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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor

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It’s not unusual, in the world of Doctor Who, for the same actor to play more than one role on screen. From classic to modern Doctor Who, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter, Lalla Ward, Jaqueline Hill, Jean Marsh, Adjoa Andoh, Eve Myles, Naoko Mori, Vinette Robinson and more have all played multiple parts in the whoniverse. Before she debuted as companion Martha Jones, Freema Agyeman was a Torchwood employee who fell foul of the Cybermen in series two’s ‘Army of Ghosts’. Karen Gillan was a seer in series four episode ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ before she recurred as Eleven’s companion Amy Pond. Even the Doctor has had test runs. Colin Baker played a Gallifreyan commander in season twenty before taking over from Peter Davison. Peter Capaldi appeared in ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ as well as playing John Frobisher on Torchwood before taking up residence in the TARDIS.

In the search for the new Doctor then, it makes sense to rifle through those actors the show already picked once to see who might be asked back. Continuity can be handled if need be – just do what Russell T. Davies did and make up something about spacial genetic multiplicity, or what Steven Moffat did and pretend it was all part of the Doctor’s plan to remind him to be a good man. In a few cases, the shared genetics wouldn’t even be an issue as the actor in question’s first appearance was either solely as a voice, or beneath too many layers of prosthetics to matter.

Gliding over a few previous guest stars whose current filming commitments likely take them out of the running (Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, James Norton, Felicity Jones, Gemma Chan and Gugu Mbutha-Raw are probably all tied up…), here’s a choice selection of guest actors since 2005 who could all make fantastic, and very different, Doctors.

Chris Addison

Played: AI interface ‘Seb’, who greeted the recently deceased to Missy’s Nethersphere. Appeared in: Two-part Series Eight finale ‘Dark Water/Death in Heaven‘. Watch his stand-up and there’s a real Tenth Doctor energy about writer-director-producer-comedian-actor Chris Addison (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep). That probably means his time has come and gone on Doctor Who, as the show isn’t likely to want to repeat itself at this stage. Addison also has his plate full with the third series of Sky/FX’s excellent comedy-drama Breeders, but you could definitely picture him at the TARDIS console, couldn’t you?

Arsher Ali

Played: Bennett, a bookish recent military recruit to a Scottish underwater mining facility in 2119. Appeared in: Series 9 two-parter ‘Under the Lake/Before the Flood‘ Part of a large crew (initially at least) we didn’t see loads of Arsher Ali in his Doctor Who role, but what we saw was enough to convince that he has the presence and bearing of a potential Doctor. He was great as the lead in BBC’s Informer and as a conflicted journalist in the first series of The Missing, as well as in supporting role in Line of Duty‘s best series. Add all that to his breadth of stage experience and he’s a highly intriguing prospect.

Percelle Ascott

Played: Delph, a member of the Ux, humanoid aliens who live for thousands of years and have the power of telepathic inter-dimensional engineering (they can teleport planets). Appeared in: Season 11, Episode 10 ‘The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos‘. Not the only entry on this list with a Doctor Who-adjacent role in his back catalogue (see also: Anjli Mohindra in The Sarah-Jane Adventures), as a teenager, Ascott played science geek Benny in Russell T. Davies’ Wizards Vs Aliens. He was great then, but really showed his range in cancelled-too-soon Netflix supernatural drama The Innocents, where he stole the show. When he popped back up opposite Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor as the wise and conscience-led Delph, it was hard not to imagine what he might do in the Doctor’s role.

Zawe Ashton

Played: Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance, a solider on the Aristotle. Appeared in: the Ben Wheatley-directed Series 8 episode ‘Into the Dalek‘. A regular on ‘Next Doctor’ wishlists for some time now, Zawe Ashton is a terrific actor who came to fame as hedonist Vod in Channel 4 student comedy Fresh Meat and who’s recently been seen in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In ‘Into the Dalek’ she played a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ soldier, but Ashton has the range for serious, absurd and very funny – in short, everything required to make a great Doctor.

Maxim Baldry

Played: Dr Polidori, a nineteenth century character who was part of Mary and Percy Shelley’s social circle. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati‘, about the summer Mary Shelley conceived her famous science-fiction novel Frankenstein. Baldry’s scored a role in Amazon Prime Video’s new mega-money Lord of the Rings TV series, so his dance card is likely full for now, but he’s just the sort of actor to breathe fresh life into the role of the Doctor, much in the way Matt Smith did back in 2010. He’s probably best recognised right now as Viktor, the asylum-seeking boyfriend of Russell Tovey’s character in Russell T. Davies’ future-predicting Years and Years, but the Russian-British actor has been acting in films since he was a child.

Sanjeev Bhaskar

Played: UNIT’s Colonel Ahmed, a colleague of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in the fight against Missy’s Cybermen-from-corpses wicked plan. Appeared in: Series 8 finale ‘Death in Heaven‘. This Doctor Who role was just not enough of Sanjeev Bhaskar, an actor-writer-comedian whose role as DS Sunny Khan in ITV detective series Unforgotten has elevated him to the status of national treasure (partly because of his backpack, but mostly because of his decency and warm humour). Bhaskar is playing Cain opposite Asim Chaudhry’s Abel in Netflix’s forthcoming The Sandman series, and there’s series five of Unforgotten on the way, but wouldn’t he be great as the Doctor? As would another member of his family (see below)…

Mark Bonnar

Played: 22nd century miner Jimmy Wicks in the one with the ‘ganger’ clones. Appeared in: Series 6 two-parter ‘The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People’. No, of course they won’t let another funny, clever, slightly scary Scot with a brilliant face be the Doctor so soon after Peter Capaldi, but in a parallel universe, Mark Bonnar would make a very fine Doctor – something that hasn’t escaped Big Finish. He’s got it all (funny, clever, slightly scary, brilliant face) and frequently steals whichever show he’s in. Watch this two-parter, Catastrophe, Unforgotten series two and the brilliant Guilt (series two of which is approaching) for evidence of that.

Kevin Eldon

Played: Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs, a trader in the ‘Antizone’ obsessed with the Doctor’s “tubular” (or Sonic Screwdriver), and the voice of companion Antimony in an animated online adventure. Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘It Takes You Away‘ and 2001 webcast ‘Death Comes to Time’. It just seems a waste for the multi-talented Kevin Eldon to only play just one (or technically two, but just one on-screen) role on Doctor Who. And because his series 11 appearance was under a faceful of prosthetics, it wouldn’t even cause any continuity errors for him to come back in the role of the Doctor. Or a companion. Or another alien. Whatever it is, just give us more Eldon please.

O-T Fagbenle

Played: ‘Other Dave’, an engineer on an expedition to The Library who was eaten by the Vashta Nerada but brought back to life in the computer core. Appeared in: Series 4 two-parter ‘Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead‘ Fagbenle has recently been seen as Natasha’s fixer in Black Widow, June’s husband Luke in The Handmaid’s Tale, and as the lead character in sitcom Maxxx, about a washed-up former boy band member. The man has dramatic and comedy range, a very good American accent (not necessarily relevant here) and excellent screen presence. He’d rock the role of the Doctor.

Siobhan Finneran

Played: 17th century landlady/witch prosecutor Becka Savage/Morax queen Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘The Witchfinders‘. If the new Doctor’s going to be a woman in her early fifties, then it should really go to Jo Martin, but if she’s busy, how great would Siobhan Finneran be? The Happy Valley and Downton Abbey actor’s a treat in everything. She can be equal parts funny and imperious, and you can easily imagine her running circles around alien fiends and having a load of fun doing it.

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Tamsin Grieg

Played: the Nurse who inserts Adam’s infospike on Satellite 5. Appeared in: Series 1 Simon Pegg-starring episode ‘The Long Game’, alongside Anna Maxwell-Martin (who might also deserve a place on this list come to think about it). Tamsin Grieg would make such a good Doctor it almost makes you angry she’s never played the role. She has the dramatic chops to deliver all the world-saving speeches, and the comedic skill to give it all a sparkling light touch. She was chilling in her small Series 1 role, but it only showed a tiny portion of what she can do. Also, wouldn’t she look great in a signature coat.

Suranne Jones

Played: Idris, into whom the ‘soul’ of the TARDIS was poured, making her the ship incarnate until her body died. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘The Doctor’s Wife‘, written by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps a bit too similar to Jodie Whittaker to be a likely successor, but you only have to see Suranne Jones in BBC/HBO drama Gentleman Jack to know that she’s made of Doctor material. As nineteenth-century landowner and famed lesbian Anne Lister, she’s cleverer and faster than everybody else, with a fierce sense of boundary-breaking why-not-ness, and plenty of emotion. Look at most of Jones’ roles, including that of the TARDIS itself, and she’d be great in the part, especially if her regular collaborator Sally Wainwright is enticed into the showrunner gig.

Paterson Joseph

Played: the venal Rodrick, who competed against Rose Tyler in The Weakest Link on the Game Station. Appeared in: Series 1 two-parter ‘Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways’. Paterson Joseph was famously up for the role of the Eleventh Doctor that ultimately went to Matt Smith, and has been a stalwart entry in ‘Who next?’ lists of this sort ever since, so… this isn’t going to happen, but wouldn’t it have been great if it had? The Peep Show, The Leftovers, Noughts + Crosses actor and Big Finish voice artist is currently showing off his commander chops in BBC One submarine thriller Vigil.

Ralf Little

Played: Steadfast, one of the few crew members of an off-world colony ship who weren’t murdered by nano-bots. Appeared in: Series 10 episode ‘Smile‘. He’s currently solving baroque murders on a fictional Caribbean island in Death in Paradise, but none of that lot ever last long, which could free Little up for another spin in the TARDIS. Little has been a familiar face on British TV for years, after playing feckless teenager Anthony on The Royle Family and starring in a BBC Three sitcom that spanned the entire noughties, but now a little older, with plenty of experience under his belt, it could be Ralf Little’s time.

Susan Lynch

Played: Pilot Angstrom, a competitor in an intergalactic race who meets Thirteen on her second ever adventure. Appeared in: Series 11 episode ‘The Ghost Monument’. You don’t need telling why Susan Lynch would make a great Doctor, just watch any decent British drama from the last decade and she’s in it, showing you. From Save Me to Unforgotten to Happy Valley to Killing Eve to any number of TV and film roles, she’s a scene-stealer who can play mystery, tragedy, power… everything the role calls for.

Daniel Mays

Played: Alex, the unwitting foster dad of a Tenza-in-human-form son, George. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘Night Terrors‘ written by Mark Gatiss. RADA-trained Danny Mays can do comedy, drama, has some serious dance moves, and was a Line of Duty guest star, so we know he’d have no problem at all learning the Doctor’s long speeches. If the TARDIS wanted to cast a Gallifreyan Doctor by way of Essex, he’d be top of the list.

T’Nia Miller

Played: The General, Military Commander of the Time Lords, in their Twelfth Regeneration. Appeared in: Series 9 finale ‘Hell Bent’. The Years & Years and Foundation star played a Time Lord in her Doctor Who debut and can even already tick ‘Regeneration’ off the to-do list. Miller clearly has the bearing and gravitas required of the Doctor, looks great even in impractically massive armour, and was the absolute stand-out in Netflix’s 2020 horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor. If they could work out the continuity for a reappearance, she’d rock the role.

Lucian Msamati

Played: Guido, the father of Isabella, a new enrolment at Rosanna Calvierri’s school for girls. Appeared in: Series 5 episode ‘The Vampires of Venice.’ Since appearing in this 2010 Doctor Who episode, Msamati has gone on to appear in major series, from Game of Thrones to Gangs of London and His Dark Materials. He’s an experienced stage actor too, who’d be sure to bring dramatic heft to the role of the Doctor.

Anjli Mohindra

Played: the Scorpion-like Queen of the Skithra, a species that relies on other species for their engineering. Appeared in: Series 12 episode ‘Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror‘. Anjli Mohindra already has a long history with Doctor Who, having appeared under layers of prosthetics and make-up in Series 12, provided the voice of the Mechanoid Queen for animated Time Lord Victorious series Daleks!, and playing the recurring role of Rani Chandra from series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Would that preclude the Vigil and Bodyguard star from stepping behind the TARDIS console in the top role? Nah.

Sophie Okonedo

Played: Elizabeth X of The United Kingdom aka Liz 10 of Starship UK. Appeared in: Series 5 episodes ‘The Beast Below’ and ‘The Pandorica Opens’. One of our finest actors, Sophie Okonedo not only played the future queen opposite Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in Doctor Who, she was also the voice of the Shalka Doctor’s companion in the BBC’s ‘Scream of the Shalka’ animated webcast, way back when. She’s currently starring in Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation and voices the key role of angel Xaphania in His Dark Materials, so probably has too full a plate to step into the TARDIS, but casting her as the Doctor would be a no-brainer.

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Tom Riley

Played: Robin Hood. Appeared in: 2014 Series 8 episode written by Mark Gatiss ‘Robot of Sherwood’. Tom Riley played a legendary genius and multi-hyphenate over three seasons of Da Vinci’s Demons so taking on the role of the Doctor wouldn’t really be a stretch. The actor is currently playing Augie in HBO/Sky drama The Nevers, which started life as a Joss Whedon-created supernatural fantasy before the showrunner left the project after the first six episodes.

Danny Sapani

Played: Colonel Manton/Runaway (depending on your perspective). Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘A Good Man Goes to War’. The River Song/Melody Pond revelation overshadowed much else that happened in ‘A Good Man Goes to War’, but nonetheless, seasoned Brit actor Danny Sapani made an impression as enemy of the Doctor, Colonel Manton, who conspired with Madame Kovarian to kidnap Amy and Rory’s baby. Sapani’s enjoying a long career on screen and stage, with stand-out TV roles in Penny Dreadful, Harlots and Killing Eve, as well as the upcoming part of Captain Jacob Keyes in video game adaptation Halo.

Amit Shah

Played: Rahul, brother to missing person Asha Chandra, both victims of Tzim-Sha. Appeared in: The Series 11 opener ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth‘. A skilled comedic actor who has a habit of stealing scenes, even in serious supporting roles like this one, or last year’s turn as a doctor experimenting on children in His Dark Materials, Amit Shah would be a great surprise to find in the TARDIS. Experienced but not yet a household name, there’s a Matt Smith vibe about this one. Revive him as a companion, at the very least?

Peter Serafinowicz

Played: the voice of alien warlord The Fisher King (though the character’s screams were provided by Slipknot front man Corey Taylor). Appeared in: Series 9 episode ‘Before the Flood‘. Likely not the photo of Peter Serafinowicz his Nan keeps on the mantelpiece, this is the villain he voiced in a Series 9 two-parter. It’s Serafinowicz out of the make-up and prosthetics though, who’d make an intriguing prospect as the Doctor. Great voice(s), great face, serious presence, humour, loads of experience… what else do you need?

Nina Sosanya

Played: Trish Webber, mother of Chloe Webber, the little girl endowed with the psychic powers of an Isolus. (And in Big Finish audio adventure ‘Aquitaine’ Captain Maynard’). Appeared in: Series 2 Olympics episode ‘Fear Her‘. A regular RTD collaborator, with previous roles in Casanova and Wizards Vs Aliens as well as Doctor Who, Nina Sosanya is a joy to see in any cast, which must be why she’s (thankfully) in everything. She’s great in comedy (Good Omens, WIA, Staged, Nathan Barley) and in drama (Last Tango in Halifax, Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, Little Birds) and would no doubt make a very convincing centuries-old two-hearted big-brained Time Lord. Get her a statement coat and get her in the TARDIS.

Meera Syal

Played: Dr Nasreen Chaudhry, the scientist in charge of an ill-fated deep drilling mission in a Welsh village. (As well as voicing audio stories and audiobook Borrowed Time). Appeared in: Series 5 two-parter ‘The Hungry Earth’ and ‘Cold Blood‘. Actor-writer-comedian Meera Syal, CBE, had a fair crack of the whip in Series 5 Silurian two-parter, but would always, always be welcome back for more. As well as comedic talent, she has the dramatic presence, brains and stature to play the Doctor. Her husband Sanjeev Bhaskar (see above) will just have to fight her for the role.

Joivan Wade

Played: Bristol graffiti artist Christopher Riggens aka Rigsy. Appeared in: Series 8’s ‘Flatline’ and Series 9’s ‘Face the Raven‘. Joivan Wade is currently starring as Victor Stone in Doom Patrol for the MCU, so it may be a while before he returns to the UK, but his two appearances in Doctor Who proved him to be a charismatic talent who’d energise the TARDIS if welcomed back.

Harriet Walter

Played: British Technology Secretary and later, Prime Minister Jo Patterson. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘Revolution of the Daleks‘ (as well as voicing the role of Beatrice in audio story ‘The Boy That Time Forgot’). Having a Dame in the TARDIS would be quite something; that Dame being Harriet Walter would be off the charts brilliant. Just look at her – the face, the voice, the hard-to-define quality that means the moment she opens her mouth, everybody shuts up and listens. Harriet Walter, stage and screen star of Killing Eve, Succession, The Crown, Downton Abbey and so much more, would make a very fine Doctor indeed.

Marc Warren

Played: Elton Pope, co-founder member of LINDA, a group of humans who meet to swap stories on their encounters with the Doctor. Appeared in: Little-loved Series 2 episode ‘Love & Monsters‘. A very familiar face on British screens, with regular roles in hits including Hustle, Mad Dogs, The Good Wife and The Musketeers, there’s always been something about Marc Warren that makes you think he’d make a really great alien. See him as The Gentleman in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, or Mr Teatime in The Hogfather, and you’ll agree. Top Doctor potential.

Gemma Whelan

Played: the voice of loads of characters for Big Finish audio adventures, but never (yet) on screen. Appeared in: ‘Ninth Doctor Adventures’, ‘Dalek Universe’, ‘Counter-Measures’ and more. Always a treat wherever you find her on screen, actor-comedian Gemma Whelan is best recognised as warrior leader of the Iron Islands, Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones but she’s been great in Killing Eve, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow, The End of the F***ing World, and recently, a killer episode of Inside No. 9. If Doctor Who is looking for another late-thirties Yorkshire lass to take on the Doctor’s mantle in future, go Whelan or go home.

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Doctor Who Series 13 will air on BBC One and BBC America this autumn.

The post Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor appeared first on Den of Geek.

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omegangrins · 4 years ago

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Chibnall, Children, Choice and Consequence

Allow me to introduce a companion piece to A Treatise on the Doctor:

It's pretty simple:

Chibnall knows what he's doing and is playing a long game to show how the Doctor needs to take more responsibility.

Let me start off with my favorite examples. That's right, plural.

Every single villain 13 faces is never defeated, merely pushed away from causing them any immediate problems. Tim Shaw being the prime example.

1&10. Seriously, Tim Shaw. Her plan was to use his own bombs on him and then teleport him off the planet. Even without Ranskoor Av Kolos, the Doctor should have thought to check in on him. Especially after The Ghost Monument showed the Stenza were a greater threat than she knew. She still hasn't even checked up on WHAT THE HELL THE STENZA ARE! They sound worse than Daleks but naw, let's go rain-bathing in the upper tropics of Canstano instead.

