Through a glass darkly

It's been an extraordinary run. Patching up the on again/off again nature of season two, this year in Who has been a really nice consistent run. And now Stephen Moffat hits the ball out of the park again with this beautiful gem- and it's only the first part of a two parter I feel spoiled what with BSG doing it's Sopranos final season stuffing each episode full of tingly plot related wow moment goodness, and now Who stepping back up to the plate to match last season's 'Master'ful moments of long time fan not daring to breathe happiness.

'Silence in the Library' exhibits the traits for which Moffat has now become such a fan favourite. Just like in 'Blink', SITL taps into that special list of primal fears which hurt us where we live. Like classic seventies who with Jon Pertwee fighting the shop front dummies in police uniforms, so Moffat presents us with the horror of everyday things like statues, shadows and our own imaginations. The brilliance of this is that despite the now excellent special effects in the relaunched Who, nothing can ever match our own horror thinking of these everyday things suddenly given such magnificent creepy form.

The LIbrary itself is a wonderful idea and matched with the weird connection of the little girl and the strange visitor from the Doctor's future makes this episode a definite stand-out that gives one many 'ooh' moments and keeps you glued to the screen for every second of the show. The heart-wrenching 'ghosting' death concept is also wonderful and shows us once again Moffat's genius at exploring the emotional character aspects of his stories.

Whoooo...set the controls dead ahead for sex factor seven. As much as I've enjoyed Torchwood thus far, it's with this latest episode that a lot of hints and vague references start to come together. Episode six is fantastically shot, very well acted, nicely finished and peppered through with steamy references and shows a lot of Owen and Gwen and their coming together under pressure. The sexual dialogue is quite a shock given what we've had so far and given the connections to Dr.Who but is fully welcome within the framework of the show and entirely believable given the character makeup of the team.

The teaser trailer for episode seven promises even more steamy shenanigans with a gorgeous blonde girl seducing Toshiko and lots of monster hunting running around as well as rebound girl on girl shenanigans.

Rue Brittania indeed.

I'm enjoying the show. Yes, I still have some reservations but nothing too major. Some parts are a bit creaky with some dialogue still a bit off but the regular team is doing a good job meshing together though I would like to see more of the others and avoid it becoming the Jack and Gwen show.

Episode five 'Small Worlds', written by legendary sci-fi scribe P J Hammond, concerned itself with the faery folk and cast an interesting new chilling direction on them though not really explaining a lot of the whys and wherefores. Captain Jack's solution at the end of the episode was interesting also, and typically Hammondesque as anyone who has watched 'Sapphire and Steel ' would concur. At this point, we are reaching the breaking point for stand-alone episode shenanigans and with someone as careful and meticulous as Russell T Davies behind the show, I think it's going to start going in a more connected direction for the remainder of the first season, a la 'Bad Wolf' in first season Who.

I'm wondering if Russell is going to bring any of Jack's people into the show as part of the build-up to cliffhanger and continuity or if he's just going to keep building on the Cardiff rift riff and perhaps tie all of the aliens there together a bit more cohesively.

I haven't gotten on here much lately, thus defeating my original rationale (not to take over the world or provide a solid forum for political ranting) , to wit: to maintain a web presence space that makes it easy to write and post and keep in an easily archived place. So, I need to get back on that wagon and keep on writing more regularly.

Okay, first episode of BSG series III debuted last week and it was pretty spectacular. One thing I've learned to trust with Ron Moore is to never underestimate his element of surprise and never to write off his character choices as stupid or going nowhere. The scenes on New Caprica were like a completely different show as the survivors of the Cylon takeover struggle to survive and strike back at their new masters.

The scenes on the skeleton crewed ships are fascinating as well, similar to the very beginning of the show with the mini-series, where a basic crew of old almost decommissioned ships had to rustle up a miracle. There's hints at the miracle to come here with the transmitter hitting it's target on the planet and the insurgents making plans to distract the cylons so the Galactica and Pegasus can launch an attack/ rescue mission.

Commander Adama's fat suit and makeup is an interesting one- a strange direction to go in but like I said, I trust Ron Moore by now and will see how long it takes Jamie Bamber to discard said chubbiness and get back into action.

I also watched the legendary awful 1980's movie 'Red Dawn' which was crap with some interestingly right wing bits littered throughout it. The movie actually smacked a lot more of the proposed race war featured in infamous 'The Turner Diaries' by arch-racist Bill Pierce.

