Love And Monsters

daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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Since I joined this forum, no episode of the New Series has sparked more debate than this one. It is the ultimate Marmite episode which always divides opinion more than any other.

As part of the rewatch I do for these threads, with this episode I actually..... didn't. I skipped it, I dislike the episode so much. It's not quite up to the full on hate I have for Paradise Towers but it comes very close. It's the only episode I will skip for these threads.

I know I've mentioned numerous times what I don't like about this story but as this is a thread on it, guess I should do so again.

The most important factor I dislike about it is the third party narration. I have never liked these sort of episodes where non-regulars or guest characters narrate and see the regulars from their point of view. It puts up a barrier between the viewer and the main characters which I dislike. I've seen it done in Torchwood, and in other shows like The Incredible Hulk, and in the latter's case, it was my least favourite episode in that Series as well. It was also done in Buffy, but it was done by one of the regular cast so in that sense it worked.

It didn't help that that Elton wasn't exactly a likeable character either and spent most of the time speaking on a laptop webcam in his bedroom which bored me to tears. And that rude gag at the end would have made me laugh had I not got so p****d off with episode by the time it got to this point.

It wasn't just Elton that was the problem either. The whole idea of the LINDA group prior to Victor Kennedy's arrival just having this Nerdy group that just mucked about playing songs I found childish and at times cringeworthy to say the least. I have never been a fan of the Mr Blue Sky Song so that didn't appeal to me either. Sometimes it really felt like being back in the 7th Doctor's Era watching this group, the high standards the show had set itself since it's return had just gone out of the window.

Then there was Peter Kay. I like him as a comedian and as a person but I just wish they'd done something better with him in this. Victor Kennedy was only just passable but as the Abzorbaloff, it was again embarrassingly cringy to watch. Yes there were moments of humour with the Clom thing but he lacked any serious menace, he was imo on the same level as the Kandyman from The Happiness Patrol, just to silly to be taken seriously.

As with Paradise Towers, I have tried to be fair and see if there was anything positive I could say about the episode. It was a struggle but I got there. I think the only highlight of this episode for me was Jackie. It was interesting to see her side of Rose's life, waiting at home, wondering when she'd hear from her. In some ways, it showed she was vulnerable from groups like LINDA who knew about The Doctor but on the other hand she sure knew how to deal with people who messed her about. She was a bit of a maneater still in this but I did like the transition from trying it on with Elton to suddenly being sad at hearing from Rose. Oh and I did like Ursula, but as usual a nice character was killed off.

Aside from that only the scenes with The Doctor and Rose in it were of any interest. (What the hell did they do to Rose's hair in this, was awful!). Off course, The Doctor's absence for most of the story doesn't help either but other Doctor-Lite episodes like Blink and Turn Left showed how such an episode can be done and made interesting. Against those two episodes this just doesn't compare.

The only other good thing I can say about Love And Monsters is that is better than Paradise Towers but as I said in that thread, that isn't really saying that much. It is for me not only the worst episode of Series 2 but of New Who as a whole and considering all the gripes I have with most of Series 5 and 6, that really is saying something IMO. Sometimes I wonder how someone who wrote some of my favourite episodes in New Who could come up with this crap but he did, guess it shows anyone can have an off-day! :D

:)
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Comments

  • sovietusernamesovietusername Posts: 1,169
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    I actually think this story is massively under rated, certainly it's nowhere near as bad as the next episode, or as dodgy as the Idiots Lantern which is so hit and miss with good moments and bad moments I wasnt really sure what to think of it and didnt comment on your thread+I dont think I've seen it since it's original broadcast. However I have rewatched Love and Monsters (and, unfortunately, Fear Her, but more on that tommorow) and really dont think it's that bad. OK, it's certainly not the best episode ever, and I dont even really like Series 2 (ok, so it's not really bad, I still enjoy most of the series 2 as it's still Dr Who, and it's not being made in the 1980's, but along with series 4, and possibly, series 6.2, series 2 is one of my least favourites overall when compared to the others (my favourites being series 5, 3, then 1, in that order)) but I dont think it's that bad. It does have a few neat ideas, some funny moments, AND, most importantly, ELO! It has ELO! How can anyone not like them, they have the best music for putting you in a good mood (which is good as a lot of the other music I listen to can sometimes be a tad depressing (Joy Division, anyone?).

