Doctor Who: Let?s Kill Craig

[Phantomess]

The weirdest thing is that I read this, come to terms with the whole feedback loop thing and think:

Yvonne Hartman.

Anyone remember her? Sealed in a Cybersuit and STILL managed to break through the programming to blast away for Queen and country. So yeah, strong emotions DO override, but if you're being stuffed into a metal cage, you're probably going to be confused, overcome with fear (which can override a lot of natural impulses - fight or flight, for example) and panicking in general.

Alfie is/was an outside stimulus. It's possible. The logistics for these Cybermen are in play. I'm not saying I AGREE with it, but that it is possible given past events.

 

[Cody Holden]

I think that one of the major themes of the newer Doctors is being missed by this analysis:

Human emotion (usually manifested through latent psychic force) is POWERFUL.

Every time the Daleks or Cybermen have come onto the scene, it has been to either give the Doctor a few moments of "and that's how I won" awesomeness, or to show that the Doctor is not humanity's salvation-- humanity (which is to say, our emotions) is. Thus, Craig saving himself this way makes sense.

The newest series isn't about us doubting the Doctor's ability to save the day, or even to make us think he isn't worth it. The series is about the fact that the Doctor wins, for us, at ANY cost. And he himself is beginning to wonder if that cost is worth it (as 10 often did toward the end of his times with a given companion). The series is about the Doctor's evaluation of himself, not our evaluation of him. We know he is going to save the day. He doesn't know that he wants to or even should. And that makes episodes like this necessary to foreshadow that when the Doctor is gone (if he actually dies-- I still have my doubts) humanity will have to take up the reins of its own salvation, and it will probably even succeed in that endeavor (see: Torchwood).

As for this:

The writers apparently want us to believe that at no point during any of the previous encounters with the Cybermen, when humans were being scooped up and converted in droves, did anyone lament for their loved ones. No fathers feared for their sons, no wives longed for their husbands. Brothers didn't worry about sisters, grammas didn't give a toss about that nice boy down the lane who always shovels the walk when it gets snowy. Nobody ever felt sufficient emotion - be it love, fear, anger, or anything else - to create the feedback loop that saved Craig's life. Not once.

Eleven Doctors in, and NOW we're going to start hating episodes because of plot holes? Come on dude, wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff. These probably aren't even that version of the Cybermen anyhow. There have been many different versions of every recurring Big Bad in Who, and during every appearance the rules have changed ever so slightly.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Great article, Susan, and would love to see this become a periodic column. As for the episode, it really could have gone both ways. They kill him, to reinforce the decision for the Doctor to go to his own end, to save everyone he loves and cares for from himself, and the hundreds of different kinds of dangers that he attracts, or they save him, to remind him that just because danger is present doesn't mean it can't be overcome. While the show is a bit too family oriented to hopelessly kill off a comic relief like that (usually, from my experience), there did not need to be a magic physics-breaking crack that appeared in the helmet.

We've played with the idea that an emotional surge through their metal shells can destroy the Cybermen before, and perhaps the Cybercontroller doing some kind of feedback loop into all of them would cause them to die, so I can buy that. But no amount of a primal urge to defend one's own offspring, or 'love', as they called it, can rend apart two bits of steel that appear to have been welded together. Now, had the Doctor run to him, still in the suit, sonic'd the helmet to get it off, found him unconscious, near death, and had to be carried out, to be unconscious on the floor before his son, the Doctor frantically trying not to lose someone else, reinforcing that same menace/salvation idea...that might carry the appropriate emotional weight the show is known to occasionally have. But him just springing up, being perfectly fine, and making the episode close with the emotional seriousness of a joke was not the buildup to his own death that it could have been.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Doctor Who: Let?s Kill Craig

One more death would've dramatically improved "Closing Time."