Okay bastards

try 'the towers of london' for some good hard British rock.

try 'Kinetik' for tool-tinged dark metal prog-rock- Austin based and about to explode!!

try 'Trodus' for socially conscious brain-food swing metal - discover them before it's everywhere- be the one starting the trend this time, not following it!!!

and go on and finally listen to two fantastic Irish bands

1) 'The Frames' - just sheer guitar genius: fun, beautiful and energetic

2) 'God is an astronaut' - trance as poetry, shimmering tunes that transform your reality.

Remarkable. Who would have foreseen that one of the biggest shows on BBC tv in 2006 would be Dr.Who? Not only that but now we have what's emerging as a 'family' of Whovian related shows under the umbrella guidance of Russell T Davies and Julie Gardener. The long announced principal spin-off show is the much anticipated 'Torchwood' with John Barrymore's star-turn as Captain Jack once again with a whole new crew gathered around him and a more adult tone for the show. Then we have the cartoon version of K-9 which may or may not go ahead. And now we have confirmation that Sarah Jane Smith will have her own show as well, starting with a 60 minute special in early '07.

Add to this the radio shows with past Who Luminaries such as Paul McGann, the dvd remasters and the print industry associated books and magazines and you have the most unlikely booming franchise industry.

Well done Rusell and Julie and well done to the legions of fans who never gave up and rewarded the new series with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant and the legendary Billie Piper with devotion and viewing figures.

lj cut for the daft or unfortunate who havenae seen 'Doomsday' yet

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It's kinda funny though, just thinking about comments I made relating to various aspects of 'Dr.Who' in a previous post on here. The Socratic method of arguing had a technique known as 'Let the weaker argument defeat the stronger' which means that by nuanced arguing, one can make a perfectly good and proper argument appear silly, flawed or just downright wrong. Obviously, this technique has worked for charlatans, lawyers and yes, fans down throughout the centuries. Of course, William Hartnell was a 'more dynamic' doctor than Tom Baker!!!! UHmmmm....

But to get back to something vaguely resembling a point, I wanted to look at the flip-side of the negative aspects of the doctor as a character and just look at the positives of being a companion or of having such a person/entity/being visiting Earth or indeed anywhere else. The most obvious aspect is the chance to see what else is out there. Like someone from a council estate meeting a high-flying business person who shows them the world, so the Doctor shows ordinary mortals the universe and different times and thus changes them for the better. Sure, there's an element of ' show it then take it away' but once they have experienced such things, it becomes part of their mental makeup, their memories and changes their narrow outlook on life and reality, even so it can't necessatily be taken away (unless the Time Lords interfere and remove your memory) by being left behind.

On a more subtle level, having a chance to travel with someone like the Doctor is like taking an internship with the universe. Through him, the new experiences ('adventures') and the TARDIS's help, one is given a chance to grow more than ever before, to learn, experience and take away new levels of resourcefulness and understanding whenever one's 'tour of duty' ends.

It may seem cruel or random or even somewhat selfish of the Doctor to pick up and then discard after a time (unless they choose to leave or die) but like the tenth Doctor explained in 'School Reunion', it's hard for him living so long and having an innate sense of curiosity and a driving moral compass that makes him get involved in other people's lives and affairs. It makes one think that most Time-Lords shut themselves away to avoid the heart-break that inevitably follows when 'Gods' get involved with mortals. Does this make the Doctor more responsible for leaving the majority of his companions after some time spent travelling with him? Or does it make him like a lothario who uses and discards women as he sees fit? Let us err on the side of him genuinely enjoying the company of these young people and trying to show them something of his world and his life, but never able to show them everything or fully involve them in what are the affairs of nigh-upon-immortals.

At the end of the day, it could be batted back and forth ad nauseum but what it comes down to is, would any of us turn down a trip in the TARDIS if it was offered to us? Would we be able to admit to ourselves that we might be better off not knowing what was out there?

I originally wrote this as a reply to a piece on Lian's journal about the end of season II of Dr.Who and it turned out longer than I thought so I figured I'd pop it in here.

vALso, whilst having had a day to ruminate on some of these topics, it's interesting that Russell is throwing all this stuff in at the end of the second season. He tends to shy away from 'mythos-heavy' stories (not having even ventured beyond one extra room in the infinitely enormous TARDIS and having shoved Gallifrey and the rest of the Time Lords into a room marked 'Do not open until third season or so when everything else is firmly established') that here is a centrally mythos heavy storyline, dealing as it does with the fate of a companion, her family and how whatever happens to cause the 'death' would seem to be a wake-up call or almost a signal for Rose to 'grow up' as being with the Doctor is facing life on his terms and not on our own.

