Jennifer Crusie's Blog, page 291

Who Sunday and Pam Regis: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Steven Moffat

Pam Regis did the most brilliant comment on this double episode as a romance, so I’m putting it here so that nobody misses it. Here’s Pam:

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

I have identified 8 elements that every romance novel has. They can occur in any order, there can be more than one instance of each, they can be inverted for ironic effect, and they can happen “off”—be reported rather than dramatized with action and dialogue. But they are always there, every one of them. For this reason, I believe that they have unusual resonance for any reader or viewer acquainted with courtship narratives. Meaning, everyone.

Steven Moffet has piled up most of them in these two episodes. Holy cow.

We’re in the 51st century. I’ll try to keep the time relationships straight as I talk about this. Wish me luck.

Meeting: Every romance has a meeting. The parties to the courtship have to meet. (I know, “Duh,” right? But think about how shimmery this moment in a romance can be. The meeting resonates.) Well, the whole of the two episodes is the meeting “scene” for Ten. River has met the Doctor, but Ten is not “her” Doctor, whom she will meet in Ten’s future. So, for Ten it’s the very first time, and for River it’s the first time she’s seen a Doctor this far back in the regeneration sequence. (Got that?)

Attraction: Why must the courting parties be together? Love is generally the answer to that question, but that little word covers a lot of territory. So, why? Conveying the attraction is River’s job in these episodes. Recall that River waxes positively rhapsodic as she talks about the Doctor. This puzzles Ten, brings him up short. Well, that’s something that the heroine usually does in a romance. She stops the hero cold. (Or warm.) River’s one more thing that Ten doesn’t understand about what is happening in the Library.

Barrier: Why don’t the courting parties achieve union on page 3 of the novel? Or, in the case of a TV show, at about minute 15? In this instance, Ten doesn’t know River. For River, Ten is the wrong Doctor. But because this is Steven Moffet, these two have, at some point, overcome their barrier, so we have, simultaneously (a word that is very difficult to use when talking about Who) a barrier and no barrier. In the now of the show, yes. In the arc of the myth, no. My head hurts.

Point of Ritual Death: Recall: union seems more impossible than ever, myth of Persephone, all that stuff. Well, in Who, because death is imminent throughout almost all of every episode, it’s easy to locate stuff that threatens the courting parties. Vashta Nerada anyone? But the scene in “Forest of the Dead” in which the Doctor and River fight it out to see who will provide additional memory for CAL to save the 4022 people killed by the VN, as well as Donna—that’s a “ritual” death that turns into a real death for River. The Doctor watches, handcuffed.

Declaration: Everyone says I love you. “I trust that man to the end of the universe. And we’ve been.” That’s River. And, “The Doctor, in the Tardis, next stop everywhere.” Ten? No.

Recognition: New information, often in the form of a revelation of identity, often self-identity, fells the barrier. River whispers the Doctor’s name to him. He recognizes her at that point as his wife.

Betrothal: An agreement to go forward together. Often marriage, but doesn’t have to be. This is represented by events in River’s diary—in her view, they are already betrothed—and by Ten’s realization that he will give her (his time stream)/has given her (the Doctor’s whole arc) his sonic screwdriver. Everyone should at this point be snorting at the symbolism. “It’s a screwdriver. It works in the dark.”

The eighth element is the disordered society or community that is put right somehow by the courtship. Library, Vashta Nerada, 4022 of those who were “saved” virtually now (there’s that word again) saved actually. River’s dead. Donna has lost Lee, the perfect man for her. The putting right is almost always partial.

All this in a story that is not centrally a courtship narrative at all.

Cherry Saturday: 8-10-2013

August 10th is Lazy Day. Also it’s National S’Mores Day.

Eat a s’more in a hammock. It’s the American way.

Notes to New McD Students and Thinking Ahead about Who Sundays

Notes for the new McD students (workshop students, you already know all of this stuff):

The last novel in your reading list is Hot Target by Suz Brockmann.

For eight of you, the only e-mail addresses I have are your McDaniel e-mails. I’ve sent two e-mails to those; if you’re not picking up your McD e-mail yet, send me (jennycrusie@gmail) the address you are using and I’ll resend to your regular address.

For everybody else, I’ve been thinking about the Doctor Who Argh Project. I have been shamefully neglectful of this project, not doing the analysis stuff I wanted to do with those episodes, and I fully intend to get back on track, but I’m also thinking about doing this again with another show in the new year, when we’ve run through our sampling of Who. Maybe Buffy? I’m leery of doing anything current because current stuff is expensive, one reason I discarded Person of Interest as an option. Maybe Sherlock. That’s only six episodes. Must cogitate. And do better, although Pam is doing a wonderful job of taking up my slack. I just need a plan, that’s all. Sherlock with only six episodes and three different writers, that could be a very good plan. Six weeks of Sherlock. Week Four would be all about subtext and metaphor, I can you that now.

Next Who Sunday: “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead,” Steven Moffat

There’s a reason Steven Moffat is considered the best Who script writer for Nine and Ten, and he showcases all his humor, his compassion, and his outside-the-box storytelling in this episode, which is also the debut of River Song. The resolution in this one creaks for me, but the rest is really wonderful; just skip the saccharine epilog and you’ll be fine (although trying to find a non-creepy still photo to illustrate this post reminded me of how suspenseful this one really is).

Who Sunday: There’s a New Who in the Tardis

Peter Capaldi has just been announced at the new Doctor.

Now if the writing doesn’t screw things up, this should be very, very good: older, character actor, great with comedy and drama, really nothing but good times ahead if the writing gets better.

Who Sunday: “Partners in Crime” Russell T. Davies

I love this episode. I know it’s not considered one of the best, but I love the Bad Nanny, I love the little Adipose, and most of all, I love Donna and the Doctor together again.

Cherry Saturday: 8-3-2013

August 3rd is Admit You’re Happy.

Confess in the comments, please.

Next Who Sunday: Partners in Crime, Russell T. Davies

I know a lot of people don’t like this one because it’s too fluffy. Me, I like fluff, especially marshmallow fluff, especially when Donna comes back and says, “You’re not mating with me, sunshine.” Also, Wilfred.

Two Sentence Stories

Reddit did a two-sentence horror story challenge and got some great micro-fiction, like:

I just saw my reflection blink. -marino1310

(By way of io9.)

Krissie says, “Shop!”

From Krissie on ReFab:

“Oh, and Amazon is doing a fabulous promotional effort called The Big Deal, with hundreds of books at rock-bottom prices until August 4th. Included are three of my very best: TO LOVE A DARK LORD, RITUAL SINS and AGAINST THE WIND, at only $.99 each. How can you resist a bargain like that? Plus there are lots of other goodies to snap up for a little “me” time later on.

Go shopping!”