lokifan_import (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lokifan_import) wrote2010-06-19 01:18 pm
lokifan_import) wrote2010-06-19 01:18 pm
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Bitches Be Crazy, til they find a Nice Guy
Okay, so you know how New Who seems slavishly devoted to the one-Doctor-one-Companion rule? (*cries* I loved Rory. I loved having two companions who were in love with each other. BRING BACK RORY!) And how the introduction of each Companion brings writers out of the woodwork describing her as ‘fiesty’? (Fiesty is one of my least-favourite words, and not-incidentally a totem of ‘post-feminist’ characterisation of women.)
SO MANY PARANTHESES. But I think you get where I’m going.
One of the problems with this is that it means there either have to be no women at all or A Woman, symbol of all. So the Silurians episodes made me really happy. I like ensemble casts anyway – they’re fun, and allow for lots of different things to be going on. The Bechdel test was passed with flying colours. We had the raging mother and brave warrior-hostage and ferocious general and the scientist who insisted on seeing a new world, as well as the ever-marvellous Amy Pond. With so many interesting women who affected the plot, I should wince less at the presentation of women characters.
But there was a distinct Bitches Be Crazy vibe. Much as I enjoyed the episode, and liked that two of my favourites (Amy and Meera Syal’s character) were negotiating for the whole of humanity... the mother destroyed a chance at something fantastic with irrational hate. We saw two male aliens and two female ones: the two men were brave and interested in the new, the women were warriors blinded by rage. Not horrible, but kind of unpleasant.
And then in the most recent episode... I winced from the first scene, because I was afraid we’d have a Nice Guy story. And we did: Craig and Sophie had a close, sexless relationship. She had friends in crisis who she prioritised over a casual night with him, she had ambitions she wanted to realise, and we saw him look sad about it. He didn’t have the guts to tell her, and when it looked like he might she looked nervous. Maybe that was meant to be anticipation or confusion or something, but the sofa scene really read to me as: she knows he’s got feelings for her she doesn’t return, and is afraid he’s about to declare himself and it’s going to be horribly awkward all around. And the Nice Guy got the girl.
I just hate the Nice Guy trope so much. And Amy was left floating hopelessly with nothing to do but scream all episode, and at the climax it was the Doctor and Craig rushing to save Sophie and Amy.
I’m not outraged, but I’m wary. C’mon, Moff, you were doing so well!
SO MANY PARANTHESES. But I think you get where I’m going.
One of the problems with this is that it means there either have to be no women at all or A Woman, symbol of all. So the Silurians episodes made me really happy. I like ensemble casts anyway – they’re fun, and allow for lots of different things to be going on. The Bechdel test was passed with flying colours. We had the raging mother and brave warrior-hostage and ferocious general and the scientist who insisted on seeing a new world, as well as the ever-marvellous Amy Pond. With so many interesting women who affected the plot, I should wince less at the presentation of women characters.
But there was a distinct Bitches Be Crazy vibe. Much as I enjoyed the episode, and liked that two of my favourites (Amy and Meera Syal’s character) were negotiating for the whole of humanity... the mother destroyed a chance at something fantastic with irrational hate. We saw two male aliens and two female ones: the two men were brave and interested in the new, the women were warriors blinded by rage. Not horrible, but kind of unpleasant.
And then in the most recent episode... I winced from the first scene, because I was afraid we’d have a Nice Guy story. And we did: Craig and Sophie had a close, sexless relationship. She had friends in crisis who she prioritised over a casual night with him, she had ambitions she wanted to realise, and we saw him look sad about it. He didn’t have the guts to tell her, and when it looked like he might she looked nervous. Maybe that was meant to be anticipation or confusion or something, but the sofa scene really read to me as: she knows he’s got feelings for her she doesn’t return, and is afraid he’s about to declare himself and it’s going to be horribly awkward all around. And the Nice Guy got the girl.
I just hate the Nice Guy trope so much. And Amy was left floating hopelessly with nothing to do but scream all episode, and at the climax it was the Doctor and Craig rushing to save Sophie and Amy.
I’m not outraged, but I’m wary. C’mon, Moff, you were doing so well!
no subject
desire to never get up from your couchtrue love!" thing just didn't work.I just can't see that relationship lasting, to be honest. I can buy them being friends who have an awkward crush on each other, but they just don't seem compatible at all.