#Miss Moffat

[pers-books]

Nicola Walker Behind the Scenes of The Corn is Green. Photographer: Cameron Slater.

[expelliarmus]

[doverstar]

was today years old when discovering that the eleventh doctor wears leather trousers. his trousers are made of black leather. Black leather with the ends rolled up and I. have no idea what to think-

[crookedfivefingers]

3.13 | ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅꜱ

link to the post I accidentally wound up prattling endlessly about in the tags 💀

[ironyscleverer]

Doctor Who as a Post-Colonial Metaphor

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how beautifully Doctor Who reflects the state of post-colonial British identity, and tumblr seems like the appropriate place to share my ramblings. So let’s see if I can explain in a way that makes sense.

I must start by putting on my obnoxious little film degree hat and reminding everyone that sci-fi is one of those genres that is highly political (as most things are, but scifi even moreso). It turns out it's pretty easy to get a sense of people's fears and anxieties by asking them to envision the future, and that's what sci-fi media does; it uses contemporary cultural standards and ideas to create a vision of what futuristic/advanced science and technology might look like, and how people might respond to it. In doing so, it ends up taking the social and political temperature of the time and place in which it's created.

As such, it's very, very common for scholars to analyze sci-fi media through this lens; even Frankenstein, arguably the first science fiction novel ever written, is often interpreted as reflecting cultural fears regarding swiftly advancing science and technology during the early stages of the industrial revolution. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) is another great, very blatant example of how sci-fi and politics can interact. In this movie, a Jesus-like alien ascends to Earth during the Cold War to warn the human race about their imminent nuclear annihilation. It seems corny to us now, but it's actually a great movie and I would highly reccomend it. It's rumored that the US Department of Defense read the script and Did Not Like It because the themes were too anti-war.

In other words, despite often being viewed as too “pop,” too goofy, and too unserious to have any deep meaning, pretty much any scifi story can be analyzed within an inch of its life using a meta social/political lens. It's not the only way to interpret sci-fi, but it's by far the most common. One must simply ask, “what does this vision of science, technology, and/or the future say about us as we are now?”

But anyway. Doctor Who. Disclaimer: I haven't watched the classic series so I'll focus on 2005 onward (still post-colonial so it still holds up, lol). If you've seen Classic and you'd like to chip in, please do.

Genre-wise, Doctor Who is more-or-less a space-western, a subgenre of sci-fi that incorporates Western elements—exploring new frontiers, engaging with unfamiliar civilizations, rogue figures, etc. Star Trek is the peak example of this, but there are many, many others.

Of course, the Western genre is dripping with colonialism due to its historical setting of the American West, and the racist depictions of Indigenous peoples. Space-westerns, consequently, also tend to address colonial topics. Sometimes space westerns are just as racist as normal westerns, but sometimes they use the genre reflexively, to question colonial ideals. A more progressive space-western might be more willing to “humanize” the alien cultures they meet, asking questions like, "how does one ethically engage with foreign societies?" or "When is it appropriate to intervene in a conflict?" etc.

Althought these kinds of questions come up regularly in Doctor Who, especially regarding its anti-war messaging (Time War etc.). These themes become doubly interesting when you use them to inform your interpretation of The Doctor, both as a character and as a symbol.

Consider this: The Doctor is the embodiment of an ancient and immensely powerful being with a bloody history. Their kill-count is quite literally somewhere in the quadrillions. Although they are a self-proclaimed pacifist, they are still constantly a perpetrator of death and destruction throughout the series. The Doctor, despite repeatedly and loudly choosing peace, can never seem to keep their hands clean of chaos and suffering. Doctor Who is about an entity that destroys everything they touch, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. As an allegory for grappling with the legacy of British imperialism, I'd say it's pretty on the nose.

In this sense, not only is Doctor Who a show about colonialism, it is also a show about identity in the wake of colonialism. It's even in the name: "Doctor Who?" Who is the Doctor? What is their responsibility to the universe? What does it mean to be ancient and powerful and drenched in the blood of millions? How do they move on, become better, without falling into the same traps? What does it mean to be British?

These questions come up over and over throughout the new series, from the destruction of Gallifrey, to the Timelord Victorious, to A Good Man Goes to War, the Flux (arguably), and many, many other smaller plotlines I could mention. Even in the latest series with Ncuti Gatwa, the focus on adoption and family is in a similar vein—where does the Doctor come from? What does it even mean to be “from” a place? How much do your origins truly contribute to who you are and who you become?

