annissamazing | This is me angsting

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This is me angsting

I've been hesitant to post about this stuff, so here it is all at once.

I'm nervous about Dominic's school. I set my alarm for midnight so I could be among the first to submit an application for open enrollment at the school my sitter's kids go to. The application wasn't open by 12:30, so I went back to bed. It was up at 5, so I submitted it then. Dominic is in the last group of kids that will be considered because he is a non-resident of that particular city and he has no siblings in higher grades. I'm terrified he won't be accepted, because neither Justin nor I will be able to pick him up from school in the afternoons. We really need our sitter to do it, and she can't do it if he doesn't go to the same school as her kids. I'm sure there's some kind of a solution if open enrollment doesn't work, but I'm afraid it would mean finding a new sitter. And I don't know when they intend to notify which kids were accepted.

I'm nervous about fall semester. I'm worried I'm taking on too much at once.

I'm scared about my upcoming trip. I'm terrified I'm going to die in a fiery plane crash. This is normal for me, so I won't focus too much on it.

Lastly, I need to finally admit that I don't care for this incarnation of Doctor Who. I don't think I'm at the I-refuse-to-watch-this-season-anymore point (and because of the midseason break, it doesn't actually matter), but I feel like the people who are completely enamored of this season are trying to push me, and people like me, that direction and it makes me feel angry. Like I'm not the fan they want me to be, so I'm not worth anything and need to stfu. Which is why I've stopped posting about it. I don't want to be all Negative Nelly about it constantly. I want to concentrate on the things I have enjoyed (and there have been things!), but I feel like the things I don't care for have been outweighing the things I've liked.

I've been comparing it to fanfic a lot lately. I think that it's an apt comparison because the writers are fans telling new stories using someone else's characters. Season 5 and what I've seen of season 6 feel like fanfic from a very popular author whose characterization I don't buy, whose OCs I don't understand, and whose themes I don't enjoy. I'm not saying that Moffat's Who is bad. I'm saying it's not for me.

Soon I'll be watching more of the Classic Series and I'm sure there will be eras that I don't care for for similar reasons, but I'll still watch them, because (as

gement so eloquently put it) I still love the shape of the show. I'll continue watching Season 6 and even though this era isn't my cup of tea, chances are good that future eras will be.

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I hope your application for Dominic is accepted!

I feel like the people who are completely enamored of this season are trying to push me, and people like me, that direction and it makes me feel angry. Like I'm not the fan they want me to be, so I'm not worth anything and need to stfu.

This - oh, yes. So very much yes. I've stopped posting any kind of commentary or reaction on my LJ (apart from a brief comment on Rory a couple of eps ago), though I'll acknowledge that (a) I did do a flounce last year and say I wouldn't watch again, whereas I have been watching, mainly because this is canon DW like it or not and I do intend to watch future incarnations, and (b) it's not so much that people have said I should shut up, but some people on my flist who do like the Matt Smith era have made generalised comments about squee being harshed or otherwise disliking the negativity, or have vehemently argued with every criticism I have of this era to the point of making me feel that I needed to curtail conversation on my own LJ.

Not everyone's going to feel the same way about every era, Doctor or companion; I'm well aware of that. I didn't like S3 as much as the rest of the RTD era. I really dislike One. I don't care for Four anything like as much as Three, and I find young Sarah Jane abrasive. That's life. Not liking the Moffat era, and really disliking the direction he's taking the Doctor (and this is different from fanfic in a hugely significant way, because this is now canon), actually feels pretty awful. I don't get excited on episode days; I don't watch eps with friends and chat excitedly about them afterwards any more; I didn't go to last weekend's rewatch sessions, even though I've enjoyed the ones I have been to; and I don't read episode reviews or speculation on my flist any more because I'm left cold or wondering what's wrong with me that I just don't see what they're seeing.

But this too shall pass :) Sooner or later, Smith will leave and I hope the next Doctor will be one I will like. Moffat will leave also, as will the characters of his era. And this isn't just an anti-Moffat thing with me; I adore his version of Sherlock. The man can write good drama, even if I do think he doesn't write women particularly well.

