#ace and tegan are two of my favourites

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Mel in The Giggle works so much better than Ace and Tegan in The Power of the Doctor. She's more involved in the main story, gets to interact and reconnect with the Doctor in a meaningful way, and is there for them during the final battle. Her appearance also has an impact on Donna, giving her more imperative to get the Doctor to just stop holding everything back, to stop thinking they're too busy to just take a moment and talk about his old friends. Mel being there matters for the current Doctor and contributes to the overall story being told about them.

[headcanonsandmore]

Can you do the "all the Doctors" thing, but what would they do if they started a band?

I certainly can!

One: Gets gently pushed into it by Vicki. Can actually play the piano rather well, and starts chuckling to themselves when he starts getting into it. Ian and Barbara got a little sick of the solos after over half an hour, though.

Two: You'd think that a recorder wouldn't be a good instrument to play in a band, but you would be as pleasantly surprised as Two was. Gets on surprisingly well with the hippie crowd, although Jamie has to keep them from getting pulled into smoking illicit substances which may or may not be legal. With time lords, who knows what the effects could be?

Three: Can practically play any instrument given to them because "my dear fellow, it would be vain to explain why". Jo loves it when they play Beatles songs. Has an unfortunate habit of playing in venues that later get attacked or blown up by the Masters scheme of the week.

Four: Pulls the weirdest looking string instument you've ever seen out of their enormous coat, plays some weird jazz-fusion stuff that sounds like a cat making love to a washing machine, grins unnervingly and walks off stage. The stage is a random cafe that hadn't even asked them to play. No-one ever speaks of it again, just in case they come back.

Five: Likes to play ABBA on the rhythym guitar, much to the amusement of their kids young friends. Insists on explaining the themes of each song before starting. Has an unfortunate habit of falling over halfway through their set and knocking themselves unconscious. Given the time period, they often get requests to play "That's Entertainment"; doesn't mind playing it but wishes Tegan and Nyssa would stop sneaking away halfway through to snog in a cupboard somewhere.

Six: Loves playing the drums. Their main inspiration is Keith Moon. Mel says it's good exercise for them. Peri is just glad that they don't wear their coat whilst trashing about with the drumsticks, because that would be a chasm too far.

Seven: Spoons. Ace rolls her eyes but knows that they enjoy it. Is surprisingly popular amongst latter-day beatniks and jazz fans. Often gives some lecture after each song. The difference is that, unlike with Five, people actually listen instead of groaning.

Eight: Just has to sing. You would not be able to stop them. They are surprisngly good at it, although sometimes you wonder whether the words have a hidden meaning.

War: Doesn't play anything, for obvious reasons.

Nine: Bass guitar, and in a very no-nonsence sort of way. Can get down and be funky with it. Rose loves it, and enjoys dancing along, which makes Nine very happy.

Ten: Maraccas, weirdly enough, and often with Donna. Both of them are laughing. The rest of the band doesn't really understand why but it seems to work so who cares?

Eleven: Glockenspiel. No, seriously. Amy and Rory don't know where it came from, and it's actually starting to get a little worrying. Especially when Eleven insists on practicing at 3am with no warning.

Twelve: Lead guitar, obviously. Nothing but shredding solos and awesome punk-style riffs. The fact that they don't have a top-selling album is mindboggling.

Thirteen: Fiddle in a folk-punk-fusion band. Very good at it and is having the time of their life. Loves to dance whilst playing. The happy love songs are their favourite, but has a habit of tripping over their feet on stage if they catch Yaz smiling at them.

Fugitive: Doesn't play anything; again, for obvious reasons.

TenThree/David Doctor/ sorry-mr-tennant-i-cannot-call-you-fourteen: Traded in the maraccas for a trumpet. Donna has a trumpet now too. Things seem to be going well for them.

Fifteen: Sampler. Creates tons of exciting sounds based on all of their previous lives, blending them together in a hopeful, joyeous mix. Well, so far anyway. We'll have to wait and see...

Thanks for the ask!

[envexenveritas]

20 Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tag @serenbex

Me, a writer? (doesn't really feel like it at the moment, why does this scene have to be so, frweg?)

I finally finished answering! Hopefully, soon I'll finish more fic?!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

5

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

37,638

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, Doctor Who

But I've never really stuck to writing one fandom.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All of them! There are only 5!

Nicole's Supernatural Really Bad Day Carmilla, Wynonna Earp crossover. Flash fic from when everyone was talking about Danny and Nicole being cousins.

Two of a Kind Kate Stewart/Osgood fic in @ncruuk's Osgate universe, set just after The Day of the Doctor.

I Couldn't Let Her Die Legend of the Seeker, fix it fic, Dahlia's not dying today.

The Ghost of Heathrow Tegan/Nyssa. Ace gets in contact with Tegan, there have been reports of a ghost in Heathrow Airport and she looks an awful lot like a woman from Tegan's past.

I've Always Wanted a Laser Eye Carmilla, Ghostbusters (2016) inspired by @toodrunktofindaurl's picture

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! Lovely comments, must reply to lovely comments!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I haven't really done angsty endings, I like things to end up happy even if they're not happy all the way through.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

The Ghost of Heathrow - I haven't finished it yet, but I promise it will be happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I tried once. I've never published it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Yep, yep they're in the list. I don't think they're that crazy.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I don't think I have an all time favourite, it changes with my fixations. My favourite ship has been Nyssa/Tegan for an awfully long time now.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Everything I've posted online I fully intend to finish. It just might take a little while.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm pretty sure I've got a good grasp of dialogue and character voice.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

If you asked me when I was in school whether I had a problem writing scene description I would laugh in your face. But scene description, scene description that actually fits into the story I'm telling. It just always sounds so wrong and exposition-y.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Use it sparingly

Use an actual human translator

Find a diegetic way to explain the meaning

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter - It was an impossible fandom to avoid in secondary school.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Ghost of Heathrow - as long as I can get this next damn chapter to work.

Tagging @technicallywrite, @fivenyssateganadric, @daystarsearcher I've already tagged @ncruuk why not again?

[weedle-testaburger]

Have you watched the latest Doctor Who special/episode? How was it? This was some of the weirdest regenerations in the show. So will the show focus on two Doctors now? And what is this phenomenon of bigeneration and how different it is compared to normal regeneration?

I loved it! Tbh I loved all the specials for different reasons, The Star Beast was a really fun romp and seeing one of my favourite series unambiguously saying trans rights was wonderful, Wild Blue Yonder was fantastically weird and did some really interesting stuff character-wise with the Doctor and Donna, and The Giggle used the Toymaker really interestingly and I'm so happy with how it handled introducing Ncuti's Doctor.

As for how bigeneration works, I don't really know- maybe because Donna resolved the Metacrisis it passed back to the Doctor and resolved itself through this process? Or it could be psychologically related to the Doctor wanting to keep being his Tennant self? Either way, even if it's very weird and different to regular regeneration I like how it gave the Tennant Doctor a cathartic ending while the Ncuti Doctor gets to go off adventuring.

I dunno if it's meant to lead to a spinoff with Tennant and Donna, I'm inclined to guess/kind of hope not (I like for Doctor Who to keep on doing different things) and say maybe he'll become part of UNIT's team along with the other companions like Tegan, Ace and Mel or just settle down. One pet theory I have is I'm almost certain that Doctor becomes the Curator, hence what he said about 'revisiting old favourite faces' (plus the Curator is part of UNIT in some of the audio dramas).

