Losing Interest

[poliphilo]

I didn't blog last week's Who for the adequate reason (as I told myself) that I was getting Ailz to hospital at the time it aired. I watched it later- on the BBC i-player- and, yes, I liked it.

But I'm afraid there's a deeper underlying reason- and it's this- that I'm gradually losing interest. Matt Smith is lovely- everybody's favourite fairy uncle- and Amy and Rory are a couple of bright, funny sitcom kids, but I don't care about them in the least- and if Amy never surfaces from her current imprisonment underground I'll be able to support it manfully. RTD, whatever his faults, turned the show into one that adults could watch with interest- and he did it by making the relationships matter. Smith's Doctor and his current companions are just room-mates. Nothing wrong with that, but if I'm to care for them- and so care about their adventures-  they've first got to demonstrate they care for one another. And, yes, they do go through the motions,  but there's no depth to it- no chemistry.

This weeks episode revived a Pertwee era monster. In fact the whole thing felt very Pertwee era. Here's another thing I crave from the show- surprises; and Pertwee era monsters are not surprising.  Neither, incidentally, are daleks or cybermen. Moffat's shows have been consistently entertaining,  but I'm still waiting for the killer episode that'll make me fall in love.

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

That hearkens back to the earlier Doctors for me; if you watch old Who, even Tom Baker could be downright nasty at times. I think that may be deliberate on Moffat's part, and not necessarily a good call. Newer fans, in particular, will be alienated quite quickly.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I think the current audience won't like it much, no. The old Doctor Who didn't have legions of women flocking to Doctor-Who-specific conventions armed with fan art of David Tennant in the arms of his Companions, after all. They're not in it for the rudeness. :,

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think Moffat is deliberately trying to return the show to what it was before RTD came along. I'm not sure that's altogether a good idea- after all, by the end of its run its viewing figures were lamentable.

[jenny_evergreen]

I agree!