Desperately Investigating Susan

The finales were usually my least favourite episodes of Russell T Davies' first run on Doctor Who but I really liked to-day's first part of his multipart finale, "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". There was still too much shouting and laughing and hugging for me, people using their roller coaster voices for every conversation. But to each their own.

I loved the Time Window scene. That was just fantastic. I loved the Doctor and Ruby standing in a holographic reconstruction of a grainy VHS tape recording, the Doctor talking about how his memory keeps changing, his mistake in allowing the colonel explore behind the TARDIS. I loved the reveal of the dark cloud with malevolent eyes. The scene moved from being a worthy descendant of Blade Runner to being something genuinely Lovecraftian. A lot of people aim for Lovecraftian but very few works of fiction successfully hit that sweet spot of convincingly malevolent cosmic presence.

The villain was perfect. As much as I think whether or not something is predictable is overrated, it's fun to think of how very few people anticipated this particular callback to a classic episode which, by the way, also achieved some Lovecraftian vibes. The actress who plays Susan Triad is credited as "Susan Twist", leading me to think her real name would've been a dead giveaway. Now that I think about it, she does look a lot like a key actor in that same classic serial, making me wonder if she's a relative in both the story and in real life.

I also liked both Kate Stewart and Mel in this episode, two supporting characters I've never been crazy about. The dread in Jemma Redgrave's reaction shots sold a lot of that big, dark cgi.

The episode left me on tenterhooks for next week.

Doctor Who is available on the BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ elsewhere.

X Sonnet #1853

The council fell before the plate of clams.
With service hyped beyond a hope we paid.
The guests were later sick upon the tram.
The boarding call was clogged and pace was stayed.
A frozen road appeals in summer sweats.
An extra mattress greets the lucky lass.
Another time arrived for making bets.
The public transit braked for multipass.
A blackened carrot cared for many towns.
For burning roots results in kinder stuff.
They turned the quilts around to happy frowns.
The numbered goat revealed the cloven bluff.
Returning gods surprise the puzzle hands.
Revenging swords betray the fertile lands.