[osgoodsblog]

Omgggg so I met Sarah Sutton aka Nyssa today 🥺 she was so lovely, at first when I went up to the auto room she must’ve been on a break cos she wasn’t there and I was kinda gutted but I did meet Nicola Bryant (Peri) so that was lovely. Then I got to look around and got stopped by a few people to compliment my cosplay which honestly felt amazing. Shoutout to the person who told me I looked just like Ingrid, you honestly made my day ❤️

Then I went back up and they were doing like a quiz on the main stage but this meant less of a crowd in the auto hall (though the two doctors in attendance were still very busy, would’ve been too much standing for me especially at that time of day hence I’d gone straight to autos initially). However I was very lucky cos Sarah didn’t have any queue! I only waited a very short time for the person already there (it was enough to gather my thoughts at least) then I had a really nice little chat with her. It was genuinely so awesome, Nyssa is one of my favourite classic companions along with Tegan and Ace (Sophie was also there, I got an extra auto from her since my one from wcc the pen was very faint and I’d noticed she had the pics from Tales of The Tardis. It was pretty quick but she was lovely as always)

Anyway so I hadn’t gotten any selfies up to this point as I wasn’t really feeling that confident, I worried that I looked silly but the compliments on my cosplay and the fact you just can’t turn down a photo with Nyssa of Traken meant I plucked up the courage to get a selfie. We had a little giggle about how all the Who women are so small so I’ve had to perfect a ‘lean and smile’ pose, and she had this gorgeous photo from the Nyssa and Tegan ‘reunion’ that I just had to get signed. All in all, really awesome day and hopefully she does another con nearby as I’d love to see her again plus get my classic who pic of them signed by her.

[praxeus-13]

I don’t think I’ll be able to shut up about how awful Yaz’s send off was for a while. I’m so sorry for the negativity but Yaz is my favourite companion, and I love Mandip so much, they both deserved so much more than what they were given!

Yaz has been with The Doctor for at least 10 years, Yaz is in love with The Doctor. There is no way you will ever convince me that she left The Doctor - her Doctor - without putting up a fight! That’s what Yaz is all about, she’s feisty and she’s so full of love, she has grown so much as a character but it felt like she’s just gone full circle. Right back to the start when she was a 19 year old who lacked confidence in herself.

And, as I mentioned, Yaz is in love with The Doctor! It was portrayed so well throughout series 12 and Flux, and acknowledged brilliantly in EOTD and LOTSD. But it was not concluded in LOTSD like Chibnall seemed to think it was? For most of the conversations between her and 13 about their feelings, The Doctor was the one doing most of the talking. That just doesn’t feel believable, Yaz speaks her mind, that’s a huge part of her character. I just don’t believe she wouldn’t fight to keep her Doctor in her life.

I didn’t need a kiss, hell they didn’t need a kiss, but more acknowledgement was necessary. They should have held hands more, they should have hugged more, it wouldn’t have been hard to fit into the episode. At the very least they could have said ‘I love you’ ! All that build up, all the hope Chris gave to us queer fans, and for what? Seriously what was the fucking point? Because it feels like all that build up was just ignored right at the end, right at the moment where it should have meant the most.

I’ve grown up disappointed by representation, there are so so many shows I have watched where there are two women so clearly in love that most of the fan base ships them, only to have it never acknowledged. I got used to that. But then I found Doctor Who! The first episode from 13’s era that I watched was Revolution of The Daleks, and that got me to watch all of modern Doctor Who just so I could catch up. Do you know why? Because when I first watched that episode I 100% believed that The Doctor and Yaz were canonically in love! I was so happy! Then I caught up and got disappointed again, it hurt but I expected it. But then, they became canon! I was ecstatic! Finally I found another show where they actually listened to fans, where the queer characters were acknowledged. Only to have it end like this?

Not to mention Tegan, Ace and Kate - all of who are so clearly queer. Not a single one of them got any notion of queerness. It’s just not right, queer people exist in real life, let us exist in media, let us see loud and proud queer characters!

Yaz deserved more, 13 deserved more, but honestly the queer fans deserved more. This episode was meant to be one for the Whovians, and I loved it, truly I did, but the ending makes it feel like the queer whovians were left out.

[renniethedwstan]

Favourite Doctor Who episodes from each Era!! (These are what I loved and thought we're amazing, ofc not everyone will have the same opinions and that's the fun of Doctor who)

First Doctor: an earthly child. Out of all the doctors, I really struggled to click with the first doctor, and I really don't know why? I've tried over and over again, but no change, but I did like an earthy child, I guess.

Second Doctor: Now the second doctor, I clicked super well with. He was funny, Dorky all sorts of levels of chaos and comedy, and I absolutely loved Jamie. I mean, who doesn't Jamie is amazing, and I just love him! The Tomb of the Cyberman in my opinion is the best episode of Doctor Who ever I'm sure there's others out there but this episode is fantastic it's a tad scary super science serious funny it has absolutely everything and the soundtrack is brilliant oh so brilliant.

Third Doctor: Now I'll be honest I struggle fi ding favourites between the second and third cause both of them are simply fantastic. The third doctor era was in colour it was all on Earth. My favourite Villian, the master is in it all the time. There's just so much fun, and I absolutely love Jo Grant she's just adorable. The Daemons was a dark episode cause ya know demons n shit lol, but it was just an overall great episode. Tbh, quite a lot of pertwee episodes were really good.

Fourth Doctor: Now, ill he honest and say I didn't find much appeal to the fourth Doctor as much as Two and three but I am going to see if I can watch more episodes because I do wanna change my opinion and see why people love him so much. Now I have to admit I did like logopalis it was a good episode and the regenation despite only watching the last two episodes made me cry a bit! Poor Tegan lol but I'm.willing to watch more Baker episodes.

Fifth Doctor: Now I did like Five, he wasn't a particularly.....fun! Doctor, but still there were some good episodes I could name, but I did like his boyish charms, and the master shenanigans made his run fairly entertaining, but his run was kinda......peculiar! And not as many good episodes but still memorable (need to watch earthshock tbh) Castrovalva was a good episode and I found it enjoyable it's not a fantastic one but the master winding up a newly regenerated Doctor is quote funny.

Sixth Doctor: I'm sorry but I do not understand why this era gets so much bashing, I get the sixth Doctor was brash and harsh n shit but he was also very iconic in someways I mean yes that coat is godawful but that's why it's so memorable. The sixth Doctor was the first classic Doctor I watched many years ago. He's just one Interesting charcter who is pretty funny (hated Peri though god!)

Now I adore the two Doctors, it's not perfect but it's got a soft spot in my heart. Two and Jamie are back on our screens Six is just horried to two all sorts of amuses ment that is similar to two and three in the three Doctors it was just a super enjoyable episode in a way or another.

(Six is underrated)

Seventh Doctor: I don't really have much to.say about seven as I only watched survival (only had one day left of britbox ooops) but from what I watched he seemed like a good era as well. Magician and I really liked Ace. She was just super cool! Now survival......its interesting. Its not a woahhhh holy shit kinda episode its more of a.....huh? THE master is a cat now? Which honestly was funny!! (TPOTD absolutely killed me when this was mentioned)

Eighth Doctor: ANOTHER UNDERATED ONE. not by the fans but by the BBC like dammit give this bloke some fucking screen time. We all want it we all want Eight on out screens he's amazing, Paul is amazing the Doctor is this old timey edwarden gentlemen who is a tad interested in the ladies I mean who wouldn't the guy is handsome I'd fucking join him alright if eight had a run I bet your assessment he would be my favourite Doctor all together he's just amazing. Now the movie....its a bit wacky ans I can see why people didn't like it in many ways as its not got much Doctor who feel to it more action movie but I still liked it enough to watch it over and over again haha.

