Aug. 15th, 2009 02:49 pm
2+5 = 10. *claps* I'M SO CLEVER!
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clocketpatchAfter much delay, he's the first bit of my response to the top 5's meme:
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garpu asked who my top five Classic Who companions are. Well, the answer would be:
5. Turlough
Why? Because he’s just so delightfully skeevy. When you look at it on the surface, his obviously faux hair and often over-the-top acting shouldn’t be half so entertaining as it is, but I find all that hamminess somewhat endearing. He also has one of the best developed character arcs of the series, I think. He goes from being a lying, untrusty would-be assassin and coward, to facing finally facing his fears, his past, and being rather heroic in his way.
He also has a stripy speedo. I’m not sure if that gives him points or takes some away, but is interesting….
4. Jamie
Because he’s just adorable. He is. I love how he manages to adapt to the future while never letting you doubt that he’s from the past:
"It's a flying beastie!"
There’s the way he broods over Victoria and Zoe, trying to keep them safe, while being at the same time slightly clueless (especially with Zoe). There’s the heterosexual life partners thing he’s got going on with Two (I do ship them, more jokingly than anything, but, well, they do end up touching quite a bit).
And he has a kilt.
3. Romana (and, no, no I am not going to choose between regenerations, it’s the same character both times… even if it isn’t, exactly)
If ever the Doctor loved anyone ~that~ way, it was Romana. I think this becomes abundantly clear the second you watch City of Death, what with their running through Paris and assorted winks&nudges and all. I love the way their relationship evolves from bemusement, confusion, distrust, and snappy remarks, all the way to that last scene where he sees her off into the ExoVerse, the noblest Romana of them all!
Moving onwards from my shippy tendencies, I like the concept of the character. The idea that the Doctor isn’t the smartest one on the TARDIS; that nice juxtaposition of knowledge vs. experience. Though, in truth, I think I sometimes like Romana-in-theory more than Romana-in-practice. There are times when in becomes painfully clear that Lalla Ward can’t really act. And those times are painful indeed.
I’ve also got my crazy fan-theory that Donna will end up being a fob-watched Romana. I know this isn’t the case, and I’d probably be disappointed if it actually occurred, but sheer bloody-minded fan stubbornness refuses to let me give the idea up.
2. The Brigadier (why yes, he does count, thank you very much)
He’s the bloody Brig! What more needs saying? He has the fake ‘tache of awesome. He has the dastardly alt!eyepatchself. He has the smouldering we-are-not-flirting-we-swear thing going on with Liz. He has UNIT! He has a swagger stick! He has the tight beige season 7 trousers!
He has the ability to tell off the Doctor and make it stick.
He’s the Brig and he’s awesome personified. ‘Nuff said.
1. Ace
She beat up a Dalek with a baseball bat!
Ace is just plain bad-ass, and she completes Seven. Much as I love certain bits of Seven & Mel’s escapades, Seven doesn’t actually come into his own until he meets up with this disenfranchised bomb-making teen. Seven & Ace may be the best TARDIS team in the show’s history. They just fit.
And okay, so Sophie Aldred obviously is older than Ace is supposed to be. I still think she does a cracking great job at playing the bit. And, as a non-Brit several decades removed, the apparently awful BBC attempts at teen coolspeak catch phrases don’t bother me in the least.
The character is one that’s easy to relate to I think; she’s young but she’s been dragged over the wires more than a few times. She lost, and she’s alone, and she’s looking for a place to fit in. She’s tough, but it’s obviously just a front. She’s resourceful because she needs to be.
And then there’s her backstory, and the anti-racism message that carries, still sorely needed. (Just today at work I heard about a friend of a friend who was accosted with pepper spray by some teenage idiots for the crime of being black. What the hell? I thought we left that kind of mentality back in the sixties. Apparently not.)
Oh, and if you read into the subtext with Ace, apparently she beats out Jack as the first bisexual companion. And, from what I’ve read, this was fully intentional. And well done I think, because you can see it, but it isn’t the defining aspect of her character. It’s just sort of bi-the-way. that’s rare. And rather wonderful. Far too often in the media when someone tries to portray a character who's different, for whatever reason (sexuality, race, handicap, religion, hard background etc) that one aspect ends up taking over and defining everything else. And it shouldn't. Because people, well, most people, aren't like that.
I like Ace because she could easily be a stereotype, or a Mary Sue, but she pushes past that and stands on her own.
jjpor said: “Hmmm...top five Three outfits? No? Top five Three moments of awesomeness, then. Or top five archaeological moments in Who. I leave it up to you.”
I’m not sure how many outfits Three had, actually, but I get the feeling that if I did a top five I’d be going through a significant portion of his wardrobe. However, for curiousity’s sake, my favourite of his is this little number:
Mostly because he looks rather like Dracula, and this amuses me greatly (even more so if you’ve seen The House That Dripped Blood wherein he actually does play Dracula – or some sort of bloodsucker anyways – while wearing pretty much the exact same outfit. Which makes me wonder if he owned said outfit, because apparently he did own quite a few of them... which is a certain level of win all in and of itself)
The same rather goes for archaeological moments in Who – how many would I be able to count, really, without drawing on the spin-off material? This is, unless I’m counting all historical stories as somehow archaeological, in which case, I did quite like the Aztecs (rather predictably) even if I was screaming at the screen every two minutes.
