Doctor Who Series 9 Grumbles

Rather than a full review of the latest series of Doctor Who, I just need to get a few grumbles out there. I like Capaldi in the the role, I just would like him to be given better material to work with. The plots are ill-defined, inconsistent, and shallow. Like many of the more recent Doctor Who series, they tend to centre around the Doctor, rather than be stories in themselves, that happen to feature him; they only exist because he does. This isn't conducive to strong plot-lines.

Anyway, here are some grumbles...

Episode 11 - Heaven Sent
Starting well, with an interesting premise, there were too many things that didn't add up:

• if 'something' was resetting the environment every time, why didn't they erase "I'm in 12" and 'bird', etc
• if it was only resetting things on the surface (filling in holes, but not erasing writing within them) then why wasn't it renewing Clara's picture?
• why wasn't it restoring the "harder than diamond" wall?
• maybe it only reset the higher floors of the towers ... this might explain why there were skulls (no stools though) in the water - but who was restoring the fuel for the fire which dried the Doctor's clothes? It can't have been the environment, as it would have removed the Doctor's clothes. Maybe it was the Doctor himself? From where though?

In any case, this meant the first Doctor was wandering around naked.

And then, he's a Time Lord. If he dies he regenerates. So why didn't he regenerate when killed? Why weren't there billions of Doctors wondering around at the the end?

Yes - I know it's hard to make a consistent time-loop story. So keep away from them if you can't do it. Creating problems, and not solving them correctly is poor (see 'Sherlock - Series 3').

My major issue, though, is the idea of being able to simply regenerate a Time Lord from stored data in a matter transporter. If this is all it takes, then any race that has teleported a Time Lord can get Time Lords for themselves. Why haven't the Daleks, the Cybermen, whoever, utilised this? Bred their own controlled version, enslaved to their wishes? A Time Lord ought to be more than the simple collection of atoms of their bodies. If you're changing such a big premise, you're changing it forever. Yet I suspect this idea will be dropped, and never mentioned again. In fact, if this is all it takes, why bother with regeneration at all? And doesn't any race with matter transporters now have this regeneration technology? Infinite daleks now - no need to build them.

Episode 12 - Hell Bent
"They'll kill you, you know" - ominous music. Or, they'll lay down their arms, disobey orders, and help you. Faux danger. Poor.

The Hybrid. If 'only one story in the Matrix' had mentioned the threat of the Hybrid I'd have been okay with it. But "all of them" did. So the Time Lords have always known about this threat? So why attack the Doctor now? Why not question him on any previous occasion? By saying 'all the stories' you open yourself up to this issue, so why do it? It's like you didn't think it through, or thought your viewers weren't that bright? The story ends, as far as I can tell, with the Time Lords still no more enlightened on the The Hybrid - the Doctor and Clara escape as they are still puzzling over the issue. So they'll still be chasing the Doctor about it next series then. Or not.

Killing a Time Lord. "We're on Gallifrey; it's no more than man-flu". Well, if the death of a Time Lord is such a casual affair, why the big drama when the Doctor regenerates? What if the The General had a wife and family? Friends? Are they casually dismissed - "here's your new dad/mum now kids" What if he was on his final regeneration?  It's done so casually, because it's not a real character - it's just a plot device, with no purpose beyond that. 

Sonic screwdrivers aren't built. They make themselves, and appear when needed. Just in time for Christmas it seems. Sunglasses harder to sell to children I'd bet.


Since midway through Tennant's run, too often there's been too much 'hokey' rubbish. Where are the real stories? Where's the consistency? Didn't Clara (dalek-Clara) erase all Doctor knowledge from the Dalek database?  Didn't this take? Did they restore from a cloud-backup? 

In the very first episode of the series, the Daleks were hunting the Doctor, but unable to find him. And yet, one of the Vikings was actually a dalek in disguise, so they had found him all along, and the only reason we had the Missy/Clara storyline was to get them there. Just ... why?

Beyond anything else it's the scandalous under-use of Clara's character which irks. Admittedly she's been central to this series, but still primarily as a damsel-in-distress, not as the peer she was suggested to be, at her excellent introduction.


Where's Tom Baker when you need him. I know it's a Saturday evening family show; but that isn't an excuse. Do better.