2. Ghost Monument. We saw the END of an interuniversal race. What the fuck is the beginning that got them there? Who is Illyn and how and why did he orchestrate a super race?

3. Krasko. Sent back in time. Really, Doc? Not gonna take a look at the device and see where Ryan sent the prick so you can double check that he's not gonna cause anymore damage?

4. President Trump analog. Ooooo, you looked at him menacingly, Doc, that'll show him!! Not like he's gonna KEEP DOING ILLEGAL SHIT LIKE THIS.

5. The Pting. She literally shunted it off ship to be dealt with by someone else BUT DOESN'T GO BACK TO BE THAT SOMEONE ELSE ONCE SHE HAS HER TARDIS. That's like leaving a living nuke floating around after sweeping it under the rug while you fly off to Paris.

6. The Pakistani-Indian conflict still happens and millions still die. Not her fault but still....

7. Kerblam. Sure, Charlie's terrorism was solved but not the underlying problem that led to it. Humans still can't work because corporations like profits over people.

8. Similar to the Punjab, how you gonna solve sexism, classism and all the -isms?

9. WHY WAS THE SOLITRACT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE??!! It's been around since before the universe. Why'd it decide to come back now? It's a whole universe trying to hug our universe to death. Maaaaaaybe we should check out why.

11. She's gets a pass on the Dalek. Fucking impossible to eradicate them.

12. The Master!!! Finally she checks up on something after the adventures... and it's horrible. With everything gone to shit in her absence. Seeing a pattern yet?

And Barton? And the Cassaven? They didn't disappear into smoke.

13. Multiple Earths being multiply fucked. Remember when I said the Doctor couldn't solve racism, classism, sexism, or any of the other -isms? Starting to look like she needs to TRY.

14. The Skithra FLY OFF after getting hit by a laser beam. That kind of thing tends to piss people off. Even if they're idiots using other's technology.

15. Jack. The Judoon. The Ruth Doctor. All things I'd start checking out if I had a time machine BUT

16. WE CAN'T cause the TARDIS emergency alert is going off and we need to hurry up and run and solve this problem before we run out of time in our TIME AND SPACE MACHINE. Leading to another problem the Doctor could help solve but won't. Plastic and over-consumption.

17. Oh yeah, let's trap two Eternals from another universe in the same place. There's NO WAY that could ever turn out bad.

18,19,20. And again. Cyberium. Pushed off Shelley onto herself and onto Ashad and onto The Master.

That's almost 20 "enemies" the Doctor still needs to deal with.

Oh, not to mention that they let UNIT go defunct because they didn't have the forethought to ask if they needed any money in their alien fighting budget. After asking for an office, a desk, and a job. Kinda funny that way, aren't they?

I hope by now you've gotten the idea that this is VERY deliberate. This is Chibnall laying down some very heavy pipe to smack the Doctor like a clothesline. There isn't a one of these situations that can't come around to bite her in the ass.

Barton, Roberts, Skithra. These are all very loose strands for a time traveller like the Doctor to get tripped up on. Chibnall's past episodes prove it. They're all about the Doctor learning how to take responsibility.

42: The Doctor almost gets Martha killed and almost gets himself killed trying to fix it.

The Hungry Earth: The Doctor (a thousand year old "adult") tells Elliot (a 10 year old kid) that "Sure it's totally fine to go get your headphones while we prepare for an approaching unknown alien force." And 11 rightfully gets his ass chewed for it by the child's mother when the kid goes missing because OF COURSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, JACKASS!

Cold Blood: I could write an entire essay about the Doctor's guilt over the Silurian/Human conflicts they've witnessed, but I don't need to. Because every single Silurian centered episode written in the new era is from Chris Chibnall. And you can feel the sad knowledge of Classic Who spill through. He KNOWS how many times the Doctor has fucked up with the Silurians (about 8 times in television format. And it's rough everytime. Rough.) and he writes those episodes like an apology on behalf of the whole human race. And the Doctor. You know why people are put off by Warriors of the Deep? 5 releases a gas that melts the Silurians. And though it's cheesy, the idea and execution is still horrible.

Add to that if the Doctor hadn't stopped to check the crack, then Rory wouldn't have waited and been around to be shot then absorbed by the time crack.

Power of Three: An entire episode about how the Doctor has a problem slowing down and really taking account of the lives of their companions.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship: The Doctor actually tries to be responsible and pick the right people for a job. For once. But gets angry when they realize it's too late and there's another bunch of Silurians they failed to save. Classic!

Like I said, if you can't see the pattern, you're not paying enough attention to your responsibilites.

Which leads me to the why.

When you fly around time and space for thousands of years, you develop a few duties of care along the way. In every situation, you're the oldest. Technically the only adult in terms of experience. You have a responsibility to act a little less rude and be a bit more aware than needing cue cards to tell you that you should be sad about things around you. And that's the purpose of 13. She's unlucky but learning. Like 12 telling himself something with his face he couldn't say out loud, 13's instincts are leading her to a new place for the Doctor: being a caring, responsible person. Not so much laughing hard or running fast, but being kind. It's the one thing they recognized as a problem in themselves when seeing 1. Being a Doctor is about being kinder than that. Just because you HAVE to saw someone's leg off, that doesn't mean you can't wait a little and comfort them before you do it.

You wanna know what gave me every faith in Chibnall showrunning Doctor Who? 13 staying for Grace's funeral.

Do you understand how unprecedented that is? This is the same person who never said Goodbye to Jo Grant as she got married and fucked off into the night. The same Doctor who said, "I don't do domestic.", did it with Rose a regeneration later, and then closed himself off to everyone but a married couple he felt guilty about who ended up birthing his wife. Have you any idea the number of funerals the Doctor should have the common decency to sit through? This many.

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So for 13 to stay around for the death of a woman she has only just met and not only that, BUT call out Ryan's father for not doing the same, it shows tremendous character growth. It's taken millennia but they're still changing.

Something similar happens with Rosa and The Witchfinders. Realizing that there a lot of companions who have been in situations that are sometimes worse than aliens, but they still manage to make it through. So she needs to buck it up and persevere for everyone else.

That's where her anger comes from, and really it's one of my favorite traits on her. It reminds me of 7. Someone impossibly old and impossibly kind saying to hell with it and at least having some fun with the evils who drag us through the universe. And just like Cartmel planned for 7, 13's past will come to haunt her.

That's where children come in. Most of us are crying babies to the Doctor.

There's this thing you notice most in British shows about answering the question directly as asked. Someone says "Are you sure?", you answer "Sure". That's a direct acknowledgement that you heard the question, understood it, and processed it enough to respond in a manner directly correlating to the question asked. Yas and Graham got it and said "Sure" but Ryan missed it and said "Deffo". This is like Elliot with the headphones. The Doctor should have immediately been like, "Okay, Ryan, it's obvious that you're still dealing with the trauma of your grandmother's death and probably not processing things on a logical level. I said "Are you sure?" Not "Are you deffo?" Because we are most definitely not deffo, Ryan. Graham, you wanna help here?"

I'm being sarcastic for points sake but you understand the idea. The Doctor knows better and has a responsibility as such. She should've really sat down with Ryan and Graham and seen if there was a better way to process their grief.

Because I'm fairly certain that "Deffo" is gonna lead to Ryan's death and Graham's cancer resurging as time cancer (I don't know what time cancer is. I just know it's bad.)

And that is gonna piss Yas off. Which will give you all that character you think she's missing (she isn't. Her character is in her subtleties and silences.). That's WHY her character is a police officer (like how does no else see that the man who wrote Broadchurch wrote an inspector character companion?) Imagine you're Yaz and you see the Doctor flying around in a big, magic box that says POLICE. As a fellow officer, you're gonna expect some basic safety protocols.

Like do a background check on everyone flying in the TARDIS to know whether they're stable enough (mentally, physically, emotionally) for time and space travel. It's no picnic. These people are going to go through hell. A little vetting and planning like Time Heist or Dinosaurs on a Spaceship goes a long way.

Secondly, full fucking disclosure.

"Oh. I can't die because I change my body. Oh. I have arch enemies that will try to kill and torture us any chance they get. Oh. My home planet is full of the biggest assholes in the universe and I'm including my arch enemies."

Third, police like to do this thing called "check-ups" where they go back to the scene of the crime in order to see if there is any more information that can be gleaned which you might not notice when you are busy running around trying not to be killed... Like, the Doctor has the perfect machine to do this with, but nope. Adventure done, run to the next place!!

These are all things you'd expect any reasonable person to do and say when taking others flying off into time and space and "helping". Even if they are an idiot passing through and learning. Especially when you consider the Doctor is vastly older and more experienced than everyone they encounter. They SHOULD know better. And they've got the lifespan to slow down. It's not like they need to be in a hurry because they're going to die at any moment like humans. The Doctor could easily stay for tea and it would be less than a drop in their lifespan.

Now, as usually is the case when I make these theories, I have a parts 1,2,3,4 and 6. There's allways this 5th piece I miss but I manage to get at the end.

But the 6th piece is the Timeless Child. The Doctor isn't a Time Lord anymore. They're not beholden to those people and ideas anymore. Even moreso, those people basically raped her childhood for their own gain so it's not like you'd really listen to them and their "policy of non-intervention".

I'm sensing a coming Trial of a Time Lord season (even believing these two seasons are the opening statement and preliminary evidence of the trial itself) wherein the Doctor finally gets the turnaround 6 deserved. A Trial of the Time Lords, if you will.

"In all my travels through time and space I have battled against evil, against power-mad conspirators. I should have stayed here! The oldest civilization: decadent, degenerate and rotten to the core! Power mad conspirators? Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen — they're still in the nursery compared to us! Ten million years of absolute power: that's what it takes to be really corrupt!"

This is what it's all coming down to. Chibnall's takedown of the Time Lords. And The Master is going to play the most crucial role of all.

They're going to be revealed as an Ux alongside the Doctor and show how the only constants they have in this universe are each other and it's about damn time they work together and tell these high collars to eat Schitt while they explore every star and planet they can find.

Come on, the episode is called The Timeless "Children". If it was just the Doctor it'd be called "The Timeless Child". The Master says as much with the misdirect line, "built on the lie of the Timeless Child." since we see two kids playing in that flashback.

"Since always. Since the Cloister Wars, since the night he stole the moon and the president's wife, since he was a little girl. One of those was a lie, can you guess which one?"

Now we know which one was a lie, we know the Master HAS known the Doctor since they were a little girl. THAT little girl...

But this is all just speculation. It's not like Chris Chibnall could have been thinking about this for the past 40 years and was given a blank slate to do whatever he wanted for five years on his favorite TV show. If y'all want to think he took those reigns and is choosing to make things worse...

Well then you don't know much about responsibility.

I'll let the man himself tell you about it.

"Very early in my career,” says Chibnall, “someone told me that you learn more from a failure than you do from a success. And then I lived out that phrase for a year in Los Angeles. I learned that I would not work that way again or be put in that situation again.” The essential lesson was: “You either have to be in total control of a show or working with people who share your vision and will work with you to achieve it. Also, never work with 13 executive producers.

“Camelot was the classic case of too many cooks. It wasn’t a harmonious set-up and I think that does manifest itself on screen.

“I had a fantastic cast but you have to be free to tell the story you want to tell in the way that you want to tell it. What ended up on screen was not what I wanted and so it is a blemish on my CV.”

Credit to @thirteenthdoc

“You immortals - so entitled, so spoiled. You never clear up after yourselves and you always leave stuff lying around.” - Thirteenth Doctor in Can You Hear Me?

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hypexion · 4 years ago

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Heaven Sent is essentially 55 minutes of Peter Capaldi acting to himself, and occationally to people who don’t act back. If it weren’t for all the special effects, unique costumes and sets, it would be very economical.

I like Heaven Sent. Which is weird, when I think about it, because on the face of it it’s very much an overly complex Moffat mystery. The Doctor is trapped in a rearranging castle being stalked by a deadly monster that only stops when he confesses things. He slowly works his way around the castle, discovering lots of skulls, and that he’s been sent thousands of years into the future. Eventually he discovers that like always, there is no answer that can be worked out, and so he decides to punch his way out over a few billion years.

I think what separates Heaven Sent from the usual Moffat mystery nonsense is that we get explanations that are somewhat reasonable. The sequence where the Doctor explains how he’ll survive jumping out of a window shows that he’s been collecting information that he can use for that purpose, instead of having magic deduction powers like Sherlock from Sherlock. The Doctor even has a mind-TARDIS for giving out explanations, and I think that’s okay. The Doctor is a space alien from space. Given the man a mind-TARDIS.

But who really sells this all is Peter Capaldi, who is basically acting this episode alone. Other than a brief scene with Clara, the Doctor is the only actual character in this episode. Sure, he converses at the Veil, but it’s entirely one-sided. So Heaven Sent ends up as a series of monologues, covering death, despair, mystery, understanding, and most important of all, the bird story. Peter Capaldi manages to pull it all off, from the Doctor’s rage and the beginning of the episode, his despair upon remembering how long he’s been trapped, and his determination to break through the wall over many, many iterations, until he finally delivers the victorious “hell of a bird“ line.

It’s nice that the what of Heaven Sent is good, because I’m much less sold on the why. It turns out that the Doctor has been put in the scary torture castle because of the Hybrid, and we aren’t talking about a car that runs on both petrol and electricity. It turns out that the Doctor left Gallifrey because he knew about the Hybrid, because arbitarily changing the backstory is a thing you can do now. The Hybrid is a super-dangerous combination of two warrior races that is very scary, but has never been mentioned before. Even though it appears to be fairly well know, since both Davros and the Mistress know about it. It’s not a particularly strong arc, and it will eventually go nowhere and not be resolved in a statisfying manner. Of course, once he reaches Gallifrey, the Doctor announces that the Hybrid “is me“ or perhaps “is Me“ in order to set up for a big Gallifrey final.

Also, I think the time scale of this episode is excessive. 4.5 billion years is a really, really long time. That’s about the time the Earth has existed as a physical object. Or a third of the age of the universe. It’s a time so massive it’s beyond all human comprehension. Honestly, a dozen hundred years would have gotten the point across, with a couple of thousand if you really wanted to push it. But no, apparently we need the biggest numbers possible, even though that would completely and utterly subsume the Doctor’s entire existance.

Gripes aside, Heaven Sent is good. Mostly because of Peter Capaldi, but the director, along with all the various costume and set designers obviously did a lot to make this work. And I guess Steven Moffat did write this, but it’s close enough to being horror that we have to wonder if the quality is surprising. But hey, I liked it, so a good job was done overall.

#doctor who #twelfth doctor #heaven sent #doctor who rewatch

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timeagainreviews · 6 years ago

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The Doctor with a Thousand Faces

Art by Paul Hanley

When I say the words "Fourteenth Doctor," what springs to mind? Perhaps you may say "Peter Capaldi," if you want to get super technical. Or perhaps, you may be thinking about Jodie Whittaker’s future successor. And to that point, you may already have someone in mind. Whoever he, or she, or they may be, there are key traits that you tend to expect. The Doctor may look and dress different, but they must also possess a certain "Doctoryness," about them.

Doctor Who is unique. Very few live-action shows have the ability to change their lead actor while maintaining the same character. Sure, they did it on "Bewtiched," but it never became part of the narrative. You could argue that Twin Peaks achieves this with characters like Laura Palmer returning in the form of Madeline Ferguson and Carrie Page. Or even more recently, American Gods with Media and New Media. But what about before that? What about a time before foreign Gods came to America, or certain Time Lords came to British television? What if the undying hero is part of our fabric as a species?

Within its title, Doctor Who has dared its viewers to ponder the question- "Who is this mysterious stranger?" I would venture to say the answer lies somewhere within the culture of the era. Our concept for who the Doctor is, and what they represent has changed throughout the years. As we change as a culture, our expectations of the hero change. The new gods of our pop culture mythology are still fallible, and therefore, subject to change.

It's a fairly popular fan theory that every one of the Doctors is a response to his or her predecessor. And there are even real-world moments when you can see the showrunners course-correcting a bit of bad writing. The Sixth Doctor was so loathed within the higher ranks at the BBC, that the Seventh Doctor is clearly a conscious response. Where Six was brash, Seven was quiet. While Mel was a screamer, Ace was fierce and brooding. On an even deeper level, because Doctor Who is so unique, you can also apply these course corrections narratively.

The Doctor's incarnations act more as avatars of an overarching hero of great power and intelligence. It would seem as though every regeneration is an opportunity for the Doctor, and us as an audience to ponder the identity of the Doctor. Christianity has God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all aspects of the same one God. What does each of them imply about the other? Is each Doctor informed by an overarching consciousness? Is every aspect made in its image, or is the Doctor the sum of their parts? After all, the Doctor is still alive. We are actively watching the Doctor’s lifetime, which as of yet, is still ongoing.

In the Hindu pantheon, we get gods like Vishnu and Shiva who also take up corporeal form as avatars on earth. Much like the Doctor, these avatars are usually direct responses to their predecessor. Take Vishnu, for example. Vishnu incarnates in several different eras, usually as a response to some great imbalance in the world. But often times, their personalities explore a different aspect of Vishnu overall. As the avatar Rama, he lived so lawfully that, depending on which version of the Ramayana you prefer, cost him the love of his life. In his next incarnation as Krishna, he corrects this by being more anarchic, more bohemian, and much more free-loving. On the other hand, he was also more authoritative, as compared to Rama's gentler nature.

You could compare these two characterisations to the Third and Fourth Doctors. The Third Doctor literally worked with the military while the Fourth Doctor flew in the face of the Brigadier, hanging his feet out of the Jeep like a petulant teenager. While both Doctors have the same authoritarian streak, they're usually found in opposite directions. The Third Doctor's officiousness melts away into warmth, while the Fourth Doctor's charm burns away with his fury. All the while, each of them demands we as viewers continue to ponder the nature of our terrifying friend.

We’ll spend the entirety of the show pondering that nature. Because, as I stated before, the Doctor’s life is ongoing. Much like Vishnu sustaining the universe, Shiva’s dance has not yet ended, Brahma has not yet awakened. The dance of life continues. We can live in the past or the future, but we can never escape the present. Each Doctor stares down the barrel of their own demise. Even we as an audience see each successive Doctor as temporary. Their days are numbered, and no matter how many times you change your hair, your wardrobe, your gender, we all fear the reaper. So we focus on the now, when we’re alive. We focus on our own unique challenges.

Every son of God, it would seem, has their own cross to bear. Each hero meets a greater burden that speaks to the culture of a time. As Jodie Whittaker's Doctor is yoked with the incumbrance of sexism, so too was Colin Baker yoked with censorship. Conservative backlash has often times landed Doctor Who in the hot seat. "The Trial of a Time Lord," is a story arc that directly addressed the real-world accusations of the show's violence. In "Rosa," the Doctor goes toe-to-toe with the embodiment of a nasty internet troll in the form of Krasko.

