#also thinking it through i think it's less that amy and rory have Some Episodes and more that their relationship is just lik

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

i think yaz&ryan and ryan&graham shouldve had episodes like the black spot or the girl who waited that centered their relationship and made them count on each other to save them, where like the doctor gets out from between them whether thats received well (black spot) or not so much (girl who waited)

i mean i can imagine graham might have some thoughts and feelings about the way the doctor - the other ostensible adult in the room - handles ryan and yazs - the kids' - safety. hes responsible for ryan and i can imagine he probably extends that feeling to yaz as like an honourary second grandkid

i would pay to see graham confront the doctor à la rory "you make people a danger to themselves" and "this isnt fair. youre turning me into you" (smth smth im one of the few who wont turn myself into you so you force me to idk not the point) not about the same subject of course but something like,,, well like you cant keep them safe

i think a lot abt like how graham literally doesnt have the skills or knowledge to keep ryan and yaz safe in alien environments so he has to count on the doctor for that. he cant do a whole lot of his own risk assessment in situations hes never been in before so he has to trust the doctor's are right. and from s12 onward it becomes clearer that sometimes shes Irrational As Fuck and when it's sometimes then it might be all the times and you have no way to gauge that and no way to mitigate it like shes going a little bit insane in front of your eyes and you still have to trust shes thinking clearly enough that she can keep the kids safe youre responsible for. like at what point do you just stop risking it and take them home?

in canon obvs graham never stops risking it but i think it would be really interesting if there was an episode where it's a bit too close and he confronts the doctor about that. about the fact that like, if youre denying everything you might be feeling then youre not gonna account for how those feelings might be affecting your decisions or perceptions. and then the doctor will freak out about being Abandoned and cover that up too so shes gonna say smth stupid and fucked up and diagonal like i just wanna see it. i just think it would be neat

and i want to see how like yaz&ryans friendship and ryan&grahams relationship would develop/change under stress and out of earshot/perspective of the doctor. like we get a lot of that - ryan and yaz on the veranda in australia or that time in tsuranga or the end of can you hear me - but i think it would be soooo cool to have like at least one episode just dedicated to each of those relationships. an episode where the doctor is,,,not an antagonist really but like, where we get to see their perspective, their situation, their relationship as its own thing that the doctor is not a part of

[nellie-elizabeth]

Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 Special 3)

Well... I'm having some feelings!

 Cons:

Last week's special was about as perfect an episode as I could have imagined, so some of my complaints about this one are just in how it compares with the last one. I thought the tension and threat to Donna and the Doctor was so expertly portrayed in the last episode, that in this one, when once again there's a beat where the bad guy separates them to subject them to separate psychological tortures, it felt like a less-good retread of what we saw last time.

In general, I think this episode might have been served better with an entirely original bad guy instead of a callback to old-school Doctor Who. Maybe that's not very in keeping with the spirit of things, I know this is a show with a long history and it's fun to do callbacks, but the episode had to sit there and explain why we should be afraid of the Toymaker, and that felt like it undercut the threat. I shouldn't need to have exposition explain to me that this bad guy is super bad, more bad than most of the badness we have to face. I should just be able to feel that. And I did, with the concept of the creepy doll with the arpeggio laugh. It's almost like the episode would have worked without a puppet master behind it at all?

The moment where I was especially like... "huh" was when the Doctor, fairly early on in the episode, is like "what am I without all the gadgets and confidence..." it felt so unearned, since we don't have this longstanding history with him and the Toymaker to understand why he's so shaken by this.

I liked the little recap that the Toymaker did of the things that the Doctor has been through since the last time he was with Donna, but I was also pretty irritated by it for a couple reasons. One, you can't just cut Rory out and only mention Amy, that's fuckin' rude. And two, the emphasis of the pattern here, that the Doctor meets a young woman and then something tragic happens to her and he's forced to move on, just made me angry at Moffat all over again? It felt pointed and strange that the Thirteenth Doctor's companions, all of whom went on to live full and happy lives after knowing her, don't get mentioned. I get why the Toymaker wouldn't mention them, because he's making a point about all the loss the Doctor has suffered. But why don't they get a mention later on? Why doesn't the Doctor tell Donna: not every goodbye has been an abjectly miserable one, some of them have been a gentler sort of sadness? It felt strange not to give everyone their due, if you're going to mention so many of the companions in a row like that.

I don't mind the bi-generation thing, I have a lot of positive things to say about our new Doctor and his first moments on screen, but I think being able to duplicate the TARDIS felt a little... cheap to me. Kind of a "have your cake and eat it too" situation. I know it would have been repetitive to have a David Tennant Doctor retire with a companion after losing all his Doctor-ness, like what happened with TenToo, but something a little more similar to that would have made more sense? Like, maybe he's still the Doctor but he doesn't have his time machine, and that's sad, but there's the potential that future Doctors might come by and visit. As it is, even in the little epilogue moment we see that he's romping around having adventures again, and it undercuts the retirement idea just a lil bit.

I don't know where to put this so I guess it's going in "cons", but Mel being in the story didn't really seem to add anything? I liked the one moment where Donna was like "you never talk about her, is that what you do, you just keep moving on and on and on and never talking about the past?" but it felt like it could have been accomplished without bringing in an old companion. Again, this is just a modern-Who-watcher's perspective, I'm sure it was a lot of fun for people who had familiarity with that character. I didn't have a problem with her being there precisely, it just didn't really add a ton!

Pros:

I really liked the basic conceit of the threat in this one. Basically an ear worm that gets into all of humanity that makes them belligerent, makes them believe that their opinions are the truth and that nobody else's input matters. This is a little on the nose, not the most complex of messages, but this is a family show, and I think the lesson is an apt one. The internet allows people to be anonymous, and also allows for immediate, reactive connection all across the world. There are huge gifts that this offers, but also huge problems. I really liked the moment when Kate Stewart is taken over by the effect briefly and ends up being really ableist to Shirley, basically accusing her of faking her disability because "I've seen her stand up before!!" It's so important and so rare to see a character on TV who is using a mobility aid but isn't fully paralyzed; that's true of most people using mobility aids, actually, and there's a fundamental misunderstanding about this. When under the effects of the giggle, Kate's mind takes her to the most uncharitable possible explanation, turning something that she probably just doesn't understand or hasn't been taught, into fear and mistrust. That's a really important thing for people to be on the lookout for!

On that note, it was fun to see Shirley again, and Kate, and just be there with the UNIT team. I love any time that the Doctor has to grapple with his... organizational authority, if that makes sense? When he's on Earth, he has this position of command with UNIT that he would never truly choose for himself but that he is in fact very good at, in a way that's almost sinister. That beat where he gives them permission to take down a foreign satellite is chilling, because the Doctor is in fact a literal alien from another planet who has authority over a group of humans who have the capacity to cause international incidents if they want or need to. I felt like this episode did a lot with a little, in honoring the gravity of that.

I would also be remiss not to point out that Neil Patrick Harris did seem to be having a TON of fun as the Toymaker and despite my problems thematically with this character's inclusion, I still had a blast watching him. The imagery of him with the marionette strings, the creepy puppets that Donna had to fight, the repeated echo of "oh, well that's alright then," when the Doctor insisted that his companions were not technically dead, or that their deaths were bearable for some reason... I loved all of that. Also the petulance of the ending, his insistence on trying to wiggle around his own rules... all very fun and over the top. The creepy puppets in general just added a ton to this episode.

So... here's the thing. I've seen the bi-generation aspect, the fact that Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration went down the way it did, getting a lot of negative feedback from people. I want to leave room for that very legitimate negative feedback. I totally see the argument. This regeneration into the Fifteenth Doctor breaks the pattern in all sorts of ways. He has to share the screen with the Doctor he's supposed to be taking over from, he has to spend his first few minutes as the character not as the sole focus. He doesn't get the traditional alone-on-screen celebration/freak-out as he tries to figure out who he's going to be next. I could definitely see someone feeling really irritated that this new Doctor's first major character beat is comforting the other Doctor on screen, instead of getting to take the stage on his own, so to speak.

I get it, I do. I even said above that I wish the two Doctors thing had been a little less of a copout, with Fourteen getting to keep the TARDIS and all that. But, that being said... I want to offer a counterargument. Yes, Gatwa's first scenes as the Doctor break the tradition of other regenerations, but they break the traditions in such a way that we actually get to know him a little bit at the end of the previous Doctor's goodbye? This is smart for two reasons. One, we already did the big sad sendoff of David Tennant's Doctor and I can still hear his sad little "I don't wanna go" echoing in my heart when I go to sleep at night, thank you so much. So we don't actually need to watch this man's face turn into someone else's again. Breaking the pattern was a welcome idea. And two...

This man is about to be the Doctor for hopefully a fair few seasons of television, and let me tell you, I'm already SO excited about it. I love his energy, I love the way he calls people pet names, I love his confidence and I love his compassion. This episode isn't for him, it's for the Fourteenth Doctor. Same way every other regeneration episode has been about saying goodbye to the current iteration and giving a teasing cameo of the new. Right? So the fact that we get to see what we do of Fifteen, and the one big character moment we're given for him is him turning to Fourteen, turning to himself, and pulling him into a big, comforting hug?

Do you understand what a sigh of relief I let out? After Capaldi and Whittaker and then Tennant (Round 2), we've had a lot of very angry and/or traumatized Doctors on our screen. This character has been through the wringer lately, and I know that will always be a part of his journey, absolutely. But this exuberance, this joy, and most importantly, this compassion for the self, is such a glorious, much-needed element in the story right now. We have this neat trick where because the Doctor is going to retire with Donna now, his grieving and processing will get to happen. We honor the need for this person to get some rest and try and figure out next steps. And at the same time, we now know that we have a Doctor who is not filled with self-loathing, who can honor his grief but also continue on and have adventures and meet new people and continue on the legacy of this show. It's a wonderful introduction to Gatwa's version of the Doctor. It gives me so much more to go on than the typical one minute long cameo we get at the end of a regeneration episode.