Jessica Jones - Review

*almost spoiler-free*

Dark, grim, up-close and personal, Jessica Jones is not without fault, but delivers a strong message.

Every desk should have one

Following the same lines as this year's very well-received Daredevil Jessica Jones is set in the same borough of New York, and follows a similar anti-superhero line, which will eventually link up to give rise to The Defenders.

The opening episode shows our eponymous hero in a bad place. Suffering from the fall-out of previous ordeals, she's a functioning alcoholic private investigator, living under the radar, not revealing her powers. These powers (super-strength, and some enhanced healing) are used casually, but only occasionally. She's sullen, unfriendly, and practically alone in her seedy, gumshoe, world. The 'pilot' episode is a confusing mish-mash of hints and asides, which wouldn't naturally lead one to further watching, apart from some clarification in the final third. What is clear, however, is that Jessica is deeply damaged by abuse she's previously suffered. She jumps at shadows; seeks to flee as soon as her previous abuser is mentioned; and cannot face life without a bottle of whiskey. It's an unattractive proposition - life as Jessica isn't something you'd court. She keeps people at arms' length, and stumbles from day to day in an unfeeling haze, keeping herself away from personal relationships.

As the episodes progress, we learn more of her back-story. The source of her abuse; how she came to be where she is; who else matters to her; and most importantly, the weight of guilt she harbours. The story of this first season is essentially one of her and how she is forced into dealing with her former abuser, the mind-controller, Kilgrave. There's mention of both the mental and physical abuse she's suffered, and Kilgrave's influence seeps like a cancer into the lives of all around her, making her feel guilty for the pain and suffering she's not responsible for. Many of the exchanges between her and Kilgrave focus around this central issue - him feeding her guilt for actions she performs whilst under his control; or blaming her for the abuse he unleashes on others due to his fixation on her. The ideas of victim guilt, retribution, anger, revenge are at the heart of the show; these are difficult themes to address, and the show is quite explicit in dealing with them - specifically in their fall-out, and the victim impact.

Overall, I'd say it's less successful than Daredevil. The story is simple enough, but some of the plotting is overly contrived, and the practicalities aren't always consistent (Jessica's lack of invulnerability is at odds with several of the fight sequences; sometimes she's cut with a knife; at others times she can be punched through a wall without being knocked out). It's smaller, and more personal than Daredevil. The focus remains on the single story, there's little filler, and Kilgrave's attention lies purely on further abuse of Jessica, rather than on anything else.

This isn't a particularly easy watch. There's physical violence, but the mental and emotional toll is greater. It's this which lingers, and leaves the biggest scars on all concerned. Don't get me wrong; this is good, possibly very good, but not particularly pleasant. Anyone viewing the show should be made aware of the strong themes of abuse presented within.

Mike Colter as Luke Cage is physically imposing, and covers the lesser role (in this show) with a steady calmness. The early Luke Cage perhaps better than the later one. Again, they seem to be somewhat inconsistent in the representation of his powers, and I hope this is tidied up if/when the Luke Cage show arrives.

David Tennant as Kilgrave works well on his fairly formulaic bad guy; he works best as the psychotic mind-controller; less well as the abused child who's out for revenge against his parents. There are hints at his own inner turmoil which might have been nice to explore, and the scenes with his parents are well portrayed.

Ferne Cotton in a wig

Krysten Ritter is excellent in the title role. She brings many physical elements to the portrayal, as well as delivering on the harsh, emotional, content. When she says she's a "piece of shit" you believe she thinks it. It's a dark reflection of a nicer, warmer Jessica Jones that's been stripped away by Kilgrave. Although hardly any different in appearance to her part in Breaking Bad, she's completely unrecognisable. Her performance is possibly better than the story she's in. As the biggest asset on the show, it's a good choice to fit her in as many scenes as possible. She displays Jessica's obvious self-loathing at the start, but brings enough character depth, so that you're rooting for her, and for her eventual redemption.

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Addendum
I'll admit that to start with I couldn't get past how much Ritter both looked and acted like Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse; nor how the opening notes of the theme tune remind me of Dexter; nor how the plot smacks a little of Heroes Season 2. I had lots of echoes(!) to deal with, before it final started to strike its own chords. If you are similarly affected, don't let these things put you off - it finds its own voice.

