Doctor Who 11.2 - "The Ghost Monument"

[lizbee]

Good news: this was better than last week! I did not get bored and pick up my phone. Although I did reach for my quilting, so it's not as "can't take my eyes off this" compelling as Star Trek: Discovery or The Good Place or any Hallowe'en episode of Brooklyn 99.

Bad news: the more I thought about it after, the less satisfied I was.

For one thing, the story was extremely simplistic. Chibnall is the first New Who writer with no background in children's or teens' television, and I think he's underestimating his audience. Although he's never demonstrated much skill at telling complex standalone stories in 45 minutes, which is a perfectly reasonable limitation unless you're ... in charge ... of a show based on 45 minute mostly standalone stories.

There was also a very odd tendency to tell us? What we're seeing? On the screen? By the time Yaz pointed out that we couldn't see the ghost monument, I was wondering if this had been hastily adapted from an audio script.

"The Ghost Monument" did set up some of the worldbuilding for Chibnall's take on the universe. And it's ... bleak. Used up, overrun by the Stenza ("Hey, our recurring villains this year should be Klingons, but really shithouse!"), where a regular person's best chance for a better life involves entering The Hunger Games But A Race. Once again, we're approaching Eric Saward levels of nihilism -- and Angstrom's 1986 Madonna hair just emphasised the comparison.

There's barely a villain and a victory on the smallest of scales when two people choose not to kill each other for money. And these aren't bad things! I like the idea of telling a story where, instead of coming in and saving the universe in an episode, the Doctor starts small and builds up, spreading ripples of betterment that turn into a revolution.

The problem was that there was also barely a sense of urgency, and the Doctor's despair on not seeing the TARDIS right away at the end felt entirely unearned. (For one thing, Art Malik told us that the "ghost monument" phases in and out on a cycle. We know it's just a matter of waiting.)

Anyway, a simple plot and some worldbuilding can be fine if you're telling a character story. And this was ... I guess.

Ryan remains the most interesting and likable of the companions. Yaz has potential, but so far she is shockingly underwritten, and Mandip Gill has to do a lot with a little. Graeme ... is needy and should maybe consider respecting Ryan's boundaries once in a while.

I don't hate Graeme, but every time he speaks, I want to shout, "YOU ARE ONLY HERE TO MAKE UP THE COMPULSORY WHITE MAN QUOTA."

Okay, maybe I hate him a little, and I'm still mad that we're stuck with him instead of or as well as Grace.

The Doctor remains wonderful. I'm strongly inclined to side eye the fact that the first female Doctor has so much more empathy and emotional intelligence than most of her predecessors, and I wish she was a bit more abrasive and shouty. I bet Jodie Whittaker does shouty really well.

But the Doctor she most resembles so far is Five. Right down to the crowded TARDIS, which is, alas, devoid of cranky Australians.

(But Bradley Walsh is an infinitely better actor than Matthew Waterhouse.)

There's nothing wrong with Five, but he was at his best when his companions acted as foils, and so far Thirteen is a bit too apologetic and ... nice? And the main exception was when she was lecturing Ryan about guns, which (a) Doctor, you are a hypocrite; (b) I can't believe we're back on the "Doctor never uses guns" train again; (c) WOW, the optics of a white woman lecturing a young black man about guns are terrible.

(I didn't hate that Ryan was the one who went, "I play video games! I am prepared for this!" because I think Yaz -- a cop -- being the one to reach for a gun would have been worse. But that whole sequence seemed to border on tropes of black men as buffoons.)

(This is not a criticism of the show but the fandom: how long do we give it until fandom dubs Ryan "the tin dog"? I give it another two weeks.)

I've realised over the last two weeks that what I really loved about Moffat's Who was that his companions could out-weird, out-talk and sometimes out-think the Doctor. They were funny and strange in their own rights. Even Clara, who ties with Rose as the companion I like least, was an oddball.

Now we're back to the companion as everyperson, and while Chibnall's conception of the everyperson is more diverse than RTD's, that's just not my jam. I imprinted on Mel and Ace, dammit, I'm not here for regular people in the TARDIS.

