Category: TV Show

Doctor Who by Series | Series 2 – 2006

Anna Bratchford2 Comments

You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can’t spend the rest of mine with you.
I have to live on. Alone. That’s the curse of the Time Lords.

Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who, S02E03 ‘School Reunion’

Like with Series 1, I think I only watched bits and pieces of Series 2 – either that or my memory is acting up. From what I remember, and from watching Series 2 back, I did really enjoy it but I wasn’t quite hooked yet. (I can assure you, this changed pretty quickly after this).

As David Tennant’s first series as the Doctor, this was a lot of fun! It continues with Rose (Billie Piper) as the Doctor’s companion, and keeps a similar tone. It also features more of Rose’s boyfriend Micky (Noel Clarke) and Jackie (Camille Coduri) Rose’s mum which I loved.

New Doctor’s First Episode: S02E00 ‘The Christmas Invasion’

As a new Doctor Who fan this was the first regeneration I’d watched and so for the most part (as I remember) I was just as confused watching it as both Rose and the Doctor this episode. Once I caught on though, I remember loving it! With my recent rewatch, I really enjoyed this Christmas Special. It was a little mad, a little far-fetched (in the best way possible), and had some great funny parts too. Sword fights on the surface of a space ship in PJs!? Iconic! Ten’s whole speech after he woke up with the steam from the tea was great, and I think the moment he really felt like the Doctor for me.

I think this episode wonderfully introduced David Tennant as the Doctor with just enough humour amongst the high stakes on Christmas Day. It also set a wonderful precedent for Doctor Who’s whacky Christmas Specials (some of my favourite episodes each series).

Favourite Episode: S02E4 ‘The Girl in the Fireplace’

I really loved the concept for this episode – different parts of a woman’s life all accessible through time portals on a spaceship. Plus there’s a horse on said spaceship! I think one of my favourite parts of this episode aside from the plot line is the gorgeous costuming and the music composed for this episode. It is all beautiful, especially when the episode jumps back and forth between the 51st century space-ship and 18th century France.

The clockwork droids were such fun as the ‘alien’ for the episode – they managed to be beautiful and creepy at the same time. I remember not being able to quite get the ticking noise out of my head for days after that first watch. Also the mad logic they were following interesting to figure out.

Scariest Episode: S02E05/06 ‘Rise of the Cyberman’/’The Age of Steel’

Oh man. The Cybermen, as a concept, I think, are amongst the most scary of the Doctor Who adversaries. They are also one of the most heartbreaking. Their twisted ambition to ‘upgrade’ humanity in this episode I remember finding so disturbing, but it made for a really scary and exciting episode.

Additionally with this episode, it introduced the concept of parallel worlds. Which I think is another reason that this two part episode is one of the ones I found scariest this series. I love the concept of parallel worlds, but the slight changes portrayed sent my brain spiralling. It also added to the tension of the two parter. As did the music! I can’t hear the Cybermen theme without getting chills.

Most Emotional Episode: S02E03 ‘School Reunion’

There are a lot of episodes in series 2 that made me emotional, but there was something in this one that really got to me. (My second choice for this category would have been the Series 2 final two episodes, but I write about those separately, so here I am). Looking back, I do find it strange that this episode made me so emotional – and it is a really testament to the actors and how they delivered the episode that I teared up so much. I say this as my first introduction to Doctor Who was in 2005, so I only knew about Sarah-Jane through the odd Classic Who episodes I borrowed from the the Library or DVD rental places.

This episode though, had me crying over a past companion I hadn’t really got to know, and K-9, a tin dog I didn’t realise the significance of until later. There was something so beautiful about seeing a character come back to the show (even though I wasn’t overly familiar). Rewatching it now, I think it is possible I was getting emotional over the history this show holds as much as any of the more emotional lines in the episode.

Series Final: S02E12/13 ‘Army of Ghosts’/’Doomsday’

Well, where do I even start with this series final? It is a stressful and emotional roller coaster of a two part series which never fails to make me cry. At the same time though it is funny, exciting, and has a good mystery/twist to it. I love how tense the episodes are, and how that tensions builds to breaking point near the end of the episode. Especially with such a heart crushing conclusion.

I think my favourite thing about it would have to be the Dalek vs Cyberman stand off at the beginning of the second episode, a humorous break before the emotional roller coaster which is the rest of it. Though in general, having these two big-bads in the the episode really made for an epic final two episodes for this series.