Daredevil - Review

A departure from the standard superhero TV series, bringing the bleak comic book character to life.

He's not as cool as this

I'm not much for streaming TV services, but I quite enjoyed 'Bosch' from Amazon, so thought I'd take a good look at Netflix's 'Daredevil' series. Those familiar with with the Marvel character (ignoring *that* movie) will know that this is Marvel's closest parallel to DC's Batman; a hero who deals with the day-to-day, small-life, everyday crimeworld, rather than the global or interstellar problems the likes of the Avengers handle. 

Daredevil is a blind defence attorney, Matt Murdock, who fights crime during the twilight hours as a customed superhero, operating in the grim Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York, fighting the seemingly all-powerful Kingpin of crime, Wilson Fisk. Let's be clear - Daredevil is a grim read; often facing seemingly insumountable odds, and rarely 'winning' his battles against an array of powerful nemeses. His alter-ego seeping into his personal life, badly affecting those closest to him. Even in the early 80s, love-interest Karen Page had turned to prostitution to pay for her drug addiction (yes, it's not big on laughs). He's a complex character conflicted by strong moral and religious views, in a dark, criminal controlled world, which often makes you wonder why he bothers trying to save it.

Murdock & Page

And to Marvel's, and Netflix's, credit this is the hero we get in the series. The 'superhero' element is light, and we're given a programme more akin to latter-day police dramas. A city oppressed by dark undercurrents; corruption; bad cops; powerful companies; and a bleak future for Joe Public. The series starts quickly, only unfolding Daredevil's back story slowly, and follows a narrative that sees college friends Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock starting up their defence firm by taking on the case of Karen Page, who has become their secretary by the end of the first episode. It's not until episode three that we even see Daredevil's arch-enemy, Fisk, or even hear his name.

The first four episode are outstanding. Gritty, brutal fight sequences, full of bone-crunching brutality. This isn't a series that would occupy a prime-time Saturday evening slot ... you'd seek it out past the water-shed, after the kids are safely tucked away. Some of the earlier set-ups are clearly there to demonstrate Daredevil's more prosaic skills over other superheroes; this isn't a flashy, powerful, demi-god - this is the guy who just about holds his own.

Episodes five and six drop the pace a little, and are weaker episodes, but the next episode introduces 'Stick' played by Scott Glenn, and gives us the first true glimpse into Daredevil's origin. Stick, and his agenda, are crucial to the larger story arc which we don't see much of in this series, but again we're given a correct 'Stick' - an unsympathetic, harsh, tutor, determined to create weapons, not heroes. Beyond this, the story continues at a fair pace, and all elements are beautifully in place by the climax of the series. There's much still to be told, but we know who we're dealing with by the end of the 13 episodes.

"Stick. Mighty Stick"

The cast are very good. Charlie Cox in the title role is excellent. There's a lot to be asked - his accent is believable, his mannerisms stilted, or flowing depending on who he's being, and he conveys the inner conflict with subtlety. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page is perfect for the role. Someone with inner strength, determined to stand up for herself, and whose affections are torn between Nelson and Murdock. Then Vincent D'Onofrio as Fisk is rightfully terrifying. A man on the edge of violence, liable to strike out at any moment, but also cold, detached, and even sympathetic.

Don't mess with Kingpin

There are some niggles. The Daredevil of early episodes seems less capable than the one we exit with; by necessity most of the action takes place at night, and the visuals can be hard to make out at times; Elden Henson as Foggy, although looking the part, wavers at times early on; there's a tad too much empathy being evoked for Fisk; and Vanessa seems fairly indifferent to Fisk's livelihood, even though it's clear she knows what's going on around her.

Other reviews have likened the series to the Frank Miller (Sin City, Batman) seminal run on Daredevil, which created the characters of Bullseye and Elektra. I think it's closer in look and feel to the later 80s period written by Ann Nocenti (and beautifully drawn by John Romita Jr), when Daredevil was closer to the heart of Hell's Kitchen, and engaged in trying to make it a better place to live. To help it drag itself out of the hell it had become. In either case, it's pleasing that Marvel haven't eschewed the fundamentals of the character by trying to create a more "family-friendly" Man Without Fear. This is the real Daredevil, and I'm grateful for it.

Definitely worth a watch, even if you don't much go for superhero series.