    You have to remember that, when making this, they'd never done their "cheap episodes" where the Doctor and/or the companion wouldnt feature. Now obviously the episode being on a budget doesent mean it cant be good (just look at most of the classic series) and, for these episodes, we'd later have some of the best episodes in NuWho e.g. Blink, Midnight (my personal favourite 10th Doctor story), Turn Left (not my personal favourite, but just cos of continuity errors etc, still a decent episode), The Girl Who Waited (bye bye Ponds:cry:) etc etc. This was the first episode that didnt have the Doctor or a comapnion for most of the episode, and obviously it probably isnt going to be as good as some others as they'd obviously not really done them before and arent sure how they could work. How do you do a Dr Who episode without the Doctor? And the thing is (even if it's not used to it's maximum potential), the idea behind the story isnt that bad. A bunch of people who have cuaght on to the precense of the Doctor and aliens, people like Clive in 'Rose.' And when you think about it, considering all the Doctor gets up to, you would imagine it's not just big organisations like U.N.I.T. or Torchwood that must notice the Doctor occassionally.

    Yes, the monsters a tad silly, but Peter Kays always fun, and the Abzorbaloff isnt as silly as some other RTD monsters. "Abzorbaloff, yes, I like that!" Also, the Hoix looks cool, and I would have loved to find out more about that. Didnt it return in Torchwood? I know they were part of the Alliance in The Pandorica Opens. Maybe it would have been a better episode if the main Monster of the week was the Hoix instead of a monster designed by a child via Blue Peter.

    I must say, I was a little disappointed with this episode, especially after the brilliant 2 parter we'd had before. I'd agree it's one of my least favourite episodes in series 2, or, probably, NuWho. However, I dont think it is THE WORST. There are a lot worse and this episode does have a lot of good things going for it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdcd08XWRs
  • brouhahabrouhaha Posts: 661
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    I don't only think Love and Monsters is the worst Doctor Who story, I think it's one of the worst pieces of television I've ever seen. It's difficult to comment on specific details as I've only seen it once (on broadcast) and have no desire ever to repeat the experience, but I remember feeling quite shocked at how bad it was, especially since it came directly after the wonderful Impossible Planet / Satan Pit and was part of an otherwise first rate season (I'm one of that silent minority who thinks Season 2 is far and away the best season of New Who - not many of us around, I know).

    From the Scooby Doo chase opening, through those ridiculous scenes of characters walking away from the building while very audible screams could be heard in the background to the embarrassment of those characters forming a band(!!) (just when you thought it couldn't get any more stupid) to the truly appalling monster with an equally cringeworthy name (Abzorbaloff - it absorbs people. Do you see what they did there, eh?), the whole production felt like a spoof from some unfunny comedy programme. It was painful to watch. RTD's humour had misfired before (farting aliens and burping dustbins) but they were elements in stories which had other, more positive features. I can't think of one single redeeming quality to Love and Monsters. It's one long very crap joke from start to finish.
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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    brouhaha wrote: »
    I don't only think Love and Monsters is the worst Doctor Who story, I think it's one of the worst pieces of television I've ever seen. It's difficult to comment on specific details as I've only seen it once (on broadcast) and have no desire ever to repeat the experience, but I remember feeling quite shocked at how bad it was, especially since it came directly after the wonderful Impossible Planet / Satan Pit and was part of an otherwise first rate season (I'm one of that silent minority who thinks Season 2 is far and away the best season of New Who - not many of us around, I know).

