New Who Review for Christmas Invasion
Posted By Kathleen David on September 30, 2006
*Cracking her knuckles and getting ready for the next Season*
OK remember that in England this episode aired around Christmas and they didn’t see the rest of the season until the spring. So there is a gap between this episode and New Earth in the gap a lot of who the Doctor is was settled before the next episode. This was a regeneration episode. We have had a couple of them where the Doctor changes and the world of the people around him change too. A couple have gone just fine and a couple have gone horribly wrong (for that episode). 5 probably had the hardest time of it but 10 was no picnic. In the introduction of 5 and 10 the writers focus a little more on the people around the Doctor rather than the Doctor himself. Rose, Jackie, and Mickey have to deal with the man they knew no longer looks like the man they knew.
Overall it is very well done. The Doctor trying to figure out who he is is fun to watch. Jackie and Mickey add a lot to the story rather than just being pushed to the background. It was nice to see Harriett Jones PM again. Billy having to deal with what she saw happen to the Doctor was well played and well written. The ideas of Christmas and family were weaved into the adventure well.
I had a few problems with how things were handled by UNIT and why it was Harriett called in because it was an English probe which I am still a little fuzzy on who owned it. Also I can’t say that I am loving the Sci-Fi channel and their endless commercials and promos especially where they placed some of them which totally defused the tension that was building. Also this is an episode where you don’t need time to think or you start to pick it apart.
Of Course Spoilers possibly under the cut
I am grateful that Dr. Who is being shown in America.
“I can destroy you with a word….No six” and he promptly does so. That sets the tone for Tennant. He states it earlier with “No second chances. I’m not that kind of a man.” He is a very judgmental Doctor with some set of moral rules that he is going to make the universe adhere to. But he is also a fun Doctor. His sense of humor and child-like wonder is back in force. Also I like the outfit although I have been going crazy trying to find the fabric for it.
The scene out on the balcony where he is explaining what has gone wrong and that he needs something to make it right and Jackie starts playing 20 questions with him was hilarious. I also like that Jackie inadvertently brought the one thing the Doctor needed to recover which is a strong cuppa. Anyone else catch the Arthur Dent reference? That had me giggling.
Caroline can’t see the first half hour of this episode until after the Christmas tree is destroyed. But she knows that Tennant is the Doctor and she likes him.
I really like what Billy Piper did in this episode. Rose trying to hold it together for the Doctor and then totally losing it when Harriett is on the TV pleading for the Doctor to show up. Everyone was true to character and the dynamics were well played.
One of my biggest complaints about the season as a whole is that it felt like a bloody set up for Torchwood rather than a season of Doctor Who.
Next is New Earth
I liked pretty much everything with Harriet Jones (even the Torchwood refs, though they got a little relentless). My single favorite scene of the entire night (meaning this one and New Earth) was the “I can topple your government with six words” scene — beautifully cold. On the other hand, I think my single biggest laugh of the evening was also Harriet’s deadpan “There’s an act of Parliament forbidding my autobiography.” (The whole scene you reference leading up to “I need you to SHUT UP!” was awfully good, too. “Well, I guess he hasn’t changed THAT much, has he?”) I don’t know spoilers for the season, so I’ve no idea if PM Jones shows up again — but I hope she does somewhere down the line. She’s a really fun character to watch play off everyone else.
David Tennant seems perfectly good so far, but I really really miss Christopher Eccleston — he had me absolutely hooked on the Ninth Doctor by the end of the second episode for sure, possibly earlier. Tennant certainly hasn’t turned me off, but he hasn’t brought me in quite yet either. (Lisa thinks he’s really cute, however, which I suppose has to count for something. 🙂
I thought having Rose et al. gradually realize that they were hearing the Sycorax in English and what that meant was marvelously done — a great moment.
Both episodes struck me as strong on character, less so on plot … particularly New Earth, but I’ll save that for next time.
I completely agree with you about Sci-FI’s horrible cuts to commercial. Ugh.
TWL
Okay, I’ll have to remember two things; a) Dr. Who is a British show, and b) Spoiler Alert.
**Spoiler Alert**
I have to admit that I was a little put off by what I took as a cheap shot at America when the President asked (not demanded) if she wanted him to take over the emergency and was basically told to bûggër off. I found it especially interesting considering what she said about not wanting to start a war and her actions at the end. She promptly goes on the telly and starts whining for the Doctor’s help.
Britain owned the probe, Kath. You could tell because it was named Guinevere, so I can fully understand why they took the lead.
But you bring up something I’d noticed with Eggleston’s Doctor. Is it the Doctor who’s becoming darker or just the tone of the show? As you say, he’s become very judgemental, although considering that he’s the last Time Lord, you can sort of understand why.
I have to agree with everyone who hates the commercials; I dipped in and out last night, but the constant interruptions really get on my nerves.
