#and the doctor says 'i thought that music was non-diegetic!'

[kiralamouse]

"I thought that was non-diegetic!" is now my VERY FAVORITE leaning-on-the-fourth-wall line ever.

#spoilers #although i will attempt to mitigate the spoilers by keeping the rest of the tags #buried underneath a row of chatter #so for the unfamiliar 'diegetic' music is music that exists in-universe #e.g. music on a radio or in a concert #'non-diegetic' music is the soundtrack that only the audience can hear #and sometimes the one can fade into the other #so into the spoilery section #doctor who spoilers #doctor who #facing a musical villain and x character says 'do you hear that music?' before magical music notes drag them off #and the doctor says 'i thought that music was non-diegetic!' #... so the doctor is now aware of the fourth wall??? #are we going to be breaking the fourth wall for part of this season??? #anyway yes fifteenth doctor is off to a very strong start imho

[causalityparadoxes]

Cannot emphasise how OBSESSED i am with the Doctor being able to hear the show's backing music. Does he have favourites? Does he ever miss the funky classic who tunes?

Its giving Day of the Doctor novelisation, where the Doctor's vision changed when the show's colour grading did.

I love whenever they make allusions to the 4th wall or skirt near it. 1st Doctor talking to the people at home. 4th Doctor's laugh at the camera. 12th Doctor's monologues and playing of the Theme tune. Its all so wonderful.

But to put it in the forefront. To literally have him say " I Thought that was non-diegetic " (music not actually present in the world and only for the audience) to have him WINK at us.

Obsessed is too weak a word for what I'm feeling right now. I love them

[image description first image: The Fifteenth Doctor with an expression of surprise saying, "I thought that was non-diegetic." second image: The Fifteenth Doctor looking directly into the camera, about to wink. end description]

(Thank you @thevalleyisjolly for the image description text!)

#not even getting into how it implies he is a godlike being like the maestro!!! did that in my other post #doctor who #dw spoilers #15th doctor #series 14 #season 14 #dw #the devil's chord

[fallofcyber]

Okay absolutely off the wall Doctor Who theory time.

They are trapped inside a television show. An outrageous claim I know buuuut I do have a fair bit of evidence. First something kinda unsubstantial, the sonic screwdriver literally looks like a TV remote, and in the episode the Doctor hit the Mute button.

Second: the key art for the penultimate episode "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" features a TV set

Third: The sheer amount of fourth wall breaks in the past four episodes trumps what we've seen in the whole of the revival.

Fourth: At the end of "The Devil's Cord" a music number saying there's "Always a twist", and an actress that has been popping up all over this new era is 'Susan Twist'. She keeps popping up, because 'There's Always a Twist'.

Fifth: The Doctor mentions that he thought the music was "Non-diegetic", meaning he could hear the music in the scene and assumed it was just part of the show, until Ruby mentioned she could hear it. Implying that whenever we hear the Non-diegetic music in the show so can the Doctor.

Thank you for listening to my absolute crackpot theory.

#doctor who #doctor who season 1 #15th doctor #fifteenth doctor #ruby sunday #doctor who theory #ncuti gatwa #millie gibson

[ultralife]

I’m having so many thoughts about Doctor Who and how it seems to be leaning into the fact that it’s a tv show.

The Toymaker, the Maestro, and the Golbin King all having campy, over-the-top villainous musical numbers, paired with the Space Babies realization that a villain was created because it necessary to tell a story. The way the Doctor kept saying “babies” and then correcting himself to say “space babies” because that’s the name of the episode. The new sonic looking more like a television remote than a screwdriver and the Doctor using it to press “mute”. “I thought that was non-diegetic”. Looking directly at the audience and winking. Seemingly using an actor’s name as a clue.

I don’t know what to make of any of it. Doctor Who is so fucking back.

#Doctor who #doctor who spoilers #ncuti gatwa #fifteenth doctor

[b4si1wh0]

From what I can tell, I can classify the mysteries so far into 5 main mysteries:

The Mrs Flood Mystery

The Susan Twist Mystery

The Mystery of The One Who Waits

The Mystery of Ruby Sunday’s Mother(??) Parent

The Mystery of Ruby Sunday

And here are my thoughts and theories on each of them (as well as fourth-wall breaks, and theories I do not like):

Mrs Flood:

She is Susan. I believe that ‘Susan’ Twist is a red herring, and Susan deserves her return. The fact that Ruby mentioned that she would be living in her time makes me even more sure, especially considering Ruby’s tendency to make things ‘happen’ - Strictly, Star Trek - more on that later.

She is River Song. A huge jump in likelihood, because I do believe her story is over, but you never know, and I don’t think I would be complaining about her return particularly. We don’t know Mrs Flood’s first name, which might be for a reason. Melody Pond, River Song and then xxxx Flood.

She is the One Who Waits. I’m going to probably say this about everyone but… idk what else to say. sHe’S tHe RaNi!!!11!!

Susan Twist:

She is the One Who Waits/part of the Pantheon of Gods. It just seems likely.

She is Ruby/Ruby’s mother. Seems the least likely, but in that case it would be a situation of ‘watching over’ Ruby in a way, but Susan Twist looks nothing like Ruby, so very unlikely.

She is no one/a spy. This works well for my first point regarding Ruby’s parent, but I think she might be a spy for The Trickster to keep an eye on the Doctor/Ruby. They could also be the same thing as the ‘Bad Wolf’, ‘Torchwood’ and ‘Vote Saxon’ - they don’t make sense until the finale, she might not make sense until the finale.

The One Who Waits:

Obviously one of the pantheon of Gods - I do believe the most powerful.

Probably Ruby’s mother, or someone related to Ruby.

We don’t know who they are yet. Some new guy. Hoping any one of these.

Ruby’s Parent:

THE TRICKSTER FROM THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES! The hood and cloak are the same, the desolate London is so similar and the theme when Maria has The Trickster’s box in her bed and when Ruby was hoisted into the air is the same - please just search on youtube, it will probably be there. Plus, The Trickster would work well with the Pantheon of Gods - the Gods of CHAOS - what The Trickster thrives on.

A powerful being from the Gods of Chaos - an evil thing, the One Who Waits.

Someone the Doctor may recognise - though I doubt it somehow.

Ruby:

The daughter of one of the Gods of Chaos - you cannot deny her powers, in terms of the snow, mentioning things and then they exist - she mentions the Butterfly Effect- it happens. She mentions Star Trek in Space Babies, and the crew are dressed in uniforms eerily similar to the Star Trek ones. She mentions Strictly - who come but Johannes and Shirley from Strictly.

A supernatural entity - like a changeling, or something like that. The DNA scan said she was human, but it was only 70% done - that might be foreshadowing something - in terms that she is not human. In The Wild Blue Yonder, The Doctor let superstition come in - maybe he also let Ruby in.

A bad guy. One of the Gods of Chaos, the One Who Waits. Getting close to The Doctor all this time… maybe this won’t even be revealed until series 15. That would be great in my opinion honestly!

The last episode - ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’ makes me believe that she is older than she is. It is not the story, it is the legend - the Google definition being ‘a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated. Not a word being used for a 19-year-old girl from Manchester, methinks.

Fourth-wall breaks: The Legend of Ruby Sunday seems to be based on a TV show - now we get to the ‘Doctor Who’ is a TV show in ‘Doctor Who’ - e.g. The Doctor can hear the non-diegetic music. I think this is a great idea. (I have written a fan-fiction about this 2 years ago hehe).

