Reinette managed to duck inside places inside him, lonely places, he'd never shared with Rose, probably never shared with anyone in a long, long time if ever. So...to me it was a bit beautiful. (Of course, it probably doesn't hurt that I know what it's like, to have a lonely little boy inside one, and I'd love to be asked to dance by a lady like that... *snerk*)

And I can't wait to hear your commentary on the Eight Audios! *g*

[icepixie]

[Reposted because I cannot seem to close my italics tags properly these days.]

The Wind-Up Pun: Y'know, my first instinct was, yeah, "ooh, baaaad pun"...but then I realized the subtle brilliance. No, really! It's a double entendre--not just "I'm not lying to freak you out", but also, "you're breakin' and I ain't fixin' ya, bub". Which is pure Doctor, really, especially this Doctor.

Uh, that's what I meant by "pun." The obvious meaning was, I believe, the "I won't fix you/wind up your clockwork," while the pun was that "to wind up" is Britspeak for "tease." Not that i ddin't laugh, mind you, but it's definitely a bad pun. *g*

(Also capped Madame Du Pompadour leading Ten off to dance...need to find someone to help me figure out if I can fit "There comes a time when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance" all on the side, readably. :?P)

If you pick the right font, you probably could...

Versailles: Ok, yeah, I wanna go there now too. *g*

You should go. (You know, with your wads of money and time for a trip to Paris. *g*) It's worth every Euro of the rather steep admissions price.

The romance: On Reinette's side, I think it actually made sense. The kiss surprised me at first, but then I thought about it...to him this man was almost literally a dream. He'd shown up twice, magically, in her childhood, then vanished again, but clearly she'd daydreamed (and maybe nightdreamed) about him over the years.

Ehhhh... It still seemed very strange to me. Perhaps I'm just completely different from her, but even with it being David Tennant, I don't think my first thought upon seeing someone I had thought was imaginary show up several years later owuld be "snog him!"

But I think the real feeling set in with the mind-meld; they were inside each other's minds, which let them get to know each other much faster...

Crutch, crutch, crutch. I just posted about how much that mind meld doesn't work for me. In a way, it's telling without showing--it's a shortcut, and it's lazy writing. Well, perhaps not lazy, but rather just constrained by time (this needed to be a two-parter). Either way, it's where the episode falls flat for me. YMMV.

And I can't wait to hear your commentary on the Eight Audios! *g*

It's going to be spastic, just to warn you. *g* Probably won't show up until Monday or Tuesday, either, since I really do need to get some work done today...

[elflore.livejournal.com]

The pun: See, I'm so backwards...the immediate meaning that came to my mind was the Britspeak 'tease', THEN the more literal wind-up...so it seemed brilliant rather than bad. :?P

Icons & fonts: Are you the one who posted an icon tutorial a little while back? I really need to learn to make the icons up myself. (In the past I've sent screencaps and ideas for text to friends who've done the assembly for me.)

Versailles: Heh. *Adds it to the trip list*

The Crutch: Yeah, I think we're definitely having a mileage variance...probably since I'm the old school romantic and you're still just a little the anti-hormone. ;?) My own post on the ep goes into a little more detail on why I liked the love story, though.

8 Audio Commentary: Hey, I'm all good with the spazz--I commit enough of it myself, especially in regards to Who!

Other replies to your second tGitF post, so I don't spam your box more than I already am...

Reasoning the Mirror: I really didn't think love WAS the reason the Doctor jumped through the mirror and risked getting stuck. Even though I loved the love story, that never even crossed my mind...I figured it was just an utterly typical gambit by the Doctor, who's never hesitated to risk his life for others, whether they're supposed to be important to history or not.

Risking Rose & Mickey: Probably along similar lines to above, and maybe it's just because I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt--and especially heroic types like the Doctor--but I didn't mind accepting it as a given that they could use the TARDIS to get home again if he didn't make it back.

Rose chews the Doctor out?: I was glad she didn't, that she could accept his feelings for someone else...I thought it showed a lot of maturity. And maybe it's also an aspect of the cockiness--after everything they've survived, she couldn't believe he WOULDN'T find a way back.

Laura Fraser: Hmmm...you know how I adore Laura Fraser, but I thought Sophia Myles was great here. But then, it might easily have been coloured by a) me being a guy and her being quite lovely and/or b) the fact that I know about her, Mr. TENnant, and the Doctor's action figure. *snerk*

Phantom: Ooooh, good catch! Someone needs to vid this...link me if you see it! *g*

Ok, that's all I got for now, methinks.