I actually got to see ‘The Christmas Invasion’ a couple of weeks before it aired in the UK, when they did a big press launch in London, and as an American, I always find it interesting to see a group of jaded British journalists turn into a bunch of excited kids when they see a new Doctor Who. Ironically, my wife was working on season two down in South Wales, so she was a bit cross that I got to see the special a few days before the cast and crew screening.
If there’s one thing that really strikes me after repeated viewing, it’s the fact that Billie Piper is really the emotional core of the series, not Eccleston or Tennant. She really handles the tough emotional stuff very well (such as Father’s Day last season, some of the stuff in the special, and at least three or four episodes this season). I would be surprised if Freema who plays the new companion, comes anywhere close, although the rumblings that I’m hearing this season are that the chemistry in season three is not as successful. But that being said, sometimes it’s difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
If anybody gets a chance to watch the special again, there’s a very tiny blooper of sorts, just before the Doctor’s fight with the Sycorax leader. Watch as the camera pushes in to the TARDIS, just before the door opens, and one of the Sycorax guards steps out of the way, which of course he shouldn’t do, because it’s the camera approaching, not a character. Apparently they just couldn’t re-shoot because time was too short.
I’d also be interested to hear what viewers thought of New Earth, which I think could have been a pretty cool episode, but lost an awful lot of texture as shots had to be dropped along the way, because of time, weather and all sorts of reasons. The Duke of Manhattan for example, had a much larger role (no pun intended) but his character is pretty much cut to nothing in the final version. And a lot of the patients in the ward are hardly seen at all, despite several hours of makeup, particularly the red patient who my wife told me was in the makeup chair for hours.
And here’s another funny coincidence: the press launch for season two (not the Christmas special) was actually held in Cardiff’s Millennium Center, which is the same location that the hospital scenes were shot. That was a bit strange, looking at some of the same places you were just standing in, a couple of hours earlier!
P.S. to E about the comment regarding the US government,here’s an excerpt from my transcript of the press conference with writer/producer Russell T. Davies just after everybody saw ‘The Christmas Invasion’ for the first time:
Question: There seems to be quite a strong anti-war message in the Christmas special. Would you say that’s the case?
Davies: Have you read the bible? [laughter] Yes, day of peace, all of that stuff, absolutely.
Question: Why did you decide to do that?
Davies: Because that’s what I think. The funny thing is, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Harriet has that [line] about not listening to the American president, but at the end, you actually see that she’s out of her depth.
Needless to say, the particular plot detail was in a lot of British newspapers the next morning, but speaking from experience, it seems to be a feeling hat a lot of Brits were feeling last December. As an American who’s been flying back and forth to England several times a year for almost two decades, I can’t remember a time when we were held in less regard. I’m not saying they hate us, but whenever I talk to people in public places, I always get a few veiled (and sometimes) not veiled comments about our government. Mind you, almost everybody hastens to add that it’s not that they don’t like Americans, it’s just our government they’re not happy with. And once I point out that A) I agree with them and B) I personally voted against Dubya in both elections, I’m usually back in their cool books again.
Hey Joe,
Don’t get me wrong. I fully realize what that whole scene was all about, and yes, as an American I know we can be some arrogant a-holes. Heck, it’s not even the first time I’ve seen that sentiment in a British film. “Love Actually” comes to mind. Hugh Grant playing the Prime Minister, tells off the President of the US.
And while I may disagree with them politically, on some points I actually am quite fond of the British. It’s the French I can’t stand. 🙂
“If there’s one thing that really strikes me after repeated viewing, it’s the fact that Billie Piper is really the emotional core of the series, not Eccleston or Tennant. She really handles the tough emotional stuff very well (such as Father’s Day last season, some of the stuff in the special, and at least three or four episodes this season).”
I don’t disagree with that (although I thought FD was miles ahead of the special in that regard). I’m just pleased that there can even be a discussion about “the emotional core of the series” in the first place. I rarely recall being able to have that discussion during the original run of the series — it often seemed secondary, somehow. I guess that’s some sort of testament to Davies’ emphasis on character this time around; by and large, it’s working.
TWL
Tim, I think you’re absolutely right about the original series. I actually got my start as a fan journalist interviewing various Doctor Who people in the mid-eighties, and while I don’t think you can go wrong talking to people like Pat Troughton or Jon Pertwee, in retrospect I’m not all that sure that some of the other actors could really take things seriously as far as a memorable acting job. Not that there weren’t the occasional glimmers of course, but I look at some of the old stuff now and it’s really quite mind-numbingly bad. In fact, my wife and I have had a number of, well, discussions, where she couldn’t understand how I could still watch Doctor Who today when it was actually percieved as a kid’s show in the UK, and since she’s once of only two people I know of who worked on both the original and the revival- the other being director Graeme Harper- I suppose she knows what she’s talking about to some degree. And when you invoke words like ‘Nimon’ or ‘Myrka,’ it’s hard to be all that serious.
As, apparently, the lone dissenter here, let me say that I can’t stand Rose. The episodes I enjoy the most are the ones when she is pushed to the background. Particularly the Captain Jack episodes (please tell me he’s coming back). What I really disagree with most of you about is Billie Piper’s acting ability. She has none. Father’s Day was crap because all she did was cry through the bloody thing. She seems to have such a limited emotional range that she’s either crying or yelling at someone.