I DO NOT think these theories are true: 

The Doctor is Ruby’s parent. Nope. Too obvious, lazy and just plain weird.

Ruby is Ruby’s parent?? Weird and impossible. Very very timey-wimey.

The Master is returning - I don’t think they are this series - keep in mind that we only last saw them 6 episodes as of now (after Boom - not counting The Tooth).

THANK YOU READING IF YOU’VE READ ALL OF THIS!!!

#doctor who #15th doctor #ruby sunday #ncuti gatwa #millie gibson #doctor who series 14 #doctor who season 14 #doctor who series 1 #doctor who season 1 #nuwho #new new who #doctor who theories #susan twist #mrs flood

[ryttu3k]

Thoughts on Space Babies and The Devil's Chord, in no particular order:

So we agree that the overarching storyline for this season is stories becoming real, yeah? Starts with invoking folklore at the end of the universe, is solidified with the Toymaker and his rules of play, used heavily in The Church on Ruby Road, and now children's fairytales and musicals? Fascinated to see where this is going!

Generally ridiculously camp and bonkers and you know what, I goddamn missed that. It had whimsy. It had space babies and musical battles! It was fun and ridiculous and just. Felt good, man.

And it also had far-future dystopias and reproductive horror and slow starvation and suffocation and refugees and a timeline of depression and nuclear winter simply to create the universe's biggest aeolian harp so, you know. Doctor Who is back, baby!

Space Babies

Okay the episode was pretty fun and, at times, sweet (they saved the monster!) but oy the CGI/voice acting for the babies was… not great XD;;

Rani reference!

RTD detractors: "Ew, fart jokes with the Slitheen, so immature." RTD, writing an elaborate snot joke that ends with a colossal projectile shart: "Watch this :D"

Okay yes the projectile shart to get the space station moving is one thing, but, uh. How is it going to stop? XD;;

The nanny filter made me giggle each time.

I actually had to go back and check because I was squinting at the readout trying to work out what's weird and somehow failed a spot check and missed the fact that it had started snowing. Good observational skills, self. Anyway, the snow is definitely a Message. (Is it snow? Like I agree that it's connected with the day Ruby was born, but is what's falling in the church scene snow to begin with?)

Do you. Do you think the butterfly can regenerate now.

The Devil's Chord

Oooh, a Pantheon! Love a Pantheon. There's mention of the One Who Waits, speculation on whether 'the Oldest One' was there the day Ruby was born, we already have the Toymaker -> Maestro line, so maybe we'll be getting others? Also, the way Maestro phrased something earlier was fascinating too - "the Lord Temporal who sealed my father in salt". The Lord Temporal. There's been a lot of references to how the Doctor isn't just a Time Lord, maybe they're part of the Pantheon too, as the personification of time? Regeneration and Time Lord society all coming from this base primordial being?

Anyway I goddamn adore Maestro.

I wonder if we'll get Susan at the end of this season? (See: last link of this section!)

July 2024? So that's a good six months of travelling unaccounted for! Big Finish just going 👀

Semi-related but Ruby saying she was born in 2004 gave me a Crisis. Rose was 19 in 2005 and born the same year as me. Yeah okay I am good with that! Martha born in either 1986 or 1984, yep, fine, all checks out. But now there's a companion who was born when I was already an adult how is that legal.

"He ripped my soul in two." Oof.

The sonic actually did something sonic!

"I thought it was non-diegetic!!" I have so many questions. The walls are getting thin. Yeah, especially the fourth! (Random thought: Doctor Who official ARG?)

Lennon-McCartney saves the world! (I still like Harrison's stuff better.)

Apparently Murray Gold had a cameo but I have no idea what he looks like so it went completely over my head lmao

Missed opportunity to play The Devil Went Down To Georgia or The Devil's Trill, although we did get Danse Macabre and Rhapsody in Blue (which I put on as soon as the episode finished)!

Fun fact about Danse Macabre: "The solo violin enters playing the tritone, which was known as the diabolus in musica ("the Devil in music") during the Medieval and Baroque eras, consisting of an A and an E♭—in an example of scordatura tuning, the violinist's E string has actually been tuned down to an E♭ to create the dissonant tritone." (People hated it when it premiered. It made them feel anxious. Which is... kind of appropriate.)

There's always a twist at the end~ (I thought it was little H.Arbringer, but who knows?)

#doctor who #dw spoilers

[inkandarsenic]

My thoughts on the new episodes:

- love the info dumping right off the bat therapy really did wonders for 15

- “Most of the universe is knackered, babes” ok 1) 15, i love you so much, and 2) why do I get the feeling that the reason most of it is knackered is because of you, bestie?

- “Why did I run?” That’s what you do babe. It’s like your whole thing. please don’t ask dumb questions

- ruby reminds me so much of rose and it is 1000% because of the way that Space Babies parallels End of the World so hard

- Ok so getting the feeling that it’s less “the therapy worked wonders” and more “we’re pretending that it worked wonders” because a lot of this conversation is feeling like 15 is masking his true feelings

- space babies crack me up, the cgi to move their mouths was weird and the babies themselves looked so confused to be there at all times it was great

- Ngl him scaring them more than once and then laughing a little feels very on brand for the doctor

- Ruby continues to confuse me, who are you Ruby Sunday, I want answers. very excited to see where this story arc is going

- QUEEN CHARLOTTE????

- societal parallels punching me in the face I love it this show is so back

- Ok saying you’re an ugly bug is a lot less effective when you’re Ncuti Gatwa and your past incarnations have always been attractive

- Eric the perpetually confused looking baby I love you

- this monster is very much reminding me of the sleep-sand monsters from that one twelveclara episode, sleep no more

- 15 babes I swear to god throwing yourself into open airlocks because you’re relating too hard to the monster of the week better not become your thing

- love him telling ruby “no going to meet your mom” immediately like babes does not want a repeat of the Father’s Day disaster with rose

- THE SCAN OF RUBY??? some things truly never fucking change

- ngl i feel like playing the banned chord that invites the devil in is a Bad Idea

- MR TIMOTHY DRAKE??? THEY REALLY NAMED THIS MAN TIMOTHY DRAKE AND CALLED HIM A GENIUS AND THEN KILLED HIM I CANNOT

- the maestro is terrifying. why are they making eye contact with me I don’t like that

- oh wow the first time the theme song has ever made me uncomfortable

- I love that 15 looks physically pained by the music that’s being played

- the notes that Paul says and the theme that plays? Reminds me of the piano notes at the end of the Doctor’s theme from way back in series 1 with Nine, sounds very similar

- oh Ruby you sweet summer child you haven’t been traveling long enough to recognize that tone

- here’s a thought: do you think maybe the Doctor is one of these celestial pantheon beings? That they would have been like the Toymaker and the Maestro if they hadn’t been abandoned in this universe?

- I’m really starting to hate 14 for inviting the Toymaker into the universe again. He just had to invoke superstition at the edge of the universe.

- ah yes the age old tradition of breaking the TARDIS

- the doctor hearing non-diegetic music has many implications I refuse to think about right now

- RTD never fails to have unsettling villains

- so Ruby seems to be the new impossible girl, which is appropriate because she looks so much like Clara

- also WHO WAS THERE I JUST WANT TO KNOW

- “the one who waits is almost here” what does that mean. we’ve met the embodiment of play and now music, who else are we going to meet?