It's funny then, to view how this response to popular culture has changed throughout the years. Ben and Polly were practically Bible thumpers compared to the real world culture of hippies that were capturing the hearts and minds of people everywhere in the '60s. In their own way, they're a couple of squares that fly in the face of what was actually "cool," at the time. Even this goes against the mercurial trickster that was the First Doctor, who bit his thumb at your fuddy-duddy schoolmaster in the form of Ian Chesterton. Doctor Who of the '80s seemed like more of a "2000 AD" comic book world, which makes sense when you consider who was Prime Minister at the time.

Not only is the Doctor's personality explored throughout these incarnations, but the symbolism surrounding the Doctor as well. The name "Doctor," itself has been explored to some depth within the show. What does being a doctor mean to the Doctor? A doctor is a person who can bring us hope. They can also bring us dreadful news. Some of us don't like seeing the doctor because death seems to follow them around. The Doctor also carries a tool as opposed to a weapon. We're given the impression that the Doctor is a person who wants to fix things. Even psychic paper is a symbol for the Doctor's anarchic streak. "Badges? Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!" Psychic paper plays to that devilish side in all of us that wants backstage access and lies on our résumé. The symbolism of the TARDIS has also changed over the years. Modern perceptions of the police may taint the image of a police box in the same way modern perceptions of America may taint the image of Captain America. However, I would like to think that both Cap and the Doctor represent the potential of what these things could become. The Doctor is what a good cop should be.

People say Doctor Who shouldn't be political, but from a historical standpoint, that's impossible. It's always had the same character, fighting for freedom from unjust capitalism, to totalitarianism, to unimaginable callousness. The Doctor has never asked what a person's sexuality was before saving their life because the Doctor is an actual hero. The Doctor doesn't have to agree with your lifestyle to agree that life is precious. What kind of Doctor would they be if they went around allowing someone to die? That's no kind of Doctor at all. This is why Doctors sometimes need people around to kick them in the ass when they're being total kumquats.

Whether we call them assistants, or companions, or friends, the Doctor's fellow travellers remain cyphers for the audience, though some more than others. While on the other hand, it would seem as though the Doctor represents something deeper, something more conceptual. Like a doctrine passed from leader to leader. "Never cowardly, never cruel." Keeping humans around to keep the leader in check. We the viewer have this abstraction of our greater self, playing companion to the strangeness that is this existence. We love these stories because they’re our history, our world, and our trajectory. Past, present, and future. They're embedded in our religions and in our myths. So we keep the tradition of storytelling alive so that we might never forget these elements within ourselves. And to remember that no matter how bad things get, to appreciate being alive now.

Hello friends! For those of you who may be wondering, yes I have posted this article already. However, I wasn't completely happy with it, so I retooled it a bit. Sometimes you gotta do that! I've been up to rather a lot since we last talked. I went to see Andrew Cartmell speak in Leeds a few weeks ago, and that was great fun. He had so many wonderful insights into his era. We're still working on K9, but things have been a bit slow because of my pal's schedule. I've still got plans to write an Eighth Doctor article, but I decided to put it off for the time being. I'd like to go a little deeper into his audios and books now that I've finished his comics. I've also got articles planned for Doctor Who in video games, Doctor Who canon, and I might start doing profiles for villains I love.Speaking of profiles, I may also start interviewing some of my favourite Whovians. I know so many avid fans of the show with their own wonderful perspectives, that I wanted to incorporate them somehow! On the Twin Peaks front, I was thinking about sharing a series of comics I've been working on. Each comic explores a different theme in the show. I've also been toying with the idea of writing about other shows. Speaking of which, who all watched Good Omens? I loved it. What did you think?

#doctor who #vishnu #rama #krishna #bbc #tardis #Thirteenth Doctor #seventh doctor #sixth doctor #trial of a timelord #rosa #third doctor #fourth doctor

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tylerrjoeseph · 6 years ago

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I haven’t used tumblr for years and idk if anyone will even remember me but ! I wanted to write up a post about my past weekend at lfcc, where i got to finally meet peter capaldi, someone I've loved and looked up to for roughly five years. I’ve seen people writing posts about me and i thought it might be nice for me to put a more detailed post up for people.

I’ve always been adamant about peter supporting the lgbtqia+ community and never doubted him for a second but the kindness he displayed for me was something i really wasn’t expecting, I arrived on the Saturday morning and decided to go straight into his autograph queue, Luckily my diamond pass was 31 and i got to queue in the first batch of people, I was maybe in the queue for like half an hour before it was my turn at the front phew, I walked up to peter and he greeted me with a big grin and said hello ect, I was worried about not getting much time with him so i decided to just tell him what i wanted to say asap, I said firstly ‘I have a really hard time with my gender identity and your doctor has constantly shown me that the universe is worth staying alive for and there’s so much important stuff to see’ and he was so humbled and kept saying how much of a privileged it was to hear that and how important it is to him that i said it, i then gave him some gifts and he said my artwork was amazing, if anyone wants to see what i gave to him here’s some tweets (x) (x), anyway, he then glanced at my print i was getting signed and looked at the dedication that said Joseph, and then asked me again what i like to be called and i explained that all of my friends call me localjoseph cause its the @ i use for everything online but i felt weird about getting him to write that so Joseph would be fine but i still don’t know what i like to be called and that i have a hard time with that, and peter smiled really huge and was like ‘thats okay cause so does the doctor!’ he then paused for AGES while closing his eyes with his head down and after like 20 seconds i asked if he was okay because i thought the man was irl buffering lol but he smiled and was like ‘yeah i’m just trying to remember something’ and then kept looking down while quietly saying ‘name to himself’, after a good 45 seconds he started writing the dedication which is SO special to me. (see below)

He wrote that not because my name is Joseph (because its not) but because i specifically said i don’t know what i want to be called, its basically letting me know that one day i will know what i want to be called and it will be heard and thats so special, like i can’t believe he took the time to write all that out, he then wrote out ‘be kind’ for me to get tattooed (x) and also signed my dreamboys vinyl which he was very shocked to find out i paid £100 for (x) (x), we then hugged and i told him i appreciate him so much and he said he really appreciate me sharing what i did with him and as i walked off he had a grin oh his face (x)

The diamond pass came with a photo op that same day so i queued up for that and went in the room with my pride flag (if you want to know why i wanted a pride flag photo op, i wrote a small thread of tweets here on why) but anyway as i walked up to him he excitedly almost yelled ‘THERE HE IS!!!!!’ and said hi a bunch, i asked him what i wanted to do for the pose and he was more than up for it, he held it up and held my hand and the photo came out so lovely, i think someone described it as ‘confident’ and that shook me, like he looks so proud in the photo. I thought that was the last time i was meeting peter so i said goodbye and he thanked me.

The next day was peters talk and i managed to get second row, at one point someone asked him how he prepared for playing a transgender role in prime suspect and his answer warmed my heart a lot, he said that he really got invested in the community and met with many trans people who were currently transitioning because he wanted to understand everything and that he understood being trans wasn’t just putting on an outfit and saying you were something else, he said that everyone he met were so brave and had the biggest hearts and how much he respected them. (psa :I don’t condone cis people playing trans parts at all, but i tend to brush this one off because of how long ago it was and i think now if asked peter would understand its not okay to take parts like that) anyway after that i knew i had to thank peter for saying that so my extra ass bought another photo op to see him again that evening.

we were in batch 17 and i thought it would be hilarious to recreate the ‘will smith and his wife’ pose with peter because i love peter a whole ton and in my head i thought it would be funny and what he deserved. I wasn’t entirely sure on how i was gonna pitch the pose to him but when i went in i saw how rushed the photos were being because it was running over slightly, so when i got there peter excitedly said hi again and i was like ‘hey listen peter i have a pose in mind’ and he said ‘yeah’ and I said ‘all you gotta do is just stand there straight and smile huge’ and he laughed and was like ‘smile huge? smile huge OKAY!’ and i just got on the floor and this happened.

after the photo was taken he was laughing and was like ‘WHAT DOES THIS MEAN’ and i said that it was based on a photo of will smith and his wife and it meant that he was amazing basically and he started beaming and said thank you. As i walked away he grabbed my hand and i turned round and said ‘thank you so much for what you said about trans people on stage earlier it really meant a lot to me’ and he said it was his pleasure while still not letting go of my hand lol, he thanked me a bunch for coming and nice it was to see me and i told him to enjoy the rest of his weekend and he FINALLY let go of my hand when i was like half way across the room to collect my photo.

if you want to see the videos of me meeting peter check here

This post was a little longer than what i expected to be but I just wanted to say that peter had absolutely no business being that kind to me, he could have just rushed through things with me and that be it but he stopped listened to me and so many others, I want you to believe me when i said that peter really cares about what you say to him and he really takes on board your presence because he remembers meeting so many people constantly after meeting thousands a day. He truly is a incredibly special human and we really don’t deserve him. I hope all of you can get to meet him one day too. check out my twitter for other candids of us meeting and stuff here

also a small disclaimer, I don’t identify as a girl or a boy even though my expression is pretty much exclusively masc, I go by he/they pronouns ! thank you x

#peter capaldi #doctor who #twelfth doctor #12th doctor #lfcc #london film and comic con

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truthbeetoldmedia · 6 years ago

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Doctor Who 11x01 “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” Review

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting and watching whiny white boys make Reddit threads about a female Doctor ruining the entire genre of science fiction, we have a new season of Doctor Who! And, to be honest, it feels like a whole new show compared to the recent dark and moody seasons that were much too interested in their own perceived cleverness than making television that’s actually enjoyable. We have a new Doctor, three new companions, and a new showrunner; the possibilities are endless. I’ll jump right in by dividing my review into two sections: what I enjoyed and what I didn’t.

What I Enjoyed

Jodie Whittaker

My first impression of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor is a good one: she’s funny, quick witted, and she already seems comfortable playing this new character. Fans of Doctor Who know that first impressions are crucial for a new version of the Doctor, and the nature of the show doesn’t make it easy. The Doctor has just regenerated, not quite her old self but not yet fully transformed into her new self, either. Whittaker has to play an established character and a new one all at the same time, with the added pressure of being the first woman to do so. She has to transform from an echo of Peter Capaldi’s twelfth Doctor into her own, which she does masterfully.

And, personally, I’m looking forward to a young Doctor. At age 36, Whittaker is the third youngest to play the Doctor after Matt Smith at 26 and Peter Davison at 29. There’s something really effective about a two-thousand-year-old time lord staring at you from the eyes of someone in their 30s, and if we’re lucky enough to have a great actor in the Doctor’s shoes, that will shine through in more dramatic scenes and add real depth to the show. Matt Smith did this better than anyone, and you can fight me on that.

The most recent seasons of Doctor Who have been quite dark, with the Doctor being played by a shouty, fed up British white man in a constant state of angst. Peter Capaldi did a good job playing the Doctor during the past three seasons, but it can definitely be argued that this three season long trend was a bit too long for this kind of Doctor. Every season had at least five moments that all were framed as “the Doctor’s darkest hour,” trying to add depth to the story which instead was interpreted by many as the show being too obsessed with it’s own “cleverness.” Steven Moffat’s show Sherlock is guilty of the same thing, and it’s easy to see how Doctor Who was able to join Sherlock in the way of being a little too pretentious; a little too dark for the sake of attempting to be clever, and the show suffered for it.

Now, with Whittaker (and new showrunner Chris Chibnall), echoes of a more balanced Doctor Who are once again the core of the show. This new Doctor is cheerful in the face of danger, quick to defend her friends (or anyone, really), with the ability to be stern when the moment calls for it. This episode also allows Whittaker to shine through as the Doctor without a grand story or circumstance: she has no TARDIS, no sonic screwdriver (until she fashions one herself), and there is no travel in time or space. It’s just the Doctor on her own with a group of unassuming humans, trying to save lives.

It can be difficult for the audience when someone new plays the Doctor; there’s always a bit of a transition from the version of the Doctor that we’ve learned to appreciate and have grown used to. It’s a testament to Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall that when she finally declared, “I know EXACTLY who I am. I’m the Doctor,” I not only believed it, I was already cheering for her.

The Companions

As with a new Doctor, new companions sometimes need getting used to, especially if the previous companion was a fan favorite. In this episode we’re introduced to Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yaz (Mandip Gill), and Graham (Bradley Walsh). We learn that Ryan and Yaz know each other from school, and Graham is Ryan’s step-grandfather.

We’re introduced to our new companions when they’re struggling; a classic introduction and a perfect way to introduce the Doctor into their lives. Ryan is struggling with a disorder that affects his coordination and is working a dead end job, knowing he’s not satisfied with his current circumstance but not knowing what to do to fix it. Yaz seems like she’s the most successful of the bunch, working as a police officer, but we learn early on that she’s been assigned to working traffic disputes and is met with refusal when she asks her superior to put her on more interesting cases. Graham, who has been married to Ryan’s Nan, Grace, for only three years, is finding it hard to connect with Ryan.

These three (and Grace) all work surprisingly well together in this first episode, and I’m already excited for their dynamic. We learned the most about Ryan this week, but I’m ready to learn about the others as the season progresses. I’m especially intrigued by Yaz; she’s extremely clever and I can’t wait to see that translate into adventures with the Doctor.

Choosing When to Address a Female Doctor

We all know that Jodie Whittaker’s turn as the Doctor is a historic one, marking the first time in over fifty years that the Doctor won’t be a British white man (she’s still British and white, mind you). Immediately following the announcement that the Doctor will be played by a woman, hoards of distraught men threw what can only be described as a tantrum. We all know what white men throwing a tantrum via the internet looks like, so I won’t go into detail. I will say that I’m THRILLED at the treatment that this historical casting got in the season premiere.

The Doctor’s gender is only mentioned once, quickly, and then immediately pushed to the side in favor of the actual substance of the episode. The Doctor hasn’t seen herself since regenerating, and when Yaz refers to her as “Madam” her response is a simple “Am I? Does it suit me? An hour ago I was a white haired Scotsman,” and then moves RIGHT on. Yes, The Doctor is a woman. Women belong in science fiction. A woman INVENTED science fiction, and there won’t be any kind of justification needed for a female Doctor.

The only other time the controversy surrounding Whittaker’s casting was addressed was later on in the episode, indirectly, and by the Doctor herself while giving a signature uplifting speech during the climax of the episode. She says that “We are all capable of the most incredible change. We can evolve while still staying true to who we are. We can honor who we’ve been, and choose who we want to be next.” Honestly, I was waiting for her to pull a Jim Halpert and stare right into the camera.

Back to the True Essence of Doctor Who

I mentioned this earlier on in my review, but it is such a relief to watch an episode of Doctor Who that actually feels like Doctor Who. The show has definitely gotten away from what made it special in the first place: extraordinary events in a perfectly unassuming location with ordinary people, and an alien that happens to have two hearts.

When I’m trying to explain Doctor Who to someone who hasn’t watched it (a tough job, I know), I always feel like I have to include that line from Season 1 when the Ninth Doctor (played by Chris Eccleston) says, “Nine hundred years of time and space and I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the best part about Doctor Who is the notion that the ordinary is extraordinary. Doctor Who is best when it’s simple, when it uplifts everyday people, and when it doesn’t try to be some grand display of cleverness. The Doctor makes her new sonic screwdriver out of Sheffield steel. She calls herself “just a traveler.” We haven’t seen this show like this in awhile, and I’m grateful.

What I Could Have Done Without

As you can tell from the first part of this review, there wasn’t a lot that I didn’t like. There is, however, one major event I take issue with, and that’s the death of Ryan’s Nan, Grace.

Grace is a part of the group that joins the Doctor early on in the episode, and she ends up dying while fighting the “monster of the week,” an alien dubbed “Tim Shaw.” It seemed so unnecessary, especially for a season premiere with a new Doctor, a new showrunner… something like that sets the tone for a new season and a new era, so it’s an odd choice to put in this episode. Fans of Doctor Who know that the show is no stranger to soul crushing sadness, but that’s usually reserved for the exit of a companion or a season finale. They even went so far as to show the funeral, touching upon death in a way that the show hasn’t done before.

We all know that good people die, but this seemed like an odd choice. It’s also pretty evident that Grace’s early demise was a way to push her husband, Graham, into being a better person, but it’s never a good choice to sacrifice a woman to insert meaning into a man’s emotional journey, especially since we only just met Grace and she didn’t have a chance to do anything else. Her relationship with Ryan seemed much more important, but we were robbed of that as well.

Overall, I really loved this episode. I’m genuinely looking forward to the new season, something that hasn’t happened for me since Matt Smith left the show. Here’s to hoping this season is Doctor Who as it should be.

Alyssa's episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝🐝

#Doctor Who #The Woman Who Fell to Earth #Jodie Whittaker

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hellotinywonder · 7 years ago

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(re)Generation 2018: meet your heroes.

DAY THE FIRST, Wednesday:

Snow. Darnit. I’m going delay my trip a day.

DAY TWO, Thursday:

I got up at 5:30a, trekked down to my conveniently already-packed car through the snow, but the streets were clear, and I began my drive westward and northward. Dawn over snowy mountains is spectacular.

I visited with puppeteer friends in Richmond, saw their local makerspace, and hung out with an old friend from my touring days and her new dog, Dave, a rescued sweetheart from Puerto Rico.

DAY THREE, Friday:

Off to DC, with literally NO traffic. I had brunch with the incredible JoJo (Burlesque Poetess), who is a Doctor Who nerd of equal or greater value, and extended bandfamily from ten years ago. It’s been so great to reconnect and talk art and ideas and nerdy references. And how we engage with the universe, and how sometimes the universe engages right back.

After brunch I headed to visit my friend Matt and his wife. It was great. I met Matt a few years ago at a convention, all because I had PuppetCapaldi with me, Matt used to write and draw for Doctor Who comics, and has since become one of my closest art friends and advisors and person to send random texts to in a crisis. Good people, but this is the first time we’ve hung out in person since our initial meeting. It was great. A few hours later I was off to Baltimore.

It took 3 hours. Which didn’t mean much to me, as I don’t drive DC to Baltimore often. But yes… I later learned it should be a 45 min trip. I parked eventually and made my way to the hotel for ReGen. I knew only one person going in, and I promptly sought him out: Drew Meyer. I snuck into the back of his panel (it’s worth mentioning that I met Drew the same day I met Matt, and PuppetCapaldi did those introductions too) and tried to use context clues to make out what it was about. I got as far as Drew referring to the Tardis as “sort of like a windowless van”, when I abandoned that notion and decided I’d just make a note of it, so I could mock him in my end of trip summary… like… now.

After touching base, and handing off my puppet suitcase (Drew was storing it onsite so I could attend the March for Our Lives the next day without needing to worry about a giant rolly-bag and crowds) I caught Irene Richard coming out of the panel she had just hosted with Rachel Talalay. I feel like I’ve known Irene for years, I think it’s how decidedly New Yorker she is, but this was our first time actually meeting. We hit it off, as I knew we would, and then by some twist of awkwardness and fate, I was standing at a table with Rachel Talalay admiring a scribbled storyboard movement sketch. I love things like that. Process-peeks. I realized I didn’t have anything to say to Rachel (aside from the whole: You’re awesome, inspiring, and your eye is fantastic), which is bothersome, because I’m a fairly interesting person at times, and I want to learn so much from her, she’s a powerhouse in the industry I am just starting to dabble in, and am always keeping an eye on. I didn’t have any puppets with me to reinforce that I make stuff, etc. That’s fine, there was a whole weekend ahead.

