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Post by Queen E on Jun 14, 2008 6:31:45 GMT -5
An hour I never miss...
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Post by Queen E on Jun 14, 2008 15:52:01 GMT -5
Well, that was disturbing. And strange...usually episode 10 is a Doctor-lite episode; this was Donna-lite instead.
It was a fairly obvious parallel to Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, at least in regards to how everyone turned on each other out of fear. Yet, unlike similar narratives, there was in fact something to fear, which makes it a bit of a departure from some of the main themes going on in this season: both victimization (or lack of control over one's one fate) leading to misunderstood or helpless violence (eg, Planet of the Ood, The Unicorn and the Wasp) and something good turning bad/best intentions, bad outcomes (Fires of Pompeii, The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky), and exploitation of others (Ood, Sontaran/Sky, The Doctor's Daughter, Partners in Crime). Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead managed to blend both the victimization and best intentions in its story line.
So where does "Midnight" fit into all this? Although we have whatever the entity was exploiting the fear of the other passengers (starting with Skye, the most thoroughgoing violation) as well as the implied corporate violation of the planet itself, victimizing everyone, its intentions are unclear. Exactly what was this supposed to tell us? Unlike the rest of the episodes, I'm not sure where there is supposed to be fitting in. Season 3 ended by showing the human race to be flawed but capable of greatness; now we see the dark side of that: flawed and capable of madness.
Maybe the title is the clue. Midnight (the witching hour) is that balanced moment between one day and the next, belonging to neither. That might be why, in a place named after the only moment on the clock that belongs to no day at all, we see the passengers swinging back and forth in their response, between doing the right thing and allowing fear to lead them into the darkness. It was a nice ironic touch that a planet named Midnight had a sun that killed.
I guess I had a lot of thoughts about this, and I haven't even mentioned the Doctor missing Rose again on the viewscreen.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Jun 16, 2008 15:44:01 GMT -5
Ooh, pretty CGI
The Doctor trying his old wooing with promises of fantastic adventures.
I love the imagination of the writers coming up with these descriptions. I'd totally go with the Doctor to see these things if I could.
Anti-gravity restaurant. Cool!
What could go wrong?
Well, I guess we're about to find out, aren't we?
Credits
Ah, airplane travel humor.
Ladies and Gentlemen, and variations thereupon.
Information Overload.
And the Doctor sonic screwdrivered it.
RoadTripParty!!!!!!
Now we're in an isolated confined extreme environment scenario. Yay!
And... now we're in a horror movie
Blond Chick has turned into a parrot.
Stealing voices.
Bananas!
Fear-->irrationality, paranoia
Demand to know the Doctor's real name again.
Finding your own voice.
This is like that episode of the Twilight Zone. Monsters on Maple Street or something.
What was her name?
I don't know.
Rather sobering.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Jun 16, 2008 15:46:11 GMT -5
Hmm. I think this was a good episode. The problem is, that while I'm always interested in isolation and confinement stories, horror movies never engage me emotionally. The things that are supposed to scare people never scare me. And this episode was mostly a mood piece. So I guess the question I have for the rest of you is, did it work for you?
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Post by Onjel on Jul 8, 2008 18:49:30 GMT -5
Well. That was creepy and disturbing. It worked for me. I thought it was a good episode, but I'm with Erin. Where, exactly, does it fit in? Rose! But the scenes from Ep. 11 look dire.
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 19:58:06 GMT -5
OK previews look like a scary ep . . . Heee! So, they're spa-ing? (And actually the saphire waterfall sounds beautiful.  ) What could possibly go wrong. Well, that's put the curse on it right off, hasn't it? |
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Post by Sara on Jul 11, 2008 20:03:04 GMT -5
OK previews look like a scary ep . . . Heee! So, they're spa-ing? (And actually the saphire waterfall sounds beautiful. ) What could possibly go wrong. Well, that's put the curse on it right off, hasn't it? He might as well be wearing a shirt with a bullseye on it. |
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:08:57 GMT -5
Ladies and Gentlemen and variations thereupon. ;D We've got all our nice stock characters, all ready for a great disaster. (Sullen teen and nagging family, scientist guy and downtrodden assistant, mysterious woman, snarky flight-attendent kind of woman - looks like fun!) Whoa. That's sensory overload, eh? Four hours of just sitting here? OMG!!  ;D **sings, "getting to know you, getting to know all about you"** Chicken and beef! It's the doublemeat palace!!!!!!  Aha! The suspicious and mysterious "no one knows if this planet is really uninhabited" speech and - boom! Here comes our disaster. "Sorry, I'm the Doctor. I'm very clever." Sneak a peek and maybe you won't like what you see. Ooooh! Something running **dramatic pause** running toward us!!!! |
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:10:54 GMT -5
OK previews look like a scary ep . . . Heee! So, they're spa-ing? (And actually the saphire waterfall sounds beautiful. ) What could possibly go wrong. Well, that's put the curse on it right off, hasn't it? He might as well be wearing a shirt with a bullseye on it. **snicker** So very very true. |
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Post by Sara on Jul 11, 2008 20:14:46 GMT -5
So, who do we think will be the first casualty? |
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Post by Sara on Jul 11, 2008 20:16:16 GMT -5
Cool—another Rose flash.
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:20:39 GMT -5
Heh! I love the shouted "quiet!". I like how he got them to listen to her. "I can guarantee you everything's fine." OMG, why doesn't he stop saying things like that?! It's like he's waving a red flag in front of a bull, I swear. Knock, knock. Who's there. Now we get to see how each of them react. Oh, don't knock on the door, you fool! It's like you want them to come in.  Why is the woman freaking out and being all "it's coming for me"? Well, I mean besides the fact that it, um, seems like it was coming for her . . .  Rose!! And the Doctor missed it. Eeeeple! The front of the cabin with the driver and mechanic and stuff is gone? "What if it's not outside anymore. What if it's inside?" So, now the paranoia set in, eh? |
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:23:06 GMT -5
So, who do we think will be the first casualty? Hmmmmmm. The professer-guy, maybe? No, they'll want him to be all gruff and grumbley at end. And the assistant has to come out all assertive and acknowledged. And the family has to be brought closer together by the experience. The annoying flight attendent woman? My knowledge of disaster cliches is not helping me!!!!! ;D |
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:29:03 GMT -5
Well, mysterious woman is the first casualty, I guess. I was sure she wouldn't be because they were painting her as the danger.
And now see goes all repeat-o girl. Seriously repeat-o girl. Seriously creepy repeat-o girl.
Absorbing. And now reading minds, I guess? Learning them?
Heeeeeee! Oh, Doctor you're so handsome! Yes I know I am. ;D
What's the next stage. Excellent question.
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Post by Lola m on Jul 11, 2008 20:41:03 GMT -5
Heh! The poem isn't helping. I'm glad you've got an absolute definition of life in the universe, but perhaps the universe has got ideas of its own. Damn! Did they bleep a word or did my cable cut out? What did the Doctor agree that he was?? [Whoa! Thunder and lightning here. Maybe it is my cable that's having issues. ] OK. Now they want to throw her out? That's the solution to a problem you haven't figured out yet? And his appeal to their humanity kinda backfired. There is no vote!! We're not throwing her out! You'll have to go thru me! OK. And now, of course, they turn on him. Paranoia supreme! "How did you know what to do?!?" "Because I'm clever!" **snicker** Throw him out too, if we have to. Things went all Lord of the Flies waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay fast, didn't they? |
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