#this whole rtd thing got me reevaluating his earlier writing

[my-ghost-monument]

thinking about rtd v chibs today, in terms of growth. when I realised that chibs had wrote my most upsetting torchwood ep, the finale to s2 where he brutally kills two characters, I was nervous for his dw conclusion. especially considering that in torchwood, tosh's death narratively serves only two purposes: to further the comparison for Owen, dying unfairly while she who had long pined for him dies too, like oh how tragic, these loves parted; and for shock value. Much like most of Tosh's character, she's often side-lined for others and never given as much depth as she should, and I always felt this extended to her death, which unlike Owen's felt cheap.

But in his dw finale, I felt like he had understood how to bring across great heart wrenching pain which served both of the characters perfectly. First, while the Doctor is killed technically, there's no brutal wow! shock! to it, and the same goes for Yaz's exit. Yaz is given agency in her ending, if not priority as her end was less 'guaranteed' (as in we always know the doctor will die, it's the whole point). The Doctor too is given time and respect to face the unfairness, and is allowed her own agency in how she meets it.

To compare to rtd: in a word, Donna. Donna's ending is honestly whip-lash, and there were so many ways to make it an actual tragedy, and not just shock value ending. Donna had to lose her memories, fine! But why reduce her back to what she feared the most, which is a cruel bitter taste for the audience. There could have been an idea where she could keep her growth, thinking she'd gone into volunteering and ending up helping people - oods could become refugees in her mind, the shadow proclamation becoming police or something. Something that would still be so sad and devastating, seeing a woman who was so bright unable to ever stand upon the universe again and declare it safe, but something where she would still get to be the person she'd become. This or something similar would be satisfying, whereas the reduction? it's cruel. It's a creator making a journey and then smushing it because it makes the doctor more upset.

I feel like this is the thing. Chibnall has grown as a writer across the years, but so far, what's been released for rtd's new era? he's literally going back, with the same doctor; the same companion; the same initials, look and age for his newer companion. even now, to the same series number. It doesn't give me faith in his ability to grow and change at all.