Doctor Jerk is In
Is it going to be Doctor Who or Doctor Jerk from now on?
I'm not sure.
On the high end of the previous episode, where his companion Amy attempts to seduce him, the Doctor realizes that when a woman leaves him with on his travels… her relationships with other men tend to go awry due to the long periods of going away. It is more or less like a long distance relationship. Except she’s going through time. This can take a toll on anyone’s relationship.
We were already a witness to this with Rose and Mickey a few years ago... and how she steadily falls in love with the Doctor.
So here we are in the episode of “Vampires of Venice.” The Doctor finds a clever way of appearing to her fiancé Rory to explain the matter to him by popping out of a cake in the middle of a stag party. It’s hilarious. This might be Matt Smith’s best scene as the Doctor so far.
He tells his companion’s boyfriend, “Your fiancée tried to kiss me last night. Oh, you’re a lucky guy. She’s a great kisser.”
Then he drops the big one by stating that he was rehearsing this line in his head before and it sounded better to him in the private corner of his mind.
He's such a jerk.
And I like it.
It’s a brave attempt on the writers to give the character of the Doctor a sort of callous attitude towards humans. He is an alien being after all. And he’s more than 900 years old which gives him a sense of old age. Whatever it may be, he’s clearly got his head in the clouds. He wouldn’t know the mannerisms and customs of the human race. He’s well outside of this.
So he tries to bring his companion Amy Pond and her boyfriend Rory the greatest romantic trip they could have. Anywhere they want, anytime they want. With diasterous results. But the Doctor does try to patch things up for them. So the Doctor now is reduced to a chaperone? Who would have thought?
However, the idea of their entangled relationship becomes the center point in the show “Vampires of Venice.” Which is a beautifully shot episode filmed in Venice. (The show looks like a $50,000 pricetag here). There are girls disappearing in Venice and the Doctor plunges into solving the mystery. The Calvierri girls headed by the queenly woman Signora Rosanna Calvierri are actually vampires.
But it is the pseudo-science of Doctor Who which makes a very nice explanation for their being unseen in mirrors and why they have such a grotesque overbite. Their need for feeding on blood is easily explained here.
It is the sparkling dialogue brought by writer Toby Whithouse that takes center stage here. This is the same guy who is responsible for the wonderful show “School Reunion.” The fantastic clashing of racial differences between the Time Lords and vampires are well done with the Doctor and Rosanna. They are some nice, sharp dialogue here. Helped by the performances. And you often forget that the Doctor still has enormous fury in him.
Rory is a standout here because he is starting out as a dork who turns out to have some very good qualities in him. Amy must have a reason for marrying this guy. And we, as an audience, can see that he is really a likeable guy. So he does carry heroic personality in him. His inner conflict with the Doctor over Amy is often seen here… like high school boys fighting over the same girl.
In fact, Amy does refer to them as her “boys” in the end of the episode. Which is rather funny.
However, the same competition is carried over in the next episode “Amy’s Choice” by Simon Nye.
Which is, in every way, her choice between the Doctor and her boyfriend Rory. And the episode feeds on the idea of how far their relationship would go if the Doctor would keep on interfering with their peaceful lives.
High school 101 with Doctor Who? Or is it Doctor Jerk?
The show begins with a scene taking place five years after they traveled with the Doctor in a village of Leadworth. And the Doctor comes back and finds everything to be “boring” and “dull.” In a way, he is a jerk on purpose. He doesn’t care much for simple things like relationships. He is above this.
But there is a greater force at work here. And they are plagued with falling asleep as their dreams become reality, or vice versa.
This episode is becomes centered on the idea of lost love in reality. And the idea of Amy going with the Doctor leaves stressful pressure on her ongoing relationship. The choice is between the Doctor and Rory. And the test is created by someone called the Dream Lord. However, the way he talks and dresses up (with bowtie) is like a darker reflection of the Doctor himself. Is it in fact the darker side of the Doctor who is putting the companions through some nightmare… and forcing them to confront themselves regarding the status of their relationship?
The Dream Lord is very well played by Toby Jones who also performed as the leacherous Karl Rove in the movie "W". I can see some of the evil has been spilled in from his previous role to this one.
These two episode are very good shows as stand-alone. But it is the exploring of the companions which lifts these episodes above the average, another level. And we find another side of the Doctor which may not be very pretty. In fact, it’s downright scary. And Matt Smith performs his role as the Doctor with a very good approach. He might be an unlikeable guy at times. How would you like if some fairy tale type of hero comes and sweeps your girlfriend away?
Yeah, you wouldn’t like it either.
Yes, it is a science fiction show. But here it shows that it still has time for creating interesting quirks about the very relationship between people. And their relationship between themselves and the Doctor himself. After a while, you realize that the Doctor is a total alien being who may forget about others in his streak through adventure.
Do all the excitement and clamor really can have opposite effects on a simple relationship between people? What would happen if a husband and wife travels with the Doctor? What would happen?
You may remember the wonderful Tom Baker performance in the Doctor Who episode “Pyramids of Mars” where he seem callous to the death of a man. And there is Sarah Jane Smith’s reaction to him when she grows upset and says, “Sometimes you don’t seem…”
And the Doctor finishes off her sentence, “Human?”
Exactly.
And I believe the stories remind you in every way that the Doctor isn’t a human at all. That he is, after all, an outsider. And maybe even a jerk.
Yeah, I might even start petition on getting the show to be called “Doctor Jerk.” And it is the wonderful performance by Matt Smith making him a bit of a jerk that keeps the show funny and fresh. I’m all for this.