What the later classic stories, in particular, Sylvester McCoy dealt with was the nature of the Doctor's very Alieness and how, even though we often see him as being defined by his rebellious nature versus his own society, what we're not seeing is how, despite this (or, indeed, because of it in many ways) he is still very much a product of a society that made 17th Century England look egalitarian and classless by comparison.

The Doctor IS first and foremost, a very high class Gallifreyan Time Lord, the elite of the elite, and within that elite group, he is a Prydonian chapter member, meaning he was born to rule and to look down on others. This is important to bear in mind, and something that has been hinted at all the way through but much more so with the 7th Doctor, the books and a key plot point that Russell picked up on and continued through the ninth and especially the tenth (when the doc TELLS the nurses on New New York that they have to obey him because he is the final authority; when he reveals his growing impatience with being merciful in 'School Reunion').

Rose, as with many companions, but especially Rose and Sarah-Jane and Ace before her helps the Doctor to feel better about himself and feel that he still has a function to fulfill in a universe that often feels cold and remote and pointless to him. But he knows that he is in charge and that the game is being played by his rules. The mortal companions, no matter how close to him or how fond of them he is, are merely that, mortal companions to mirror his own desires, needs or merely to cheer him on and make him think he's doing it for the little people when the truth is more that he's doing it because he's immensely powerful and immensely bored.

Anyone who read any of the 'New Adventures' either with Virgin books or the BBC range will see a lot of the darker, more adult and complex threads making slight impact on the new series. When the 7th Doctor left Ace behind in one of the early books, she ended up becoming a Dalek fighter and being away from him for a few years, abandoned and left to survive. When she met up with him again, she was utterly changed, a much harder, more bitter and older woman, never to trust him again. A lof of her illusions were gone about him and this led to some very interesting moments.

Latest Dr.Who ep from UK reviewed; spoiler warning for any American viewers.
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Season 5 draws to a roaring close with the excellent 5.21 'Oracle'. John Glover again shows why he is one of the show's favorites as he works with Clark and Chloe and against Kryptonian super-robot, Milton Fine (the also ever-superb James Marsters). With talent like Marsters, Glover and Rosenbaum on board, the show chugs along nicely. Add to this intrigue about Milton Fine's virus shenanigans and luthor family intrigue and one has a robust cocktail of addictiveness and serial soap factor. The end 'gimme' is also glue to the screen fantastic with the reveal of 'Zod is coming' repeated throughout the possessed Lionel scribblings in Kryptonian. Oh and John Schneider guest-starring is fun but his role was a bit crap and obvious so I'll forgive John as I would come back on set for another chance to see all my buddies of the last five years again too, even if my role was not great.

'To be continued' indeed. They may as well have pasted up 'Follow this, MotherF**ker!'

Eagerly awaiting the rest of the end of the season.

Here's a link to the twelve minute interview that went out shortly before Christmas on British television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3wNk2efkFU&search=david%20tennant

God, I'm so good to you all.

I'll stick an lj cut here in case any Americans who watch Dr.Who on Sci-fi see this and are spoiled.

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I've waited for some two or three months trying to get hold of episodes of this show. Finally I get episode seven of 8 and then this morning the premiere comes down. And, remarkably, it was worth it. A classic 'concept within a concept' show, 'Life on Mars' (so-called because of the song Sam is listening to when he is knocked over in 2006 and wakes up in 1973) takes the best elements of today's television (sophistication, in-depth characters, technical quality) and merges them with a full-on 'The Sweeney' meets 'Starsky and Hutch' 1970's flavour.

The period is captured perfectly and the fish out of water element, which could easily get tiresome in the hands of a lesser actor, is fleshed out to just the right degree by John Simm as Sam who stops the puzzled questioning slightly insane babblings of the station's new DI (demoted down from DCI that he was in 2006 for some reason, possibly because his approach simply wouldn't work as a DCI back in 1973, necessitating the 'guv's role). The characters are fantastic with Gene Hunt being a truly brilliant creation, with obvious visual cues being given to John Thawe's Inspector Regan but the character being brought to life and operating as both the perfect foil to Sam's modern deep thinking and also as a focal point for the grounded reality that he needs to focus on if he is to survive in this strange new old world he finds himself in.

