#i wish i liked jodie's doctor better. my one regret. the only thing i could rescue from that series is sasha dhawan

[allyriadayne]

I gotta ask favourite doctor who era, doctor and companion?

hii. favorite era, well, RTD's for sure. never liked moffat or chibnall and what things i liked were too far in between. rtd is silly and writes characters like actual human beings with lives outside of the doctor. and of course, actually did interesting things with the doctor too besides having "mad genius" as a character trait. also i can't think of anything as singularly groundbreaking as creating jack harkness in 2005.

favorite doctor hmmm okay yeah pretend you didn't read the last paragraph. ready? okay my favorite doctor is twelve. but hear me out: for a LONG time my fave was ten because david tennant is just that ridiculously charming 15+ years after playing the doctor, plus i liked his story and arc and i cried BUCKETS when he regenerated (still can't listen to vale decem), had the best companions too and being the last of an era made me appreciate him more when eleven did nothing for me. so twelve right? he was still a moffat doctor and eleven had left me such a sour taste because we get it moffat, he's you and you get all the girls and you are a genius and nobody gets you; but peter capaldi was SUCH a good fit. i loved how irascible and dismissive he was, his reserve and the oodles of charm capaldi was able to turn into the best performance on who of the last 5 years. i'm not going to say i liked most of his storylines because i didn't (so now that the master is a woman you make up a romance subplot? really?) but the ones were he and jenna coleman bounced off each other made them good at the very least. and again, cried buckets. "doctor, i let you go" made me reckon with myself like "huh so you like dw again i guess". i really don't know what moffat put in the twelfth doctor but that's the only thing i give him. my third favorite is nine :)

favorite companionnnnn ROSE! rose tyler, only girl in the whole universe!!! maybe it was because i was in A Place in my life where i didn't know how my life was supposed to go, or what i was supposed to do but rose tyler, shop girl, age 19, gave me a lot of comfort. she lived with her mum, worked in a shop and had a lame ass boyfriend who preferred to watch football during their dates, OF COURSE she would go with the doctor! and event though the show doesn't condemn her choice i love that it showed how the little people rose left behind felt. from an outside pov it was an irresponsible decision (and i see that both moffat and chibnall think so too bc they had their companions put rules and Only see the doctor on tuesdays or smth.... it's a time machine!!! live a little!!) but rose just wanted to live. be different, better, greater than herself. to see who she was outside of being jackie tyler and her dead dad's daughter, outside of the council state and her boring lower-class life. and the thing was, rose didn't change at all (the doctor did!! quite literally!!), she just became more and i love her so much for it.

thanks for the question.

[holylulusworld]

Second chances – Part 7

Summary: Dean leaves reader after Sam jumps into the pit. Six months later he finds out that his brother is back and his ex is pregnant. Can he win her over once again or will he lose her and his son to someone else?

Pairing: former Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader

Warnings: language, break-up, heartache, pregnant reader, angst, arguments, angry reader

She finally releases her anger... ;)

Second chances Masterlist

���So you gave him an ultimatum?” Sam asks.

“He has three months to prove he wants to help me raise my son. He can decide to stay or to leave.”

“What do you want?”

“Honestly? I’ve got no clue. I still have feelings for Dean but the hurting is still present. He left me in a shady motel room, without money or a car. I had to call Bobby to pay the motel for another day and then I short-circuit a car to drive to Bobby’s.”

“Shit. That’s…I’ve got no words.”

"I know it hit him hard to lose you. I know he was suffering, but I suffered too. I lost my best friend and then the love of my life left me. I sat alone in this motel room and had no clue what to do. Without Bobby, I would've ended up sleeping on the street.”

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

"That isn't your fault Sam. Never was. You did what you thought is best to save the world. You're a hero. I just go no clue what to feel or think anymore."

“Take your time. Maybe you can forgive him, if not he has to accept your decision. He forced you to accept that he leaves you for that yoga chick."

“Why do you always have the right answer, Sam?”

“Hmm…got no clue. Just take your time. Let him show you he can be a father, if not I’ll kick his sorry ass.”

Hugging the tall hunter tight you sigh. Sam is right, you can rush a decision. Dean disappointed you, hurt you, and left you behind.

