Okay, okay… He can stay.

 

You may remember my friend, the WTF owl, from my previous post:

His reactions are basically my reactions to this episode until the end of it, really.

It didn’t help that Rose was all panicky and annoying in this one, either. Look, I get that you just saw some freaky shit, Rose, but I just saw some freaky shit, too, and I’m handling it (slightly) better than you.

I mean, I miss the Doctor, too, but it’s obvious that the new guy’s sickly and he needs your help. I mean… Jackie gets it:

(Source)

I get that holy shit scary aliens, but whining about how the Doctor would never abandon everyone to their fate (which? Not even his choice! He’s passed out, not taking a lovely afternoon nap) is Not Helping.

Not that I wasn’t frustrated that the Doctor was unconscious for most of the episode, ‘cause I had the same question Jackie had about how deeply the changes went and I was getting no answers.

So here’s rundown of my emotions:

• worried about the Doctor
• confused about regeneration
• happy to see Harriet Jones, Prime Minister
• annoyed by Rose
• intimidated by the aliens
• amused by the characterization of the US president, and Harriet’s response to him
• love for everything Jackie Tyler chooses to be
• rushes of affection for Mickey
• worried about the Doctor
• worried that there would be an apocalypse (I come from Buffy… I know how those things go)
• worried about the Doctor

I mean… I’m exhausted!

 

By the way, did I mention that I love Mickey Smith? I love that he’s still comfortable with Rose and is glad to see her, and I wish that a visit from Rose didn’t mean a disruption in normality and that he could just let it be Christmas with his friend, but I just love how he handles everything when it all goes south.

(Source)

He offers Rose unquestioning support, and stays upbeat even when he’s clearly dismayed that Rose’s solution to the situation is running away and hiding (not that I’m judging her… I would’ve been in the TARDIS as soon as them sumbitches were on the screen).

(Source)

…Yeeeeeeeahhh, nope.

Oh, and Harriet Jones, Prime Minister! My god, woman, I think I love you almost as much as I love Jackie Tyler.

(Source)

I don’t agree with all her actions in this one, but I do love how calm and forceful she was throughout the entire crisis. And the bit with learning everyone’s name because she remembers never asking the aide’s name in Aliens of London/World War Three… I just. I can’t. It’s a tiny acknowledgement to the Doctor—he was the one that asked, after all, and it obviously stayed with her—and I wish all things in the world were as precious.

And for all my annoyance with her this episode, I like the part where Rose tries to stand up to the Sycorax:

(Source)

… I also enjoy that “bitch, you sure about this?” look Mickey has in the background.

Rose still has a long way to go, though—for all her courage in that instant, she was pretty much forced into it. Remember, her first instinct was to hide. And there is that little tremor in her voice, which pretty much makes it impossible for the Sycorax to take her seriously. Oh, god, I was so scared they would kill her when she was done. I love you for trying, Rose!

And then… Oh, and then…

(Source)

I honestly had no idea what to expect. As I mentioned before, I hadn’t seen the Children in Need special before this, so I didn’t know this man. I was still sort of smarting at the loss of Christopher Eccleston, and I didn’t know if I could trust this… this… English professor? A sorta sexy English professor, but still… Okay, a lot sexy. He is pretty, okay?!

But then he started talking, and I… well, I fell in love.

I still missed Chris, but I could get behind this Tennant fellow. He was fun. He was funny. He was rude and not ginger. And he challenged a fucking alien to a fucking swordfight!

(Source)

I love swordfights more than most things. Behold:

(Source)

I just love ‘em! AND! And there’s a Hitchhiker’s reference! I just—look, it’s like someone looked into my brain and pressed all the “make V love this guy” buttons.

(Source)

And best of all, he’s absolutely the Doctor… oh, not the same, of course, but similar. He has these hints of coldness and fury that remind me of Nine.

And speaking of, I’ve got to the bit that I have to address.

(Source)

Let’s be clear—I do not agree with Harriet Jones’ actions at all. It was murder, and no amount of her asserting that it was defense will make me change my mind. Shooting on a retreating party is indefensible.

However. I don’t agree with the Doctor’s reaction, either. Granted, Harriet made a huge mistake, but toppling her government because she challenged him (and it was because she challenged him, not because she gave the wrongheaded order to fire) was impulsive and childish.

You don’t get to make that decision, Doctor, the people do. Worse, it seems to support Harriet’s taunt that the Doctor is just another alien threat, and this makes me feel all sorts of bad.

