Top Female Characters on TV #6 (BEDA #29)

Entry number six, and the last entry before we get into my top five, is Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) from Doctor Who...

Ah Donna. I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Rose as a top companion (I know all the bad about her, but I still love her), but Donna is my favourite. In her first episode she was vapid, selfish, and kind of annoying, but by the end we know so much about why she is the way she is. Raised by a picky mother who never seems happy no matter what Donna does, Donna sees that she is needed and that she can do good with one day with the Doctor. What’s even better is that she knows that the Doctor needs someone to look after him, but she doesn’t want to be that person. This is one of few times that someone has actually turned down the offer of travelling through space and time, but she does it with her head held high.

I was a bit worried about her reintroduction after hearing that she is trying to track the Doctor down, because it seemed so out of character for her, and yet they all pull it off so well. Rather than her sitting around waiting for him, she is investigating (and doing a good job) the weird and wacky hoping to run into him. When the Doctors offer is once again on the table, she accepts in a heartbeat, but makes sure her own rules are followed---they will be friends but no funny business.

I can’t help but to compare Donna with the other companions, as I’m sure everyone else does too and it is through this comparison that we see more of her strong points. She loves the Doctor but she is not in love with him. She slaps then hugs when the others rush to hug. She mocks the Doc when others will only see his good sides. But she is there for him and will be there no matter what.

Donna is high on my list because she is strong and confident but she has her weaknesses too. Her upbringing has lead to her having low self esteem despite her confidence. In fact, it seems that she is so outwardly confident to cover up her insecurities. The worst thing is that she has a wonderful and awesome year or so with the Doctor but her memory of this time had to be erased. I wish her most recent stint on the show had been... better, for Donna. I have this image in my head of Donna doing awesome stuff without realising it, but instead they went down a different path. Still the same, and finally in love with a person who deserves her love. I know that Wilf will look out for her, which is good. Hopefully there is an opportunity for Donna to return, or at least we will see her influence on the Universe.

Donna wasn’t one of the original additions to my Who is your favourite female character in a TV series? Poll on FaceBook, and no one else added her either. 

Let me know your thoughts on Donna in the comments. And please add who your top five female characters on TV are, and maybe guess who mine are.

Kathy

TV time: Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes To War

Demons run when a good man goes to war.

Night will fall and drown the sun, when a good man goes to war.

Friendship dies and true love lies, night will fall and dark will rise, when a good man goes to war.

This was an awesome episode that truly well done. Not my favourite ep of the season thus far, which would have to be The Doctor’s Wife, but still quite epic.

First of all, Rory the Roman is back again! All hail Rory! I admit to being a bit annoyed at Amy at the beginning for her words to Melody until I twigged that she was talking about Rory as I’d hoped she would be. It’s not often that Amy remembers that Rory is around, so I hope that this is the start of a new period for her.

I love the Doctor collecting people who we haven’t met yet. I mean, we’ve met them in this episode but we haven’t seen the first time that we’ve met them. If you know anything about time travel this will make sense to you, if yo don’t then just shrug and move on.

I’m not sure whether I like that River is really Melody, but I don’t unlike it. It was a kind of shock, but not one that I didn’t see coming. Truthfully though I thought that she was everyone related to the Doctor at some point, so I’d have to be right in the end wouldn’t I? I find it odd that River says this is the day that the Doc finds out who she really is and in a way it was-she’s the baby of two of his companions whose genes has been altered to be Time Lordy- but it a way it wasn’t. Knowing her parents and her background doesn’t say anything about who she is, or who she is in relation to him. We still haven’t been told if they are married or whatnot… it’s all speculation.

The characters in this episode were fantastic, including the guest cast. I keep tossing back and forth between liking Amy’s positive attitude and hating that she seemed to be so calm about them taking her baby. Maybe if we’d seen that she had fought back after Melody was first born, like a fading black eye or something, then we could see that she knows she can’t fight to get her daughter back so all she can do is wait. She has so much trust in Rory and the Doctor that she knew they would find her, but she’s still a mother and they are still taking her baby away. Yea, still tossing. I really liked Rory’s tears when he saw his family together for the first time, I think that was a great touch especially after seeing him so different to his usual self for the beginning of the ep.

I liked the mix of locations in this episode, from the Victorian era streets to the Cybermen ship. Kudos to the set department.