- musical number at the end feels so Disney

- also did anyone else notice that the Harbinger kid was back at the end? Does anyone else think that’s going to come up again?

I love that we’re diving into and learning more about the Toymaker and his whole pantheon of celestial beings but do you know what this would be an absolutely perfect point to reintroduce?

THE SATAN PIT AND ALL OF THE QUESTIONS IT DID NOT ANSWER

I’m gonna link the post where I rant about it here but please someone say they agree with me

#the satan pit #it makes me insane #doctor who #frequently losing my mind over this episode #and you know what #the most recent episode of doctor who would have been a perfect place to call back to it #the devil’s chord #the maestro #the toymaker #the beast #THEY ALL FIT TOGETHER INTO THE SAME CATEGORY #AND I WILL NEVER STOP BRINGJNG THIS UP #RTD I AM IN YOUR HIUSE J AM IN YOUR WALLS #all in all #i love this season so much #I love the 180 in tone from space babies to devils chord #I love 15

[terranceholdsapencil]

Okay I watched the devils chord now so some thoughts and moments under the cut

S14e03 "the devil's chord" doctor who spoilers

-knocking from inside a piano after someone played a tritone is actually the coolest fucking entrance

-"Henry, get away from him" "Them." "What" "Me." "What." "Im - them" "Youre who?" "YOure who"

-"But its SOOO SAAAAAD, TIMOTYYYY"

Half of this is actually just the way maestro says things it DOES something to me

-NEW DOCTOR WHO INTRO MUSIC VARIANT!!!

ANd its playing on the JUKEBOX

-"that. is. AMAZING!" "OH WAIT SERIOUSLY?" "OOUHH! PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY THE TITANIC! OR MARS! OR BETLEHEM!! But the BEATLEEEEEEES! WhY have I never done thAt before?"

-the way theyre walking around the tardis after changing. California soul in the background. Im in love theyre having so much fun.

-"nineteen sixty thrEEHEHEHEY!"

-fun and humming conga line music on a zebra crossing. Im in LOVE

-"How do we get in? Wont they ask who we are?" "ngE"

-the way 15 and ruby giggle.

-"Ive got a dog and hes called fred"

-"You take John Lennon Ill take Paul McCartney"

-susan mentioned. One referenced. I miss them. Also susan is not dead. I dont care if she never turns up again. She is not dead because I said so.

-something about the way 15 leans on the wall and looks at the city while ruby plays

-the orchestra tuning in on her playing after a while. Maybe its cause Im so happy theres new doctor who but I got goosebumps

-the arpeggio giggle oh my god I LOVE IT

-the tuning fork??? Even ignoring the gorgeous outfit the TUNING FORK???

-at this point I wanted to look if there was a german dub (cause thats my native language). There wasnt. But there was a czech dub, and Im half czech. So I turned that on for a second. And let me tell you, Maestros voics in the czech dub?? Once again. I am IN LOVE.

-sincr when can the sonic just turn off sound

-the workaround with the water was actually great

-i couldnt take "i dont know, Ruby, that is the point, I dont. know." "BUT YOU ALWAYS KNOW-" "I DONT. " seriously cause ruby basically just met him. And literally just last ep he didnt know things. This moment doesnt hit because the first part doesnt ring true yet. I think thats my general problem?? I LOVE ruby and 15 but theyre so familiar and close and stuff but theyve known each other for a VERY SHORT real time, considering this ep supposedly comes directly after the last and the last literally starts directly after she entered the tardis.

-"i was born in 2004" that feels fake cause my best friend was born in 2004. Theres no way youre only 2 years older and youre a doctor who companion and Im just a sad dude

-i will be honest I was very much very disappointed by the fact we actually got to see the destroyed future. I totally expected she comes back in crying or something and we have to fill in the gap. Instead we see cgi broken london. BUT that allowed for maestros fucking iconic entrance with the shoe shot so I am not mad

-maestro being the toymakers child works surprisingly well thats lots of fun

-the way maestro lay on the piano? Iconic. Absolutely iconic. I love them. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Camp af. Fun. Pure. I-co-nic.

-more maestro saying things in the greatest fucking way possible:

-"Im going sOlO. :D"

THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSION??

-"A gEnius 💁"

-"I sAid gEniuSss. And you might be brIght. And hot. And... (dun-dun-dun) timey-wImey"

That totally got me I replayed this like 10 times instead of continueing to watch the ep. I can only repeat myself: In. Love.

-tardis with the lights out?? GORGEOUS. My eyes have been blessed. Beautiful. I love her so much shes my everything.

-"Im sorry im sorry *kiss kiss*. Dont hate me"

the way he apologises to her tardis and the doctor forever

-when they got out of the tardis he said something in a different language. The subtitles say its turkish. Does anyone know what he said?

-"I thought that was non-diegetic"

First: iconic that the score was actually heard in universe. Love it. Great idea. You totally get me with that.

Secondly: does that line imply the doctor always hears the score? Cause he said HE thought it was non-diegetic. Does he hear his own themes? Does it ruin emotional moments? If hes doing a speech does it distract him?

-"Playing love-sick sOngs for heartbroken lesbians, and thAt just makes me hungry for all those delicious songs"

-they had a music battle. They had a music battle with personified music and basically won. Not only that. Personified music actually said the words "mUsic bAttle". So stupid. Maybe I love it.

-no matter what I think of the idea of a music battle with personified music, the actual music battle was so much fun to watch. I loved it. Im gonna rewatch it.

-"Ive experienced everything"

No you havent thats the point. Im actually mad at that line. No he hasnt. The reason he travels is to find whatever he hasnt experienced yet. Literally JUST LAST EP he was completely baffled by the space babies and the bogeyman. This ep he was overwhelmed by the stolen music. He has experience ALOT, possibly more than anyone before him, but not everything. Never everything.

-honestly i think its rude to call this a beatles episode when they were basically not in it at all. Ian listened to the beatles back in classic who and they looked at a concert and the presence of the beatles in that episode is almost bigger to me than them in this ep.

-the musical number at the end. So stupid. So silly. I love it. Thats insane. But fun. But stupid. But fun. Also hello Henry Arbinger looking at the musical number

-was the rain during the musical number for real? Where'd it come from?? They were INSIDE. Was that just for the fun time? Because the snow in space babies was important.

-the zebra crossing making music. Im in love. I wanna. I want to dance on it too. So much fun. The stripes are even glowing.

#doctor who #doctor who thoughts #doctor who spoilers

[wingedflight]

First time in a long time I’m watching Doctor Who as it airs, this sure throws me back 😂

Assorted thoughts:

Why is Ruby so so similar to Rose both in terms of looks and name? This can’t be a coincidence. Plus the whole Christmas episode was centred around the theme of coincidences, so any coincidences we see have to be on purpose. Right?

Can’t tell if it’s just because of the writing of RTD and now Moffat for the most recent episode, but I still haven’t gotten a sense of who the new Doctor is, yet. Hopefully this is a thing that will come with time.

Loving all the conspiracy theories out there. Like Susan Twist showing up in the background, the fourth wall breaks, the non-diegetic music that the Doctor can still hear…huge fan of the idea that they’re trapped in a tv show this season.

My own theory? Ruby is the Doctor’s great-granddaughter. Each episode, the Doctor has mentioned that he was a father. In Devil’s Chord, he straight-up mentioned his granddaughter Susan by name. Meanwhile, Ruby is desperate to know who her birth family is. I saw someone mention she could be the daughter of River Song and the Doctor (“she has a song in her heart” as the Maestro says) which is also a very good theory, but a) the references to granddaughter-Susan and b) the fact that Ruby scans show her to be human has me leaning this other direction instead.

