Doctor Who: Let?s Kill Craig

[Susan Arendt]

And there I was, getting all emotionally wrecked about them killing Craig off (yeah, he's kind of a doofus, but he's a likable fellow all the same), and then they save him in a contrived and silly manner. Now all I'm left thinking is, "well this is kind of stupid." Not the way you want your audience to react. It would be like in Titanic (sorry, first movie to pop into my head about this subject - also spoilers), where Jack's dying at the end, only instead of sinking to his death, he pop's back up and says "JK! The water's actually quite pleasant." It ruins any emotional connection you had going on.

Also, love that you're doing a Doctor Who column, Susan, though you're a little late for this season. Not that there's anything wrong with looking at older episodes.

I know, I've been hemming and hawing about it for ages now. Should've gotten started on it sooner. But there's loads to talk about, and look on the bright side - the column can keep us going until the new season starts up.

 

[violent_quiche]

Nice article, though it's a pity you choose to start with the weakest series since the show was resurrected. The Tennant era had it's cheesy moments (lighting the Olympic torch?) but at least they were consistent with the overall tone. This series has run like a sequence of non-sequiturs: Rory & Amy have been put through a serious mindfuck character arc, yet in the "non-arc" episodes they act as if it never happened. It's as if they wrote all the episodes, threw them in the air and aired them in the order they landed.

 

[lord.jeff]

I disagree completely, first The Lodger was a great episode, two if Craig died it would of been just another in a long line of tragic episodes, which I'm tired of, and humans have taken over the Cybermen before look at Mercy Hartigan in "The Next Doctor".

 

[pandasaw]

Dude. Cushing movies. Dude. Slightly more canon than Nation's Yarvelling-Dalek comics and I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas with a Dalek.

True, you are quite correct. Although are you really telling me that the new coloured Daleks are worse than stuff like this? I never laughed so much at a Who episode than when I was watching this come on screen.

Was the Dalek's master plan to become a gumball machine?

 

[The Funslinger]

In the first next gen Cyberman episode, conversion was accompanied with saws, whirring and screams; there's no way that could be undone. The version in this episode was to stick a man in an armoured suit.

Well, to be fair, in the Torchwood Cyberwoman episode, it's explained that in cases of extreme desperation, the cybermen will settle for partial conversion in order to get more troops in the field. They were extremely weak, salvaging spare parts. It's quite likely they'd have resorted to the same measure. And, as has been mentioned above, a cyber controller needs a living brain and nervous system.

 

[dillirgaf]

i would read a weekly column about Dr. Who. also agreed Craig should have died. Would have made Amy's appearance in the episode a bit more memorable and fitting seeing as how he left Rory and her in the previous episode.

 

[Leftnt Sharpe]

I agree killing Craig would have had a fair greater emotional resonance but ultimately it was not one of THOSE episodes as other people have stated. I am inherently conflicted with Dr Who because on some levels I think it's great, especially in regards to the quality of actors who have played the Doctor. However, it will ultimately always disappoint because Dr Who, is at the end of the day, a children's/family programme and as such will never really be able to explore the darker/gritter elements that are without doubt present within the Doctor Who universe. This is also why peril is used so often in Dr Who, oh god so much peril and jeopardy...........hence all the running.

That is of course why Torchwood was created, that and the fact that Captain Jack is Russell T Davies' mega Mary-Sue character. But I can forgive that because Cap'n Harkness is awesome(his coat alone is more awesome than many actual sentient characters in Dr Who) and injected a dose of shooty, fatalistic realism into the Dr Who mythos. Dare I say it, he even contributed a little bit of grimdark here and there. Except now Torchwood is starting to get all science-fantasy like Doctor Who with the driving force behind miracle day's 10 hours of story essentially being explained as 'a wizard did it'. *Sigh*. Now I'm just rambling and I honestly can't remember what the point I am supposed to be making is.

Errrrr......... Ok here we go. Doctor Who is shown pre-watershed and thus it will never be the program that many people, my self included, would like it to. Or perhaps more generously it will never explore certain themes or take certain directions in its story that many people would like it to. You know what? I honestly think that is actually a good thing in the grand scheme of things. Not sure why, but I'm pretty sure it is.