So while "The Ghost Monument" okay, I'm still not enthusiastic for Chibnall time. "Simplistic, humourless and nihilistic" is not my jam. And oh boy, I want to have faith that Malorie Blackman's script for "Rosa" will be good, but Chibnall has a co-writing credit, which suggests extensive rewrites. And Doctor Who's long history of treating black characters badly, and the inability of British television in general and Doctor Who in particular to portray Americans and their accents with any degree of competence ... my expectations are low, and I'm hoping it's merely embarrassing rather than utterly offensive.

On the upside, we're two weeks in and no sexual assault. Yet. jesuswasbatman, whose glass is even emptier than mine, suspects otherwise, but I think that's reaching.

Comments

[sabotabby]

The Doctor remains wonderful. I'm strongly inclined to side eye the fact that the first female Doctor has so much more empathy and emotional intelligence than most of her predecessors, and I wish she was a bit more abrasive and shouty. I bet Jodie Whittaker does shouty really well.

Yeeeeeah. This is one of my big fears about a female Doctor. I hope they let her be cranky at least.

(I didn't hate that Ryan was the one who went, "I play video games! I am prepared for this!" because I think Yaz -- a cop -- being the one to reach for a gun would have been worse. But that whole sequence seemed to border on tropes of black men as buffoons.)

I didn't even think of that; generally it's always the young male of any ethnicity who does that, and it's a trope I enjoy seeing subverted. But now that you mention it...

Still, it was offset by them not ignoring Ryan's disability and having it impact the plot. He's my favourite. Graham would have to do a lot to get me to like him, which is too bad because a grandparent/grandchild dynamic is interesting. It just would have been so much more interesting if it were Ryan and Grace.

[lizbee]

I didn't even think of that; generally it's always the young male of any ethnicity who does that, and it's a trope I enjoy seeing subverted.

Was it even subverted? Shooting the robots slowed them down, even if it didn't stop them. Shooting them some more would have earned Team TARDIS and hangers on some valuable seconds!

Still, it was offset by them not ignoring Ryan's disability and having it impact the plot. He's my favourite.

Mine, too, at least until Yaz gets to have a personality!

It just would have been so much more interesting if it were Ryan and Grace.

I'M STILL MAD ABOUT THAT.

[sabotabby]

Was it even subverted? Shooting the robots slowed them down, even if it didn't stop them. Shooting them some more would have earned Team TARDIS and hangers on some valuable seconds!

It would have. Where it's subverted is that he ran out of ammo very quickly, unlike in a video game.

I'M STILL MAD ABOUT THAT.

I AM SO MAD IT WAS SO UNNECESSARY.

[lizbee]

Where it's subverted is that he ran out of ammo very quickly, unlike in a video game.

Ohhhhhhhh, I missed that!

I AM SO MAD IT WAS SO UNNECESSARY.

#JUSTICEFORGRACE

[capalxii]

Where it's subverted is that he ran out of ammo very quickly, unlike in a video game.

Can confirm from 1,000s of hours playing video games, the average weapon dropped by NPCs or the bad guys have way more than six rounds in them. Plus you just need to run over to a conveniently placed ammo box to quickly reload.

[capalxii]

Yeeeeeah. This is one of my big fears about a female Doctor. I hope they let her be cranky at least.

I'm hoping that this is all her remembering the whole "be kind" stuff from last series or two, and that it'll all sort of blow up at some point where she realizes that to be kind to the universe, sometimes you gotta gouge out some eyes

ETA: rewatched the episode today, her entire relationship with Epzo was her justifiably being tough with him, being sarcastic, snapping at him etc. Plus she made Tim Shaw's face melt off, so I'm not really that concerned right now about her being too soft.

[sabotabby]

Haha, good.

[nostalgia]

I'm strongly inclined to side eye the fact that the first female Doctor has so much more empathy and emotional intelligence than most of her predecessors, and I wish she was a bit more abrasive and shouty.

Yeah, it's been bothering me Somewhat. I don't think it's a deliberate gender thing, I think he just maybe wants Davison II but it doesn't Look Good. I craved nicer Doctors for so long but now I wish she was a bit edgier, SO STRANGE FOR ME.


I'm hoping it's merely embarrassing rather than utterly offensive.

Me too :(

[dbskyler]

Yes, I totally agree. Or if she has to be so nice, can't she at least be nice in a bit of a loopy way, like Eleven with Craig?