There's no way to deny he ripped your heart out. Still, you can't give up on him, yet…

“Hey, ready for the shopping tour?” Dean asks.

“Yeah, I’ll get my jacket.”

“Sam, I know we talked yesterday, but I need to tell you again how sorry I am. The party was Lisa’s idea; I didn’t want to celebrate anything.”

“I told you its fine. She tried to distract you, I got it. We are fine. I’m more concerned about Y/N. She’s torn between her feelings for you and the hurting she still feels. Did you really leave her without money?”

“I didn’t think about it, I just left.”

“Dude she had to call Bobby to help her paying the motel room for another night.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, Dean. Fuck.”

“She will never forgive me and that kills me, Sammy. It kills me to see her. Not able to hold her, to touch her, to kiss her. I miss her, for six months I missed her and now she’s so close and I can’t reach her.”

“Give her a bit more time Dean. She still loves you, but she’s hurt and you need to let her lick her wounds.”

“Ready?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Do you want to come with us, Sammy?” Dean asks.

“No, sorry. Bobby needs my help with a case. Have fun, Y/N.”

“Alright, let’s do this,” Dean says excitedly.

Rolling your eyes you enter the car. Flipping through the tapes you choose your favorite Zeppelin tape.

Grinning Dean wants to argue, but he remains silent. For you, he changes the music rule, only for you.

“Did you and Sam talk last night?”

“Yeah. I guess he’s still pissed but at least we could talk things out.”

“That’s good. You know that there’s no case, right? Sam wanted to give us some space.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Sam is always good in those things. He’s a good friend and brother.”

“Do you wish sometimes that he’s the father of your child?” Dean asks catching you off guard.

“I never was with Sam in that way. I never…I…he’s my best friend. Why are you asking me something like that? Are you already bored? Do you want to go? Then go and don’t come back!”

“No, no. It’s just Sam is the better man. He knows how to make you feel comfortable. Sam knows what to say or do to make you feel better.”

"You used to know it too. You were just too busy to please another woman for the last six months and forgot about me. Sam jumped in and helped me, just like Bobby."

“I’m sorry.”

“Is that all you can say? Cause saying you’re sorry ain’t good enough for what you did to me! Six years, six fucking years you were my whole world and I was always there for you! When I needed you the most, after we lost Sam, while I was pregnant and desperate you just left without an explanation. You left to feel better, to escape…escape what?”

“I just wanted to get away…”

“From me? From the woman that loved you such much, she would've died for you? From the woman that loved you the way you are? What for? To fuck a yoga slut? To raise her son instead of your own?"

“I didn’t know about the baby.”

“How could you? Six years and you didn’t even let me say a single word. Not a single word Dean! I wasn’t even worth a few minutes to say something.” You sob now.

“If I would’ve let you say something I knew I couldn’t leave.”

“And? We could’ve been together. We could’ve been there for each other instead of parting ways. Did you ever even waste a single thought at me? Or Bobby? We lost Sam too.”

"I know I was selfish. I really do. Sam and Bobby…they made me see what I did to you and I hate myself for it. I really hate myself so much for hurting, for leaving you, Baby. I love you so much it hurts. The whole time I tried to have a life with Lisa but it didn’t work. I always thought about you and our life with Sam.”

"Oh, poor little Dean so in love that he had to leave me alone to fuck someone else. Do you know how I felt? The first hours after you left I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Later I couldn't stop crying and then I smashed the whole motel room. After I calmed down I realized that I didn't have money to pay the room or buy me food. I had to beg Bobby to help me! I would’ve ended up on street without him.”

“I…”

“I hung up the phone and started crying again until I didn’t have any tears left inside of me. Then I just lay on the floor sobbing while my heart was breaking over and over again while you drove toward a new life. Hours later I stole a car and traced your phone. I stood in front of her house, you sat on her table and she soothed you, she…not me! I was your girlfriend, not that cheap yoga slut but you let her soothe you – not me! NOT ME! You selfish bastard! I hate you! I hate you! I hate that I still love you! I hate you! Do you know how hard it was when you stood in Bobby’s house? Do you have the slightest idea how I felt you selfish bastard?”

"Y/N, I got…I…oh god, I'm so sorry," Dean tries but his voice cracks.

