Party time again!

[wiseheart]

Hi folks! *waves*

Time is flying by, isn't it? It's that time of a year again - I'm getting older. In this case, I'm turning 55 on October 9, which used to be an important thing, back under the old regime. Women could retire at the age of 55 back then. So I've decided to ignore all that fantastic headway we've supposedly made towards democracy in the last two decades and enter my virtual retirement, blithley overlooking the fact that I'll have to work another 7 or 8 or only God knows how many years.

So, let's party! Last years virtual birthday party yielded 742 comments on 6 pages, which won't be easy to top, but we're good, aren't we? WE CAN DO IT! So, let's give it a try! In the recent years, it has always been great fun, so let's have fun again!

You're all cordially invited to help yourself to a slice of virtual Dobos Cake recipe - it's my absolute favourite, although I never managed to get it as good as my Garnny used to.

Cheers!

Note: The party will be closed on October 9, at midnight, sharp. Join us and have fun!

Comments

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Sounds very rich! :)

*tries to think of things to start a conversation about, but fails - brain is rather dead at the moment, from watching the Doctor Who finale*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Do you like the 11th Doctor? I haven't seen him yet at all - but I guess after 10 it could only be better.

I've purchased a few DVDs with the 4th one (Tom Baker) and the very first adventure of Jon Pertwee as the 3rd (partially with Gemma's help), and I must say I quite like the classic stuff. Even though my whole interest in the Whoniverse started with Torchwood and I prefer the 9th Doctor.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

11 is okay at times, but I find that he gets rather annoying at times - he seems much younger than either 9 or 10 and it reflects too much in some of his behaviour and story-lines. It is partly that he seems much less responsible and caring than the other doctors - he causes about Amy, Rory, and River, but it seems that he would let anyone else die in order to save them and that he has less care about the consequences of his actions. However, it is hard to tell how much I'm biased by this second half of this last series, which for the first time since I started watching has been the worst series of episodes. It has felt as if the ideas where there but not quite working - the episode specific characters are not compelling or well drawn, the pacing and suspense seem a bit off.
(I like 10 - partly because he was the doctor when I started watching, and most of my favourite episodes involve him, but I like the different versions of the doctor and watching which bits of his character change and which stay the same) :)

I'm still intermittently watch 1st doctor stories - which are really odd to watch compared with the later ones because the doctor far less heroic.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Ten annoys the hell out of me - this overgrown child behaviour, and the idiotic crush on Rose-bloody-Tyler. Plus, I don't think that David Tennant is a very good actor. He's too hectic and overacts terribly for my taste. Of course, compared with Christopher Eccleston most people would come out wanting. I even bought the film "Elizabeth" on DVD, just to see him play in something different, despite the fact that I dislike Kate whatshisname who plays the tile role. You know, the actress who played Galadriel.

I wish I could watch more of Classic Who. The few samples I got make me wish for more. I'd be specifically interested in seeing Five in action. And more Four and Three. Unfortunately, we only got our refound at the end of our England/Wales trip, when I couldn't go into any HMV shops anymore. :(

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Yes, all the Rose bits were annoying - and got more so the further the series went along! However, I found 9 more angsty and less fun - plus him abandoning Jack Harkness because he was too concerned with rescuing Rose from the Time Vortex. Although it would have been very interesting to see how he would have interacted with any of the other companions - I may well be biased by all of his episodes involving Rose.
I still haven't seen that film - it is on my list to watch at some point, but from what I heard when it was new was that it wasn't that good.

I wish I could watch more of Classic Who. The few samples I got make me wish for more. I'd be specifically interested in seeing Five in action. And more Four and Three. Unfortunately, we only got our refound at the end of our England/Wales trip, when I couldn't go into any HMV shops anymore. :(
That's a shame. :(
Hopefully you'll get a chance to get them at some point in the future.

I've heard quite a lot about some of the later doctors (especially the 7th doctor, as he was the one in the serials that Sam watched as a child), and am considering skipping ahead, but feeling ocd-ish about watching episodes in the right order.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, 9 did have his annoying habits - I particularly disliked the way he treated with Mickey. But again, 4 treated Harry Sullivan like an idiot sometimes, too, and I still like them both. *g*

I think Rose was a really bad influence on both Doctors - she infected them with stupidity and the total lack of responsibility, while lecturing them about caring. Just like Gwen-bloody-Cooper, if you think about it.

But then, it's a rare case that we'd find a well-rounded female charcter in a TV-show, especially in sci-fi. Although I quite like Sarah Jane and Donna.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

I think Rose was a really bad influence on both Doctors - she infected them with stupidity and the total lack of responsibility, while lecturing them about caring. Just like Gwen-bloody-Cooper, if you think about it.
Totally agree!