Anyway, since I don’t wanna feel bad, I’d just like to give you a fully-dressed Doctor (yum):

(Source)

And the requisite list:

• Aww, Jackie still gets Rose Christmas presents.
• Rose Tyler: What happened? Is he all right?
  Mickey Smith: I don't know. He just keeled over. But who is he? Where’s the Doctor?
  Rose Tyler: That’s him, right in front of you. That’s the Doctor.
  Jackie Tyler: What'dya mean, ‘that’s the Doctor’? Doctor who?
• “Anything else he’s got two of?” Ooh, I volunteer to find out!
• “I can’t even go shopping with you—we get attacked by a brass band.”
• Uh… who changed the Doctor into his jammies?
• The Doctor: My head! [groans in pain] I'm having a neuron implosion... I need...
  Jackie Tyler: What do you need?
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Just say it!
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Tell me, tell me, tell me!
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Painkillers!
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: D'you need aspirin?
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno, Pepto-Bismol?
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Liquid paraffin? Vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E?
  The Doctor: I need--
  Jackie: Is it food? Something simple? Bowl of soup! Nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Bowl of soup and a little ham sandwich?
  The Doctor: I need you to shut up!
  Jackie: Oooh, he hasn’t changed that much, has he?
• The Doctor: We haven’t got much time. If there’s pilot fish then—hold on, why is there an apple in my dressing gown?
  Jackie: Oh, that’s Howard’s, sorry.
  The Doctor: He keeps apples in his dressing gown?
  Jackie: He gets hungry...
  The Doctor: What, he gets hungry in his sleep?
  Jackie: Sometimes.
• “There’s an act of Parliament banning my autobiography.”
• The Doctor’s broken. :(
• Aw, Jackie’s such a good mum.
• Torchwood? Who are they when they’re at home?
• Okay, the people standing on top of buildings are creepy.
• Sonic BOOM
• Ha! The aliens do the “yes, we know who you are.”
• It is very British to have tea in a crisis…
• Oh, that hug Harriet Jones gives Rose. <3
• Why would Harriet and Alex understand? They’ve never been inside the TARDIS.
• “Aww, I wanted to be ginger! I’ve never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler! Fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me! Oo, that’s rude! Is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude? Rude and not ginger…”
• (Source)
• The Doctor: See, that’s the thing, I’m the Doctor, but beyond that, I—I just don’t know. I literally do not know who I am. It’s all untested. Am I... funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy? [He winks at Rose] Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed, left-handed, a gambler, a fighter, a coward, a traitor, a liar, a nervous wreck—I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob.
• Tasting things—that’s new…
• (Source) This is when I knew…
• Sycorax Leader: You stand as this world’s champion.
  The Doctor: Thank you. I’ve no idea who I am, but you’ve just summed me up.
• Sword fight!
• “Not bad for a man in his jim jams. Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man—Hang on, what have I got in here? A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mother’s. He does like his snacks, doesn’t he? But doesn’t that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents, and right at the end, tucked away in the bottom there’s always one stupid old satsuma. [the Sycorax gets up to attack the Doctor,  who then launches the satsuma at a release mechanism] No second chances. I'm that sort of a man.”
• “By the ancient rights of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential, when you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this...it. Is. Defended.”
• The Doctor hugs Jackie! There’s proof! (Source)
• Ack. So disappointed in Harriet. :(
• I want to get lost in the Doctor’s closet.
• Well, wouldja look at this shit: (Source) Mr. “Don’t Make This Place Domestic” having Christmas dinner with Rose and her family!
• The Doctor: It’s the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn’t snow. It’s ash.
  Rose: Okay, not so beautiful.
  The Doctor: This is a brand-new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything’s new.
  Rose: And what about you? What are you going to do next?
  The Doctor: Well... back to the TARDIS. Same old life.
  Rose: On your own?
  The Doctor: Why? Don’t you want to come?
  Rose: Well, yeah.
  The Doctor: Do you, though?
  Rose: Yeah.
  The Doctor: Well, I just thought... ‘cause I changed…
  Rose: Yeah, I thought ‘cause you changed you might not want me anymore.
  The Doctor: Oh, I'd love you to come!
  Rose: Okay!
• Those two are frickin’ adorable together.
• “Trouble’s just the bits in between! It’s all waiting out there, Jackie. And it’s brand new to me. All those planets, creatures and horizons—I haven’t seen them yet. Not with these eyes. And it is gonna be... fantastic.” (Source) Oh! Oh, thank you for that. Bless you.
• Christopher, I’ll always love you!

Oh! Before I close this endless post, I just wanted to add one thing: It’s come to my attention that people give Davies a lot of flak for having Christmas Specials that aren’t very Christmas-y. To those people I say

(Hi, Roarer!)

As if there’s not enough sappy Christmas crap clogging up TV already… Sheesh.

Okey dokey, next time we meet, it’ll be New Earth!