Tooth and Claw

[Cornelia_Africana]

Isn't anyone interested in discussing last night's episode? Well, for what it's worth, here's what I thought of it.

As a story, I thought this was miles better than last week's inconsequential offering. It had an intelligent and coherent plot and there was a genuinely frightening atmosphere, and some scenes of real terror and suspense. PAuline Collins was great as Queen Victoria - the scene where she discussed her dead husband was classic stuff - and the guy who played Sir Robert also gave a good performance. The villain of the plot was a well-realised creation, and at the end it was even possible to feel some sympathy for it.

However... there had to be a "however" didn't there? Once again, RTD ruined a good story with his silly "humour". No sooner does the Doctor realise he's in Scotland than he goes into a "comedy Scotsman" routine - "timourous beastie" indeed. Does RTD think the Doctor is a stand-up comedian? Or does he just think regional stereotypes are funny? And how funny was the joke about Queen Victoria not being amused when it was repeated for the nth time?

What's more, I still can't warm to Tennant. He seems to be playing the Doctor as a comedy character, and the result of this is to give him about as much presence and charisma as a wet rag. He's not like Troughton or Tom Baker at his best, both of whom could play the fool when they needed to, and still dominate every scene they were in. Tennant just comes across as ineffectual. And to be honest, I think his scene with Queen Victoria when she was talking about Prince Albert, would have been acted better by Eccleston (who I didn't like).

I think RTD needs to realise that Doctor Who is not a comedy show, it's a drama in which the comedy should be subtle moments of comic relief. This story could have been a classic, but unfortunately, for the reasons I've mentioned above, I don't think it quite made it.

[duncan]

I haven't 'warmed' to Tennant as yet either, but imho, this was both his and RTD'd best yet. The transformation of the Werewolf was first class and I think that the humour was pitched just right. Suitably scary for the most, this beats last season favourite of mine, The Unquiet Dead. This is what the show should be like all the time.

[Oldmankrondas]

I don't understand why people aren't warming to Tennant. At this stage in the last series I was still very uncomfortable with Ecclestons portrayal of the Doctor, and couldn't quite believe it. By way of contrast I am instantly convinced Tennant is the Doctor. He hasn't quite nailed the transition from comedy knock-about excitable Doctor to angry Doctor quite yet, but I suppose this weeks didn't quite give him as big an opportunity to do it.

It was certainly RTD's best story, creepy, funny, exciting everything a Doctor Who story should be. And a special nod should go to Euros Lyn whose different approach to direction gave the episode a rather unique touch. I absolutely adored it, and am really really enjoying this new series.

[duncan]

There was a moment in Tooth and Claw where I thought yes, he is the Doctor. That was the part when he suddenly worked out what the diamond a nd telescope were for. Apart from that, to me, he is not coming across as very Doctorish.

It's still early yet, so there is time for me to 'accept' him.

[The Doc]

I think part of the problem is that the 10th Doctor and Rose are so comfortable and chummy together. It is detracting from the Doctor himself. The 9th Doctor and Rose were very good friends with each other. But, there was always a bit of a division between them. So, the 9th Doctor could stand apart from Rose a bit and be the Doctor. The 10th Doctor doesn't have this division. He is too close to Rose. So, it is hard to distinguish him without Rose. Perhaps this is intentional so that something very bad will happen later in this series which will make Rose want to leave the Doctor (perhaps, as rumoured, in next series's Christmas story).

[John Darnacan]

Actually, if you go back and look at the previous Doctors, rarely were the first episodes characteristic of their long term 'Doctorishness'. I'm sure Tennant will get there.

[The Doc]

I would agree with you Darnacan, except for Eccleston. Troughton I can't speak of since I have only seen a handleful of complete stories and a few loose episodes on the "Lost in Time" DVD's.

[Cornelia_Africana]

When we first saw him in The Christmas Invasion, I felt he showed promise (in his "I don't give second chances" scene, and with Harriet Jones), but I reserved judgement on him, because I think you can't judge on one performance. However, at this moment I don't think that initial promise has been lived up to. He's playing it a bit too flippant and lightweight, and this detracts from that authority and gravitas that the Doctor should have. But of course, it's posssible that this will change over the course of the series.

