Idiot's Lantern

[icepixie]

The Idiot's Lantern

Oh, I think I'm gonna need icons.

Wow, that was fun. It won't stand up to rewatchings, not like, say, "School Reunion," but it was still great fun. It reminded me of the spirit of the Fifth Doctor ep "Black Orchid," where not only is it fun for the viewer, but it looks like everyone involved is having a grand time as well.

I liked all the outdoor filming. I'm sure it was hell to shoot, but it really looked great onscreen. Having most of the other scenes be in small, lived-in rooms or shops was also a nice change from the usual large, industrial-looking places they often seem to film in. I loved the design of the "Magpie Electricals" logo. (Also, a guy named Magpie selling shiny things amused me greatly.)

The plot was serviceable, if not Earth-shatteringly brilliant. I liked that Tommy got to save the world at the end because of knowledge gleaned from a radio and TV magazine. "The Wire" didn't seem as evil as other villains, but she was mustache-twirling enough for the purposes of the episode, and it was fun having an old lady be the villain. (Well, okay, so the Wire wasn't really the newscaster; whatever.) Rose going off to investigate on her own, even if she did eventually get her face sucked off, was great. She's done it before, but this is the longest she's lasted without getting into trouble (c.f. the barrage balloon in "The Empty Child"). Yay for independence!

The Doctor's reaction to Rose's capture was perhaps just a liiiiiittle over the top. Maybe. Just a tad. I mean, the whole "Because now there is NO POWER ON THIS EARTH that can stop me!!!" had me cringing. It wasn't so much DT's delivery, it was more that line itself. Gack. On the other hand, the soft, quiet, "I'm on my way" he said to her disembodied face on the TV screen in Magpie's shop was much better. (Also, parallels with "I'm coming to get you" in "Bad Wolf.") This man really loves his companion.

All the faces on those TV screens, calling out for their individual rescuers, were actually quite creepy as well. (Has that visual been pulled from somewhere else? I feel like it probably has at some point. It seemed vaguely familiar.)

Again with over the top was Tommy's speech about fascism and his dad and ow, fourteen-year-olds do not talk like that. Make it stop?

I can absolutely see why Rose would tell Tommy to go after his dad (nice character continuity with AoS there). However, if I were him...I'd let the man go. He doesn't need a father like that in his life. It had shades of a Lifetime movie, but I cheered when Rita threw Eddie out of the house.

Shallow thoughts:

- Hee, the Doctor riding out of the TARDIS on a scooter. And the Elvis impersonation! Bwah! At least Rose's American accent is better than her Scottish one. And oh, if Jackie were American, she would so be the type to have a velvet "painting" of Elvis hanging over the mantle.

- King of Belgium! Hee! And taping over the alien! Hahahaha!

- OMG, how did Billie Piper not break her neck in those heels? Ow.

- Whoever styled David Tennant's hair obviously took lessons from a ballroom dancer. The last time I saw that much gel was at Ohio Star Ball. Oof. Glad that was a one-episode sort of thing, let me tell you...

- Maureen Lipman (the Wire) looks extremely familiar to, although a quick glance at IMDB tells me that she shouldn't be. Unless I did actually see A Little Princess and have somehow remembered her face through the intervening eighteen or so years...

- No Jive from the Doctor and Rose. Ah, well. I liked the music from that scene; it almost sounded more like a song, or an instrumental version of a song, than the usual background soundtrack. Was it?

- The hug towards the end engendered some squee. Awwwww.

So, yeah, aside from a few instances of heavy-handed dialogue, a fun ep. Wheee!

*

In other news, I have a pretty new layout. Yay for Einstein quotes and funky lamps in Stratford.

Comments

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

David Tennant's hair = BARTY CROUCH JNR. Please tell me I was not the only one to see it. *is ded*

[icepixie]

Hmmm. It was a bit Bartyish, but not excessively so. Now that you mention it, I can see it, but I wouldn't have made the connection on my own.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

A shipper, and you don't like the NO POWER ON THIS EARTH line? 'Sfunny, as soon as I saw that bit I thought, "Becca's gonna squee!" My powers have failed me. *snerk*

[icepixie]

*snerk*

I liked the other shippy line! The more restrained shippy line. This one, not only was it just painful (although kind of funny in that I think Mark Gatiss might have been making a Firefly reference with it), but I could see flecks of scenery on DT's chin.

