I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring.

[alexsarll]

'Silence in the Library' was a Moffat Who story, so obviously it was brilliant. Yes, in some ways he's repeating himself, but so what? They're good tropes. Give them another airing. Getting all metafictional with "Spoilers". The Doctor talking from a TV screen. Turning everyday objects - and everyday phrases, repeated - into sources of utter terror. The dashing, enigmatic, voraciously omnisexual new character. The crossed timelines. On which note...Alex Kingston has lots of adventures with the (implicitly Tenth) Doctor in his future. The same rumours which correctly predicted Moffat's ascension also see Tennant leaving fairly soon, probably after the first of next year's specials, and there's been no whisper of Kingston's return. We also suspect that this season's big story will turn out to be something about time in flux and/or timelines collapsing into each other (was I the only one who expected the psychic paper message to be from Rose?). Now, this leaves the possibility that Kingston's future with the Doctor will turn out just to be lost from time. But I'm left wondering, could they swap out our Doctor for one from a parallel timeline? It would provide a way around the 13 regeneration limit, which they must be thinking about by now. And it would mean he could live happily ever after with Rose. I'm probably wrong here, it just crossed my mind.

When the last night of drinking on the Tube was announced as a possible Event by an associate, I was keen, not least because it intended a keynote of civility. Not even as a protest per se (I see the ban as a regrettable necessity - one of those blunt instrument laws like the age of consent which undoubtedly leads to injustices, but which remains a least worst option while we have neither the social nor technological maturity to enjoin and enforce what should be the one immutable law: Don't Be A Dick). But once other people had the same idea - people for whose character I could not vouch, and whose agendas were not quite the same - I paused. And once it was on the front of both freesheets, that was me out: carnage was inevitable and I didn't want to end up as part of the statistics proving the wrong point. So when I went into town in the afternoon, I had a tot of absinthe* from my hipflask on the bus in, another on the Piccadilly Line home, and said my own quiet farewell. With the bonus that I realised it was so discreet, it could probably still be managed post-ban.

For reasons I can't entirely explain, my usual practice is to build up a big list of potentially interesting acts to check out on Myspace, and then go through them en masse. Maybe it's like heats, to limit how many will get chance to win me over? So anyway, I had one of these runs and lots of them, as usual, were weak. The best thing was probably a rather epic, Iain Sinclair-style new Madness track, but by now you should all know whether or not you like Madness (though if you don't, you've maybe just not heard the right bits). That aside, the highlight was 'Stuck on Repeat' by Little Boots. Which I ought to find as generic as I do much modern electropop by hot girls (this one's ex-Dead Disco), yet somehow I don't. Maybe I'm giving her a pass for naming herself after Caligula? Maybe Hot Chip production helped? Maybe sometimes a song just stands out from its crowd.
(Best Myspace, though, was the new Swimmer One side project. The music did nothing for me, but I love the bio and the name: Sparklegash.

A Grant Morrison first issue is usually a big deal. The first Seven Sisters I read on a bus, spellbound, then went right back to the beginning and started all over again. The first All-Star Superman, I think that was three times. The first Final Crisis I read, shrugged, then read New Avengers 41 which is hardly the best Secret Invasion issue yet, but still made more impression on me. Then nipped in to the British Museum to reacquaint myself with the gods**, then came home reading the penultimate Dan Dare (real Single Manly Tear stuff) and the first issue of Millar's 1985, which is exactly the sort of supers-invade-our-poor-heroless-world stuff Morrison usually does so well. Aside from the indefinable X-factor that's missing, what's wrong with it? Not as much as one might think, let's be clear on that. It's not a *bad* comic. Doubtless people will complain about the Green Lantern Corps stuff, the use of an obscure character like Turpin as a major POV, the Monitor stuff. I don't mind that; I've not read any of the comics they come from, and I could understand it all perfectly in context. Alpha Lanterns are a sort of space FBI. Turpin is a grizzled old cop. Monitors monitor the multiverse. I didn't feel I was being left without information I needed the way I do with a Johns comic. But his stink is still all over this. J'onn's death was a Johns death; no power, no passion, just a cheap way to amp up the scene, just like the way Johns would carelessly kill off great characters like Scarab, Kid Eternity or Wesley Dodds for a bit of colour. But more fundamentally - didn't Grant already do Darkseid-conquers-the-Earth in JLA: Rock of Ages? And so far, I'm not getting anything new here. It could yet improve. I really hope it does.
Grant's latest Batman issue, on the other hand, is brilliant.