Ninth Doctor : DON'T SKIP NINE YOU'RE FUCKING MISSING OUT ALL SORTS OF SHIT! how Rose and the Doctor meet how he is after the time war all sorts and its a reboot if it wasn't for nine being nine Doctor Who wouldn't of worked not Ten...Nine. the Doctor had many one liners and many brilliant episodes new monsters all sorts. Nine is just simply fantastic and if u didn't love Eleven so much it would be nine (I'll explain later) now an empty child part 1 and 2 (can't remember second episode name) this episode was just amazing, it's about the war and gasp mask kids which is admittedly quite scary tbh but what makes it so good is that. Everybody lives...that's it everyone lives and the Doctor is so happy and ughhhh so goooood!!!

Tenth Doctor: Ten used to be my absolute favourite because come on everyone loves Ten but admittedly as I've gotten older I became less interested, I can't complain about Tens run because it was an incredible run. Romance, emotions, companions DONNA!! all sorts the emotions are high and low the episodes were super amazing (I'm not talking about love and monster) fear her well it's not the best episode but it's one of my favourite for many things because the Doctor and Rose are just happy dorks and everything was fine before the storm *sniffles, I've not watched that episode in years....I still can't get myself to watch it and I don't even like Rose that much either) but I just remember this episode to vaguely ad a kid and I remember thinking....woahh I wonder what 2012 is gonna be like and now I think....woahhhh it was so long ago lol.

[false-anomaly]

Two weeks until Power of The Doctor,, I have to say my hopes are not necessarily the highest but I'm pretty excited regardless

Mostly looking forward to Ace and Tegan man I love those scrimblos. AND the Master obv he's my favourite (I personally am rooting for the RasputinMaster thing bcs why wouldn't I)

[raddishstew]

My own controversial opinion is literally a rant about how I absolutely despise Amy Pond, more specifically, how Moffat wrote Amy Pond. Though I have only one reason to hate Steven Moffat, it is the same than one of the reasons why I hate John Nathan Turner, so you can guess it is a very strong reason ; He is a sexist. I know, what an accusation, right ? Benedict Cumberbatch said it too ; Steven Moffat is a mysogynist. He wrote Amy the same way JNT wrote Peri ; to be an eye candy "for the dads" if I take JNT's words. The thing is the early Matt Smith era made me super uncomfortable. She literally gets her baby KIDNAPPED, and discovers her baby was her CHILDHOOD BESTIE ALL ALONG, the doctor leaves her waiting HER WHOLE LIFE, and she doesn't even CARE !! The doctor was literally just Steven Moffat at one point, how he hid Rory's death is just very weird. And it was a Steven Moffatt POV too, because when Amy first appeared, the camera first shows her legs and thighs, which is SO UNCOMFORTABLE. The doctor was and isn't supposed to be a creepy pedo who has young girl companions for bed, but through JNT and Moffat's eyes, he is, because their personality is reflected through the doctor.  According to JNT, the 7th doctor was attracted to 16 year-old Ace ! I refuse to believe any of JNT's headcanons, because that would just make me hate the show.  In the Russel T Davies era, the doctor was fun, goofy, heroic, not a creep ! It is proved by Rose, Donna and Martha, my favourite new who companions. Rose has a story, a personality, a life with her boyfriend and all, same with Donna, and she has some character and stands up for herself, which is a first one since the JNT dictatorship. I relate to Martha the most, since she escapes her family problems with the doctor, which I definitely relate to because personally for me, my parents can't stop arguing, and I would definitely go on a magical police box with some crazy magical middle aged gay guy instead ! But when Steven Moffat came and introduced Amy, it just reminded me of Peri. And it isn't very new of Doctor Who to put female companions as a damsel in distress with short skirts saved by the doctor "for the dads" as JNT says. Wendy Padbury got put in short skirts and tight suits a lot and Patrick Troughton once said as a joke it was for Frazer Hines not to be the only one in short skirts. Sarah-Jane is also a tragic story as at first she was a very feminist woman who stands up for herself, then suddenly became at her second story the damsel in distress. Janet Fielding once complained about how Tegan wore short skirts and high heels while in the cold, and oh, poor Peri. JNT frequently put her in bikinis and swimsuits in cold places, to the extent that Nicola Bryant got frostbite repeatedly which worried Peter Davison since she turned once blue. Matt Smith's doctor also made me extremely uncomfortable since he would make sex jokes and grab and kiss women more than any doctor ever would. Heck, no doctor before Matt Smith ever made sex jokes like he did ! It was too much of a change from David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston, both written by Russel T. Davies, where Doctor Who was a goofy space alien sci-fi fun show, or like in Verity Lambert's doctor who, a literal educational show aimed at children, and not a drama romcom show "for the dads" !

Anyway, since my post was so long, here's two cookies for you ------> 🍪

i’m genuinely interested and also quite petty, so could people please reblog this with their most controversial doctor who opinion? the more niche and likely to get you slapped by the masses, the better (but preferably, without actually fighting about it)

i’ll start: talons of weng chiang is a boring episode actually, and jago and litefoot are vastly overrated

[headcanonsandmore]

Hey Dadcannons! I know Nyssa and Tegan are great and they are even better together, so I wanna know what is it about them that you love so very much? {tbh I love hearing people gush about their favourite ships}

Heya, kiddo!

Oh, that's a really good question!

Well, firstly, it's the whole thing of "best friends to lovers" (as a ace person, this single trope makes up 95% of all my favourite pairings). Tegan and Nyssa are best friends from basically their first meeting, and it's clear that they hold each other in very high esteem. Nyssa is basically the only person that Tegan isn't constantly snapping at, and Tegan is one of the only people (possibly the only person) that Nyssa feels comfortable being vulnerable with.

Tegan and Nyssa met under incredibly shocking circumstances; both of them had lost family just before they met (Nyssa's father and entire planet had been destroyed by the Master, and Tegan's aunt had been killed by the Master) and both of them ended up stranded out of their own time and place. They are then left basically alone together to help the recently-regenerated (and mostly unconscious) Fifth Doctor after Adric (the Doctor's only companion left from his prior incarnation) is kidnapped by the Master. Tegan and Nyssa have to pilot the TARDIS safely to a destination, get the Doctor to a place where he can relax and heal from his regeneration and also deal with the Master's plot to capture and kill the Doctor. They do all this together as a team, despite having only met barely a few hours before.

Judging from this scene, they also shared a bed whilst staying overnight in the healing place. (Side note: I have not edited this picture, it really is staged like a Renaissance painting inspired by the works of Sappho. 🤣😂)

Where was I? Oh, yes; Tegan and Nyssa also have complimenting personalities. Tegan is brass, sharp-talking and very opinionated; she's got a lot of emotions that she shows easily. While Nyssa, on the other hand, comes from a planet of peace-loving scientists who keep their emotions largely subdued (I'd also mention that she's technically a princess too, except monarchy ick). Despite this, Tegan and Nyssa never end up arguing. Instead, they work off each other and value the others perspective on things. Tegan admires Nyssa's quiet fortitude while Nyssa admires Tegan's confidence in declaring her emotions. Nyssa's a scientist and works mostly on logic, whereas Tegan is a flight attendant and very practical. Opposites attract; need I say more?