I skipped out to dinner with Drew and his friend Brent, and shortly after went home to my friend’s house, where there was a party.

The party, I won’t get into too much, but I walked in and it was like knowing everyone. They were activists, peers, they had a prison letter writing campaign going on in the dining room. I had such a wonderful time meeting everyone, it was a completely unexpected bonus. I miss my punkrock anarcho activist friends. Good to see organization like that in Baltimore. I slept in a room with multiple accordions. Perfection. Thank you Jonathan for your hospitality and your excellence.

DAY what is it now? Four? FOUR, Saturday:

I got up early, mostly because I had been and would be antsy about giving my panel on puppet and prop-making that night. No one else in the house is up, and I need coffee and to get to the March.

I get a Lyft to town, remembering seeing a Starbucks a block or two away from the hotel. I’m traveling with just a little backpack and my travel mug as my puppets are stored at Drew’s so I get out and head off to it. *Normally I’d avoid Starbucks and hit up a local cafe, but the Baltimore Harbour is rather commercialized I couldn’t find an indie place to scope out. I was not alone in this…

I walk in, an amalgamation of bleary-eyes and nerves, and to my left I see a familiar figure and hear a voice, and at first I dismiss it, as I don’t quite place it- holy damnit. It’s Peter Capaldi. ***Now, I am going to stop you here. Peter Capaldi is a big deal to me. I met him last year, PuppetCapaldi in tow, and some friends got me to make a 24 hour comic about it. (It’s here https://tinyurl.com/y9cfma2t) worth a read, and it’s flipping cute, and I might reference it once or twice more.***

He’s talking with Rachel. I make my way past them, because they are having a conversation and the day is young, and I am about to go shake my fist at government, and I need coffee and… While I’m waiting in line, they finish their conversation and get up. Fine, universe, I might as well, I wanted to reconnect with Rachel anyway, so I do. I say hello, I explain that this is a very bizarre and rather delightful start to my day at least. Rachel introduces me, Peter shakes my hand. “I’m Peter.” “Valerie.” We talk for a short while. Peter grabs my travel mug and inquires about my Scottish flag sticker with EU stars super-imposed. I explain that, while I am not from the UK, I’ve kept up on Brexit and I talk about meeting with the remainers outside of Westminster, and when I was in Glasgow- Glasgow? Oh yes, and then I point to the sticker next to it, which is a map of one of my favourite cities in the world: Glasgow (my travel mug is adorned in stickers from places I’ve been recently, namely Glasgow and Berlin, and Tokyo…) Peter doesn’t quite recognize it, so I point out The Clyde, and it clicks. “Oh!” He says, then we start to talk about Glasgow. It’s brilliant. He points to a place on the map and shows us: “I have a flat right around here.” I show him where I stayed, across from Kelvingrove. “Oh, that’s the West Side.” He’s right, but I act jokingly incensed. Glasgow, Glasgow, Glasgow, and then it’s time to go. We say our goodbyes. And they are on their way and I will see them later and…. I need coffee.

I walk back to the hotel a few minutes later (to set eyes on puppets, make sure everyone’s all set, and tuck them away at the Pixel Who booth, who have lovingly adopted us for the weekend), glowing. It occurs to me I just got to talk to Peter Capaldi about Glasgow. Not Doctor Who, not The Thick of It, not Puppets, just Glasgow, a city we have a mutual fondness for. This is somehow the best thing ever.

Okay, get your head together, Valerie. It’s time to go to the March. So I do, it’s about 4 blocks away, an easy walk and the whole time I’m overwhelmed with what today might end up being like. The March is indescribable. I went to the local Baltimore version, knowing DC would be too much to contend with if I am to teach a puppet workshop that evening, but I believe it was worth stepping out wherever and being counted in the hundreds of thousands of people demanding better gun control in the US. Kids are on the microphone, empowered by their peers, and finding their voice, and demanding their safety, and I’m already just emotionally dilated and I begin to cry. It was such a powerful morning.

After a couple hours, I’m starting to fade. I leave the March, return to the hotel, get some food and grab my date, a 3 year old, beat to hell, semi-retired PuppetCapaldi. He is the goshdarn belle of the ball when it comes to conventions like these, especially when Peter is present. We go to a panel interview of Peter. As he’s my aforementioned ArtHero, I am terribly interested in what he has to say, but I don’t care as much about meta Doctor Who information unless it’s fun anecdotes of monsters and puppetry, of which there are a couple. The only thing I am interested in him answering related to Doctor Who is what was it like to make something like this in the world of Brexit or Trump, or how does Doctor Who intersect with our current reality, because sometimes it seems to offer direct commentary, and Saturday (with the March) was just a particularly important day. A sort of: did Doctor Who, the franchise, feel it has a duty of care, with how it couches its viewpoint in media, etc. I never got to ask that question, but someone asked one similar. His answer was lovely, talking about how ultimately Doctor Who is being made for kids, and giving them the globalist (universalist) perspective of The Doctor will help shape their thinking and the world as they inherit it. That world leaders should be afraid, because Doctor Who is communicating with the generations that will replace them. It wasn’t quite the question I had, but it was close enough. Thank you, whoever asked it. I looked for her after (she had blue wristlets), but never found her.

I ran into Rachel again after this, and donated to WhoAgainstGuns and got a lovely postcard of the (now dismantled) Tardis interior, which I love, a set I desperately wish I could have seen, could have been on, and I did try. She signed it to me. “To Valerie from Starbucks” and we talked about how we both ended up there that morning for lack of other options. I apologized for bothering them, but there was no need. It also caught me offguard to be remembered. That’s a long time problem for myself. I’ve written about it many times before. I am getting accustomed to the concept that people do in fact have object permanence when dealing with me. It’s nice to be remembered.

I’m about to go get our little family photo taken, when Michelle Gomez passes by and sees PuppetCapaldi she makes “the face” as I have come to call it. “Whaaaaarghourgh!” She yells as she’s rushed by. I make a note to find her later. She made the “I know that guy!” face, and I think she wants a picture with it.

I am currently, in present as-I-write-this day, realizing how darn wordy I am. I’ll try to condense. We have our photo taken. Peter puts together that I am me. The woman from this morning, but also that we have met before, once he sees the puppets. I let him play with the finger puppet, and before I know it we’re looking into the monitor (THEY HAVE A MONITOR, BLESS YOU!) and I’m talking about finding focus, etc. A photo is taken of me adjusting Peter’s arm while he stares down the camera, and then one where I look at the camera but he, and all puppets present, are focused on the monitor. Both are super adorable.

We’re removing puppets, etc and Peter says “You made all these, yes?” Oh yes. Someone prompts me and I mention the puppet I brought that is loosely based on Armando Iannucci, not that anyone would recognize it. “I would recognize him” Peter says. “Bring him by and show me.” So, that’s that. I’m off. A bit thrilled that I’m getting a reputation as the puppet lady. I mean, I’m certainly working at it, but attaining it is an altogether different feeling.

I’m sitting outside in the hallway playing with two little girls who were there for photos and talking to them about puppets and Sesame Street, and that sort of thing, when Peter and his folks pass us. The girls and I (and PuppetCapaldi) wave at them, and I continue to pack my photo into my Spacejunk sketchbook and then I’m alone in the hall. I head for the elevators and as I turn the corner I walk into the most wonderful scene:

Young Theo Tidemann (who I did not know at the time) has just started playing ukulele at Peter’s request, while we’re all waiting for elevators. Theo starts “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.” It’s wonderful. It’s sweet. It’s about to get even better. Peter starts to sing along, then slowly we all do. A bunch of strangers, singing in impromptu harmony. It’s so magical. Singalongs are like my religion. That metaphysical energy of communion through song? It’s transcendent to me. Early on I realized that I was in a perfect moment, and I thought of this kid I was about to meet, and he deserved a video of this. So I juggled my puppets a bit and took some poor quality video with my phone, it pans up and fades out, and it doesn’t matter. It’s the perfect moment, and we can rewatch it anytime. (It’s on @hellotinywonder’s instagram… https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgt7jO8Ar25/ and BBC-A put it in an article about Doctor Who’s Day recently) Other things happen that day. I get a moment with Michelle, she takes a photo with PuppetCapaldi, but I’ve never seen it since. I am still looking for it. It’s a great exchange, though. Showing someone your art because they are excited about it. I’m pretty proud of that. I play ukulele in a room of other ukulele people… it’s ukubiquitous!

I sit in a dark corner and just breath a bit. I end up talking about puppets with the custodial staff, and it’s one of the most delightful conversations of the weekend. Throughout, I am adrift.

PUPPET PANEL! It went WELL! Kathy O’Shea David helped out and brought her army of puppets as well, I would go on, but really, it was mostly just me talking about puppets, how to build, what to use, asking questions, answering questions, and corralling a puppet petting zoo. Unexpected hit of the posse was Kyle the Fish! Everyone loves Kyle, I demonstrated my feelings on ventriloquism with him (when using a puppet, in my opinion, moving your mouth doesn’t matter, if your focus on the puppet is correct, and your manipulation is believable and you hit your lipsync, people will just accept it.) As I started to put puppets away, when my panel was over I looked up and saw Kyle, some kid was manipulating his mouth, and it was so moving. I make reference puppets like I do fanart, to expose people to the other stuff I do. Do you like PuppetCapaldi? He’s a portrait puppet, a skill I possess, and can do for anyone! Do you like this Rick from Rick and Morty? He has moving eyes, a mech I designed, and also use over here… People fell in love with Kyle, who is my very own intellectual property, and that meant the world to me.

At some point, I and my puppet rolly-bag float away to bed.

DAY I FORGET, IT’S THE LAST ONE, Sunday

I drive myself in this time, so I can scoot off when I’m done. Puppets stay in the car, with the exception of PuppetCapaldi, my date, and Armando, who I debate quietly… I mean, he’s janky, he’s not quite right, he’s not a portrait puppet, he’s just *based* on Armando Iannucci… do I want to show a piece to Peter that I don’t fully stand behind? I’ll decide later. I stuff him into my travel tote which I realize then is my tote from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. I sigh. I am the biggest nerd ever, even when I don’t mean to be.

I have Coffee with the Creators. This is delightful. I get to pick some people’s brains, and let others just tell me about what they do. I am thrilled to get to speak more with Simon Fraser, a comic book artist for Doctor Who, I swear, I do collect them as friends, it seems. I also get to meet Steve Gostelow whose table I’d been eyeing throughout, but we missed eachother. He was a monster maker, and sculptor, and having a materials and process geekout was fantastic.

There’s a moment when Rachel is about to come to our table, and she has to get up and leave, we make this brief sort of eye contact and I realize as she’s headed out, that it’s fine. We’ll catch up later, that is such a strange and wonderful feeling. She tells me later she had to run up and get her photo taken with the three Doctors. Adorable. Flipping Adorable. I will see her again in a little over a month, and that is spectacular.

I am walking around the con, taking it all in and Peter and his small group walk by, I’m talking with my new fellow blue-haired early 30’s lady friend Gale at Nightengale Needles, and I look up and see him. I have nothing to say to him so I resort to my clown communication skills and make a friendly, but decidedly silly face.

It is returned.

This is a professional milestone, in my book.

Later I am in the vendor area, and I meet up with Simon Fraser and his family. We talk a bit more, he likes PuppetCapaldi (really, that puppet handled nearly all my introductions, it’s great). I am looking through his portfolio of work for sale, mostly because what he is selling is traditional blue pencil and ink, and I like just looking at people’s work, understanding how they develop a peice. Then I see the page. It’s 4 vertical panels of Osgood throwing her scarf to a falling Twelfth Doctor. She saves him. He is appreciative and grumpy. She looks like me. I’ve seen this page, I’m told it’s from a Free Comic Book Day issue, from Titan, I assume. I was eyeing a wallet made out of it on Etsy, I love it. I love the composition, the dynamics, the SHELOOKSLIKEMEness of it all. And here it is. Waiting for me.

I rarely buy things at conventions, but this page has been in my mind for almost a year? And I love it, and now it’s mine. And in some strange cosmic organization, it was always mine.

On my way out I touched base again with Steve Gostelow. I show him my “Celastic: Do It Old School!” button. While he didn’t use Celastic, he still appreciates it. We talk a bit more maker shop and it’s wonderful.

Okay, the last line for meet and greet and autographs. As I said in my comic, these are the people PuppetCapaldi was made for. We had time, and I struck up conversations with all the lovely people around me, especially this woman, Michelle, who gave me a clif bar. Smart folks. I showed her the comic, which gave her a bit of context into what was about to happen.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting an 8x10 glossy photo signed, but that is not where I am at. When people set down what they would like to have signed, I pulled out my do-not-lose-me-orange A4 #Spacejunk notebook and open to a random page. That is what I want signed.

When I’m about to meet Peter, again, I take off PuppetCapaldi, that’s not what this is about. The woman in front of me is having her Missing DoSAC Files book (one of my favourite books ever) signed “by Malcolm”. Peter pens a short, furious, and F-laden diatribe for her. She thanks him and wishes him a happy birthday. “Ah yes!” He says. “Thank you.” He goes on to sign a photo she had in her collection of signables. “You know, I’ll be 60,” he starts, “and when you’re 60 the government gives you a little pass. And I can take all the buses and trains for free.” The public transit junkie in me is thrilled. It’s always nice to have common geekery with the people you look up to.

Oh, then it’s my turn. Okay, then. I try to briefly and calmly (everything is madness around me) explain that I am here to ask him for some advice, or encouragement, that I, and many like-minded friends of mine are all at these weird professional empasses, and I look up to him, and have for some time, even this puppet has gotten me work out in the big crazy world of TV and Film. He smiles and grabs a blue sharpie (which I realize I had secretly hoped he’d use blue, despite the several black, silver, and gold sharpies on the table).

“Shall I make it out to you?” “Sure.” I say, (I mean, fair is fair, I’ll share the advice, but this is my letter, sorry kids.) “...I’m Valerie.” I continue. “I know.” He says and continues to write.

I’m again caught off guard at this display of object permanence. This hero of mine knows me. Knows my work…

He is writing, but stops. “Have you got your Armando with you?”

Ulp. More object permanence.

“Well, I mean, yes, but it’s not quite-” “I want to see it!” He puts the pen down. He’s written something about stars aligning.

I dig Armando out, explaining that he’s only *based* on him, for a show I’m building… I slip my hand through the secret hole in the sleeve, and lift the puppet’s head.

Peter makes what I have described earlier as “the face”.

He gasps, giggles, then buries his face in his hands. Armando looks around a little frantic, and a little jangly, scratches his head. Peter lifts his head, locks eyes with me, locks eyes with the puppet, and devolves into laughing. “It’s *so* like him!” he says. “I need to show this to him.” His handler takes our photo together. Peter explains “this one is special, this is for a friend of mine.” A woman who I guess knows Iannucci’s likeness also gets it and now she’s laughing.

“I’m going to send this to him!” Peter tells me while his friend takes the photo, “He’ll love it!”

Peter sits back down, again telling me how much Puppet Armando is like Proper Armando and recomences writing. He just keeps going, we’ve stopped talking, and it’s rather quiet, surrounded by the din of the convention. Sharpie on paper, scratching.

Someone behind me taps me on the shoulder and checks to see if I am doing okay. I tell them I am fine, and I am. I am perfect.

He’s stopped mid-sentence, and is just writing “work” over and over in the margins.

He finishes. Having filled the page, which is adorable. “There. Is that alright?” He asks. I tell him it is. And I thank him. “Good luck.” he says, handing it up to me. “And have fun.” (I will.)

“You are very talented.”

All of this means so incredibly much to me, I don’t think I can properly explain. I thank him again and look up. The rest of the world races back into my consciousness. Michelle, my new friend from the line, is only a little bit crying. “Are you crying?” I ask. “Maybe!” She says. And I realize she is, because she gets it. Because she read a silly little comic about this weirdo art girl who is just collecting advice, inspiration, and encouragement from the people she looks up to, and somehow today it’s coming together perfectly.

Empathy Abounds.

Peter and I say good-bye, and I’m off to put Armando away more properly.

(Oh, I also scurry back to the table to pick up Armando’s eyebrow which fell off. Peter looks up and I hold the eyebrow up to my own and it all registers. Such a puppeteer move, you guys.)

After that it’s just a farewell fanfare finale. I say goodbye to everyone and then I am off. Completely rejuvenated artistically, emotionally, professionally… I can’t describe it all, and I’ve been doing nothing but describing it all for seven pages of a google doc!

I drive through the evening and end up in Staunton, VA, just as the sunset turns to night, to stay with my friend before heading home the next day. We order Chinese, as she’s also just come back from performing and we are prolevel ladies that deserve a night in. We’re talking about art, and Fringe festivals, my weekend, and hers, it’s great to continue this creative thread outside of my Baltimore adventure. I open my fortune cookie, which says: “Watch for a stranger to soon become a friend.” That’s sort of how I’ve been living my life, as of late. We make more tea.

Pan Up.

Fade Out.

#doctorwho #peter capaldi #rachel talalay #regeneration who #baltimore #adventure #puppetcapaldi #fingerpuppetcapaldi #tinywonder #puppets

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alphacentauriiswatchingyou-blog · 7 years ago

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Steven Moffat Appreciation Day 2017: DWM Production Notes

With the end of the Moffat-era we are not just losing Steven’s writing talent on the screen, but also in the monthly DWM column in which he answers questions from readers of the magazine, sometimes serious, sometimes less so. Here are some of my favourites:

Is the Doctor's accent innate or part of the TARDIS' translation system? While people and lizards from Earth hear the Doctor speak with a Scottish accent, would beings from other planets hear him speak with a totally different accent?

The Scottish accent is prevalent throughout the universe because it is so sexy. That's one hell of an evolutionary advantage.

How do you think the other Masters would react to Missy if they ever met?

Oh, I've given it thought! Surely there's fan fiction already? There must be - to your work, if not! The impossible one, of course, is the Delgado/Gomez simmer-fest - but oh, imagine! Hooded gazes at dawn! Sneers like sword slashes! Sexy prowls, cat-like circling! In no time flat, a country cottage, three kids and a Volvo.

One summer evening, as they both puff away in the cigar gazebo, watching the children (identical girl triplets, dead white and levitating) rebuilding the lawn mower into a nuclear reactor using Master Plan Q, the question inevitably arises...

THE MASTER: My dear, you've never exactly told me who you are.

MISSY: You're always so busy, trying to drain the world's oceans, or rob banks with dinosaurs -

THE MASTER: I just want the kids to have a future.

MISSY: Then why do you keep trying to blow up the planet?

THE MASTER Must we always take this attitude to my work?

MISSY: Or freeze the polar ice caps.

THE MASTER: That was a simple administrative error.