…even more wild theory, she’s actually the daughter of Jenny from the Doctor’s Daughter, making Ruby a granddaughter just like Susan.

#doctor who #I ramble

[clumio]

THE DEVIL’S CHORD LIVE NOTES/REVIEW‼️

I love Maestro. I would die for them. Thank god

DIEGESIS?????? Big day for liberal arts majors

Everyone is serving CUNTTTTT

Ruby my beloved.

BEATLES FROM WISH. THE FUCKIGN. IVE GOT A DOG….this captures early 60s music so well im going to cry

Ruby and the Doctor are already so joined at the hip I would die for them

This storyline is kinda fascinating…said it before but Maestro fuckin devourssss

“The world is darkening” lol dark crystal reference

SUSAN MENTION ??????????????????????

So when is the doctor gonna mention that he was lowkey The Killer. There’s guilt under there simmering

TRUDY. Ohhhhh Ruby. Babygirl. I love lesbians

I think the most jarring thing about Doctor who episodes nowadays is how glossy they look generally because of the general improvement in camera quality but man I can’t get over it. Noticeable since like 2014 but still

Play that shit Ruby‼️

Oh hi arpeggio laugh. How are you connected to the toymaker mx maestro. Ok can I just say again they are so cunt

Sooooo. Toymaker -> distortion of vision. Maestro -> distortion of sound. Ohh the dots. These bitches are trapped in a fucking tv show for sure

CLAIRE DE LUNE‼️ RAAAAHH

Oh hi wink at the camera okay.

the fucking What. The Pantheon. Ohhh girliepop. “It tore my soul in half” ohhhhhhh. I need to map this out

“I was born in 2004” Ruby being younger than me….bro

What the fuck is happening genuinely ALSO ashes falling from the sky -> snowflakes. Something’s there im telling you!!!!

MX MAESTRO GIVE ME A CHANCE…..Oh you’re the TOYMAKER’S CHILD ?!?!

Again I am fascinated at this being framed as a a reboot of the series because this is not an episode I would show to a beginner. I’m fascinated. Hmmmmm

SAXON THEME? RUSSEL YOU FUCKING LIAR “we won’t be seeing more of the master” SHUT UPPPPPP

“The only thing it can do is take us back to 1963” ohhhhfghfhf the opposite of the first ever season. That’s fascinating

“I thought that was non-diegetic” DIEGESIS MENTION AGAIN?????? Oh girlie i know it’s a joke but oh my god?

“Playing lovesick songs for heartbroken lesbians” okay‼️

OHHHHHH. That’s a classic Murray Gold doctory song OHFHFBCNCNFUCKK HOLD ON THR SNOW+CAROL OF THE BELLS hi ok ok ok.

This feels very exposition heavy in a way that is uncharacteristic

VIOLIN MENTION RAHHHHH. I will ignore the fact that they aren’t doing any bowing or fingering correctly

I need ToddInTheShadows or Sideways to get on this shit expeditiously

Okay musical number?????

Why is that child there.

Boom better fucking deliver

#dw #Ives.txt #dw spoilers

[radiantlyrey]

Doctor Who Review: S1/S14E02 - The Devil's Chord

The second episode of this season's double premiere, "The Devil's Chord" follows the Doctor and Ruby Sunday to 1963 as they go to watch the Beatles record their first album. But something has gone wrong with music, and the pair soon find themselves in a fight for the universe against the mysterious Maestro.

It's difficult to know where to begin with this episode, because I adored almost everything about it. It's beautiful on a technical level—the sound design, music, cinematography, and costumes are all top-notch—but it also hits so many good notes (if you'll pardon the pun) with the performances and action as well. There's a lot in this episode that's unsettling to me, but it's still a magnificent piece of fiction from start to finish.

If we have to start somewhere, then let's start with the standout guest star: Jinkx Monsoon, whose electrifying performance brings Maestro to life with a wicked, campy glee. From the first moment they appear, Maestro draws the eye--not just with their over-the-top costumes and makeup, but also with the way their mood seems to turn on a dime. One moment they're a little gleeful, and the next they're riding a wave of fury as they scream in a slightly lower register. I think it's fair to say that this episode largely works <em>because</em> of Monsoon, who makes Maestro feel equal parts campy and dangerous. The scene when Ruby and the Doctor are hiding from Maestro is a particular highlight for me; Monsoon owns the screen for those few minutes, her performance so magnetic that I felt like I couldn't look away. (I don't know if Doctor Who qualifies for the Emmys this year--it might because Disney is co-producing--but if it does, they really ought to submit Monsoon's performance in one of the Guest Role awards.)

And this isn't to sell Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson short--their performances are a little dwarfed by Maestro's screen presence, but no less excellent. The Doctor is only rarely out of his depth, and Gatwa really sells his terror and helplessness when Maestro first appears. Gibson does good work here, too; Ruby's horror at the nuclear winter in the alternate 2024 is grounded even more when she tearfully asks the Doctor where her mum is. Their chemistry together continues to delight me; the scenes when they're watching the various music recordings pop out in my memory. (Ruby gently patting the Doctor on the back as he's almost literally knocked over by how <em>bad</em> the orchestra is sticks out in particular.) They're making quite a good TARDIS team so far, and I can't wait to see what they do next.

But the thing that hits me hardest about this episode is the place it seems to hold in the season's overall story. We get a few more crumbs about Ruby's background, which are made all the more interesting because Maestro seems genuinely unnerved (and a little terrified?) by her. More significant to me, however, is the sheer number of fourth-wall breaks in the episode. Maestro acknowledges the camera twice and plays the opening notes of the show's theme song (bleeding into the opening credits themselves). The Doctor <em>also</em> winks at the camera at the end of the episode, and at one point makes a comment about non-diegetic music (namely, mistaking Maestro's diegetic music for the music that backs the whole show). That last is <em>especially</em> intriguing given the appearance of old musical themes in diegetic sound here. When the Doctor and Ruby encounter Maestro in the bad future, Maestro plays three notes of the opening theme, as well as the Master's theme from Series 3. The Doctor also seems to recognize the song Ruby first sings while under Maestro's control, but I haven't been able to positively identify that one yet. I have a feeling that this episode is going to be <em>vital</em>  to the season's arc, but I can't quite figure out <em>how</em> yet.

So that's a whole <em>other</em> ball of wax. I don't have a lot of coherent thoughts about the episode, but I do have a small list of things I liked, so let's get into that:

- First off, SUSAN FOREMAN. The Doctor tells Ruby about living in Shoreditch with his granddaughter, and Ruby asks him where Susan is. He speculates that she's probably gone (which to my mind makes me think that she might actually be coming <em>back</em>?? maybe???).

- In the same vein, I love that the Doctor is being more open about his past. Previous New Who Doctors often had to have backstory details dragged out of them, but Fifteen is a relatively fresh breath of air in comparison. I think this also ties in a little with the 60th anniversary specials, and the way the Doctor was more willing to be openly affectionate and more emotionally available. We see a lot of that still with Fifteen, both here and in "Space Babies."

- Another intriguing detail: the Doctor mentions seeing Ruby perform with her band at Christmas in "The Church on Ruby Road", which stuns Ruby a little, and which the Doctor does not explain further. I have my theories about what was going on with the Doctor "following" Ruby in that episode, but I'm going to sit on them for now.

