Archive for June, 2005

So the Daleks found God


For those who haven’t seen the new series of Doctor Who and don’t want spoilers, don’t read on; those of us who have seen it, here goes:

Last night’s final episode of the season displayed some perverted touches of brilliance, notably the novel idea of turning the Daleks into the science-fiction equivalent of Republicans screaming about ‘blasphemy’ and worshipping their wonderfully-realised God, the Emperor Dalek. I liked the effects surrounding the Doctor’s regeneration and I was glad to see the flirtatious Captain Jack brought back from the dead. My big problem with the episode is I’m not really sure what happened. I know that Rose looked into the insides of the TARDIS and by doing so she channelled the space-time vortex itself but was it the vortex which had an intelligence all its own or something else revealing itself to be the ‘Bad Wolf’ of the series? Who was it that ended the Time War? It certainly wasn’t the Doctor. Was it Time itself? Was it Rose? Are the Daleks gone forever? No, of course not – and how terrifyingly horrible was the bloodbath they instigated?

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Sunday, June 19th, 2005

Poem: Daleks


No personal pronouns.

They are legion.
They are the same.
They are relentless.
Each one has fire in the eye.
Each one is desperation in disguise.
Each one terrified of difference, carrying shame.

That cry: repetitive media branding scorching a skeleton dry.
Kids love this kind of thing, even when it’s a hot June heading into July.

Today’s fantasy-horror: al Qaeda. Watch the ratings rise.
Osama in a metal skirt, a lively black-and-gold design.
Input at the front for his kidney dialysis machine, and weapons.

Bush: the Emperor Dalek, dragging his clones behind him.
His copper taste revealed only after much investigation.
Many deaths. Many lies. Blair the Judas found in many stories.

Keep it distant so it doesn’t feel too real.

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Saturday, June 18th, 2005