By the way, what a jerk.
I'm not sure.
On the high end of the previous episode, where his companion Amy attempts to seduce him, the Doctor realizes that when a woman leaves him with on his travels… her relationships with other men tend to go awry due to the long periods of going away. It is more or less like a long distance relationship. Except she’s going through time. This can take a toll on anyone’s relationship.
We were already a witness to this with Rose and Mickey a few years ago... and how she steadily falls in love with the Doctor.
So here we are in the episode of “Vampires of Venice.” The Doctor finds a clever way of appearing to her fiancé Rory to explain the matter to him by popping out of a cake in the middle of a stag party. It’s hilarious. This might be Matt Smith’s best scene as the Doctor so far.
He tells his companion’s boyfriend, “Your fiancée tried to kiss me last night. Oh, you’re a lucky guy. She’s a great kisser.”
Then he drops the big one by stating that he was rehearsing this line in his head before and it sounded better to him in the private corner of his mind.
He's such a jerk.
And I like it.
It’s a brave attempt on the writers to give the character of the Doctor a sort of callous attitude towards humans. He is an alien being after all. And he’s more than 900 years old which gives him a sense of old age. Whatever it may be, he’s clearly got his head in the clouds. He wouldn’t know the mannerisms and customs of the human race. He’s well outside of this.
So he tries to bring his companion Amy Pond and her boyfriend Rory the greatest romantic trip they could have. Anywhere they want, anytime they want. With diasterous results. But the Doctor does try to patch things up for them. So the Doctor now is reduced to a chaperone? Who would have thought?
However, the idea of their entangled relationship becomes the center point in the show “Vampires of Venice.” Which is a beautifully shot episode filmed in Venice. (The show looks like a $50,000 pricetag here). There are girls disappearing in Venice and the Doctor plunges into solving the mystery. The Calvierri girls headed by the queenly woman Signora Rosanna Calvierri are actually vampires.
But it is the pseudo-science of Doctor Who which makes a very nice explanation for their being unseen in mirrors and why they have such a grotesque overbite. Their need for feeding on blood is easily explained here.
It is the sparkling dialogue brought by writer Toby Whithouse that takes center stage here. This is the same guy who is responsible for the wonderful show “School Reunion.” The fantastic clashing of racial differences between the Time Lords and vampires are well done with the Doctor and Rosanna. They are some nice, sharp dialogue here. Helped by the performances. And you often forget that the Doctor still has enormous fury in him.
Rory is a standout here because he is starting out as a dork who turns out to have some very good qualities in him. Amy must have a reason for marrying this guy. And we, as an audience, can see that he is really a likeable guy. So he does carry heroic personality in him. His inner conflict with the Doctor over Amy is often seen here… like high school boys fighting over the same girl.
In fact, Amy does refer to them as her “boys” in the end of the episode. Which is rather funny.
However, the same competition is carried over in the next episode “Amy’s Choice” by Simon Nye.
Which is, in every way, her choice between the Doctor and her boyfriend Rory. And the episode feeds on the idea of how far their relationship would go if the Doctor would keep on interfering with their peaceful lives.
High school 101 with Doctor Who? Or is it Doctor Jerk?
The show begins with a scene taking place five years after they traveled with the Doctor in a village of Leadworth. And the Doctor comes back and finds everything to be “boring” and “dull.” In a way, he is a jerk on purpose. He doesn’t care much for simple things like relationships. He is above this.
But there is a greater force at work here. And they are plagued with falling asleep as their dreams become reality, or vice versa.
This episode is becomes centered on the idea of lost love in reality. And the idea of Amy going with the Doctor leaves stressful pressure on her ongoing relationship. The choice is between the Doctor and Rory. And the test is created by someone called the Dream Lord. However, the way he talks and dresses up (with bowtie) is like a darker reflection of the Doctor himself. Is it in fact the darker side of the Doctor who is putting the companions through some nightmare… and forcing them to confront themselves regarding the status of their relationship?
The Dream Lord is very well played by Toby Jones who also performed as the leacherous Karl Rove in the movie "W". I can see some of the evil has been spilled in from his previous role to this one.
These two episode are very good shows as stand-alone. But it is the exploring of the companions which lifts these episodes above the average, another level. And we find another side of the Doctor which may not be very pretty. In fact, it’s downright scary. And Matt Smith performs his role as the Doctor with a very good approach. He might be an unlikeable guy at times. How would you like if some fairy tale type of hero comes and sweeps your girlfriend away?
Yeah, you wouldn’t like it either.
Yes, it is a science fiction show. But here it shows that it still has time for creating interesting quirks about the very relationship between people. And their relationship between themselves and the Doctor himself. After a while, you realize that the Doctor is a total alien being who may forget about others in his streak through adventure.
Do all the excitement and clamor really can have opposite effects on a simple relationship between people? What would happen if a husband and wife travels with the Doctor? What would happen?
You may remember the wonderful Tom Baker performance in the Doctor Who episode “Pyramids of Mars” where he seem callous to the death of a man. And there is Sarah Jane Smith’s reaction to him when she grows upset and says, “Sometimes you don’t seem…”
And the Doctor finishes off her sentence, “Human?”
Exactly.
And I believe the stories remind you in every way that the Doctor isn’t a human at all. That he is, after all, an outsider. And maybe even a jerk.
Yeah, I might even start petition on getting the show to be called “Doctor Jerk.” And it is the wonderful performance by Matt Smith making him a bit of a jerk that keeps the show funny and fresh. I’m all for this.
By the way, what a jerk.
posted by K.M. Paters at 10:24 AM
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