France really doesn't make them like this anymore, does it? Why not?

*It was the only hipflask-suitable drink I had in the house. But beyond that, it seemed apt.
**I never formally decided, even to myself, that I wasn't going in while the terracotta army was there. I just somehow never found myself wanting to go in there during that period of time, and I don't really believe in coincidence.

Comments

[myfirstkitchen.livejournal.com]

A lot of people have already posited the idea that either by choice or some sort of botched regeneration, the Doctor splits into two - the Time Lord who stays here (some are saying to be played by John Simm) and the human side who goes off to live happily ever after with Rose. That would make me retch, though.

As alluded to in my own journal, Turn Left, episode 11, is all about timelines in flux indeed. The difference between pre-Doctor Donna and current Donna, Donna meets Rose, the big phrase at the tone meeting being "Sliding Doors". Stuff to do with war and UNIT and everyone being evacuated to the North (featuring Leeds! mainly as a sop to departing Leodensian Phil Collinson I am sure) and Donna's family and we see the Racnoss again and such. Donna's ordinariness being key - It's A Wonderful Life style, she thinks she's not important, she's just a temp! She's nobody! But she's so much more than that. Etc.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

icecoldinalex was the first person I saw suggesting a split of some sort. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like that. Whereas swapping with an alternate Doctor...I'm not so sure that would be bad. Part of me thinks that if the Doctor isn't the same Doctor, then the show loses something (Rusty's insistence on this, and not doing the new series as a reboot, is one of his good decisions).

'Turn Left' sounds interesting from that, except...the Racnoss?

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

I hope that doesn't happen. The Master was once offered a whole new set of regenerations, so I don't see why when we run out at 13 they couldn't do that. By that point we'll hopefully have had 3 seasons or so from each replacement, so it wouldn't seem totally out of place to have brought back Gallifrey by then.

Alternatively they might factor in some "Last of The Time Lords" thing whereby he can have as many regenerations as he wants.

I'm not sure which way out is worse frankly.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

was I the only one who expected the psychic paper message to be from Rose?

No sir, you were not. We were groaning at the TV screen.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I would have groaned were it a Rusty episode, but I trust Moffat enough that even if it had been, I'm sure he would have carried it off.

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

Was there anyone who didn't think it was from Rose?

[tiny-tear.livejournal.com]

It was brilliant! I think it was a 10 for me...

I am trying to avoid speculations and things as I think I will get it wrong and it will make my head hurt... and my hatred of Rose and luvywuvy things knows I will be disappointed with reality...

I heard somewhere (no idea where) that Moffat will want to start with a full clean slate... if it means no more Rose ever I am happy

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I don't know if that's true. For starters, I heard he was the one who requested that Jenny survive at the end of 'The Doctor's Daughter'.

[puzzled-anwen.livejournal.com]

Grah, fvcking ROSE. J loves her SO MUCH and will be unbearable if there is any lovey dovey crap at the end of the series. Bloody ROSE. Groo.

[jimyojimbo.livejournal.com]

Jeez, I can imagine the little kids being quite terrified of Swarm In A Suit. Am slightly disappointed that (if clever old me is actually right) the probable explanation for the plot was a bit too obvious. Or was it meant to be?

Re: Kingston:: Is it possible for people who meet the Doctor on regeneration x (and know him well) could still recognise him in his regeneration x-1 form? Maybe she knew him well in generation 11? (they always make a great deal about the eyes etc, cf the reference to the Doctor's age... so could she recognise a previous regeneration for the eyes, you know, like people do in this sort of thing)

[jimyojimbo.livejournal.com]

My English, eeees so bad there. Sorry.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, possibly, but it seems to me like a bit of a stretch. And certainly in the past people who've known him very well haven't instantly recognised him in another skin - Sarah Jane being one recent example.
Although I believe it would be different for another Time Lord. Then again, that doesn't work because he'd have recognised her too.