As for the plot, I don’t know if I’d say that this is the highest the Doctor has ever been and the furthest he has ever fallen. I’d say he fell pretty far in Waters of Mars, and he was pretty far gone in Runaway Bride. There wasn’t really a lot of time spent on him and his desperation at losing Melody. I was really hoping we’d see him get really angry at River and maybe even lash out at her like he did at Amy in Almost People.

I like how this episode ended even though I am annoyed it’s gonna take a while before we see the next one. Hopefully we’ll see more of Matt’s range in the next bit.

What do you all think of the Melody/River twist? Did you see it coming or were you completely shocked? Did you like kick ass Rory or do you prefer him sugar and spice? Let me know your opinions on those plus anything else.

Kathy

Themes: Amy Pond, Amy, Doctor, Doctor Who, eye patch lady, Matt Smith, Pregnant, pregnancy, River Song, Rory, TARDIS, baby, Melody Pond, Stephan Moffat, Sontarans, Judoon, Siluran, roman, Centurion, Arthur Darvill, Karen Gillan

Everything I Learnt About Life I Learnt From TV:

Part Four: A Good Person

I’m sure I’m like most people in that I just want to be a good person. This is something universal amongst everyone no matter what the religions are; being good. But how to we be ‘good’? What constitutes a good act when there are so many shades of grey in the world? As usual, I turn to TV for guidance and found two examples of men doing good even when they didn’t want to.

One of my favourite scenes in all of Firefly is at the end of the episode The Train Job. Mal and the gang are hired to steal something from a train and they are away scot free when they learn that the items they are stealing is not gold or jewels but much needed medicine. They decide to give it to the original recipients and this exchange takes place:

Sheriff

You were truthful back in town. These are tough times. If a man can get a job, he might not look too close at what that job is. But a man learns all the details of a situation like ours, well, then he has a choice.

Mal

(looking angry and upset)

I don't believe he does.

Mal is angry and upset at the end because he doesn't think that a man has a choice in this situation: of course the medicine has to go to those who need it. This is one of my favourite scenes because Mal knows that he couldn't have taken the medicine from the needy because he is a good man and he hates himself for it. He hates that he is a good man who does these things for other people.

This is similar to the scene at the end of End of Time, Tennant’s last episode of Doctor Who. Deadly radiation (as opposed to the non-deadly kind… who am I?) is being contained by a dead mans switch: one person has to be in a secure room at all times. Things have gone to the south and when letting the original monitor out, Wilf has gotten himself stuck in the booth. Radiation is about to leak in  and he needs someone to get in the other room and let him out.

The Doctor

OK, right, then, I will. Because you just had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes! Because that's who you are, Wilfred! You were always this. Waiting for me all this time!

Wilf

Oh, really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor, I've had my time.

The Doctor

Well, exactly, look at you? Not remotely important. But me... I could do so much more! So much more! But this is what I get, my reward. And it's not fair! Oh... lived too long.

I know a lot of people were really annoyed but this scene, how far the Doctor has fallen that he is yelling at the person who needs help, but I liked it because it showed more about the Doctor than we’ve ever seen before. Like Mal in the Firefly episode, the Doctor knows that he has to save Wilf because he wouldn’t be a good man if he didn’t, but right now he hates that he is a good person.

In both of these scenarios, these good men have come to a point in their lives when they know what’s right and what’s wrong and it pains them when the right thing hurts them. But these good men will do whatever the right thing is, to the detriment of themselves.

And yes, sometimes good men get pissed off. Sometimes they get annoyed that they have to get themselves or their friends into dangerous situations because the outcome will be good overall but, not for them. For Mal and the crew on Serenity it meant loosing a lot of money, for the Doctor it meant a lot of pain and essentially death.

So what do you think constitutes a good person? What did you think about these scenes? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Kathy

Themes: Doctor Who, Firefly, The Doctor's Wife,  Mal, good person, hero, Wilf, End of Time, Train Job

TV time: Doctor Who, The Almost People

I"m not gonna lie, this blog is gonna be quite short because most of the exciting stuff happened at the very end of the episode.

I did like this one, it was written quite well. Two doctors was pretty awesome, and Matt Smith really showed his acting chops on this one. I did love the scene where he attacks Amy, especially when you find out that that was the 'real' Doctor.

