The Next Doctor

The Christmas Special, this time.

I finally got around to watching it.

And, um. Yeah. I suppose my blank feeling may be the result of a nasty bout of allergies, but then again, maybe not.

There were some fun individual bits, but the overall plot lacked.

I liked Lake as the Doctor--kind of wish he really were the next Doctor (That doesn't count as a spoiler, does it? 'Cause, I mean, we all knew that whoever he was, he wasn't OUR Doctor, though I'm a bit unclear as to how it happens that our Doctor doesn't know that right away, seeing as he's supposed to know when other Time Lords are around). The two of them laughing after being pulled by the whatsit (Shade?) was a fun moment, as was Rosita's response to it all. And I loved his TARDIS, particularly when he explained what it stood for.

Rosita could have been fun, but she got sidelined pretty quickly, so I never got to get much of a sense of her character. A bit like Rose (no surprise), but other than that... Mercy Hartigan ought to have been chilling but instead came off as cliched.

The main plot, however, eludes me. What were the Cybermen after again?

World domination, of course, but their invasion technique seems even odder than usual. Wholesale conversion, overt or covert makes sense, sort of. Recruiting the local matron, murdering a parson, and building a giant robot doesn't.

Why did they need Mercy? What made her think allying herself to them was a good plan? That last, by the way, is not a nit unique to this particular episode; I've never been sure why any Who sub-villain thought working with the Cybermen or the Daleks was a good idea (Well, except for The Invasion. The bad guy there had at least thought of the possibility that his new allies might not be 100% reliable). Given Mercy's willingness to join the Cybermen, why is she so upset when they announce she is to be their king? Shouldn't she be happy to be the one in charge? Since when have Cybermen had a king? I've seen CyberLeaders but not kings.

About that king... since when have the Cybermen taken to watching old Japanese cartoons?

Do we have to have Tennant going all mopey? Again? Why does he say of his Companions that "some of them forget me" as though they wandered off, got busy, and forgot to send Christmas cards? And if he's going to get mopey, he might want to mention that one or two of them have died in the name of duty rather than waving and leaving.

But, hey, at least neither of his temporary Companions died this time. Neither of them kissed him, either. And he got to be a companion himself for a little while. That's worth something.

Basically, I really don't like specials. They get showy and sprawly and plotless entirely too easily. I will be very glad to have the regular season back, will continue to sulk (when I think of it) about the "gap year" being needless now that Tennant is not coming back after all, and will drop by from time to time to write rambly reviews and complaints, probably long after the shows air.

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot. Lake entering the TARDIS was a fantastic moment, especially when he delightedly described it as "silly."