So like, I get the complaint, I understand that maybe it feels like it's undercutting Ncuti Gatwa's big introductory moment. But honestly, I think in breaking the mold and doing something totally different, I'm going to be remembering his first few minutes as the Doctor WAY more than I remember anybody else's. I don't remember the first things that Matt Smith's or Peter Capaldi's Doctors got up to, honestly. But here, we have our new Doctor immediately connecting with/playing off of characters we're already emotionally invested in. It works remarkably well and felt like a much more solid bridge between the current iteration and the next! I get sad when one version of the Doctor leaves and a new one shows up, because even if I like the new iteration, it feels like a show has ended and a new one has started. That's both a good and a bad thing when it comes to the legacy and longevity of this show. This felt more like the Eccleston to Tennant regeneration, where the show's continuity carried straight on in a seamless line. And I for one was a fan of it!

It's objectively very funny that Russell T. Davies is so in love with his own characters that he gets too sad about separating them and therefore hands out David Tennants to them just to make it all okay... like, Rose has TenToo and now Donna gets to keep the Doctor, ostensibly for the rest of her life? She gets the thing that no companion before her has ever gotten, to stay the dear and constant friend of the Doctor and not have to look back wistfully on the years of adventure that are now over? Donna, Donna, the companion who got THE most tragic ending of any companion in all of contemporary Doctor Who, and she gets to have this? I don't care if it's cheesy, and despite my earlier complaints that maybe it's a little too neat and tidy, I'm honestly floating on cloud nine about it over here. What a beautiful story.

That final scene of the Doctor surrounded by family, getting to be a part of Donna's family, getting to rest, sneaking his niece off on fun (safe) adventures, it's so healing. This is a fun show, about wacky adventures, but the trauma of the Doctor's nature, his immortality, the constant fluctuations in his identity and personality while his memory carries on, it adds a dark element that can never be totally erased. So to give us the continuation of the fun adventures with our brand new Doctor, who we'll all be excited to meet more fully in the Christmas Special, while also saying: hey, some heavy stuff has gone down. It's okay to rest. To process. And to show the Doctor, not bored or restless or dissatisfied with a quieter life, but happy? Genuinely, no holds barred, happy, with his best friend in the whole world?

Anyway I'm getting weepy just thinking about it.

This wasn't my favorite of the three specials, that has to be last week's astonishing outing. But as a farewell for David Tennant and Donna, and an intro for our Fifteenth Doctor, I'm honestly overwhelmingly pleased! Sometimes it's okay to give the characters on your family sci-fi adventure show a soft epilogue. They've suffered so much, and they deserve it.

8/10

[comicaurora]

Got told by a friend who also reads the tumblr that my ramblings about Doctor Who are the same as you with ReBoot: "endlessly trying to get people to watch a show just so you can have someone to talk to about it" as they said. and I wanted to ask how you managed to get people into a show they are put off from due to being told about it a lot? also what are your thoughts on Doctor Who and it's 60 year history?

In my experience convincing someone to try a show is like 20% your actual pitch and 80% them. Your pitch can help them decide if they might like the show, but it's up to them to decide if and when they'll actually watch it. They need to be in the right headspace, have the right kind of schedule, nothing else eating their attention, etc. Some people just don't do bingewatching, or they only do bingewatching and need to block out a long weekend to power through. And since I know a lot of artists, sometimes they react to media in unpredictable ways - an episode will hit them just right and suddenly they're off on a tangent and can't even think about watching TV.

It can be a bit frustrating if you really want to talk to them about it right this minute, but honestly I've had some very nice discussions about media with people who haven't tried it, and I've been on the other side of that dynamic as well. I first got into Leverage because my dad used it as an offhand example when describing a frustration he had with longform media (that characters wouldn't be allowed to overcome their personal issues because they made good drama) and it intrigued me at exactly the right time to make me want to check it out. Hell, the entire point of the Detail Diatribe format is one of us rambling an explanation of what makes a piece of media so cool or so annoying to an audience surrogate who hasn't seen it.

I have had luck offering to watch shows with people before - I sat through the first three episodes of The Owl House with a friend recently and she really liked it, though last I checked she hadn't watched more since. I got another one into Transformers Prime by just showing the Starscream episodes which I knew would hit just right. The downside is sometimes I'll be told that they haven't watched more since because they like watching it with me specifically, which is both very sweet and mildly frustrating.

But when it comes to the actual pitch, in my experience it's good to zero in on the parts you personally really liked and the parts you think they specifically would really like. For Doctor Who, I loved the RTD portrayal of 9 and 10 as "lonely gods," and I really liked the angsty character drama, but to get someone into the show I'd probably show something like Blink, which stands on its own with a very simple yet scary monster premise, or Vincent and the Doctor, which highlights the historical angle, is incredibly emotionally impactful and also stands on its own without needing much overarching context or understanding of the show. Neither of these episodes show the parts of the overarching story that I liked, but they work well to communicate the general vibes without needing too much outside context, and they're about as good as the show gets.

As for Doctor Who specifically, I was watching New Who as soon as it started because my parents were so into it (which meant I had nightmares for months about that fucking gas mask zombie two-parter jesus christ) and I really liked the 9 and 10 runs, with a slight preference for 10 because he was a little less grumpy. I stuck through the whole 11 era even though I kinda stopped liking it after Amy and Rory left, and I finally tapped out with 12. The problem was I was watching Sherlock around the same time and was starting to notice Moffat's habit of rewriting all his heroes into deeply unlikable turbochad megageniuses and then turning directly to camera and saying "isn't he wonderful? if you don't agree you're shallow." Because it's a really good sign when you kick off your season by guilt-tripping your audience into watching!

Even that didn't fully wreck it for me, but I remember the exact episode that made me go "yep, think I'm good" - series 8, episode 5, "time heist." The Doctor and friends wake up in a weird room with some strangers and no memory of how they got there, a hooded figure on a screen tells them they all agreed to get their memories wiped to rob a bank and that they all have doohickeys that will instantly "shred them to atoms" that they're supposed to use to avoid capture by the telepathic minotaur thing that'll melt their brains if it catches them. Now, rule number one of character deaths is "if it doesn't leave a body, they're not actually dead," so I figured the doohickeys were teleporters, and the hooded "architect" pulling the strings from a TV screen was probably a recording of one of the memory-wiped characters pulling the strings - most likely The Doctor, what with him being the genius master planner type. These twists aren't particularly complicated. I cannot stress enough how simple "The Doctor orchestrated a mildly clever way to break into a secure vault without the telepathic minotaur thing finding out" is. The part where I tapped out is when The Doctor went off on a long-winded, very impressed monologue about how ingenious this whole scheme was, culminating in the big reveal that the brilliant architect who orchestrated this entire scenario was in fact……… The Doctor. Obviously.

My tolerance for authorial wanking is very low, and while a lengthy monologue by the hero about how smart the hero's plan was is tolerable when the hero is an egotistical genius about to be taken down a few pegs by the narrative, a lengthy monologue by the hero about how smart the writer was for writing the hero's plan is another animal entirely, and it circles around to being frankly insulting when the plan is that basic. "I put on a hood, recorded a video, wiped my own memory and then watched the video. Truly my genius is unparalleled on this or any other world."

So yea, that's about when I called it off, and why I wasn't particularly surprised when Sherlock season 4 turned into an unmitigated tire fire. I watched a few episodes after The Doctor regenerated into 13, but I kinda fell off the wagon after it started looking like none of the characters were getting arcs I was interested in following.

Historically, Doctor Who hasn't been good, it's been fun. I've watched some snippets of Old Who and found them difficult to stick with. It's had an astoundingly widespread cultural impact, but it's one of those things I don't really get, and because the show changes so much from season to season and Doctor to Doctor I think it makes sense that most fans are really only fans of very specific eras and doctors. If the whole show changes out from under you, it makes sense you might not be as invested afterwards - that's just the nature of the game when the franchise has been running since 1963.

[transmasc-rose]

oh, why don’t you like amy’s choice? genuine question, i’m curious. i’m pretty neutral on it myself. (except for the part where amy tells eleven they’re going to drive themselves to their deaths and he doesn’t even really argue, he just gets in the van. driven insane by their dynamic in that moment

Hello! Thank you for the ask!

First I want to say that, by all means, me disliking Amy's Choice is just my own opinion. I'd love to hear why others like the episode, and I do like several individual pieces of it! On top of that, I've only watched the episode once, about 3 weeks ago--my memory on specifics is going to be a bit hazy. It's entirely possible I'd have a less visceral reaction on a second go through.

I'll put this under the cut for length. (I am incapable of being concise lmao)

I think a lot of the things I dislike about the episode aren't necessarily the episode's fault, but more connected to my personal dislike of certain tropes/themes in media as a whole being used in the episode.

I'm tired of the "pick between two boys" trope that is inescapably the question of the episode, for example. The "choose right now" without any time for nuance.

I remember some of the arguments for the quiet life leaning into the "grow up and lose the fantasy" which is again, another trope I personally find irksome. And the implicit push towards that being the "correct" thing for Amy to want (with the Doctor wants her to marry Rory, having her eventually marry Rory, etc.).

And then there's the episode theoretically being about determining which was real (neither were), but being presented in a way to cause conflict in the group.

Which, I'm not against there being conflict (Rory and the Doctor are often in conflict in s5). Or Amy doing whatever she wants. But by the end of the episode it felt like she didn't actually have much of a choice in the matter, and the writer wasn't really committed to any conclusion, including the "the question was pointless" conclusion that they... sort of go with? In that both sides were an illusion, and the Doctor ultimately blows the whole simulation up.

...which brings me to another point, which was that, in the end, Amy's Choice was pointless, because the Doctor is just going to step in and fix it all anyways. Whatever she decided was real, or whatever she decided she wanted, didn't matter because the doctor knew best.

(And I love the Doctor being morally weird when the writer knows what they're doing. I just don't think they did in this specific instance, and I'm given to believe this is going to happen later in 11's run as well.)

The Doctor being willing to hop in the van no questions asked was wild though, you're right. Also can't believe they got the "What do you do to stave off the--" "boredom?" "--self harm?" joke through the censors. I love a lot of the scenes individually, I just think the episode is lesser than the sum of its parts.

[lady-of-the-spirit]

☔ (for wip ask game)

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

I have Several fics I'm not sure I'll ever write on rotation in my mind. But there's this Doctor Who fic idea I've had for ages now. And the premise is essentially that NONE of the Doctor's modern companions are human. or at least not like, human in the way the Doctor thinks they are. And the Doctor never realizes it until the companion actually tells them or they find out through other circumstances. (rest under the cut because I got very ranty.)