Tegan and Nyssa end up sharing a room in the TARDIS, and literally every scene in which it's shown looks like it's from a roommates-to-lovers fic.

Again, I swear I have not edited this picture. This really is framed like they're a recently married couple co-habitating together. 🤣😂

Now, obviously, their time together was short-lived (they are Doctor Who companions, after all). They were together on the show for just under two seasons of television. Nyssa decided to stay on at a space station they visited to create a vaccine for a deadly disease. And the ending of the episode... *cries*

Again, it really is staged to look like a couple parting ways. Doesn't stop me crying, though. 😭😭

For the next story, Tegan spends most of it looking incredibly miserable and flat-out ignoring the romantic intentions of a weird immortal being they've stumbled across. Whilst Tegan is wearing something that vaguely looks like a wedding dress (which... oh, you poor pining sapphic, Tegan). She does cheer up slightly in the next season, but her mood is considerably dampened from that point onwards until she leaves the TARDIS.

However, RTD later confirmed in "Farewell, Sarah-Jane" that Nyssa and Tegan were a couple living together in Australia, as they both attended Sarah-Jane's funeral. So, presumably, Nyssa found a way to Earth in the present day, found Tegan and they settled down together. Which is a pretty sweet ending for them, not gonna lie.

Chibnall may have not mentioned this in the centenary special, but the Tegan/Nyssa community here on Tumblr mainly views that as Nyssa not wanting to get involved with UNIT after finally getting a peaceful life with Tegan on Earth. That would also explain why Tegan mentioned a step-son, as Nyssa had a daughter and son.

Some of the Big Finish Audios also have a habit of unintentionally writing them as with crushes on each other. Sometimes, you get the sense that the writers are fully aware of how couple-y Tegan and Nyssa seem together and decide to play into it. Cue Nyssa getting shocked and almost jealous when they bump into one of Tegan's ex-boyfriends (yeah, I was shocked too) and Tegan constantly talking about how lovely and wonderful Nyssa is with virtually no prompting from other characters. 😂🤣

I know that, at the time, it was written as them being close platonic friends, but -in all honesty- I had to check online as to whether they were a couple after I watched their first episode together, because (to a modern eye) they do not read as two heterosexual women at all. I personally see Tegan as a lesbian and Nyssa as a asexual bi-romantic with a strong preference for women.

Basically, these two are awesome characters in their own right, as well as being a really cute couple. Hope you enjoyed my gushing about these two! 😊😊

[roseofithaca]

Doctor who game- 12, 20, 29, 92

12. Your favourite Doctor?

Three. No idea why, I spend half the time calling him a bitch! But damnit, he’s so infuriatingly charming. It’s that old school gentleman quality mixed with kickass grandpa with a dash of ‘defrosting the ice queen’ trope that just makes him so endearing to me. My second favorite is Two...and to be honest I would probably have more trouble deciding between them if more of Two’s stories existed in full.

20. Best Doctor/companion pairing?

This is the toughest question for me! It’s a very close three-way tie between Three x Jo, Two x Jamie and Ten x Donna - the latter probably just inching their way to the top because Donna is my all time favorite companion. All three have different dynamics but are so enjoyable to watch. If I had to list my favorite pairing for each Doctor it would be One x Vicki, Two x Jamie, Three x Jo, Four x Leela, Five x Tegan, Six x Evelyn, Seven x Ace, Eight x Charley, Nine x Rose, Ten x Donna, Eleven x Amy, Twelve x Bill, Thireen x Yaz.

29. Favourite (canon or non-canon) DW universe relationship?

Kinda feel this is similar to the last question so I’m not going to count Doctor x Companion pairs. Probably the Doctor x the Brigadier are the ultimate brotp as the Brig is not considered to be a companion. The Brig always had that energy of being totally done with this weird friend of his but never hesitated to help him out or run to his rescue. Honourable mention to Vastra x Jenny, also Doctor x Jack if we’re not counting Jack as a companion. Also Three x Delgado!Master are just electric together (throw in Jo, they’re a precious OT3).

92. Issue you’d like to see addressed in DW?

Right now, given the shitstorm that’s going on in the UK at the moment with the royal family, I’d love to see a story that tackles something like how bias the press is or something like what Zootopia did with addressing racism/sexism and how it’s not always someone waving a BMP or Nazi flag but general attitudes and assumptions. I REALLY want them to do a third Peladon story that parallels them leaving the Federation with Britain leaving the EU, and considering the second Peladon story dealt with sexism, that could also be revisited and updated. 

[madfantheyinablueblog]

Alrighty, so I was tagged by @causalityparadox so now I kinda have to do it. It’s a fandom-tumblr rite of passage in a way, to get tagged in one of these games!

Anywho (haha, get it?), let’s get a shift on!

Favourite Doctor: Honestly, a bit of a tie for me. For NuWho, definitely Twelve. He’s just such a perfectly rad space grandad trying his best to make his way through his mid-(lives) crisis. But more Classic/DWEU wise, definitely Eight. I really relate to him a lot (with my ADHD and absent-mindedness), and Paul McGann is just perfect in the role. He really did get shafted lmao

Favourite Master: Three words: ‘Say something nice’. Missy (especially in s8 and s9)!!! I love her to bits omg. Michelle Gomez is utter perfection in the role and her chemistry with Capaldi is incredible. Something I love about Missy is just how unpredictable she is. One second she’s helping you out whilst dabbing and the next, you’re a pile of ash on the ground because she got bored. She’s just so mad and so much fun!

Favourite Sonic: Definitely the ‘Dark Eyes’ sonic from the ‘Dark Eyes’, ‘Doom Coalition’, ‘Ravenous’, and ‘Stranded’ box sets with the Eighth Doctor. It’s just...soooo pretty and I’m hella bitter that there was never a toy release of it and the only way to get it is to drop 300 or so quid on a fancy replica.

Favourite Companion: Ugggh this is a hard one for me because I love so many of them!!! I’m just gonna list off all my favs. Barbara, Liz, Sarah Jane, Tegan, Peri, Ace, Sam, Fitz, Charley, C’rizz, Martha, Donna, Clara (in s8), Bill, Graham. There are different things that I love about all of them and it’s really hard for me to pick a definitive favourite.

Favourite Episode: Again, I really do have quite a few. And I’m gonna include some books and audios in here too because I’m a nerd. Edge of Destruction (TV), Inferno (TV), State of Decay (TV), Castrovalva (TV), Ghost Light(TV), Curse of Fenric (TV), Vampire Science (Book), Alien Bodies (Book), Seeing I (Book), The Scarlet Empress (Book), Unnatural History (Book), Interference - Books One and Two (Books), The Taking of Planet 5 (Book), Timwyrm: Revelation (Book), Nightshade (Book), Cold Fusion (Book), The Infinity Doctors (Book), The Chimes of Midnight (Audio), Neverland (Audio), Scherzo (Audio), The Natural History of Fear (Audio), Caerdroia (Audio), The Next Life (Audio), Absolution (Audio), Dalek (TV), Blink (TV) Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (TV), Turn Left (TV), The Eleventh Hour (TV), The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone (TV), The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon (TV), The Doctor the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV), The Power of Three (TV), Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS (TV), Day of the Doctor (TV), Deep Breath (TV), Listen (TV), Dark Water/Death in Heaven (TV), Under the Lake/Before the Flood (TV), The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion (TV), World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls (TV), The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV), It Takes You Away (TV), Spyfall (TV), Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror (TV), Fugitive of the Judoon (TV), Praxeus (TV), Can You Hear Me? (TV), The Timeless Children (TV).