Just a brief comment in defense of Sci-Fi: The Christmas Invasion, unlike the episodes of the two seasons around it, is one hour on the dot–it was screened originally as a one-hour special with no ads. So Sci-Fi, in order to show it in the US, either had to cut seventeen minutes out of the episode, or add a half-hour of advertising…and find space for commercial breaks either way.
So if you’re upset that they had so many ads, remember–the alternative was miss about a third of the show. 🙂
Tom,
I think it’s fair to say that Rose is written as the emotional core of the series — whether we agree or not on how Billie Piper pulls it off is a different question.
I could easily see people not liking her work in “The Christmas Invasion”, but “Father’s Day” is one I’ll disagree with you on to the end — had I been in a position to vote for Hugo awards, I think FD would have gotten the nod from me. I’ve often wondered if the emotional core of the show works better if the viewer has kids of his or her own, though — if you don’t mind my asking, do you have kids?
And John — I know that Sci-Fi had to add commercial breaks, but that doesn’t mean they have to do it that *badly*. 🙂 (Besides, many of the breaks during “New Earth” were pretty much just as bad.)
TWL
I wasnt entirely sure about this episode when I first saw it. I still sorely miss Eccleston, as I think at the end of his reign he had developed his role as a truely fresh character.
For me, this episode seemed to be more about the characters of Rose, Mickey and Rose’s mum. Although they did have some (for me) pointless moments – especially being “attacked” by the christmas tree – what was that about?!
As a British person, I loved the moment where Harriett Jones told the US President to stop telling her what to to. I thought it was a little dig at the feeling in this country that Tony Blair is being told what to do by Bush. I wouldnt be worried abou it though, theres absolutely no malice, it’s merely a love/hate thing.
Overall I think this series is good. I’ve seen them all now but won’t spoil it at all. Like the first series, it gets much better towards the end.
David:
As I said before, I can understand the British not liking the idea of having someone, particularly, the president of a former colony, telling you what to do. But as I noted, the President ASKED if she wanted him to take over. I mean, come on, she really didn’t have that much experience at the job. And even Davies admits she was in over her head. The end of the show signifies that with her ordering the destruction of the retreating aliens just to show how tough she could be.
Love/hate you. ;^)
Tim, before I answer your question, let me preface by saying that I enjoy your posts, both here and in PAD’s forum. You seem to be kind, thoughtful and, most importantly to me, reasonable. What I’m saying is, as much as one can about someone they’ll never meet, I like you. So your question bothered me, because there’s no right answer. Of course, there’s a correct answer, but what relevance does it have? If I say I have kids, does my disagreement about the episode mean that I don’t love them enough? And if I say that I don’t have kids, does that mean I can have no opinion when it comes to parent-child relationships? The answer is no, I don’t have kids, I never want to have kids, and I will never have kids. I don’t dislike them, but I live a solitary life, so the point is moot. Society seems to look down on me for being alone, but I quite enjoy it. Please don’t be like them, Tim.
I don’t have kids, but I did have parents, and even though I won’t, I think I know what I would do if I ever saw them again. What I wouldn’t do is bawl on and on like Rose. My main problem with the character is the actress’ lack of translating genuine emotion. Perhaps that’s too harsh. Perhaps that’s how the character is written. But one would think that the Doctor’s companion should be likable, though many have been intensely disliked by fans.
If Rose is the emotional core of the series, which I don’t concede, what was the emotional core before this?
Tom,
I wasn’t trying to trap you in any way, or even suggest that you “don’t love [your children] enough” if you don’t like the episode in question. As I said in my earlier post, I was asking more because I’ve wondered how well the like/dislike of the episode correlates with having children. I was wondering more for data-gathering purposes, that’s all. (I’ve also wondered whether the sheer extent to which one is creeped out by the little kid in “The Empty Child” varies by whether someone has a small child, for the record. I think we’d have been creeped out anyway, but the fact that we have a 2-year-old definitely made bits of it even weirder.)
I wasn’t planning on looking down on you for not having kids or wanting to, don’t worry. We were married for 12 years before we decided for sure we were going to try, and it’s certainly something that’s not for everyone. It sounds like you’ve had a lot of reasons in the past for being jumpy when someone asks the question, and I’m sorry about that.
We can certainly agree to disagree — as I said before, I was just wondering.
To answer your other question,
“If Rose is the emotional core of the series, which I don’t concede, what was the emotional core before this?”
I sort of addressed this earlier with Joe. The way the original series was written and produced, I’m not sure there really was an emotional core most of the time. I have a lot of fond memories of a lot of stories through multiple doctors (heck, I even enjoyed the last two years of Sylvester McCoy, which I know lots of people didn’t), but I’m not sure I can come up with things that left a lump in my throat. I can name several such moments in the Eccleston series.
TWL