    From the Scooby Doo chase opening, through those ridiculous scenes of characters walking away from the building while very audible screams could be heard in the background to the embarrassment of those characters forming a band(!!) (just when you thought it couldn't get any more stupid) to the truly appalling monster with an equally cringeworthy name (Abzorbaloff - it absorbs people. Do you see what they did there, eh?), the whole production felt like a spoof from some unfunny comedy programme. It was painful to watch. RTD's humour had misfired before (farting aliens and burping dustbins) but they were elements in stories which had other, more positive features. I can't think of one single redeeming quality to Love and Monsters. It's one long very crap joke from start to finish.

    I agree about Series 2, there's not many of us fans about so it's good to hear someone else likes it as well. I'm never silent about it though! :D

    What frustrates me so much is that my favourite New-Who Series contains the worst New-Who episode ever and the following episode wasn't that much of an improvement. It's a real shame as the rest of the Series is so enjoyable in many ways. This little period prior to the finale is really bad and it's such a shame as the finale is such a corker. Love and Monsters is a million miles away from being anywhere as good as those two episodes. I think if this and Fear Her had been replaced by two quality episodes like Midnight and Turn Left in Series 4, it would have been my favourite Series of Doctor Who ever, including Classic Who. Such a shame that didn't happen.

    :)
  • CorwinCorwin Posts: 16,588
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    brouhaha wrote: »
    to the truly appalling monster with an equally cringeworthy name (Abzorbaloff - it absorbs people. Do you see what they did there, eh?),

    Well it was thought up by a 9 (I think) year old kid and to be fair to him his original idea was for it to be the size of a Bus and not Peter Kay sized.
    He was apparently very disapointed with the finished version.

    Until the Azorbaloff appears L&M is an Ok episode, not great but far better than Fear Her. Once the Monster appears in the last few minutes though it becomes total crap.
  • Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,924
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    Sorry, but at least Love and Monsters tried to be something different. Fear Her is the worst 21st century Doctor Who story by a country mile IMO, because it wasn't trying to do anything different, it was trying to be a standard DW monster in the cupboard story and failed on almost every count, and the Olympics sequence is far more cringe-worthy than anything in LAM. The only bit I remember with any pleasure is the gag when the TARDIS was parked the wrong way round and they couldn't get out. That this is the most memorable bit of the whole thing for me says it all!
    With LAM they came to do a so-called "Doctor lite" story, and decided to explore something that had never been done before, how ordinary people would form almost a fan club for the Doctor based on his exploits.
    Yes, I fully agree that not all of it works as well as it might have done. Peter Kay's monster is pretty rubbish, although until his "true form" was revealed I thought he was a pretty good creepy character.
    I think the problem is that too many people took the episode far too seriously. I've always seen it as completely tongue in cheek throughout. Even the dubious girl in the paving slab gag at the end was just that, a gag. Not a very funny one perhaps, but certainly not intended to be taken seriously!
    :)
  • GrafelfingGrafelfing Posts: 75
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    It's Love & Monsters. The only story to have an ampersand.

    It's also a great exploration of what the Doctor's adventures must look like to somebody watching from the sidelines.
  • sovietusernamesovietusername Posts: 1,169
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    Dave-H wrote: »
    Sorry, but at least Love and Monsters tried to be something different. Fear Her is the worst 21st century Doctor Who story by a country mile IMO, because it wasn't trying to do anything different, it was trying to be a standard DW monster in the cupboard story and failed on almost every count, and the Olympics sequence is far more cringe-worthy than anything in LAM. The only bit I remember with any pleasure is the gag when the TARDIS was parked the wrong way round and they couldn't get out. That this is the most memorable bit of the whole thing for me says it all!
    With LAM they came to do a so-called "Doctor lite" story, and decided to explore something that had never been done before, how ordinary people would form almost a fan club for the Doctor based on his exploits.
    Yes, I fully agree that not all of it works as well as it might have done. Peter Kay's monster is pretty rubbish, although until his "true form" was revealed I thought he was a pretty good creepy character.
    I think the problem is that too many people took the episode far too seriously. I've always seen it as completely tongue in cheek throughout. Even the dubious girl in the paving slab gag at the end was just that, a gag. Not a very funny one perhaps, but certainly not intended to be taken seriously!
    :)

