A great concept, which could have led to a wonderfully funny/poignant episode is completely wasted on 45 minutes of rubbish.
As a long-time fan of the "Classic" program, I have mostly enjoyed the new series, accepting the darker tone of the Doctor's character as a result of some truly horrible off-screen experiences. However nothing makes a fan feel cheated like having your main character act as outrageously out of character as the Doctor does at the end of this episode, resurrecting the heroically self-sacrificing Ursula to a horrific half-life as a face on paving slab. The Doctor I have come to know would have respected her for her sacrifice without torturing her afterward with existence as a piece of rock (one who gets to give head to her boyfriend with no prospect of satisfaction in return as well, geez don't even get me started on the implications of THAT one).
There are some good early moments, particularly as they explore LINDA's development from basement conspiracy nuts to basement pop band, but the whole story starts falling apart as soon as Victor Kennedy appears. From that point on the comedy becomes forced and usually rude, while the tragedy is not given the full exploration that it needs to make a real impact after the sheer goofiness that has come before.
I didn't mind the decision to do a comic episode, or to tell it from an outside perspective,it could have been brilliant, but to make something like this work you need a happy ending or a truly tragic one, not the sort of half-baked semi-comic deus ex machina we get here. It was such an unlikely way for the Doctor to behave that I have been forced to spend the last 24 hours trying to wash this story out of my mind permanently. Not only do I have no intention of watching it again, I have already written it out of my personal canon.
I admire Russell T. Davies for how hard he has worked to make this new incarnation of Dr. Who happen, but his writing continues to leave a great deal to be desired. I think it is no coincidence that the best episodes (The Empty Child, School reunion) have been written by others.
Just as a side note, this is also the first episode of Dr. Who that has truly frightened my son, he didn't like the Absorbaloff monster one bit.
As a long-time fan of the "Classic" program, I have mostly enjoyed the new series, accepting the darker tone of the Doctor's character as a result of some truly horrible off-screen experiences. However nothing makes a fan feel cheated like having your main character act as outrageously out of character as the Doctor does at the end of this episode, resurrecting the heroically self-sacrificing Ursula to a horrific half-life as a face on paving slab. The Doctor I have come to know would have respected her for her sacrifice without torturing her afterward with existence as a piece of rock (one who gets to give head to her boyfriend with no prospect of satisfaction in return as well, geez don't even get me started on the implications of THAT one).
There are some good early moments, particularly as they explore LINDA's development from basement conspiracy nuts to basement pop band, but the whole story starts falling apart as soon as Victor Kennedy appears. From that point on the comedy becomes forced and usually rude, while the tragedy is not given the full exploration that it needs to make a real impact after the sheer goofiness that has come before.
I didn't mind the decision to do a comic episode, or to tell it from an outside perspective,it could have been brilliant, but to make something like this work you need a happy ending or a truly tragic one, not the sort of half-baked semi-comic deus ex machina we get here. It was such an unlikely way for the Doctor to behave that I have been forced to spend the last 24 hours trying to wash this story out of my mind permanently. Not only do I have no intention of watching it again, I have already written it out of my personal canon.
I admire Russell T. Davies for how hard he has worked to make this new incarnation of Dr. Who happen, but his writing continues to leave a great deal to be desired. I think it is no coincidence that the best episodes (The Empty Child, School reunion) have been written by others.
Just as a side note, this is also the first episode of Dr. Who that has truly frightened my son, he didn't like the Absorbaloff monster one bit.