[lizbee]

Yeah, Eleven was a very kind Doctor, but also incredibly weird.

[nostalgia]

You couldn't take him round to your mother's for dinner, anyway.

[capalxii]

I didn't hate that Ryan was the one who went, "I play video games! I am prepared for this!" because I think Yaz -- a cop -- being the one to reach for a gun would have been worse. But that whole sequence seemed to border on tropes of black men as buffoons.

It bordered but for me, knowing so many guys a little older than Ryan who play first person shooters, it rang true enough. And as a gamer it was funny when he ran out of ammo after like six shots. That said I do disagree a bit on having Yaz pick up the gun. Partially because having the one black dude react with violence is a bit off regardless of context, and partially because the Dr having to contend with, even for a moment, a companion who is a cop chomping at the bit for some heroics (with all that represents) would've been a little more interesting than white lady lectures young black man about guns? Just imo.

I'm sorry you're not really feeling the series thus far. I do agree next week will be...a test for all involved tbh

[lizbee]

Partially because having the one black dude react with violence is a bit off regardless of context, and partially because the Dr having to contend with, even for a moment, a companion who is a cop chomping at the bit for some heroics (with all that represents) would've been a little more interesting than white lady lectures young black man about guns? Just imo.

That's true! I was just picturing the very long Tumblr posts about how Yaz is in fact the worst character to ever character, and no, it's a total coincidence that the worst character to ever character is, again, a WoC!

(I also completely missed the bit about running out of ammo -- that was when the cat decided to try to eat my sewing needle.)

[capalxii]

Oh yeah, Tumblr. I don't bother with it anymore, but tbh I don't bother with any fandom spaces anymore. It's just too frustrating and painful to deal with the rampant racism.

Hope your cat is ok! Other than being mad about not being allowed to eat needles, probably

[lizbee]

Hope your cat is ok! Other than being mad about not being allowed to eat needles, probably

He's fine, just mad because here's yet another thing he's not allowed to eat. Needles. Flowers. Human flesh.

[capalxii]

A cats life is so hard

[ironed_orchid]

Chibnall is the first New Who writer with no background in children's or teens' television, and I think he's underestimating his audience... There was also a very odd tendency to tell us? What we're seeing? On the screen?

Yeah, I think both these things are correct and that it adds to my sense of frustration. For all their faults, neither Moffat or RTD made me feel bored while I was watching. (Enraged, maybe, but not bored.)

what I really loved about Moffat's Who was that his companions could out-weird, out-talk and sometimes out-think the Doctor

This is an excellent way of putting it.

[lizbee]

This is a really good, evenhanded review, and one of the things it mentions is how Chibnall's dialogue is a lot less interesting than Davies' or Moffat's -- he doesn't seem to enjoy it for its own sake.

[ironed_orchid]

Thanks for the link! That's an excellent review.

Doctor Who looks cinematic now. Looking cinematic is cool.

Ha!

Also liked the acknowledgement of the Hirogen as - I's seen the Predator comparison, but the Hirogen were what I thought of most.

[tree_and_leaf]

It's also entirely plausible that Yaz doesn't know how to shoot. Unless she's a fire-arms officer, there's no strong reason why a UK police officer would, it's a specialised role and not everyone carries.

I mean there's a lot wrong with the British police, but at least they don't give everyone a gun and then shrug when that leads to large numbers of innocent civilians getting shot.*

* Emphasis on 'large numbers' - they do have massive form for attempting to cover things up when someone is shot unjustifiably, and that 'someone' is quite likely to be a BAME man. But it's still not the US.

[philippos42]

Good point.

[lizbee]

That's a good point! I actually forgot that UK police officers don't carry guns, which is ridiculous, because I just reread the Rivers of London series, where it takes the better part of a book just to get the characters cleared for tasers.

[jesuswasbatman]

the Doctor's despair on not seeing the TARDIS right away at the end felt entirely unearned. (For one thing, Art Malik told us that the "ghost monument" phases in and out on a cycle. We know it's just a matter of waiting.)

Well, they were stuck in a desert with no food, water or shade, quite apart from all the extra nasties left behind by the Stenza experiments.

[lizbee]

Yeah, but that hasn't been a problem for any of the previous hours they've been there. No one's even sweating!