Do the mothers on this show get on your nerves?
- Thread starter Snaploud
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I love Jackie, Francine, and Sylvia. Sylvia's a bitch, and much moreso of one than Jackie or Francine, but even she's a delight when she shares the screen with Donna. Francine is a fairly sympathetic character when you put yourself in her shoes, I think. And Jackie is just made of pure awesome.
Of the three Jackie is the only one I like. Francine was such a bitch that I took perverse pleasure in what the Master did to her, and Sylvia's just plain nasty. For all his pluses the fact that RTD used the harriden mother as character design shorthand three times in a row is lazy in the extreme.
My favorite mothers are Jackie Tyler and Maria's self-absorbed idiot mother on The Sarah Jane Adventures. They're annoying but in a funny way. I keep hoping that they'll find some way to make Jackie a regular companion on the show.
I never much cared for Francine. She wasn't an interesting character. But I agree that, objectively, you can understand her distress.
Sylvia was just a bitch and had been long before Donna had even met the Doctor. She needs to die.
I never much cared for Francine. She wasn't an interesting character. But I agree that, objectively, you can understand her distress.
Sylvia was just a bitch and had been long before Donna had even met the Doctor. She needs to die.
Well, three different takes: Jackie - like Mickey - grew from a hostile cliche into a likeable character. Sylvia started bitchy and has stayed it. Francine went from problem to supportive without us really seeing it (though it can be infered to have happened in the 'lost year').
But it's a set-up that's been overdone now: it was a good change to have companions deal with the effect of their disappearance on her family, but it's now new approach-becomes-format-becomes-formulaic: I hope Amy Pond does not have any family she insists on keeping in touch with; leave revisiting that for a few years and a few more companions down the line.
But it's a set-up that's been overdone now: it was a good change to have companions deal with the effect of their disappearance on her family, but it's now new approach-becomes-format-becomes-formulaic: I hope Amy Pond does not have any family she insists on keeping in touch with; leave revisiting that for a few years and a few more companions down the line.
The shows even worse when it comes to fathers. Except for Fathers Day they're pretty much non-entities. One great grandad though.
Meanwhile SJA has had two awsome dads.
Meanwhile SJA has had two awsome dads.
To be fair, Donna's father wasn't intended to be absent. The actor had even filmed Partners in Crime before he died.
^ Didn't he only film a few bits from that episode, namely that one scene with the telescope shown on the DVD extras?
I liked Francine the least of the Companion moms, as she seemed so cold. I liked Jackie the most, she was fun (though did we really need to see her again in "Journey's End"??), and while Sylvia could be very nasty towards Donna, their banter together could be fun. And her character change in "Turn Left" was quite the contrast.
I liked Francine the least of the Companion moms, as she seemed so cold. I liked Jackie the most, she was fun (though did we really need to see her again in "Journey's End"??), and while Sylvia could be very nasty towards Donna, their banter together could be fun. And her character change in "Turn Left" was quite the contrast.
Awww c'mon. It was worth it just for the "Jackie...just stand back. Don't touch anything." gag.
This is pretty much how I feel. I didn't like Jackie (or Mickey) initially but I've grown to like her. Francine and Slyvia annoy me from beginning to end, although I'll agree with Worf2DS9 that Sylvia was interesting in "Turn Left." The family format that RTD is definitely repetitive within each of the three shows. Yes, they're different in comparison to each other, but it's still repetitive in their respective shows.
I absolutely agree about the two awesome dads (I was sorry to see Alan go more than Maria), but most of the fathers on Torchwood have been just has bad as the mothers on Doctor Who.The shows even worse when it comes to fathers. Except for Fathers Day they're pretty much non-entities. One great grandad though.
Meanwhile SJA has had two awsome dads.
Damn straight. When I first heard that Rose was returning, my first thoughts were "Ugh, really? Okay...it'll be bearable as long as Jackie and Mickey return, too."Awww c'mon. It was worth it just for the "Jackie...just stand back. Don't touch anything." gag.
Awww c'mon. It was worth it just for the "Jackie...just stand back. Don't touch anything." gag.
Amen! Rose was a so-so companion. What propelled her to excellence was her entourage of great supporting characters-- Jackie, Mickey, Pete.
Martha's dad knew better than to voluntarily turn his daughter over to shady government agents. I had to cheer for him there.
Got to agree with you there Starkers. Not all mother's are like this, so perhaps RTD is drawing on his own experiences?
Ah I forgot about that. Good point.
More likely he's drawing upon the reaction that any sane mother would have towards learning that her daughter is traveling time and space in an incredibly dangerous fashion with a man she barely knows who refuses to give his real name.
That's all fair and good, and worked well with Jackie, but we only needed to see it once, not with every single female companion.
More likely he's drawing upon the reaction that any sane mother would have towards learning that her daughter is traveling time and space in an incredibly dangerous fashion with a man she barely knows who refuses to give his real name.
I don't think it was until 'Army of Ghosts' that I really learned to love Jackie. Mainly because she got so many great snarky lines. She was doing Donna before there even was a Donna.
"I'll show you where my ankles goin'!"
She was doing Donna before there even was a Donna."I'll show you where my ankles goin'!"
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