Favourite Soundtrack: Hmm...probably the Doctor’s Theme (series 1-4), There’s A Man I Know (the Eighth Doctor’s theme), I Am The Doctor, A Good Man?, the entire musical score from Heaven Sent (especially ‘The Sheppard’s Boy’), Clara’s theme, Bill’s theme (come on Murray, please give us a release), Thirteen’s Theme (especially the series 12 variation of ‘Doctor, The Doctor’).

Dream Actor/Actress for the Next Doctor: I’ve got three tbh. Idris Elba, Jo Martin, Tilda Swinton. I’d also love to see an actor or actress of Asian or Hispanic descent.

Dream Composer: Probably John Williams. Maybe Hans Zimmer? Also Alan Silvestri, Blake Neely and Bear McCreary. They’re all really great composers.

Dream Story: I have two, honestly.

1. More Multi-Doctor stories!!! Gimmie some more lore filled episodes that canonise looms or the Infinity Doctor!

2. Another Eighth Doctor story on television. Give my boi some more screentime!

For this, I’m gonna tag: @ouidamforeman​, @thetransgirlwhoneverwas​, @tompkins-square-ditmas​, @therogueofblood​, @voidfishersong​, @6-and-7​​, @the-eighth-doctor​​, @elden-12, @floptopus​​, @liria10​​, @clockworkouroboros​​, @zagreuses-toast​, @zagreus-eats-your-bread​, and anyone else who would like to do it!

[timeagainreviews]

My Favourite TARDIS Teams

Yesterday on Twitter, Doctor Who Online asked the fandom which was the greatest Doctor/Companion pairing ever. This got me thinking. In the same way that I could never pin down a favourite Doctor, I doubt I could pin down a favourite TARDIS team, out of all of the TARDIS teams. But perhaps I could pin down my favourite team per Doctor! It seemed like a nice excuse to talk about some of the characters my reviews hadn’t touched upon yet. You may notice, I left out the War Doctor. While I do love the War Doctor, I’m not sure if any of the people he interacted with in the audios were what you could consider a full companion. That being said, I decided to dip into anything from the comics to the audios in some spots. Please note, this is not a list of who is best, merely, who are my favourites!

First Doctor: Susan, Ian, and Barbara

This one seemed like an obvious choice. It’s hard to argue with the original lineup. However, beyond this trio being the original crew, there’s a lot more to love than seniority. When we meet Ian and Barbara, they’re initially at odds with the Doctor. They’re more captives than companions, which makes their reluctant heroism a story of character development. We watch them become a tight-knit family through shared experience. This is something we see less and less throughout the First Doctor’s tenure, and it’s sad to see. We got characters like Dodo who was clearly added in to be a strand-in for Susan. By the time Ben and Polly show up, it’s as if companions are simply there to witness the Doctor and call him "far out." Giving the Doctor a familial link and two intelligent adults to answer to, added gravity to the situation. His actions had consequences. The Doctor wasn’t just magnificent with this team, he grew as a person.

Second Doctor: Zoe and Jamie

For this one, I could have easily just said Jamie and left it at that. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. All-day, Jamie. But then our sparkle-butted whiz kid from the year 2000 shows up, and she’s wonderful. Why so much love for Jamie? I think most of the fandom would agree he’s the essential Second Doctor companion. Not only do Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton mesh so well together, so do their characters. I'm not a person that usually ship's characters, but I easily ship Two and Jamie. There’s a certain magic when you pair the Second Doctor’s bumbling eccentric with Jamie’s rough and tumble man out of time. You get two characters who are most dangerous when they’re underestimated. As Terry Pratchett said of his character Carrot Ironfounderson- "Where people went wrong was thinking that simple meant the same thing as stupid." However, this is not to say that the pair weren't in need of a bit of direction. Zoe brought a grounding presence to the team with her headstrong confidence. One of my favourite Zoe moments is when the Doctor defers to her math skills. Before this era, the Doctor hadn't really been one to ask his companions for advice. A lot of the framework for future companion relationships was forged in the Second Doctor era. There's also something sad about the way the relationship ends between the three of them. Zoe and Jamie's minds were wiped of all memory of the Doctor and returned to their original timelines. Barring future retcons, they would never know of the brave adventures they had with their cosmic hobo friend.

Third Doctor: Sarah Jane

This one was hard. I could have easily picked Jo Grant. But I went with Sarah Jane for the same reason I didn't go with Sarah Jane for the Fourth Doctor. When Jo Grant had entered the show, it was after the rather unceremonious departure of Liz Shaw. Part of the reason Caroline John left Doctor Who was mirrored in the reason Liz left UNIT. She took issue with a strong woman being sidelined in her job by a male. Not very "women's lib," of them. Enter Jo Grant, who was basically there to be an assistant. This is why I love Sarah Jane for the Third Doctor. She comes in with her business lady suits and her fast-talking gumption. There's a wonderful way that she balances out the Doctor's ego while losing none of her sensitivity. Sarah Jane brings a certain realness to the companions in a way we hadn't seen since Barbara Wright. I also really admire the way she reacts to danger. There's a complete lack of vanity in her performance. Sadly, I feel Sarah loses a bit of her edge when she joins the Fourth Doctor. She trades her lady suits for Andy Pandy overalls. While Elisabeth Sladen will forever be one of the greats, I simply feel she worked best with the Third Doctor.

Fourth Doctor: Leela and K9

I may have lied when I said I can't pick a favourite TARDIS team out of all of them. This may be the closest to what I would call "favourite." It's always surprised me to discover that many fans rate Leela quite low. The most common reasons people usually give me are along the lines of why Tom Baker disliked the character- she was too violent, too one-note. I couldn't disagree more. In my mind, Leela's one of the few classic companions with a clear character arc. Essentially, Leela's story is one of rediscovering her roots. But on a simple level, it's a story of atheism. Leela's people weren't meant to be the Sevateem, worshipping technology like relics. They were a survey team, a group of scientists. As the Doctor teaches Leela about science, she learns more of what she was always supposed to be. However, I would be lying if I said I didn't also love that she's a murderous badass. There's something delightful about seeing this jungle warrior stalking down a corridor with her robot dog friend. It's a wonderful juxtaposition of anachronisms that screams Doctor Who. This is easily one of the most dangerous TARDIS teams, with Leela's knives and Janis thorns, and K9's death rays. Not only is the Doctor forced to teach Leela restraint, but is also forced to use it himself. Wouldn't it be easier to just let his friends do the dirty work? But at what cost? Interesting stuff.

Fifth Doctor: Tegan, Nyssa, and Turlough

This one was a bit more difficult than others. Not because I couldn't decide, but because I've never exactly been all that enamoured with the Fifth Doctor's companions. Kamelion and Adric definitely weren't making the list (sorry not sorry). I wasn't going to include Peri either as there wasn't much to go off with her. I'm also slightly averse to any further adventures for Peri and the Fifth Doctor via audios and books, as I feel it undercuts the Fifth Doctor's sacrifice in "The Caves of Androzani." Which leaves us with these three. As companions, I would say they're all just sort of... fine. Despite the fact that the three of them are on screen for only two stories (seriously, finding a picture of all them together with the Doctor was very hard), I couldn’t discount any of them. Nyssa sadly has the least bit to do out of all of them. They usually relegate her to the TARDIS with a headache she needs to sleep off. That being said, I really like her gentle nature and the fact that she can somewhat make heads or tails of the TARDIS. She's an alien with a big heart, I can get down with that. Turlough I actually rather enjoy. I like that he's a bit of a coward and a bit of an opportunist. I even named one of my cats Turlough because of his orange fur. He's also got a great character arc with his Black Guardian storyline. Tegan is the rogue element out of the three because I can't really fault her. She's got some genuine moments of showing her brave heart, but she's never really excited me. She just wants to go to Heathrow. Would that be too hard, Doctor?