    My thoughts exactly, completely agree
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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    Dave-H wrote: »
    Sorry, but at least Love and Monsters tried to be something different. Fear Her is the worst 21st century Doctor Who story by a country mile IMO, because it wasn't trying to do anything different, it was trying to be a standard DW monster in the cupboard story and failed on almost every count, and the Olympics sequence is far more cringe-worthy than anything in LAM. The only bit I remember with any pleasure is the gag when the TARDIS was parked the wrong way round and they couldn't get out. That this is the most memorable bit of the whole thing for me says it all!
    With LAM they came to do a so-called "Doctor lite" story, and decided to explore something that had never been done before, how ordinary people would form almost a fan club for the Doctor based on his exploits.
    Yes, I fully agree that not all of it works as well as it might have done. Peter Kay's monster is pretty rubbish, although until his "true form" was revealed I thought he was a pretty good creepy character.
    I think the problem is that too many people took the episode far too seriously. I've always seen it as completely tongue in cheek throughout. Even the dubious girl in the paving slab gag at the end was just that, a gag. Not a very funny one perhaps, but certainly not intended to be taken seriously!
    :)

    I really don't have issues with trying something different in Doctor Who. It's been done before with stories like Kinda and it's worked a treat. A show like Doctor Who should always be open to lots of diversity.

    Problem is, if you're going to do something different it has to work to be effective. This episode didn't imo and I would rather watch Fear Her anyday than sit through watching this crap again.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    brouhaha wrote: »
    I don't only think Love and Monsters is the worst Doctor Who story, I think it's one of the worst pieces of television I've ever seen. It's difficult to comment on specific details as I've only seen it once (on broadcast) and have no desire ever to repeat the experience, but I remember feeling quite shocked at how bad it was, especially since it came directly after the wonderful Impossible Planet / Satan Pit and was part of an otherwise first rate season (I'm one of that silent minority who thinks Season 2 is far and away the best season of New Who - not many of us around, I know).

    From the Scooby Doo chase opening, through those ridiculous scenes of characters walking away from the building while very audible screams could be heard in the background to the embarrassment of those characters forming a band(!!) (just when you thought it couldn't get any more stupid) to the truly appalling monster with an equally cringeworthy name (Abzorbaloff - it absorbs people. Do you see what they did there, eh?), the whole production felt like a spoof from some unfunny comedy programme. It was painful to watch. RTD's humour had misfired before (farting aliens and burping dustbins) but they were elements in stories which had other, more positive features. I can't think of one single redeeming quality to Love and Monsters. It's one long very crap joke from start to finish.

    I don't really need to add anything to this; I agree with most of it. :D

    I was so disappointed because I had grown used to really loving every episode, and the previous 2-parter had been exceptionally good, so it was very much "from the sublime to the ridiculous" for me. Back to the awful days of series 1. And the wonderful Ten wasn't even in it much!

    Jackie's bit was touching, but not really what I watch DW to see. The paving stone gag was awful.

    Easily the worst episode of the series, imo.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 666
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    I totally agree with you, daveyboy7472.
    A talking pavement slab with a love life, oh Doctor Who. They should have done it from her perspective post-concrete absorption (that is not a phrase that should exist), the comments on here would be wonderful.
    I understand what people are saying, that it's just a bit of light fun before Rose disappears, the monster was made by a kid etc... But pavement lady. :(

    Actually, I did like the idea of LINDA, the name was cute.
  • ryanr554ryanr554 Posts: 4,013
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    I only saw this episode once and I am not gonna watch it again. For such a good show, it's surprising that it can have stinkers like this episode or the more recent Christmas specials.