Thank you for reading! I have now finally worked out a schedule for these, and they will be posted fortnightly on the Sunday.

What were your picks for the above? I’d love to know your thoughts!

Doctor Who by Series | Series 1 – 2005

Anna Bratchford2 Comments

The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We’re falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go? That’s who I am.

Ninth Doctor, Doctor Who, S01E01 ‘Rose’

If I am honest I cannot quite remember If I actually watched all of the first series ‘New Who’ when it aired in 2005 – I was, ironically, 9 years old. Only my Mum had watched a little of ‘Classic Who’ when she was younger. From memory she had enjoyed it but, I am not sure if she was the one who said “here, watch this”, so I am really not sure how I found the show in the first place. Especially in Australia.

What I do know is that I am so grateful I did start watching it – whatever the reason and whenever in 2005 that was. Especially as nearly 17 years later I am still watching the show, and as shown by this writing series, am am (healthily) obsessed.

New Doctor’s First Episode: S01E01 ‘Rose’

‘Rose’, I think, has become one of my favourite episodes. Even if – as mentioned above’ I am not sure if I watched it when it first aired. I do know I watched a lot of Series 1 as it aired though – as you will find out I have vivid memories of some episodes. While I think I didn’t watch this one in particular when it aired, I have definitely watched it a lot since.

I love this as an introduction back into a show that had been running since 1963. The episode introduces a new incarnation of the Doctor with the wonderful Christopher Eccleston (though I wouldn’t be introduced to the emotionally damaging and show prolonging process of regeneration until much later). Eccleston’s Doctor is charming, wonderfully sarcastic, and a little cocky with what I would call a flair for the dramatic. He is also angry, hurt, and emotionally scarred. As titled, this episode also introduces us to Rose (Billie Piper) – the soon to be companion – and the first of the new series to to be taken in by the wonder and charm of the Doctor. As I didn’t really get completely invested in the show until Series 3 (with David Tennant’s 10th Doctor and Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones) I didn’t love Rose as much as others do, but I do appreciate what her character did for the show. She is very much a very normal girl who gets caught up in the crazy of the Doctor’s world. She is a way in for the view, asking the questions, and also keeping the Doctor in check.

The episode itself has a beautiful chaotic energy to it, and I love the humour of it. Watching it again now has me feeling rather nostalgic. Both for the early, simple but impactful story lines, and the the general feel of early 2000’s era Doctor Who.

Favourite Episode: S01E02(3?) ‘The End of the World’

Hands down, ‘The End of the World’ has to be my favourite episode of Series 1 (though I love them all). It is also the one I found most entertaining.

First the episode has the Doctor bring Rose to front row seats to the destruction of her home planet 5 billion years in the future, and then there is the introduction of a whole host of aliens who have paid to see the death of the earth. Including the character Cassandra – the ‘last’ human – only she is a sheet of skin with a face. On the whole the episode is bold, funny, suspenseful and emotional all in one. It also features the best use ever of Britney Spears ‘Toxic’, as a traditional earth ballad, and the soundtrack to the earth’s destruction. You can find this iconic moment here.

The episode throws both Rose and the audience in at the deep end, with the Doctor’s showing off almost having detrimental consequences. Not that this deters her from travelling with him.

Scariest Episode: S01E09/10 ‘The Empty Child’/’The Doctor Dances’

I am not surprised at all that on my rewatch of Series 1, this two episode story was the scariest one for me. Not the ghosts of ‘The Unquiet Dead’ (S01E03) or even my first introduction to the infamous Daleks in ‘Dalek’ (S01E06) – the gas-masked people repeating the haunting cry of “Are you my mummy?” followed me into my nightmares and still (at the age of 26) gives me the creeps.

It doesn’t help that after the episode finished (I can’t remember if it was part 1 or part 2) my Dad decided it would be a good idea while I was still stuck on the couch, to take a glass from the kitchen and walk around the lounge with it over his mouth saying “Are you my mummy?”. As you can imagine, it didn’t help my 9 year old self in the slightest – though there is a chance that Dad did that to try and lighten the mood.