 

[ZeoAssassin]

I dunno. I think killing Craig may have been better for the overall theme of this season but...Wouldn't it be better if he just stayed a cyberman instead? I mean assume instead of all dieing cyber-craig shows some sign of emotion but then escapes with a few other cybermen.

this way the main theme of the Doctor screwing up families remains in tact. Also, it opens a way for the Doctor to develop more for the better next season...giving him a mission he is determined to accomplish and a chance to redeem himself in the future by saving Craig from the cybermen and curing him of it (again assuming its the scrappy kind of transformation that CAN be reversed like what it seemed in Closing Time). Hell get an adult Alfie/Stormageddon as a new companion.

I just think outright killing Craig would have been wasted potential. Besides, knowing he was turned into a Cybermen would have been way more of an emotional hit then him simply being dead.

Earthshock was the first classic Who i ever saw and it remains my favorite Peter Davison Era serial (That I saw so far). EVERYONE should watch it.


ALSO: <3 Doctor Who Column. Going to need something to fill the Who void since Series 7 wont start until a FULL YEAR from now. Only the Xmas special to look forward to. =(

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Well, usually when "love" saves the day (like Craig's first episode) I hate it. But this time I didn't mind quite as much because it made a bit of sense. All the Cybermen blew up because Craig was being made a Cyberleader, and was plugged into all the ship's systems. So he opened his own suit, it didn't happen by "magic".

And I think Craig's death would require a retooling of the entire episode to work, since the tonal shift from "goofy and lighthearted" to "tragic" would cause emotional whiplash, especially in children. If they made the whole episode a bit darker, then it would have worked very well.

The thing about the episode that bugs me is that a fairly major plot point(the ship was derelict and underground, not in orbit) was given away in DAMN PREVIEW.

 

[Master_of_Oldskool]

Much as I do like the angle of the Doctor being more of a hindrance than a helper, I still can't help but feel that it's all as simple as this:

Doctor shows up, a few people die and/or get traumatised.

Doctor buggers off, everyone dies and/or gets traumatised.

Slightly more OT: Craig dying would've made it better, Craig being saved in some other, less stupid way would've made it better still.

 

[ewhac]

Earthshock was the first classic Who i ever saw and it remains my favorite Peter Davison Era serial (That I saw so far). EVERYONE should watch it.

Then you clearly need to see, "The Caves of Androzani," Davison's last and arguably best episode.

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

Firstly, I believe they weren't actually married. That's why Craig said the line about it just being a piece of paper to the woman who thought him and The Doctor were a couple. Pedantic I know =)

Second of all, the Cybermen blowing up. I don't think it was ever Craig's emotional response killing them. I think in one of the Doctor's technobabble speeches he explained that Craig's overwhelming emotional to help his son blew out the emotional containment unit for ALL the Cybermen, causing them to explode. In it's purest form, yes, Craig beat the Cybermen with love. But technically, he opened up the Cybermen to their own repressed emotions, causing them to die.

I don't think Craig needed to die. The episode wasn't really about Craig, it was about the Doctor's relationship with people. Some people he destroys, but others he actually makes their lives better, as demonstrated by this episode. Craig forged a relationship with his son and is better for it. It's just showing the opposite side of the argument.

 

[jigilojoe]

Oh c'mon? Asking for a turn to the dark side? It's primary role is as a kids show, that's the reason the British populace have paid for it for so long, it's a kids show which adults enjoy, and James Corden is on every fundraising event and family show on the Beeb, if you have this character who is virtually the James Corden we see on Comic Relief and a little one as young as 5 sees this all round good guy have all his emotions taken away? That's not gonna bode well for 'em.

Don't you understand the fact that it's target audience is young 'uns from 5 - 13? it may have a Cult status, but there's no use in trying to please the Cult fans because then they wouldn't be pleasing the taxpayers.

TL;DR: WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?! It is afterall, not actually made for anyone who can operate a computer.

 

[ZeoAssassin]

Earthshock was the first classic Who i ever saw and it remains my favorite Peter Davison Era serial (That I saw so far). EVERYONE should watch it.

Then you clearly need to see, "The Caves of Androzani," Davison's last and arguably best episode.

yeah saw that one too and while it was really good and its a worthy send off to Davison, i still kind of like Earthshock more.

then again i also kind of like Battlefield more than Remembrance of the Deleks from the Sylvester McCoy Era so...yeah

 

[IndianaJonny]

Also, to those pointing out that Craig was being made into a Cyber-controller - that's a good clarification. So the issue then becomes not that love saving the day is stupid, but that we got Cybermen so bloody dumb that they thought Craig should be in charge. Not much better that way, really.

