18.7.17

The New Doctor

For literally my entire lifetime (longer actually), the part of the Doctor in Doctor Who has been played by a man. To be honest, I was quite happy with that arrangement, particularly when the man was Peter Davison or David Tennant. At first I was resistant to the idea of the Doctor being played by a woman. Dare I say, some aspects of the Doctor's character seemed inherently male -- the self-righteousness, the messiah complex, the evident need for emotional companionship while simultaneously denying that need, the inability to say I love you...

But hey, it's 2017, and I'm learning to move past these gender stereotypes. But I still wasn't sure about the Doctor becoming female. Gradually the show began to hint that such a thing was not just possible, but inevitable -- a line of dialogue here and there, the regeneration of the Master into Missy. I won't say I warmed to the idea, but I was prepared for it.

But as soon as the announcement was made that the luminous Jodie Whittaker was to take the role, I was in. She's wonderful, amazing, an incredible actor. She was fabulous in Broadchurch, and I can't wait to see what she'll bring to the Doctor. Yes, it's a big shake-up, but this is Doctor Who! It's always been about challenging expectations, expanding horizons, questioning assumptions. That's the whole point of the show!

She's here, and I can't believe I ever doubted her.
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2 comments:

  1. Sue BursztynskiJuly 19, 2017 at 6:51 AM

    Hmm, I haven't seen Broadchurch. I will just have to,wait and see if the stories are any good. I have loved Peter Capaldi, and the last season has been wonderful. I loved both his companions - Nardole was hilarious and Bill a delight. And now they're both gone and we'll have to start again. I wasn't a Matt Smith fan, mainly because I didn't care for the stories, so if this Doctor wants to win me, she will have to be the centre of some terrific writing. As for Missy, she was a great character in her own right, but not really the Master in my eyes. For me, the Master will always be Anthony Ainley and Roger Delgado.

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  2. A latte beckonsJuly 19, 2017 at 9:23 AM

    I loved Bill and Nardole too, I'm very sorry to see them go. I enjoyed Peter Capaldi's final season very much, the previous seasons less so.
    I thought Matt Smith was a terrific Doctor, I thought he did the old man in a young man's body thing extremely well, but like you, I didn't care for the stories he was given. The whole Amy/Rory/River Song cycle was clever but I didn't really connect with it emotionally, and as for Clara... hm!
    I'm looking forward to seeing what Chris Chibnall does with the series -- I'm one of those tragics who will never stop watching the show, even if I'm not enjoying it!

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