For instance, Rose is (obviously) a werewolf. She gets the werewolf gene from her dad, who was also a werewolf. She's had it drilled into her head by Jackie (understandably protective of her daughter) that she can't tell people, so she doesn't tell the Doctor. Rose starts to figure out how the werewolf and full moon thing works when she's in space and once she's got it all worked out, she figures out how to keep track of the days and keep herself hidden in the TARDIS or at home until it's over. The Bad Wolf symbols have even more meaning to her. Until, of course, the Tooth and Claw episode, where things go a little better because the werewolf alien has a real life werewolf to play with/fight.

Martha is an actual star - a star that fell to earth and gained human form, like in Stardust. She finds herself with a family on earth and since she has no idea how to get back to the sky, she's content - sort of - with making a life on earth. But there's still that yearning for home, for her sisters in the sky. When the Doctor - and she's heard his name, heard his song in the universe since time began - offers to take her through time and space, she agrees, figuring this will be the closest she can get to returning home. everything goes as normal, the Doctor doesn't know, until episode 42 - when she can hear the screams of her sister star, can speak to the host inside the human bodies without burning, and figures out what's happening much sooner than the Doctor does.

Donna was a normal human - in Ancient Britain, before the Romans invaded. At some point, she was in an accident - she got killed. And then came back to life, no longer able to age or die. Since then, well, her life's been a long, long series of events. A few generations ago, she had a son, who gave her a grandson she adores, who had a daughter, and no matter how critical her great-granddaughter is, she loves Sylvia as much as she loves Wilf, and she's willing to put on a charade of the annoying daughter to stick around them for a while longer. Of course she's heard of the Doctor, although she's never met him her other immortal friends have, but becoming besties with him and traveling to the stars was not expected. But traveling to the stars - she's felt like she's seen it all, but there's suddenly more to see? Sign her up! The Doctor thinks she's just weirdly passionate about obscure historical details and a little spacey on modern things, and things don't get revealed until the metacrisis - when instead of her brain exploding, it heals on its own, though it does take a little more time than normal because it's such a weird situation for her human body. The Doctor is freaking the fuck out the whole time.

Companions past 10's are when it gets a little more vague because I know less about it. Someone in the Donna/Doctor discord suggested Amy's a fae - the importance of names and all of that - and I like the idea. Rory is another immortal like Donna, although a little more timey-wimey. He gets killed like in canon, on his adventures with Amy and the Doctor. But he gets thrown into the vortex back to Roman times, and wakes up to find himself immortal. From there he's following mostly canon events, with some tweaks. He definitely meets Donna, and they're immortal besties. I don' t know at all about Clara or Bill, or 13's companions.

So yeah as you can see from the above 4 whole paragraphs of text I've thought about this plenty. I don't know what'll ever happen to it. But it's on my mind.

wip ask game!

[sevilemar]

@ten-of-imps and me are having a big Dr. Who discussion, and because tumblr is tumblr, and it cannot do discussions for shit, all of you have to suffer through this. I made a new post because the other one was getting too big.

I feel like I touched a nerve, not just with you, but with another friend as well, who was also less than happy with Moffat in Dr. Who, and Clara especially. They said Clara did not really feel like a character to them, but like a function that was there for the Doctor, in a very sexist, it's-all-about-the-guy way. I'm still grappling with that, because I know I often miss things like that, and I'm grateful when my friends point them out. I know Moffat has a history of doing shit like that (I was a Sherlock fan before I was a Whovian). And still I like Clara, and Clara and Twelve (Peter Capaldi) together.

If it is not too forward to ask, why are you so hurt over Clara? I'm having difficulties grasping that, because to me, like I said, Clara was great the way she was.

But let's talk about your wonderful rant about Eleven (I think you mean Eleven, since he was the one with Amy and Rory and the one word bullshit, not Twelve. Matt Smith, eleventh doctor, right?). It does feel a bit brattish to me too, especially the one word thing. But what I really had a problem with were his doom-and-gloom storylines, all introspection and navel gazing and all revolving around him, in a very sexist, the-great-tragedy-is-all-about-the-guy, way. Twelve was refreshingly different from that, for me at least. No gloom, for startes^^. I'm glad we got two seasons with him and Clara, and we got Missy in there as well. But that's another story.

I am not rewatching all of Eleven, because he is also no fun for me as well, but I have rewatched the Clara episodes, just to get a feel for their dynamic. I cannot say if he is snake primary, or if he would have burned down the world for Amy, or by accident. All I know is that he returned to helping in the end, couldn't keep away forever. And from what I vaguely remember from the doom-and-gloom before, he probably had good reasons to take some me-time? Even the Doctor is allowed some of that, occasionally, I think ;)

Best of luck with your rewatch, may you find a bit more of yourself through it! Let me know if I can help with the analysis in any way by discussing something, yeah?

About the quote, I cannot do it, either. And I don't think anyone should outside of fiction. Because if the betrayer does not feel the consequences of their betrayal, what would stop them from doing it again? And the relationship that follows from there is not healthy for anyone in the real world. And yet I wonder. What must it be like to accept someone as completely as Twelve did Clara in this moment? Because that is who she is, down to her core. Burn her timeline, burn the world, betray the Doctor for Danny, and she is not sorry, and she would do it again. To accept that, to love that as the one who got betrayed is unspeakable. Fills me with all kinds of feelings I am not ready to examine yet. 

One thing I do know is that the scene is not really about love and goodness for me. Not really. It's about accepting people as they are, and because you know them so well that you can forgive them anything. And that is fine for fiction, and you may even dream about knowing and being known like that from time to time. But if I learned one thing in my life, it's that it does not work outside of fiction and dreams. As much as you know a person, there is an infinity you still do not know about them, and you will never know how they will change.

I rewatched Bill's season too, and I'm beginning to like her a lot. I couldn't the first time around cause I was still reeling from Clara, but I wanted to give her a chance. I do not have an emotional connection to her, but I like her. I don't know why exactly, but I do. But I don't think she is a modern Twelve, no. But maybe you're right about her being one of the reasons for Thirteen? I think Missy was another, tbh.

[hypexion]

It turns out the real The Star Beast was- no wait I already did that joke last time. Onto the opinions and random thoughts:

It's almost like Ten was never three different people since the Doctor was last Ten. This is perhaps not a good thing.

Donna is also back but she's been the same person continuously so that's actually fine.

Donna Noble says trans rights.

Overall this episode was, uh, kind of generic.

It had a lot of production values and the pacing worked, but you know.

Return of Ten plus Donna comedy is fun at least.

But how did Donna not notice the Mass Production Dalek rampage?

Meep Meep

Sylvia Noble has at some point in the last fifteen years undergone character development to be less mean.

Has UNIT Become Evil? No.

Beep the Meep has a boss? Sounds like ominious arc nonsense.

Beep any number of target Meeps. They can't beep remeeperated.

Dagger Drive seems like an incredible stupid form of propulsion.

But how did Donna not notice when there were trees everywhere?

Nobody respects Tenagain which is a very appropriate reaction.

The Doctor having friends isn't new this is Amy and Rory erasure.

Hey this character is called Rose, you know like the other character called Rose.

You know what Donna gets a pass on the Monks because memory trickery was involved.

Apparently people already Big Mad about pronouns and transgender people existing. If you are Big Mad about it, I suggest you discuss it with the nearest unaddressed envelope.

Not sure how I feel about Rose's gender identity being connected into the Alien Space Magic. Hmm.

I think it does undermine things to have Donna and Rose survive meta-crisis through the power of gender essentialism. The Doctor's ego was entirely present in Thirteen you know.

Overall it felt good but with not a lot to latch onto. Very much a "look it's the same as it was" deal but I prefer it when it's not the same as it was.

Really they should have given Fourteen David Tennant's actual accent to make him more different I think.

[minimoefoe]

doctor who rewatch thoughts (eleventh doctor)

for each episode there is:

for each episode there's two things I like (✅️) and one thing I dislike (❌️) (sometimes more/less) and general thoughts overall along with a rating out of five stars

there's a quick list of ep ratings and average series ratings at the bottom of the post

🍎 5.01 the eleventh hour

✅️ not to be dramatic but 'why did you say five minutes' gives me literal chills every time I watch it ✅️ the scene on the roof, seeing all the prev doctors, 'im the doctor. basically, run.'

I just love it so much like... how can you not stan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐳 5.02 the beast below

✅️ the whole 'old, last just made it kind' thing is my fave thing ever and I love that amy figures it all out ❌️ I've always liked liz 10 but she made me cringe a bit this time round rip

overall love it a lot, the smiler things are creepy, the resolution is cool, I love star whales

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🪠 5.03 victory of the daleks

✅️ eleven losing it and attacking the dalek lmao ❌️ why is he best buddies with winston churchill

it's just a bit boring like.. I literally sometimes forget this ep exists

⭐️⭐️💫

🪖 5.04 the time of angels

✅️ eleven's attitude towards river, like annoyance but also intrigue idk ✅️ amy rubbing her eye and dust falling is v cool ✅️ eleven's lil speech at the end and the music

love it a lot, cool vibes, I'm a big weeping angels stan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🪨 5.05 flesh and stone

✅️ amy and river's dynamic is cool, I kinda wish I could watch without knowing they're mother and daughter ✅️ the doctor losing it a lil bit and shouting. mixed feelings about it, could be a negative on a different day but rn I think it's good ❌️ I understand that amy has been through a lot and her feelings for the doctor are confusing but how hard she goes tryna kiss him is insane. like attempt once, get rejected, move on. we didn't need all of that

idk which part I ike more, they're both bangers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐟 5.06 the vampires of venice

✅️ rory's first proper adventure, him clocking and calling out the doctor instantly, you love to see it ✅️ the moments where eleven and amy just get really excited about the stuff that's going on ❌️ amy thinking its weird for the doctor to be seen as her brother but not rory. dumb as hell

overall it's a decent ep. not obsessed but also don't hate it. has some good moments

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🥶 5.07 amy's choice

✅️ when rory dies and amy shouts at the doctor and then decides that world is the dream ✅️ the dream lord being the doctor is very cool and idk I like seeing how the doctor really thinks of himself ❌️ far too many jokes about amy being big like.. planet? having rory call her chubs? not my fave

this is a great ep for getting clarity on how strongly amy really feels for rory, it's a shame the show back tracks and continues doing 'ooh who does she really love' moments