And if I ever get annoying with my Fanboy Apologism, just let me know. Or whack me with a fish. :?P

[icepixie]

The pun: See, I'm so backwards...the immediate meaning that came to my mind was the Britspeak 'tease', THEN the more literal wind-up...so it seemed brilliant rather than bad. :?P

Hee!

Icons: I haven't posted a tutorial, but if you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Reasoning the Mirror: I really didn't think love WAS the reason the Doctor jumped through the mirror and risked getting stuck. Even though I loved the love story, that never even crossed my mind...I figured it was just an utterly typical gambit by the Doctor, who's never hesitated to risk his life for others, whether they're supposed to be important to history or not.

Which is fine and dandy, but...not really what they seemed to be pushing. Mixed signals there, IMO.

Risking Rose & Mickey: ...I didn't mind accepting it as a given that they could use the TARDIS to get home again if he didn't make it back.

More mileage variance here, I think. I'm just a less accepting soul, perhaps. ;)

Rose chews the Doctor out?: I was glad she didn't, that she could accept his feelings for someone else...I thought it showed a lot of maturity. And maybe it's also an aspect of the cockiness--after everything they've survived, she couldn't believe he WOULDN'T find a way back.

But she did look pretty shell-shocked in that brief scene with Mickey after the Doctor had left. I didn't read it as maturity or cockieness--more horror and devestation.

the fact that I know about her, Mr. TENnant, and the Doctor's action figure. *snerk*

Hee. I found it ironic that to me, they had almost no chemistry, despite knowing the two actors are involved. Meh?

Phantom: Ooooh, good catch! Someone needs to vid this...link me if you see it! *g*

Hee. Surely someone, somewhere, has done a DW vid to a Phantom song. I watched "Black Orchid" Sunday, and OMG, you could use half of that alone for this hypothetical vid. Well, the Doctor wouldn't be the Phantom, but whatever. Phantomy.

And if I ever get annoying with my Fanboy Apologism, just let me know. Or whack me with a fish. :?P

The fact that you recognize it as Fanboy Apologism means it's all good. (If you didn't, I would have to whack you with a trout, mind. *g*)

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Icons: I'm not quite sure where to start even, beyond the screencaps themselves. What program to use, tricks, etc. So any help or direction you don't mind offering is awesome. :?)

Rose's maturity: She was shell-shocked after he'd gone, yeah...but I was thinking more of the way she handled herself when she met Reinette (very different from how she reacted at first to Sarah), and the fact that she didn't give him grief later.

Black Orchid: Heheheheh. I wondered when you'd get around to seeing that ep--and had planned to show you if you hadn't whenever we meet up. So you. *g* When can we expect the 'Charleston' icons, then?

And yeah, I do not apologize for my Apologism. *g* I'm quite happy watching Who through my...errr...Rose colored glasses. *Ducks*

[icepixie]

Icons: Assuming you don't have a copy of Photoshop, go download yourself the latest version of the GIMP. (Assuming you don't want to compile code, go to the "Binaries" section and click on the appropriate platform to get an .exe. or .dmg file that will install itself.)

Gimp is PhotoshopLite (as well as PhotoshopFree, which is always good). I use Photoshop, but rowdycamels has been having a ball with this program. When I make an icon, I don't usually do a whole lot beyond cropping a screencap, adding text, and sometimes adding a nifty border with brushes I've downloaded. I'm not sure if they'll work in Gimp, but you can get brushes for Photoshop from all over the place. I use ones from here, [Bad username or site: quebelly</a @ livejournal.com], and saava a lot.

There's other things like color correction, lightening, darkening, blurring, etc. that I use sometimes (more often on bigger projects like wallpapers) that can be useful either to clean up a less-than-perfect screencap or to make a particular effect. Let me know if you have questions, or if you see an icon of mine where you like an effect and want to know how it's done. :)

Black Orchid: Bwah. Funny ep. Dunno about any Charleston icons, but...maybe? I was going to do some "My fandom goes way beyond gay pants" icons for the costumes, but I think someone already went there, and I'm loathe to copy.

I'm quite happy watching Who through my...errr...Rose colored glasses.

*tosses pots and pans*