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Thoughts on The Zygon Inversion
Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.
This is not, of course, from The Zygon Inversion, but the final speech in Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. Because after watching this episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor’s speech reminded me a lot of this one. And as the movie also plays with body doubles and mistaken identities, I believe the similarity is intended.
If you haven’t seen The Great Dictator, then I think you should. It’s a classic and, sadly, still relevant today, 15 years after it was made. And it’s also, still, very funny. You can read a transcript of the speech here.
And here is the relevant snippet from the movie.
I saw this movie as a very small child and it made me completely mix up Chaplin and Hitler. I wondered a lot if he had first been a kind man who did those funny movie and then became evil, or if it was the other way around. In the end I decided he had been evil first and then regretted his actions and made the movies to show everyone he had become nice. I was quite heartbroken when I realised they were two separate persons and that Hitler never redeemed himself. Children often don’t want the bad guy be punished, they want the baddie to regret his deed and change.
One of the reasons I love Doctor Who so much is his ability to give second chances. To provide a way out, to offer redemption. The bad guy rarely takes it, but the possibility is there. But here, in this episode, we got it and I loved it. All in all I thought they handled the subject of terrorism very well, even more relevant after last week's terrible attacks than when they episode was written.
I’m sure there will be people who will find the Doctor’s speech over the top, or too full of cliches, or whatever, but I really liked it. Capaldi is a great actor, and I loved the insight in what we the readers probably often forget; that when he was the War Doctor, he did unspeakable things in the name of righteousness. Even if he doesn’t have to carry the burden of killing his people anymore, he still lives with his actions before that point.
I wasn’t surprised that it was the real Kate all along- sheäs the Brig’s daughter, after all. Of course she would be sufficiently armed. I have a theory that the reason she is so trigger happy, which for such a smart woman sometimes feels a bit strange, if because that’s how she bonded with her father. i can imagine she never got so much fatherly approval as when she made a perfect shooting score, or blew something up. It was pretty awful when her hand hovered over the buttons, but I really loved that she was the first to back down.
Also loved that it was Harry who made the gas.
Loved, loved, loved the Osgoods. Particularly when Osgood 1 still refused to answer the Doctor if she was human or zygon. Not many stands up to him like that. And I agree with her, it isn’t important, the important bit is that she is Osgood. Or Osgood’s now. I’m very happy for it. I would still have loved her to become a new companion, but I don’t think she ever will. Partly because she has said no, but mostly because the new companion always is a new character. I can’t recall any character who has been around for some time before becoming a companion.
What I liked less was the whole idea of Clara being such a special person she makes terrorists change their mind. I don’t dislike Clara, but she’s a bit like a heroine in a romance novel. The reader/watcher is constantly told how great she is, but her actual actions don’t really tell that story. I find Clara rather self-centred and callous at times. In fact the only companion whose actions always was sprung from compassion and kindness, then it would be Donna. I would have bought Bonnie’s conversion whole if it had been Donna’s mind she had been in.
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.
This is not, of course, from The Zygon Inversion, but the final speech in Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. Because after watching this episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor’s speech reminded me a lot of this one. And as the movie also plays with body doubles and mistaken identities, I believe the similarity is intended.
If you haven’t seen The Great Dictator, then I think you should. It’s a classic and, sadly, still relevant today, 15 years after it was made. And it’s also, still, very funny. You can read a transcript of the speech here.
And here is the relevant snippet from the movie.
I saw this movie as a very small child and it made me completely mix up Chaplin and Hitler. I wondered a lot if he had first been a kind man who did those funny movie and then became evil, or if it was the other way around. In the end I decided he had been evil first and then regretted his actions and made the movies to show everyone he had become nice. I was quite heartbroken when I realised they were two separate persons and that Hitler never redeemed himself. Children often don’t want the bad guy be punished, they want the baddie to regret his deed and change.
One of the reasons I love Doctor Who so much is his ability to give second chances. To provide a way out, to offer redemption. The bad guy rarely takes it, but the possibility is there. But here, in this episode, we got it and I loved it. All in all I thought they handled the subject of terrorism very well, even more relevant after last week's terrible attacks than when they episode was written.
I’m sure there will be people who will find the Doctor’s speech over the top, or too full of cliches, or whatever, but I really liked it. Capaldi is a great actor, and I loved the insight in what we the readers probably often forget; that when he was the War Doctor, he did unspeakable things in the name of righteousness. Even if he doesn’t have to carry the burden of killing his people anymore, he still lives with his actions before that point.
I wasn’t surprised that it was the real Kate all along- sheäs the Brig’s daughter, after all. Of course she would be sufficiently armed. I have a theory that the reason she is so trigger happy, which for such a smart woman sometimes feels a bit strange, if because that’s how she bonded with her father. i can imagine she never got so much fatherly approval as when she made a perfect shooting score, or blew something up. It was pretty awful when her hand hovered over the buttons, but I really loved that she was the first to back down.
Also loved that it was Harry who made the gas.
Loved, loved, loved the Osgoods. Particularly when Osgood 1 still refused to answer the Doctor if she was human or zygon. Not many stands up to him like that. And I agree with her, it isn’t important, the important bit is that she is Osgood. Or Osgood’s now. I’m very happy for it. I would still have loved her to become a new companion, but I don’t think she ever will. Partly because she has said no, but mostly because the new companion always is a new character. I can’t recall any character who has been around for some time before becoming a companion.
What I liked less was the whole idea of Clara being such a special person she makes terrorists change their mind. I don’t dislike Clara, but she’s a bit like a heroine in a romance novel. The reader/watcher is constantly told how great she is, but her actual actions don’t really tell that story. I find Clara rather self-centred and callous at times. In fact the only companion whose actions always was sprung from compassion and kindness, then it would be Donna. I would have bought Bonnie’s conversion whole if it had been Donna’s mind she had been in.
no subject
As for the rest, I do have my issues with resolving it like this, so simply. I have to agree that Peter Capaldi really outdid himself with that whole speech, but it really proves how fictional it is when one person makes the decision to shut everything down in a second, and everyone else just stands down. Doesn't work that way usually. This leader capitulates... well, there are dozens just waiting in the wings to take over. Maybe it was, as you said, Bonnie/Clara, that just wouldn't let me believe it could be so simple. I really would have preferred if the Zygons (and humans) who want to continue the status quo, in peace, would have spoken out forcefully and forced the stand-down. It would have meant much much more and given a stronger message that peaceful people need to speak out, consistently and constantly. But that doesn't seem to happen in real life either, does it?
And it doesn't seem to be so simple at all, as the Doctor mentions that he's already had to do this 15 times before.... so we're still at an impasse. It's just a truce until the next time it happens, and it will.
Oh, there was one typo: [like a heroin]. I think you forgot the "e" at the end of heroine; otherwise Clara is like a drug! OK, so maybe she is....*snorts*
no subject
LOL, no, that wasn't quite what I meant. :)
I don't expect more complex solutions from TV-shows, so I wasn't so bothered, though I agree with you that it was way too simple to be real. :)
Clara does seem to be the "special flower" this time around, doesn't she? If we have to constantly be told how special, perfect and great she is, well... you know. Actions speak louder than words in this case.
Exactly. And I really don't mind Clara's flaws, it makes her rather interesting, but there is a discrepancy between what the shows seems to make of her and what it actually do make of her. :)
no subject
The thing is that sci-fi, in particular, is known for tackling tough issues, not making pretty solutions, and it did bother me because the situation is all too real.
Flaws are one thing; everyone has them, but these "special flowers" are just too much!