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌏 5.08 the hungry earth

✅️ I like all the side characters ✅️ the doctor talking to/shouting at the silurian

overall a decent ep, not much to scream about but I like the vibes idk

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🦎 5.09 cold blood

✅️ them talking about how they could try and make humans and silurians live in peace was interesting ✅️ the doctor silurian guy was cool ✅️ nasreen

a decent ep, don't have much else to say. rip rory

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🌻 5.10 vincent and the doctor

✅️ how much vincent likes amy ✅️ the end scene with vincent at the gallery, obviously

the end doesn't get me quite like it used to, presumably bc I've seen it so many times, but it's a certified banger ep despite the mild sadness it causes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🏠 5.11 the lodger

✅️ no companion (kinda) eleven is fun and I like seeing him trying and sometimes failing to be normal ✅️ I like craig sorry ✅️ the scene where eleven gibes craig all the info about who he is and why he's there ❌️ telling craig he looks like his sofa is a bit gross innit

overall a fun ep that I like a lot

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🛸 5.12 the pandorica opens

✅️ eleven realising rory is back ✅️ amy and rory chatting, amy crying, cut with river telling eleven what she's finding out and the kinda creepy music that plays

I don't think I praise this ep quite like some ppl do but I do like it. I've always just felt like there's a lot going on that my brain for some reason no matter how much I watch it, cannot fully take in so it feels a bit messy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💥 5.13 the big bang

✅️ obsessed with eleven hopping back and forth with the vortex manipulator ✅️ eleven punching rory ❌️ amy tryna kiss eleven at her wedding. literally piss off

there's something about the s5 finale where my brain refuses to retain whats going on. I mildly understand it but I couldn't explain it and anytime it's been explained to me I forget it pretty quickly afterwards. based on vibes and what I do know tho, it bangs

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🦈 a christmas carol

✅️ I love seeing the doctor interact with kids, especially eleven bc he basically is a kid lmao ✅️ silence is all you know is a BANGER ✅️ the idea of the doctor re-writing someone's life and that person watching it happen is pretty cool ❌️ idk if kazran and abigail really needed to get together, it's not the end of the world but does feel a lil weird that she's seen him grow up and then suddenly is like damn

overall a solid ep, always been a mild fave of mine. I like the music, I like the vibe, I like the story (for the most part), shoutout dumbledore

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

👩‍🚀 6.01 the impossible astronaut

✅️ the whole beach and initiations thing ✅️ river talking about how one day the doctor won't know who she is ❌️ americans

I feel like this is never really an ep I think much about but then when I watch it I'm like wait this does slap, ppl are right

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

📺 6.02 day of the moon

✅️ the resolution with the message within the moonlanding is cool ✅ river and the doctor kissing and river being sad when she realises it’s the doctor’s first time kissing her ❌️ the bit where they try and make us think amy might be talking about the doctor and not rory, literally stfu !!

preemptively gave it four stars when I still had like ten mins left, but there was some cool stuff in that last ten mins so

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

⚫️ 6.03 the curse of the black spot

✅️ rory high on siren song is funny ✅️ eleven has a lot of funny moments, specially early on, idk I like his vibes

I was not looking forward to watching this ep but it was fun actually, maybe I stan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🦴 6.04 the doctor's wife

✅️ amy and rory running round the tardis is fun bc seeing more tardis is cool and it's also kinda creepy at points ✅️ the end where idris dies and eleven cries

funny, spooky, emotional. it has the range

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

😠 6.05 the rebel flesh

✅️ rory is so nice, I love him ✅️ the gangers have a couple of spooky moments and I like the cliffhanger ❌️ amy is mildly annoying

good ep

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

👬🏼 6.06 the almost people

✅️ the doctor(s) ✅️ more spooky moments ✅️ the moral stuff idk ❌️ I get feeling weird about the gangers but amy comes off as really nasty with the 'don't call me that please' bs and her general attitude in both eps. glad she changes her opinion in the end but making her be that strongly against them was defo a choice and makes rory look wayy better than her bc he accepts them as ppl almost instantly (which tbf didn't work out amazing for him but yknow)

I find eps with difficult moral questions really interesting but also really frustrating. overall a good ep but felt like it went on a bit

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🪖 6.07 a good man goes to war

✅️ vastra and eleven's mildly awkward chat about melody etc ✅️ the reveal that river is melody will get me every time ❌️ the fat and thin husbands moment was a bit weird

this isn't an ep I really think too much about spare for the river reveal but it is good idk. everyone coming together to save amy and the baby is cool

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🪼 6.08 let's kill hitler

✅️ the reveal that mels is river ✅️ the doctor and his cane, falling all over the place ✅️ river finding out who she is and saving the doctor ❌️ mels is really cringe and annoying sorry.. other than her final moments I am not a fan of her vibe at all

there's defo stuff going on in this ep that I'm not obsessed with but overall I do like it a lot, I think more than most ppl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

😨 6.09 night terrors

✅️ rory being like 'oh my god we're dead aren't we' ✅️ eleven interacting with kids is always cute

actually better than I was expecting (last time I watching this ep I got bored and ended up skipping most of it) and is kinda creepy, but idc that much idk

⭐️⭐️💫

🤚🏻 6.10 the girl who waited

✅️ rory getting mad at the doctor ✅️ amy and amy talking to each other ✅️ rory and old amy talking at the end ❌️ amy pressing the red button.. embarrassing

overall I stan. obviously a great amy ep but also a great ep for rory too

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🦍 6.11 the god complex

✅️ rita, the fact the doctor instantly likes her and their interactions throughout the ep ✅️ the ppl who'd seen their rooms being all weird was cool ✅️ the reason they're there being bc of amy's faith in the doctor and rory being immune

an absolute banger, love it all, no choice but to stan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

👶🏻 6.12 closing time

✅️ eleven interacting with children is so cute, I love him and alfie ✅️ the love confession distraction

there's actually so many small funny moments in this ep and i love craig and eleven as a duo, it's great idc

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💍 6.13 the wedding of river song

✅️ amy killing madam kovarian ✅️ the wedding and river talking about how ofc ppl would be willing to help the doctor

an ep i've always had a love-hate relationship with bc there's aspects I enjoy but generally I thought it was just a bit odd. there's still a mild vibe there that i don't looove but I liked (and probably understood) it a lot more than I usually do

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌲 the doctor, the widow and the wardrobe

✅️ eleven and the kids ✅️ the power of being a mother??? kinda cool ❌️ some guy following you home 'every day til you marry him' is a bit weird actually

I was not paying attention for most of it but the stuff I did pay attention to was fine

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🥛 7.01 asylum of the daleks

✅️ owsin ❌️ 'it was a phase' comment

I have mixed feelings about some of the stuff going on in this ep, and there's a couple things I straight up dislike, but overall it's fine idk

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🦕 7.02 dinosaurs on a spaceship

✅️ brian is such a legend ✅️ amy, nefertiti

don't have much to say but it's a fun ep. I like amy and eleven's chat too

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🌵 7.03 a town called mercy

✅️ the doctor losing it and tryna kill that guy and amy being the voice of reason ✅️ the ending

a solid ep

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🕋 7.04 the power of three

✅️ amy and eleven's talk about if her and rory are gonna leave etc ✅️ the doctor's dodgy heart ✅️ brian!!

like this ep a lot for the emotional stuff and I think it's really cool to see eleven hanging around. the cubes are cool but idc about the ppl ngl idek what they were doing I wasnt paying attention. also shoutout kate

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🗽 7.05 the angels take manhattan

✅️ when the doctor reads the chapter title and loses it a bit ✅️ amy and rory's 'deaths'

love this ep a lot!! thought I was kinda desensitised bc I've seen it so many times but turns out it still makes me sad as fuck

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⛄️ the snowmen

✅️ clara and the doctor's general vibe ✅️ clara and vastra ✅️ clara first seeing the tardis then getting dragged out

good ep

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💻 7.06 the bells of saint john

✅️ the scene where elevens outside the house and clara is talking to him out the window ✅️ eleven's weird little dance when he's telling clara she should be doing 'young ppl stuff' ❌️ clara's clearly empty mug that she waves about on the plane and tardis annoys me

I am not that passionate about the villains of this ep, they're fine idk, but I love clara and eleven's vibes a lot

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍁 7.07 the rings of akhaten

✅️ the long song is a certified banger and low-key makes me wanna cry ✅️ the doctor's speech

cool vibes, I like seeing all the aliens, the kid was good, clara and eleven are cute as usual and I liked her kinda calling him out at the end

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🥶 7.08 cold war

✅️ eleven and clara are cute

was not paying attention icl

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏚 7.09 hide

✅️ clara getting freaked out in the tardis about her dead body probs being out there and the convo they have ✅️ 'every lonely monster needs a companion', eleven putting his arm around clara, it's a love story !!

there's a lot of great moments in this ep, I like it a lot

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🔥 7.10 journey to the centre of the tardis

✅️ seeing more inside the tardis is always cool, need more of it tbh ✅️ when the doctor freaks out at clara and she obvs don't know wtf he's on about ❌️ the doctor slapping clara's ass, and the fact she doesn't react at all, is kinda insane

I'm too stupid to understand how that 'big friendly button' actually reset stuff and idrc about the brothers but there's some stuff in there that I like for sure and the vibes are cool

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🟥 7.11 the crimson horror

✅️ eleven and clara had some good moments ✅️ ada ❌️ eleven kissing jenny and being generally creepy

wasn't as painful to get through as I was expecting but still wasn't that great idk like I just don't care

⭐️⭐️💫

🏰 7.12 nightmare in silver

✅️ clara being in charge ✅️ everything with the cyberplanner ❌️ the tight skirt comment

the kids are mildly annoying but overall I think this is a pretty decent ep, a mild banger

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🪦 7.13 the name of the doctor

✅️ the doctor crying when clara mentions trenzalore ✅️ clara going into the timestream and the montage/narration ✅️ river, eleven seeing her ✅️ war doctor reveal

literally a banger idgaf

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🖼 the day of the doctor

✅️ eleven, ten and war all meeting each other ✅️ all thirteen!! ✅️ the curator

there's just so many good moments in this ep like woah I have to stan. funny but also emotional, changes something big without taking away from what came before, love it a lot

