The Constant

The Hugo’s to me will always be first and foremost about the written form, but this only makes up a percentage of the categories. While it is hard in New Zealand to find the novels, novellas and short stories that are nominated, the ‘dramatic presentations’, or television and film productions, are generally easier. The nominations for the ’short form’ this year were:

• “The Constant” (Lost) Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, writers; Jack Bender, director (Bad Robot, ABC studios)
• Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen , writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)
• “Revelations” (Battlestar Galactica) Bradley Thompson & David Weddle, writers; Michael Rymer, director (NBC Universal)
• “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” (Doctor Who) Steven Moffat, writer; Euros Lyn, director (BBC Wales)
• “Turn Left” (Doctor Who) Russell T. Davies, writer; Graeme Harper, director (BBC Wales)

I have not followed the ‘re-booted’ BSG, and though I am a big fan of Joss Whedon’s work, especially the tragically canceled Firefly, I know nothing about Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

So, of those that are left, we have two Doctor Who episodes, by the two main guiding creatives on the show, and a Lost episode, also by the show runners. Perhaps ironically, all three deal heavily with a form of time travel, be it a consciousness ‘unstuck in time’, alternate realities created by changing the past, and the concept of ’spoilers’, how two people can meet many times in different time streams without endangering each others causality.

The fifth episode of the fourth season focusing on Desmond Hume, and plays with a twist on the shows usual ‘flashback’ format. On passing through the threshold of the Island, Desmond becomes unstuck in time, his consciousness switching uncontrollably between 1996 and 2004.

The character of Hume has always been a favourite of mine on Lost, and seeing more of his back story is great. I’m also a sucker for a well written undying love romance, and Hume’s relationship with Penny Widmore ticks all the right boxes. From a scientific point of view, there are no causality plot holes obvious, and the writers appear to have done their homework well. The story, focusing so much on the ’supporting characters’, needed some great acting to pull it off, and everyone, especially Henry Ian Cusick (who received an emmy nomination for this episode), delivers. The pacing is breathtaking, and overall the episode stands together well.

My biggest concern with this episode is that it just does not answer any questions, or move the overall Lost arc forwards that much. As a pair to season five’s The Variable, these concerns are pretty much answered.

****1/2

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

Season four’s two parter, written by Steven Moffat, continues the run of thrilling episodes from this writer. The Doctor and Donna explore a mysteriously deserted library, in the company of a mysterious person who has intimate knowledge of the Doctor’s future.

This turning of the tables, with Professor River Song seeing an older, less polished, less accomplished Doctor, serves as an interesting plot device. The writing, though not as scary as Blink, or as tightly constructed as The Girl in the Fireplace, is still strong, and contains several jaw dropping ‘I didn’t see that coming’ moments.

My main concern with these episodes is the continuity problems that may arise – if Moffat intends Song to become a recurring character when he takes the reins at the end of 2009, he must find a way of explaining how she recognised the Tennant Doctor, when Tennant will have already have left the show. Still, this is a problem for the future, and does not effect the story at all. The acting is wonderful, especially from Dr Moon, the sound track evokes all the right moods, and the directing of the virtual world scenes, where a ‘television cut’ is actually experienced by the characters is beautifully pulled off.

This is definitely my pick. *****

Turn Left

While the writers of The Constant took great care to show there were no alternate universes involved, Turn Left takes the opposite approach and explores two possible futures based on one changed decision.

While a good episode, and essential to the building season arc, this just doesn’t come up to the standard of the previous two in my books. Davies has written some compelling stories, and as an overall creative visionary has done a lot to shape the new Doctor Who, but this one just doesn’t grab me.

With Tennant filming Midnight, Tate fields the majority of screen time, and does a passable job, but she seems strained and unnatural through much of the episode, as if she couldn’t remember how she had played the pre-doctor Donna before, and was struggling to reproduce it. The low budget prosthetic of the ‘time beetle’ was more reminiscent of 1970’s Doctor Who than the new series. Billie Piper’s sudden lisp was so off putting it completely threw my suspension of disbelief.

Still, those problems out of the way, there is some great writing, and the portrayal of the English Dystopia is wonderfully done, and very dark.

****