    It was nice that it featured someone from Klom though.
  • Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,924
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    Back to the awful days of series 1.
    :eek:
  • krikkiter68krikkiter68 Posts: 272
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    Grafelfing wrote: »
    It's Love & Monsters. The only story to have an ampersand.

    It's also a great exploration of what the Doctor's adventures must look like to somebody watching from the sidelines.

    I agree with you. :)

    This must be one of the most divisive DW episodes ever. But I really like it.

    Rather like the song 'Turn to Stone' that is featured in the episode, it's light-hearted on the surface, but underneath there's so much pain, and loss. I think that Camille Coduri is superb in every episode she's in, and here, she's heartbreaking. And the scene where Elton finally finds out why the Doctor was in his childhood house... :cry:

    OK, it's not perfect. I'm not a massive fan of the Absorbaloff, but I think, nonetheless, the writing and acting is great here. And I love Elton's final speech.
  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
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    I quite enjoyed it actually. They occasionally throw in a comedy episode - and this was it! Peter Kaye was brilliant as the villain at the start.....I admit the 'Absorballoff' thingy was a bit shite. But I loved his line "Taste's Like Chicken' made me laugh! It was basically a "filler" wasn't it? I also loved Jackie Tyler doing her bit with Elton and getting his shirt off! Then she realised Rose was more important than pizzas!!
    Just good fun :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 748
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    It was porn.
  • jxpjxp Posts: 550
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    brouhaha wrote: »
    ....to the embarrassment of those characters forming a band(!!) (just when you thought it couldn't get any more stupid)...

    I thought them forming a band was a really great part. They had come together because they had suffered loss or were empty lonely people.

    Together they found friendship and started to have fun, forgetting the problems that brought them together. They didn't want a recording contract they wanted to enjoy making music.

    Abzorbaloff was cheap and tacky though.
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    Dave-H wrote: »
    Sorry, but at least Love and Monsters tried to be something different..........With LAM they came to do a so-called "Doctor lite" story, and decided to explore something that had never been done before, how ordinary people would form almost a fan club for the Doctor based on his exploits.
    Yes, I fully agree that not all of it works as well as it might have done. Peter Kay's monster is pretty rubbish, although until his "true form" was revealed I thought he was a pretty good creepy character.
    I think th?e problem is that too many people took the episode far too seriously. I've always seen it as completely tongue incheek throughout. Even the dubious girl in the paving slab gag at the end was just that, a gag. Not a very funny one perhaps, but certainly not intended to be taken seriously!
    :)

    I do agree with your comments. I must admit I dont really like comedy in Doctor Who but i dont mind this episode too much up the actual monster reveal which was a bit of an anticlimax. But then why woukd the Doctor only meet Premier League villians all the time. Occasionally he's got to meet a petty villian like the Absorbaloff ?

    There is a bit of a mystery within the comedy bits such as when the group start disappearing and Eltons meeting with the Doctor as a child so it has its more serious plot which maybe could have been expanded on a bit more personally.

    A lot rests on whether you like Marc Warren as he carries this episode really as he gets to play a fairly ordinary guy.I'm not quite sure if he carries it off completely at times but the scenes of him and Jackie are quite funny and sad.

    I think this episode just puts some people out because it has a not so obvious dig at Doctor Who fan groups & their earnest obsession with the show at times but i just laugh at all of that. Our enjoyment of this show should be fun :D
  • GDKGDK Posts: 9,467
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    I liked the bravery of doing something "off format" like this. Telling a Doctor Who story from an unusual perspective (A bit like B5's "A View from the Gallery" or TNG's "Lower Decks" or the 3rd season's (brilliant) "Blink"). I like that it's a kind of follow up to the conspiracy theorist that Rose went to visit way back in "Rose".

