I think this was my favourite episode of the season. It was very well handled. I can't judge whether it was too info-dump-ey, as I studied the Civil Rights Movement for GCSE history, so was probably better informed than the bulk of the audience to start with. But I felt it was solid drama. I was rather upset to see my uncle dismiss this and Demons of the Punjab as "history lessons". I know Doctor Who usually is fairly unrealistic SF melodrama, but I think it can be so much more. But I worry how many other people in the audience share my uncle's views and what that means for the next season.
Re: the Great Man Theory of History: it's interesting how often Doctor Who does this. Even when written by the left-wing Pip and Jane Baker, who might be expected to be more aware of social history given their background, it swings back to it, albeit with a Great Man from a humble background. It's possible that SF melodrama simplifies events down to great men and women because it's easier to represent for a family audience than social pressures.
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Date: 2018-12-30 11:26 pm (UTC)Re: the Great Man Theory of History: it's interesting how often Doctor Who does this. Even when written by the left-wing Pip and Jane Baker, who might be expected to be more aware of social history given their background, it swings back to it, albeit with a Great Man from a humble background. It's possible that SF melodrama simplifies events down to great men and women because it's easier to represent for a family audience than social pressures.