- I know I mentioned the music up above, but I really liked how it was used in this episode. The non-diegetic music is largely absent when the Doctor and Ruby first arrive in 1963, only popping up in scenes where the characters are deep in their feelings (the Doctor's conversation with Paul; Ruby's song for Trudy on the rooftop). I've already discussed the use of diegetic music, but needless to say, I enjoyed the way this episode meta-fictionally played with the notion of music in film.

All in all, "The Devil's Chord" is a delightfully weird episode, with great performances all around and intriguing threads being laid for the stories ahead. With the next episode being written by Steven Moffat (my favorite), I can't wait to see where this season of Doctor Who takes us next.

#doctor who #the devil's chord #series 14 #skye reviews things

[reactingtosomething]

Reacting to Grey’s Anatomy (Part 1 of ?)

“Why Do We _____, Dr. ____?”

The Setup: Kris’s writing teacher doesn’t watch more than one season of most TV shows in real-time, so that she can keep up with the big picture of the industry, but she does stay current on Grey’s Anatomy. She was annoyed with the structure of the season 13 finale, so it was homework for Kris’s class. Marchae and Miri have wanted Kris to react to Grey’s for a long time -- this was actually, indirectly, part of the origin story for Reacting to Something -- and Kris didn’t want to jump in TOTALLY blind so he figured he could just watch a handful of earlier episodes to ease in. Silly boy.

KRIS: So I have now seen the nine episodes of season 1, plus episodes 1-5 and the “code black” two-parter of season 2

And the most recent season finale, because [Writing Teacher] told us to watch it

MARCHAE: You nailed the rewatch! 

KRIS: And in freshman year of college I saw a few scattered episodes of whatever season fall 2005 was

or maybe sophomore year?

MARCHAE: And to be transparent I am two-ish seasons behind 

KRIS: Did you watch the last finale?

MARCHAE: No but I knew most of the players in this episode 

Of the recent season I watched more episode from where I was in season 12

But am committed to finishing and being caught up after this season 

KRIS: OK I guess we shouldn’t talk about that one then

But I do have some Opinions about the earlier stuff I’ve watched

MARCHAE: Oh I will watch as we text!! 

So I do want to know what you think of the show in general 

I've wanted your opinion for a long time now

KRIS: It’s hard for me not to compare it to early ER, which was one of my first major TV obsessions (I watched those seasons in syndication when I was in high school)

I low-key refused to watch House or Grey’s when I first learned about them after moving back to the US after high school in Europe, because I was like “why do these need to exist if ER is still on the air?”

(And if anyone does want to seek out those early ER seasons I think they probably hold up surprisingly well)

It has Young George Clooney!

And when I did eventually watch House I loved the first 3 - 5ish seasons

MIRI: Moment to remind us all that Lin-Manuel Miranda had a significant arc on a late season of House. I have nothing substantial to say about it right now, but I think we all collectively forget about that fact most of the time and we should be reminded.

MARCHAE: Yeah I think she talks about ER in one the master class episodes

She=Shonda Rhimes, whose online Master Class Marchae is taking

And house is awesome 

KRIS: But all that said, I do like what I’ve seen and will probably very slowly make my way through 12 more years worth of it

MIRI: VICTORY!!!!

MARCHAE: Yessss

KRIS: VERY slowly

Like that’s a lot of TV

MARCHAE: Ohhhhhh come onnnn

It's only taken me four years to get where I am you can do it!!!

KRIS: I feel like it might be a little hard for me to binge because there are some stylistic things that annoy me

MARCHAE: Tell me!!!!

KRIS: Four needle drops an episode

is a lot

I’m also not sure the voiceover is really doing enough to justify itself?

MARCHAE: That's often my critique is how are these people doctors 

KRIS: I feel like you can have all those needle drops OR you can have heavy-handed VO but both is too much

Do we need to define needle drop for our readers, you think?

MARCHAE: Perhaps I was looking for a good link

That explains to put here but can't find one 

KRIS: So a needle drop is when a show plays non-diegetic (usually) pop music that they have to license, as opposed to an instrumental score composed for the show

And diegetic means sound that comes from the action that’s happening onscreen, or off-screen but still in the world of the scene/story--dialogue, sounds from the environment, anything that the characters are hearing too.

And it’s not an unusual thing at all

But I feel like Grey’s does SO MANY songs

And I’m vaguely aware that a fair number of singer-songwriter type artists were first “discovered” by a lot of fans through Grey’s, like maybe Ingrid Michaelson

MARCHAE: They do and they even have an album, I think there have even been interviews with Shonda Rhimes (SR) 

She says she wanted music to be just as much a character as the people 

Which I find interesting thematically 

KRIS: I get that theoretically, but it’s one of those things that’s the hard opposite of Show, Don’t Tell

when it’s lyrics

And especially for a show with bookend voiceover to tell you exactly What An Episode Is About, it’s just... it’s a lot

MIRI: I CANNOT WAIT for Kris to get to the musical episode, which is both amazing and so on the nose it hurts at multiple points.

MARCHAE: That's so interesting considering your like of shows like CEG which is quite musical 

KRIS: I actually do like voiceover when it’s used well throughout a thing (thinking Burn Notice, or Dead Like Me)

MARCHAE: Did you watch sex and the city 

KRIS: But in Crazy Ex the music is dialogue, it’s written by the writers and it’s spoken by the characters, it’s not a third party thing

I’ve seen a little

I guess I’m also just curious about the choice only to use voiceover at the beginning and end

although I think maybe it was there throughout the pilot episode

MARCHAE: Yeah I was about to say there may have been a few where it's through out

KRIS: In the pilot there was this conceit that at least some of the VO was addressed to Meredith’s mom

But other times (most times?) Meredith is clearly addressing the viewer

MARCHAE: I think it's to keep reminding us that this is Merediths world 

KRIS: Meredith is interesting

Which I realize is super vague

MARCHAE: That's my theory or has been at least since the beginning 

KRIS: But I’m having trouble landing on really clear descriptors for her

I like her

I think Ellen Pompeo is good

MARCHAE: I have a few but I'll wait 

KRIS: But she’s harder for me to pin down than Izzy or Cristina or George

MARCHAE: Ellen Pompeo is AMAZING

KRIS: And I think maybe this is deliberate?

But again the VO would make that a strange choice

MARCHAE: I Honestly think she's supposed to be

KRIS: But I do sort of like the idea that she keeps a lot to herself

I think she’s a pretty good example of a lead who has to ground the more eccentric performances of the rest of the ensemble

MARCHAE: She does-ish it's weird I love and hate her simultaneously and that's what I love about her 

KRIS: At least in these earlier seasons

MARCHAE: I think she does also as the show progresses you're right on 

KRIS: Then again I did just watch the Pick Me Choose Me Love Me speech

Which is as demonstrative as anything the others do

But still there’s a restraint in how she generally presents herself to the rest of the world that I identify with

I guess what I’m having trouble figuring out with her is what her fundamental drive is

MIRI: I would argue that this is because Meredith’s fundamental drive is a quest to understand and accept herself, which is a tough main character to pull off and it works better in some stretches than others. But overall I am really pleased with Grey’s willingness to let her flounder and be wrong sometimes.

Also I would not have called Kris identifying with Mer but it makes SO MUCH SENSE.