Sixth Doctor: Evelyn

Poor Peri, she's getting all kinds of sidelined today. Really, the girl deserves a medal for all of the Doctor's shit she puts up with. I'm a bit of a Peri fan in all reality, but she's not my fave. That distinction goes to Evelyn Smythe. I spoke a little in my article about older companions about my love for Evelyn. Working as a history lecturer for Sheffield Hallam University, she was an older, learned woman. Because of this, the Sixth Doctor seemed to always want to impress her, as opposed to just always assuming he was impressive. She had a way of calming his more abrasive tendencies which really allowed him to shine. This isn't to say that she was some stuffy buzzkill, however. In a story like "Doctor Who and the Pirates," we learn that Evelyn likes a good laugh, even if she's a rather rubbish storyteller. Had she ever travelled with Frobisher, I would have added him as well, as he was a close second. Sadly, Maggie Stables has passed away, so further Evelyn stories are no longer possible, but we were able to say goodbye to her character in "A Death in the Family."

Seventh Doctor: Ace

As I mentioned in my article "The Doctor with 1000 Faces," Ace was a clear case of course correction. A few years ago in Newcastle, I got to meet Bonnie Langford. While she seemed like a nice person, I had a really hard time saying something I liked about Mel. I literally defaulted by saying "I liked you in Doctor Who," which was basically a lie. I didn't. It just wasn't her fault. And while I've revisited Mel and rather liked her in stories like "Paradise Towers," the introduction of Ace was an automatic improvement. Not only does Ace elevate Sylvester McCoy's performance, but she also breathed new life into the companion archetype. Ace didn't react to danger with mindless screaming, she was brooding and mysterious. There are moments where I laugh at just how much a delinquent she is. The girl carries explosives around like it's something everyone does. I told Sophie Aldred that Ace and Leela were my two favourite companions. I don't know what it says about me that I really like the smashy-smashy, stabby-stabby companions, but I do. There's just something really fun about the dangerous action girl with the mythic space nerd dynamic that I really love.

Eighth Doctor: Izzy and Feyde

This was another one that was difficult for me. I could have easily said Lucie "Bleedin'" Miller, or maybe even Fitz. I also have a somewhat incomplete knowledge of the 8th Doctor's companions. I've not yet listened to his audios with Mary Shelley, Tamsin, or Molly. I ended on Izzy and Feyde however because of their obvious impact on the show. Taking place in the comics, during the wilderness years between the TV movie and the 2005 series, this was some of the best Doctor Who available. Not only were Izzy and Feyde one of the first LGBT depictions in Doctor Who, they were also highly enjoyable characters. With Izzy we got to see some of the groundwork for characters like Rose Tyler and Lucie Miller. She was a modern girl who was a bit of a geek. I found her very relatable, even during her time as a fish. Feyde was an easy choice to include, and I do mean Feyde and not Fey. While being a secret agent from 1933 is cool, being a secret agent from 1933 merged with a sentient Time Lord weapon is way cooler. I could have gone with Shayde for the Fifth Doctor (hell, I should have gone with Shayde), but I wanted to save him for his time as Feyde. Having one companion who body swaps with a fish, and another that shares a body with an alien weapon, who also have lesbian feelings for one another is a recipe for some very interesting storytelling. Russell T Davies is a notable fan of this era of Doctor Who, so much so that he offered to let them show the 9th Doctor regenerate within its pages. If you've not read the Doctor Who Magazine comics, you should be. If for no other reason than for the Eighth Doctor's sublime era.

Ninth Doctor: Rose, Mickey, and Jack

Rose is a very divisive companion in the fandom. I know because I've taken part in the mud flinging until I realised that such endeavours were stupid. Seriously, if you're a hater of other people's tastes, you should stop. Let people like stuff. That's not to say I am a fan of what they did with her when David Tennant came into the TARDIS. For me, Rose Tyler will always work best with the Ninth Doctor. Having both met at a time when neither of them knew particularly what they wanted from life, they both seemed to have a healing quality toward one another. I was willing and able to believe that the two of them genuinely cared about one another, and the relationship blossomed because of this. It was a great way to reintroduce fans to the show after such an extended hiatus. The Doctor was this unknown figure who we got to discover and learn to trust through Rose Tyler's eyes. When the family grew with characters like the flirty Captain Jack or the goofy but earnest Mickey Smith, it only added to the dynamic. It was an exciting group to watch, and one that hooked countless new viewers.

Tenth Doctor: Donna

I will go up to bat for Donna Noble. I once had a roommate who brought a guy home who didn't like Donna Noble. When I asked why, he said she was ugly and annoying. When he left our house, I told her to dump his ass for his bad opinions about women (she agreed). Donna is a goddess. Much like Evelyn, she has the ability to temper the Doctor's shittier qualities. I mentioned I dislike how the Tenth Doctor interacted with Rose, and he definitely didn't appreciate Martha for the MVP she was. Donna was funny, she was nurturing, and she didn't let people push her around. There is nothing I don't like about her character. She gave the Tenth Doctor an accountability like Ian and Barbara gave the First Doctor. Seeing him interact with someone as an equal developed his character in ways we hadn't seen before. It was also really nice, after so much puppy love mooning over the Doctor, to see a companion who was literally just a friend. I've always preferred the Doctor's relationships to be platonic. I know some people like the idea of love in the TARDIS, but I'm old fashioned. Donna was so perfect for the Doctor that her ending could only be tragic. They say you never forget your first Doctor, but in the case of Jamie, Zoe, and Donna, it's sadly not true!

Eleventh Doctor: Amy and Rory

This one seems like a no-brainer to me. I would say the golden age for Matt Smith are his early adventures with Amy and Rory. I've heard people complain about Amy because of her lack of development outside of an obsession with the Doctor. While Rose Tyler had a job and a family, Amy had the raggedy man and years of therapy. But I can forgive all of this because of Karen Gillan's fiery personality. She kills every line of dialogue and sells every dramatic moment. I absolutely love her. Rory is more of a slow burn, but he achieves something I think they've tried with many other male companions and failed. He's able to question the Doctor's actions in a way that doesn't make him come off like a cocky prick (Adric) or horribly misguided (Danny Pink). His lack of hero worship toward the Doctor is a sober counterpoint to Amy's undying adoration. (If you remember correctly, I also named my other cat Rory after him). By the time the three gel into a team, they're like a family, and not just because of River connecting them in a familial way. You'll notice that I didn't include River, and this is simply because I have a lot of issues with the way her story was written. The whole meeting from opposite directions thing led to a lot of implied chemistry. It broke the rule of "show, don't tell," in a way I felt was detrimental to her character development. Despite a really lousy final episode, Amy and Rory are some of my favourite modern companions. Seriously, their goodbye in "The God Complex," should have been their actual goodbye.

