New Who Review for “Love & Monsters”
Posted By Kathleen David on December 9, 2006
This is the episode that probably sparks more division in Doctor Who fandom than the re-edited Shada. It polarized a number of the Doctor Who fan boards where people either loved it or hated it with the passion of 1000 suns. Some found it totally pointless and a waste of time and money. Others thought it rated as one of the best Doctor Who episodes ever. I think this is an episode that is very personal as to how you react to it.
A couple of things you should know. An English schoolboy named William Grantham as part of the Blue Peter Doctor Who competition created the villain’s design for the Abzorbaloff. I am a die-hard Electric Light Orchestra fan. They were one of my first bands as a teen and I can’t tell you how many times I danced around my room to “Mr. Blue Sky” or “the Diary of Horace Whimp” or even “Rock and Roll is King”. ELO has deep meaning for me. (On a side note: Yes, the Monster ad does bother me). Shirley Henderson is an amazing character actress who really needs someone to give her the lead. Some of you might recognize her as Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films.
Spoilerish stuff behind the cut and in the comments.
Now pardon me as I go off and dance to ELO with Caroline.
I am grateful that this episode renewed my interest in ELO.
This is an episode about fans as in fanatics not fanciers. These people are brought together because of the Doctor and through this they find friendship and comrades. One wonders if Clive was part of the group at one time. This episode is told from one character’s point of view that being Elton Pope and in doing so you have to “forgive” some of the illogic of the episode.
For me it worked on so many levels, both as a fan and as a pro. I mean how would you react if you found out that the Doctor is real? I could sure empathize with all the member of LINDA which is a bunch of people who would have never met in real life except this one thing that brought them together. Reminds me of a number of fan groups I have belonged to over the years.
Yeah the villain was a classic over the top Doctor Who rubber monster but considering what the episode was about it made the sense.
The biggest complaint seemed to be where was the Doctor and Rose in this episode but I really think they didn’t need to be in it any more than they were. This was not an episode about the Doctor but more about how people are affected by him without his knowledge, as he is the Oncoming Storm. It works because the Doctor is the b-plot in this one. The a-plot is what happened to Elton and the rest of LINDA.
And the “just because our love is different” subtext to Elton and Ursula after the Doctor brings her back is just a stitch to me. They have found a way to make their relationship work despite the odds against them. I found that delightful when I consider a number of fans who have gotten together against the odds and are much happier for it.
This episode just hit all the right notes for me. Not my absolute favorite of the season (that would be School Days) but close to the top.
I ALSO loved this episode,and i am also a Die-hard ELO fan(Prologe/Twilight and the wonderful Xanadu soundtrack being personal faves),i love the change and the tone of this episode. Wasn’t sure what i was in for,but this was a excellent change of pace. Well done.
And i am disturbed by the monster ad too,but i seem to hear Do Yah more often on the radio now.
I just watched it and thought it was great. The comic book geek in me immediately regarded it as DOCTOR WHO’s version of MARVELS — the story of the hero as seen by on-lookers.
It took me a few seconds, but I did realize Shirley Henderson (Ursula) was Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies. I googled her and was surprised to find that she’s, apparently, just turned 41.
I was also glad to see mention of Thornwood, but think we really need to see more of that organization on DOCTOR WHO. Among other things, they’ve got to have someone working in UNIT.
I loved this episode. A colleague of mine completely hated it. What both of us found though was that for the next two weeks we had Mr Blue Sky running through our heads almost continuously.
A lovely, quirky episode. I love it when producers and creators take risks and do one-off unusual twists on the ordinary plot with a story like this.
I thought Love and Monsters was a great episode. I was totally willing to accept the lack of the Doctor and Rose because Elton’s story really grabbed me. And…I’ve been playing Mr. Blue Sky almost nonstop since I downloaded it after seeing the show. My friend gave me the whole season on DVD right before I left for Cairo. It’s been a good time. 🙂
I guess I get to be the lone dissenter here — figures that the first time I’m even close to caught up, it’s to disagree.
I actually agree with almost all of Kath’s observations about what the episode was intended to do — a look at the character through his effects on others can be extremely effective, and certainly it made interesting comments about fanaticism. All laudable goals, and I agree that’s what they were.
I just don’t agree that it worked.
TNG’s “Lower Decks” took a similar approach, and I liked it a great deal. Buffy tried it with the one-off focusing on Andrew (even with the same videocamera riff as this one did), and I absolutely loathed it. This one was in the middle.
There wasn’t a whole lot that was absolutely bad — just kinda blah. The “alien masquerading as human who’s actually eating people” bit has been done so many times in the new Who that it’s ALREADY a tired cliche after only about twenty stories, and one I’ve gotten a bit sick of — yes, it fit that this was a “typical” adventure for the Doctor as opposed to for Elton, but that didn’t mitigate things for me as much as I’d have liked.
Some of it was great — most of the Elton/Jackie interplay was hilarious (and the actress playing Jackie hit almost all the right notes in her “betrayed” scene), and the one line about the villain’s homeworld (“Clom”) was a scream. Lots of moments … just not a terribly interesting whole to me.
I’ve also got a few things I can comment on in the few shows before this, since Lisa and I have finally finished catching up on them. Kath, do you have any preference in terms of me posting that — in whatever the latest Who thread is, back in the thread devoted to that show, or not at all?
TWL
Speaking of ads with interesting music choices, I heard an American Express ad earlier this week that had me floored — it was actually using “Gimme Some Money,” by SPINAL TAP of all bands.
What exactly does it mean when you’re using music from a fictional spoof band? (Other than that I’m suddenly more tempted to get an Amex card than I have been for years. 🙂
TWL
who also likes the “Xanadu” soundtrack, for the record