Maybe those of us who dislike S5 just need to arrange our own rewatches now and again? And fic. Definitely fic!

Edited 2011-06-15 16:26 (UTC)

There's so much here I want to address beyond a simple, "I agree." I do agree, but I want to *talk*!

But I'm at work, so I just wanted to mention that there will be a rewatch today starting around 5:00pm if you're interested. I believe it will be Nine's era, but it's

10docandr's rewatch, so it'll be her choice.

Edited to add: Eastern time! Important time zone info! :)

Edited 2011-06-15 16:32 (UTC)

Same IRC channel as previously?

I'll try - the only reason I'm commenting here at all this afternoon is that I'm home sick! Normally, I'm at work, and then involved in meal preparation when I get home. Should be free up until shortly after six this evening, and then if you guys are still online after 8 I can be back. Sounds great!

I think so. I'll post a link as soon as she does so we can get as large a group of people watching as possible.

I hope you feel better soon!

Oh my gosh you just made me smile. I thought I was the only one who had an issue with young Sara Jane. Granted, I watched this when I was a kid but I never really connected with her unlike Romana who I adored. Everyone always seems to adore the young version of her character. I thought it was just me LOL! Oh I do like mature SJ. I thought she was pretty impressive in Season 2.

Young SJ causes a very arched eyebrow and puzzled expression when I watched the Five Doctors (one of the few old Who ep's I've seen). I think that's because I was all pumped for how awesome I was told she was.

I remember reading (I think it was on doctorwho here on LJ) someone saying the same thing. How they just watched some eps with SJ in it and couldn't understand how fantastic she was. Nostagia is a very clouded thing.

I agree I much perfer mature SJ.

I loved her in S2, and again in S4, and I did enjoy watching her in the couple of SJA episodes I watched. But, yes, young Sarah... argh! Now, I know that the 1970s were a very different era, and if a woman didn't want to be treated as a sex object or told to make the tea she had to be more assertive - though, actually, I did like the way Jo managed to get the respect of people around her. And, while Liz could also be a bit sharp on occasion, she had much more justification, considering her qualifications and ability. Sarah Jane in her early twenties just comes across as a bit self-centred, know-it-all and needlessly abrasive. Still, that's all part of growing up :) It would just have been nice to have a bit of acknowledgement that she wasn't all that's wonderful, in the way that we know modern companions aren't supposed to be considered perfect. Though that's one of the many differences between Classic and New Who, of course.

Oh dear, you are having a day aren't you. Don't feel bad about angsting. I have a friend near me who is fretting over what middle school to send her "special needs" child to. It's such a difficult thing and like you, if she applies for a school outside her district (which would be better for her child) there are no guarantees. So, don't feel bad fretting about that! I think its perfectly normal.

As for New Who, well I get that too. Of the SM era, there are probably only 3 eps I can say I really really enjoyed and a few moments out of other eps that I sort of fancy. I don't think it's MS and really think he's finally getting into his character. It's just SM's overall story arc style. I like SM as a story writer and he did write some eps in RTD's era that I really loved so it was a bit of a disappointment that I didn't quite fall in love with this season.

It's weird, I just wrote an 11/Rose fic which I NEVER thought I would do. The only reason I did it was the prompt was based on my favorite 11 ep. Once I started studying 11 to write his character, I really started to connect some things to 9 and 10. That said, I still feel the show is a bit more disconnected from RTD seasons than it should be.

I tend to like Eleven better in fanfic. Sort of bothers me a bit but I can't help it. SM's season story arcs just don't do it for me. After what Develish1 posted last night, seems like we may not have much more of Eleven to deal with if they are phasing out DW. Of course that means, I am really looking forward to some of the DW virtual series on LJ. I still think DW is an overall clever show.

Oh, I hope you enjoy classic Who! I really am a big fan of Four (especially Romana and the Key to Time series). I really want to re-watch his season.

I need to start giving Eleven some fic time, I guess. I usually skip fic starring him because I feel like I can't understand him.

