Nine is still my favorite, but I've grown to love Ten bunches, too.

I was this way for a long time, but this two-parter might have made me... well, not love Ten better, but now they're kind of a draw. For most of S2, Ten had been a cute goofball, but he's turned into someone difficult in S3. Difficult characters are my kryptonite.

I can't work out how to explain why I still like Nine more than Ten. I mean, they can both be described fairly similarly (and it is odd to think of the principle of such long life which seems to have such mandated character shifts--he may be all blasé and seen it all, because he has--it's just that with each regen he's seen it all differently from last time).

I guess Nine's more overtly prickly. I know not to cross Nine, and his kindnesses and fierce devotions are more the surprise. I don't want to call Ten callous, exactly, but he's clinging to the repartée in a way Nine didn't. Nine was calmer, almost frosty, whereas Ten...

No, I don't quite have it yet.

BSG: An interview with Tahmoh Penikett.

ETA: Part 2 of the interview has a bit of a casting spoiler for the Fall BSG tv movie.

Nine was calmer, almost frosty, whereas Ten...

Oh, I thought Ten did a great frosty in this episode. But, um, yeah, I know what you mean. It's the combination of harder and colder with goofy that can get a bit wearing.

And how on earth Ten thought Joan would just come with him as if nothing had happenend.... I don't know, I was sort of hoping that a bit more of John Smith might have been left over than, apparently, was.

Oh, and what do people feel about not seeing the Smith to Doctor transformation onscreen? I understand why they didn't show it (more suspense in the spaceship), but I'd have loved to see what DT did with it.

On rewatch, one of the things which killed me was when Joan sees the picture of Rose in the Journal, and she means nothing to Smith, "she just vanishes". OK, maybe I'm just a Rose fangirl, though I did love poor Martha here.

Who 3x09:

Fiona, yeah, I was also hoping to see the John-Smith-to-Doctor transformation moment. More than that, I wanted to see the moment when Smith finally chooses to turn back. I mean, we saw enough of the lead-up to that moment that I don't feel cheated, but Smith's anguish about his choice was one of the most compelling parts of the story for me, and I would have loved to see him go bravely into that good night.

I do still love Nine more than Ten, although I've also come to love Ten much more than I expected. I appreciate Ten's goofiness, but too often it comes off as... almost juvenile, too silly, like he's just putting on a show, whereas even Nine's silliest moments felt genuine. I don't trust Ten like I trusted Nine. I would have followed Nine anywhere, I think; and maybe part of that is that he was more able to show a vulnerable side. I don't know where Ten's soft underbelly is, and I don't trust him not to gut me if I accidentally poke it.

I felt marginally less cheated by the Doctor's transformation from John Smith because we got to see a flicker of him earlier on, one that underscored for me how completely completely (since merely completely wasn't enough, it seems) different they were, and how startling it was. I also felt like the emotional groundwork had been well laid.

I don't know where Ten's soft underbelly is, and I don't trust him not to gut me if I accidentally poke it.

I think Ten is overcompensating for the pain of losing both his people and Rose.

I appreciate Ten's goofiness, but too often it comes off as... almost juvenile, too silly, like he's just putting on a show

Yeah, this was how I felt, as well. Which was why I appreciated the hardcore evidence that he can be a ruthless, scary son of a bitch from this episode. I wasn't a big fan of season 2 and the Ten/Rose relationship (which seemed to be too much of zero-to-eleven, and the giggly "we're in love!" hints and the interdependence irritated me, as did their melodramatic parting), as it seemed to rob the Doctor of most of the interesting gravitas I felt with Nine, but I do like how they are portraying the aftermath of the loss of Rose. The S3 Doctor is shaped by grief, both of his people and Rose, and he's a more interesting and unpredictable character because of it, I think.

Just finished Who 3.09:

Oh, how awful that the Doctor asked Joan to come with him at the end. How callous to Martha. Ouch. I believe it, but ouch.

Okay, I have to go back and read what everyone else said. Thank god the board is back up.

The board was down?