The Brig and SJS

[JRoss]

Last night I found myself becoming frustrated with Moffat's handling of the Brig's death. It seems to me that if they were going to go that route that they really needed someone who had actually written for the Brig before to do his death.

What we got was a simple "you abandoned him and now he's dead" thing and a moment of sadness followed by more manic adventures.

Contrast Sarah Jane's exit. It was written by the person responsible for more stories with that character than anyone else, it was inspiring and still poignant.

 

[23skidoo]

Uh, you do know the Sarah Jane episode was written and filmed months before she died right? They tacked on a tribute at the end that was quite moving, but it was simply tacked on and was probably simply re-edited from what was likely planned originally as a season-ending voiceover.

Moffat integrated the Brig's death into a story that had been written months before the actor died and did so in such a way that it made the Brig's death the catalyst for the Doctor deciding to face his death - hence the Brig's death was retconned to become the catalyst for the entire season. I don't know what more you could want...

Alex

 

[Sindatur]

Uh, you do know the Sarah Jane episode was written and filmed months before she died right? They tacked on a tribute at the end that was quite moving, but it was simply tacked on and was probably simply re-edited from what was likely planned originally as a season-ending voiceover.

Moffat integrated the Brig's death into a story that had been written months before the actor died and did so in such a way that it made the Brig's death the catalyst for the Doctor deciding to face his death - hence the Brig's death was retconned to become the catalyst for the entire season. I don't know what more you could want...

Alex

Couldn't have said it better

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I had heard that they weren't going to acknowledge Nicholas Courtney's death in-universe. I was OK with that, since the supposed reason made sense; old soldiers never die and all that. But I thought they really picked the right moment to mention it in "The Wedding of River Song" and did a really good job of tying it into the themes of the story. (Compare it to Col. Carter's brief, irrelevant mention of General Hammond's death in the Stargate Atlantis finale "Enemy at the Gate.")

 

[Starkers]

I found the mention of the Brigadier in TWORS very moving. It was a nice little mention and frankly not something they had to do given that we unfortunately never saw the Brig in nuWho so an awful lot of viewers won't really know who he was unless they'd watched Sarah Jane Adventures.

Sarah Jane on the other hand was the lead character in an ongoing show and who had actually been in Who several times since it returned.

It's not so long ago people were somewhat annoyed that the production team hadn't mentioned Courtney's death.

 

[Cyke101]

Uh, you do know the Sarah Jane episode was written and filmed months before she died right? They tacked on a tribute at the end that was quite moving, but it was simply tacked on and was probably simply re-edited from what was likely planned originally as a season-ending voiceover.

Moffat integrated the Brig's death into a story that had been written months before the actor died and did so in such a way that it made the Brig's death the catalyst for the Doctor deciding to face his death - hence the Brig's death was retconned to become the catalyst for the entire season. I don't know what more you could want...

Alex

Couldn't have said it better

Yeah, I was *greatly* impressed that the Brig's death became an impetus on such a grand and cosmic scale. It would've been really easy -- and almost cliche -- to have him be a throwaway line.

If anything, this is a perfect example of Quality, Not Quantity.

 

[Shatnertage]

I teared up. Thought it was a beautiful tribute to both the character and the actor who played him.