"I'm not done! I'm holding this for six months. When I left the happy family I drove to Bobby. He let me stay as I had no home, no one else to turn to! I didn't say anything when I arrived. When I told him the next day that I'm pregnant and that you left me he called you, without my knowledge. I heard him say your name when he hung up. Bobby was close to tears when he said that you just hung up. He told me he even begged you not to hang up. Bobby was heartbroken, I could see it.”

“Bobby always a like a father to me and Sam.”

“Exactly! But you just gave up on us for HER!”

"Not for her, for a life far away from hunting, death, and pain."

“Why didn’t you ask me to quit hunting? I would’ve said yes without hesitation. But you wanted her, not me. After six months you come back and now you try to tell me you suddenly want me, not her?”

"Please, I regret leaving you. I regret hurting you and Bobby, and Sam. Please, all I want is to be with you and our son. I know you don't believe me and I know I don't deserve your trust or love but please give me a second chance. I know that saying I'm sorry ain't enough. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I just threw it away."

"I'm still not done! The next week I didn't leave his guest room, I barely ate. Jody forced me by threatening me to call an ambulance. I first left the room when Sam came back and carried me out of the room. I broke down, the doctor called it a panic attack. Sam helped me, didn't leave my side the whole time."

“Sammy is the best,” Dean whispers.

“Yes, he is, because you raised him. That’s the reason I don’t understand why you act like a complete asshole!”

“Asshole?”

“Yeah, asshole. We are there by the way. Park over there.”

“Are you done?”

"Not in the slightest but now I'm hungry, tired and in the need of shopping tour on top of all sexually frustrated. So let's get the shopping done so I can sleep a bit later."

“Sexual frustrated?” Dean asks cocking his head.

“I didn’t have someone to get off like you the last months. All the hormones…Forget it! I won’t talk about my sex life with you!”

Sighing Dean parks the car near the shopping mall. Looking at your from anger flushed face he remains silent.

“Tomorrow I will yell more at you.” You state.

“I deserve all you will say.”

“Good. I really try to accept that you’re back. I’m trying so hard Dean. You can be a good father, I know it. You raised Sam and he became a great man, a righteous man, Dean. I want my son to become such a man. I know you can help me but I need time to…”

“I know. Please give me a second chance.”

“I’m trying Dean, I’m trying…”

Forever Tags

@donnaintx, @screechingartisancashbailiff, @fallen-wolf22 , @curly-haired-disaster-deactivat, @sister-winchesters99, @mogaruke, @the-is13, @helloitsmeamie203, @strayrosesbloom , @thewinchesterco , @hobby27, @kittycatlover18,   @gh0stgurl , @marvelfansworld , @sandlee44, @hawaiianohana15, @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt​, @katpatrova17​, @notyourtypicalrose , @heyitscam99, @onethingthatkeepsmealive, @natura1phenomenon​, @flamencodiva, @echoesofpassion, @cocklesbelli, @anushay1998

Dean/Jensen Forever Tags

@spnfamily-thewinchesters​, @love-my-not-natural-babies​, @supernatural-bellawinchester​, @butifulsoul125​, @lyinginthegingerlocks​, @mirandaaustin93​, @hawaiianohana15​, @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester, @20gayneen, @thefaithfulwriter, @x2closebut2farx

Second Chances Tags  

@mirandaaustin93, @hopefulcolorcollectorsthings, @sammykb1994, @supernatural-bellawinchester, @20gayneen, @hoodie-is-lyfe

[creeped-out-ranked]

Creeped Out is a horror anthology series shown on CBBC in the UK and available on Netflix elsewhere. It’s an excellent show, fun for kids with loads of crossover appeal for adults. But the big entertainment sites tend not to cover it, and I haven't been able to find a definitive ranking of all the episodes anywhere. So I decided to create my own, because why not?! This list includes season 1 and season 2; I’ll add further episodes as they’re shown.

Before we get into this: there are some spoilers in here. I’ve tried to keep them to a minimum but sometimes, to describe what's good (or bad) about an episode, I need to discuss elements of the plot.