MARCHAE: That is really eloquently stated 

She has a tremendous amount to prove 

And she has a tremendous amount of hurt and she is guarded because of those things - I think as the show progresses (I'm trying not to spoil too much for you) 

But we learn it's a lot more than mom and dad 

It's Webber and her own crap too 

Meredith's drive is summed up in that choose me, pick me statement 

And it gets the best of her often 

KRIS: (Of the few original characters still around in season 13 I’m most surprised Webber is still there)

MARCHAE: (Really!!!!! I'm surprised by Alex)

KRIS: I guess just because it seems like he would’ve retired

MARCHAE: Ha! 

I suppose that makes sense 

KRIS: Do you think Meredith is a little bit of a cipher at first because she’s supposed to be sort of an audience surrogate? Or is it just that she’s stuffing a lot down where no one can get to it yet?

I guess I could look at the bible to figure this out

MIRI: The show bible, not the Christian one. A show bible is a big ass document explaining the world of the show--a deep dive on who the characters are, the setting, the vibe, etc. It also usually contains some episode and season plots.

MARCHAE: I can send it to you (maybe I already did) 

KRIS: You did

MARCHAE: I think it could be a by of both to answer your question 

Bit*

I think we learn the most about her as the show progresses that justifies somemof the things I find most annoying about her 

However, she is kind of our guide into this world 

I read the Bible and it's a bit different than what's on screen not much 

I'm most impressed by how developed she is and and that SRs intention is that her characters (when she writes) have no end they are infinite in terms of story because they have to be (except in the case of scandal which had an end from the beginning)

KRIS: Sure, and that also makes sense for a setting that has continuing education built into the characters’ lives

MARCHAE: Which is kind of brilliant on her part 

KRIS: It was part of why I liked ER

MARCHAE: I know you said you liked Bailey but I was curious about why and also your thoughts on Christina Yang 

KRIS: Which was specifically at a teaching hospital

MARCHAE: (Did you ever watch St. Elsewere)

KRIS: no

Part of why I like Bailey is that in these earlier episodes when I haven’t really found my way into all of the central intern characters yet is just that she thoroughly has her shit together

MARCHAE: (Such an amazing show- set in the 80s) 

YESssss

KRIS: As someone who has never disagreed with a character yelling at George, I just appreciate that there’s a blunt authority figure with a really dry sense of humor

MARCHAE: (Oh Kris promise you'll keep watching!!!!!!!)

KRIS: And that she also has basically that same comportment toward the attendings

MARCHAE: Ummm excuse me!!!! George is awesome and it infuriates me he gets yelled at!

KRIS: I will, I think it’s one of those things that’ll be easy to return to between other shorter things

Oh man

I mean I don’t dislike George

If I’m being honest there’s more of George in me than I’d like

Which is on some level probably a reason I like when people take him to task

MIRI: Wait guys this is actually enormous progress for Kris to “not dislike” a character he thinks he partially embodies.

MARCHAE: He just so freaking kind that I feel like they poo on him because they can

MIRI: Just because he’s kind doesn’t mean he’s without flaws. Also he is not always kind! Which is good because no one is, but let’s not pretend he’s a saint.

KRIS: I have trouble with Designated Kind Characters though

MARCHAE: And that bothered me a tremendous amount as a person who rarely yells at people even when I'm mad 

Kris what is happening 

KRIS: Because those characters are also often very squishy

And I’m impatient

MARCHAE: So you weren't an Izz fan either?

Squishy 

?

KRIS: And I think you can have Very Kind characters who aren’t pushovers

Hmm

I like Izzie fine

K: I didn’t want to do much annotation here, but on this point I want to be clearer. Obviously George has stories and an arc about becoming a stronger, more assertive person. What bothers me not necessarily about George specifically, but about how Nice characters are often written, is a conflation of kindness with weakness or timidity, and this seems to me how we’re supposed to read George’s default setting, or at least his starting point. Not that kind characters should never be weak or timid! To address Marchae’s question a little further, I think there’s an interesting distinction between how Izzie’s kindness or “softness” makes her seem less of a doctor (to someone like Cristina) and how George’s seems to be more a reflection of his overall character.

MARCHAE: *insert Marchae DYING GIF*

MIRI: Marchae has what has been described as an “unhealthy attachment to Katherine Heigl”

KRIS: So okay, yes, if I had to pick an intern I most identify with it’s Cristina

There are just a lot of feelings flying all over the place

MARCHAE: I KNEW IT!!!!

KRIS: And Cristina has no time for that

And Cristina doesn’t like babies

MARCHAE: She is my favorite!!! 

(She does....ish)

These people are incredibly emotional which sometimes makes me uncomfortable so she is often the voice of reaso 

Reason*

KRIS: Right, me too

And I realize there’s some masculinity/patriarchy baggage here too that I’m always in the process of dealing with myself

But yeah, I feel like a lot of the characters are not just emotional but very NEEDY

Which brings me to Shepherd

MARCHAE: I will also give you that 

They are needy 

KRIS: That man is super needy, specifically in how he wants to be liked

MARCHAE: I often feel like they don't listen very well to one another 

KRIS: Oh for sure

Which is also often used effectively for laughs

Like in the episode I just watched, Izzie has just gotten home from her first date with Alex and Meredith has just dumped Derek

and they go into George’s room and are just having their own “Seriously?” monologues

MIRI: This kind of moment on Grey’s is usually done SO well and I really want to go watch some season 2 Grey’s right now and avoid all of my responsibilities, ok? Ok.

What did you think of Derek’s initial courtship of Meredith?

MARCHAE: I don't love it to be honest 

KRIS: Even setting aside the professional inappropriateness, which I think we can just grant a TV drama

I don’t either

MARCHAE: I couldn't understand why she was smitten with him to begin with to be honest

MIRI: It does work better for me once they’re established and have a weight of history to cite re: their mutual obsession and problems. I think that’s the dynamic SR was always interested in for them.

It reminded me of a more 

Or I guess less childish Carrie and Big relationship 

KRIS: I didn’t find the Can’t Take No for an Answer thing charming, and I feel like the show really wants us to find him Needy-BUT-Charming

MARCHAE: I don't find him likable in later seasons 

KRIS: I’ll grant that the performance is less grating than the equivalent character in a lot of rom-coms

Patrick Dempsey does Quiet Charm and Quiet Intensity really well

oh interesting

MARCHAE: He forgets Merediths needs often 

KRIS: I’ll keep that in mind

In the code black/bomb squad two-parter, that runner where he keeps nagging Burke about why they can’t use first names for each other eventually pays off, but in the first couple scenes of it I was like “Ugh, classic Derek”

MARCHAE: LOL

KRIS: I actually really like Burke, most of the time

MIRI: Ugh, you would

MARCHAE: Derek, I will say this, has a long stretch where I don't mind him 

Burke I forget about him sometimes 

I like him as he relates to Christina 

KRIS: Isaiah Washington was written out for unpleasant interpersonal reasons, right?

MARCHAE: Yes he was! 

He and yang have an interesting dynamic and she owes her success (in small- very small-part) to him 

But he also softens her a bit but not in an icky way

MIRI: Um I would say some of it is very icky, when he is steam rolling over what she actually wants because he’s too busy seeing the version of her he wants. I’m glad for her to have the chance to grow personally, but not for her to be forced to do so in any particular direction.

