It's my birthday week all the way till Tuesday. I'll squee out on Doctor Who, If I want to! PLFLTH!

On January 6, Craig Ferguson Interviewed Alex Kingston. And, as part of that episode, he finally got a chance to air his Ode to the Legacy that is Doctor Who legally (yay!).

On January 8, I woke up wanting to write up my thoughts about the episode, and thoughts I've had about that ode since it aired in November.

But then, I got hit with the news of the violence and death and cynicism in Tucson, and it sucked all the squee out of my heart.

Today, I woke up and decided that this would be the day I made this post. So, here's a close approximation of what I would have written a week ago, colored by the fact that I am (actually) a week, and (legally) a year, older:

1. ( He had Gary Sinise on first (this is a ranty-McRant-rant tangeant). )

Now, onto that "Summary of Doctor Who set to the Orbital Theme Remix" (We can't really call it "The lost cold open" anymore, can we?):

2. I disagree with the lyric: "He is a force for good
   in an otherwise uncertain universe."
   
   The Doctor is not a "force." He's an individual, endowed (blessed, cursed, what-have-you) with an immense intellect, an equal capacity for imagination, and a profoundly strong moral compass (and a kindness that he has grown into). But he is also flawed, and often mistaken, and that moral compass and intellect can sometimes get in the way, and his actions, as often as not, have unforseen consequences that unleash evil as well as good.
   
   He's not a superhero, to my mind, but he is a hero -- in the Joseph Campbell sense of the word. And if you're looking for a fictional character to be your role model, it would be hard to find a better one.
   
   
3. More lyrics: "One thing is consistent, though, / And this is why the show / Remains beloved by geeks and nerds: / It's all about the triumph of Intellect and Romance / Over Brute force and Cynicism."
   
   Yes. THIS. ...And, sadly, I think this is one reason why Doctor Who has never really caught on in America, and remains a relatively small fandom even among the geeks (compared to Star Trek, mainly): there's always been a part of American culture that has embraced Brute Force and Cynicism, and looked askance at Intellect and Romance as "sissy."
   
   If you want to get an idea of how far back into our culture this goes, just take a look at how Benjamin Franklin was treated, at the end of his life, and how low he is in the hierarchy of Heroic Founding Fathers, compared to the soldiers and generals.
   
   
4. I guessed right! re: which River Song clip they'd show before she came out, to introduce the character to first timers (It was the Fez killing scene on the rooftop). It was a brilliant choice: it showed all the main characters in a single shot (Amy, Rory, River and the Doctor), and it hinted at the wit of the dialog and the relationships between them. And it had a big shooty-gun bit, too (see above).
   
   I think they made a really bad choice for a clip for Matt Smith's interview, btw (The one where he first encounters the vampire ladies in Venice). That's a great scene for those who already know the essence of the Doctor. But it's kind of hard to sell him as a main character-Hero, if your first impression of him is gleefully running away (I'd have loved it if they'd shown the clip of him riding a galloping horse, or [but it's too spoilery] when he introduces himself to the "Deathy aliens... of Death!" at the end of "Eleventh Hour").
   
   
5. I was bemused / amused when Alex Kingston compared American Who fans to the Zombie!Apocolypse. Do you think American fans really are more that much crazier than their British counterparts, or is it just that much harder to camouflage a television shoot in the open plains than it is in the hidey-holes and alleyways of Cardiff?
   
   
6. I've seen (via "Confidential" clips on YouTube) that this next season will reveal who River Song is. Do you think, if RTD were still in charge, he'd have the same answer as Stephen Moffat is dreaming (or has dreamt) up?

Okay, I think that just about covers all the rambling thoughts that have been rambling through my brain these last couple of weeks...