How the companions fall within this framework is also interesting; if the Doctor is a stand-in for the nation as an entity, then the Doctor's companion, the everyday British person, is the stand-in for the populace. The companions are ever-changing, ever-evolving, constantly renegotiating their relationship with the Doctor. The companion's ultimate challenge is to find how they fit into the narrative of the Doctor's life, and try their best to come out the other end with a happy ending (ha).

Of course, Doctor Who is owned by the BBC, meaning it is quite literally nationally subsudized TV. As a result, althought the show is actually VERY critical in some places, the Doctor is usually ultimately sympathetic; their good intentions tend to forgive a lot of the problems they've caused. The companion is usually charmed by the Doctors' seemingly endless tragedy of a life. This is a country's state-owned media company working with it's own self-image--it's inherently a work of self-reflection, and perhaps of self-obsession, too.

It would be easy to be cynical about Doctor Who as a product of the BBC, which is state-funded (but notably not owned or directly controlled by the government!). However, I tend to think that just writing it off as propaganda because of this is doing the show a disservice. Yes, there is an inherent privilege and self-centeredness to endlessly forgiving the Doctor, but that's also kind of the whole point; it's a show about coming to terms with one's horrible past. It's a show about learning to formulate a new sense of self. To demand that Doctor Who to be less self-obsessed, to not be about British identity when it is in fact a British show for Brits about Brits, is just a bit unrealistic.

Instead, I choose to believe that Doctor Who can and does use its privilege for good more often than not. The creators tend to be very progressive (as sci-fi so often is) and they can get away with a lot of very progressive messages in the guise of a silly sci-fi show for families. Most recently, I would point to s14e3: Boom, s14e5: Dot and Bubble as examples of thinly veiled rants about the evils of capitalism, war, racism, social media, etc. To ignore or dismiss Doctor Who because it has some form of institutional backing would be doing the actual stories and writers a disservice.

Finally, let me leave you with one last point; One consistancy throughout the new series that I find very charming is the positive effect the companions always have on the Doctor. Companions come and go, which is sad, but they're each special in their own little way, and they each change the Doctor, wearing them down a little at a time. The Doctor is consistently at their worst when they are alone, removed from the people that make them want to be better.

Very often the companion's parting message for the Doctor is "don't be alone.” This can be extrapolated to mean: don't forget we exist. Don't forget to be kind. Even if you can't help your legacy, even if you can't wash the blood off your hands, you can always keep striving to be better. Keep someone around to remind you to be better. And the Doctor, more often than not, does. Because ultimately it is the companions, us the people, that make the Doctor who they are.

It’s this special brand of relentless optimism, this indomitable belief in the goodness of people and the power of that goodness that always brings me back to Doctor Who, one way or another, despite all its flaws.

Edit 11/29: corrected some info about the BBC per the comments!

[thereideffects]

no new fics in the Elejah ao3 tag for 2 weeks. we used to be a real country

[thespianwordnerd]

I think my favourite thing about 12 being so quickly established as Scottish in his first episode is that you later find out he knows perfectly well he's not actually Scottish in the typical ways, because, of course, he's still a Gallifreyan with a bad temper ("I'm not Scottish, I'm just cross"). But his era has a running theme of identity being something you choose and describe for yourself - especially names and genders (that quote about timelords being "billions of years beyond your petty human obsession with gender and its associated stereotypes" has aged like the finest of wines). So we can safely assume that 12 discovered he'd regenerated into a body with a Scottish accent, grey hair and attack eyebrows and just decided, so help him, he was going to commit to that fucking bit. At least for a while. And that is the most stubbornly Scottish thing of all.

[poemsandpromises]

Nicola and the cast of The Corn is Green on a research trip (+ cast script reading).

[saltlickmp3]

Bleep blorp bleep blorp (have you watched the doctor who Christmas special I’m going insane )

YES YES I HAVE what did you think??? i thought it was a pretty solid episode a few classic Steven Moffat Moments & i really liked anita :) yay

[aq2003]

i saw a post saying boom was good bc it feels like it could be done with any doctor/companion duo and honestly that was one of the things i felt was wrong with it

[lokittystuckinatree]

What the heck is it that makes River Song and the Master (especially Missy) remind me of each other?

Is it the flamboyant campiness? The mask of narcissism and chaos disguising an inferiority complex and control issues? The association with music? The manipulative flirtation? The “dramatic reveals”? The way they are the Doctor’s moral exceptions? The narrative role they hold opposite the Doctor? The way they parallel each other? The way they carry themselves? Personality? Vibes?

What the shit is it???