Oh, and Battlefield, I love Battlefield.
Anyways, Three moments of awesome (and these were right hard to pick I’ll tell you):
5. Random chase scenes. Okay, so this isn’t one specific moment of awesome, but I do love how Pertwee’s boyish love of fast-moving vehicles was brought into the show at every possible (and often implausible) opportunity. He had chase scenes involving motorcycles, cars, trains, hovercraft, airplanes, space ships – and you could tell that he was enjoying every minute of it. Pertwee: James Bond in Frills.
4. “SHOES!” In “Spearhead from Space.” Best. First. Words. Ever. (the runner up to this moment is Three trying on his stolen hat in the same episode. Brilliant!)
3. The last few scenes of ‘The Green Death’ when he slips quietly away from the party to drive off into the sunset (after putting back a shot, Doctor, for shame). That scene, and its understatedness, is beautiful. I think it’s one of the best example of quiet angst I’ve ever seen. Three’s heartbreak at losing Jo is clear, and you know as he makes his way past the chickens and the goats to Bessie and drives slowly away that he’s probably going to go cry alone somewhere out of sight, or just sit and stare at the stars.
Poor Three.
2. The monologue he gives to Jo in ‘The Time Monster’ about the darkest day of his life and the daisest daisy he’d ever seen. I love this little aside. It may be my favourite monologue in the whole of Whodom. Something about the incidentally music, and the way he tells the story, repeating certain parts for emphasis, and with that far-off look in his eyes like he’s actually reliving the moment, climbing that mountain again. And then Jo breaks the spell, and they have a little laugh, and he’s comforting her, and it’s so sweet because it’s just the best example of the relationship Three had with Jo and how much he really cared about her (which makes #3 that much more touching).
1. The swordfight in ‘The Sea Devils’. Because, random sword fight IN A JAIL for the win. But, if that isn’t awesome enough, HE PAUSES MID-WAY THROUGH TO EAT A SANDWICH! Much to the Master’s disgust.
Om nom nom nom.
I love you Three.
You'll get the rest of the top fives once I sort out my picspam.
garpu asked who my top five Classic Who companions are. Well, the answer would be:5. Turlough
Why? Because he’s just so delightfully skeevy. When you look at it on the surface, his obviously faux hair and often over-the-top acting shouldn’t be half so entertaining as it is, but I find all that hamminess somewhat endearing. He also has one of the best developed character arcs of the series, I think. He goes from being a lying, untrusty would-be assassin and coward, to facing finally facing his fears, his past, and being rather heroic in his way.
He also has a stripy speedo. I’m not sure if that gives him points or takes some away, but is interesting….
4. Jamie
Because he’s just adorable. He is. I love how he manages to adapt to the future while never letting you doubt that he’s from the past:
"It's a flying beastie!"
There’s the way he broods over Victoria and Zoe, trying to keep them safe, while being at the same time slightly clueless (especially with Zoe). There’s the heterosexual life partners thing he’s got going on with Two (I do ship them, more jokingly than anything, but, well, they do end up touching quite a bit).
And he has a kilt.
3. Romana (and, no, no I am not going to choose between regenerations, it’s the same character both times… even if it isn’t, exactly)
If ever the Doctor loved anyone ~that~ way, it was Romana. I think this becomes abundantly clear the second you watch City of Death, what with their running through Paris and assorted winks&nudges and all. I love the way their relationship evolves from bemusement, confusion, distrust, and snappy remarks, all the way to that last scene where he sees her off into the ExoVerse, the noblest Romana of them all!
Moving onwards from my shippy tendencies, I like the concept of the character. The idea that the Doctor isn’t the smartest one on the TARDIS; that nice juxtaposition of knowledge vs. experience. Though, in truth, I think I sometimes like Romana-in-theory more than Romana-in-practice. There are times when in becomes painfully clear that Lalla Ward can’t really act. And those times are painful indeed.
I’ve also got my crazy fan-theory that Donna will end up being a fob-watched Romana. I know this isn’t the case, and I’d probably be disappointed if it actually occurred, but sheer bloody-minded fan stubbornness refuses to let me give the idea up.
2. The Brigadier (why yes, he does count, thank you very much)
He’s the bloody Brig! What more needs saying? He has the fake ‘tache of awesome. He has the dastardly alt!eyepatchself. He has the smouldering we-are-not-flirting-we-swear thing going on with Liz. He has UNIT! He has a swagger stick! He has the tight beige season 7 trousers!
He has the ability to tell off the Doctor and make it stick.
He’s the Brig and he’s awesome personified. ‘Nuff said.