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🕛 the time of the doctor

✅️ eleven and clara's vibe ✅️ the timelords giving him extra regens ✅️ the regen speech !!

best regeneration episode by a mile I fear

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

series five episode ratings:

the eleventh hour - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the beast below - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 victory of the daleks - ⭐️⭐️💫 the time of angels - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ flesh and stone - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the vampires of venice- ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 amy's choice - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the hungry earth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 cold blood - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 vincent and the doctor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the lodger - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the pandorica opens - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the big bang - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 a christmas carol - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

series five average rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4.1428571429

series six episode ratings:

the impossible astronaut - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 day of the moon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the curse of the black spot - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the doctor's wife - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the rebel flesh - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the almost people - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 a good man goes to war - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ let's kill hitler - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ night terrors - ⭐️⭐️💫 the girl who waited - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the god complex - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ closing time - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the wedding of river song - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the doctor, the widow and the wardrobe - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

series six average rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4.00000000

series seven episode ratings:

asylum of the daleks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 dinosaurs on a spaceship - ⭐️⭐️⭐️���� a town called mercy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the power of three - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the angels take manhattan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the snowmen - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the bells of saint john - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the rings of akhaten - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 cold war - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ hide - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ journey to the centre of the tardis - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the crimson horror - ⭐️⭐️💫 nightmare in silver - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the name of the doctor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 the day of the doctor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the time of the doctor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

series seven average rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4.00000000

[afishlearningpoetry]

why are people willing to believe moffat is the worst person on earth? is he really that bad or is this just a huge telephone game and after each round the rumour worsens and no one cares about the truth anymore?

It’s difficult to describe unless you were deep into fandom on this website in 2012 and the way people turned on him so quickly. I mean first, he’s a man who’s said and written dumb things, he ran two of the some of most popular British shows on the planet at the same time and still gets to make whatever he wants (see dracula) so he’s doing fine.

But it was kind of a domino effect that started with doctor who. Series 5 was a big success, and the next one went overseas with a huge two part premiere set in america, capitalizing on the overseas effect that had been growing with David tennant’s era, so it naturally garnered a lot of new viewers. The issue comes with the River Song twist halfway through the season and the episode after the summer break, Let’s Kill Hitler, which admittedly is one of his weakest scripts, hampered by a rough production schedule. The previous show runner Davies also suffered a lot from the gruel of doctor who and it affected his scripts a lot too. So from what I remember the hitler episode in 2011 kind of hit on a couple nerves people had been dreading, 1. Making light of a serious historical event 2. The other twist of casting a black actress for a character retconned into Amy and Rory’s life only for her to turn into River less then ten minutes later, using race to obscure audience expectations 3. The script being messy - from the regeneration stuff, the robot replica solution which people felt was a cop out in the finale, and the “let’s find River Song” subplot being wrapped up in one episode which rushes everything, adding to the wound of 4. Amy being passive in a mystery pregnancy storyline, which resulted in 5. The biggest criticism of River being that her entire existence revolves around the doctor, and finally 6. Everything revolving around the doctor for no reason. I don’t entirely agree with these, especially the first and last one, but the second half of series 6 and first half of 7 is inconsistent. So after those two episodes people were writing a lot of posts explaining their issues with his take on the show, which would continue through series 7 (Asylum of the Daleks in particular and the finale also join his weakest scripts - 2012/2013 for doctor who was rough and seemed to be motivated again, by scheduling and production issues, he’s talked about it a lot, don’t forget the 50th anniversary was also happening at the time, which was good). The criticisms have merit, but they were overblown by other factors too.

On Sherlock the River Song issue kind of exploded again after ASIB with Irene aired in early 2012. The appearance of the story being Irene falling for a man after describing herself as gay upset people. We’ve been over this a lot. The atmosphere was very different on tumblr at the time… like it was hardcore 24/7 dedication. Everything that happened on our television screens was life or death. Ships getting together or characters getting fridged had mortal consequences. I think it’s easy to forget now but this place was often of miserable after series 2 lol. There was a lot of positive activity and creativity, but also lots of people complaining about everything. It was kind of a formative year for transformative work in fandom. Nearly every tv show I was watching at the time had a fandom that hated it and it’s writers in return, deeply and constantly. Supernatural, glee, teen wolf, so many things. So we’d write tag essays in our reblogs describing in explicit detail how we felt about story, characters, theme, characters arcs, and how we knew better (and tbh we were usually right), read and reblog people writing meta and callout posts like it was a job, and constantly trying to either break the fourth wall with our demands or catch the writers of the month in the act so we could add another bulletpoint to the list proving we were right. No one was ever calm. It was a battle of attrition. It wasn’t really about changing anything, though we hoped we could. Twitter’s a perfect place for that.

He also had the expectations of the old doctor who fans to keep up with on top of new viewers, even though the Davies era has most of the same problems. Running two super popular shows with mega fandoms magnified the exposure so much it was basically an ant against a magnifying glass in terms of numbers. So eventually he left twitter and kept show running, but a lot of people didn’t see series 8-10 of DW to see how the show changed, nevermind what’s going on with Sherlock lol. The scriptwriting process for the two is also so different there’s no comparing them but the callouts surrounding Sherlock are a different story. It started with doctor who coming to america, which no one should ever do.

[sallysellsseashellssundays]

Disclaimer: This post is going to be Anti Moffat for anyone who’s reading and is a fan you’ve been warned.

“The Impossible Astronaut” episode was an interesting start, there’s a lot to unpack from it really! I think I’m finally liking Amy more, but River had some moments I really didn’t like.

The Good: There were some pretty funny moments here- Canton telling Nixon he was his second choice for president, Eleven taking notes in the Oval Office, Rory being the one to gently lead Canton through the madness that is stepping into the Tardis! I liked Canton’s character and I really liked that Amy kept insisting they tell the Doctor she was trying to be a good friend to him, although I’m not sure if she’s supposed to tell him if that’s what the creepy alien wanted too. She also meant well with trying to save his life so we’ll see where that goes... Amy taking a pic of the alien was so clever, and she showed so much empathy being upset about that woman being killed, she’s definitely much more likeable and more like the type of companion the Doctor would want to travel with! Also I think it’s fascinating that apparently Rory and Amy aren’t full time companions like Rose, Jack, Martha and Donna. I think I like the change actually makes for something different.

The Bad: I’m a little taken aback at how Eleven seems less kind than I think the Doctor should be. I don’t remember everything about S5 and maybe he already was like that, but it seems very noticeable now that I’m watching again.  He was actually quite kind and Doctor-ish in the Xmas special so the change is difficult. He’s very distrustful of even Amy making her swear on something that matters when they don’t want to tell him about his death. The last time I can remember him being unwilling to let a friend into his life was with Martha and even then he seemed to have complete faith in her being there for him. For this to be S6 and for him to still act like that with Amy is a shock to me. It also made me sad that he didn’t ask Amy if she was ok when she first got sick or that he didn’t insist on going into the tunnels with River since it could have been a dangerous situation (isn’t he worried about his friends’ at all??). The weight comment was completely uncalled for too, if that was his weird way of referencing her pregnancy it didn’t sit right with me.

The River: Oh boy. First, when she shot the doctor’s hat off him from a far distance she seemed pretty cool, but then she couldn’t hit the astronaut from like 15 feet away... Moffat please she’s either going to be a great shooter or an awful one please give me good continuity here  😭 😭 😭 Second, when she said that companions do as they’re told it rubbed me the wrong way because they really aren’t there for that imo. She seems like a veteran companion in that she knows a lot and she immediately takes the lead from Amy and Rory plus she knows a lot about piloting the Tardis. And that feels a little weird to me to have a character come in and be so knowledgeable when even the Doctor doesn’t know that much about them, but I suppose we’ll find out as we go along...it just makes me feel like it’s a bit off since usually the person that’s “mysterious” is the Doctor. I’m still trying to get used to Amy/Rory and Eleven as the Doctor so to have a new Doctor-like character is...well I’ll just stop there.

The Worst: River talking about how the Doctor interacted with his past and that being why they can’t change things and then Amy telling her time can be rewritten with River disagreeing...was that literally not just the plot of “A Christmas Carol”???

The Unresolved: So looks like we have a storyline with a mysterious girl in an astronaut suit that Amy just shot trying to keep the Doctor alive in his future. Also, he’s 908 here but 1103 when he dies so we’ll see what he does in that time. Curious to find out just how tied River’s timeline is with the Doctor’s- if he actually dies then what happens with everything they’ve done in her timeline? Lastly, there’s the super creepy alien things that you only remember when you see them and want Amy to tell the Doctor...hmmm...

Overall, I found it interesting for the series intro episode, although there were some negatives I don’t think it ruined the experience for me, I liked it!

[noddytheornithopod]

ask for no reason! Favourite companion for each (modern) Doctor

Let's see...

Nine: Wow, this is a really difficult one... who could there be... Rose. *remembers Jack counts* Eh, still Rose. Jack felt more like a guest companion only being in it for five episodes (only three stories), and of course I haven't listened to Big Finish so I can't judge from that, so Rose wins by default. She had the most complete relationship with the Doctor anyway, and that all worked out. I actually prefer the dynamic she has with Nine than Ten. I'm not anti-companion romance, but I just found Ten and Rose's dynamic being happier and less complicated less interesting, even if Doomsday is a massive gut punch.

Ten: For years I said it was Donna... but that's actually changed since my rewatch. I think Martha slightly edges her out. It kind of comes down to just me having a soft spot for the most underappreciated (seriously when they brought her back in Series 4 she didn't do much of note until the finale and even that's debatable) but I do really like how she basically decided she was tired of the Doctor's shit and also understandably needed a break from everything after all the shit the Master did. I hear she even gets unlucky in Torchwood.

As for why Donna got slightly bumped down... I think it's a couple things. First... revisiting the Meta-Crisis as I'm older? Kinda total bullshit. I envy kid me who was able to just run with it, now I'm just seeing total nonsense. I still love Donna... but I'm not really sure how I feel about the culmination of her self worth being basically "she absorbs the Doctor's brain so now she can be like him". Not to mention there's an absurd amount of ass pulls to make meta-crisis stuff work in the story. For other things... I think it's just that she's kind of been elevated in a way that was unncecessary? I'll explain under 14's section.

