Thank you! My problem is mainly that I'm completely paranoid that I missed things and might fundamentally change my mind upon rewatching, and generally speaking I like to think my arguments through a bit more... But I'm glad you like it!
just out of curiosity, was Judith a mother or grandmother too?
IIRC (it's been a while), no. She's certainly single, older than Gwen, but younger than Adelaide, and I don't remember any children. There is a mother in the story, but she's not the driving force.
Re. Rex's immortality... I'll need to look at this in the context of the whole story; I might change my mind. You've already half-convinced me. :)
I know a lot of people compared the physical appearance of the Blessing to a giant vagina, but oddly, the symbolism makes sense. The Blessing perhaps represents Mother Earth, a natural and ancient phenomenon normally in balance.
The thought crossed my mind, too. I wonder if that was intentional, or just somehow happened? Someone in the production team surely must have noticed that?
Otherwise, the idea that this life is all there is would be pretty grim and despairing.
Admittedly he's writing from a relatively privileged place compared to how many people across the world live, but I guess that's part of what fascinates me about RTD's stories — he doesn't ignore or handwave the ugliness and presence of pain and death, but tries to find some sort of balance between the good and bad in his stories, or maybe just a necessary modus vivendi.
(OTOH, the realization that this life is all there is would make it all the more precious, and ideally we'd be motivated to make it the best life possible.)
That's essentially the premise of The Second Coming.
(Maybe this was the real reason why suicide was a moral and religious sin for so long? You had to endure all the suffering God saw fit to give you, and you weren't allowed to take a short-cut to eternal life.)
I think that part of the process of dealing with all the grimness and despair and injustice, the other side of the promise of Heaven/Paradise, is to give the suffering at least meaning.
no subject
just out of curiosity, was Judith a mother or grandmother too?
IIRC (it's been a while), no. She's certainly single, older than Gwen, but younger than Adelaide, and I don't remember any children. There is a mother in the story, but she's not the driving force.
Re. Rex's immortality... I'll need to look at this in the context of the whole story; I might change my mind. You've already half-convinced me. :)
I know a lot of people compared the physical appearance of the Blessing to a giant vagina, but oddly, the symbolism makes sense. The Blessing perhaps represents Mother Earth, a natural and ancient phenomenon normally in balance.
The thought crossed my mind, too. I wonder if that was intentional, or just somehow happened? Someone in the production team surely must have noticed that?
Otherwise, the idea that this life is all there is would be pretty grim and despairing.
Admittedly he's writing from a relatively privileged place compared to how many people across the world live, but I guess that's part of what fascinates me about RTD's stories — he doesn't ignore or handwave the ugliness and presence of pain and death, but tries to find some sort of balance between the good and bad in his stories, or maybe just a necessary modus vivendi.
(OTOH, the realization that this life is all there is would make it all the more precious, and ideally we'd be motivated to make it the best life possible.)
That's essentially the premise of The Second Coming.
(Maybe this was the real reason why suicide was a moral and religious sin for so long? You had to endure all the suffering God saw fit to give you, and you weren't allowed to take a short-cut to eternal life.)
I think that part of the process of dealing with all the grimness and despair and injustice, the other side of the promise of Heaven/Paradise, is to give the suffering at least meaning.