Buffy ,'Lessons'
A topic for the discussion of Farscape, Smallville, and Due South. Beware possible invasions of Stargate, Highlander, or pretty much any other "genre" show that captures our fancy. Expect Adult Content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex.
Whitefont all unaired in the U.S. ep discussion, identifying it as such, and including the show and ep title in blackfont.
Blackfont is allowed after the show has aired on the east coast.
This is NOT a general TV discussion thread.
I've heard that the six words used against Harriet are the same words used against Margaret Thatcher when she was being forced out. Interesting reference if true.
Oh, wow. I hadn't heard that. I wonder if the show parallels Harriet Jones with Margaret Thatcher in other ways? Might be interesting to track.
I think it will take a few more episodes before the whole, "not just a new face, but actually a new person, in a lot of ways" really sinks in, because I think they're playing up the character continuity, which is likely a good thing.I adore how Tennant's Doctor has so many traits which are far more consistent with various old school Doctors, plus a bit of the Ninth, together with his own flair.
As for Harriet Jones, I think that it may well have been that hint of her clutching to her power that decided the Doctor to take her down. If she had reacted to him calling her on the carpet for destroying the Sycorax by saying, "It may have been the wrong thing to do, but I dare not take the chance that they wouldn't have turned around and attacked again when you weren't here, after seeing their leader try to kill you after surrendering. It was a horrible thing to have to do, and oh god, I don't know how I'm going to sleep at night. I believe that was what I had to do, but if you think I'm not fit to lead, you may be right," rather than, "You wouldn't dare!" the Doctor may not have gotten his knickers in such a twist.
I could be wrong.
The destruction of the Sycorax ship as they were retreating is based on the attack on the Belgrano during the Falklands war, so yeah, there's more than one parallel.
Her gender is unremarked-upon throughout the episode, IIRC, but I think that tactic only worked because she's female, and therefore, she's still judged more on her appearance than a man would be in the same position. And the Doctor knows that, and uses it against her.
I don't think it's specifically what The Doctor said to Adam Garcia that started the ball rolling... it's Harriet's sudden paranoia and how that affects her behavior subsequently. She ends up coming back from the alien ship all twitchy and traumatized-seeming rather than her usual calm self, and that would shake people's confidence in her.
As for "New Earth," I fell out laughing when Cassandra exclaimed "Oh my God, I'm a Chav!"
I don't think it's specifically what The Doctor said to Adam Garcia that started the ball rolling... it's Harriet's sudden paranoia and how that affects her behavior subsequently. She ends up coming back from the alien ship all twitchy and traumatized-seeming rather than her usual calm self, and that would shake people's confidence in her.
Maybe more a combination of both. I think her own confidence is shaken by the possibility that she made a horribly wrong decision when she orders the destruction of the ship, but the implication is also that the aide whispers to the press which draws their attention to it. Her confidence in the face of danger is what got her elected. Now she's having a crisis of conscience and it's shaken the public's faith in her.
As for "New Earth," I fell out laughing when Cassandra exclaimed "Oh my God, I'm a Chav!"
Um, translation for those of us who are British-challenged?
(Mind you, one of the charms of Who for me is the Britishness. Even so, there are times when I know stuff is whizzing by over my head -- as Brust is reputed to have said, I might as well be a dwarf at the airport.)
Um, translation for those of us who are British-challenged?
Urban dictionary definition of chav: [link]
As I understand it, chavs fill up the niche in British society taken up by white trash/trailer trash and wanna-be gangstas in U.S. society.
ETA: a complete sentence.
Chav more or less = bridge & tunnel, though I'm not sure how helpful that is to non NYC-ers.
I have all of S2 ahemed and on DVD, but there's SO FREAKING MUCH I still haven't caught up on! (Finally got around to the 'Gate midseason finales yesterday -- unfortunately meh on both counts. I mean, do they really think we're going to be genuinely worried about the safety of either team? I liked most of the individual beats within the eps, but the cliffhangers were...not. Oh well.)
Hopefully will get to the 2 Eureka eps today, and THEN I can start in on the Tenth Doctor. Whew!
Apparently Cassandra took one look at Rose's dark roots and sky blue windbreaker and realized that there weren't going to be any society cocktail parties in her immediate future.
I loved the scene for all the different layers. Even though it's based on the Belgrano attack, the awfulness of which is for the british left is a bit of a shibboleth, Harriet's given very valid points. We did just see the Sycorax leader go back on his given word in a single instant, and Harriet doesn't invoke fancy abstractions to justify herself, she remembers the two good people she saw brutally murdered that day.
But the Doctor's anger is valid too; he just managed to engineer an ending where only three people died instead of thousands and thousands, and he gave his word and Harriet broke it.
Yet again against that is set how disturbing a Time Lord can be, having the power to know what tiny pebble to drop to cause the avalanche he wants. Harriet has to work with her mortal limitations and inability to see the future. It's never really a fair matchup.