Honorary mention for Wilf I guess even if he's more a guest companion? Still loveable as ever even as growing up I now feel he has some major boomer energy lol (look I think he's pre-boomer but you get what I'm saying). Imagine him in the room with Christopher "parasite in chief" Eccleston when he's telling people to show respect for the queen for example, lol. But yeah, joking aside, it's amazing how much heart he's able to bring to being the supportive grandad of Donna.

Ugh if I listed Wilf as a guest companion but wrote about him anyway, then I'll have to also give an honourable mention to Adelaide Brooke. One episode, but she was amazing in it (it's also awesome to see the Doctor play off an older, less wide eyed woman for once), even as she had one of the darkest endings for a central character yet.

Eleven: This is a weird one, because this is what I remember the least, having watched his era the least of everyone's recently (and I didn't even see eps with Amy and Rory). Honestly... I'm not sure how much stock I put in anyone here. If I HAD to pick, I'd actually say Clara, but I think that just comes down to me loving Day of the Doctor and Jenna Coleman being great in the role even if she was just a walking mystery box in Series 7.

So why not Amy and Rory despite being actual characters here? Look, the main stuff I remember about them is basically Rory falling under the "henpecked husband" trope and Amy treating him poorly through that, not to mention you have weird stuff like them needing to get back together like three times (with Asylum of the Daleks being an especially bad example). Just not my thing.

I guess River Song could count since this was the era she'd count as a companion... but her best appearances are the episodes with Doctors that aren't Eleven (and having now seen Husbands of River Song I literally only think the final scenes are genuinely great there). Funny how that works. :v

Twelve: Nardole. Just Nardole.

...okay enough kidding around. I think I'd say Bill here. I don't really know her in and out and I haven't seen most of Series 10 in ages, but not only was it nice to see Moffat finally write a character that doesn't fall into his usual female companion tropes, but her dynamic with the Doctor was genuinely refreshing, and is honestly still pretty unique in the modern era.

I will say that I do think Clara could potentially give her competition though. I think I'd need to revisit Series 8 to be sure (aka where she's arguably the least likeable lol), but I do think her Doctor-companion dynamic is genuinely one of the most fascinating even if not everything worked in that era. Also, I'd need to see how much their relationship is able to step above the usual domestic abuse BS Moffat can't help but insert cuz he loves his dominant women, lol. Huh, Capaldi gets all the cool unique dynamics huh?

Thirteen: ...can I say Dan? For the memes? No? Fine. What's the point of being alive?

This is interesting though, cuz looking back, I do kind of think a lot of the companions blend together. It's not as bad as most say it is for sure, like I feel like they do fit specific roles (Graham and Dan as the older comic relief with a dash of heart, Ryan the more youthful person being opened up to the world, Yaz being the more experienced/accomplished person to match the Doctor when needed), but I do see why people feel like they blend together.

Hmm, if I had to pick... I'd go Yaz. Please ignore that she's a cop though. ACAB. Not sure if it's fair, but I think it might be BECAUSE she got to be with Thirteen the longest (her whole run in fact). Like, I feel like she didn't really get to live up to her full potential, but I do think seeing someone like her with her rough past going all in on the Doctor only to be shut out because Thirteen is afraid of being emotionally vulnerable (which could arguably be influenced by what happened with Clara, and I do think you could argue Yaz has some similarities here, like she even got taught how to fly the TARDIS). Her story is honestly pretty tragic, but I guess like Martha, I have a soft spot for the underappreciated (gosh it's always the companions of colour who are the underappreciated ones huh?). I think the whole semi-unrequited love aspect certainly added to that, and kind of cemented why she had to leave (even if she didn't really have much of a say, it was more just a quiet understanding, at least I think so). Power of the Doctor was also honestly a nice culmination of everything for her, too. Wish it was clear how much she knew about the Timeless Child stuff though.

Fourteen: Gosh, another really difficult one... so hard to choose... oh, Donna. Okay I'm sure some might argue Rose Noble and even Mel could count, but I don't really see them as full companions here.

I guess to continue what I was saying on Donna earlier, I described her as kind of being elevated in a way that was unnecessary. Like, after everything, as great as it was to see her back and get a happy ending... was that really the best or most interesting thing to do for her? I just can't help but feel like RTD was being overly indulgent with her, like how many felt he was with Rose (Tyler). Also... yeah, the metacrisis stuff is still bullshit. "Just let it go." I know emotions were running high in Journey's end, but come on, it makes all the drama there feel kind of hollow now.

I will say I do enjoy the evolved family dynamic though.

Fifteen: Ruby Sunday. I'd say it's super hard and there's so much to pick from, but we've seen so much, and there's so many rich complex layers, it's unlike anything we've ever seen... okay, enough kidding around. We've only seen one episode of them so far, but I am curious to see where they'll go with them.

...but wait, there's more! Time to acknowledge all the other Doctors that were created for the revival!

TimeCrash!Five: Look, he might be a bigeneration, so I'm counting him just in case... oh wait, no companions. Fuck, forget this.

TenToo: Rose! So hard to choose, I know. But isn't it cool that Rose has her own home grown Doctor she can fix again? ...what am I even saying?

Dream Lord: He's from the Doctor's brain, so he counts. Seemed to like fucking with Amy a lot, really exposed the whole love triangle she was in, lol.

Ganger!Eleven: Ganger Amy. Gangers traveling across all of time and space.

War: Clara. Day of the Doctor. Oh wait, I already mentioned that for Eleven. But I guess she kind of ended up working a lot with him specifically.

Curator: The painting. Gallifrey Falls No More. Look, I haven't listened to Big Finish, I don't know what counts. Also something something bigenerated Fourth Doctor (who also might end up being the Watcher if you subscribe to that version of bigeneration theory, like me who's trying to stay sane?).

FakeOne: That's not the First Doctor in Twice Upon a Time, that's a new incarnation who got his brain scrambled from the bigeneration reaching back in time for his first regeneration, making the side effect of him being a bad sexist parody of his original self. So who does this bigeneration have as his best companion? That one soldier dude. The Brigadier's grandpa or dad or whatever. Because they can laugh about women being made of glass. Oh right, Bill was there. Or Bill's avatar from Testimony. She had actual heartfelt moments. Or they would've been if I liked that episode. I'm committing way too hard to this bit.

Fugitive: Lee Clayton, anothe really har- Oh wait, Karvanista was one. Do you think her and Karvanista ever dated? I'm sure someone thinks Karvanista is acting like a bitter ex. Danvanista shippers, team Ruthvanista is gonna give you a run for your money!

OG Timeless Child: That kid who pushed her off the cliff. He's not just the best companion of this very first Doctor, but the best in the whole show. Without him, Tecteun would never have found out the child could regenerate, and therefore we'd have no Time Lords. And no Time Lords means no Doctor Who. This kid is the reason the show exists. Show some gratitude to this kid, guys. Also, who wouldn't push their friend off a cliff to keep playing with a toy?

The other pre-Hartnell Doctors: IDK Tecteun? Are the worth calling a companion? ...why am I still doing this

The Thirteen Doppelgangers from the Vanquishers: um how many people did she interact with, also wait it's all still one consciousness trying to manage three bodies this is a reach sorry forget i said this

The Master!Doctor: It was so great when he shouted at Yaz right? Or when Vinder held a gun to him? Oh yeah what about the Dalek and Cyber-Master perplexed at the Rasputin dance? They were still around after the Master stole the Doctor's body right?

The other bi-generated Doctors that are basically canon now that RTD is in charge: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[inhale-fandoms-exhale-asdfghjkl]

I dont know if it’s because i was rewatching gilmore girls and reading a lot of literati fanfiction (when i say a lot, i mean A LOT) but i’ve really been thinking about the revival and i know i made a post about this a couple months ago but i am still convinced there are deleted scenes with Jess and literati. And i’m still mad about it. Just based on a lot of interviews done about the revival from a lot of the cast hinting that there was more development in Rory’s romantic storyline than what we actually got. Whether it was Jess or Logan, i dont know but they kept saying that one person would be given an ‘edge’ and that Rory would make some sort of 'choice’ with someone that ‘wins her heart’ which we never actually got. Unless they mean her breaking things off with Logan, which is exactly the opposite of an edge in my opinion. 

I also distinctly remember Milo saying he was in ‘more than two, less than four’ episodes and yet he was only in Summer and Fall. I also feel like i remember Milo seeming to be on set more than what would have been required for the 3-4 scenes he did. Also that scene in the Gazette office has never felt like it really flowed right for me so I just have to assume it was originally a much longer scene. Especially considering that after the trailer came out and everyone was freaking out over the “you’re still a contender” line (including young 16 year old me who was so full of hope. That bitch really thought we were gonna get a literati endgame. HA!) Milo was apparently signing autographs with that quote and saying “that’s not all he says to her”. Now ASP has said multiple times that she didn’t want to focus too much on Rory’s love life (even though i feel like that the only plot lines for Rory that were actually interesting considering her career was literally just hot garbage) and it’s obvious she deemed pointless storylines such as the stupid musical to be more important than actual important plotlines so that’s probably where all this actual plot development actually went. Like I get Amy wanted to leave things open and all in case they got another season or whatever but the whole revival just feels very incomplete for me. I know because of budget reasons they had to cut Luke and Lorelai’s proper wedding and I know they cut some scenes because of time issues but I feel like the time thing could have been fixed if they just cut out useless shit like the musical and the stupid life and death brigade stuff. If they had done that, they would have been able to focus on the storylines they had already begun developing and then just dropped. Anyway long story short, the revival was horribly paced and just not written to the same standard of the original series. It focused way more on just bringing up old familiar faces and being look “oooh remember this person, here’s what they’re up to” and there’s nothing wrong with that but not when it takes too much time away from actually developing plots consistently.

Anyway. there is a point to this rant and I will get to it. 

I think i’m gonna write a little one-shot that will kind of be like a deleted scene which would happen somewhere between the scene in Summer and the scene at the end of Fall with the look through the window. And maybe I will even make it a little short series of all the deleted literati scenes from the revival that we deserve but ASP will never give us. 