I once heard someone say that the writers always write the Doctor the same way and it's up to the actor to bring the nuances for each incarnation. That's obviously not the case, but I feel like it should be. Deep down, he should always be the same character and Eleven doesn't feel like the Doctor to me. I think that reading some character studies in fanfic might help me identify his character. Right now he feels very nebulous and almost not there.

Yep. I agree with you. I just had no feeling for him which I really attribute to SM. I think RTD allowed the Doctor to be the focus of more eps than SM. RTD was smart enough to just let Tennant go be the Doctor. I feel like SM sort of "restrains" MS in most of the eps and focuses more on other characters.

I never thought I would ever write an Eleven fic and I mean never ever. That was primarily because, I didn't feel him. When I got the prompt for The Doctor's Wife (the only ep I can honestly say I loved) This made me study Eleven to pick out what made Eleven the Doctor. It took doing that to pick out certain traits that I could connect to 9 and 10. I may be a bit of a characterization freak. LOL. But you know, that's the problem with the Eleven era. The viewer should not have to analyze a character to make that connection with the Doctor.

I shall live in my happy world where I can blissfully write my TenII/Rose alt universe stuff and occassionally throw in an 11/Bad Wolf Rose fic just to challenge myself. Trust me, writing 11 is a challenge.

wendymr said pretty much what I wanted to say. And better I might add.

Lastly, I need to finally admit that I don't care for this incarnation of Doctor Who. I don't think I'm at the I-refuse-to-watch-this-season-anymore point,
and
I'm not saying that Moffat's Who is bad. I'm saying it's not for me.
*fistbumps*
Word, Sister. Word.

I agree with you completely on this. It's not that I didn't like S5, it's just that I didn't like it as much as previous seasons. One of my best RL friends can't understand that and it drives me crazy.

I won't say I've flounced but I've HAVE drifted away from the show in an ambivialent *handflap* sort of way. I have no desire to re-watch S5. The fact that I haven't seen any of S6 does not bother me at all. While two years ago when S4 was playing on the BBC and I was waiting until the Fall to get it on the CBC; it was driving me bananas.

I don't think it should be expected that everyoe MUST enjoy every season of Doctor who. I also think that there are a lot of people out there who need to pause and think for a moment before they click post when they are writing reviews or opinions (on anything in general really). Sure, I've railed against what SM but only when he says something I've found to be ignorant or irritating.

That being said, I LOVED Sherlock! I thought it was fanstastic and I really want to see the next season. I will admit, I hope he isn't the one who writes Irene Adler. I find him to be hot and cold with female characters. Sometimes he's spot on, sometimes ... well it's 'off'.

Ah, LP. You complete me.

LOL

I loved Sherlock, too! And I really loved most of the episodes Moffat wrote for Davies. Also, I adored Coupling. So I acknowledge that Moffat is a very good writer. His ideas for Doctor Who just aren't floating my boat. His characters are coming off as very flat, and when they show depth, I'm often left wondering at their motivation.

And, I'll be honest, I'm working through some issues from the mid-season finale. I'm trying to see what he did to Amy as interesting plot, but I'm only seeing marginalization and an unrealistic reaction. One day I'm sure I'll rant about this, but today is not that day because my thoughts are all over the place.

I swear, sometimes we share a brain. Helloo better half!
*waves like a problem-child monkey*

*Pats you*
I went through similar feelings since DT left. At first I was all angst and CAPSLOCK RAGE. This mellowed into apprehension and intrigue which sadly became apathy not excitement.

I warmed to Eleven but never liked him as much as I like Ten and Nine. I never warmed to Amy unless Rory was around then, for some reason, Amy became palatable. But even then I found the whole then "meh". I remember the socks I was knitting (purple crazy stripe done on two circular needles) while 'watching' S5 better than S5 it's self.

oh dear *hugs* hope you're feeling a bit better now than you were earlier.

As for DW, well you already know my thoughts I think, and they're pretty much exactly the same as yours. It's the reason I've virtually stopped posting about it too, unless something really stands out to me, or annoys me. Yes I do still rant now and then, lol, but mostly I'm just "yeah,whatever" about the whole thing these days as far as show content goes

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