Lazarus Experiment

[clocketpatch]

This was one of those season 3 episodes I really DID NOT like the first time through. Now, on second viewing, I'm wondering if that's because, following that epic fail that was the Daleks in Manhattan story arc, I was in a very cynical and nit-picky mindset. Also, the CGI for monster!Lazarus is just awful. But... given this is Who, I shouldn't be picking on the effects team LOL

On re-watch, the CGI is still awful, and the story is still naft (if I think too hard about why sonic waves make you young but also a scorpion...? surely I will get a headache), but I found myself really enjoying it despite myself. Ten goes angsty without going over the top, AND he quotes poetry back and forth with Lazarus - intertextuality FTW!

Ten reversed the polarity! Ack! He REVERSED THE POLARITY!! So. Much. Win. I'd forgot about that...

I like Lazarus's back story, even if, as a character, he's kind of a detestable human being. You can understand his motivation. He also gives a good reminder (really nice in a show about time travel) that the way things are now is not as they once were.

Martha's family amused me, as usual... Leo is kind of hot ...

I also kept thinking young!Lazarus was hot despite myself... he reminds me of a young Peter Davidson crossed with a chipmunk, or something. He was also neekid for a surprising amount of the episode. Like. He spends five minutes neekid and wrapped in a sheet being comforted by Ten... and there are at least two butt shots. Not that I'm complaining (and it would have been nonsensical for him to have clothes after going all buggy), but... ?!??

And then Ten was playing with Martha's undies at the beginning before she snatched them away. !?! Not okay Ten. Not okay.

(I'll admit it was a funny scene, but still... !)

So, yeah, overall, not a bad episode. And there were some really fun moments. I'm an especial fan of Ten's "James Bond" moment, the Three refs, and "This is the way the world ends... not with a bang, but a whimper"

Though... I still have NO CLUE how the Next Doctor Cybusmen got footage from this eppy for their Doctor montage... !??


...

For the record, after watching this last night I tried re-watching the Manhattan eppies in the hopes that they too would improve with re-watching. Sorry Merry. If anything, they were worse, and when Dalek-I-have-an-inappropriate-face-Sec came out I had to turn it off. Urgh.

[Stripes]

I liked it the first time and I want to see it again.

Also, they dude who become young is a writer for the show.

[Aldebaran]

I love the Lazarus experiment! I love how Ten reverses the polarity.

Um... philosophically speaking... I agree more with Lazarus's opinion on death and humanity... is that a bad thing?

[librarylover]

I've always liked The Lazarus Experiment. (I know what you're thinking, "LL what DON'T you like?" That would be The Idiot's Lantern.)

I think it's a great story. I agree that the CGI creature is pretty lame, but it has so many great (often funny) moments. Martha's laundry, reversing the polarity, quoting poetry at each other, complimenting Martha's shoes during a very tense moment, the line "Lazarus, back from the dead. Shoulda known really." Plus, a "This is Spinal Tap" reference! I'm a sucker for a good Tap reference.

[magnusgreel]

There was Spinal Tap in this? Anyway, my impression after two viewings was that all it had was a CGI monster running around, that it pretended philosophy for about two seconds, oh we're redefining what it is to be human, then monster monster monster. It's going to be embarrassing for me if this one turns out to have some depth and significance after all.

[librarylover]

Jun 25, 2009 6:48:47 GMT magnusgreel said:

There was Spinal Tap in this?

When he is playing the organ in the cathedral it isn't loud enough, so he says that he needs to turn it up to 11. One of the funniest bits in Spinal Tap is the discussion of the amplifiers that are louder because they go to 11.

[merrythemad]

Oddly, I just watched this episode last night, and I grimaced all the way through it. It may have been because I was soooo convinced my friend was up to "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood" (tragically no he was at lazarus and 42 *shudder*) or it may be because Jordyn (my five year old) loves this episode so much I have literally watched it everyday for a week, or it may just be a bad episode.

I agree, it has some shining fun moments (and more good speeches) I also LOVE the Eliot back and forthiness (hence Eliot coming up in more than one of my fan fics, the Doctor ought to act a bit more well-read iffn you ask me). I find the undies bit odd, and am I truly a degenerate since it makes me wonder how different timelord anatomy must be if he can so casually handle intimate underthings he mustn't see them as intimate?

I also like the sneaky slowly building Saxon (dum dum dum dum) thing and each time I rewatch this series I am yelling at them to look about while they are in the UK (oddly the characters fail to hear me must be a bad connector on my telly, eh?) And like everyone else I love the three references (another thing the Doc doesn't do enough iffn you ask me).

You heard the but, didn't you? I mean way back in the first paragraph you KNEW i was going to disagree with something and you know what it is?? MARTHA! She's meant to be an educated woman and she spends this show outdone by her family (also when does Leo acquire the wife and kid? Seems such a big event would require the whole fandamily and he was clearly alone) and chasing after the Doctor whining, I cannot stand it, not even a bit (mind in 42 she's a much more likable character for the first time since we met her on the moon).

Also I stand beside ironic glitz and word i cannot think of that is the two dalek episodes of this season and a really quick last bit, anyone notice how much of the rest of nuWHo hangs on this season? Kahn (right scary dalek?) escapes evil evilevilJoan keeps that damned book (oooh ten oooh martha how could you BOTH be so bloody stupid?) and the Master lives at the end of series, ack!!!*

[Aldebaran]

Jun 25, 2009 23:41:31 GMT librarylover said:

Jun 25, 2009 6:48:47 GMT magnusgreel said:

There was Spinal Tap in this?

When he is playing the organ in the cathedral it isn't loud enough, so he says that he needs to turn it up to 11. One of the funniest bits in Spinal Tap is the discussion of the amplifiers that are louder because they go to 11.

Oh wild! I"ve seen both that and Spinal Tap, and I've never linked the two together. Cool.

[magnusgreel]

Every time I hear the number eleven I think of Tap, yet I noticed not in LE.