MISSY: Don't you think there might be a clue in my name?

THE MASTER: Missy?

MISSY: Tiny bit of a clue?

THE MASTER: I have long suspected there was some cunning word play involved. Some abtruse hint as to your true identity, of some fiendish complexity and subtlety that it eludes even my mighty Time Lord brain. Is it short for Mistress, though?

MISSY: Yep.

IN THE GARDEN, THE TRIPLETS OBSERVE THE TWO CIGAR TIPS GLOWING MORE BRIGHTLY FOR A MOMENT IN THE SHADOWS OF THE GARDEN.

THE MASTER: My dear, do you think the triplets ever get lonely?

AND FROM THE HAPPY HOME, THE REST IS SILENCE. EXCEPT FOR THE NIGHTLY SING-A-LONG OF THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

In Kill the Moon Clara is very upset at the prospect of killing a big chicken. Yet in The Time of the Doctor she is seen gleefully roasting a turkey! How can she care so much for one type of poultry and so little for another?

Oh, for God's sake! It's not a turkey inside the moon, is it? It's a giant, pregnant space dragon and some spiders. Have you no grasp of physics?! Has Doctor Who taught you nothing?!

RUSSELL T DAVIES asks: I love your list in DWM 482 of the Doctor's many wives. Did you ever think we'd be having that conversation, 10 years ago? But... what's this? His marriage to Queen Elizabeth the First was unconsummated? But, but, but... in The End of Time Part One, the Tenth Doctor arrives on the Ood-Sphere to greet his old friend Ood Sigma with the words, "Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer... ahem." So, what does that mean, boss? What can it possibly mean?? Steven, what does it MEAN??? Thank you.

Oh for God's sake. PAY ATTENTION. You've gone soft up there in Manchester. Practically tofu, I'd say. Probably all that lazing about, never writing any episodes for me, even though I wrote six for you. Yes, SIX. Actually, no, SEVEN. Time Crashcounts too - and it was for charity. But never mind, oh no, I'll just type on and on and neglect my children, that's fine.

Okay, the facts. I said the marriage was unconsummated - and so it was. You saw for yourself in The Day of the Doctor - he ran straight off after the ceremony. Would we have put that on television if it wasn't true? But I never said - not once, not ever - that the relationship was unconsummated!

Yes, Russell! I went there. Even as you gasp and clutch the furniture for support, I am writing in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine about pre-marital shenanigans! I realise you've probably never heard of such unsanctified naughtiness - glancing at your resume, I see you write mainly about fruit and veg for Channel 4 - but it does go on, you know. Well, outside of Manchester.

So there you are. You may sleep again. The Doctor's boast in The End of Time (oh, and thanks for that title, just before I took over) and my statement that his marriage to Elizabeth was unconsummated are in no way contradictory. True fact! Accept my True Face. Back away in shame at your wrongness.

Actually, write me a story, and we'll say no more about it.

I read an article that said there was a TARDIS flooding scene in an episode of the 2012 series that was cancelled due to Karen Gillan being unable to swim. Could you elaborate on that further, please?

We decided not to drown Karen. There was a meeting. We voted.

Do you have any plans in store for the Cyber-Brigadier? Or will he just be left in limbo, protecting Kate wherever she goes?

Oh God, can you imagine. It's the spin-off: "My Dad's A Cyberman!"

KATE: Dad, please don't sit in my office. CYBERBRIG: Just sorting out a few things for you... KATE: Really, we're fine. CYBERBRIG: You've got far too many people. All you need is a Sergeant, maybe an occasional Captain, and a nice family car for you all to drive around in. Keeps the Earth perfectly safe! KATE: It's changed days, Dad. CYBERBRIG: And why don't have a big sign outside - UNIT HQ, with your name on it? Does you good to see your name on a big sign. KATE: Well, we are supposed to be a top secret organisation. CYBERBRIG: Yes, yes - you put 'Top Secret' on the sign. Have I taught you nothing about security?! And for goodness' sake, why do you have all these women about the place? How much tea do you need? KATE: They're scientists. CYBERBRIG: Scientists?! Have we been infiltrated? Evacuate the building, I'll lure them into a nuclear reactor. KATE: They work here. CYBERBRIG: They what?! You only need one scientist, Kate. A funny one, with silly clothes, that's the ticket. Give him a tiny little office and a table, he'll be perfectly happy. KATE: I'm a scientist. Science leads, that's what you taught me. CYBERBRIG: Exactly! Science leads! But only if you let it. Round them all up, put them in booths, waterboard any trouble-makers - KATE: Dad, you're getting excited again! Your moustache has slipped. CYBERBRIG: Oh, no, has it? It's this face, it's a bit slippery - like all aliens. I say, Kate - do you think people know my moustache isn't real? KATE: I think they always did.

Since the earliest days, whenever we viewers follow the Doctor into the TARDIS, he seems to take quite some time getting to the console before the TARDIS takes off. But when we stay outside, the door barely has time to close before dematerialisation occurs. What's your in-universe explanation for this quirk?

Oh, you and me both! I've worried about that for years. And in fact, decades before I got anywhere near Doctor Who, I came up with an answer. It's not in the show - it is not canonical - but I offer it up.

The TARDIS knows the future. Or rather, the TARDIS makes no distinction between past, present and future - for any time machine, time is all one long event stream, hanging there in causality, unmoving and unchanging. In other words the TARDIS already knows when its connection to real time and space will no longer be necessary, in any given part of the event stream. So as the Doctor and friends move towards the console, in the world outside the doors, the TARDIS has already fast-forwarded to the take-off the Doctor is about to perform.

Any good? Got something better? All head canons are equal!

How come the Doctor allowed River Song to go freely with her vortex manipulator but he kept disabling Jack's?

Every time he grabs River's wrist, it all goes very wrong.

[In Heaven Sent] who put the chalk marks around the missing paving slab, and who buried the slab in the ground? Was it whoever created the trap?

Oh, this is... wrong somehow. I figured out, in detail, how the Doctor's first few trips round the castle worked, but I deliberately buried it. I wanted atmosphere and mystery: for us to be trapped in the Doctor's nightmare, never sure what to trust. And I particularly liked (and still like) the idea that everyone would have a different theory about the logic. Peter Capaldi has one version, Rachel Talalay has another, and in a moment you'll have mine. But mystery and discussion is better, I swear.

So. What follows is not canonical. It's just the best I could work with from what the Doctor told me. Frankly, and with all my heart, you're better off not reading what comes next. Never trust answers - they're the opposite of conversation.

Okay...

The first time round the castle, the Doctor is there for many years - because there is no clue leading him to room 12. He's ancient by the time he understands that room 12 is important. It's a very old man who starts punching the wall...

After a few thousand years of this, he realises he's going too slowly. He needs to get the next version of himself into room 12 faster. But how to leave a message in a recycling puzzle box that a man like him would ever trust?

One ancient version of the Doctor doesn't punch the wall. He totters back out of the chamber before the veiled creature can arrive, and scratches the words 'I AM IN 12' in every nook and cranny he can find. He chooses that message because it sounds a little like a cry for help, and that always appeals to him. The next Doctor might even be fooled into thinking it's Clara. Oh, the cruelty of the Doctor to himself!

He knows that some of those hidden messages might just survive, because he knows the castle reset isn't perfect - the dust in the teleport room, the skulls in the water, the way the portrait of Clara he painted (of course it was him, the soppy old fool) has aged. Suspecting that objects moved from rooms, or added to them, sometimes can resist the reset, he pulls a scratched-on flagstone from the kitchen floor and buries it in the garden (later Doctors add the details of the arrows and the spade). It's this message - one of only two that manage to survive - that he always finds. The loop shrinks, the Doctor is younger as he punches the wall, and the Time Lords tremble as the storm grows closer.

The other message that survived? In my head - and I suppose, only there - 'I AM IN 12' is also written on the back of Clara's portrait. The trouble is, the Doctor draws too much strength from her smile ever to turn her face to the wall...

There are many more and I recommend to read them all. You can find a lot of them on reddit or on here. I really hope old chibs keeps this up, but I know it will never be as glorious as the answers of Steven “Master Selfcest Fanfic Writer” Moffat.

#doctor who #Steven moffat #dwm #production notes #moffat appreciation day #the man the legend #mine

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thenotoriousscuttlecliff · 7 years ago

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Moffat Era Rewatch: The Husbands of River Song

River Song needs help from her husband to murder her husband, except she doesn’t know he’s her husband...

Warning: Spoilers Sweetie

This is my favourite festive special after ‘A Christmas Carol’.

I think we can all agree that Twelve makes the best signs.

Nardole. I can say with certainty that I am not a member of the Nardole fanclub. I don’t detest him, but feel he’s not as funny as the show clearly thinks he is and was an unnecessary addition to season ten.

Love how they got the biggest hood they could find to hide Alex’s enormous hair.

This is the face of someone who knows they are going to get lucky tonight.

“RIVVVVAAAHHH!!!” He’s just so happy to see her. Assuming ‘The Name of the Doctor’ was the last time they were together, it’s been close to a thousands years since he last saw her.

“How do you know me?” “Well, it's a tiny bit complicated. People usually need a flowchart.” Having River not know that Twelve is the Doctor is one of the best ideas Moffat has ever had.

First and only time Alex Kingston’s name has been in the opening titles.

“Yes, that's who you're married to? Not anybody else?” Aww, he’s so jealous.

“You have given me days of adventure and many nights of passion.” I’m not at all surprised to discover that River had sex with a giant robot body.

Twelve’s reaction is priceless. This is the best episode for Capaldi reaction faces.

“There's something in his brain.” “You could have fooled me.”

“I basically married the diamond.” Do we count the diamond as one of her husbands?

“You're talking about murdering someone.” "No, I'm not. I'm actually murdering someone.”

Her second wife. Who was the first?

Sonic trowel. Brian would be so proud.

“We're being threatened by a bag! By a head in a bag!” He’s having so much fun right now. After what he just went through he deserves this.

I’m always amazed by how Alex has instant chemistry with whoever is playing the Doctor. This is the only time she and Peter have worked together on the show and yet it feels like they’ve been doing this forever.

Jealous Twelve is the best Twelve.

Damsel!

That look when you realise your wife has been going behind your back with your wife.

“Oh. My, God!” This is probably Peter Capaldi’s finest moment as the Doctor.

“My entire understanding of physical space has been transformed! Three-dimensional Euclidean geometry has been torn up, thrown in the air and snogged to death! My grasp of the universal constants of physical reality has been changed forever. Sorry. I've always wanted to see that done properly.”

Not only has she been stealing his TARDIS she’s installed a drinks cabinet!

He still can’t accept that River is a better driver than he is.

“You're very quick.” "Yes. For a Doctor.” “Yes.” “Seriously?” Like I said, this is the best episode of Capaldi reaction faces.

“Does sarcasm help?” "Wouldn't it be a great universe if it did?”

“Is the gentleman here for dinner?” "Yes, he is.” "Excellent! I'll have the chef prepare him immediately.”

Only the Twelfth Doctor could look at River in that dress like this.

“The man who gave me this was the sort of man who'd know exactly how long a diary you were going to need.” *shipper tears*

“We honour thee, we prostrate ourselves in your name, Hydroflax.” Awkward.

I think River’s just met wife number three.

How dare he read her diary.

“And you've just been to Manhattan.” *heart breaks all over again*

“The Doctor does not and has never loved me. I'm not lying.” “Confirmed. The life form is not lying.” *shipper agony*

“When you love the Doctor, it's like loving the stars themselves. You don't expect a sunset to admire you back. And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough, or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!” This is mixture of strategy and confession. She telling them all this because she needs to keep them distracted until the escape plan kicks in, but part of her really wants to get all of this off her chest and what better time than when surrounded by strangers who are all going to be dead in a few minutes.

“Hello, sweetie.” *shipper happy crying*

“How could you know?” "I'm an archaeologist from the future. I dug you up.”

“What do you think, by the way?” "Of what?” “My new body.” "Oh, I'll let you know. I've only seen the face.”

“He had a bad day on the market....sorry, I appreciate that wasn't very funny, but I couldn't help saying it.”

River married Stephen Fry?

So was Cleo wife number one or two?

“That's Darillium!” *shipper so not ready for this*

“This is my job!” "I've been doing it longer.” "I do it better.” That is true.

“River, not one person on this ship, not one living thing, is worth you.” “Or you.” *shipper can’t handle these emotions*

It wasn’t enough to just take her there, he made sure they built a restaurant right there, with a great view and made sure he got the best table in the house.

“Now that, my dear, is a suit.” That’s because it has a tie and we know River loves ties.

The sonic!!!

He’s scanning her brain! He’s saving her! *shipper heart shattering*

They finally made it to the Singing Towers.

“Spoilers” That word has never been said with more heartbreak.

“Every night is the last night for something. Every Christmas is the last Christmas.”

“No, Doctor, you're wrong. Happy ever after doesn't mean forever. It just means time. A little time. But that's not the sort of thing you could ever understand, is it?”

“They've been there for millions of years, through storms and floods and wars and time. Nobody really understands where the music comes from. It's probably something to do with the precise positions, the distance between both towers. Even the locals aren't sure. All anyone will ever tell you is that when the wind stands fair and the night is perfect, when you least expect it but always when you need it the most there is a song.” *shipper blubbering*

24 years!!!

“I hate you.” "No, you don't.”

If Chibnall hadn’t been tied up with Broadchurch, this would’ve been how Moffat’s tenure as sowrunner ended and I honestly can’t think of a more perfect ending than this, bringing the Doctor and River’s story full circle in the most beautiful way possible.

Next Time: The Return of Doctor Mysterio

#Doctor Who #DW #Moffat Era Rewatch #The Doctor #Twelfth Doctor #River Song #The Husbands of River Song

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ethanalter · 7 years ago

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Toast of 2017: Pearl Mackie on telling Bill Potts's story in 'Doctor Who'

Pearl Mackie and Peter Capaldi in ‘Doctor Who’ (Photoshot/Everett Collection)

Peter Capaldi’s third and final season as Doctor Who‘s resident Time Lord was a grand showcase for the Scottish actor, celebrating his tenure in the TARDIS with a number of strong episodes, big emotional moments… and an all-time great companion. Accompanying the Twelfth Doctor on his last batch of adventures is the show’s first openly gay traveling partner, Bill Potts, played by relative newcomer Pearl Mackie. If the 30-year-old theater-trained actress was daunted by the historical nature of her role — or, for that matter, keeping up with Capaldi’s eccentric Gallifreyan — she didn’t show it. From the very first episode, Mackie created a companion who was every bit the Doctor’s equal in terms of brains and bravery, if not necessarily experience with time-and-space jumping.

And departing Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat rewarded his new star with a complete character arc. As much as the Doctor is front and center in the show’s tenth season, viewed another way, this is Bill Potts’s tale: a young woman who begins the season staring down into a puddle and ends it gazing out at the entire galaxy, her new companion — and lover — Heather (Stephanie Hyam) by her side. “It’s the Doctor’s adventure, but you do see her story,” Mackie tells Yahoo Entertainment. “It’s such a great way to explore the season; you can watch it afresh from that angle.”

Not that Bill’s journey is completely over yet: she’ll be part of the upcoming Christmas special, Twice Upon a Time, which premieres Dec. 25 at 9 p.m. on BBC America and features Capaldi’s regeneration into the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker. Off-screen, Mackie is writing an exciting new chapter in her own story; she’s currently in rehearsals for a West End production of the classic Harold Pinter play The Birthday Party as part of a star-powered ensemble that includes Toby Jones and Stephen Mangan.

For our Toast of 2017 series, we spoke with Mackie about her first experience acting alongside Peter Capaldi and the Doctor Who fan encounter she’s still thinking about.

How much did the character of Bill change from what you read in the first script to the person we meet onscreen? As far as I was concerned, she was fully-formed when I saw the pages. But if you talk to Steven [Moffat], he’ll say that he had only written the three scenes that I auditioned with! Those were the first scene from Episode 1 where she meets the Doctor, and a scene from the trailer that introduces Bill. For me, she jumped off the page, although Steven says that he got a lot of it from me and what I did in the audition. I guess we fed off each other in that way; there was synergy between what was already created, and what I was creating in the audition.

Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts in ‘Doctor Who’ (Photo: Simon Ridgway/BBC America)

In terms of the costume and the look of Bill, I was very hands-on with that. Hayley [Nebauer, Doctor Who‘s costume designer] and I worked very closely together to create the look that we wanted, giving her a kind of a youthful dynamic and her own individuality. She’s not a girl next door — that has its own connotations — but she’s a girl that you would see walk past you on the street and go, “I think I know her.” That was really important to me to convey.

What were the characteristics about Bill that jumped out to you right away? Well, she’s quite cheeky, which I liked. But she’s also intelligent, and doesn’t feel the need to brag about it. It’s very much a part of her, and she’s not ashamed to just say things. She has this confidence that I really engaged with; she doesn’t let her life or experiences get the better of her. She also wants to learn more and is very inquisitive.

We see that in the way she challenges the Doctor from their first meeting. That’s a different dynamic from past companions. Yeah, and that’s the energy that I felt when I first read the script. There’s an irreverence between her and the Doctor, even though there’s also a lot of respect and they grow to be very close by the end of the series. She’d never be like, “I bow to your superior knowledge.” It’s more akin to, “Well, actually I don’t agree with that. What about this?” I think he respects her for that; they both enjoyed the verbal sparring they had. It’s enjoyable to watch that dynamic.

How quickly did you establish that rhythm with Peter Capaldi? I met him for the first time in my second audition — my callback essentially. Before that, I’d been reading the script on my laptop with the Facetime camera on, responding to a recording I’d made of myself doing a version of Peter Capaldi reading his lines! The real Peter is a much better actor than that — much more dynamic. [Laughs] When I went into the room, I was absolutely terrified because Peter is not only an incredible actor, but he’s also been playing this character for a long time. We read the first scene of Episode 1, this mammoth six-page scene, and I spent most of it standing there just hoping that what I was doing was right or at least interesting.

Then we did the scene where Bill goes into the TARDIS for the first time, and Peter said, “Do you want to stand up?” I went, “What? Okay, sure.” In auditions, you’re supposed to sit still and keep your face as still as possible, but if you’re me, your face tends to move of its own accord. Steven enjoyed that, and used it a little bit in the first episode when Bill is standing at the window in the Doctor’s office and says, “I see my face all the time. I never liked it, it’s all over the place — it’s always doing expressions when I’m trying to be enigmatic.” But yeah, I mainly remember standing there aghast at being in a room acting with Peter Capaldi. Luckily, Bill was supposed to be pretty aghast when she walked in the TARDIS, otherwise we may not be having this conversation today! I think we were both responding to each other quite honestly, and seemed to work in a very harmonious fashion.