In a way I think that gives her a bit more depth 

KRIS: I really liked the B-story where they tried to go on a date and it was just super awkward until someone else at the restaurant collapsed

MARCHAE: Because it's them LOL

KRIS: What I like about Burke is that his vibe is what I guess we would stereotypically call “Zen”

I always like the Zen guy

And one of the things I generally really like about the show is how it portrays teaching and mentorship

MARCHAE: I never thought about that really until you just said it 

Hmmmm 

It is kind of interesting 

I always appreciate the friendship aspect- I think that's what I note 

Like how much these people love each other so so much

And would do anything

MIRI: Any time they dance it out is an amazing time

But that teacher /mentor relationship is also a really neat dynamic 

Thanks 

KRIS: I mean the teaching is often couched in very technical things (“Why do we _____, Dr. ____?”), partly for audience benefit, but they also use those moments to show how that bonding happens

MARCHAE: Yes!! 

KRIS: And I think Burke’s personality lends itself particularly well to those beats, but I like it with everyone

It’s when they show that they can put aside all their relationship stuff and be professionals, and I think that’s really important for a show like this

MARCHAE: YES! Again while you don't love the music I don't love how unprofessional they are sometimes 

KRIS: Like in front of patients, or just how they fight a lot?

MARCHAE: The patients, each other, all of it 

Discussing other patients with patients 

I'm like REALLY GET IT TOGETHER -FICTIONAL LIVES ARE COUNTING ON YOU 

it's my biggest critique

MIRI: Marchae really does not approve of her fictional hero people being people--see our Captain America: Civil War reactions.

Though I guess I would be watching some other show if it was all about being professional and not the bonus stuff 

KRIS: Yeah, I guess I just assume a certain amount of Hot Mess in almost any TV, but especially network

(I guess NCIS is a show with less of that, I don’t really know it)

MARCHAE: Criminal minds too 

Any cbs show really

MIRI: Hard disagree--those people are all Hot Messes. Gibbs does nothing but Emote Grumpily and have discolored flashbacks of his dead wife and daughter, and the whole Criminal Minds team is full of emotions and PTSD.

KRIS: I guess most crime procedurals will tend to be more [self-]serious

But ER definitely had lots of friendship and romance stuff

Oh, there is one little thing where I compare Grey’s unfavorably to ER

And it’s that even though there are nurses we see fairly often, no one ever addresses nurses by name

And look, I STILL remember the names of some of those early ER nurses

Haleh

Chuny

Malik

Lydia

MARCHAE: Now that is impressive 

Derek dates one nurse 

KRIS: Olivia got to be a person for a bit because of the syphillis thing

But just like, give them names

MIRI: Bokhee and Daniel Sunjata have names. I’m not sure about anyone else, and Daniel Sunjata isn’t for a few seasons.

MARCHAE: Yeah 

Ha! 

You could start a campaign 

Lolol

KRIS: I feel like it’s also a thing that could be used to show character

Cristina and Burke might not bother to learn names

But Meredith would

MARCHAE: So would Izzie and George 

KRIS: George and Izzie definitely would

MARCHAE: Alex not so much 

KRIS: Derek would

Yeah not Alex, unless he was trying to hook up with them

MARCHAE: Derek might I think unless he's flustered 

KRIS: Webber would have at least absorbed everyone’s names through osmosis at this point

MARCHAE: HAHAHAHAHAHHAAH

LOL

KRIS: Okay I can end this rant

MARCHAE: That is hilarious 

So were you completely lost with the finale you watched 

KRIS: Not as much as I was worried I’d be

But for sure the character turnover was like, oh, maybe I should’ve just jumped right into this season

MARCHAE: Yeah she kills or lets go of lots of people (it's usually where I have to take a break out of frustration with the show) 

KRIS: I mean I totally get it, it’s a long time to be on the air

MARCHAE: I don't they should do this for the rest of their lives 

Long live #teamgeoizzie

MIRI: ANY PORTMANTEAU THAT INCLUDES “JIZZ” IS NOT OK, MARCHAE. WE’VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION

KRIS: Marchae

MARCHAE: *sorry*

MIRI: SHE’S NOT SORRY. SHE’S LYING, READERS.

KRIS: You know Miri will have to annotate that

MARCHAE: I know but I feel like since we're here and it came up-she'll be fine 

KRIS: Do you know if those four leads who are still around have done much other high profile stuff while it’s been on the air?

Even Noah Wyle was in and out of ER for the last few seasons

MARCHAE: Ummmm hmmm I know that Owen was involved in an indie film 

But he's the only one I know of 

KRIS: But like Meredith, Alex, Bailey, and Webber

MARCHAE: I forget he came later my bad 

KRIS: Oh wow, looking at Ellen Pompeo’s IMDB page, not a lot at all besides Grey’s post-2005

MARCHAE: No I just check Chandra Wilson because I thought she'd done broadway 

But nope

KRIS: Pompeo’s in a Taylor Swift video and she did a little bit of voice work for a cartoon

and that’s it

I wonder what that’s like

MARCHAE: Oh yeah she was in bad blood for six seconds 

KRIS: You become an actor to be different people and then you end up just being this one other person

MARCHAE: You know Sandra Oh said she went to therapy when she decided to leave 

KRIS: I believe it

MARCHAE: I have thought about that too 

It becomes legitimately a different part of you I'd suspect 

Because it's been forever for some of these people

KRIS: Yeah. I wonder if it’s just too exhausting to like go do a feature or something in between seasons when you’re the lead on a 22-24 episode show

MARCHAE: That does seem like a lot 

KRIS: Although I would also believe if Ellen Pompeo has trouble getting cast just being a woman over 40

MARCHAE: Which is mind boggling - because she's dynamic 

KRIS: She is great, but again it’s not a very showy part

Most of the time

(I mean I don’t want to speculate, I obviously don’t know her life)

MARCHAE: Yeah 

So you mentioned that your instructor had some things about the finale 

KRIS: Yes

MARCHAE: I'm curious what they were 

(By things I mean opinions) 

KRIS: She said that the thing the episode is supposed to be about doesn’t really get the act breaks

And that the story that does get the act breaks isn’t really substantial enough to justify it

The most obvious candidate for what the episode is About is Meredith’s VO thing about your world “exploding”

But Stephanie also has a little speech about clenching your fist through necessary pain that seems like it could be a thematic statement

I agree with her that most of the act breaks are not very strong

There’s not much real suspense in whether Stephanie and Erin are going to get through the fire or whatever

And most of those beats just come back right where we left off, and the beat gets resolved without any twist or new information

MARCHAE: I could see that 

KRIS: Just, yep, Stephanie made it into the stairwell

Yep, Stephanie got her keycard

MARCHAE: I think my notes even say this isn't their strongest finale 

KRIS: Not knowing most of these new characters, it seems like it would have been stronger for Nathan and Owen to get the act breaks?