This episode was also a contender for most emotional episode for me, but it won me over for scariest once I had done my rewatch and memories of my first watch of this episode resurfaced. It is a tense episode, with a looming presence that stuck with me for ages after watching it. It also includes on of my favourite dual episode cliff-hanger and resolution pairs. I can’t do the scene justice by describing it so if you haven’t seen it, or just want a memory jog you can find it here.

The second episode of this dual episode story also brings me another of my favourite Ninth Doctor quotes – “You want moves Rose? I’ll give you moves! Everybody lives Rose. Just this once! Everybody lives!”

Most Emotional Episode: S01E ???

For most series, ‘Most Emotional Episode’ will be marked by the amount it made me cry – interestingly, Series 1 doesn’t have one particular emotional episode for me – however I find, especially now, that there are many moments or just lines of dialogue that make me tear up. When I originally watched these at the age of 9 I could say that I hadn’t yet developed the acute emotional tendencies I have when it comes to film and TV but that would be a lie. This only got stronger(?) as I got older, and I am now the type to tear up at an even slightly emotional commercial, or even one that features a dog.

I couldn’t pick a most emotional episode for this series I think because there is an emotional nostalgia to the whole series that gets me at a point in nearly every episode. This is helped along both by the wonderful acting from both Eccleston and Piper, as well as the incredible soundtrack by Murry Gold. There are some pieces of music now that I hear from this series that will have me in tears without the episode itself playing.

Some Doctor Who fans might go up in arms over this, as Episode 8, ‘Father’s Day’ is definitely a high contender for this spot, but I know at the time when I first watched it, the episode didn’t have the same affect on me that it does now. That episode is high up there, but I found other small moments in other episodes in the series to make me more emotional at the time when I first watched them.

Current Doctor’s Last Episode: S01E12/13 ‘Bad Wolf’/’The Parting of the Ways’

Oh gosh, where do I even start with this two episode story? I loved this as a series final for the first ‘New Who’ series. It’s fun, clever, and it’s high stakes in more ways than one. I think having the Daleks as the final villain for Series One was a great decision – especially as the last Dalek seen in ‘New Who’ was a very different Dalek to those we see here.

Oh man, I remember watching this one and being so freaked out by the Daleks, I think it was mostly with them all roaming around and chanting together. Plus with Murray Gold’s music the whole thing is intimating! I really loved the concept for this two part story.

As mentioned above, I am pretty sure this was my first introduction to the concept of regeneration, and oh, was I confused at first! I had no expectation at all that that was going to happen. The lead up to it at the end of the episode was epic though!

Thank you for reading! I should have the Series 2 review up within the next couple of weeks.

What were your picks for the above? I’d love to know your thoughts!

CC – Lucifer (2016)

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Lucifer (2016)Dance with the Devil

If the Devil came to earth, what would you expect to happen? Here are two options: Option 1, death, destruction, raging fire, and a little bit of punishment; Option 2, Move to L.A., open up a night club, and end up solving crimes with a local detective. You’d expect ‘Option 1’ wouldn’t you? Well, for Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), after growing bored of his duties in hell, he went for ‘Option 2’, and honestly, as Lucifer puts it kindly, “L.A. is the land of reinvention”, he himself is a prime example. This doesn’t go to mean that ‘Option 1’ is completely out of the question for him. I mean, the Devil and punishment go hand in hand, but never has it been done in such style.

The pilot episode of Lucifer (2016) opens up on a black screen with the song Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked (Cage the Elephant, 2008) overlaying the words:

“In the beginning…the angel Lucifer was cast out of Heaven and condemned to rule Hell for all eternity. Until he decided to take a vacation…” (Lucifer, 2016)

Though a possibly cliched choice of song for the opening of such a television show, the lyrics are apt to what becomes the main drive for protagonist Lucifer Morningstar. Not only that, but the almost playful twang of the guitar and sickeningly smooth lyrics of this song manage to embody the suave character of Lucifer himself before he has even come on screen. This is reinforced as the scene opens up on, a well-dressed man speeding through the streets of L.A. in a shiny black ‘61 Corvette, a character later introduced as Lucifer Morningstar. Sirens soon blare and a smirk lights up the man’s expression, as he is pulled over Lucifer is disturbingly calm, and it is as the policeman pulls him over that things get, well, to put it simply…weird. Lucifer is asked if he knows why he was pulled over, and his response manages to sum up the smooth talking characterisation which makes up the first and most visible layer to his personality.