One of the thematic ideas I enjoyed this season was the way that Bill and the Doctor take turns saving each other — sometimes physically, and sometimes emotionally. There’s a sense that Bill always has her own power and agency in that way. Totally. That is kind of Bill’s character, isn’t it? “Great, you’ve saved me, but I’ve also saved you!” It’s not a competition for her or anything, but she’s quite fiercely independent as a young woman, and I think she wants him to know that she’s not a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued. Instead she’s like, “If you do rescue me, that’s really cool. Thank you very much, because I’d rather you didn’t let me die.” But she likes being able to rescue him and other people as well. That’s a very strong part of her.

Matt Lucas, Capaldi and Mackie in the fifth episode of ‘Doctor Who’ (Photo: Simon Ridgway/BBC America)

Did you have any favorite episodes from the season? I was a big fan of the haunted house one, “Knock Knock.” I like them all for different reasons, really. They presented their own challenges, and one of the most exciting things about doing Doctor Who is that one minute you’re on a university campus, the next you’re thousands of years in the future, and the next you’re in Victorian London wearing a full costume! Episode 5 [“Oxygen,” where Bill and the Doctor are trapped on a zombie-filled space station] really sticks out for me because of a scene where Bill seems to asphyxiate, and is later attacked by the zombie space suits. We filmed both those scenes in one day, and it went from me going through asphyxiation to being electrocuted by a zombie suit 30 or 40 times. It was amazing, but also very full-on. I remember thinking, “The rest of this episode is going to be much easier than this day has been!”

This was the first season that our entire family watched together, and my kids were very affected by Bill’s transformation into a Cyberman in Episode 11… You say it affected your kids, but you should’ve seen my mum! She was in a right state.

Did you give her any warning that it was coming? Oh god no! It was way better not to warn her. She went, ‘Oh my god,’ and was in a flood of tears. Then in Episode 12 when Bill says that she wants to stay and fight, she was sobbing there, too. I had to tell her to be quiet so we could hear the rest of the episode. [Laughs] Sorry, I interrupted you. Carry on.

I was just going to say that my son wanted me to ask you what it felt like for Bill to not be in her body anymore. It was pretty epic. It’s quite a weird thing to play your character who essentially still looks like you, but only to people who know her. They didn’t let me get into the Cyberman costume, because I was too small. It didn’t look threatening enough with me inside it! So they got a big 6’4″ guy to be in it; he was named Liam and he was very nice and very responsive to the physicality that I would show him. He’d do the movements so it would be true to what it would look like if I was inside the costume. I always felt that Bill was a friendly person, who chose to be positive and upbeat. But the Cyberman body completely prohibits that because it immediately causes people to disengage from her and block her out. They’re terrified of her immediately, and it’s a massive hurdle she can’t really overcome.

Bill becomes the first Cyberman in Episode 11 of ‘Doctor Who’ (Photo: Simon Ridgway/BBC America)

Another thing that was quite difficult to navigate was that, as an actor, my arm still looks like my arm to me, but it wouldn’t to other people if that’s not what they see. I read that in the script and thought, “Wow, this is not going to go down well, but in a good way. People are going to be really perturbed by this scenario.” It was really scary, but also brilliant in the way that someone you’ve really grown to care about throughout the whole series actually turns out to be the first Cyberman! That’s kind of what Doctor Who does: it can take you on these journeys, allow you to form these relationships with characters and then watch that ripped away from you.

I do love that Heather gives Bill another chance at life and they end the series together. Have you written their next chapter in your mind? I haven’t! I think it’s all of time and space, really. The possibilities are endless. Get your son to write a spin-off — it sounds like he’s got some ideas! [Laughs] But I really liked that ending. A lot of it is that she thinks the Doctor is dead, so she’s like “You showed me this amazing universe, and I can’t just go back to living my mundane life.” Then she turns to Heather and goes, “Let’s go have some adventures.” It’s cool and full of hope.

youtube

We know from the trailers that Bill appears in the Christmas special. Does that special feel like the end of an era? It’s Peter Capaldi’s last episode and Steven Moffat is leaving the show as well. It does in a way, but it’s also about new beginnings as well. The great thing about Doctor Who is that it never ends. It only changes and becomes about a different Doctor and their different perspectives, and the people they choose to bring with them on their journey. But that episode is really exciting: there’s two Doctors and two TARDIS’s. In the truest sense, it’s just an amazing Doctor Who adventure.

Are you excited to see Jodie Whittaker be part of Doctor Who‘s next chapter? Oh yeah — I think she’s going to be wonderful. She’s an amazing actress, and I can’t wait to see what new ideas she brings to the role. I think it’ll be really exciting.

yahoo

Is there a dream role or character you’re hoping to play next? Doctor Who has definitely opened doors to me that wouldn’t necessarily have been opened before. I’d like to play characters with interesting stories that you don’t necessarily hear every day. I’d also like to play someone entirely unhinged! I’ve played a lot of characters that are quite good, so it would be nice to play someone quite bad. [Laughs] I mean that’s very basic, describing people as good and bad. But I think there’s a lot to be explored in what makes people do bad things. Navigating the inner workings of someone who behaves appallingly could be a really interesting challenge.

Heather (Stephanie Hyam) seeks to make a connection with Bill in ‘Doctor Who’ (Photo: Simon Ridgway/BBC America)

Having been introduced to the world of Doctor Who fandom this past year, what’s been your most memorable interaction with fans? There have been so many; Doctor Who fans are very special. Their loyalty is so deep and so entrenched that they don’t want to feel disloyal to a previous companion or Doctor that they’ve liked a lot, but then they always sort of manage to find room for the new ones. For me, there is one encounter that really sticks out — I think it was in Berlin. This young woman came up to me on the verge of tears and said, “Watching Bill be comfortable with her sexuality and proud of being a lesbian enabled me to come out to my family. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.” That’s a pretty incredible thing to be part of; it’s not something you necessarily set out to do when you’re a kid trying to be an actor. You don’t expect to be able to help someone change their life for the better in that way. I still find it very overwhelming.

It certainly speaks to the importance of representation in these franchises. Thanks to characters like Bill and Wonder Woman, it feels like 2017 has been an important year for new and different female heroines on the small and big screens. I hope so! I hope it is the shape of things to come. We’ve barely scratched the surface, and we’ve got a long way to go, but it seems like there’s change in the air. And there’s a lot of other stuff that’s happened this year that would sort of indicate that as well. I really hope that we continue to explore women as heroes, people of color as heroes, gay people as heroes, transgender people as heroes, disabled people as heroes. We all rule here and we’re all fighting our own individual battles every day. We need to tell those stories as well.

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time premieres Monday, Dec. 25 at 9 p.m. on BBC America. Season 10 is available to rent or purchase on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Toast of 2017: Kyle MacLachlan shares the secrets of ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’

Toast of 2017: ’13 Reasons Why’ star Katherine Langford reflects on the teen drama’s big impact

The 30 best TV moments of 2017

#news #_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #peter capaldi #_category:yct:001000086 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT #interviews #holidays #bbc america #_author:Ethan Alter #_uuid:d94dbb4d-5515-3b11-89b1-7c1d00078110 #doctor who #toast of 2017 #pearl mackie #steven moffat

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agentmarymargaretskitz · 7 years ago

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The Future is Female

Another installation in the Roommates AU created by @incendiaglacies and myself.

AO3

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” Gideon admitted as she sat down on the couch.

“Me neither,” Felicity added from where she sat by the tv as she connected one of the cables to her laptop. “It feels like they just announced a new one.”

“That’s what it always feels like,” Lily reminded them as she took a sip from her coffee mug.

“Exactly,” Caitlin nodded in agreement from where she sat between Gideon and Lily. “One minute we’re mourning the current one and thinking the new guy will never live up to our expectations. Then we see one or two episodes and suddenly there’s no better Doctor.”

“True,” Gideon nodded. “Felicity, how much longer until we find out?”

“We should be able to see it any minute now,” Felicity stepped back from the laptop and television as they both came to life. “This should be over soon anyways. Once it is, we’ll finally get to see the face of the new Doctor.”

“Good,” Caitlin nodded as Felicity sat down in one of the chairs. “I’m happy this is happening on a day I don’t have to go in to work on. I can see it live and not have to worry about Cisco spoiling me.”

Schrodinger came padding into the room with a mew. The cat made his way over to where Felicity was sitting. He batted at Felicity’s leg.

“I’m excited about this,” Gideon stated as Felicity lifted their cat up onto her lap. “I’m also sad too. Twelve has been my favorite of the Doctors. I don’t want to see Peter Capaldi go.”

“Yeah,” Felicity nodded as she stroked Schrodinger’s fur. “Has anyone else ever noticed that he kind of looks like an older version of Rip? Or is it just me?”

“Huh,” Lily chewed her lip. “You know, I can see it.”

“There’s definitely a resemblance,” Caitlin agreed, a mischievous smile coming to her face. “Is that why he’s your favorite, Gideon?”

Gideon rolled her eyes. “No. I’ve always liked Twelve. Remember when people wanted to reject the show just because the new Doctor was older?”

“Ugh,” Felicity snorted and shook her head. “That was ridiculous. I knew I was sticking with the show no matter what actor they cast.”

“Same,” Caitlin echoed.

“Well, I loved Eleven,” Lily sighed. “I’m never going to be over that goodbye. But the Doctor’s what, over two thousand years old at this point?”

“Do you count the four point five billion years he spent in the confession dial?” Felicity interrupted.

“Debatable,” her friend shrugged. “The point is that the Doctor isn’t young. He’s not always going to look young.”

“Or like David Tennant,” Caitlin smiled dreamily. “He’ll be my favorite forever.”

“Well, then we’re all one for one,” Felicity said. “Gideon for Twelve, Lily for Eleven, Cait for Ten, and then me for Nine. Time to see if any of us are going to have a change of heart.”

“Doubtful,” Gideon shook her head. “It’s only one clip. I think I’ll-“

“Shush!” Felicity hissed and pointed to the screen. “No more talking. It’s starting!”

The four girls all leaned forward. Lily set down her mug on the coffee table and Gideon clenched handfuls of the blanket on her lap as the clip started to play. This Doctor was walking through a forest, wearing an outfit similar to the Twelfth Doctor. The hood was pulled up, so they couldn’t make out who it was. Seconds later, the hood came down to reveal a female’s face framed by blonde hair. All the roommates gasped as the Thirteenth Doctor began to smile and step towards her TARDIS.

“Oh my god!” Caitlin blurted out.

“Introducing Jodie Whittaker the Thirteenth Doctor!” Felicity squealed, clutching Schrodinger tight to her chest. “The Doctor’s a lady!”

“The Doctor’s a girl!” Lily shouted, tackling Caitlin in a hug. The former fell off the couch with a laugh. “This is awesome!”

“Hold up,” Caitlin wriggled out to pull her phone from her pocket. “Cisco’s calling me. Should I put him on speaker?”

“Why not?” Gideon grinned as she hugged Lily once her friend got back up on the couch. “We can all freak out together.”

“I predict we’re going to hear screaming,” Felicity said, hugging Schrodinger enough that the cat started to yowl a little.

“Let’s see,” Caitlin answered the call. “Cisco, did you-“

“CAITLIN, I AM DEAD!”

“Hi, dead,” Gideon deadpanned. “I’m Gideon.”

There was a pause. “Ummm, Gideon?”

“You’re on speaker, Cisco,” Caitlin told him. “I take it you saw it too.”

“Thirteen is female, Caitlin! She’s a girl! The future is female!”

“You sound happy about that,” Gideon remarked.

“Because it’s awesome! Barry’s over here and he’s nerding out to Iris over his phone.”

“So you called us to nerd out with?” Lily teased.

“Oh come on, you guys love me. How excited did you all get? I think that might have been you four I heard screaming in the distance.”

“Twitter!” Felicity gasped suddenly. “I have to check it out! People are going to be posting their reactions!”

“Read them aloud!” Cisco’s voice was a tad on the shrill side. “I have to hear these!”

The scream that came from across the hall instantly sent a jolt of fear through Rip. Jonas jumped a little as he stood back up from taking off his shoes. Rip was standing by the open door of their apartment and looked over to his neighbors. More screams joined in with the first. One of them sounded like Gideon’s.

Rip’s brain went straight for the worst case scenarios. Had someone broken in and was now attacking Gideon and the girls? Was the intruder armed? Did the girls have enough to fend them off? Had one of them gotten hurt? Or what if something had gone wrong with all the scientific samples and equipment they had lying around? Could they be in danger of a biological weapon?

“Jonas, stay here,” Rip ordered his son as he bolted towards their closet. There had to be something in there he could use.

“Daddy, are the girls okay?” Jonas asked nervously while Rip rummaged through the closet.

“I don’t know,” he muttered as he finally grabbed an old cricket bat. It had been part of an old Halloween costume and he wasn’t sure why he kept it, but he was glad that he had it now. “But I’m going to find out.”

He hurried back to the doorway and snatched the spare key to the girls’ apartment that Gideon had given him for emergencies. The screams were still happening as Rip fumbled with getting the key into their lock. If he was too late and Gideon or one of the other girls was hurt, he would never forgive himself. As soon as he felt the lock click, Rip swung the door open and brandished the cricket bat.

Schrodinger bolted out with a sharp meow. Rip looked up from the cat to the sight of the apartment, where he saw no signs of injury or struggle. Caitlin and Gideon were sitting on the couch together, a phone between them. Felicity was looking at something on her laptop and squealing sporadically. Lily was pacing back and forth over by the window, talking fast and gesturing with her free hand. All of them stopped their actions as soon as they saw Rip though.

“I-I heard screaming,” he told them, lowering the cricket bat. “You lot had me thinking someone had broken in or one of you was hurt.”

“Oh, is that Rip?” Cisco’s voice came from the phone between Caitlin and Gideon. “Come on, he just came because he was worried about-“

“Bye, Cisco!” Caitlin said loudly before ending the call.

Gideon smiled bashfully. “Sorry to worry you. We’re perfectly fine, just a little over excited.”

“We have good reason to be,” Lily said from where she was standing before returning to her call.

“She’s been on the phone with Ray for a while,” Felicity said in a hushed tone followed by a wink. “He’s having a field day over this too.”

Rip frowned. “Field day over what?”

“They’ve just announced the next Doctor,” Gideon said with a wide grin. “There was a clip that played and Felicity worked some magic so we could watch it live.”

Rip perked up. He had been a fan of Doctor Who for quite some time. He’d even introduced Jonas to a few of the episodes. In the chaos of getting his son to his soccer game and plans for an upcoming catering event, he had forgotten they were announcing the new Doctor today. “Who is it?”

“Jodie Whittaker,” Gideon replied. “Thirteen will officially be the first female Doctor.”

“It’s about time,” Rip sighed in relief. “We’ve had a female Master already. Although I will miss Peter Capaldi. Twelve’s been my favorite in the new series.”

“What a coincidence,” Caitlin straightened up and elbowed Gideon. “Guess who Gideon’s favorite is?”

“You’re a Twelve fan?” Rip questioned.

Gideon nodded. “It used to be Seven, but now it’s Twelve.”

“Finally,” Rip smiled. “You know, it’s really difficult to find people who like him best.”

Gideon slapped her hand against the cushion of the couch. “Exactly!”

“Wait, they both have the same favorite Doctor?” Lily called out. “Hey, Ray, guess what?”

“They don’t appreciate him as much as they should,” Gideon explained, rising from the couch. “Schrodinger is the exception though. If I’m watching an episode with Twelve, he’ll come padding right in and go up to the screen.”

“He does that with all of us whenever we watch something, Gideon,” Felicity said. “Remember when he watched Star Wars?”

“Or Roman Holiday?” Caitlin added.

“He did it during The Princess Bride too,” Lily chimed in before explaining to Ray that she was talking about Schrodinger.

Gideon huffed. “Well, he still does it. Then he comes over and curls up with me to watch the rest of it.”

Rip smiled at the mental image. “That sounds nice.”

“It is. He’s somewhat cuddly. It makes it a lot less lonely to watch those episodes then.”

He cleared his throat. “If you ever want someone to watch a Twelve episode with, don’t be afraid to call me up. I wouldn’t mind watching with you.”

Gideon smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

“Hey, not to interrupt this,” Felicity said. “But where’s Schrodinger?”

Rip looked back to the still open door of the apartment. “He bolted past me when I came in. I think your excitement was a bit too much for him.”

“You were squeezing him pretty tight,” Caitlin told Felicity.

The blonde groaned. “Yeah, that was my bad.”

“What’s happening?” Lily asked as she came back over.

“Schrodinger’s gone,” Gideon told her. “We need to find him.”

Rip looked over to his own apartment door, which was still open. He made his way over there quickly. “Jonas?”

No response.

“Jonas? Jonas?”

His son came out from his room. “Are the girls okay, Daddy?”

“They’re fine,” Rip explained. “They just got a little excited about something. Schrodinger escaped from their apartment when I went over. He didn’t come running in here, did he?”

His son shook his head from side to side. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Oh dear,” Gideon said from the doorway as Rip returned to her and the others. Her brows were knit with concern. “So he’s somewhere in the building then.”

“That means he could be on any of the floors,” Felicity muttered. “Unless he found a way outside. I mean, he’s pretty clever. If he got out of the building, there’s no telling where he went. What if he ran into the middle of the road? Oh, if he did that-”

Caitlin stared open mouthed at her friend. “Felicity!”

“I don’t want to think about that,” Lily moaned.

“Well, the sooner we find him, then the less we have to worry about that happening,” Gideon said firmly, putting a stop to the horrible scenarios that were probably all going through their minds. “Let’s split up and start looking. We can cover more ground that way.”

“I’ll call Cisco,” Caitlin said, retreating to the apartment. “If Schrodinger got outside, he could find him on his way over.”

“I’ll help too,” Rip added, stepping forward.

Gideon shook her head. “You don’t have to, Rip. It’s not your cat.”

“But I didn’t stop him when he ran out your door,” he countered. “If I had, then you wouldn’t be worried about him.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Gideon nodded.

“Besides, Jonas would never forgive me if we didn’t find Schrodinger. He loves that cat too much, even if it’s not his own.”

His neighbor chuckled. “Well, I’m going to search around this floor if you want to come with me.”

“If you don’t mind, I will,” Rip replied. “The more eyes we have, the sooner we’ll find him.”

#legends of tomorrow #the flash #arrow #gideon #rip hunter #lily stein #caitlin snow #felicity smoak #jonas hunter #cisco ramon #roommates au #schrodinger #fluff #doctor who #thirteenth doctor

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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The Suicide Squad Ending Explained

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This article contains major The Suicide Squad spoilers. But you could tell that from the headline. We have a spoiler-free review here.

Well done! You’ve survived The Suicide Squad!

James Gunn’s stunning supervillain flick is a brutal ride through DC’s most deep cut characters and now you want to dig deep into what happened. So we’re here to break down that shocking ending, where we leave our heroes, and what’s next for the Suicide Squad in the DCEU. Well, those of them who survived, at least…

The standalone (sort of sequel) movie centers around the Suicide Squad on a top secret mission. So off they go to Corto Maltese.

We begin with two crews but only one actually survives the opening bloodbath. Those lucky few are led by Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and the crew consists of Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), Nanaue/King Shark (Steve Agee/Sylvester Stallone), and Peacemaker (John Cena).