MARCHAE: I thought there was tension because she's notorious for killing people in the end - so I didn't know if she was going to die 

KRIS: But I’m not sure what those would have been either, because they’re mostly just reacting to information they can’t do much with

I thought it was possible Erin would die on the roof

But not before

MARCHAE: But she couldn't die At all because she was keeping Stephanie alive 

And Stephanie had to have a reason to live thus leave 

So ultimately I can agree with your teacher on all accounts my note says the episode seems weird 

I think you may have articulated what I couldn't put my finger on 

KRIS: Yeah, and I do think that from what I’ve seen Grey’s is usually really good about tying its storylines together with the theme of the episode

MARCHAE: (I also thought the dialogue was odd - stating something we'd already seen) 

KRIS: Heavy-handed but effective

And here there was no real emotional link between the fire story and the Megan story

K: Now that my class has met I do want to clarify what Writing Teacher meant. Writing Teacher is usually a big proponent of Grey’s; along with The West Wing and Friends it’s one of her most frequent touchstones for story structure and theme, and how those things work best when they’re in concert. She talks about having a “tree” when you write anything, the thematic and emotional core that can and must stay intact no matter what else you change in the course of writing and rewriting. And the tree here was, or should have been, that story about Megan and how her homecoming affects the relationships of Meredith, Owen, et al. To her guess, the problems of poor/no suspense were not the real problem, but symptoms of “draft drift” as the writers lost sight of the Megan tree and tried to manufacture artificial drama out of a Finale! gimmick that was doomed to fail precisely because they didn’t relate it to the theme they started with. (Except literally, I guess, in terms of your world exploding.) 

MARCHAE: I may have to watch the episode before to see what was happening 

KRIS: And whatever was going on with Jackson trying to be a hero

MARCHAE: I thought it was a call back to an episode before he saved a kid from a bus and scared Kepp to death 

(Also the perpetual beeping almost made me shut the episode off)

(Complete aside) 

KRIS: This isn’t totally related but it’s a great piece about writing suspense/action that everyone should read

By one of my favorite showrunners

The gist of it is that you need to have multiple live possibilities for how an action scene should end if it’s not going to just be taking up time

“Don't write action sequences. Write suspense sequences that require action to resolve. ... every action sequence has its own internal three act structure. Objective, complication, resolution. And not only that, but the complication needs to be something which forces a choice on the character, not just a complication in physical circumstances.”

And this was generally not the case in those Stephanie scenes

MARCHAE: Ahhhhh 

So my argument for her is that we just needed an event/thing to get her off 

KRIS: You could sort of see how it could’ve been, with the stuff you said about Erin keeping her alive

MARCHAE: The show and make her realize she needs to be away from the hospital 

KRIS: But it didn’t feel like the emphasis

What’s her story?

MARCHAE: Stephanie? She comes as an intern in season 9

Her group loses several interns by way of death 

KRIS: Geez

MARCHAE: She and Avery were kind of a thing 

I never thought it was as serious as she did 

KRIS: HA

MARCHAE: But he breaks up with her after at Kepps wedding 

When He decides hey I want Kepp 

Embarrassing her and making her feel like an idiot 

She's not, in my opinion, liked much by all of her peers at first but they end up getting to be better friends 

I stopped there because I'm in the middle of that season 

(And yang leaves and I'm not ready for that nonsense) 

I like her but from 9-11 I don't feel like she's terribly well developed and the relationship with Avery isn't either 

KRIS: It seems like the cast also just got a lot bigger

It didn’t seem like all the regulars were even in this

MARCHAE: They revolve really we lose interns and doctors go 

KRIS: But also it felt like there were characters currently there and in the credits who weren’t part of the story. I think Alex is only in that one scene where Meredith tells him to help look for Erin?

MARCHAE: I think in this episode you saw most everyone except a few

Yeah jo also wasn't there 

She's in Stephanie's class

KRIS: And Jo is one of the few people whose (actor) names I recognized so I was weirdly disappointed

MARCHAE: I need to watch the episode before the finale I bet they were in that one

KRIS: I do like Kevin McKidd; Rome on HBO was great

I don’t think I have any other season 1-2 notes, but I can take questions

Man we didn’t even cover Ellis, but I feel like there’s more stuff Meredith is about to learn in season 2

MARCHAE: So much 

And Merediths half sister and her other half sister

KRIS: Right, Miri wants to do one of these after I meet Lexie

MARCHAE: YES!!!!

MIRI: For the first few episodes of Supergirl I called Alex ALexie because I couldn’t let go of my Chyler Leigh associations, despite how different the roles are. And I’m excited for Kris to see those differences!  But also come on--both are the sister of the blonde lead/title character, both named some variant on Alexandra/ria. It’s a lot.

KRIS: Oh I do like Joe the bartender and Joe’s the bar

MARCHAE: Oh kris 

KRIS: But I feel like they probably should’ve introduced Joe before the episode where he was a patient

MARCHAE: You get to know him I think 

KRIS: You know, before watching for this reaction I’d probably seen at least as much of Private Practice as I had of Grey’s

Which is to say five or six episodes

Private Practice had more actors I already recognized

MARCHAE: Oh that's another good one I didn't finish it though

MIRI: I did finish it, because my loyalty to Addison Montgomery runs DEEP

KRIS: Like, almost everyone, really

Tim Daly voiced Superman in the 90s animated series

MARCHAE: I LOVE HIMMMMM 

he's on madam secretary 

It's good 

KRIS: Amy Brenneman, obviously

MARCHAE: I agree watch more and I want another reaction!!! Stat<---see what I did there 

Yeah taye diggs I think is also in that show 

KRIS: Yeah, I knew him from something

Oh I guess that’s it actually

Okay so like half the cast

OK I’ll keep watching Grey’s

And I’ll pick up Private Practice when Addison gets spun off

MARCHAE: YES

YESsssss

I wanna react to that with you also! 

KRIS: I do like Kate Walsh

I feel like that’s actually not a super popular opinion but I’m not sure

MARCHAE: She just had an article out a couple of days ago about watching herself on tv

I like her a lot 

KRIS: I don’t have much interest in 13 Reasons Why but I know she’s in that

MIRI: She is???

I thought the pilot of Bad Judge was fun but didn’t see more of it

MIRI: I loved it SO much

MARCHAE: I haven't seen 13 reason the book was traumatic but I'm confident she's stunning in it 

So let's say we check back in on august for reaction part two!!!! 

KRIS: We’ll see

Maybe if I’ve gotten to season 4 we bring the others into this

MARCHAE: I was just throwing it out there

🤓🤓

KRIS: But if we do a Grey’s check-in we also need to do either a Crazy Ex check-in with you or an Orphan Black check-in with Lemon

And OBVIOUSLY our Sweet/Vicious check-in

MARCHAE: That's very fair! 

I also started the Tina Fey show 

KRIS: I’m not even going to identify it here, that deserves an annotation

MIRI: Does she mean 30 Rock??

K: She 1000 percent means 30 Rock

I feel like we have a lot that’s sort of vaguely on the docket but not a lot of For Sure We’re Going to Talk About This Next

Lemon mentioned something yesterday or the day before

Oh, Hello--2 man Broadway show now on Netflix

Miss Sloane, The Leftovers, possibly Cable Girls

...

Spider-Man

MIRI: YES!!!

MARCHAE: I can't react to spider man so I'll leave you and Miri for that 

And atomic blonde

MIRI: YES!!!!! Y’all, the first trailer for Atomic Blonde is still my favorite movie of the year. I’ve watched it 16 times. One of those times was right now, because I had to pull it up to do the link and then obviously I couldn’t not watch it. I would do a whole reaction on just that first trailer.

KRIS: YES

Okay dear readers

I’m personally a big fan of The AV Club and Vulture and Vox Culture

but if those aren’t your thing

we hope you’ll Pick Us, Choose Us, Love Us for your pop culture reaction needs

(too much?)

(I’ll show myself out)

MARCHAE: YESssssss

MIRI: Amazing

Not enough Kris, not enough!

#Grey's Anatomy #Shondaland #Shonda Rhimes #Meredith Grey #Ellen Pompeo #Marchae #Kris #TV #pilot #Miri after the fact #reaction