“Well, obviously you felt the need to exercise your limited powers and punish me for ignoring the speed limit. It’s okay. I understand. I- I like to punish people, too. Or at least I used to.” (Lucifer, 2016)

As the scene plays out, Lucifer proceeds to try and bribe the police officer before prompting him that he breaks the law sometimes too. The strangest thing is though, the policeman answers with an almost glazed look in his eye. This interaction becomes commonplace within the episode, but there is something beautifully comical about a policeman answering that “Sometimes, I put my siren on and drive really fast for no reason at all, just ‘cause I can.” (Lucifer, 2016) plus for me, it was near impossible to get Lucifer’s gleeful smirk from my mind as I watched the rest of the episode.

Something within the episode which could only be seen as minor but really plays a larger part in making this new embodiment of such an overly done character who he is, is through the addition of perfectly timed father related humour. Not only does this reinforce the character of Lucifer as a rebellious child but also embeds him within the L.A. culture as he rejects his father, God, in an almost snarky manor. As well as this, this level of humour is very cleverly played within the overall story of the episode, and manages to defuse moments of tension as they arise. As it is not something over worked, the cleverly written humour within the episode not only adds to the character of Lucifer, it creates him.

As far as pilot episodes go, Lucifer (2016) creates a protagonist that you know from the beginning you are going to hate to love. He is charming, dramatic, playful, and – for some – quite sexy, but his morals (unsurprisingly – he is the Devil, of course) are far from that of an angel, or so you think. As the episode progresses, you are able to peel away the layers of suave charm, bitter sarcasm, and his lofty demeanour to reveal someone rather sensitive, and possibly even kind – even if Lucifer can’t see it himself. This adds a very interesting level of characterisation which not only keeps you guessing but also paints a very different picture of what nearly everyone understands Lucifer to be.

CC – Good Morning Call (2016)

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‘Hate to Love or Love to Hate?’

With a title like Good Morning Call it is quite hard to gage just what you are in for when it comes to this Japanese drama tv-show, nor are you able to predict both the levels of awe and frustration you feel while you watch. Take what you know western drama shows to be like, and then, forget it completely. To put it lightly, JDramas completely flip the concept of the ‘western’ drama tv-show, and then some. This being the first Japanese drama, or ‘JDrama’, I’ve watched, whatever expectations I had – if any – were definitely blown away in a whirlwind of screaming girls, borderline ridiculous facial expressions, and a protagonist pair which I honestly hated to love. Setting this aside, Good Morning Call (2016) brings you a selection of fascinating characters in a situation which seems to go from bad, to worse, to unbelievable…with a side of solid humour, but hey, that is this part of the genre.

Meet Nao (Fukuhara Haruka), high school girl, just moved out of home to live closer to her new school, and hopelessly in love with one of the ‘top three’ Uehara (Shiraishi Shun’ya) – the ‘top three’, we soon discover, are the three most popular and handsome guys in the school, one for each year. Uehara has just moved out in order to live alone, away from his older brother and his fiancé. It is here that things start getting crazy: one rental agreement fraud, a suspiciously smug looking elderly realestate agent, and a reluctant decision made by two almost strangers later…Uehara and Nao are living together. This turn of events leads way to not only the slowest burning love story between two teenagers, but also to the introduction to a character who makes you question why Nao likes him at all. It doesn’t take long though before Nao finds herself almost hating her new housemate, and you finding yourself wanting the secondary love interests to ‘get the girl’, even though you know there is no way they will.

After finding at watching some other JDramas as well, (one, Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo (2013) is very similar in premise), it is easy to see this plot line as a popular trope. This is understandably so, you can’t help but get sucked into the series of endless mistakes being made by Nao in her persute or Uehara, or even get on board with the cycle of rejection her childhood friend Daichi (Sakurada Dôri) endures at the hands of his unrequited love for Nao. It is here you realise you beginning to not really like Uehara at all, as the main love interest he is surprisingly standoffish, quick tempered, and in some cases just plain rude, redeemed only – in the eyes of Nao – by his handsome face and popularity. Daichi, on the other hand, is doting, kind, and for one he actually likes her. So while you know that Uehara will always have Nao’s attention, you can’t help but sympathise with Daichi, and even after just one episode, you can tell this will be a somewhat frustrating show to watch.