Later, they pick up Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who both somehow manage to survive the trap set by Amanda Waller. After much scheming and fighting, the team kidnaps the Thinker (Peter Capaldi) and make it to Jotunheim, the Nazi prison where the Corto Maltese government have been keeping Project Starfish A.K.A. Starro the Conqueror. But when they get there things begin to spiral out of control and that’s where we’ll begin…

Why Were Peacemaker and Rick Flagg Fighting?

While this is a movie filled with wild unexpected moments, the most shocking–to some viewers–twist comes when the truth about Project Starfish is revealed. And we’re not talking about the fact that it’s actually a giant starfish-like alien called Starro.

No, the real horror here is that Project Starfish is and has always been run by the US government. Yep, it’s the US who have been testing on and torturing innocent humans, and the Squad wasn’t sent to stop Starro but were in fact there to destroy Jotunheim so that the US government and Amanda Waller’s involvement were kept under wraps.

It’s not something that Rick Flag can stomach as he states, “I joined to serve my country not to be its puppet.” It’s an honorable moment that finally makes Flag a true hero, but it’s short lived. Amanda Waller always has a backup plan and here that plan wears red, white, blue, and a shiny helmet.

Gunn’s searing action flick has a lot to say about war, America, and the nature of disposability, and Peacemaker is one of its most brutal statements. He’s a man who believes he “loves peace” but it “doesn’t matter how many people I have to kill to achieve it.” That in itself is the oxymoron of imperialism.

In that way, Peacemaker and Flag represent two different versions of the patriotic ideal. Rick is the idealistic man who wants to do the right thing in the hopes of making his country live up to what he thinks it can be. But Peacemaker wants to protect his country no matter what horrific crimes they’ve committed. That’s why he agreed to be a mole for Waller within the Squad and why he decides to kill Flag when his former teammate wants to leak the records of America’s Project Starfish to the press.

Sadly for us and Rick, Peacemaker succeeds, leaving Flag dead and the American ideal shattered.

Bloodsport Makes a Choice

With Peacemaker planning to stop the truth about Jotunheim from coming out at any cost, his next target is Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). After the explosions incapacitate them, the brilliant young heroine grabs the disk with the damning records, leading Peacemaker to hunt her down.

Just when it seems like he’s going to add another Squad member to his kill count, we skip backwards eight minutes. Here we see that Bloodsport, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, Harley, and Milton have been setting the charges, which end up going off too soon. As they start to explode (and after the tragic death of Milton), Bloodsport ends up falling through the building on a large slab of concrete, landing in front of Peacemaker as he’s about to kill Ratcatcher 2.

As he draws his weapon, Peacemaker does the same, leading to a fatal shootout. And in a hilarious callback to an earlier gag when Peacemaker claimed he could shoot better than Bloodsport thanks to smaller bullets which would shoot through his enemies’ bullets, Bloodsport beats him using exactly that tactic, apparently killing Peacemaker (more on that in a moment) and saving Ratcatcher 2.

It’s a key moment for Bloodsport, who made a promise to his surrogate daughter that he’d get her out alive, and it’s the perfect way to wrap up Bloodsport’s arc in the film, from estranged father of a young daughter to a man trying his best to form more connections under difficult situations. Yay for the world’s best bad dad!

The Suicide Squad Takes a Stand

Now that Jotunheim is destroyed, Waller calls the remaining Squad–Bloodsport, Polka-Dot Man, Harley, King Shark, and Ratcatcher 2–telling them they have to go back to the US. But there’s one big problem: Starro is now freed and the giant alien is on a rampage.

After decades of being tortured by Gaius Grieves A.K.A. the Thinker, Starro believes the city belongs to them and starts shooting out mini Starros in order to turn the population into mindless zombies. Starro is able to create countless self-replicating copies of itself, so the carnage being wreaked on Corto Maltese is probably only a preview of how quickly Starro could spread their influence throughout the entire world if left unchecked.

For a moment it seems like the Squad will head back into Waller’s cold and cruel arms, leaving the people of Corto Maltese to their gruesome fate. But at the last moment Bloodsport chooses to go back and is soon joined by the rest of his crew. It’s a massively powerful moment and one that transcends even our core team as before Waller can blow their heads up her colleagues knock her out and begin to help the Squad on their unauthorized but massively heroic new mission to stop Starro and save Corto Maltese.

It’s one of several moments in the film that drives home the harder edges of Amanda Waller, who is played as close to a villain in this film as someone like Thinker or Corto Maltese dictator Silvio Luna.

The Final Fate of Polka-Dot Man

David Dastmachlian’s performance as Abner Krill AKA Polka-Dot Man is one of the many stunning turns that the film has to offer. And while we’d love to say that the villain turned hero gets a happily ever after that’s not the case. In fact Polka-Dot Man gets an ending as tragic as his origin. After being tortured by his mother who infected him with a parasitic alien virus in the hopes of making him a superhero he became the villain known as Polka-Dot Man.

It’s not a conscious choice but more of a compulsion as he has to expel his deadly polka dot pustules or he’ll die. It’s the grossest power in a movie full of gross powers but as the crew face down Starro Abner finally comes into his superheroic own.

As Bloodsport becomes the leader Waller always knew he could be, he uses Abner’s fear of his mother and the hallucinations he has of her to help him channel his powers into destroying Starro. Bloodshot yells “It’s your mother” and we see Starro through Abner’s eyes, the creature is transformed into a kaiju-sized version of the woman who ruined his life. His polka dots end up destroying one of Starro’s legs, and Abner celebrates screaming “I’m a real superhero!”

Just as Polka-Dot Man realizes his truly heroic nature, he’s killed by another of Starro’s limbs, crushed but finally happy in his last moments. It’s a fittingly bittersweet end for the unexpected and relatablely depressed hero.

The Final Fate of Starro

Fighting a huge roaming starfish is no easy feat. It takes everything the Squad has to take down the monstrous creature, including that tragic sacrifice of Polka-Dot Man. When they catch up with Starro in the city, Harley takes the high ground using Javelin’s javelin to burst through Starro’s eye as Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2 try to incapacitate the huge beast.

As Harley swims around in Starro’s bloody eye she’s joined by thousands of rats called by Ratcatcher 2. The rodents swarm Starro, overcoming him as Ratcatcher 2 protects Bloodsport from his childhood fear come to life.

And with that, Starro is gone.

Though Starro might have been a murderous alien kaiju by the end of the movie, they began life as a harmless creature floating through the stars, kidnapped by the American government. To kill him is a tragic but necessary act and one that cements the Squad as very much anti-heroes rather than the villains they began as.

What’s Next for the Squad?

While we know that Peacemaker will get his own spinoff TV series on HBO Max (more on that below) it’s unclear what the rest of the crew will be doing after this. One thing is clear, though. They all have the freedom that they never thought they’d achieve.

After killing Starro, Bloodsport blackmails Waller into letting him, Harley, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark go. It means compromising Rick Flag’s final wish to reveal the truth of what Waller and the government did in Corto Maltese but it also allows Bloodsport and his crew to avoid returning to Belle Reve. It seems like the crew might stick together, especially in the case of Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport.

Plus, once Flag’s friends find out that Peacemaker is still alive, they might have a score to settle. About that…

The Post Credits Scenes

The first of two post credits scenes is the big one. After we think that one good thing happened in this movie A.K.A. Peacemaker being killed by Bloodsport, Gunn has a shock for us.

See, Peacemaker survived–to star in his upcoming HBO Max series–and Waller has sent two of her best to pick him up from his hospital bed where he’s recuperating in order to do nothing less than “save the fucking world.” After the brutal horrors that Peacemaker committed during the film, it seems strange that he’ll be taking a leading role in a TV series. But after the smart subversiveness of The Suicide Squad we’re cautiously optimistic.

If you wait until the final moments of the credits once we’re done with all the good stuff like Special Thanks and celebrating all those amazing visual effects artists, then you’ll get to this gnarly and hilarious little stinger.

If you throw your mind back to the beach-set murder fest at the beginning of the movie, the first character to apparently die is Weasel because no one checked whether ot not he could actually swim. It’s a sad and grotesque way to start the film, but there’s good news for anyone who loves the grody child-killing beast: he’s still alive. After all the drama of the past few days Weasel just popped back up and is totally and utterly alive. That means the people of Corto Maltese should probably watch out as there’s a murderous Weasel in their midst!

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The Suicide Squad is on HBO Max and in theaters now!

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bowserbabe · 7 years ago

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So @nightlocktime wants to know how the convention went. So, basically it was crazy.

On Thursday we realized how far it was to walk from the hotel to the convention. But I wanted to go ahead and check in and wander about. So we walked the 100 miles from the hotel to the convention center in the thousand degree heat and got all registered or whatever. Except apparently I checked in wrong, which we didn’t fix until Friday. But it didn’t matter. We walked around the dealer room a bit and I got Chandler Riggs’ autograph. He didn’t put my name on it though, and his hair is too long, but ya know whatever. As far as I know that was the only day he was there? I didn’t see him again anyway.

(I think that’s right? I might have seen him on Friday. But I thought it was Thursday. Thursday and Friday were very similar convention-wise to me.)

Friday was slightly more conventiony. I think that’s the day I was like “Did I really check in right?” and they were like no, you’re an idiot, here is all your Capaldi swag (aka autograph and photo op tickets). And a nifty... thingy that goes on a lanyard. I have a picture, I’ll add it if I can figure out how to from my phone. Or I’ll pull it off my phone. I’LL MANAGE SOMEHOW.

And then we went and saw Michael Cudlitz talk about a bunch of things I haven’t seen. IMDB says I’ve actually seen him in a bunch of things, but mostly he talked about Band of Brothers and Walking Dead (oddly enough). I think I took some pictures, I’ll have to look. I haven’t looked through any of that stuff yet. I don’t think we did anything else on Friday? Most of the big name people hadn’t shown up yet.

And then SATURDAY. Saturday was exciting because I knew I would be seeing Peter soon. Saturday I ended up with some time to myself because my friend dropped me off and then parked the car back at the hotel and then walked. Because he’s a beast. So I got autographs. I think I got... um... Pom Klementieff, Michael Cudlitz, Ralph Macchio, William Zabka... were there other people there? At some point we went and watched Power Rangers Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank. And then... it was photo op time, I think. Peter + Karen photo op, and then just Peter. I pretty much just stood there and tried to make my face look decent.

Then autograph time! Karen was... still taking pictures? so she was late for doing autographs. They have these little tiny lines for people to stand in and so it doesn’t take much to fill them up. And they don’t want people making the lines longer because it interferes with foot traffic. So they just stand there and don’t let anyone else get in line until the line starts to move. Which actually just means we all mill about near the line but not in it, hoping we can get in before everyone else. I sort of just did circles around Dante-and-Jay-from-Clerks’ tables until I could get in line.

Karen was nice, I don’t remember really what I said, hopefully it wasn’t terrible. Then PETER AUTOGRAPH TIME. I got up there and he signed my picture and my friend started talking to him but he was still putting little star-like dots all over my picture and I probably just stood there with heart eyes, although I did argue that Twelve was amazing from the very beginning and did not take any getting used to (which is what my friend was saying) and Peter probably signed something to my friend but I was probably busy heart-eyeing and trying to not say anything stupid.

Oh yeah, the lady taking the autograph tickets scared me. Because there were two levels of autographs (level 1 was on pictures they had there, and then level 2 was on anything else) and she was saying personalizations were level 2 instead of 1. And I was like... BUT I NEED PETER TO WRITE MY NAME (but I only said that in my head) and she was like, no no, the tickets are fine, you get personalization with that. And I was okay. This... this story was not as exciting as thought it was going to be.

And then we ran upstairs to see Karen’s panel. They were like NO VIDEO AND NO PHOTOGRAPHY so I didn’t take any, but other people did. Jerks. I haven’t looked, maybe there’s stuff on youtube. Supposedly the Supercon people recorded everything and will put it on youtube? I dunno. Karen was pretty great. She’s a lot like Amy, at least in terms of getting excited and dealing with strange questions and things. And I think that was the end of Saturday.

Sunday we went over super early (well, like... 8 or so, the convention center didn’t open until 8:30 I think) and as soon as they let us in, we went up and got in line / sat outside the room Peter was going to be talking in. We were... 4th and 5th in line, I think. A ton of people eventually showed up. I meant to take pictures but I forgot. They eventually let us in so we went up and sat on the front row in the center section over to the side where they had people lining up to ask questions. So that he would be looking in my direction most of the time. >.> I was going to ask a question but that ended up not happening. Whatever.

They did a like 15 minute thing first where they talked about Twelve and things and had the cosplayers get up on stage and show off their... selves, and then we realized that Peter was up there with them (it took me a minute to notice, which is sad because I was kind of expecting it) and then that segued into Peter’s panel.

PETER. UNF.

I tried to record a lot of it but I don’t know how it turned out. Apparently I’m crap at using my camera because I haven’t used it for anything real in several years. Also I had bought a telephoto / zoom / whatever lens with no automatic focus, and apparently I’m bad at manual focus, but hopefully I got some stuff. I’ll look tonight. (Looks like they might be uploading stuff to youtube currently? Nothing I care about yet, but who knows.) It blew through my memory cards, so I have like 2 twenty minute segments and then a bunch of random pictures at the end. Whatever. I’ll look.

I wanted him to talk about Jenna but mostly he just told the story of her showing up at work wearing a mask of someone he’d been teasing would be her replacement. Which I already heard somewhere...? It’s probably on my tumblr. Tumblr should allow for better categorizing.

Then they did the Karate Kid panel so we stuck around for that. At the end of that the three of them did a quick autograph signing so I got that, and then we ran downstairs for more photos. I may have spent too much money on photos.

After that we ran over to Peter’s autograph line which was non-existant at the moment and got in it. I got a poster signed (this one) and my friend got his photo op picture signed. Peter looked at it and sort of made a confused/amused noise and said something about it being unfortunate. My friend had him write a little thought bubble above himself and a few other little things and then signed it like normal.

And then we were done? Except I missed the Power Rangers part which was on... Saturday, I guess? Probably after Karen’s panel. They were super busy the entire time with a pretty long line. I made my friend get in line for Jason David Frank because his line was getting crazier and then I ran off and got Martin Kove to sign a picture. He was like “You want a ‘sweep the leg’?” and I said yes, and he was like “We’ll throw in a ‘no mercy’ too.“ Which amused me. So I go back and Jason’s line hasn’t moved, but meanwhile Amy Jo Johnson has no one in her VIP line (I suspect more from crowdedness than lack of interest, it was hard to tell who was in which line when) and my friend is like “Green ranger? Pfffft. I’m gonna go get her signature.” So I stay in line and he runs through and gets her autograph and then I’m like... well, obviously I should do the same thing. So he stays in line and I go get a Flashpoint picture (I never actually watched Power Rangers) and she signs it and says something about “No joy” which she writes on it (I do internal heart eyes becuase I love Flashpoint) and then I would guess starts to write “Kimberly” because oddly enough that’s what she was mostly signing, then realizes, and does this weird K into a J thing sort of so that it says Jules instead, except it looks really weird. But I’m happy with it because it’s funny to me. And then Jason finally shows up and I get his autograph, and then we run away to dinner.

I THINK THAT’S IT. This was too long and I’m gonna edit out the parts about the photo ops. But then... posting.

I FORGOT. ABOUT. RICKY.

Ricky Whittle is amazing. I went up to get an autograph and ended up getting my autograph plus two hugs and he kissed my cheek. I would have gone through that line again. And again. >.>

We saw him talk as well. I think before Power Rangers? He talked a lot about American Gods which I haven’t seen yet, and some about The 100 episodes I haven’t seen yet. So a lot of stuff I haven’t seen yet. But he’s a hottie even with his current silly haircut and he’s all muscular and British and unf. Just lakjfklahfkalshfkljshf. I’ve been trying to limit photo ops to big stuff (So far just David Tennant, Lana, and Peter (with a Karen thrown in)) but I wish I had gotten one with him. I was looking through the pictures on flickr and they’re just like... crazy. Unf.

Okay, that should be everything. For real this time.

#con: superpeter #personal tag is not very personal

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tardisgirlepic · 8 years ago

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Ch. 3: “World Enough and Time” Analysis Doctor Who S10.11: Doctor’s OMG Hair, Meet Delilah’s Mr. Razor & More

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Samson & Delilah: Doctor’s OMG Hair, Meet Mr. Razor

OMG, I could not believe how long the Doctor’s hair had gotten at the beginning of “World Enough and Time.” From now on, to distinguish Doctors, I’ll refer to the Doctor’s hair that we saw at the beginning of the episode as “OMG hair.”

In fact, it was even funnier that I had mentioned it in the previous analysis with my sudden revelation about Samson & Delilah, where River was Delilah.

Yes, DW is playing out this Old Testament story.

Due to time, I didn’t get to talk about the entire Samson & Delilah story and how it fits in. But I’ll show you in a few minutes how this fits together with River.

Funny: “A Thing Happened…”

First, though, a funny thing happened while watching the episode. I was so intent on getting subtext and trying to pick up dialogue that I wasn’t looking for John Simm. I’m not sure I would have recognized him under the makeup anyway. However…

Once he said

RAZOR: People, people, people, people, people! People, they are people.

I knew he was John Simm because only his Master has spoken this way before.

However, here’s the funny part: I didn’t catch his name on the first viewing. Once I watched with subtitles, I had another OMG moment when I realized his name was Mister Razor!

Wow! Ha..ha!

Mr. Razor & Delilah Will Give Samson a Haircut

There’s some additional information about the story of Samson & Delilah that’s quite important, so I’m going to weave it together here from different sources, including the razor part I mentioned from the previous analysis:

Wikipedia says

Samson had been dedicated as a Nazirite, "from the womb to the day of his death"; thus he was forbidden to touch wine or cut his hair.

While the 11th Doctor did abstain from alcohol, he had a shaved head in his last episode “The Time of the Doctor” and was wearing a wig for most of the time. Now, I see that the Samson and Delilah story was playing out then with Clara metaphorically asking God to restore Samson’s powers to defeat the Philistines.

The 12th Doctor drinks alcohol.

According to BibleStudyTools.com:

The summary from Scripture starts with Samson's birth was announced by an angel during a dark time for the Israelites. Israel was under the rule and oppression of the Philistines. Samson was born a Nazirite and was set apart with supernatural strength from God to do His work in the nation of Israel. Samson became great in his own eyes and began to pursue women outside of God's plan for his life. During his wedding sermon to a Philistine women, Samson was so humiliated by her and the wedding guests that he sought revenge by killing 1,000 Philistine men.

We’ve certainly seen the Doctor’s pride and ego take over, at times.

Anyway, regarding Samson, Wikipedia says

He then falls in love with Delilah in the valley of Sorek. The Philistines approach Delilah and induce her with 1,100 silver coins to find the secret of Samson's strength so they can get rid of it and capture their enemy.

We saw this money scene playing out with River in THORS. However, as we also saw how not everything was as it looked. We saw the Roman cross behind the money ball with access to all the banks, as River is really trying to save the Doctor from this alternate universe.

