doctor who memorandum

[spatch]

To: Mr. Russell T. Davies
From: Mr. D. Spatchel, Esq.
Re: Love & Monsters

Just watched Gridlock.
All is forgiven.

S.

Comments

[zhym.livejournal.com]

I seem to be in the same 2x2 matrix cell as you. I hated hated HATED Love & Monsters, despite Shirley Henderson.

Gridlock, however, was OMGWTFPWNIES great. Sure, the plot fell apart if you so much as looked at any of the loose threads, but in terms of atmosphere and setting and character and mood and all that, it was fantastic. It had the Brazil dystopian thing going on, and the instant killer mumble, a la Ice-9, and Ten pretending Gallifrey is still fine, then owning up to it not being fine, and quirky drivers in the Permanent Gridlock, and the Face of Boe, and KITTENS, and....whew.

I'm a bit fanboy over this episode.

[spatch]

Yeah. If you actually start thinking about the story, it starts to fall apart, but it was presented so well, paced incredibly tight (so much happened! there was rarely a slow moment) and realized with great visuals, the story wasn't too much of a problem for me. When the story stinks and the pacing lags, you'd be left to start thinking about how and why things are stinking.

Another reason why I think RTD did a great job on the episode was because he didn't have to write an actual, specific villain. The bad forces in this story were either non-sentient or de-evolved lifeforms. One of RTD's weaknesses in my opinion is the inability to write decent, original villains who don't just strut around acting all evil and camp. Granted, the Love & Monsters villian was the product of a children's write-in contest (but even then, the concept was cool and it could've been handled so much better) but when I think about the farty Slitheen, I just shake my head.

Okay, the Editor and monster on Floor 500 of Satellite 5 were pretty cool, I'll give him that one.