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Looks like I'm again on the opposite end of most Doctor Who fans. First off I'll say that I loved everything about this episode(except them shoehorning in a scene with Amy and Rory). I will definitely remember it, as I fully remember "The Lodger" episode. I liked "The Lodger" so much, the first Doctor Who gif I made for my avatar was from that episode. Because of this article, I've decided to take off my "Day of the Moon" gif and bring "The Lodger" gif back.

Now about Craig:

If they killed Craig, I would have considered not watching the show for a long while. I have been really unhappy with the show in general since Steven Moffat took over. Well, he had things going good through series 5, until what I consider the worst two part finale of the new series' run.

I haven't liked this story arch that has been beating up on The Doctor and making him doubt himself. I hate the whole menace thing. Since they have been playing heavily on that, it was a good thing they threw in an episode that cuts that arch apart. I very much see "Closing Time" as a redemption type of episode. The Doctor was feeling down, especially with the idea of dieing again, and he was doubting his position of taking a companion along on his journeys. We see in this episode that he is reluctant to bring Craig along. Even though Craig almost died, something wonderful came of the adventure: Craig and his son became closer, and he feels more confidence at being a father, while The Doctor has seen and realized that good does come from people being around him. It brought The Doctor out of a dark moment just in time to make him ready for what's to come.

"Closing Time" is actually one of my favorite episodes of this series. There were a couple good episodes in the first half of this series, but as for this second half, I have been really hating the episodes. For one thing, I really hate Amy and Rory. I find them really annoying, whiny, and they blame The Doctor for everything that happens to them, even though everything that has happened to them is their fault or the fault of people The Doctor has no control over. This is why I was glad that I saw they were leaving for at least one episode this season(though as I said, they had to ruin it by wasting two good minutes to show them in the mall). Plus the first three episodes of this half, they had more air time than The Doctor. I watch Doctor Who for The Doctor and the things he has to overcome. The companions are just side characters; they are their to keep The Doctor level headed, another mind to see things differently. Though, most of the time Amy and Rory are running off and getting themselves into trouble more than any other companions.

I seriously hope this series finale is good, because if it is another drivel-fest like the last one, I'm going to seriously contemplate on whether to watch series 7. Moffat already shot holes in the River Song story arch by making her Amy and Rory's child, I never saw that coming, because it wasn't even an option in my mind. I didn't think they would create some new bull crap thing like two humans conceiving a child in the TARDIS makes a Time Lord baby. It makes absolutely no sense.

I might end up just going back when I can and buy up more DVDs of the old series. You recommended "Earthshock", and that is actually one of the ones I have on DVD in my small collection of Old Series DVDs.

 

[Vault Citizen]

Agreed, keep 'Let's Kill Hitler' just as the episode that explains River Song. But after that it could have jumped straight to episode 13 and we would have missed nothing.

I disagree, but only because "The girl who waited" is my favourite episode of the second half of the series.

I think the problem with this (for me at least) is that it concentrated so much on the finale that I was in a rush to get to it. In older seasons they didn't concentrate on the upcoming finales as much and so I was able to enjoy the episodes rather than wonder how long before the show reached the final episode and I think that is one of the reasons Series 6.2 has suffered (the other being it isn't as good as 6.1)

Moffat already shot holes in the River Song story arch by making her Amy and Rory's child, I never saw that coming, because it wasn't even an option in my mind.

Really? I thought it became pretty obvious who she was when she regenerated at the end of the second episode.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

It would have been better for Craig to die. But would it have fitted the Doctor's faith in humanity that their emotions, determination, imagination and need to explore the universe make them in some way better than him?

They already played with the theme of "the Doctor destroys lives" by sending Amy and Rory home, and even in the beginning of this episode by trying to get him to leave him so Craig didn't get himself hurt. The ending could have worked both ways. Kill Craig to reinforce that the Doctor is dangerous, or save Craig to show that the Doctor can save everyone if given the chance. I believe the episode made the right choice. They just went about it the wrong way.

EDIT: By the by, congrads on starting this column!

Am I the only one who liked it? Though I agree with what you are saying I like to stress the point that it was "love" not love that saved the day. That the Doctor disagreed with the idea of love but rather an instinctual to save ones genetic line (I am paraphrasing)that saved the day.

