First we've got Demons of the Punjab (which I keep wanting to call Ghosts of the Punjab), which is really a historical adventure, the first of it's kind since 1966 (or 1982 if we really want to get technical, but who wants that?), and Kerblam which was almost a great story, but. . .
I would call Punjab a historical story because the plot and the dramatic tension lies entirely within the historical scenario, and the science fictional elements, the aliens, the time travel, even the Doctor herself, are entirely incidental. I would hate to see every episode do this, but as a one off, it is undeniably great drama. Nationalism is the poison that rips families communities, societies and civilizations apart. If the message is a bit blatant, it's because the reality doesn't allow for any other treatment. The crude prejudices of the one brother would seem comical if most of the planet didn't subscribe to them. If anything, the Doctor should have been more damning in her appraisal. Bradbury once said that books tell us what asses we've been; good fiction of any kind can do the same.
If Punjab falters anywhere, it's in the overt sentimentality of the closing scene, in which the incidental music displaced the theme tune. Now, you know you're not supposed to fuck with the theme tune! The message here is that the message is too important to let Doctor Who get in the way. Uh uh. If the message is too important for Doctor Who then you shouldn't be writing for Doctor Who. Never presume you are more important than your chosen medium. But also remember to trust the reader: a simple message of love will not be lost on anyone; you don't need violins or sitars to drive the point home.
Now Kerblam was maybe not quite as successful in the literary sens as Demons of the Punjab, but far more enjoyable. Kind of like "Ghost Monument" there are tastes of the old-school afoot, but this one hits closer to the mark. It's a straight up science fiction story where the setting is the future but the message is for today. There are lots of little plot twists that are fun, and, as a former warehouse worker myself, I appreciated the authenticity. It so very nearly almost made a great story. Here's the trouble: as with so many others, most of RTD's stories, and now Chibnel's as well, I sat through it all in eager anticipation of the pay-off, the denument, or as I call it, the cool part, the bit that makes you go "WOH!". And just when it gets there, it does. . .something else instead. Instead of "Woh!" I go "oh." Now, it wasn't as bad as the RTD anti-climaxes, it didn't necessarily ruin the story, but it was a let-down compared to what could have been.
In a nutshell, what almost seemed like a diabolical masterplan of some supervillain (I was waiting for the Autons), turns out to be just a kind of terrorist prank write-large. The problem with this little twist is two-fold: first, it really deflates the tension (come on Chris, think big!), but importantly, it undermines the social satire. At first it seems to be setting-up Amazon and its nefarious effects on commerce and society. But then it pulls an about face: the problem is not with the system, but with the mis-guided individuals who see a problem with it. "People will lose faith in automation!" says the Doctor in horror, and one can't help feeling that, rather than the intended murders, is the real crime here. Considering what an evil company Amazon is, how abominably it treats its workers how it's bankrupted so many other companies (employers), and how genuinely dangerous it actually is, this feels more than a little bit of a stab in the back coming from the Doctor. If ever an institution deserved the satirical treatment, it was Amazon. Of all the targets the current writers have chosen to go after, why go soft on Amazon? This isn't just a wasted opportunity - it's a betrayal.
And when I hear the Doctor, historically THE defender of humanism in the face of technocracy, utter that most obnoxiously cry of craven surrender the techno-Quislings like to shout at me ("it's the not the system it's the people!"), all I can say is "fuck-off".
I would call Punjab a historical story because the plot and the dramatic tension lies entirely within the historical scenario, and the science fictional elements, the aliens, the time travel, even the Doctor herself, are entirely incidental. I would hate to see every episode do this, but as a one off, it is undeniably great drama. Nationalism is the poison that rips families communities, societies and civilizations apart. If the message is a bit blatant, it's because the reality doesn't allow for any other treatment. The crude prejudices of the one brother would seem comical if most of the planet didn't subscribe to them. If anything, the Doctor should have been more damning in her appraisal. Bradbury once said that books tell us what asses we've been; good fiction of any kind can do the same.
If Punjab falters anywhere, it's in the overt sentimentality of the closing scene, in which the incidental music displaced the theme tune. Now, you know you're not supposed to fuck with the theme tune! The message here is that the message is too important to let Doctor Who get in the way. Uh uh. If the message is too important for Doctor Who then you shouldn't be writing for Doctor Who. Never presume you are more important than your chosen medium. But also remember to trust the reader: a simple message of love will not be lost on anyone; you don't need violins or sitars to drive the point home.
Now Kerblam was maybe not quite as successful in the literary sens as Demons of the Punjab, but far more enjoyable. Kind of like "Ghost Monument" there are tastes of the old-school afoot, but this one hits closer to the mark. It's a straight up science fiction story where the setting is the future but the message is for today. There are lots of little plot twists that are fun, and, as a former warehouse worker myself, I appreciated the authenticity. It so very nearly almost made a great story. Here's the trouble: as with so many others, most of RTD's stories, and now Chibnel's as well, I sat through it all in eager anticipation of the pay-off, the denument, or as I call it, the cool part, the bit that makes you go "WOH!". And just when it gets there, it does. . .something else instead. Instead of "Woh!" I go "oh." Now, it wasn't as bad as the RTD anti-climaxes, it didn't necessarily ruin the story, but it was a let-down compared to what could have been.
In a nutshell, what almost seemed like a diabolical masterplan of some supervillain (I was waiting for the Autons), turns out to be just a kind of terrorist prank write-large. The problem with this little twist is two-fold: first, it really deflates the tension (come on Chris, think big!), but importantly, it undermines the social satire. At first it seems to be setting-up Amazon and its nefarious effects on commerce and society. But then it pulls an about face: the problem is not with the system, but with the mis-guided individuals who see a problem with it. "People will lose faith in automation!" says the Doctor in horror, and one can't help feeling that, rather than the intended murders, is the real crime here. Considering what an evil company Amazon is, how abominably it treats its workers how it's bankrupted so many other companies (employers), and how genuinely dangerous it actually is, this feels more than a little bit of a stab in the back coming from the Doctor. If ever an institution deserved the satirical treatment, it was Amazon. Of all the targets the current writers have chosen to go after, why go soft on Amazon? This isn't just a wasted opportunity - it's a betrayal.
And when I hear the Doctor, historically THE defender of humanism in the face of technocracy, utter that most obnoxiously cry of craven surrender the techno-Quislings like to shout at me ("it's the not the system it's the people!"), all I can say is "fuck-off".
No comments:
Post a Comment