Let me get a few things out the way first. Ahem: There are spoilers for Doctor Who in here, ranging from 3rd season to 7th season. Also: this is not a rant against Steven Moffat specifically. While I think he's a horrible head-writer, some of his episodes are among my favorite of the new series.
Moving on...
I was watching through Season 5 recently when I came upon The Time of Angels. The amount of god modding in that episode eventually caused me to shut off the episode due to lack of enjoyment. I then moved on to The Vampires of Venice, a much better episode. Listen, I've run table-top games, written some short-stories and I've even helped someone with the creative work of writing my character (Pebkio) into a book. One of the most important elements to character creation is working on a character's limitations, flaws or drawbacks.
I actually liked the idea of the weeping angels when they first appeared in Blink. Sure, they were more powerful than most enemies the doctor had faced, but not all-powerful. But now, they can do anything and everything in nearly all situations. In fact, let's go through what we learned about the weeping angels from each of the episodes.
---
Blink:
Weeping angels are a quantum locked species. Based on the idea that merely observing a quantum occurrences changes the rules of that occurrence, the angels would, without option, literally become stone if observed by anything. The meta joke was that even observation by the audience counted for the quantum lock. It was pretty clever.
Weeping angels could "displace" anything in time to then feed on the potential time energies created by the new void. Assumption would be that living and sentient beings would create a lot more energy then, say, a rock. While it didn't make much sense on a logical level, who cares about that? This is a fantasy setting and my real complaint is with audience engagement.
Weeping angels could manipulate (electrical, at the least) energy and observe their surroundings while being stone statues.
Weeping angels are super fast.
Weeping angels don't really think things through and seemed to be prone to frustration. For instance, what was the point of throwing a rock at Sally?
---
So far so good, they've got some flaws, some drawbacks, some easy-to-exploit weaknesses. They were exciting to watch being defeated.
---
The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone:
Weeping angels can now also feed of of many forms of more mundane radiation and energies.
Weeping angels can kill someone more physically to use various body parts and organs.
Weeping angels are super strong.
The quantum observance rule no longer applies to electronic observation. In fact, most forms of "observation" are removed from that rule because...
Weeping angels can duplicate themselves to near infinite proportions due to the fact that any image of an angel becomes an angel. This is where we're starting to god mode a bit...
The image of an angel ignores the limitation of the medium of that image. As example, a video of an angel can leave the screen on which the video is shown.
The "image of an angel" rule also covers someone's mental image of that angel. This sets up a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Clear evidence of a frustratingly invincible opponent.
Seeing the mental image of the angel doesn't count as "observing". Naturally.
Weeping angels can change the very laws of physics around them. For instances: making it so fire no longer heats metal; causes dead-locking systems to appear out of nowhere and on everything; opening an electrical circuit no longer prevents the electrical circuit from connecting, etc. Now we're into full on god modding.
Weeping angels can now move objects they aren't directly touching, a sort of telekinetic power, even while being directly observed by a living being. This is shown by the image of the angel closing the door of that metal shuttle thing.
Weeping angels can reconstitute themselves even with a missing head. You might not have noticed this, but several of those statues in the maze of the dead were missing heads.
Weeping angels can directly control their own quantum makeup, as evidenced by "deciding" to become stone when they think they're being observed.
---
Okay, there were a few more minor things, but at this point, only universe-breaking events can kill them, like the fire at the end of the universe. But wait, Moffat isn't done giving his creation even MORE POWER! MOAR!
---
The Angels Take Manhattan:
Weeping angels can either impersonate other kinds of statues or have young weeping angels in much the same way that mammals do.
Weeping angels can perform physical actions while quantum locked as a statue... such as blowing wind. Thus removing all the draw-backs to quantum locking without removing any of the benefits.
Weeping angels can take control of statues that weren't originally weeping angels.
In addition to the end of the universe, weeping angels can be killed by time paradoxes... which only has the possibility to destroy a third of the universe.
---
And there are other things outside of the TV episodes... like The Angel's Kiss and Touched by an Angel. Both of those writing gave the weeping angels even more abilities and power.
The point is, once Time of the Angels was aired, the weeping angels stopped being an interesting adversary race and just started being Moffat's own personal "god modding" rp session. There is really nothing they can't do at any given time. They'd be able to take out the daleks and cybermen with no issue. That devil guy from The Satan Pit wouldn't stand a chance. The Krillitane wouldn't be able to do a thing. The Carrionites (witches) magic wouldn't be useful. Abaddon would lose. Omega might barely survive, but only because he ceased to exist physically.
---
Summary: The weeping angels from doctor who, while originally being interesting adversaries, have just become over-powered god creatures. The only things you could use to defeat them could also end the universe... or at least a large chunk of the universe. That has the same level of entertainment as watching someone god modding in an internet chat room.