WPC Cartwright is another finel executed character, with her putting up with the inherent sexism of the time whilst getting on with her own life and career. Sam, as an intriguing man who shows up out of nowhere with dynamic ideas and more than a touch of demented madness or passion is the magnet that draws her into the drama.

A great set-up to a wonderful idea, I can't wait to see the rest of the series. And no, I have no word on whether this is making it over to the US but it is a perfect cross-over drama, being a novel approach to a cop show (not a part of a CSI or a LAw and Order Franchise is novel enough these days!) with quirky sci-fi or psychological elements and like the new Dr.Who series, is thoroughly British and successful enough to warrant a second season.

Hi to anyone reading this. This is a completely neutral reminder to all of you, whatever your predilections are, to support Free Comic Book day 2006. This is a marvellous scheme devised some three years or so ago to bring people back into comics stores and to have people look at what's available out there and rediscover the joys of comics.

So this Saturday, please take the time to find your nearest comic book store and visit it, pick up some free comics, either for you or your family, your nephews, your girlfriend/ boyfriend, kids, etc. There will be a wide range of stuff available from all the major companies so pick up something from each one. Some stores will try this 'only one free comic per person' malarkey but the spirit of it is to get comics into your hands so grab a bunch.

We need your support with this so please go get some free stuff!

For more info or to find your closest store, try this http://www.freecomicbookday.com/.


Enjoy and thanks.

I'm cutting this one for any American viewers who are watching the first new season of 'Dr.Who' on Sci-Fi Channel.


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Cutting this for any American readers who are watching Dr.Who on the sci-fi channel. Following article contains a lot of stuff about upcoming Season II episodes.


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And good news from the BBC for Dr.Who. Both the main show and it's satellite documentary/behind the scenes stalwart, Dr.Who-Confidential are riding high in the ratings, showing a continuing interest and an increase in David Tennant's popularity with each episode he's been in so far.

http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EEuVZlkFAVNvrVleGe&tmpl=newsrss


As a who fan for years, I'm delighted with the current brouhaha and applauding the BBC for hiring someone as talented as Russell T Davies and for hiring marvellous BBC people as Julie Gardner who have the insight and intelligence to milk the show for all it's current popularity is worth whilst letting Russell get on with the creative aspect with little interference. It's so easy to criticize when someone messes up that it's wonderful to be able to sit back and say 'well done' to all involved and keep fingers crossed that it will continue in the same vein.

The second season certainly built on the lessons of the first. The positive aspects are exemplified, the history of the show, the relationship between Rose and the Doctor, the new characters like the face of Bhow and Cassandra whilst any possible negatives such as the regeneration or the necessity of finding a new theme such as 'Bad Wolf' to tie things together are instead used as thought provoking plot points. The Return of the Cybermen is a treat eagerly awaited by all of us with the one two split promising further emotional impact as well as the increased ation quotient that David Tennant's doctor has delivered in the Christmas Special, 'New Earth' and 'Tooth and claw'. The return of Pete Tyler is another interesting one and the long awaited guest starring of Liz Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith with K-9 alongside the always welcome Anthony Stuart Head is one to set your tivos by.

Already knowing basically how the second season ends gives us an interesting look at where they will go with the third season. I haven't heard much so far but the return of Gallifrey and the Time Lords can't be too far away along with the Doctor travelling far back into his own past to confront parts of the Time war we haven't covered yet. Whether Russell will touch on the Master remains to be seen but it's certainly something that would be interesting at his hands.

lj cut for American viewers on sci-fi channel

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And because I love you all so much and just came across this, here's a link to the new trailer which just debuted on British Terrestrial television last week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/04/01/30852.shtml

Click on the above link for the first trailer proper for the 2nd series of Dr.Who. This season looks set to blow away last year already and after a tremendously strong debut with 'The Christmas Invasion', David Tennant's tenth doctor, Rose, Jackie, Mickey, Harriet Jones and old and new villains alike look to making this an explosive and shock and surprise filled series.

For those of you just now watching series one on the US Sci-fi channel, bear with it, you're now entering the mid-period where there are some fantastically written episodes, some great character pieces from both piper and Eccleston and some tear-riffic acting from all involved with 'Father's day' and then the intro of Captain Jack and th ecountdown to the huge finale and the amazing last two episodes.