But then, it's a rare case that we'd find a well-rounded female charcter in a TV-show, especially in sci-fi. Although I quite like Sarah Jane and Donna.
Very true! I like Sarah Jane in the episodes I've seem her in, as well as SJA (although I'm behind on that). Donna is quite fun and her character arc is probably the best of any of the companions and it is so heartbreaking when it is all undone.
I wish there were more interesting female characters in TV shows, but mostly even when they are set up well to start with the shows manage to screw it up.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Very true! I so hated what happened to Delenn in B5! She started off in the pilot as this extremely powerful, enigmatic androgynous creature, was still full of strength during Season One - and then, as soon as she grew hair, she lost 99 per cent of her brains. Falling for Sheridan and vice versa, really...

I remember having read somewhere that the original concept used to be to make her a change from an androgynous creature to a female one for Sinclair! I don't know if it's true or not, but it sounds interesting.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

She is really good in s1 (she does have some moments later, but her playing second to Sheridan gets SO annoying!)

Someone told me that in the complete script books set it says that in the plan she was going to be male until her transformation, but that the voice distortion didn't work in the pilot so they aired it with her own voice and made the character female all along.

But at least in Babylon 5 there are lots of other female characters, most of whom get there moments! :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I don't like either Ivanova or Lockley, but both telepath women were great. And I loved Dr Lilian Hobbs who had to keep the fort while Franklin was trying to find himself.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

I liked Ivanova from the start and have come to like Lockley more and more with watching Crusade - although I still haven''t got around to re-watching s5 of b5 fully. Dr Hobbs is very good and it is very sad that she doesn't get more development in the show.

Trying to think of interesting female characters is others shows is hard!
Stargate feels like there should be some, but really fails on it - loads of the characters *could* have been strong but the show shies away from it and turns them into caricatures or doesn't allow them to show their skills.

Non sci-fi shows seem to do a bit better - I've been rewatching JAG (as far as I've got s8 - although I now have dvds of s9 to watch soon :D ) and it has loads of good female characters.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I like Sam Carter in SG-1 - IMO, Amanda Tapping does a good job to make the character interesting, despite the screenwriters' incompetence. I liked Dr. Fraiser, too. And the first Dr. Weir, the one played by Jessica Steen, was very promising. We won't even mention Atlantis in this context, though.

My main problem with both Ivanova and Lochley was the unbearably wooden acting, most of the time. I used to watch JAG occasionally, but the male lead annoyed the hell out of me, and honestly, I liked the little blonde in Season 1 a lot better than Mac. The casting wasn't very fortunate, either. If that woman was supposed to be a Marine, then I'm a ballerina in the Boshoy Theatre in Moscow.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Sam annoys me - but that is because I hate the trope of the scientist who can do anything in any sort of science despite whatever is said about their specialism... and it is a trope that Stargate uses all the time. Dr Fraiser is good, but doesn't really get any character development or plots. Dr Weir - I agree she is good to start with, but the further along the show goes, the worse she gets as a character.

I'm very bad at judging acting.

I'm not surprised that you don't like him :)
I just ignore the casting - it is the typical thing that every female character (especially the more they are in a show) has to be good looking or better. (Even most character that are referred to within shows as ugly or whatever are far above average) /end bit of rant - I suspect that I've ranted at you about this before :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

And if the actress happens to be plain or downright ugly, all male characters fall in love with the character anyway, and all female charcters are awed/jealous/envious/watever. Like in the case of Rose or Gwen, because honestly, who in their right mind would fall for such dumb bitches when they could have Martha or Donna or Tosh - or even Detective Swanson, who was made of awesome?

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Very true!

Although the actress playing Rose is supposed to be very good looking...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

In whose eyes? She has a face like those amateur actresses that played overworked serving wenches in old communist propaganda films, and stupidity practically radiated from her dumb facial expression.

I've just rewatched "The Stolen Earth", and the scene in which she appeared out of nowhere with that big, badass gun looked ridiculous, and she like a cheap biker whore.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

I don't remember exactly but I remember a lot of it from the reviews of Doctor Who and just general comments on tv about her - very chavvy, but it is apparently considered attractive - after she left Doctor who she was in something called Secret Diary of A Call Girl or something along those lines and there were a lot of comments about it and her.

I don't understand it either

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Some people just have a weird taste, I guess... ;)

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

I suppose Rose is sexy in the eyes of many a male. But being female, I fail to see this, and I dislike what remains.

The 11th doctor didn't have a bad start, but he hardly seems to have developed since. Somehow, he lacks focus. Or maybe it's the series that has come to lack focus. It's become messy, IMO.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

The 11th doctor didn't have a bad start, but he hardly seems to have developed since. Somehow, he lacks focus. Or maybe it's the series that has come to lack focus. It's become messy, IMO.

I agree. It does seem that the show has been lacking focus and so the characters seem to change to suit the stories thus not having character development and so on.

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

Ha. Comment 200!

I still have to watch last Saturday's episode, but I'm not in a hurry. That's not a goods sign, I think.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Yay 200! comments! :D

I won't spoil you - just say it was rather disappointing.

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

I watched it earlier this evening. You were right, it wasn't impressive. Though I liked the Roman charioteer stopping for a traffic light and Churchill being addressed as 'Caesar'.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot of the little bits like that were cool. I also liked Amy's train. :)