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[icepixie]

So over the past few days, I've watched parts three and four of the Key to Time story, "The Stones of Blood" and "The Androids of Tara."

Oh, such FUN! New Who is perhaps better at sticking themes and symbols and emotional oomph into an episode, but it can't beat the old stuff for sheer glee. Particularly these old ones. And there are a surprising amount of character moments, for all that Old Who is generally criticized for not having much of that kind of thing--I was particularly impressed with Lamia in "Tara," and of course Romana gets lovely moments all the time: the shoes and the very put-out, "Yeah, I got pushed off a cliff and I'm hanging by my fingernails--little help here?" attitude when she, uh, gets pushed off a cliff in "Stones"; the very smug way in which she lands the TARDIS perfectly at the beginning of "Tara," etc.

"Stones" has fantastic trappings with the Celtic mythology, the henge, the dotty old lady professor, etc. And the justice machines! Hah! I loved those little blinking lights. So fun.

And of course "Tara" was just a big ol' ball of silliness, and everyone knew it. HOW funny was K-9's "Master? Maaaster?" closing the episode when he was stuck in the boat? And Mary Tamm gets some fantastic disdainful expressions in when she's captured. Hee. I love how they're all sort of like, "Fourth segment of the Key? Eh, whatever. Logical reason for this society to have electric cattle prods mated with swords, crossbows that shoot laser bolts, and freaking androids, yet apparently still exist in the Middle Ages in every other way? Who cares!" Although at the same time, what we saw of their society was actually really intriguing: Only "peasants" have the knowledge to control the androids, and yet they're an underclass. Hmmm. I smell a revolution, myself...

I've never even heard of The Prisoner of Zenda, but I think I might need to read the book.

If I weren't already hatching a plan to dress up as Charley to elflore's Eighth Doctor and go to a con sometime, somewhere, I'd make myself a copy of that lovely purple outfit Romana wears in this episode and wear it to a con. (I really, really want that hat. Really, really, really. I don't think I can articulate how much I want that hat, actually.)

Also, I thought I recognized the location they were shooting at--particularly the moat, and bridges over it. It was confirmed in the commentary that it was Leeds Castle, and I HAVE TOTALLY BEEN THERE. AWESOME. And heh, commentary. Funny. Lord, I could listen to Mary Tamm read the phone book for hours. She has such a gorgeous voice. Has she been in any of the Big Finish audios, I wonder?

I'm a bit sad that I only have two more Romana I stories left. :( I love Lalla Ward in the role as well, but Romana's first incarnation is just so cool. Smart and prickly and snarky and with a bit of naivete for spice. (Not to mention unusually good fashion sense for the 1970s.) Great character.

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In random news, I found a pair of jeans that fit with a minimum of looking around. Not only do they fit at the top, but they are ALSO in "short" length, which I don't think I've seen for at least three years. Hooray! I don't have to take this pair up by the nearly two inches that "average" length requires!

(Yeah, so I'm about an eighth of an inch under 5'5". I am also not unnaturally sticklike and able to fit in, like, a size 2 or whatever would usually have the inseam of under 30" that I need. This means that the "petite" sizes some stores do, for people 5'4" and under, are just a bit too short, both in the legs and the waist, but EVERYTHING ELSE is too long. I love "short" lengths of things in my size.

And yes, I realize the tall people reading this are rolling their eyes and saying, "At least you have the option of altering them! We have to live with pants that are too short!" Yeah, well, anything that helps me continue to be lazy is nothing but good. ;))

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Question: Am I a very strange person for eating cinnamon raisin bagels with butter and a generous helping of brown sugar sprinkled on top? My mother says that no bagel is meant to be sweet, while I think that any bread product which has a spice like cinnamon and little fruit bits in it damn well better be sweet, or what's the point, really?

Comments

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Am I a very strange person for eating cinnamon raisin bagels with butter and a generous helping of brown sugar sprinkled on top?

NO. THAT IS THE BEST THING EVER. BUTTER AND BROWN SUGAR MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND.

[tarzanic.livejournal.com]

Ah, I know your pain about pants. Well, except, I'm usually too lazy to hem things, so mine end up being just slightly short sometimes. So, where did you find these pair?! YAY PANTS!

Am I a very strange person for eating cinnamon raisin bagels with butter and a generous helping of brown sugar sprinkled on top?

Nope. I have mine with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on mine. A cinnamon raisin bagel isn't a real bagel anyway. You're not gonna eat it with lox, so I say go for it!

[alto2.livejournal.com]

(This is my only Romana icon, and I so rarely get a chance to use it, so...don't take it personally! ;) )

I was so disappointed when Romana regenerated, because like you, I thought she was just the coolest thing ever. I love how she could match the Doctor pretty much evenly (the TARDIS landing scene you mentioned is hiding in my mood theme, waiting to come out) and she was pretty on top of it all, which was just an added bonus (and I wanted that white dress in the WORST way, even though I'd look like shit in it and might not want it so much now that I'm no longer in high school). I mean...talk about your perfect female role model!

So, yeah, I'm with you on Romana I. Have you ever, btw, seen The Story of English? The one Robert MacNeil did about 20 years ago? The first episode goes back to Anglo-Saxon and shows folks at the BBC learning how to pronounce some for a radio production (or something along that line--it's been 20 years, so I could have the details wrong!). I was sitting in English class my senior year in high school trying to contain myself when Mary Tamm was one of the folks shown at the BBC. /random trivia

If you and elflore ever dress up, ya gotta post a picture. And dernit, it's your bagel, don't let other people tell you how to eat it! ;)

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Heheheh, yeah, those are definitely two of my favorite 4th Doc stories, for all the reasons you list. *g* And it's not so much that old Who didn't do emotional--it's that the emotion rarely got personal for the Doctor, and only sometimes for the companion.

Not that I'd ever discourage you from following your Romana fashion bliss, but glad you're not forgetting my Charley. *g* I'm working on the Eight costume... (IE, I've requested one from mom for my birthday, and delivered her some photo reference. *snerk*)

Peeking at your reading list like I always do: How's 'Faerie Tale'? I've read the first few of Feist's "Rift War" books and like them quite a bit...

And back to Tara: Did you know Paul Cornell wrote a short Shakespearean play taking the 7th Doctor back to Tara? It's in "Decalog 2". In iambic pentameter, no less. It's basically WhoSpeare! Very silly fun, I think you'd love it. *g*

Random observations (mostly clothing-related)

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

I have coveted Romana's AoT outfit since I was eight. I should really make it one of these days. I know it's directly responsible for my love of jewel-tone purple and green together.

In my experience, the "standard" inseam for women's jeans is 32, regardless of size. Short is 30, long or tall is 34. The latter being my holy grail, which I've been ecstatic to find in plain old regular Levis and Lees at Meijer and Wal-Mart the last couple of years. Victoria's Secret also does most of their jeans in all three inseams, but tend not to be cut well for hourglass proportions -- it's that "either snug hips or gappy waistband" problem.

Levi's stretch bootcuts make me all kinds of happy. Actually, ANYTHING that doesn't stop three inches above my ankle makes me all kinds of happy. People can mock 80s slouchy boots and legwarmers all they want, but they were the only thing between me and displaying my high-waters to the world throughout high school!

while I think that any bread product which has a spice like cinnamon and little fruit bits in it damn well better be sweet, or what's the point, really?

I agree with this, except for the part where I kinda think such a thing is already sweet and doesn't need additional sugar. But I'm pretty much always about the option that isn't presented. *g* Cinnamon raisin with just butter, however, sounds divine.