But the ending, though, oh my that was good. I love how the flesh melts, and it was quite odd seeing Amy 'die' the same way, not to mention the Doctor even if it was just the back of his head. I love the question of how long Amy was a ganger. Doctor said it was for a long time and it appears that way because of the pregnancy, but could it have been before the America episodes? I mean, okay yes it could have been, but would the ganger have the same reaction to the Silence? Amy was controlling it but she would have been quite far away, so could the Silence effect her like that?

No mention of plastic Rory, but he was still very awesome. Hopefully he will have more awesome moments next week while he and Doctor are looking for Amy. Personally, I hope they don't find her too soon, so Rory and the Doctor an get more time together. I love their relationship and I really want to see more of it.

So what did ya'll think? For how long do you think we've been following ganger Amy? Did you like two Doctors (they are better than one) or did you find it on the nose especially with the similarity between the scene with the two ten's last year and two elevens this year -- both of them behind a large desk bobbing up and down fixing things? Do you think they will find Amy next week? Answer in the comments.

Kathy

Themes: Amy, Doctor, Doctor Who, eye patch lady, Matt Smith, pregnany, Rory, TARDIS, plastic people

TV time: Doctor Who, The Rebel Flesh

I have a lot of questions about this episode, and not a lot of them have to do with the actual episode but with what the episode didn't tell us. It's a good thing it's a two=parter, then, because there is a lot that needs to be answered. But enough about that the episode didn't do (although there will be more on that later), now let's focus on what it did do.
Well, it showed us what may be the birthplace of the autons! When I saw the ads for the first time I was half convinced, and seeing the Doctor all secretive almost nailed it for me. He knows how this is going to go down; they will 'grow up' to be his enemies over many many years, of course he will want to help things go differently but he knows that he can't change things. The last time he did that, things ended horribly, but now...
If they are the original autons this will be cool, new Who going back this far in the franchise.
Eye patch lady back again, good for her!
The Doctor was good in this ep, and the supporting cast was alright, but they really didn't grab my attention (save for Marshall Lancaster, but I'm a huge Life on Mars fan). They weren't very fleshed out (pun well and truly intended) and I think this plays down the whole Rory saving the day aspect, because I don't care enough about Jennifer to want Rory to risk his life for hers. Of course, if they mentioned the fact that Rory too is plastic, then it would make sense. We all know he is made of plastic, and I guess the only reason he's not telling everyone else is because they'll start asking questions, but enough is enough. It's time for Rory to acknowledge who/what he is. He had the perfect moment towards the end when he ran off after Jennifer and Amy didn't understand why he cared so much.

The Doc is still concerned about Amy's baby, will we be seeing this every ep of the season? We know that Amy is preggers so do we need the constant reminder?

So what did everyone else think? Are these the first incarnations of the autons, come to haunt the doctors life? Will Rory come clean to the gangers about who he is? Not that many questions when they're written in a row, but they're the one's pressing on my mind.

Kathy

Tags: 

Amy, Doctor, Doctor Who, Doctor's, Matt Smith, Pregnant, pregnany, River Song, Rory, TARDIS, autons, plastic people, rebel, flesh, eye patch lady

TV time: Doctor Who, The Doctor's Wife

I'm not gonna lie; I am a shipper.
For those unfamiliar with the phrase, a shipper is a person who roots for a particular romantic relationship that won't happen in 'real life'-relationshipper-shipper. If you are a shipper, then you're used to rooting for something in a scene or an episode that will probably never happen and you're fluent in subtext that doesn't need to be there. Because of my shipper training (I started when I was young, watching reruns of MASH and longing for Margret and Winchester to kiss already), I fell right into the group of people who imagined what the TARDIS would do if she were able to speak to the Doctor. Not in a romantc way, but I felt that sometimes when the TARDIS was throwing everyone around that it was the only way she could give the Doctor a slap upside the head and tell him to calm down. I felt that she and Donna got along great because the two are alike; they give the Doc a hug when he needs at as willingly as they give him a slap.
So when I heard that they were bringing the TARDIS to life in a way, I was nervous. It's happened enough to everyone that we want something to happen with a character and it happens, but not in the way that we want it. I had a sinking feeling that the canon TARDIS would not be the TARDIS who I saw in every episode. Luckily, I was wrong. Suranne Jones plays the TARDIS aka Sexy, in such a way that she is just as I imagined. Although the other cast were great, it was Sexy who made the episode worth watching. I love the relationship between she and the Doctor, and how they both have such love for each other. It's not entirely romantic and it's clear that they are each others sole mates no matter what happens. I love that she called him her thief and that she knows that she stole him when he thinks that he stole her. The TARDIS would have to have wanted to go, but he is so stubborn to believe that he tamed her.
The Rory/Amy storyline didn't gel with me; I think that it would have made more of an impact if it hadn't been such a short amount of time between young Rory and old Rory. It happened to fast that I didn't believe it to be true, and it annoyed me that Amy did. I also would have liked to have seen more of the inside of the TARDIS rather than just the same hallways that the couple were running through. I wanna see the pool, the library, the wardrobe, and all of the other rooms that Sexy is capable of making. Alas, that may never come to be.
I can't honestly say if I would have liked this episode if Sexy wasn't the incarnatin of the TARDIS that I was hoping for, and I'm glad I don't have to say.
What did everyone else think? Did you like the TARDIS incarnation, and the homemade version she and the Doctor made together? Did you think that Rory had aged? Let me know in the comments.

