Calypso has invented the most fantastic drink, a sort of budget-Beechams, by combining hot water, a lot of sugar and a little lemon juice. I'm happy: the lemon was bought for pancake day, cheaply enough, but has been sitting around unused ever since. It's not going to waste any more, and plus: tastes great. I'll certainly be adding it, with the appropriate credit, to my little book of drinks. I know the notebook I'm going to use: it's marked Spring, and is one of a set of four seasonal notebooks friends got me two christmases back. They quipped "you can use it to talk about your family", and indeed the Autumn notebook has been filled with Flame observations of all kinds, mostly absorbing the fallout of various events I had no one to talk about with.
Gonna watch Resurrection of the Daleks now, a decision I will doubtless regret within ten minutes, because it's a nasty downbeat one. But it's a special one.
"My favourite episode" is a tough catagory. There's the old favourite/best split which can never be overcome. But with Doctor Who it's a little more complicated, because you've got the Doctor himself as such a prominent figure, and the concept of continuity. So now on top of the emotional and logical merits of an episode, you've got to rate something like Utopia which is all about his
character, with something like Enlightement in which he barely says a word. Genesis of the Daleks introduces the character of Davros. It's too much of a landmark to criticise it on any other perameter.
And between that, you've got episodes which are representative - and that's what Res of the Daleks is. The ultimate 5th Doctor adventure. A favourite, to be sure, and one with a lot of critical merit. But if you asked me to define who the Fifth Doctor was, as opposed to any other, I would direct you here: polite, sarcastic, trying and often failing to do the right thing, but always terribly heroic and very brave. In that hilarious Doctor Who Confidential (which reviewed every past Doctor and managed to say more about McGann's 90 minutes than Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's combined 6 years, and generally tried to pretend neither of those mistakes had happened...), Steve Moffat described him as a better man than the universe he was trying to save. I've always thought that was lovely. I also adore Paul Cornell's description, in that short story which makes me cry:
"The last gunless hero, the man with the unashamedly white hat, who walked down those dark streets but was not himself dark. He loved well but unwisely, and took all the mess that the universe and the script editor threw at him, right on the chin without a helmet. He was going to be a hero, pure and simple. That hadn't changed, and it never would."
Gonna watch Resurrection of the Daleks now, a decision I will doubtless regret within ten minutes, because it's a nasty downbeat one. But it's a special one.
"My favourite episode" is a tough catagory. There's the old favourite/best split which can never be overcome. But with Doctor Who it's a little more complicated, because you've got the Doctor himself as such a prominent figure, and the concept of continuity. So now on top of the emotional and logical merits of an episode, you've got to rate something like Utopia which is all about his
character, with something like Enlightement in which he barely says a word. Genesis of the Daleks introduces the character of Davros. It's too much of a landmark to criticise it on any other perameter.
And between that, you've got episodes which are representative - and that's what Res of the Daleks is. The ultimate 5th Doctor adventure. A favourite, to be sure, and one with a lot of critical merit. But if you asked me to define who the Fifth Doctor was, as opposed to any other, I would direct you here: polite, sarcastic, trying and often failing to do the right thing, but always terribly heroic and very brave. In that hilarious Doctor Who Confidential (which reviewed every past Doctor and managed to say more about McGann's 90 minutes than Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's combined 6 years, and generally tried to pretend neither of those mistakes had happened...), Steve Moffat described him as a better man than the universe he was trying to save. I've always thought that was lovely. I also adore Paul Cornell's description, in that short story which makes me cry:
"The last gunless hero, the man with the unashamedly white hat, who walked down those dark streets but was not himself dark. He loved well but unwisely, and took all the mess that the universe and the script editor threw at him, right on the chin without a helmet. He was going to be a hero, pure and simple. That hadn't changed, and it never would."
Comments (2)
I'm actually craving that right now, but will have to settle for Lemsip and honey. ;)
Another genius drink of a similar ilk, apparently given to my dad by his mum when he was little and had a sore throat - blackcurrant jam in hot water. It's lovely. And you get hot chewy berries at the bottom, a la Bubble Tea. :D
(Tonight's word: odstinde.)
I've had two in 48 hours. I'm starting to worry, however, what all that hot water, neat lemon and sugar is doing to my insides: none are intrinsically healthy things.
Next time there is jam, I am going to try that one...
Ostinde = autumn equinox festival bidding farewell to the sun for the winter.