And, yeah, I do recognize the problems inherent in doing something so grim on what is still, by and large, considered a "family" show. But it's gone to dark places before, and been the stronger for it.

Just some thoughts on your article (including your above clarifications), Susan. Am I right in saying you're not beating on the character of Craig but rather you're peeved that this situation presented the actions of the Cybermen as 'out of character'? I wouldn't get so tied down to instances like this as there are numerous 'fluff' options to explain away their anomalous behaviour- they were tired, underpowered, any possible recruit that demonstrated initiative looked promising to them at that point...etc. While this scenario was disappointing for veteran viewers such as yourself, the real danger [footnote]And I have a suspicion this might have been one of the deciding factors in you biting the bullet and starting this article series; to make new viewers aware of the vast stories and legacies surrounding their new-found series and ensure they're on the right track to appreciate all that Dr Who means and symbolises to people and what they can experience themselves. I mean, referencing 'Earthshock'? You got it bad; you're a 'lifer'. [/footnote] is the 'Cyberman character' precedent is sets for new/younger viewers. I suppose we can only hope for better writing as a solution to that problem.

"But it's gone to dark places before, and been the stronger for it". When I read those lines in connection with the point you raised about this season's emphasis on the "Doctor as Saviour vs. Menace" angle I couldn't help but think of another Dr Who penultimate-season-episode (there's gotta be a better word for that).

Remember The Waters of Mars?

Spoiler: He's gone too far before. *spoilers*

He's definately a "destroyer of families", all right, but I struggle to see how Craig's death would have further jepordized the Doctor's integrity. Certainly the circumstances are more heart-wrenching, but all sorts of people have sacrificed themselves for the Doctor's 'preferred outcome' before. If Craig's hypothetical sacrifice was unsuccessful in neutralising the Cybermen, or companions openly defy the Doctor's wishes as in TWofM and refuse his version of events, then we finally see the Doctor's feet of clay. Davros was right when he said the Doctor turns his companions into weapons and hopefully River Song will give this Doctor a taste of his own medicine.

 

[bobmus]

My complaint is not that he survived, but that they ever placed him in such a contrived situation in the first place. It wasn't needed for the overall tone of the episode, and a simple gag involving the teleport sending them to a lift on some random space warship would've made for a far more effective, satisfying, and in-keeping ending.
But yes, I hope they wrap up this story-line properly and do it well.

Spoiler

I'm kinda sick of this whole 'Doctor will die' thing anyway. You don't kill off major, long-standing fictional characters, so he won't die. I know that. You know that. They even created an ingenious plot device that means the doctor can never die. So why are they doing it? God but this had better be a good finale. (Also are they trying to turn River into some series-spanning arch-nemesis with an eyepatch? Someone should remind them that she's not interesting enough)

/Rant

Roll on Saturday I say!

 

[Tanis]

I think it WOULD have been interesting...but only if it had be the episode before this one.

That way there was an episode where The Doctor was thinking about Craigs' death, living with it.

Then an episode follow it could have been one lighter in tone, maybe finding out his daughter - Jenny - was still alive.

Thus forcing him to be conflicted - does he challenge the timeline, like Waters of Mars, or does he let himself die.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I thought killing Craig off would've completely broke The Doctor. I think the episode was kinda dark and depressing just because The Doctor was obviously completely off his game; The Doctor was not responsible for saving Craig or defeating the Cybermen, which was kinda big. The Doctor really came off as like an old security guard trying to stop a bunch of punk teenagers, and the teenagers beat him up. The Doctor had issues with the power sucking little metal rat let alone stopping a single Cyberman.

 

[Winnosh]

Does no one remember "The Next Doctor" What happened in this episode has precedence people. Remember when that woman was hooked up as the control module of the Cyberking. The She used her heightened emotional state and mind to overwhelm the Cybermen in that situation.

Also he wasn't converted he was in the process of being converted they never finished They hooked him up but hadn't gotten to the cut cut stuff yet.

 

[Baldr]

Craig's uncertainty in fatherhood was a metaphor for Doctor's ability to face his almost certain destiny. Had Craig died, then the doctor would not have able to accept what is coming and would have certainly been killed. Now there is a chance for him.