Twelfth Doctor: Clara

Oh, Clara... I could write an entire article on my feelings about Clara Oswald. I would title it "The Many Faces of Clara," but it wouldn't be any of the split time stream versions, it would be about the ever-fluctuating character type of the companion Clara Oswald. She's all over the place, and it's a mess. Sometimes she's goofy, other times she's a stern killjoy, then she's a careless daredevil. I don't believe the writers knew what to do with her for most of her run. The impossible girl thing was, in my mind, a total misfire. But I can't help but feel like when she's with Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, she's given the most to work with. I went back and rewatched a lot of her episodes, and her stuff with Capaldi is some truly great Doctor Who. I didn't include Danny because he had so many issues as well, but I couldn't reconcile them. He spends the entire time barking at the Doctor in what was becoming a really sad trend of the Doctor not being able to get along with male companions and competing for the attentions of the female companion. I really tried to come away with a new appreciation for Danny, but his reluctance to stop a Cyberman invasion to prove a point that the Doctor is a general, was so stupid. "I'm going to let the world burn to win an argument." The worst part is, he wasn't even right about the Doctor, and we as the audience knew it. Clara, on the other hand, when she's outside the influence of the "impossible girl" storyline and Danny Pink, she's actually pretty damn compelling. It took her three seasons, but she gets there. This was just barely enough to edge Bill out of running. I'd also love to see Bill come back in an audio, as I feel she never got a proper shake. Make it so!

Thirteenth Doctor: Ryan, Yaz, and Graham

What other choices were there? That being said, I rather like all three of these companions. I've covered, rather extensively, the pros and cons of all three companions in my reviews for season eleven. I find it humorous that most of my friends were least excited by Graham, considering what a darling he's become in the fandom. I love the guy. It's no secret in this blog that I have been a big Graham fan from the start. Yaz is a character I think all of us can agree needs way more development. With that being said, I think we get a pretty good idea of her moral compass. I also really love Mandip Gill in the role. She's a great actress and not at all hard on the eyes. Tosin Cole as Ryan is a really interesting character because I keep fluctuating in between not being able to tell if he's a good actor or not. Either way, the scenes between him and his dad were some of the best of the season. I love the way the group defers to the Doctor. They really do seem like a team with a belief in the good they're doing. People can talk about the spotty nature of season eleven, but the fact remains, the characters are there to make me want to see what's in store for season twelve. Chibnall has given us three distinct individuals that we want to watch develop, and at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?

Well, friends, that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed this article! Did any of these match your picks? Was I totally wrong? Who are your favourites? I like to think there are no wrong answers because this fandom is vast and there's so much to love! I'll see you all soon!

[johnnystorrm]

Sarah-Jane Smith + Zuko 💜✨

you’ve really come for my childhood with those two choices dsgsjdf thanks 💕

send me a character!

i’ll put my answers under the cut because i never shut up

sarah-jane smith

favorite thing about them: everything i love her outlook on the world and the way she voices it, some of the things sarah-jane comes out with are so memorable and have stuck with me since i was a kid watching the sarah jane adventures, she’s so optimistic and full of life and, even though she can act cold sometimes, she’s got so much warmth to her and she’s so willing to learn new things and accept people and see the best in everyone. i could go on forever to be honest, i love her to bits. 

least favorite thing about them: i don’t really have anything that i dislike about sarah-jane, she has her flaws as a character of course, like her stubbornness, but they just endear me to her further. 

favorite line: “there’s nothing only about being a girl, your majesty.” also every single monologue she gives in the sarah jane adventures about how “life on earth can be a great adventure too, you just have to know where to look” and: “pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. whether it’s a world, or a relationship, everything has it’s time, and everything ends.“ everything she comes out with is so… poetry

friendships: the doctor, luke, sky, rani, clyde, maria, jo, rose, harry, all the unit boys tbh and k-9 (can’t forget k-9)

otp: i was gonna say “idk” but then i remembered that scene of her and jo lying together in the coffin in death of the doctor and… well… also peter from the wedding of sarah jane smith because they were sweet

notp: her and the doctor, i just don’t read that as romantic at all

random headcanon: ever since looking up what all the doctor’s previous companions are up to in death of the doctor she’s been keeping tabs on all of them, meeting up with them where she can and gossiping about the doctor to them like she did with rose in school reunion. just here and there, tea with ian and barbara, phone calls with ace, skyping tegan, etc. 

unpopular opinion: i don’t ship her with the doctor? i don’t know if that’s unpopular or not, also: i like her with the third doctor equally as much as i like her with the fourth doctor, three’s era is one of my favourite eras though and i’m biased so…

song i associate with them: whilst i was going through my classic who phase in 2013 i listened to a lot of lucy spraggan and i always associated sarah-jane with her song “someone”.

favorite picture of them: literally backed me into a corner here because she’s such a fashion icon, i’ll go with that one of her and k-9 and a real dog, i think it’s from k-9 and company:

zuko

favorite thing about them: i love how genuine he is, like you can call zuko out for a lot of things but my boy’s too prideful to be anything other than honest. he’s such a fundamentally kind person who got the worst start in life and you can see him actively trying so hard to be better and- i’m diverting from what i like about his character and more towards what i like about his character arc but yeah, i have a lot of love for zuko i could go on all day 

least favorite thing about them: like with sarah-jane, there isn’t anything that he does that actively makes me dislike him, even when he betrays iroh at the end of book two i still completely understand his mentality, and it makes it all the more satisfying when he eventually joins aang and the others so… tbh my least favourite thing about zuko is his goddamn book one ponytail

favorite line: he’s an icon where do i even begin hsfjkjk: “that’s rough buddy”, “hello, zuko here”, “get out of the bison’s mouth, sokka”, “why am i so bad at being good?” and of course: “I DON’T NEED ANY CALMING TEA!”

friendships: iroh iroh iroh iroh iroh ir-, aang, katara, sokka and toph

otp: i don’t really ship anything in avatar, but him and mai are cute

notp: again i don’t really ship anything so…

random headcanon: all of my headcanons about zuko revolve around him being a drama queen and that’s canon so i have nothing of value to add here hdsjkfhkjds 

unpopular opinion: honestly i have nothing to say here either, zuko is one of those characters that has a completely (imo) perfect character arc and i’m thrilled with where he ended up at the end of the series and with all of the character decisions that lead him there

song i associate with them: “dust bowl dance” by mumford and sons, also “things we lost in the fire” by bastille but that’s obvious

favorite picture of them: everything about him is so iconic idk where to begin so here look at him smiling:

[tartantardis]

Big Finish? Big start!

This blog is normally my old Doctor Who-related interviews, but hey, it's my blog, so I can do what the hell I like with it.

I had a fantastic time over the weekend, with the Big Finish live stream on the BBC YouTube channel, listening to great audios, accompanied by some gorgeous videos (created by the super talented Tom Webster), and best of all, there was the live chat.

I won't claim to understand or get memes. I just didn't find "fruit juice", "plum pudding", "shed", etc, funny. Maybe it's just my age...

Anyway, something I noticed were the large number of newbies, who had never heard Big Finish audios before, and were looking for somewhere to start. So, I might as well suggest a few full cast adventures, given that I know a wee bit about Big Finish...

Fourth Doctor

It's easy enough to pick up a Tom Baker release. His stories with the late, great Mary Tamm have a loose theme linking four of the stories, but really, any of them are good to go with (Especially The Auntie Matter). Personal favourites? Oh, I don't like to pick out too many, because I'm friendly with so many of the writers. Perhaps I'll make an exception and single out one, Wave of Destruction, as it's got the Doctor, Romana and K9, my favourite TARDIS team on TV. And it's coming soon to vinyl! Also, the Lost Stories box set is great, with two stories that were imagined for TV, but never made. I'd also recommend the Fourth Doctor novel adaptations.