[debs7.livejournal.com]

So I'm not the only one who thought "There's no power in the 'verse that will stop me" when he yelled that out? Good to see I'm in good company.

I thought that bit was a wee bit over the top too - made me cringe just a bit.

The hug at the end that was sooo cute :) I love it when they do the understated actions, you know a smile or a hug. No big old NOOOO!!!!! Darth Vadar induced schmappyness.

[icepixie]

So I'm not the only one who thought "There's no power in the 'verse that will stop me" when he yelled that out? Good to see I'm in good company.

Hee. Quite. I hope it was actually a reference. Otherwise it's just bad writing. (Not that it isn't already, but you know what I mean.)

I thought that bit was a wee bit over the top too - made me cringe just a bit.

There was much cringing.

The hug at the end that was sooo cute :) I love it when they do the understated actions, you know a smile or a hug. No big old NOOOO!!!!! Darth Vadar induced schmappyness.

Seriously. They're adorable as they are; there's no need to shoehorn in excessive shoutyness and overwrought protectiveness.

[fiara.livejournal.com]

I like the new look. Um...I tried to email you at @home but I think I got it wrong. Would you email your post-Kenyon address to me at my new acct jessicaincameroon at gmail dot com? Unless you got my big long email in which case ignore me...

[icepixie]

@home became comcast.net some time ago. :) You can use that, or use rehelton at gmail. My Kenyon addy still works for a year, and after next May, it'll change over to alumni.kenyon.edu. There's lots of ways to contact me. :)

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Yay, my Who is here! Thank you! : D

And oh, if Jackie were American, she would so be the type to have a velvet "painting" of Elvis hanging over the mantle.

YES. Like those awful 80s prints in "Father's Day"...

King of Belgium! Hee! And taping over the alien! Hahahaha!

I liked the "...your Majesty?" bit myself. Hehehehe.

The last time I saw that much gel was at Ohio Star Ball. Oof. Glad that was a one-episode sort of thing, let me tell you...

Did you SHOOT IT AND KILL IT? 'Cause whoa. I thought only Billie Piper was allowed to have hideous hair, but no! Equal opportunity horror!

No Jive from the Doctor and Rose.

I know! When the music came on at the party, I was all, "Oooh, I see dancing coming!" But no. Phooey.

The hug towards the end engendered some squee. Awwwww.

Awwwwwwwwww, twirly! : )

[icepixie]

Yay, my Who is here! Thank you! : D

Wheee!

YES. Like those awful 80s prints in "Father's Day"...

Oh, the pain. I had a friend in elementary school whose mother, I am coming to realize more and more, was basically an alto, American Jackie. Less screechy and less British, but the same in every other respect. She had the velvet Elvis painting.

Did you SHOOT IT AND KILL IT?

I poked it with my ballroom heels.

I thought only Billie Piper was allowed to have hideous hair, but no! Equal opportunity horror!

Gaaaaaaah.

I know! When the music came on at the party, I was all, "Oooh, I see dancing coming!" But no. Phooey.

Bah. The newspaper photos from the filming LIED TO US!

Awwwwwwwwww, twirly! : )

So cute! *adores*

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Bah. The newspaper photos from the filming LIED TO US!

Yeah, that's 'cause even Tennant and Piper were like, "I know what this scene needs more of! DANCING!" Bah, directors ignoring obvious genius of actors.

[icepixie]

Grrr, argh. Would've been much better than the whole thing with Tommy and his dad. (To which I'm still going "...WTF?")

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Well, I can kind of see the dad thing. If Tommy had just let him walk off, then there would have been Festering Feelings O Angst for Tommy down the road, and O NOES ANYTHING BUT FESTERING FEELINGS! (Do you sense a theme for this season at all? And some raging hypocrisy from the Doctor? *coughcoughluuurvecough*)

[icepixie]

Still, Rose working her daddy issues out on that poor little kid...it's sad, really. Poor kid. Better to fester than to keep a relationship with that twat.

(Do you sense a theme for this season at all? And some raging hypocrisy from the Doctor? *coughcoughluuurvecough*)

Not at ALL.