 

[TimeLord]

It would have been better for Craig to die. But would it have fitted the Doctor's faith in humanity that their emotions, determination, imagination and need to explore the universe make them in some way better than him?

They already played with the theme of "the Doctor destroys lives" by sending Amy and Rory home, and even in the beginning of this episode by trying to get him to leave him so Craig didn't get himself hurt. The ending could have worked both ways. Kill Craig to reinforce that the Doctor is dangerous, or save Craig to show that the Doctor can save everyone if given the chance. I believe the episode made the right choice. They just went about it the wrong way.

EDIT: By the by, congrads on starting this column!

Am I the only one who liked it? Though I agree with what you are saying I like to stress the point that it was "love" not love that saved the day. That the Doctor disagreed with the idea of love but rather an instinctual to save ones genetic line (I am paraphrasing)that saved the day.

The episode itself I liked. I love most Who episodes that deviate from the established, like bringing in one-off companions like Craig, Idris, Mickey, Jack, Jackie etc. They normally add a sense of humour to the sometimes serious side of the show. The episode would have been excellent if they had focused more on the Cybermen rather than Craig and the Doctor's own mortality.

 

[MercurySteam]

I guess it would've been better if Craig had died but it's wouldn't be totally impossible for Craig to resist the Cyber conversion.

You are right, all those other men and women being converted would have been thinking about their loved ones, but because Craig could actually hear his son crying at to him, it spurred him on to resist the cyber conversion while all those other men and women have been converted in a cold, dank conversion unit all alone trying desperately to hold on but with no one actually reaching out to them.

Yeah, the finer points of the plot are a bit iffy. But not totally unbelievable.

 

[Colour Scientist]

I couldn't disagree with you more. Moffat's default plot device nowadays is to kill off any character that is even remotely likable.

Spoiler

Take Rita, for example, you could see her ending coming a mile away because the Doctor liked her she was going to die.

The tone of the show has changed entirely. Don't get me wrong, I loved Steven Moffat's episodes in the earlier seasons (most of my favourite episodes are his) but he's become predictable now and I miss the days where Ardal O' Hanlon would show up as a cat driving a car in space. I still enjoy the show and I prefer Matt Smith to David Tennant in a lot of ways but I'm tired of the show taking itself so seriously.

I think it may have been the last straw for me if they had killed off Craig. I sat down to watch the episode with low expectations but was pleasantly surprised but the light-hearted nature of the episode and Stormageddon. It would have ruined the entire tone to kill of Craig and Steven Moffat's body count is becoming slightly ridiculous.

 

[Susan Arendt]

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.

Yes, you're right, I am coming from a place of seeing Who as one long mythology, and while I don't mind updating mythologies to make them fit better in a modern setting, some things just don't really fit. That was part of the problem here - you could've actually dropped in *any* random villain using people for spare parts and it wouldn't have made any substantive difference. The whole episode was just slapdash and sloppy - it felt like someone's first attempt at writing a script, really.

Loved Waters of Mars, actually, thought that was a brilliant episode.

Eleven Doctors in, and NOW we're going to start hating episodes because of plot holes? Come on dude, wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff. These probably aren't even that version of the Cybermen anyhow. There have been many different versions of every recurring Big Bad in Who, and during every appearance the rules have changed ever so slightly.

Yeah, ok, that's fair.

 

[JackandTom]

I don't think this season has been "uneven". Hell, it's been one of the best ones so far. If anything, despite the fact they saved Craig, it's felt much less like a show that was playing it safe. It's become much more complicated and they've taken bigger risks. I've loved it so far, lets just hope the finale doesn't disapoint!

 

[TwistedEllipses]

I agree that this has definitely been the weakest episode of the exceptional series. Personally I would have been tempted to make the episode sillier and let Craig become cybercommander. Craig was clearly not as smart as they cyberman had falsely assumed, thus they would become a bunch of idiots and a walkover...