Fifth Doctor

The Fifth Doctor range... oh, there's some great stuff in here. Spare Parts and Loups-Garoux spring to mind (Marc Platt x 2!), and there's plenty of stand-alone stories that you can dip in and out of. The Fifth Doctor box set is a good place to go, with Adric, Nyssa and Tegan, with one story set in the immediate aftermath of Castrovalva and the regeneration. Also, I'd recommend Creatures of Beauty once you get the hang of Big Finish audio drama - it's confusing, with a non-linear structure. And I rather like it. There’s also The Eye of the Scorpion, which introduces a new companion, Erimem, an Egyptian Pharoah. 

Sixth Doctor

Colin Baker's Doctor is wonderful on audio, given a chance that he was never allowed on TV, to shine, be compassionate, show his brilliance... and without the need to see the coat. There's some great new companions for the Doctor - Evelyn Smythe, Flip Jackson and Constance Clark, as well as Frobisher from Doctor Who Magazine given a voice (The Holy Terror - brilliant). The One Doctor is great fun, with the Doctor and Mel, and I rather like ...ish - a clever story based on wordplay for the Doctor and Peri. The Hour of the Cybermen is another favourite - featuring the return of David Banks and Mark Hardy as the Cyberleader and Cyber Lieutenant from the 80s!  I also recommend The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure (four linked stories that reveal just what happened to cause Colin to regenerate).

Seventh Doctor

There's a lot to go through with the Seventh Doctor. For example, the Lost Stories, starting with Thin Ice (not to be confused with the Peter Capaldi story) follows on from the end of the TV series, as planned out by script editor Andrew Cartmel. Or there's the Big Finish direct continuation, which takes Ace on a journey, and introduces a new companion, Hex (Philip Olivier - a gentleman and a great laugh in real life, and a fantastic companion). Highlights? Bang-Bang-A-Boom (a Eurovision spoof), The Harvest (Hex's introduction), UNIT: Dominion (a box set with a future Doctor), and Damaged Goods (a brilliant adaptation of Russell T Davies' New Adventures novel from the 90s).

Eighth Doctor

Oh, crikey. This is the one where it can be a bit difficult. With Paul McGann's Doctor, all you need to know is that it's one man and his TARDIS to start with. There's a couple of obvious joining points - Storm Warning is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time, in all media (thanks Alan Barnes!), as it introduces us to the breathless, brilliant and bouncy Charley Pollard (NOTE: CharlEY, not CharlIE). Or, move on a bit, and there's Blood of the Daleks, bringing us Lucie bleedin' Miller (NOTE: LucIE, not LucY). There's a few other easy jumping on points - the trilogy with Mary Shelley (especially the fantastic The Silver Turk - Marc Platt again!). Dark Eyes is great, but it gives away the ending to the Lucie run, and introduces another fab companion, Liv Chenka. Ravenous picks up from the end of Doom Coalition - with the Doctor and Liv searching for their missing friend Helen. Also, give Shada a go - it's great fun!

The War Doctor

Oh, it's easy enough. Pick up box set one, Only The Monstrous, and off you go! Easy! Sir John Hurt is wonderful, with that rough as gravel voice bringing new depths to the character we only briefly met onscreen.

The Tenth Doctor

Pick one up. Seriously, any of them. If you know your Tenth Doctor on TV, then that's all you need. Adventures on audio with either Donna or Rose - that's all you need.

[weedle-testaburger]

Saw this Doctor Who ask and maybe I should give this a try. Here are the questions: 1,3,5,10,12 (even if you're not into live action shipping),19,20.

Sure thing!

1. What was the first episode you watched/remember? For the new series, Rose, I watched that the day it aired with my family. What's really funny is I remember my brother and I knew nothing about it besides that it might be scary, and then when it finished we were desperate to see the next one and our parents teased us that that might be too scary! And for the old series, I'm ashamed to say it's Warriors of the Deep. Basically my cousin had the VHS tapes of almost every classic episode and would get my parents to record them onto DVDs since they hadn't released everything on DVD at the time, and I watched that one since I was curious about classic Who. What's funny to me is I mostly liked it at the time!

3. Who is your favourite Doctor? Why? I've got loads of favourites I can never choose between actually! I guess if you put a gun to my head and made me choose one I'd have to say Nine, his run is almost perfect to me and I love that unlike almost every other doctor he kinda has a well-defined arc across his era. My other big faves are Four, Five, Seven and Ten.

5. Any complaints about the show? Oh tonnes lmao, but I'll just highlight two big ones the show's had basically since Moffat and has never managed to properly fix imo. First, a lot of stories don't feel like they have much to say about the world or characters. What I love about sci-fi is its ability to comment on that kind of stuff through an interesting lens, and sometimes Doctor Who has done it really well (Amy's Choice, Vincent and the Doctor, The Girl Who Waited and Heaven Sent for example) but back in the latter part of the classic series and the RTD era almost every story managed it. And second, they have an unhealthy obsession with lore and the Doctor's backstory. I don't mind bringing back classic monsters and stories developing our understanding of the Doctor like Human Nature, The Doctor's Wife or Day of the Doctor, but they don't need their name or origins revealed and it can't really be done in a satisfying way, so why bother? My friend and I were joking yesterday that Vinder and Bel's kid might turn out to be the Timeless Child and therefore the Doctor and I laughed but then I went 'oh fuck, they would totally do that, wouldn't they?' I just hope once he takes over RTD will be able to fix those problems, and I mostly have faith he will since his post-Doctor Who work has been really good.

10. Favourite companion? For the classic series, Ace, she's a badass with a really interesting backstory, she's charming as hell and her last few stories give her some of the best character bits a companion's ever gotten. And for the new series, Donna, not only do she and Ten have one of the funniest Doctor/companion dynamics ever she also grows a lot over the course of her run and I love how much of a positive influence she is on the Doctor as well as he is on her. And I feel like naming some honourable mentions too: Jo, Sarah Jane, Leela, K9, Romana II and Tegan from classic, Rose, Jack (fuck John Barrowman though obviously), Martha and Yaz from new, and Frobisher, Benny, Charley and Evelyn from the expanded universe.

12. Favourite romance involving a Doctor? Nine, Rose and Jack. I'm a sucker for poly stuff obviously and they have such a fun dynamic, I love Nine and Ten with Rose too but they were always a bit more strait-laced. It felt more fun when they briefly had Jack around too.

19. Cybermen or Daleks? Definitely Daleks, there are some good Cybermen stories out there obviously but Daleks have a more iconic design and imo their best stories are better than the best Cybermen stories. I think I've mentioned before but Remembrance of the Daleks and Dalek are some of my favourite bits of television I've ever seen honestly.

20. If you could change anything about the show, what would it be? Give Moffat and Chibnall a bit less creative control and some more co-writers. A lot of their best stories were written by other writers and a lot of their worst aspects were things they were able to do because no one would tell them no, and I think we'd be better off with a larger range of writers (maybe even more than one woman or POC writing an episode per series, even!) who would have better ideas for storytelling than mystery boxes about the characters' identities.

Thanks for asking, this was fun! I have a lot to say on this series I don't tend to get the chance to say very much in case it wasn't obvious xD