    Unfortunately this off format attempt failed for me because of Peter Kay's jokey villian and the weak ending. I loved Elton and Jackie moments. However... We're used to seeing the Doctor save entire planets, even universes and yet he can't reverse the Abzorbaloff's effect? Why not write it such that Ursula was saved at an earlier stage? Was it all for the sake of the crass joke at the end? It would have worked much better for me if the Doctor had done something to rescue the group from their obsession with him and their twilight conspiracy theorist lives and given Elton and Ursula a happier ending.
  • DavetheScotDavetheScot Posts: 16,623
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    This was IMO the first genuinely poor story since the series returned. The idea of having a monster designed by a child for a competition was possibly not that good; whether the child's actual design, of a monster the size of a bus, would have worked better I don't know. In any case the Absorbaloff is not the only problem with this story.

    I hated what they did with Rose in this story. On the thread discussing School Reunion, I said that Rose's reaction to Mickey joining the crew was her at her worst. Well, I correct myself. Going up to a man in terror for his life and moaning on at him for upsetting her mum is her worst moment. However, the moment in School Reunion fitted Rose's character; this didn't. Awful.

    And I hated the Scooby Doo chase at the start. And the paving slab joke only works if you don't think about what the Doctor has actually done here.

    On the plus side, I agree that Jackie takes a more central role here and is excellent. Also, anything with Marc Warren and Shirley Henderson is at least guaranteed two fine performances and they put in sterling work here. But it's not enough to save the story.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 247
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    I do like the bravery in experimenting with the format, and I do like the video-log approach. The episode is at its strongest in the first half where the audience are gradually immersed into the concept of the Doctor followers and their little community. Where the episode falls apart is when the Absorbolof is introduced. The tone suddenly becomes intensely jarring, especially through Kay's misjudged performance - this is a kind of "Variety" casting which haunted JNT's era - you cannot separate the monster form the performer (although he delivers the best line wonderfully: "Clum." But the worst thing about the story is - The Doctor. Unfortunately his scenes are shot in the pouring rain, so he looks tired. More importantly, the script has him perform ridiculous and highly dubious actions which utterly undercut any concept established that he is a hero - and he achieves his ends through lazily waving his "magical" sonic screwdriver about.

    So, a great concept (like most great TV created out of necessity) but let down by deep problems during the second half; literally a story of two halves, and fans either love it, or find it a monster.
  • WryipWryip Posts: 2,160
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    This was just pure awful. I really can't think of much nice to say about the episode, so I wont say much

    All I will say is that if they wanted a doctor-lite episode, why did not they not utilise Jackie more? Just like Rose she was departing at the end of season 2, we have now seen Jackie numerous times and could have hold her own in an episode. The saving grace of Love & Monsters was Jackie, it would have been interesting to see her missing Rose explored more, and maybe to see her tackle an alien invasion on her own. It would have hardly been a stretch to have said they came looking for Jackie because she had a connection to the Doctor
  • CAMERA OBSCURACAMERA OBSCURA Posts: 8,002
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    All is not what it seems with this episodes, only 4 events in it are real, two being extremely exaggerated and distorted in Elton's mind, one buried and half forgotten and the other played straight with non of Elton's fanciful recalling.

    The episode is about loss and an obsession that crosses the line and becomes unhealthy.

    Elton is loner that has never come to terms with his Mothers death and has been left obsessed with finding The Doctor but has never been sure why. The Abzorbaloff is a metaphor for Elton's obsession crossing the line, an obsession then ends up with him stalking Roses' Mum. The Abzorbaloff does not exist and neither does The London Investigation 'N' Detective Agency or its members. (They could be an online community and Elton becomes the know it all troll..the Abzorbalofff.)


    The events that have been distorted and embellished by Elton are The Scooby-Do style chase and the scene where The Doctor and Rose confront him about stalking Rose's Mother. The Scooby Doo chase did not happen as we see it through Elton retelling of events just as the whole Doctor killing the Asorbaoff does not happen, the whole pavement slab thing does not happen. All this embellishment is in Elton's head.


