I can't lay Martha completely at FA's feet, though, because I'm not sure any actress could've pulled off how RTD wrote Martha.
And this one I don't at all. I'm sorry, I just can't not believe that a more charismatic, better, less bland actress would have made us root for Martha, if not to get the Doctor -- since the whole "I wubs Rose foreva!" permeated him, but to get someone, something that would show her she was better than pining for this taken alien, but meanwhile, feeling so much for her. The concept of the character wasn't the greatest, but it was solid. She had motivation, meaning, reason behind what she did. We were never confused or complexed by things Martha was doing or saying, we just didn't care or were annoyed by it ... and I do lay that at the actress.
At some point, writers start writing FOR the way the actor plays a role, rather than the original concept.* RTD clearly envisioned a strong, stalwart woman who didn't live by emotions (the opposite of Rose actually), and was thrown for a loop for that before her arc finished with her taking back that strong side of herself, but with the added benefit of knowing how emotions can help make better decisions reliant not just on the brain. Look at the eps that RTD wrote of Martha:
- "Smith & Jones" ... Great Martha - "Gridlock" ... Martha separated from the Doctor, believing in him, still off her game because of those pesky emotions, but doing what needed to be done - "Utopia" ... KICK-ASS Martha, empathetic, smart, understanding, with the program - "The Sound of the Drums/The Last of the Time Lords" ... Frankly, Martha was by far THE best thing in these two episodes, in my opinion. She did things I couldn't see either Rose or Donna doing. Martha has a different kind of steel and it so showed here. I loved her in these eps. (Her and Tom. Wah! I wanted to see Tom in TSE/JE!)
Then her later appearances ...
- "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End" ... Again, a kick-ass Martha, who is in control, smart, loyal, doing the right thing, her heart and her mind working together.
THIS is the Martha that RTD envisioned and these are her best appearances BY FAR (I think) in the series and these are ALL the ones that RTD wrote. The others, I think became based more on FA's take on the character which did not mesh with Rusty's vision. I just look at ALL of his characters and I don't blame him ... especially seeing the awesome in Martha so clearly when HE wrote her.
* Admittedly, some of these were definitely written before they saw some of FA's work, so I'll add that as RTD envisioned her, it was a tricky line to walk, but still ... sappy, wimpy Martha is not how RTD ever wrote her.
I always feel so duped when I think about it, because the Martha from 3x01 and the Martha from subsequent eps seem like two different people. That the minute Martha started traveling with the Doctor, she became a blithering idiot with a schoolgirl crush. And I just don't...get it. :/
Well, I think the above does help explain it. Other writers weren't writing RTD's Martha, they were writing FA's weaker, wimpy take on the character.
(Yikes. For as much as I don't like a lot of S2 [saw "Fear Her" the other day... :shudders:], S3 was probably the worst season of the show. :x
"Fear Her" really is bad -- except for the ADORABLE Doctor/Rose moments -- but yeah, I'll definitely go with S3 being the worst of the new Who. You blame John Simm for it? I blame (sorry) Freema Agyeman. She wasn't a strong enough actress to make Martha work ... and Martha SHOULD have worked.
But: agreed on the PotW kiss. :D
Of course! (I so have to make an icon of that, but it's so hard because of the dang golden light and bright light behind them. Urrggh! I haven't even seen an icon by anyone else of the kiss that works for me. I'll keep working on it though, off and on.)
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I've mention I ramble, yes? Sigh, part 2 ...
Date: 2008-08-19 05:08 pm (UTC)And this one I don't at all. I'm sorry, I just can't not believe that a more charismatic, better, less bland actress would have made us root for Martha, if not to get the Doctor -- since the whole "I wubs Rose foreva!" permeated him, but to get someone, something that would show her she was better than pining for this taken alien, but meanwhile, feeling so much for her. The concept of the character wasn't the greatest, but it was solid. She had motivation, meaning, reason behind what she did. We were never confused or complexed by things Martha was doing or saying, we just didn't care or were annoyed by it ... and I do lay that at the actress.
At some point, writers start writing FOR the way the actor plays a role, rather than the original concept.* RTD clearly envisioned a strong, stalwart woman who didn't live by emotions (the opposite of Rose actually), and was thrown for a loop for that before her arc finished with her taking back that strong side of herself, but with the added benefit of knowing how emotions can help make better decisions reliant not just on the brain. Look at the eps that RTD wrote of Martha:
- "Smith & Jones" ... Great Martha
- "Gridlock" ... Martha separated from the Doctor, believing in him, still off her game because of those pesky emotions, but doing what needed to be done
- "Utopia" ... KICK-ASS Martha, empathetic, smart, understanding, with the program
- "The Sound of the Drums/The Last of the Time Lords" ... Frankly, Martha was by far THE best thing in these two episodes, in my opinion. She did things I couldn't see either Rose or Donna doing. Martha has a different kind of steel and it so showed here. I loved her in these eps. (Her and Tom. Wah! I wanted to see Tom in TSE/JE!)
Then her later appearances ...
- "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End" ... Again, a kick-ass Martha, who is in control, smart, loyal, doing the right thing, her heart and her mind working together.
THIS is the Martha that RTD envisioned and these are her best appearances BY FAR (I think) in the series and these are ALL the ones that RTD wrote. The others, I think became based more on FA's take on the character which did not mesh with Rusty's vision. I just look at ALL of his characters and I don't blame him ... especially seeing the awesome in Martha so clearly when HE wrote her.
* Admittedly, some of these were definitely written before they saw some of FA's work, so I'll add that as RTD envisioned her, it was a tricky line to walk, but still ... sappy, wimpy Martha is not how RTD ever wrote her.
I always feel so duped when I think about it, because the Martha from 3x01 and the Martha from subsequent eps seem like two different people. That the minute Martha started traveling with the Doctor, she became a blithering idiot with a schoolgirl crush. And I just don't...get it. :/
Well, I think the above does help explain it. Other writers weren't writing RTD's Martha, they were writing FA's weaker, wimpy take on the character.
(Yikes. For as much as I don't like a lot of S2 [saw "Fear Her" the other day... :shudders:], S3 was probably the worst season of the show. :x
"Fear Her" really is bad -- except for the ADORABLE Doctor/Rose moments -- but yeah, I'll definitely go with S3 being the worst of the new Who. You blame John Simm for it? I blame (sorry) Freema Agyeman. She wasn't a strong enough actress to make Martha work ... and Martha SHOULD have worked.
But: agreed on the PotW kiss. :D
Of course! (I so have to make an icon of that, but it's so hard because of the dang golden light and bright light behind them. Urrggh! I haven't even seen an icon by anyone else of the kiss that works for me. I'll keep working on it though, off and on.)