[theawkwardterrier]

Ship game

Rules: Movie/TV ship questions, no repeats, answer with a gif. (I couldn’t make my own, but I’ve credited below.)

Honored to be tagged for this by the fabulous @nevertothethird and my wonderful meme partner, @lavellenchanted. Let’s talk ships!

1. First Ship ↳ Jack/Sue, Sue Thomas FBEye

This show used to air at random times on my local UPN station and I was - completely inexplicably - wild for it. My best friend and I would call each other frantically if we happened to catch it when it was on. A big part of my interest? This very chaste pair of coworkers who wanted to be something more! (Gif via @suethomasfbeye) 

2. First OTP ↳ Buffy/Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Cannot tell you how completely gone I was for this ship for essentially all of high school. Was it the soulmates aspect? The Yearning™ because they couldn’t be together? Their sweetness and encouragement toward each other, the way they relied on each other despite everything? My enormous thing for David Boreanaz? (It couldn’t have been my total 😍 for the symbolism of the cross burned into Angel’s chest in 1x07 - I was not astute enough to appreciate it until later.) Regardless, I spent much of driver’s ed when I was 16 writing a full on treatise about how they were meant for each other. Still do not drive, but they’re still with me, so I think I took care of the important stuff. (Gif via @buffysummers)

3. Current Fave Ship ↳ Elizabeth/Henry, Madam Secretary

It’s not a huge surprise that I got into this show, considering my love of The West Wing and my past as a college aged Good Wife fan, but I was shocked at how absolutely wonderful this ship was. I’m always here for functional married couples, and they are a prime example of believing in each other, having complementary values, communicating, and sticking together through everything. I’m about it. (Gif via @beautifuldisastr)

4. Your Ship Since the First Minute ↳ Booth/Brennan, Bones

I purposefully picked a gif from the first Bones episode I ever watched (2x04, The Blonde in the Game) because from the second they walked through those woods arguing about the possibility of having a pig for a pet, I was gone for them - and they didn’t even get together for another four seasons. The show shifted tone in later years in a way that I wasn’t totally on board with, but at the core, their bickering and chemistry and rock-solid partnership remained a draw for me. (Gif via @becauseyoulovemebb)

5. Ship You Wish Had Been Endgame ↳ Mary/Marshall, In Plain Sight

Y’all. It makes no sense that these two didn’t end up together. I rewatched somewhat recently and liked Abigail much better this time around, but these two had a best friendship that was extremely obviously a romance, and they passed it over to stick them with random others. (Gif via @browncoatgrl221b)

6. Ship You Wish Was Canon ↳ Sam/Ainsley, The West Wing

The idea of the principled Republican doesn’t exactly carry the same meaning these days, but I’m with Aaron Sorkin: not keeping Emily Proctor on West Wing was a huge mistake. Watching these two characters walk and talk through disagreeing on nearly everything and still managing to be friends of a sort is an unexpected joy of any rewatch. (Gif via @donnajosh)

7. Ship that Most of the Fandom Hates, but You Love ↳ Rory/Logan, Gilmore Girls

I’m not completely alone in shipping them, but Jess is definitely the more popular Rory boyfriend and Logan gets a LOT of hate. And in some ways I get it, but my heart belongs to these two beautiful messes who filled my life with adorable moments of banter and affection as they learned to be in a relationship. (They were also a candidate for “different storyline” - where was my revival non-cheating media power couple, Palladinos? Where was it?????????) (Gif via @rosedatlantis)

8. You Don’t Even Watch the Show, but You Ship It ↳ Jim/Pam, The Office

Mike Schur is my guy, but The Office has always been too awkward for me to handle. Still, if I ever force myself to watch, getting to see these two will have been a big factor in the decision. They look adorable, and history has shown that I’m wild for a sweet Schur relationship! (Gif via @bymine)

9. Ship That You Wish Had a Different Storyline ↳ Dawson/Casey, Chicago Fire

Part of the reason their relationship turned out the way it did was because of behind the scenes real world stuff, but I would have absolutely loved for Dawson to stick around and for them to figure out their issues (and maybe even eventually build a family). Also for them to have gone through just a touch less Drama™! My brother was recently binging the show and as I watched over his shoulder I found that I didn’t remember about 400 fairly large obstacles and random soap opera plots they added in for them. (Gif via @jayhalsstead)

10. Fave Ship That’s Endgame ↳ Steve/Peggy, MCU

It’s gotta be them, ya know? It was in the prompt. I’ve been extremely #blessed to have a lot of endgame or at least canon ships (Ben/Leslie from Parks and Rec? Matt/Julie from Friday Night Lights? Parker/Hardison on Leverage? Logan/Veronica on Veronica Mars since they got married and lived happily ever after and nothing else? Jake/Amy from Brooklyn 99? DON/SLOAN ON THE NEWSROOM??????), but the surprise and delight of these two finding their way back to each other? Unparalleled. A joy. 10000/10. (Gif via @onscreenkisses)

I’ll tag @mediocre-mee, @sisforsammi, @nightlocktime, @thesokovianaccords, and anyone else who wants to do it!

[ssaalexblake]

I finished 11! I was never super into him during his run, i didn’t dislike him but i didn’t care much either, but during rewatch i actually came to like him a lot? I think hindsight is helpful here, because i could see the building blocks being laid that take the doctor further away from ten’s more toxic traits and actions, because for being Wildly irresponsible, 11 was actually making a concerted effort to Try to be better even if he rarely in practice succeeds. 

He tries to do right by Amy and Rory, and like i said, he may not always succeed and he may say stupid things but he honestly tried to make it so they’d have a healthy relationship with him. A town called mercy showed us shades of the doctor’s realisation that their actions have consequences, he even calls himself out for how ten acted around the master, which will bring us into s8 with Missy and 12. 

His relationship with Clara is also less *side eye* if only because now i Know full well where they go and it wasn’t happy go lucky masquerading as reasonable as much as it was the prelude to some meaty and self aware character plots to come with clara and 12. 

I can’t necessarily pick out things i’d say ‘wow i love that’ about it, but a vast majority of it was very watchable and i’m not actually looking for peak brilliance in dw, so i call this a win actually. Some episodes i Do really love, even if i actually don’t love the vincent one as much as everybody else? I find tthe fact that they kill the creature that’s just scared and disabled pretty... not great. But??? The Doctor’s Wife is my favourite, still. The vampires of venice was a totally forgotten jem, i Loved the ‘you should be in a museum... or mausoleum’ scrap of dialogue, McCrory killed that performance. 

Also liked Amy and Rory more as people this time, i actually think they’re easier to relate to now i’ve almost lived their age through? Didn’t really Get them back when i was in my early 20′s, couldn’t really place amy’s early 20′’s immaturity and the tension between her and rory because of it. Now it’s vastly clear that as we meet amy for the first time as an adult, their problem was that Rory had been made mature more quickly Probably due to his career choices and the gulf was wide until amy caught him up, which moved her from 11 to rory and so on. 

Though, I do believe the low point was either A) how he treats river, B) the use of the whole mystical pregnancy trope or C) that time 11 did a genocide but used humans as the weapons in it and forced murder upon like... everyone on earth. I’m still not sure if the narrative even realised either of those things were bad. I know 12′s resolution with River has him realise the damage he did to her, but it’s a bit Vague to the point that i know the doctor is Aware their behaviour was bad but depending on what the writers at the time may have thought was bad or not in their writing,still may not really be calling out everything that was a problem? 

11′s last few eps were deeply questionable from a writing standpoint, tbh, his very last episode was Much better than the three previous but they kind of spoilt it for me with the whole unnecessary and uncomfortably sexual nakedness thing that had like... No baring on the plot and just made what would have been normal, sweet scenes just creepy. They were so close on this one. 

The name of the doctor was a fine episode if i ignore any and all feminist ideals i possess and conveniently ignore that the plot of the episode isn’t Actually resolved at all and honestly, the 50th anniversary was kind of fun as well, except they used the zygon plot as a vehicle for the emotional story surrounding the doctors and their choice to destroy gallifrey and then... Totally abandon That plot as well when they don’t want it anymore. 

and that’s a shame, genuinely, because they really pulled him down at the uh... eleventh hour. Bad plot resolutions are better than No plot resolutions and they weren’t even giving us Anything. 

But all in all, i found very few episodes hard to get through and while it was a nightmare in terms of casual offensiveness increasingly as time went on, the episode morals themselves were rarely questionable if at times badly executed to the point it mangled the moral. The River Amy thing is a whole can of worms on its own, which would involve a detailed take down of the mystical pregnancy trope and it’s late so no, but it’s awful and should never exist and it did here. 

idk, i didn’t hate it, and i kind of did by the end of 11′s run back in the day, but my criticisms are more founded in actual critical thinking now and are ironically probably more scathing for the emotional detachment. I’m left with that frustrated feeling of ‘the bones are good but if it could just be Tweaked i’d properly like it’ mostly, i think. idk.

i rambled but that’s fine who needs sleep anyway 

[nellie-elizabeth]

Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Years Special)

I honestly really loved that! Like, a lot!

Cons:

It wasn't perfect, however. Of course. A few little nitpicky things, and one or two bigger complaints:

So, the bad guy was a little too one-note evil capitalist/politician. Some of his lines made me roll my eyes, like "this is a PR nightmare" being his reaction when he learned that the Daleks were eating liquified humans. The irony of him suddenly being hailed as a hero worked okay, but he was maybe just a touch too cartoonish for my personal preference, in an episode that mostly managed to feel really grounded.

Sometimes the Dalek stories will touch on this "race purity" thing, and the Doctor will talk about how they are beings of hate, and it really feels like we're doing a Nazi allegory, but they don't quite... go somewhere with it? Like, we've got the Prime Minster character talking about protecting borders and increasing security, and then the Daleks who are trying to stamp out "impurities," right? And there's something there, it's not exactly the most subtle of story craft, I guess I just wish it felt more intentional. The Daleks have metaphorical resonance here, and I'm not sure it was totally utilized.