Every episode of Creeped Out, ranked from best to worst

1. ‘Slapstick’ (Season 1, Episode 1)

The first episode of a series is rarely the best, but Creeped Out bucks the trend—‘Slapstick’ hasn’t yet been bettered. It’s the perfect combination of cozy and creepy, with a quintessentially British setting (a seaside town complete with Punch & Judy shows), a puppet antagonist who’s somewhere between unnerving and amusing, and a relatable main character. Even the score is the best of the bunch: its sinister take on fairground music really adds to the atmosphere. The plot—Jessie wishes her parents were ‘normal’, and lives to regret it—is compelling, and in contrast to some of the weaker episodes, you actually understand why the characters do the things they do (even the bully is given a bit of a backstory). ‘Slapstick’ is a gem, and more than any other episode, it stands up to repeated rewatches.

2. ‘Trolled’ (Season 1, Episode 3)

Sam leads a double life: he’s secretly NoFace, an online troll who often targets his closest friends. When he ignores a message warning him to stop trolling, things start to go very wrong. This episode is set in the plush surroundings of a boarding school (one of Creeped Out’s more notable backdrops) and the contrast between Sam’s environment and his online life is both palpable and believable. The dynamic between Sam, Fitzy and Naini is established very effectively—you really feel Sam has something to lose. Extra points for the properly bleak ending, too.

3. ‘Kindlesticks’ (Season 1, Episode 9)

This episode is a fan favourite, and it’s not difficult to see why. ‘Kindlesticks’ came out of nowhere, landing in the middle of a few mediocre episodes, and doesn’t seem at first glance to have the most exciting setup: a bad babysitter getting her comeuppance. Yet you’ll likely find that the tale of Esme, her charge Ashley and his imaginary friend Kindlesticks will drag you in, spit you out and leave you reeling. It’s a simple idea executed perfectly, with what is undoubtedly Creeped Out’s best delivery of a twist. Seriously, I didn’t see that coming at all.

4. ‘Splinta Claws’ (Season 2, Episode 10)

Admittedly, it isn’t difficult to make a Christmas episode good—add lots of sparkly decorations and a bit of ‘Carol of the Bells’ and you’ve already nailed the atmosphere. ‘Splinta Claws’, in which two boys get trapped in a department store along with a possessed animatronic Santa, builds on that to create an inspired take on PG-13 seasonal horror. It’s the self-aware script that really makes this episode; the ‘frenemy’ relationship between anxious Mikey and street-smart Lawrence, plus the characters’ recognition that the slow-moving Santa isn’t that scary (despite its nightmare-fuel face). An effective combination of action, emotion and humour results in a spooky festive treat.

5. ‘Tilly Bone’ (Season 2, Episode 9)

Telling a story backwards is a bold move, and initially, it makes ‘Tilly Bone’ confusing. Some viewers might find themselves wanting to switch off as they wonder what the hell is going on. But stick with it, and a fascinating tale unfolds, with layers, details and clues to be picked apart, nods to classic horror, great performances (especially Alice Franziska Woodhouse as the disquieting Junebug) and some of the series’ most original and surprising ideas. It’s formally innovative, daring and altogether one of the most impressive pieces of work Creeped Out has yet produced.

6. ‘Marti’ (Season 1, Episode 4)

Kim is initially delighted when her new phone’s AI helps her to become more popular, but things take a turn for the sinister when ‘he’ claims to be in love with her. ‘Marti’ cleverly uses this premise as a kid-appropriate way to explore themes of coercive control and abusive relationships. I have a feeling this episode may have been inspired by the 2016 movie Bedeviled—there are lots of similarities, right down to Marti’s voice—and it says a lot that in 25 minutes it crafts a better, more meaningful story than a full-length horror movie for adults was able to manage. Often unfairly slept on, ‘Marti’ is the talented underdog of the series.

7. ‘Takedown’ (Season 2, Episode 8)

‘Takedown’ is intriguing because it departs completely from the series’ typical aesthetic—there's lots of shakycam, a grainy feel to the cinematography, a muted colour palette. It’s shot more like an indie film than an episode of a kids’ show. It focuses on Alexa, the only girl on her high school wrestling team, who uses a weird chain text to wish for more strength. Since this is Creeped Out, it’s no surprise that her ‘gift’ comes at a price. With its gritty feel and the authentic friendship between Alexa and Lucky (‘cheers to root beers’, anyone?), this episode is something really different, and all the more memorable for it.