[heydrangeas]

[major spoilers for bbc’s sherlock if for some reason you are waiting for an unspecified future date to watch it]

okay bear with me here. so supposedly sherlock has not one but TWO siblings whom he’s forgotten due to childhood trauma. but mycroft remembers them and obviously their parents remember them. one of your children killing the other and then dying themselves would be something you’d mourn forever, presumably.

am I to believe that for sherlock’s ENTIRE life, his parents have not once referenced his other brother and sister? never had pictures of them in the house when sherlock was a teenager or visited their graves? never brought up their names, ever?? I can see them trying to forget their clinically psychopathic daughter, but their innocent son, too?

the only realistic explanation I can think of is that they all intentionally conspired to keep sherlock in the dark to protect him. or maybe are just totally okay with repressing things as a family. but I think what’s more plausible is that the writers just sort of had to make things work and ignored the things that didn’t fit in the immediate narrative.

[oceanwithinsblog]

i've taken a couple days to try and elaborate my thoughts on the season finale ... still, my reaction hasn't changed.

i firmly believe the acting for this season was REALLY great (especially ncuti and millie's), but the rest of it keeps feeling rushed and not cured in enough detail. plus, as good it was to have a nemesis back from 1975, it feels silly (at the least) to me that suketh has been hiding in the tardis and travelling with the doctor for SO LONG ... they've assisted to so many events and could have taken action wayyyy before to annihilate earth & co. why would they wait for the doctor to meet ruby and find out who her biological mother is? idk the explanation we've been handed in the last episode doesn't fully satisfy me. besides, i would have loved to know more about ms floods but oh well i guess i'll have to wait :) the whole last ep was like an anticlimax, to me.. i wished it had taken another direction, plot wise.

i don't know about you guys, this season felt very fresh and exciting in respect to the returning and brand new cast. at the same time, it was poorly written for some episodes and i personally don't agree with many "artistic choices".

i had VERY HIGH expectations (and i still hold them for the next season) but some of them weren't met. what about you?

[pinkfreakk]

Mhhhh can I be honest? I didn't hate it but I'm kinda disappointed... it left me more confused than before and it really shouldn't have. The start was fine, a bit of suspense although it was clear those deaths weren't permanent. Mrs. Flood, as always, was one of the most interesting particulars, as she keeps breaking the fourth wall and saying things that just make you ask why. Like what do they mean. I have high expectations for her and I genuinely like her for now.

There were some things I liked: the tardis, the way the other worlds were mentioned, the 73 yards thing. I enjoyed the memories of the past, how the time window tried to reply to ruby alone. I also liked the general emotion there was, and was sad to see ruby go so early.

Now... here come the problems: sutekh. What do you mean a literal God of death has been reduced to an obedient puppy? Like.. ruby got close and he just.. let her? He was fr dragged around like a dog and hasn't done much at all. His angels of death, or whatever they were called, used the dust to kill everyone and okay, they eliminated so many people, but here comes another problem. Like babes, why didn't you kill them off earlier, when they grabbed sutekh by the collar?😭 the plot armor was kinda insane imho. The general thing seemed good but when you stop to think about it it's different. I liked it at first, although not fully, and I wasn't bored, but by the end of it, more and more negative details just popped up. Another problem was the mother. I didn't despise it, it was very sweet, but at the same time I expected more because it was simply natural! This mystery, along with the snow, the hidden song, was milked way too much, and while I understand creating hype is important, too much of it for a rather simple reveal can make the latter disappointing, and it kinda was. Also what the hell... how did sutekh come back?? Did somebody get it... was he there since the fourth doctor? DID HE SEE THE FLUX AND ALL THOSE MESSES WHATTT. How tf.. guess that salt was for the toymaker only. Thank God they didn't bring trickster or they might have ruined him LMAO. I kinda expected ruby's mother to be a God.. but okay ig.

Overall, okay but not okay at the same time. I'm scared of what might happen after this. It's my favorite show and I would be devastated to watch it die because of a poorly written episode. :/

What do yall think?

[sneakypeddler]

"the kitchens are 30 minutes in the future" and "while I'm doing that, we're in room 48" are the best bits of the special that was a ton of fun.

Also excellent use of Fifteen's theme I always get so giddy when they use it and the new slightly different arrangements were fantastic

[songforten]

gomez!master is by far the best one of nuwho and I will NOT hear otherwise. she feels so much like delgado!master in that her motivations are not exclusively world domination. even before her redemption arc in s10, she has a complex agenda of her own and sometimes that means her goals align with those of the doctor’s. i love seeing the master team up with companions it’s my absolute favorite thing. her dynamic with clara is absolutely fascinating and i find the “i want my friend back” motivation to be five million times more interesting than the “i want to Destroy You Forever” motivation or whatever it was that dhawan!master had going on