Doctor Who "Utopia," Spoilers

[amanuensis1]

(Point scoring for old-school Whovians re: 'Utopia,' and how I measured up; SPOILERS for Utopia)



Hearing that they're reviving the Doctor Who series in 2005 and thinking, "Cool. Wonder if the Master will show up?" -- 1 point.

Watching Utopia and saying, minutes into it, "Hey, it's Derek Jacobi!...Damn, wouldn't it be cool if he turned out to be the Master." -- 1 point.

Watching Derek Jacobi having a funny turn and saying, "Yup. Totally the Master." -- 1 point.

Trying to figure out if "Yarner" (as I misheard his name) translates as "Master" in another language, or anagrams to it, etc. -- 1 point.

Completely missing, as I did, the "Yana" being an acronym even when they demonstrated it in front of me (I thought they were just flashbacking and was still hung up on the "other language/anagram" thing) -- Negative 1 point.

Getting severe chills when Derek Jacobi says, "I am The Master," despite having seen it coming from that far back -- 1 point.

Thinking how cool it is that they got Derek Jacobi to play the Master... -- 0.5 points.

...but thinking, "Wow, they're going to have to pay Derek Jacobi Derek Jacobi fees for every episode that he plays The Master," and forgetting the obvious feature of Time Lords until Chantho shoots him -- Negative 1 point.

Wistfully thinking it's a pity, because Tennant Doctor/Jacobi Master UST would have been fabulous to watch -- That is NOT old school Who related, that's just slashfangirly. NO points.

Comments

[kellyfaboo.livejournal.com]

As I rewatched the part where Prof. Yana was so happy to see The Doctor was priceless.

And I believe that Jacobi was definitely referencing Delgado more than anyone in his performance, while doing a masterful job of going from dotty genius to evil genius that was his own.

But he almost skipped down the hall with The Doctor shouting "Good!" That must have been a tad embarrassing in retrospect.

And his tears as he began to sort of remember that he is something else other than human.

Anyway I loved the unexpected layering.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I loved how he was a genius as a human, and a guy who wanted to do things as opposed to the sniveling coward John Smith had been.

[kellyfaboo.livejournal.com]

Yes! What was striking was as a human he was respected, but largely unrecognized, and while he was wistful about it he wasn't going to destroy the remains of the universe to get its attention.

As a Gallifreyian, however, his ego and raw anger drives him to feats of convoluted evilness apparently. I mean, take over the universe from the British PM's desk?

[the_con_cept.livejournal.com]

OMG, I've totally never had the slightest urge to watch the new Dr. Who (I hated the first guy they had, though Tennant seems okay) but there was an ep with DEREK JACOBI!? MUST HAVE!

*could be instant convert*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I know! I was all, "Yay, it's Emperor Claudius!" :D

[aiji-yuywell.livejournal.com]

This episode had me squeeling, even though I'm not a true classic Who fan. I knew bits about the Master, but it was mostly the "Say my name" line that had me squibbling and wishing for some delicious Doctor/Master slash. David Tennant is brilliant! Derek Jacobi is awesome! There was much love.

Too bad there isn't a nice Doctor-Who-slash-fangirl author to write yummy Doctor/Master for us. Sigh. :B

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not worried--someone will, and someone probably already has!

[filimonovna.livejournal.com]

And now I'm totally envious, because they only showed 1st season here in Russia and I can't wait to see more. T__T

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes! You must catch up, you must!

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

Completely missing, as I did, the "Yana" being an acronym even when they demonstrated it in front of me (I thought they were just flashbacking and was still hung up on the "other language/anagram" thing)

Oh, good; I'm not the only one who completely missed this. People made fun of me. *pouts*

Wistfully thinking it's a pity, because Tennant Doctor/Jacobi Master UST would have been fabulous to watch -- That is NOT old school Who related, that's just slashfangirly.

Well, although I do wish we could've kept Jacobi, I know a bunch of people who are already jumping on the JohnSimm!Master/Doctor train. Not myself, because I tend not to go for enemy slash, but I have to admit that the whole "Say my name" sequence was definitely... ahem. Yes.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes! When he said, "Say my name," I was all, "Don't you do it, Doctor! Make him EARN it." :D

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

I wish they could have kept Jacobi, too... how amazingly awesome would that have been?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't that have been great? He's such a great actor!

[scarletscarlet.livejournal.com]

Partial credit for tiny chills? I was quite wee when I watched the early Doctor Who episodes, and a lot of them have blurred together. Tom Baker was my first Doctor, but I got to see the odd old episode on TV specials etc.

More no-points for getting a bit too excited about Tennant Doctor calling him "Master" :).

I wasn't entirely convinced by some of the earlier episodes this season, but the last, I think, four (schoolboys, critters that actually made me jump, Utopia) have pretty much grabbed me by the ears and held on :).

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

More no-points for getting a bit too excited about Tennant Doctor calling him "Master" :).

You should have heard me! I was all, "Don't you do it, Doctor! Don't you call him that just because he asks; you make him EARN that!" ^_^

[scarletscarlet.livejournal.com]

Hee :D. I was more in the camp of "Oh, yes, you know you want to! You're so tired of being the responsible one, the hero, the only one... c'mon, Doctor, give it all up, if only for a little while..."

