It’s also why I’m glad that every time he was referred to as President of Gallifrey he literally always ran away lmao. It’s just very unDoctory for them to have that much authority and actually use it
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I have always preferred (or, at least, got more out of) Doctor Who that is about something or gives me something to think about, though I can really enjoy a light and fluffy bit of froth as well. Of course, these two things are not always opposites. The rehabilitation of The Girl Who Died for me was very much viewing through the lens of the episode as a critique of toxic masculinity and far right beliefs. The episode is light and fluffy fun but, through that lens, it’s also very much about something and that viewing hugely elevates it.
I agree that, even through the veneer of (escapist) fiction, there should always be one or more elements (settings, situations or characters) that are relatable. This doesn’t mean it isn’t still escapism, however. It’s about how those elements are used. A good example would be the plausibility of Ruby suffering from PTSD without demonstrating the darker side that would be emotionally distressing. Emotional safety whilst daring to explore (or at least touch on) much deeper and potentially darker territory. To me THAT makes it escapist as much as any number of fantastical elements.
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I think everything you cite is still wrapped in escapism and how much you relate to it is purely personal and so is on the viewer not the writer/production team. Vincent and the Doctor does deal with depression but is also an adventure with an invisible chicken monster and the Doctor taking Van Gogh to see his paintings in the future. That is escapist because it’s not based in any sort of reality and that’s the entry level for the story. The depression stuff is a different layer - and dare I say, less important. Would it’s removal make the story worse - possibly. But that depends, again, on your feelings about the subject. There may be someone with experience of depression who feels it trivialises it and has no place in a sci-fi show. It would be an equally valid point of view. But complain about there being an invisible chicken monster in Doctor Who and you wonder whether that person is watching the right show for them.
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That is very fair and well-put. I’m not knocking the idea of escapism, I just find that aspect of it interesting. I also agree that those two things aren’t always opposing each other, although weird things can happen when they’re both being attempted at the same time (one of my biggest problems with '80s Who is the rickety tonal issues, even within the same story). It’s totally possible, but it’s a tricky thing to get right, which is why those who are capable of doing both at once (Robert Shearman is the ultimate example of that with his audios) tend to just be brilliant in general.
I hadn’t even considered that aspect of The Girl Who Died; think I’m due for a rewatch with that in mind.
I think you just summed up my feelings on fiction as a whole better than I could. Kudos. A safe environment, separate from the real world, that can help in processing real world things.
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This just occurred to me – could you make a connection between Kate and UNIT making the Doctor the President of Earth and Missy gifting him a Cyberman army in that same episode? Two ways in which the Doctor is given unprecedented power and two times he rejects it. Interesting.
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Oh, it’s well worth it. If you’re interested, this thesis is expressed very well in the Black Archive book on the episode. To summarise; the Mire are obsessed with ‘manliness’ and are extracting ‘man juice’ from manly men to make themselves more manly. They are defeated by being made to look silly (which, of course, they are). They pick on opponents who are obviously weaker than them. Oh and they (specifically via false Odin) fundamentally misunderstand and misrepresent Nordic culture (a bit like elements within the far right have attempted to co-opt Nordic myth and culture as representative of the overly aggressive and toxic masculine ideals to which they - the far right - conform). By contrast, the Doctor represents the playful, mischievous and trickster motifs so common in Nordic mythology and is a far better reflection of Odin.
Now… back to Lucky Day. 
Interestingly, The Girl Who Died features villains defeated by not recognising the fakeness of a ‘monster’, whilst Lucky Day features a villain who tries to ridicule UNIT by using fake monsters yet fails to recognise the danger he is in from a real monster. There’s some nice connectivity here.
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Because I’m happy you liked it despite my disliking it!
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And this is what I love about here as a place, nobody is really truly toxic
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Britney begs to differ!
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A song so good (?) they used it twice…
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And it’s wild to me that it’s a childhood classic to me, yet we have members here who weren’t even born when it came out. It must be an ancient song to them!
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And it’s wild to me that it’s a teenage classic to me, yet we have members here who were kids when it came out. It must be an ancient song to them!
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Again, Toxic is a song that came out while was working at my last job…
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Another great episode. Conrad has to be one of the most hateable human antagonists the show has seen. The fact that he just used poor Ruby to get close to the Doctor and infiltrate UNIT really makes me loathe the guy, especially his cruel words about it being a ‘chore’ getting to know her.
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Just finished a rewatch. Think I’m knocking it down from a 7 to a 6.
I still like as much as I did before but I’m now a bit more certain about the things I was unsure of. The muddled nature of some of the points it was making just seemed more naive this time because I think I’d given it the benefit of the doubt to some degree on first viewing that this rewatch wouldn’t let me give.
Roll on Saturday, I think that one looks good.
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Yep, my most anticipated episode of the season. Well, my only anticipated episode 
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So it only took me 1800 words to finally get some thoughts out on this episode 
To me ultimately this is a story defined by the same stain of all of Pete McTighe’s story so far- his tendency to default to and make excuses for authority, which I think is indicative of a worringly authoritarian politics. However within is some beautiful character work that does go some distance in redeeming the story
It very nearly told an extremely relevant and needed story, but as other people have said and I went in depth on in my review, inconsistencies in how UNIT and public perception of them is presented means that the whole premise of the analogy the story is built around is unworkable.
I am however tentatively excited for the potential of what this episode is setting up, both in the finale and upcoming spin off. Whether that pays off is another matter, here’s hoping it will!
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I’m always wary of assuming a person’s politics based on a Doctor Who story. Life is far more complicated than that and I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.
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I see what you mean, I don’t see it as a judgement of him as a person. I don’t think he’s even aware that he does it, but we all have tinted lenses that we see the world through that reflect our own biases, experiences and worldview, including our politics. And it’s all 3 of his TV stories that I see this lens of his come through in, so it does get harder for me to believe it’s not a serious flaw in his writing each time. Though I would still make a distinction between the politics of his writing and his own personally held beliefs
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The problem with that stuff from last year isn’t that they brought Louise into the family, but the way Carla was consistently sidelined and belittled by the writing. It’s not getting offended on other people’s behalf because these are fictional characters. People who were unhappy with the way that was handled (myself included) were more annoyed at the way it was handled throughout the series rather than the ending. And frankly, I don’t appreciate you calling my opinion “nonsense” and “crap”.
I liked this scene. It thought it was fun and sweet. It doesn’t negate how frustrated I was with this plotline throughout the entirety of last season.
I think that’s a very privileged point of view. I also prefer to watch Doctor Who for fun and escapism, but episodes such as this one, that have such a focus on current politics, are not ones where I can step back and say “it’s just a show”. Once you’ve had a cop turn a gun on you during a perfectly legal, peaceful protest (actually, for me it was my city’s pride parade) it becomes impossible to watch that happen on screen without thinking of the politics behind it.
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