Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-seven - Dr.Who: Series 2, Episodes 8-11, "BINGE WATCHING HOOO~"

I think, if I'm going to make any progress towards finishing the seasons currently on Netflix before the year is out, I'm definitely going to have to marathon the series to even come close. Which brings us to our first entry in our December Doctor push which feature homicidal televisions, the Devil, and vlogging.

Fresh off their victory over the Cybermen in the alternate earth where they left Mickey behind, The Doctor and Rose head to 1950's England to witness the coronation of QE2 (monarch, not cruise ship) and run afoul of a sentient television program who feeds off of the electrical activity of the people who watch... THE WIRE... which, for some reason takes their faces off as well.

Of course, during the episode, Rose manages to get blank-faced as well, but don't worry, The Doctor manages to save the day and re-visage both his companion and the entire populace of face-eaten Northenders, not to mention free a family from an abusive father figure and collaborate with the local constabulary.

"Huuuuunnngggrrrryyyy." Bleh. -3 Points. Rose potentially dying a Blank-face? +4 Points. Deus Ex'd Human again? -3 Points.

Next, is another two-parter which pits the Doctor and the last surviving researchers of a black hole and the mysteriously powerful gravity well that is keeping a planet in stable orbit where it really, really, really shouldn't be. It appears that there is something very dark and ominous buried deep under the planet... something that The Doctor just cannot believe to be true... THE DEVIL! Cue mysterious body tattoos, possession, murder, and the mind control of a sentient slave race (the morality of which are only briefly lampshaded) who are used against the humans (and timelord) in an attempt to free THE DEVIL from his eternal prison.

CGI Devil? +1 Point. Doctor having to confront said Devil and waffling over whether or not to defeat him at the cost of Rose (who is, of course, Deus Ex saved at the last second)? -3 Points.

Finally is a single episode which mostly doesn't feature The Doctor at all, as he and Rose only briefly show up in the life of a young Vlogger who is chasing after Doctor sightings thanks to all of the events that have happened during the course of the modern series. A twenty/thirtysomething wastrel named Elton goes about chronicling his brushes with The Doctor and finds several like-minded people... who give him a family. That is, of course, until a domineering personality inserts himself into the group and takes over for his own reasons, while Elton's new family slowly starts disappearing.

I kind of like this one both for it's unique storytelling style, the minor personal dramas of the L.I.'nD.A. members, Moaning Myrtle, how little of The Doctor and Rose we actually see, and the Scooby-chase. Always love me a good Scooby-chase.

Less Doctor? +2 Points. Myrtle? +1 Point. Scooby-chase? +5 Points.

End Tally? +4 Points! Fair play to The Doctor, though he really can't claim much credit as it was Elton and L.I.'nD.A. who gave him such a positive lead.

I think I've found a way to survive the show while binge watching. Diablo 3. Some might call it cheating to multitask in such a way, but I find that I can still watch the show (and be annoyed with it) while grinding out rares and seaching for the ever elusive 1k DPS weapons, legendaries, and set pieces. Pretty sure that is going to be my routine for pounding out the series. If anyone has any objections, take it up with my lawyers! Just let me tell you that The Doctor is MUCH more enjoyable this way.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

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