Insta-reaction (nonspoilery) to Doctor Who season premiere

[amanuensis1]

One of the things that endears me to Doctor Who so much is the way it invites its viewer fans to anticipate the story twists and hints, rather than trying to obscure them or startle you with them. It's like there's this mutual glee between the writer and the viewer, with the writer saying, "GUESS WHAT THIS IS" and the viewer saying "I KNOW I KNOW" and the writer saying back "I KNEW YOU WOULD GET IT RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE YOU ARE SO CLEVER, GO TELL YOUR FRIENDS HOW CLEVER YOU ARE, ISN'T THIS FUN," and then both writer and viewer squeeee like twelve-year-old girls at a sleepover. It matches the tone of the show and the main character in being so manic.

Comments

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

i love, and agree with, this review.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I want to think that I feel this not just because I'm a fan of this show, but because I'm a fan of THIS show.

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

I am not a regular watcher of the show, but i have gotten that vibe from all of the, what, probably 20 eps total I've seen of the series. so it's not just fannish subjectivity, i don't think.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I haven't even seen it yet and I know EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN.

\0/

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

If Doctor Who didn't have that campy core, it couldn't be like this, I'm thinking.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah. I like the self awareness that it has. a lot of that is Moffat's writing too. He's pretty "look at this fantastic plot device that you saw coming oh wait lemme try this too, wasn't that fucking swell?!" in Coupling, too, which he wrote all of, so it's pretty much his vision. I think it's based on him and his wife, too. It was fucking....I can see where he expresses his love for daleks and timey wimeyness in it.

[nishi-shinji.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. Exactly this.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It's an infectious feeling, isn't it? Wanting to guess what everything means instantly, being right most of the time because the show is delighted to let you in on everything.

[nishi-shinji.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Like you said, it's like the show wants you to share a bit of the Doctor's ADHD brilliance with moments of instant "YOU'RE SO CLEVER" gratification. I love it.

[prillalar]

You've articulated what I didn't know I felt! Oh, the premiere was just lovely and I am ready to be in love all over again.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It's hard to believe there will be new episodes so quickly, too!