Doctor Who (37) 11.03: Rosa

I actually quite liked the villain. Yes, his story was pants but as a character I liked the way he adapted to what Team TARDIS were doing so they had to keep coming up with new ways to thwart him. Along with that and the fact he had a no kill code (installed in him rather than inherent) made me think of an evil version of the Doctor.
 
I can't think of a scenario where any interaction with Rosa doesn’t place the Who character at risk of claiming/seeming to be the trigger for her actions and subsequent belittling of her bravery.
All they did is make sure the bus was full - because of interference from another time traveler.
 
And that was the second reason I disliked it. The story pretty much removed any agency on Parks' part, and made it all about the characters from the future.
Simply untrue. Parks was presented as already in the movement, and all the team was trying to do was reverse the damage the bad guy had put in place. Actually, the event took place in spite of the time travelers!
 
I liked this episode. I don't think I'm really in a position to comment on the race relations aspect, but insofar as i could tell it seemed sensitive to a HUGE issue.

I liked the bad guy, although the actor seemed a touch wooden.
 
I enjoyed the episode but was both amazed and angered when I read a complaint that a Father had made to the BBC in that it had forced him to explain the issue of prejudice, both historical and today, to his son after the lad had asked.
 
I enjoyed the episode but was both amazed and angered when I read a complaint that a Father had made to the BBC in that it had forced him to explain the issue of prejudice, both historical and today, to his son after the lad had asked.

This makes me really mad - it's either lazy parenting or he's a closet racist who finds he has to explain his own prejudices.
 
This makes me really mad - it's either lazy parenting or he's a closet racist who finds he has to explain his own prejudices.

Mmm, I don't know, I can kinda relate.

I remember a little while back Mini MT was colouring a fairy picture and for no apparent reason decided to give her brown skin, because some people are coloured that way so she decided this fairy was going to be brown.

She has no concept of racism, but I know that one day that innocence is going to go because she'll hear something, or see something on TV and either me or Mrs MT is going to have to explain to a happy-go-lucky child that not everyone is nice. I'm prepared to have that conversation, but I'd like to put it off for as long as possible and let her stay innocent.
 
She has no concept of racism, but I know that one day that innocence is going to go because she'll hear something, or see something on TV and either me or Mrs MT is going to have to explain to a happy-go-lucky child that not everyone is nice. I'm prepared to have that conversation, but I'd like to put it off for as long as possible and let her stay innocent.

Mmhmm. Tell that to the parents of black and brown children (or parents and kids in any family that belongs to a minority ethnic group in countries that legalise racism) because they don't have the luxury of waiting it out. Not being aware of racism and the social mores that enforce it can literally cost them their lives.

I know my parents didn't have the luxury of waiting because of the rampant Sinophobia where I grew up and the racism baked into the legislation that hobbles minority groups and bestows unearned privilege to the majority racial and religious group.

What you have is a privilege: the privilege of being able to wait to address this issue - knowing that it won't cost your child her safety or life - until it can't be put off anymore.

And I am glad the new Who writing team are tackling the issue of racism head on. I hope it prompts more children ask their parents about racism and prejudice. This gives their parents a golden opportunity (that "teachable moment") to explain it and the damage it causes and why they should never be racist. That or it forces parents to confront their OWN prejudice.
 
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Mmm, I don't know, I can kinda relate.

I remember a little while back Mini MT was colouring a fairy picture and for no apparent reason decided to give her brown skin, because some people are coloured that way so she decided this fairy was going to be brown.

She has no concept of racism, but I know that one day that innocence is going to go because she'll hear something, or see something on TV and either me or Mrs MT is going to have to explain to a happy-go-lucky child that not everyone is nice. I'm prepared to have that conversation, but I'd like to put it off for as long as possible and let her stay innocent.

I agree with you very strongly on this. Explaining racism to your children and breaking their innocent view of the world is something that should be decided by parents and not entertainment shows, not wanting to explain this does not automatically make someone either a "lazy" parent or some sort of closet racist.

Kids don't see colour and don't subscribe to identity politics - the longer we can keep them that way then the better IMO. We have that privilege living in the West, so it's one we should choose to exercise if we want to. Luckily the UK is one of the least racist places in the world - something for us to be proud of. :)
 
Kids don't see colour and don't subscribe to identity politics - the longer we can keep them that way then the better IMO. We have that privilege living in the West, so it's one we should choose to exercise if we want to. Luckily the UK is one of the least racist places in the world - something for us to be proud of. :)

In someways I agree but kids do listen and learn from their family/peers without being directly taught.

I also disagree with the last line. The UK still suffers badly from racism and prejudice on all sides and, in my opinion, seems to be getting worse rather than better.

As a kid, due to having a more mediterraneum skin (which I wish I still had) I suffered from racist bullying at school. The bullies hasn't been directly taught it, they had been brought up in that environment.

Until we teach our kids that this is wrong we'll get nowhere.
 
Kids are very observant, as most parents can testify. I remember when my son started nursery, he wanted to know what he should do if someone was nasty, I said be nice and if that doesn't work ignore them.
Fast forward a few months to a home visit from nursery nurse. When he spoke she said "oh I thought you couldn't talk", his reply " my mummy says I shouldn't speak to nasty people I don't like" I was mortified.
Turns out she was allowing one of the other kids to snatch toys, nip and bite others, she would tell any child off who retaliated because the little girl came from a chaotic background.
None of the kids complained to their parents.
She didn't last long when it finally came out
 
Any... I think we're getting off-topic.

By the looks of things, some viewers had mixed feelings about this episode, but otherwise it was well-liked - and was still superior to the one where the moon was actually a giant egg. :D
 
Of course. Eggs are famous for being spherical, rather than, er, egg-shaped...
 

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