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Reviews > Doctor Who: The Legacy > Ruins of Self I - Chapter Two
Chapter Two Review by Elizabeth Medeiros This second chapter of Ruins 1 shows what happens to the Doctor as he gradually deteriorates. It's not precisely that the Doctor is dying, it's why, and the answer-that he is a clone- is the basis for a gripping introspection of the Doctor as he grapples with his dying self. The Doctor is forced to confront his fears, his mortality and even his sanity. The Doctor teetering on the edge is fascinating, and his attempts to argue, to reason out with the Figure why he can't remember is superbly done. You see his arrogance as he remembers dismissing Count Orlock's and Alf's doubts about him. He's a Time Lord, and now, slowly, he realizes he is not invincible. Step by step Andie's depiction of this disintegrating Doctor is not only poignant, it's heartbreaking. What is very unusual is who is forcing the Doctor to look within himself. The mysterious figure turns out to be the Doctor's oldest and most loyal friend, the TARDIS. The idea the TARDIS can be a person takes a little getting used to initially, but to me makes perfect sense. Only the TARDIS has seen the Doctor through all his travels and no one knows the Doctor better. Although the dialogue in this section requires a lot of explanation, it never impedes the drama. And the part where the Figure describes why the Doctor created the clone, "To carry on his legacy. If the Doctor had to die then he wanted to make sure it was for a good cause.." spells out exactly why this series is now called Doctor Who-the Legacy. Absolutely perfect. Before I conclude, I'll briefly mention that the scenes featuring Alf and Nick are significant in their own way too. Alf has changed, she's become quite violent and she barely likes herself anymore. In these scenes there is the foreshadowing that soon she and Nick will have to examine just who they are as well. Bring on chapter three!
Chapter Two Review by Paul Clement Where explanations and action combine: Chapter two is often the most important chapter in a four part story, the chapter in which the story begins to open up to the reader, giving an insight into the general theme of the story as a whole, often personified by the use of explanatory prose in an attempt to provide the background setting to the story. Andie spends a good half of this chapter providing the answers that the reader requires to enjoy the story fully, and most importantly, he does it well. Almost every line involving the Doctor throughout this chapter provides an explanation not only as to what is occurring within the story so far, but touches on aspects of a number of previous stories, answering the questions that had been growing in the readers mind as the season has progressed. The Doctor we see in this chapter, if he is the Doctor, is a sight we rarely see. Stripped of any of the arrogance or pomposity that often form a part of his character, the Doctor is forced to examine exactly who he really is and to come to terms with the power of his own arrogance, exemplified by the opening scene in chapter two in which he realises that he has, in his pride and arrogance, ignored signs that something was wrong in previous adventures, feeling certain that the fault lie in others and not with himself. The revelation that the Figure is in fact the embodiment of the Tardis, the Doctor's "oldest companion" came as a surprise, although there was a hint that he was in some way linked to the Time Lords. The interplay between the Doctor and the Figure is wonderfully written, with the Figure growing stronger and more vital to him the weaker the Doctor gets. The horror the Doctor feels as he comes to realise he really is nothing more than a clone of a now dead Doctor, and the growing instability of the clone's body and mind is nicely mirrored by the Figure's desire to restore him and the guilt he himself feels that by trying to save him, he has also hastened the disintegration of the Doctor's essence within the clone. As I said previously, half of this chapter is devoted to the answering of the questions surrounding both this and other previous stories. The other half, dealing with Nick and Alf is the action within the chapter. The Alf we see here is a throwback to the Alf we finally saw in "The Collector", all instinct and barely suppressed violence. Her dispatching of the Vogans was reminiscent of Ace in the days of the NA's, but there is also a side to her character that abhors what she has done and is truly fearful that the person she was, and who's instincts are beginning to take over, is not the person she wants to become. Nick also seems to be aware of the change in Alf, despite their apparent closeness, and even comments "What was the point of that? He was wounded.", after she had rendered an unarmed guard unconscious. Andie also manages to explore Alf's feelings for Nick, something that had hitherto been all but ignored in previous stories, with a usual emphasis on Nick's feelings for Alf being the order of the day. Nick however, although appearing in the story, for once doesn't seem to be the emphasis of much of the narrative, a nice change that means we are given the opportunity to see Alf's character evolve. The chapter itself ends on two high points that ensure that the reader will be around for the third chapter. The arrest and imminent execution of Nick and Alf, however, seems to pale in comparison to the news that Voga is in fact the remains of Gallifrey, the Doctor's home planet. On the whole, chapter two is even better than chapter one and I really didn't expect to hear myself say that. I can't wait to go through chapter three. |