[avon]

"Well now," - this was a definite improvement on the first story but, because of the format seems way too rushed.

As, for "DAVID" still early days on what I think of his version - yet!!!

[armadillozenith]

Have I spotted a Howler in Tooth and Claw?

( ;D)

Near the end the Dr speculates to Rose about Queen V having passed on a strange gene to her descendants, a gene that she seemed to get 'from nowhere' genealogically (ie by implication, from her encounter with the werewolf, which had scratched her).

Uhhh... 'passed on' to whom? How?

Surely by this time, with Albert deceased and herself beyond the years of childbearing, any purported wolf-derived gene wouldn't be going anywhere?

Or was he envisaging her nipping round all her grown-up children to scratch/bite them in turn?

Or was he just teasing Rose?

Anyway, a gene (variant) from nowhere isn't such a mystery... never heard of cosmic rays, mutagenic chemicals, DNA copying errors... hence, mutations?

After all, haemophilia (and all the other genetic diseases) had to start SOMEWHERE with SOMEONE... who had no previous family history of it.

Graham, with his zoologist hat on

[Oldmankrondas]

And a very nice hat it is too.

I think it's suggested that maybe she wolfs up one night and goes on a bit of a rampage through the Palace or something. Meh, it's an RTD script, not everything has to make sense, I draw your attention to the big button that makes the floor fall away in The Christmas Invasion?

[armadillozenith]

oldmankrondas said:

And a very nice hat it is too.

I think it's suggested that maybe she wolfs up one night and goes on a bit of a rampage through the Palace or something. Meh, it's an RTD script, not everything has to make sense, I draw your attention to the big button that makes the floor fall away in The Christmas Invasion?

Yeah I guess... :-) Never one to let science (or sense) stand in the way of the fun and magic, is RTD... a trait that has its minusses IMO but its plusses too - Dr Who is entertainment not a doctoral thesis, and from its inception 'twas ever so...

One has only to recall the weird dependence on 'static electricity and mirrors' of the Daleks, or the aberration of Ohm's law that revived a frozen Ice Warrior... and don't let me get started about the astronomer with his optical telescope who could 'see' Pescaton spaceships departing their planet located in 'the outer galaxies' - all the way from Earth! (Oh, too late.)

Thanks for your compliment on the headgear! I got my zoological 'hat' at Uni but have never worn it professionally so to speak (working instead with computers, electronics assembly/testing, now social/care work). "I should like a hat like that"... now where have I heard that?

Graham

PS in your post, what does 'Meh' mean? It sounds a useful expression but is new to me... (?concisely indicating a vaguely bored but amiably tolerant disparagement? as in, 'oh well, that's the way things are, it doesn't really bother me'?)

:-)

[Claire Voyant]

I loved Tooth and Claw, as it appeared this past Friday on SciFi.

The only problem I had with it was Queen Victoria's "Knight & Banish" behavior at the end. I understand the need for the creation of Torchwood. But if she was displeased with the Doctor and Rose, why knight them?

[mindmatters]

Bear with me everyone. I'm American and just recently got the opporunity to view all the episodes of the second series This includes Tooth and Claw. There's really not that much for me to add to the discussion. Cornelia said it all. Her sentiments regarding Tennant parallell my own. Although, how anyone can dislike Eccleston is beyond me! The guy personified the "oncoming storm." If I were trapped by daleks, cybermen, Slitheen, Davros or whomever -- I'd much rather have Eccleston's Doctor coming to the rescue than Tennant. Tennant goofs around too much. During the end of series one's Bad Wolf where one character says, "my masters they fear the doctor." You can understand why. Eccelston has that presence about him. Tennat is too silly to convey the same dread. Nevertheless, Tooth and Claw was one of the better episodes. I thought it was well written and the f/x was topnotch.

[Slagathor]

I admit Tennant is not as physically imposing as Eccleston was. Tennant is a bit of a pretty-boy. However, I think Tennant can get quite stern such as in New Earth.

Tennant should have been a bit more angry at the appearance of the Daleks in Doomsday, like Eccleston was in Dalek.