1. Ace
She beat up a Dalek with a baseball bat!
Ace is just plain bad-ass, and she completes Seven. Much as I love certain bits of Seven & Mel’s escapades, Seven doesn’t actually come into his own until he meets up with this disenfranchised bomb-making teen. Seven & Ace may be the best TARDIS team in the show’s history. They just fit.
And okay, so Sophie Aldred obviously is older than Ace is supposed to be. I still think she does a cracking great job at playing the bit. And, as a non-Brit several decades removed, the apparently awful BBC attempts at teen coolspeak catch phrases don’t bother me in the least.
The character is one that’s easy to relate to I think; she’s young but she’s been dragged over the wires more than a few times. She lost, and she’s alone, and she’s looking for a place to fit in. She’s tough, but it’s obviously just a front. She’s resourceful because she needs to be.
And then there’s her backstory, and the anti-racism message that carries, still sorely needed. (Just today at work I heard about a friend of a friend who was accosted with pepper spray by some teenage idiots for the crime of being black. What the hell? I thought we left that kind of mentality back in the sixties. Apparently not.)
Oh, and if you read into the subtext with Ace, apparently she beats out Jack as the first bisexual companion. And, from what I’ve read, this was fully intentional. And well done I think, because you can see it, but it isn’t the defining aspect of her character. It’s just sort of bi-the-way. that’s rare. And rather wonderful. Far too often in the media when someone tries to portray a character who's different, for whatever reason (sexuality, race, handicap, religion, hard background etc) that one aspect ends up taking over and defining everything else. And it shouldn't. Because people, well, most people, aren't like that.
I like Ace because she could easily be a stereotype, or a Mary Sue, but she pushes past that and stands on her own.
jjpor said: “Hmmm...top five Three outfits? No? Top five Three moments of awesomeness, then. Or top five archaeological moments in Who. I leave it up to you.”I’m not sure how many outfits Three had, actually, but I get the feeling that if I did a top five I’d be going through a significant portion of his wardrobe. However, for curiousity’s sake, my favourite of his is this little number:
Mostly because he looks rather like Dracula, and this amuses me greatly (even more so if you’ve seen The House That Dripped Blood wherein he actually does play Dracula – or some sort of bloodsucker anyways – while wearing pretty much the exact same outfit. Which makes me wonder if he owned said outfit, because apparently he did own quite a few of them... which is a certain level of win all in and of itself)
The same rather goes for archaeological moments in Who – how many would I be able to count, really, without drawing on the spin-off material? This is, unless I’m counting all historical stories as somehow archaeological, in which case, I did quite like the Aztecs (rather predictably) even if I was screaming at the screen every two minutes.
Oh, and Battlefield, I love Battlefield.
Anyways, Three moments of awesome (and these were right hard to pick I’ll tell you):
5. Random chase scenes. Okay, so this isn’t one specific moment of awesome, but I do love how Pertwee’s boyish love of fast-moving vehicles was brought into the show at every possible (and often implausible) opportunity. He had chase scenes involving motorcycles, cars, trains, hovercraft, airplanes, space ships – and you could tell that he was enjoying every minute of it. Pertwee: James Bond in Frills.
4. “SHOES!” In “Spearhead from Space.” Best. First. Words. Ever. (the runner up to this moment is Three trying on his stolen hat in the same episode. Brilliant!)
3. The last few scenes of ‘The Green Death’ when he slips quietly away from the party to drive off into the sunset (after putting back a shot, Doctor, for shame). That scene, and its understatedness, is beautiful. I think it’s one of the best example of quiet angst I’ve ever seen. Three’s heartbreak at losing Jo is clear, and you know as he makes his way past the chickens and the goats to Bessie and drives slowly away that he’s probably going to go cry alone somewhere out of sight, or just sit and stare at the stars.
Poor Three.
2. The monologue he gives to Jo in ‘The Time Monster’ about the darkest day of his life and the daisest daisy he’d ever seen. I love this little aside. It may be my favourite monologue in the whole of Whodom. Something about the incidentally music, and the way he tells the story, repeating certain parts for emphasis, and with that far-off look in his eyes like he’s actually reliving the moment, climbing that mountain again. And then Jo breaks the spell, and they have a little laugh, and he’s comforting her, and it’s so sweet because it’s just the best example of the relationship Three had with Jo and how much he really cared about her (which makes #3 that much more touching).
1. The swordfight in ‘The Sea Devils’. Because, random sword fight IN A JAIL for the win. But, if that isn’t awesome enough, HE PAUSES MID-WAY THROUGH TO EAT A SANDWICH! Much to the Master’s disgust.
Om nom nom nom.
I love you Three.
You'll get the rest of the top fives once I sort out my picspam.
Tags:
no subject
And, aw, I hope you don't feel sucked in, lol. It's in a good way right? Right? ;)
no subject
Oh, yes, sucked in in a good way, definitely - I'm the lucky one here who's getting to read this fic while everyone else must wait!