Just a short note to say that we enjoyed our day in Kansas City, and then headed to Des Moines in the afternoon, returning just before supper. Everybody is well and happy, and we’re going to take it easy tomorrow to rest ourselves after three days of travelling.
Kansas City offered up some impressive architecture. In the twenties, as supposedly most of the Chicago mob bosses decided to make their homes here, money flowed into the city, such that it supposedly has more fountains than Rome and more boulevards than Paris. Certainly their downtown is far from what you’d expect your typical midwestern city to be. And whatever industrial infill they’ve had to make after the meat packing plants pulled out has resulted in a river promenade that is a tourist attraction in its own right.
We ate barbecue again (of course), trying out a different place called Gates. This place was a lot more upscale (located as it was on Main Street) but offered us a “small” party platter of ribs, ham slices and beef brisket brushed with an incomparable barbecue sauce. Arthur Bryant certainly has competition, and Kansas City is clearly about barbecue.
I’ve been offline until now, so I haven’t heard any spoilers about the final Doctor Who episode of the season. And, you know what? I may have to upgrade my review of the previous episode by a couple of points. It may have committed unforgivable plot and characterization sins, but I still enjoyed it, so I’ll probably give it a six out of ten, and say that I look forward to Journey’s End providing some good clean fun.
And, keeping in mind that I haven’t seen any spoilers, here’s a quote from an e-mail I wrote speculating on what was to come:
I have two thoughts on the prophesies of Caan:
The three-fold man suggests something goes wrong with the Doctor’s regeneration, likely having something to do with the hand, which has been referenced several times this season. This could be an interesting way to get a multiple Doctor story at the end of the season.
I’ve known that Donna has basically been doomed for this entire season. Straight from when she said “I’m going to travel with this man forever!” you know she’s going to meet a sticky end. And I strongly suspect that she’ll end up sacrificing herself so that the reset button is hit, Earth is put back into place, and the Tennant Doctor is restored.
Caan’s prophesy in this regard is “everlasting death for the Doctor’s most faithful companion”. Hmm. EVERLASTING death. That suggests one of two companions: Captain Jack (who can’t die), or Donna. If Donna, it suggests that the manner in which she sacrifices herself is particularly gruesome. For instance, she could end up shot out into the Time Vortex, which previously in the canon has suggested everlasting suffering to those who go out unshielded.
This would be a memorable way to go. Indeed, it would be the stuff of legend, and explain why River Song knew about Donna, and was horrified at the fact that she’d met the woman before the fateful event.
Well, we’ll see if I’m right…