    The scene half forgotten and buried is the night of Elton's Mothers death and The Doctor being there. (a wonderful flash back scene that uses Mr Blue Sky's strings as a score...'We forget because we must'... beautiful stuff)


    The only scene that is played straight in the entire episode with no embellishment or flights of fantasy by Elton's recollection is him finding (stalking) Roses Mother in order to gain her confidence, to use her to get to Rose. This backfires in Elton's, by now seriously cracked up world, because he realises she is just a Mother like anyone else's, like his own, a brutal shock of reality. Elton tries to make amends but again his obsession has cost him a friendship. He goes back to his fantasy world and confronts his Abzorbaloff.





    If it had a somewhat better monster and finished at the flashback scene with Elton's mum walking away into a white light I would be using the word genius. As it is a a tight script that is brilliantly constructed (forget if you like the story or not, if it is sci-fi or not, if it is Doctor Who or not)



    Then again it is Sunday morning and it could be just a rather nice episode and nothing else.:D:D:p
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,772
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    And that rude gag at the end would have made me laugh had I not got so p****d off with episode by the time it got to this point.

    What's so rude about someone wanting to kiss his girlfriend...? :rolleyes:
  • GDKGDK Posts: 9,467
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    All is not what it seems with this episodes, only 4 events in it are real, two being extremely exaggerated and distorted in Elton's mind, one buried and half forgotten and the other played straight with non of Elton's fanciful recalling.

    The episode is about loss and an obsession that crosses the line and becomes unhealthy.

    Elton is loner that has never come to terms with his Mothers death and has been left obsessed with finding The Doctor but has never been sure why. The Abzorbaloff is a metaphor for Elton's obsession crossing the line, an obsession then ends up with him stalking Roses' Mum. The Abzorbaloff does not exist and neither does The London Investigation 'N' Detective Agency or its members. (They could be an online community and Elton becomes the know it all troll..the Abzorbalofff.)


    The events that have been distorted and embellished by Elton are The Scooby-Do style chase and the scene where The Doctor and Rose confront him about stalking Rose's Mother. The Scooby Doo chase did not happen as we see it through Elton retelling of events just as the whole Doctor killing the Asorbaoff does not happen, the whole pavement slab thing does not happen. All this embellishment is in Elton's head.


    The scene half forgotten and buried is the night of Elton's Mothers death and The Doctor being there. (a wonderful flash back scene that uses Mr Blue Sky's strings as a score...'We forget because we must'... beautiful stuff)


    The only scene that is played straight in the entire episode with no embellishment or flights of fantasy by Elton's recollection is him finding (stalking) Roses Mother in order to gain her confidence, to use her to get to Rose. This backfires in Elton's, by now seriously cracked up world, because he realises she is just a Mother like anyone else's, like his own, a brutal shock of reality. Elton tries to make amends but again his obsession has cost him a friendship. He goes back to his fantasy world and confronts his Abzorbaloff.





    If it had a somewhat better monster and finished at the flashback scene with Elton's mum walking away into a white light I would be using the word genius. As it is a a tight script that is brilliantly constructed (forget if you like the story or not, if it is sci-fi or not, if it is Doctor Who or not)



    Then again it is Sunday morning and it could be just a rather nice episode and nothing else.:D:D:p

    What a fascinating interpretation! It makes me want to watch it again in the light of it. My gut reaction to that interpretation though, is that it should not have been an episode of Doctor Who. If that was the writer's intent, it should have been a mainstream drama set in the real world where The Doctor is very definitely a fictional character taken from the TV show Doctor Who and Jackie is a real person who happened to look a bit like Rose's mum from the show.

    I like it though. It even explains the crapness of the Abzorbaloff as a monster as it comes out of Elton's imagination, not a "real" Who writer.

    :D
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    What's so rude about someone wanting to kiss his girlfriend...? :rolleyes:

    You think that remark was about Elton just 'kissing' his girlfriend? Think you need to look at the wider implication of what was said.

    ;)
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