Yet, somehow, you still want to know more…

After just one episode with a love sick female lead, and an almost unlikeable love interest you can see there is still a certain charm to the show which you don’t see in ‘western’ drama shows, and it is this which draws you in. You’d expect the main character to be likeable, tolerable even, but Nao – though sweet and good intentioned – is completely oblivious to the feelings of those around her in her persuit of Uehara, and you find yourself endlessly frustrated by her antics. Uehara on the other hand isn’t much better, as a love interest he is almost unreachable, and increasingly more rude as time goes on, even if it is provoked by Nao’s occasional stupidity. It is here you find yourself completely invested in the fate of the side characters: Daichi and his love for Nao, her two similarly clueless best friends, and the guy who works at the Ramen Café. Not many shows could manage to hold an audience with such a frustratingly unlikeable main pair, yet Good Morning Call (2016) has cleverly collated humour, charm, loveable side characters, and the pull of such a ridiculous premise to keep you watching.

CC – Better Call Saul: ‘Uno’

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img_0940‘An Origin Story for the Origin Story’

The silence is agonising; broken only by the ticking of the courtroom clock, the shuffling of papers, and the impatient click of a pen. It’s easy to tell they’re waiting for someone, by the time over a minute has passed, you feel like you’ve been waiting just as long as they have. An officer of the court finally leaves the courtroom to collect the mysterious ‘someone’, it is only now that a voice breaks the silence saying this:

“Think back…your brain…it’s just not all there yet. Uhh…if we were all held responsible when we were nineteen- I remember what it was like to be a kid. Think back.” – James ‘Jimmy’ McGill

As with the both introductions of James ‘Jimmy’ McGill/Saul Goodman at the beginning of this pilot episode of Better Call Saul (2015), the first thing you become familiar with in terms of his character is his voice. The first, through the unseen ‘Better Call Saul’ commercials which introduce a character with a very big presence, a stark contrast to that of the Saul we see on screen. The second, is paired with the shadow of the speaker, Jimmy McGill on the wall of the bathroom, arms outstretched in an almost exuberant gesture. From those two quite similar introductions you get to see both the Jimmy McGill of the present, and the future embodiment of that same man, Saul Goodman. This choice in scene sequence for the first ten minutes of the show not only sets up the bold character for this series but also instils curiosity within the viewer. Leaving them with a sense of wanting to know more about how this character manages to end up in such a state that his old work advertisements would bring him to tears.

As a pilot episode, ‘Uno’ sets up a trajectory which both the plot, and main character will follow for the remainder of the series. It sets up the tone, theme and motive of both major and minor characters for the rest of the series with ease while not completely giving away the main plot. As events seemingly go from bad to worse, climaxing at the end of the episode as Jimmy has a gun held to his face and is steered inside a stranger’s house, you can easily tell just how this show simply won’t be just another criminal law show, whether you know the origins of this show or not. It isn’t just Jimmy as a main character though who makes this pilot episode so rich in terms of storytelling. The choices made by writer and director Vince Gilligan in terms of the overall design of the episode, take a much more ‘show rather than tell’ technique which, interestingly, is quite far apart from the direct storytelling methods used by our criminal lawyer protagonist in his day to day life. This not only enables for small scenes to tell a much larger story than that which could be said in words, but also in this way highlights both the benefits and constrictions narrative can have on the message one is trying to get across. In terms of Better Call Saul (2015), as a criminal defence lawyer Jimmy becomes a story teller, trying to convince the jury of his clients’ innocence or even in the act of trying to pick up more clients.

It is here that it is easy to see the importance of the connection between the introduction of Jimmy first in voice then in face, and that of his profession as a criminal defence lawyer. It is all in the story which Jimmy tells each time he takes on a client which determines his livelihood. As the episode progresses and you see just how much his work means to him versus how much he is actually getting back from it, you begin to sympathise with this character. So, whether you get caught up in the strong, and almost cliff hanger styled ending or the carefully compiled humour in the show, it will always come back to the complexity and strength of character of Jimmy McGill to keep you interested. This is a clever technique as Jimmy originated as a well-loved minor character in Breaking Bad (2008), the show which Better Call Saul (2015) is the spinoff of. As without Jimmy, there would be no Better Call Saul (2015) at all.