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I'm sorry but how is Doctor Who a children's show? I've only watched the reboot but to be honest, it's much more intended to teenagers and young adults, maybe even older.

 

[BrotherRool]

If Craig had died it would have gone from a good episode to a brilliant episode.

I disagree with the unevenness of the series though (as far as quality goes) although there have been no Empty Child/Midnight/Van Gough episodes, there have been no bad episodes for this half of the season and some brilliant story episodes for the last half. The unevenness that I'd agree to is that the mixture of story and standalone has been terrible. Far too much story for the first half with a disappointing climax (like all Doctor Who climaxes) and pure standalones this half

I'm sorry but how is Doctor Who a children's show? I've only watched the reboot but to be honest, it's much more intended to teenagers and young adults, maybe even older.

Showrunner Moffat was asked something along the lines of "Doctor Who, despite being known as a childrens show, appeals to all ages and everyone in the family, whose it for, for you?"

"Children."

It's a family show more than almost anything on TV is but we go down the 'graphic novel' route if we refuse to admit, that at it's heart Doctor Who is for children.

And maybe we can add to that sentence 'of all ages'

 

[Svetoslav Savov]

i am probably the only NERD who did not see dr. what :>

 

[Best of the 3]

Maybe something that it's also a child's TV series. At least I think it's aimed at them. THe sorts of 12 and up. Having death of the loveable characters maybe would have upset a few people. Think of the children and all that.

But I do think that you are right. If Craig had died the whole episode would have been a lot more serious, and a rather more memorable way to end the series. Still, I was slightly annoyed that emotions saved the day. It's just a bit to bland and mushy for my tastes.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Showrunner Moffat was asked something along the lines of "Doctor Who, despite being known as a childrens show, appeals to all ages and everyone in the family, whose it for, for you?"

"Children."

It's a family show more than almost anything on TV is but we go down the 'graphic novel' route if we refuse to admit, that at it's heart Doctor Who is for children.

And maybe we can add to that sentence 'of all ages'

He might consider it that and to be honest, recently it's been going the "children's route" but I never considered it as such. The imagery depicted in the show and the storylines are more in line with mild horror than anything else.

Also, graphic novel route? I think it's been made quite clear that even though the original intent of comic books, and don't call them anything else, might have been to appease children but over the years they started dealing with more complex issues. In fact, most comic book fans are young adults. Comics have reached a point where they deal with issues that appeal more to the adult audiences. It's the same with Doctor Who. Whilst certain storylines and characters can be considered "children's material" it's simply not the case with most episodes.

 

[atomicmrpelly]

All the points raised in this article are very good, but Dr Who is meant to be light, family entertainment. Would it really be appropriate to kill Craig? I think it would seem very odd and out of place in such a light hearted programme.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

It would have been better for Craig to die. But would it have fitted the Doctor's faith in humanity that their emotions, determination, imagination and need to explore the universe make them in some way better than him?

They already played with the theme of "the Doctor destroys lives" by sending Amy and Rory home, and even in the beginning of this episode by trying to get him to leave him so Craig didn't get himself hurt. The ending could have worked both ways. Kill Craig to reinforce that the Doctor is dangerous, or save Craig to show that the Doctor can save everyone if given the chance. I believe the episode made the right choice. They just went about it the wrong way.

EDIT: By the by, congrads on starting this column!

Am I the only one who liked it? Though I agree with what you are saying I like to stress the point that it was "love" not love that saved the day. That the Doctor disagreed with the idea of love but rather an instinctual to save ones genetic line (I am paraphrasing)that saved the day.

The episode itself I liked. I love most Who episodes that deviate from the established, like bringing in one-off companions like Craig, Idris, Mickey, Jack, Jackie etc. They normally add a sense of humour to the sometimes serious side of the show. The episode would have been excellent if they had focused more on the Cybermen rather than Craig and the Doctor's own mortality.

You know what I agree, they seemed to be more a of set piece than threat like in previous episodes. They could have easily had a one off villain instead.