Thoughts on Love and Monsters

I enjoy Love and Monsters, the tenth episode of the 2006 series of Doctor Who. It is obvious to anyone that it's as much about people that are fans of Doctor Who (and really, fans of everything) as it is an episode that needed to have only a little bit of the leads in.

And when the villain of the piece is the very worst parts of fandom -- those that take advantage of individuals for their own purposes. I've certainly seen man Victor Kennedys in my time -- those that take away some part of the joy that you get within a community of people. They're the ones that take advantage, steal, get on ego-trips, assume that whatever fan activity it is was just for them, and not something that lots of people can get involved in and be a part of.

And it is quite fitting that the this is visualized by a monster created by a child for a contest. That it works so well thematically in the episode is just right. And the ELO soundtrack feels thematically right and true as well -- that love of something that isn't really fashionable, but celebrating being true to oneself and that sort of geeky passion that is true of any sort of fandom.

Should every episode be like Love and Monsters? Of course not -- this is Doctor Who, a series that thrives on variability and change. But it really worked for me, and it's an excellent part of the latest series.