The Chaosverse Book Club: Week Four

[earlgreytea68]

Chapter Two of Chaos Theory

This chapter is mainly about Jackie. I don't think I ever intended to spend as much time on Jackie as I've ended up doing in this 'verse, but I'm absolutely fascinated by her relationship with her daughter and the strange family her daughter chose.

You know, I forgot that there's an implication in this chapter that Rose's ability to have Time Lord children might be unusual. I have never reached the point, in my thinking about Brem, where he wants to have children, but I wonder if that's ever an issue for these future generations. Hmm.  

Questions for Discussion:

I make lots of references to the Doctor and Jackie sharing terrible taste in television. What do you like to imagine they watch together?

Chapter Three of Chaos Theory

The TARDIS is nurturing. What's interesting about this is that, in "College," we learn that the around this time the Doctor must have taken some coral from the TARDIS to start growing Brem's TARDIS. I wonder if he's already done it here, and that the TARDIS is actually nurturing the baby TARDIS and it's manifesting this way. I like to think that's why.

It's always bothered me a little bit that the Doctor doesn't realize immediately that he can sense the baby. One has to imagine his head is pretty cavernous with all the Time Lords gone, and he feels a tickle in the back of his mind, and, by his own words, he doesn't pay attention to it. I find that stretches credulity a bit.

You know, I always write the TARDIS as being very fond of Rose, but I think in my head that's not because of Rose's Bad-Wolf-ness but because the TARDIS loves the Doctor and Rose makes the Doctor happy. I guess either explanation could work, though.

Rose worries that the baby will replace her, which clearly doesn't happen. But I find it interesting that the opposite almost comes to pass: The Doctor and Brem turn out to be so much alike that, rather than being able to read each other's thoughts, they are amazingly obtuse about each other.

Questions for Discussion:

2nd2ndalto, in a recent comment, said that there's always one line in a fic that sticks with her. What's your one line from this chapter?

Chapter Four of Chaos Theory

You know, I think the Doctor never fully gets the hang of living with a non-telepathic creature like Rose. In this chapter, Rose is determined to have it out, to discuss their feelings, and the Doctor is irritated. I think at least part of the Doctor's irritation stems from the fact that, as a telepathic being, he thinks she should just be able to sense how he feels, and he'll sense how she feels, and then they never have to have a messy discussion about it. I think Time Lords, on the whole, dislike messy emotional confrontation, for this reason.

Rose's doubt in this chapter about her utility as a mother to Gallifreyans rings true to me. But it's especially heartbreaking in light of the fact that we eventually get to see her children trying to make a life without their mother, and we know what a complete disaster it is without her.

Ah, the pendant. Sometimes I remember Rose's pendant, most of the time I forget about it completely. I'm the worst at continuity.

This is a sex scene I actually really like, because I think it's fun.

Questions for Discussion:

Ah, there's been much speculation. What are those thoughts the Doctor leaves out? What did you always imagine them to be?

Next Week: Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Chaos Theory in Vortex Orbits in Relative Dimensions in Time and Space

Comments

[beatlejessie.livejournal.com]

Chapter 2
I think it is so true that Jackie's first response to Rose announcing that she is pregnant is "With whose baby?" Jackie is the one character who always reminds us that, as much as we love the Doctor, he is an alien. And the fact that she is so concerned about Rose is just spot-on.

Oh! And the first mention of Complicated Gallifreyan Babies! GAWWWWW.

I make lots of references to the Doctor and Jackie sharing terrible taste in television. What do you like to imagine they watch together?
I think the Doctor likes shows that show off human abilities- like "Britain's Got Talent" or cooking competitions and things like that. Things where he can go "AH! That's brilliant!" and just be all amused with humanity. I also have the feeling that he and Jackie like watching soap operas, and when Rose teases him about it he always claims that it's just rubbish, but really he knows EVERY SINGLE character and storyline. :D

Chapter 3

I just feel so bad for Rose in this chapter!! But I love that the TARDIS is 'nurturing', and I also like the idea that it is partly because the Doctor has started growing another TARDIS.

2nd2ndalto, in a recent comment, said that there's always one line in a fic that sticks with her. What's your one line from this chapter?
It's actually three lines:
The Doctor had never sought out trouble. He never backed down from it, of course, but he never actually sought it. Was it his fault if the trouble always found him, everywhere he went? This is just so true- and, as we learned in "The Doctor's Wife", canon! The TARDIS always takes him where he is needed.

Chapter 4

Ah, there's been much speculation. What are those thoughts the Doctor leaves out? What did you always imagine them to be?
I'm thinking something along the lines of "Rose is the most amazing creature in the universe" and "I need to show Rose that I think she's the most amazing creature in the universe."

Well, at least until I get to the end and the Doctor says he's saving them for later. Then if I think too much about it my brain continues melting into the giant puddle of goo that your GUH-worthy chapter caused!!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

"Jackie is the one character who always reminds us that, as much as we love the Doctor, he is an alien."

That's a good point. Everyone else in the Doctor's life sees him as something else first (lover, husband, father). It takes Jackie a very, very long time to stop seeing "ALIEN" flashing over his head every time he talks. It makes sense, really: She's not in love with him, and he's not her dad, so there's not that sense of acceptance that Rose and the kids have. She has to really work through it.

Awww, I bet the Doctor does think reality shows show off the best of humanity! He's so sweet! (And the Doctor totally loves soap operas. I bet he watches alien ones, too. He probably brings them over to watch with Jackie.)

I was so happy when "The Doctor's Wife" confirmed that!!

Awwww, I love your thoughts! They're very sweet!