Delilah keeps trying to figure out the source of his strength, and Samson keeps telling her different sources, which she tries to exploit. But they are all lies.

This is mirrored with River. She said the Doctor’s name in “The Name of the Doctor,” which would have led to his torturous death, except Clara saved him. River knows this alternate universe has to die.

Eventually after much nagging from Delilah, Samson tells Delilah that he will lose his strength with the loss of his hair. God supplies Samson's power because of his consecration to God as a Nazirite, symbolized by the fact that a razor has never touched his head. Delilah calls for a servant to shave Samson's seven locks, then woos him to sleep "in her lap" (either literally or figuratively). With this, Samson has finally broken the last tenet of the Nazirite oath; God leaves him, and Samson is captured by the Philistines, who blind him by gouging out his eyes. After being blinded, Samson is brought to Gaza, imprisoned, and put to work grinding grain by turning a large millstone.

Here’s where the Doctor is blinded by eyes being gouged out, like we heard and saw in multiple ways with other characters and references in “The Empress of Mars” analysis.

Ohila, in “Hell Bent,” told the Doctor that he had broken every code he ever lived by, and we see his fall in one way, kind of sort of, in that episode. We’ll see it from a different angle in this last upcoming episode of the season. So Missy may be playing Delilah, or will it be River or Clara? Or is there something else?

I’ve often wondered about Missy’s 3W Institute in the finale of Season 8 where we see Danny Pink die. While the episode suggest 3W stood for “I love you,” I also saw it potentially as being Missy, River, and Clara, where 3W stands for “3 Women.” Vastra and Amy fit in here, too, but that is beyond this right now.

Anyway to finish Samson’s story, according to BibleStudyTools.com:

The Philistines brought Samson out before a great crowd of rulers and thousands of people gathered in the temple to celebrate his capture. Samson's hair had begun to grow back and as he leaned against the pillars of the temple, he prayed to God for strength once more to defeat the Philistines. Samson used all of his might and pushed down the temple, killing himself and thousands of Philistines and rulers.

God forgave Samson and still accomplished great things through Samson. It was through Samson's destruction of the temple and his death that the Israelites were freed from Philistine rule.

So Mr. Razor is the metaphorical symbol of the razor in this Old Testament story.

And this is foreshadowing the rescue and the Doctor’s fall and death. This is just more evidence of what we’ve examined over and over. While he’s not supposed to fall in love, as we examined before, it is necessary for the rescue.

Wow, how cool is that!?

Anyway, there’s a lot more to this. It’s a truly epic love story that spans all of DW, but I’ll save this for later…

Operation Exodus & Genesis of the Cybermen

Wow, I’ve been geeking out, since the airing of the episode, about all the cool things that are coming together!

Operation Exodus explains why we saw all those robots in Season 8, including the half-faced man in “Deep Breath” wanting to go to the Promised Land – Heaven. However, that’s the wrong Book. We’re not in the 2nd Book of the Old Testament right now. Before that, we have the Fall of Man and the Doctor.

We’re back in the 1st Book: Genesis.

As we’ve examined in various chapters, we are, indeed, going back in time and telling the backstory of the Doctor.

This is the epicenter of the Time War.

Don’t Make the Doctor Angry: “The Unicorn and the Wasp” & 1056

We keep seeing Floor 1056 come up in “World Enough and Time.” But what does it mean? It has a connection to “The Unicorn and the Wasp” and is from The Devastator series of Doctor Who: Battles in Time trading cards, meaning the Vespiform sting.

I’ve been wanting to talk about “The Unicorn and the Wasp” since the very 1st episode of Season 10 aired. However, I ran out of time to put it in “The Pilot” analysis. I would have put it in “Knock Knock,” but I ran out of time there, too. Anyway, this is the 10th Doctor story with Agatha Christie in 1926 (yet another 1926 reference) where a murder takes place after the Doctor and Donna crash a garden party. The odd thing is that later we see a giant wasp that turns out to be the murderer.

The Hybrid

Well, it’s not quite that simple because it turns human, and the Doctor can’t figure out whodunit right away. The wasp is actually a hybrid, who doesn’t realize he is a hybrid for 40 years of his life because he grew up in an orphanage. Normally, he lives the quiet life as Reverend Arnold Golightly, the vicar of a small English village until his death in 1926. He is the son of a human mother and Vespiform father. Vespiforms are an ancient and wise insectoid species.

In 1926, some time after his 40th birthday, his church had a break in. His temper flared when he caught the bandits in the act, discovering he had the ability to change from a humanoid appearance into a wasp-like alien.

The thieves are associated with a Greek Cross, meaning they represent Doctors. From all the subtext story, this suggests to me that the Doctors intentionally are driving the Doctor over the edge, so he has something to fight for. We saw that with Missy using Clara to push him over the edge and go hell bent through the universe.

As far as insects go, Clara has called the 12th Doctor a stick insect. Of course, there’s the insectoid shadow that we looked at prior to the airing of TRODM.

The Unicorn

The Unicorn refers to Scotland. In fact, according to Wikipedia, “The Lion and the Unicorn are symbols of the United Kingdom. They are, properly speaking, heraldic supporters appearing in the full royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The lion stands for England and the unicorn for Scotland.”

Why the Wasp? & What’s “Knock Knock” Got to Do with It?

In 1991, Peter Capaldi appeared on the TV series Agatha Christie’s Poirot with David Suchet who played Poirot. Suchet also played the landlord in “Knock Knock.” These appearances by both actors are important.

Capaldi played Claude Langton, who was being set up for murder by someone who wanted to commit suicide in the episode “Wasp’s Nest.” Therefore, having David Suchet in “Knock Knock” was a strategic move to bring in a bunch of subtext.

The Patriarchal Cross

The connection to “The Pilot” comes in with the Patriarchal cross, which I haven’t talked about before since I have yet to post my Religious metaphors chapter. Due to lack of time, I’m going to skip the images. However, there are crosses on the university building that match the cross the reverend’s mother is associated with. Bill actually is associated with the Patriarchial cross. By the metaphors, that would make Bill the parent of the reverend, the Doctor. But there’s more pointing to this…

In “The Lie of the Land” analysis, we looked at the woman with the son at the beginning, who was taken away with the shoebox. The subtext showed she was a mirror of Bill. And the boy had a rabbit, a symbol of redemption.

Also, interestingly, Mr. Razor says

RAZOR: You are dear to me. You are my dearest person. You are like BILL: I know. RAZOR: A mother to me. BILL: Definitely not a mother. RAZOR: Or an aunt.

Mr. Razor is playing the 24th Doctor.

I have no doubt that Bill and the Doctor are related. She is playing, among other things, various Doctor’s faces. And she is the namesake of the 1st Doctor, William Hartnell, while Heather is the name of Hartnell’s wife.

Episode Title References: a Poem, a Book, the Apocalypse & Rescue

The title “World Enough and Time” is a brilliant reference, and obviously DW has had this reference in mind for a long time. The title references multiple things, but it initially alludes to a line from the 17th-century poem, "To His Coy Mistress," written by English author and politician Andrew Marvell. The bolded words are ones that I want to give more information about.

To His Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love’s day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain. I would

Love you ten years before the flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;

Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;

An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear

Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;

The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

So world enough and time is about the poet wishing he had more time with the coy lady. There are 4 other references that I highlighted worth mentioning here. We’ve seen lots of birds of prey lately. There’s the mention of the sun: the Doctor running with his companions to avoid the sunset and the passage of time.

Wow, how interesting the poet uses “My vegetable love”! That’s interesting when compared to the normal “animal love.” This most likely refers to a couple of things in DW. First, since we are talking about the Garden of Eden, garden goes along with vegetables. In fact, the Doctor mentions “garden”:

DOCTOR: Short version. Because of the black hole, time is moving faster at this end of the ship than the other. It's all about gravity. Gravity slows down time. The closer you are to the source of gravity, the slower time will move. (Jorj looks blank) If you're standing in your garden, your head is travelling faster through time than your feet. Don't they teach you this stuff at space school?

However, vegetable love may also come back to something we looked at with the “Heaven Sent” analysis in Chapter 17 of Fairytales and Romance in Doctor Who the 4th Doctor story “The Seeds of Doom,” where 2 alien pods land on Earth. One opens and creates a jungle-like environment. They can possess animals and take revenge on animals eating them. Plants and trees have an important place in the story. The basic plot is playing out in this finale. Just substitute people for plants.

The other reference in the poem is much bigger – “before the flood” – and alludes to multiple things.

Genesis & Noah, “Before the Flood,” & a Rainbow

With all the talk of the Book of Genesis, the line with “before the flood” takes on new meaning in DW. It’s a flood on a grand scale – an apocalyptic event, a Ragnarök of sorts. Of course, it refers to the story of Noah’s Ark, where God instructs Noah (a righteous individual) to build an ark to spare him and his family, along with some animals from the flood that will destroy the world before its rebirth.

The poem’s line also alludes to the Season 9 episode “Before the Flood,” where we see the Fisher King creating ghosts. So this flood is meant to destroy the source of the ghosts, the Fisher King, who actually puts his arms out and makes himself into a cross before he dies. He’s being crucified. The Fisher King, as we’ve examined, is supposed to be a good character from Arthurian Legend.

Because the flood was so devastating and people would fear rain, God made a promise to Noah and all Earth that he would never send another flood to destroy all life again. The visible sign he sent was a rainbow.

We saw a rainbow at the end of “The Eaters of Light,” just before everyone got in the TARDIS. While the episode was mostly about another view of “Face the Ravens,” it showed the outline for this week’s “World Enough and Time” (with people united together, pawns in the Chess game), and the rainbow to show the results of “Hell Bent” and the upcoming final episode.

The Flood & “The Unicorn and the Wasp”

The flood and waters relate to “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” too. Golightly’s mother Clemency told the story of how she had had an affair. When she came back to England, she locked herself away, saying she had malaria, to hide the pregnancy, even from her husband.

CLEMENCY: It was forty years ago, in the heat of Delhi, late one night. I was alone, and that's when I saw it. A dazzling light in the sky. The next day, he came to the house. Christopher, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Our love blazed like a wildfire. I held nothing back. And in return he showed me the incredible truth about himself. He'd made himself human, to learn about us. This was his true shape. (A giant wasp.) CLEMENCY: I loved him so much, it didn't matter. But he was stolen from me. 1885, the year of the great monsoon. The river Jumna rose up and broke its banks. He was Taken At The Flood. But Christopher left me a parting gift. A jewel like no other. I wore it always. Part of me never forgot. I kept it close, always.

ROBINA: Just like a man. Flashes his family jewels and you end up with a bun in the oven. AGATHA: A poor little child. Forty years ago, Miss Chandrakala took that newborn babe to an orphanage. But Professor Peach worked it out. He found the birth certificate.

There is a geographical connection with the poem, as both have aspects set in India: Delhi and the Ganges, respectively. The poem, therefore, is meant to relate to Clemency and Christopher, the hybrid’s parents. Since we have multiple faces of the Doctor, who is whom?

Also, Golightly’s father died in a great monsoon, and the son, himself, drowned. The 2 characters who have drowned or nearly so, are Rory in “The Curse of the Black Spot” and the 12th Doctor in “Heaven Sent.”

The Poet & the Daughter

There’s even more to glean from this title reference. The poet and his tutoring give us some very important subtext, too. According to Wikipedia:

"To His Coy Mistress" is a metaphysical poem written by the English author and politician Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) either during or just before the English Interregnum (1649–60). It was published posthumously in 1681.

This poem is considered one of Marvell's finest and is possibly the best recognized carpe diem poem in English. Although the date of its composition is not known, it may have been written in the early 1650s. At that time, Marvell was serving as a tutor to the daughter of the retired commander of the New Model Army, Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Sir Thomas Fairfax Gives Us Information about the Rescue & Apocalypse

The Doctor is mirroring Marvell, who is tutoring Sir Thomas Fairfax’s daughter, played by Bill. According to Wikipedia, Sir Thomas Fairfax’s nicknames are “Black Tom” and “Rider of the White Horse.”

We’ve examined the Rider and the White Horse in connection with the New Testament Apocalypse in “The Lie of the Land” analysis. The White Horse symbolizes Conquest and there is a debate by some on whether the Rider is Christ or the Antichrist. DW is playing both sides of the war, which comes back to what we’ve examined in multiple ways: the Horse and Rider, along with the name Lucifer, CAL’s world and “Turn Left.”

In one universe, the Doctor is seen as the savior of the universe. However, in the other universe, he would be the Antichrist, the Destroyer of Worlds. According to Wikipedia,

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 1612 – 12 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas, Lord Fairfax, was an English nobleman, peer, politician, general, and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented commander, Fairfax led Parliament to many victories, notably the crucial Battle of Naseby, becoming effectively military ruler of the new republic, but was eventually overshadowed by his subordinate Oliver Cromwell, who was more politically adept and radical in action against Charles I. Fairfax became unhappy with Cromwell's policy and publicly refused to take part in Charles's show trial. Eventually he resigned, leaving Cromwell to control the republic. Because of this, and also his honourable battlefield conduct and his active role in the Restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell's death, he was exempted from the retribution exacted on many other leaders of the revolution. His dark hair and eyes and a swarthy complexion earned him the nickname "Black Tom".

In the DW world, it sounds like Bill’s father (the Rider of the White Horse) is trying to rescue her. With the gender change, it could be her mother. Since Bill is a face of the Doctor, the Doctor’s Mother metaphor would apply to her. The Doctor, himself, has to be rescued, too.

This all foreshadows redemption and rightful restoration after the DW revolution.

Robert Oppenheimer & the Righteous War in the Bhagavad-Gita

I can’t get this relevant quote out of my head, so I’m adding it:

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” – Robert Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer, according to Wikipedia, was an

American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. Oppenheimer was the wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory and is among those who are credited with being the "father of the atomic bomb" for their role in the Manhattan Project, the World War II undertaking that developed the first nuclear weapons used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

…

Oppenheimer later recalled that, while witnessing the explosion, he thought of a verse from the Bhagavad Gita [shown above]

The Bhagavad-Gita is Hindu scripture in Sanskrit, which Oppenheimer could read. It is often just referred to as Gita. This is very appropriate to the Doctor and what is happening.

The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Lord Krishna. Facing the duty as a warrior to fight the Dharma Yudhha or righteous war between Pandavas and Kauravas, Arjuna is counselled by Lord Krishna to "fulfill his Kshatriya (warrior) duty as a warrior and establish Dharma." Inserted in this appeal to kshatriya dharma (chivalry) is "a dialogue ... between diverging attitudes concerning methods toward the attainment of liberation (moksha)".

This passage reminds me of the Ice Warriors and the Doctor in “The Empress of Mars,” pledging their duty as warriors.

Science & World Enough And Space-Time

Being that we are talking about Black Holes, space-time science is important. DW is using real science on the spaceship, when talking about time dilation. Time would be slower closer to the Black Hole due to the immense gravity. However, I do question the almost negligible space distance of 400 miles against the force of gravity of a Black Hole. I’m no expert and I’ll leave it at that.

Having said that, this is all metaphorical, and we know we are in the alternate universe, so it doesn’t matter. There’s plenty of other stuff that tells us other things aren’t right. The 400 miles, refers to the Library, once again.

I actually do see this spaceship-Black Hole relationship in the episode as brilliant. I’ll show you why in a bit.

Anyway, the title of the episode relates to a 1989 book by the American physicist John Earman called World Enough And Space-Time: Absolute vs. Relational Theories of Space and Time.

Goodread’s description says

Earman introduces and clarifies the historical and philosophical development of the clash between Newton's absolute conception of space and Leibniz's relative one.

It leads into Einstein’s theories on relativity.

BTW, I do love the title World Enough And Space-Time in relation to DW. It’s so appropriate.

Black Holes & the Eye of Harmony

Since we are touching on science and relativity, it seems appropriate to examine the Black Hole metaphor here, which includes the Eye of Harmony. The existence of the Black Hole metaphor in “World Enough and Time” is a reference to “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit,” so we know, from our previous examinations, that slavery and the Beast are involved. These last 3 Season 10 episodes have been about facing one’s beast.

The Doctor, Nardole, Missy, and Jorj are looking up at the Black Hole, which really is the Eye of Harmony. And it’s a djinni with an octagon. From “The Impossible Planet,” we learned that people could go mad by looking at it.

We need to revisit the definition of the Eye from the Wikia because it tells us what can happen. According to the TARDIS Wikia, regarding the Eye of Harmony in the TARDIS Cloister Room in the Doctor Who movie in 1996:

It was a stone structure shaped like a hemisphere which appeared to open outwards like an eyelid. While inside the Cloister Room of the TARDIS, the Master described the Eye as "the heart of this structure". The Doctor said it was "[t]he power source of the heart of the TARDIS." Both the Doctor and the Master claimed to Chang Lee that it belonged to the Doctor; the Doctor referring to it as "my Eye" and the Master saying that "now it belongs to him". The Eye responded to a physical linking device. The particular structure of a human eye had the effect of opening it.

Opening the Eye allowed the Master and Lee to see a visual projection of the Doctor's past and present forms and let them see what the Doctor saw so that they could find him. It also assisted in returning the amnesiac Doctor's memories. The Doctor claimed that if he looked into the Eye, his "soul" would be destroyed, and the Master would be able to take over his body. Leaving the TARDIS' Eye open for too long would result in space-time distortion, and any nearby planets would be "sucked through it".

Here’s where I find this situation with the Black Hole and the spaceship brilliant. From the movie, opening the Eye allowed the Master to see a visual projection of the Doctor’s past and present forms. This is exactly what is happening due to time dilation. On his TV, the Master has found the Doctor and is viewing him and others in their past and present forms at the same time, due to time dilation near the Black Hole in the Eye of Harmony. This is such a brilliant way to do this! It’s so elegant.

The Eye of the Black Hole is most likely the Doctor’s, as the movie suggests. That means the Master can take over the Doctor. There are multiple Doctors, so things aren’t the way they may seem. The Doctor has been taken over, but I’ll talk about that in another chapter.

Is the Doctor in the Opening an Imposter?

The Doctor in the opening appears different than we’ve ever seen him. OMG hair and fierce look. He also does something strange.

The Tardis materialises in a snowstorm. The Doctor steps out, falls to his knees and starts to regenerate. He cries out in pain.) DOCTOR: No. No. Nooooo!

The Doctor not wanting to go is a big red flag to me, especially for a Doctor who has been suicidal. I could possibly see that this is really him if he were in the middle of saving someone.

However, this is very much a Master thing to do. We know the Doctor has been usurped, so chances are that this is not the real Doctor.

BTW, the Doctor is wearing his raggedy 11th Doctor-type jacket again.

In the Next Chapters

We’ll take a look at how “World Enough and Time” is applying concepts set up in “Heaven Sent,” along with “Face the Raven.” Also, we’ll look at the meaning of “Doctor Who” as the Doctor’s title, how. We’ll also look at the Master, some really creepy subtext in the Hospital metaphor, the meaning of solar farms, Mondas, and more.