No there wasn't really a point, I just felt like ranting. I would still like to hear from others, of course. Maybe someone would like to debate the finer details of any of the points I have made.
Moving on...
I was watching through Season 5 recently when I came upon The Time of Angels. The amount of god modding in that episode eventually caused me to shut off the episode due to lack of enjoyment. I then moved on to The Vampires of Venice, a much better episode. Listen, I've run table-top games, written some short-stories and I've even helped someone with the creative work of writing my character (Pebkio) into a book. One of the most important elements to character creation is working on a character's limitations, flaws or drawbacks.
I actually liked the idea of the weeping angels when they first appeared in Blink. Sure, they were more powerful than most enemies the doctor had faced, but not all-powerful. But now, they can do anything and everything in nearly all situations. In fact, let's go through what we learned about the weeping angels from each of the episodes.
---
Blink:
Weeping angels are a quantum locked species. Based on the idea that merely observing a quantum occurrences changes the rules of that occurrence, the angels would, without option, literally become stone if observed by anything. The meta joke was that even observation by the audience counted for the quantum lock. It was pretty clever.
Weeping angels could "displace" anything in time to then feed on the potential time energies created by the new void. Assumption would be that living and sentient beings would create a lot more energy then, say, a rock. While it didn't make much sense on a logical level, who cares about that? This is a fantasy setting and my real complaint is with audience engagement.
Weeping angels could manipulate (electrical, at the least) energy and observe their surroundings while being stone statues.
Weeping angels are super fast.
Weeping angels don't really think things through and seemed to be prone to frustration. For instance, what was the point of throwing a rock at Sally?
---
So far so good, they've got some flaws, some drawbacks, some easy-to-exploit weaknesses. They were exciting to watch being defeated.
---
The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone:
Weeping angels can now also feed of of many forms of more mundane radiation and energies.
Weeping angels can kill someone more physically to use various body parts and organs.
Weeping angels are super strong.
The quantum observance rule no longer applies to electronic observation. In fact, most forms of "observation" are removed from that rule because...
Weeping angels can duplicate themselves to near infinite proportions due to the fact that any image of an angel becomes an angel. This is where we're starting to god mode a bit...
The image of an angel ignores the limitation of the medium of that image. As example, a video of an angel can leave the screen on which the video is shown.
The "image of an angel" rule also covers someone's mental image of that angel. This sets up a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Clear evidence of a frustratingly invincible opponent.
Seeing the mental image of the angel doesn't count as "observing". Naturally.
Weeping angels can change the very laws of physics around them. For instances: making it so fire no longer heats metal; causes dead-locking systems to appear out of nowhere and on everything; opening an electrical circuit no longer prevents the electrical circuit from connecting, etc. Now we're into full on god modding.
Weeping angels can now move objects they aren't directly touching, a sort of telekinetic power, even while being directly observed by a living being. This is shown by the image of the angel closing the door of that metal shuttle thing.
Weeping angels can reconstitute themselves even with a missing head. You might not have noticed this, but several of those statues in the maze of the dead were missing heads.
Weeping angels can directly control their own quantum makeup, as evidenced by "deciding" to become stone when they think they're being observed.
---
Okay, there were a few more minor things, but at this point, only universe-breaking events can kill them, like the fire at the end of the universe. But wait, Moffat isn't done giving his creation even MORE POWER! MOAR!
---
The Angels Take Manhattan:
Weeping angels can either impersonate other kinds of statues or have young weeping angels in much the same way that mammals do.
Weeping angels can perform physical actions while quantum locked as a statue... such as blowing wind. Thus removing all the draw-backs to quantum locking without removing any of the benefits.
Weeping angels can take control of statues that weren't originally weeping angels.
In addition to the end of the universe, weeping angels can be killed by time paradoxes... which only has the possibility to destroy a third of the universe.
---
And there are other things outside of the TV episodes... like The Angel's Kiss and Touched by an Angel. Both of those writing gave the weeping angels even more abilities and power.
The point is, once Time of the Angels was aired, the weeping angels stopped being an interesting adversary race and just started being Moffat's own personal "god modding" rp session. There is really nothing they can't do at any given time. They'd be able to take out the daleks and cybermen with no issue. That devil guy from The Satan Pit wouldn't stand a chance. The Krillitane wouldn't be able to do a thing. The Carrionites (witches) magic wouldn't be useful. Abaddon would lose. Omega might barely survive, but only because he ceased to exist physically.
---
Summary: The weeping angels from doctor who, while originally being interesting adversaries, have just become over-powered god creatures. The only things you could use to defeat them could also end the universe... or at least a large chunk of the universe. That has the same level of entertainment as watching someone god modding in an internet chat room.
No there wasn't really a point, I just felt like ranting. I would still like to hear from others, of course. Maybe someone would like to debate the finer details of any of the points I have made.