Swarm In A Suit - up to then one of the things impressing me was that this episode had no merchandisable toy. But I forgive them, for it was a bloody good image nonetheless. And yes, I imagine this one will be even better for giving the tinies nightmares than 'Blink'.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I liked Final Crisis more than you - sure Morrison's written a Darkseid epic before, but as you said of Moffat, it's hard to worry when good people repeat themselves - the death was a bit of a botch, though. I can understand exactly what they were going for - in Libra's new world, evil not only wins it wins easily and on a whim - but in that case they really really shouldn't have spent the last several months transparently foreshadowing and hyping the fact that J'onn was going to die. The element of surprise was really the ONLY thing the death had going for it.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Where's it been foreshadowed? I really don't read much DC lately.

Grant has always had a tendency to come back to certain key themes - the broken fourth wall, cat-related tragedy, reinvention - and sure, I don't mind that. So ahead of time, I wasn't bothered by the idea of him doing Darkseid again; I was sure he'd pull enough Mad Brilliant Ideas TM out to make it feel all shiny and new. And for my money, it just lacked that sparkle.

[superba]

That BBC News link has made me ANGRY.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

It's a fair summary of my experience: some people turned out to prove that the public could be trusted to drink on public transport, more people appear to have turned up to prove the opposite.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The reporting, or the story?

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I just watched it. I have always absolutely hated alex kingston, and her acting was awful. I am hoping she doesn't appear again.

I am well looking forward to Rose's return.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I have only been dimly aware of Alex Kingston before this - Moll Flanders and ER, right? - but after last night, she can excavate my ruins anytime.

[miss-sheldon.livejournal.com]

I thought Saturday's Doctor Who episode was ace, and I love the idea of Rose coming back. I know I'm alone in that though.

Did cross my mind that Alex Kingston's character could be Jenny regenerated? She's a timelord, or a half one. She might be able to regenerate. She didn't when she 'died' in the doctor's arms but she did come back to life later...?

Am going to watch it again now.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I was sceptical about bringing Rose back - as with the bloody Daleks, it just seems like an over-reliance on the tried and tested. But what they've done so far with the foreshadowing has got me really interested.

I'm fairly sure that Time Lords can recognise each other, regardless of body, which I think would preclude Alex Kingston being one. Also, that would be a bit weird given she clearly fancied him. I realise the show is a lot more omnisexual than it used to be, but I suspect there are still limits...

[icecoldinalex.livejournal.com]

wtf is people's beef with Rose? Watching the Ecclestone series again she was fantastic! really, really fantastic! (ha!)

I reckon she's coming back bad or dead - it's going to be less happy than I want. Life is so full of awful though, sometimes i do just hope for a soppy resolution. enough bitterness already!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The soppiness was a bit overplayed at times during her seasons, but my main objection is that I think it looks like a lack of confidence if the series keeps on returning to stuff from its own recent past, whether that be the Daleks or Rose. I want it moving forward, outward - bringing stuff back should only be done after a decent interval, as with the Sontarans or Sarah Jane or the Macra (though they did botch the Macra a bit, but that's another story). Don't be afraid of the show's past, but don't get stuck in it either.

Sparklegash

[(Anonymous)]

Barry, just wanted to say that Sparklegash have got absolutely nothing to do with Swimmer One, as I explained in a recent blog on the Swimmer One site - http://www.swimmerone.co.uk/comments/green_hills_and_rumour_mills

About time this rumour was put to bed, I think. It's been following me around for weeks now.

Best wishes,
Andrew
Swimmer One

Re: Sparklegash

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did see that. Let this comment stand as correction and clarification on the matter, then - not least because if I started fact-proofing all my old entries, I'd be here all night even before we took retcons into account.