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Jack Graham

Jack Graham writes and podcasts about culture and politics from a Gothic Marxist-Humanist perspective. He co-hosts the I Don't Speak German podcast with Daniel Harper. Support Jack on Patreon.

6 Comments

  1. jane
    May 15, 2013 @ 12:28 pm

    Never thought of the Silurian story as an allegory for Israel/Palestine! Thank you for this reading.

    It also helps me to make sense of the next Silurian story, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. The Silurians (our Palestinians) have been wiped out by Solomon — named after a Jewish King. Does this mean we should take the Doctor's response to Solomon as an allegory for an interventionist's response to Israel?

    Reply

  2. Jack Graham
    May 15, 2013 @ 1:24 pm

    I'd be surprised if Chris Chibnall can spell 'allegory', personally.

    Reply

  3. James S
    May 16, 2013 @ 4:45 am

    I hope not! In Dinosaurs, Solomon's main (only) character traits are his covetous nature and need for profis. That allegory turns a bland, harmless, slightly eccentric episode into something that makes me want to puke.

    I think, I hope that in the case of both stories Chibnall though he was writing harmless "romps"-for kids. But in the case of the Hungry Earth he felt he should add a dash of political allegory (for the ilussion if depth) Just like he added a few Guantanamo Bay references to Torchwood, but had the UN doing them. Poor Chibnall-mostly harmless

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  4. Wm Keith
    May 16, 2013 @ 6:50 pm

    Bland? Harmless? Slightly eccentric? Playing Sandifer's "Toymaker" rule, I hereby declare DoaS so offensive that it is Not Canon. To argue this properly, however, I would need to watch it again. But to summarise, possibly inaccurately (as Chibnall deserves): let's humiliate strong women, who need to resign their executive jobs for the love of a good sexist; let's manufacture a father-son relationship which completely outweighs husband-wife; let's throw in a bit of lecherous torture (not for this Solomon a treaty with the Queen of Sheba) on the part of a murderous wandering covetous Jewish capitalist who must be murdered in turn by another wanderer; oh, did I mention the bonding over shooting things and the comedy gay robots? But, on the other hand, it's got Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!

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  5. Wm Keith
    May 16, 2013 @ 6:57 pm

    Thank God that he is now the hottest property in British TV. (I didn't see Broadchurch. Was it a miraculous improvement on everything his leaden talent had previously sullied?) Please, please can Chibnall be golden-handcuffed to ITV and never write for the BBC again, least of all become story editor for Doctor Who.

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  6. Felix
    June 9, 2024 @ 2:23 pm

    I just rewatched the episode in 2024 and went to Google to see if anyone else had made the connection. But I’d assumed it was the Silurians who were supposed to represent Jewish people – which would obviously be pretty problematic given they’re literally lizard people. Very interesting to read your take and good to know I wasn’t the only one!

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