Kathy

Tags: Doctor Who, Amy, pregnany, Rory, TARDIS, sexy, Suranne Jones, Doctor's, Wife, The Doctor's Wife

TV time: Doctor Who, Curse of the Black Spot

This episode of Doctor Who was supposed to be just a lark in space, but it ended up asking more questions on the back of its two predecessors: who is the eye patch lady? Are these pirates the sea the same from The Coming of the Terraphiles? Why did Amy only give Rory five seconds of CPR?

The eye patch lady, I have no idea. I have heard a rumour that she will be Amy’s future midwife, but questions about her pregnancy still remain. I know that time is wibbly wobbly, but she just keeps popping up out of nowhere, and she keeps making up wholes. I like the idea that she’s the midwife, but she’s either very good or very bad at her job.

I like the idea that these spirates (space pirates) are the same as in The Coming of the Terraphiles, because it shows that there is a future/past to the show. This is something that, I feel, could only happen in a Moffet episode. RTD is good, but is he really that good? Put it in the comments.

Lastly, why did Amy give up on Rory’s CPR so quickly? Maybe they were trying to imply that she had been going at it for hours, but it looked like she just gave up after one minute of pushing and breathing. I know Rory didn’t tell her for how long she should do it, but since she is in love with him I thought she would be going until she was pulled off of him. Not five seconds then “I’m tired”. He had to revive himself. I love Rory.

In case you’re wondering, there are only very few reasons why one should give up on CPR: because the person has revived (duh), because a doctor or two nurses have told you that the person is beyond reviving (none of them available), and because it is unsafe to you to keep it going (Amy was safe in the TARDIS and she hadn’t been going for that long). So really, why did Amy give up on Rory so quickly? Does she really love the doctor, and this was just her way of getting rid of Rory without feeling the guilt?

Do you agree that Amy’s CPR was too short? Do you think that she loves Rory above all else? Add it in the comments!

Kathy

Tags: Doctor Who, Amy, pregnany, Rory, CRP, priates, spirates, The Coming of the Terraphiles

TV time: Doctor Who, Day of the Moon

This episode left more questions than answers in its wake, but seeing as Steven Moffat is in charge I can see that we will be scratching our heads this entire season, maybe longer.

I really loved this episode; the pace was great and so exiting. The beginning had to be a hoax or trick or something, but it was still scary seeing Rory or Amy being gunned down. Keeping track of Silence sighting was a great idea. I can’t imagine how many people are now drawing lines on their sleeping partner/lover/sibling to scare the shit out of them.

River diving into the pool was great: I love the relationship between her and the Doctor. That she trusted that he would be there for her no matter what. Plus it’s great to see the pool again even if we didn’t actually see it.

As usual, Mark A Sheppard was great. If anything he as even better on this episode which is saying something because he was great in the first one. I love the camera phone line, and his smirk at the time was incredible.

Rory was, again, quite extraordinary. Arthur is a really great actor and he should be commended. Comic timing-great. Emotions-great.

It was quite smart how they defeated the Silence... well, not defeated because I’m sure that they will be coming back. But it was really smart.

The changing pregnancy scan results were spooky. I wonder

As for the ending well.... WOW that was incredible, I didn’t see that coming. Like I said at the beginning of this post, so many more questions than answer, but it was still an awesome episode.

What did everyone else think? What’s up with Amy’s baby, and whose is it? Is Rory her true love, the man with the “stupid face”? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Kathy

Doctor Who, Doctor, River Song, Amy, Rory, the Silence, Matt Smith, Pregnant