Doctor Who Review: Before The Flood – 6 Ways The Water Rises And Falls
6. The Bootstrap Paradox
Its not easy to write a script based around a confusing concept but there are better ways to handle it than tacking on a prolog. While the Doctors monologue about Beethoven is entertaining and educational it doesnt fit in with the rest of the story. Its also not necessary. There are ways to seed this information into the script so that the audience catches on. The opening sequence felt heavy handed and condescending as if the writer had no faith in the audiences ability to understand what was happening. Awkward handling aside, the idea of the bootstrap paradox is a fascinating thing to explore. Its appeared in Doctor Who before, most notably in the series three episode Blink and the series eight episode Listen. The concept of a causal loop, where future knowledge creates a past which in turn defines the future is perfect story fodder for a show that is based on the theory of non-linear time.
Mary Ogle is the author and illustrator of “Orangeroof Zoo” a whimsical tale of magical realism told through the pages of a coloring book for adults. Working as a professional artist in the digital medium, Mary’s commissions have included everything from fine art to fan art, book cover design, illustration and book layout. Find more of Mary’s work at www.maryogle.com. Mary currently finds inspiration in the Ojai Valley, residing in a snug little cottage with a recalcitrant cat.