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, me, I need the Doctor to go down fightin'. ^_^

obviously spamming your journal today.

[fabularasa.livejournal.com]

Nothing to say other than that "Whovian" is such a perfectly Gulliverian word, and how did I not know it before?

Re: obviously spamming your journal today.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Years ago I was part of the Doctor Who fanclub and the newsletter was The Whovian Times. Such a great word!

[slumber.livejournal.com]

*giggles* I wish I grew up with Doctor Who.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Doesn't EVERYONE! :D Tom Baker was the greatest crush of my life. You just don't crush like you crush when you're a teen.

[slumber.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm I can deal with crushing on Jack and the Doctor and Martha, I suppose. ;) Although finding the classic Who episodes are so definitely on my to-do list. :D

take two

[herbmcsidhe.livejournal.com]

:points towards bittorrent (http://www.bittorrent.com/):

[srichard.livejournal.com]

Do I gain or lose points for screaming, "Be a cheetah!" during the regeneration scene?

Also, I think you can regain your last negative point, since you were probably subconsciously depending on the fact that the Master has no regenerations left!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

YES! I did think that at one point! "Hm, wonder how he got his regenerative ability back." See, it was all my subconscious! :D

Why a cheetah? *is missing something*

[srichard.livejournal.com]

The Master was a cheetah for a while...I think there was a Cheetah virus involved or something. And I just think it rules that the Doctor must think of evil Time Lords any time he visits the zoo.

In my brain, it happens with Leela, although that's not right with the timeline. But picture this.

Doctor: "Oh, and look there at the tigers and AAAAH!"
Leela: "Doctor, what is the matter? Why are you frightened of the big cat?"
Doctor: "Well, you see, he reminds me of my nemesis."
Leela: "...your nemesis is a cheetah?"
Doctor: "Well, only for a while, and it's complicated--"
Leela: "I could make your nemesis into a new vest!"
Doctor: "Leela, he wasn't actually a cheetah, he just...oh, never mind. Yes, you could make the Master into a new vest."

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

The Master was a cheetah? Okay, I think you get thirty points for that one. ^_^

[herbmcsidhe.livejournal.com]

Same way The Doctor got his back...they changed writers :D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

No, no, the Doctor's legitimately on his tenth, assuming the first one we saw was number one, and I don't think we've had any evidence to contradict that! (Though you know they'll find a way to go beyond that once the writers hit the twelfth actor. Sure as can be.)

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

"Survival", a Seventh Doctor episode, is set partly on the Planet of the Cheetah People, and the Master guests.

The Planet of the Cheetah People is somewhat infective, and the longer you stay there, the more likely you are to turn into a Cheetah Person -- and Time Lords are resistant to the effect, but not immune.

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

guuuuh yes it was all to much for me. I squeed and my brain exploded and even my boy admitted the whole thing was too hot for words and everyone needed to be slashed with everyone until double hip replacements were necessary for all. So guuuuuh.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

everyone needed to be slashed with everyone until double hip replacements were necessary for all.

*falls over laughing*

[asyndeta.livejournal.com]

I was watching it with my mother and the second she saw the Prof she said 'right, he's the Master'. She ruins everything, argh. *shakes fist*

The last few episodes have been amazing. 'Blink' in particular was brilliant. I just hope some of that writing talent has bled into the next series of Torchwood somehow.

(Also, the little blonde lad who says he's 'old enough to work' was chosen for the part in a competition. When he found out he'd won on the phone, he freaked out for a solid minute and then looked up at the cameraman and said 'can I go and tell me mam and dad now, please?' So adorable. :3)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I was watching it with my mother and the second she saw the Prof she said 'right, he's the Master'. She ruins everything, argh.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that I didn't see The Sixth Sense with my mother? She got it right away and whispered it to her viewing companion in the theatre. She DID whisper the twist in Sweeney Todd to me pretty early on, too!

[maddiec24.livejournal.com]

My love for the last few eps of DW knows no bounds. The "say my name" thing... guh. I'm in the US and we download our eps, so I don't have that many people on my flist to discuss this with: it seems to me the Doctor is getting progressively darker in this series. My husband says no. But he was really just chilling, to me anyway, at the end of Family of Blood. The way David Tennant(my favorite Doctor since Tom Baker)played him in earlier eps was... I don't know, lighter.

In contrast, someone on my TW comm wonders if Jack seemed different in Utopia, as compared to TW. I think he was more flirtatious, more carefree in DW, possibly because unlike TW, he's not the leader.

Anyway, I appear to be rambling, so I'll stop now.

And I was way slow on the "Yana" thing.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I think he was more flirtatious, more carefree in DW, possibly because unlike TW, he's not the leader.

Oh, that's a good observation! It's like how we all regress when our parents show up. In Jack's case it must feel pretty good to let down that control and snuggle into the Doctor's shoulder and let him make decisions for a coupla minutes. ^_^

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Hee. I guessed he was the Master from the first drum cadence -- that had been featured in one of the previews, rolling over John Sims being obviously evil.

I love that in the Confidential for the episode, Derek Jacobi basically had a moment of total fanboy glee at being in a DW episode -- apparently he's seen the entire series and had always wanted to be in the show.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Derek Jacobi said that? Oh, I'm glad you told me! (I don't watch the confidentials because there's just not enough time in the day.)