My biggest complaint is one that could have been fixed with an added line or two of dialogue. See, the Doctor drops her "fam" off, then immediately gets imprisoned and remains trapped for literal years, from her perspective. Jack shows up and saves her, and when they return back to Earth, ten months have passed for Graham, Ryan, and Yaz. And the fam, especially Yaz and Ryan, are pissed. They're livid with her for abandoning them, and it really made them think about their place in life, if they want to stay with the Doctor or not. That's all well and good, but there's not really a confrontation of the fact that the Doctor didn't abandon them because she was off on a lark... she was imprisoned. Alone, cut off, for years. I was really flummoxed by the lack of sympathy extended by the others. I know it's her "fault" or maybe the TARDIS' "fault" that she got back ten months later, but what about the years that she spent without them? In my opinion, there was a lack of balance in dealing with that aspect of things.

Pros:

So... if Yaz is not supposed to be in love with the Doctor, someone forgot to tell the actors. And writers. Because WOW. I'm kind of obsessed with the way Yaz was written here. When the Doctor is gone, both Graham and Ryan try and get on with their lives. But Yaz remains firmly focused on finding the Doctor. Of all three companions, Yaz is the one who gets a special moment with Jack, where they basically commiserate over what it's like to be in love with the Doctor and know you won't get to stay with her forever. And then Yaz decides to stay, while the other two leave the TARDIS. There is just so much material here, so much love and desperation from Yaz. There were ways to make this a lot more no-homo, and they didn't take it. For example, during the Jack and Yaz conversation, Jack starts off talking about all the amazing things he got to see with the Doctor, and how losing that was so hard. But Yaz doesn't frame it around her experiences in general, she frames it around the Doctor as a person - wishing she'd never met her so she wouldn't have to suffer knowing what she'd be losing. It's GAY, I tell you. GAY!

Just look at Yaz's arc in this episode. She's missing the Doctor, she's conflicted about staying with her because of the heartbreak awaiting her at the end, but she chooses, ultimately, to stay by her side. Honestly, Yaz is the first companion since... well... Rose, maybe, whose character arc is best served by staying with the Doctor forever. Because she loves her. Romantically. Other companions, notably Martha, Amy, Rory, and Bill, all had other shit going on, other things they had to learn through their adventures. A life to grow into. Yaz? Yaz's place is by the Doctor's side, and I for one am thrilled to see where they're going with this. Come on, BBC. Don't be cowards. Make it gay.

Having Jack back in this special was such a treat. He's an undeniably fun and hilarious character, but Barrowman grounds the performance and gives Jack some real weight. I kind of love the way Jack and this version of the Doctor interact, with this depth of history but also a certain frostiness. We must remember that the Doctor knows what happens to Jack, exactly how long he'll live and how his end will come, and this version of the Doctor, more than any of the other modern versions, has a bit of a wall up when it comes to revealing her inner self to the people around her. But they still love each other, and you can see that love shining through the performance. At first, I was kind of miffed that Jack basically made his exit offscreen, just a voiceover saying he was staying on Earth, a very casual goodbye... but then actually I ended up loving that choice. It's like the Doctor and Jack are two people who were once very close, and will always have that bond, but now they're kind of like time traveling coworkers, just flitting in and out of each others' orbits. The way Jack leaves, there's no reason why he might not come back another time. It's refreshing and fun.

And Jack gave himself a bit of a mentor role in this episode, coaching the others (especially Yaz) on what it is to be the Doctor's companions, on what it might mean. I loved the moment when the Doctor came up with a plan to defeat the Daleks, and while the others were all confused, Jack got exactly what she was doing and tried to talk her out of it right away. Then, when the ship needed to be destroyed, the Doctor assigned the task to Jack, knowing that he'd be happy to blow it up. That shared history really shined through for me!

And now let's talk about Ryan and Graham leaving the TARDIS to stay on earth. Earlier, I was talking about companions and how for the most part, the characters have a growth arc over their time with the Doctor. For Ryan and Graham, it was about healing their relationship, as they grieved for their shared loss. And they did that. They have purpose now, as we see them continuing their life and fighting to protect Earth in the Doctor's absence. I love the idea of having more companions around for the Doctor to interact with. This has never been an ensemble show (not since it rebooted anyway), and the gimmick works best by having the Doctor and one or a small number of companions along for the ride in the TARDIS. But imagine Ryan or Graham giving the Doctor a call someday, whether it be in this regeneration or the next, because they need help with a problem back on Earth. Or maybe the Doctor calls them up the next time she's in the neighborhood! It warms my heart to think about it!

I haven't talked much about the Daleks or, you know, the actual plot of this special, and that's because frankly I'm not sure that was where its strengths lie. And that's okay! I will say I liked that the focus remained on the characters and their relationships, but we also had some commentary about the growing prevalence of the police state in first-world western countries. And capitalism is always an easy motivator for a villain, and that was executed more or less well, barring the complaints I made above. It was a serviceable story that created a proper threat, while really only being there to serve as a backdrop for the human drama.

So that's it! I've seen some mixed responses to this one floating around, but I for one quite enjoyed myself, and I'm excited to meet this new companion coming in. As long as they don't try and make him a love interest for Yaz or the Doctor. These ladies are spoken for.

8/10

[tvandenneagram]

Hi, do you plan on doing doctor who? I think the doctor is a 7 (in all regenerations, just different instinctual stackings/wings each time), but other than that I'm not completely convinced yet. Well, Mickey Smith I feel like is very much a 6. But for instance I can't decide if I think Jackie is a 2 or 8, or if Rose is a 7 or 2 or 6. Donna I feel is probably a 6. River should be an 8 but she feels like a 5 to me. Idk if it's the actor or what. Anyway, I would love your opinion!

Hi Anon, Sorry for not answering your question sooner. We did get it, but because I haven’t seen Doctor Who in years and I watched it kind of sporadically. I wanted to kind of have a bit of a think before answering your question and see if I got the chance to watching some episodes to jog my memory. Would love to hear your thoughts if you disagree with any of this 😊

I like your theory that the Doctor is a 7 in all regenerations and I think you are right. The only Doctor that I’ve seen who doesn’t come across like a 7 to me is Nine, but I think he is probably just disintegrated to 1.

Here are some quick types of some of the companions:

Rose Tyler – Type 7w8

Rose is hard to type because (like you said in your ask) she has a lot of characteristics of other types. She is adventurous and spontaneous like a 7, practical and observant like a 6 and friendly and optimistic like a 2. Overall I lean towards 7 for Rose, because I think that she has a tendency to be reckless and while she cares deeply for her family she is more interested in the adventure that being the Doctor’s companion gives her.  I’m not 100% sure on her wing, but I gave her a wing 8 because she is very brave and will face her problems head on.

Mickey Smith – Type 6w7

Mickey is a typical type 6 – he is loyal, protective of his friends and fearful. Throughout the show he developed into being braver and more willing to face his fears. Mickey took a strong stance against the Doctor and held his past actions against him. He had trouble moving on and forgiving him for what happened while Rose was travelling with the Doctor, but eventually he warmed up to him.

Martha Jones – Type 1w2

I think (from memory) that Martha is a type 1. She is very principled, accepting and intelligent. Martha would show bravery when she needed to and always fought for what she believed in. While she had a strained relationship with the Doctor after he did not reciprocate her feelings, she remained loyal to him. Martha travelled with the Doctor because she believed that by working with him she could do great things for the world. Likewise she worked for the UNIT because she believed she could change it for the better if she was on the inside. Martha has a wing 2 as she is very helpful and is less repressed than a wing 9 would be.

Donna Noble – Type 6w7

Donna is fast-talking, manic and sarcastic. She has a sharp tongue and speaks without thinking.  Donna is quite reactive and has a bit of a short temper, being prone to lashing out at people. For example, she slaps the Doctor when she first meets him because she is convinced he kidnapped her. While Donna seems like she doesn’t always think things through, she is actually quite logical and intelligent. Often she would notice things that the Doctor would miss and was a very quick learner. Donna is deeply compassionate and would often act as the Doctor’s conscience.

 River Song – Type 8w7

I do think River presents a lot of 5 traits as well (like you said). She was an archaeologist and is extremely intelligent. She also comes across as kind of detached and I do think she wants to be useful like a 5. Overall, I think she is probably more of an 8, as she is very strong-willed, independent, protective and assertive. She is unafraid of danger and will put herself there to protect the people she cares about. River would often hide her true emotions and was scared of being vulnerable/showing her weaknesses which is quite typical of 8s. I gave River a wing 7 as she is very energetic and adventurous. She also tended to be quite playful and teasing.

Amy Pond – Type 6w5 (cp)

Amy had a difficult childhood and had to quickly grow up to take care of herself. She is very stubborn and held onto her belief that the Doctor existed even though everyone told her it was crazy. Amy felt like she was abandoned by the Doctor and didn’t want to be abandoned again. As a result, Amy was quite closed off with her emotions and would keep people from being close to her. Amy is very cynical and doesn’t trust people. As a counterphobic 6, she often faces her fears head on rather than running from them and can come across as a bit aggressive. Deep down, Amy just wants to find somewhere she belongs and have people there to support her. I gave Amy a wing 5, because she is very independent and guarded. That being said, I think she has quite balanced wings. 

Rory Williams – Type 9w1

Rory is very loyal, kind and stable. He is extremely compassionate and would often care for others. Rory has a stubborn side and can be rigid in his opinions. While he could come across as cowardly, he became quite flippant about danger. This is because he became complacent as he had been brought back to life so many times. This kind of complacency is something quite common in 9s. Rory was really devoted to Amy for his whole life, but couldn’t be open with his feelings for her. Amy was oblivious to his feelings and when she told him that she thought he was gay he ran off in embarrassment. 9s can tend to run off from their problems and from conflict, which is what we are seeing there. I gave Rory a wing 1 because he is more reserved than a wing 8 would be. He is less likely to express his anger and mostly does so when Amy is in danger.

Jack Harkness – Type 7w6

Jack was very jovial and adventurous. Despite being immortal, he still showed a great zeal for life and had a great sense of humour. At times, Jack showed a bit of an existential view to his life and was viewed it as the natural end point. He expressed fears over dying and was always uncertain if his next death would be his last. Jack is very friendly, open and had many stories about his experiences. Underneath his playful persona, Jack harbours guilt over his losing his brother and wants to be more responsible. Jack will often move on quickly from things and doesn’t harbour resentments which is something typical of 7s. I gave Jack a wing 6 as he can tend to overthink things and avoid his problems.

I didn’t do a typing for Jackie because I do not remember much about her. I also haven’t really seen any of the Clara episodes so I left her out too.