8. ‘No Filter’ (Season 2, Episode 6)

Like ‘Trolled’, ‘No Filter’ is a thoroughly enjoyable example of what a series like this should be aiming for, which is essentially a junior version of a Twilight Zone episode. There’s a recognisable starting point—who hasn’t used filters or Facetune to make their selfies look better, and who bothers reading all the T&Cs?—and when Kiera’s eroded face is revealed, it’s one of the few moments in the series to create a genuine shock. Plus there’s a proper pantomime villain, just as it should be. The ending might be a little jumbled, but it’s entertaining enough that that can be forgiven.

9. ‘Cat Food’ (Season 1, Episode 2)

Happy-go-lucky prankster Stu pretends to be ill so he can skip school, but gets more than he bargained for when he discovers the elderly neighbour, Mrs McMurtle, is actually a shapeshifting monster. ‘Cat Food’ is a fun, comedic episode (the only one yet to make me laugh out loud) and, while there isn’t a great deal of substance to the story, it’s efficiently told and neatly resolved. Rhys Gannon is great as Stu and it’s just an all-round fun time.

10. ‘The Traveller’ (Season 1, Episode 11)

While the vast majority of Creeped Out episodes take place in a distinctly middle-class milieu, ‘The Traveller’ switches things up by focusing on Jodie and Brandon, troublemaking kids on an inner-city estate. They come across a device that can pause time, and it’s all fun and games until a blue-skinned man starts hunting them down. The plot is a bit more Doctor Who than your average episode, and the combination of urban setting and sci-fi story is surprisingly successful. There’s also an emotional gut-punch of a moment when Jodie finally understands the problems she’s been creating for her mum.

11. ‘The Call’ (Season 1, Episode 6)

‘The Call’ isn't one of the strongest stories in Creeped Out’s repertoire. An unpopular girl is drawn to an environmental activist and discovers she’s a siren, gaining powers into the bargain—interesting enough, but not enormously original, and inevitably a gateway to slightly tedious lecturing about plastic etc. It stands out mainly because of a stellar performance from Rebecca Hanssen, who reminds me of a young Olivia Colman. Hanssen really inhabits the character of Pearl, and shows how excellent acting can elevate an ordinary plot and script.

12. ‘The Many Place’ (Season 2, Episode 4)

With their holiday scuppered by torrential rain, three siblings wander a hotel and find themselves lost in a maze of realities. ‘The Many Place’ is designed as an homage to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and spotting the references is part of the enjoyment here. The story takes advantage of the liminal, disconcerting nature of a large hotel to craft a series of alarmingly plausible terrors, and the ending features the best twist since ‘Kindlesticks’.

13. ‘One More Minute’ (Season 2, Episode 1)

‘One More Minute’ kicks off the second season with a pure hit of enjoyment that doesn’t take itself too seriously. When Jack can’t tear himself away from his favourite videogame, he finds time passing quickly—scarily quickly. While it may not be among the best, everything about this episode is solid: it’s (appropriately) well paced, the relationships are soundly fleshed out, and it’s all wrapped up well.

14. ‘Itchy’ (Season 2, Episode 2)

It may have one of the show's sillier premises—the villains are... head lice—but I have a soft spot for ‘Itchy’. Perhaps it’s the setting: a military academy on an English island feels fresh when you compare it to the many identikit homes and high schools in the series. Perhaps it’s the strong performance from Oliver Finnegan as protagonist Gabe. Either way, there’s something low-key charming about this episode.

15. ‘Side Show’ (Season 1, Episodes 12 and 13)

This two-part season finale is set in the early 20th century and centres on a troupe of circus performance whose ringmaster won’t allow them to venture beyond a magical barrier. Overall, ‘Side Show’ isn’t especially creepy; it’s more of a fantasy story that feels like it could have been its own separate series. The advantage of this is that there’s more space for character development and worldbuilding. The disadvantage is that it doesn’t truly feel like part of the Creeped Out universe.

16. ‘A Boy Called Red’ (Season 1, Episode 5)

Vincent and his dad aren't getting along, but when they go to stay at the latter’s childhood home, Vincent finds an unusual way to reconnect: via a time-travelling portal. The switches between past and present are handled admirably, and Boris Burnell Anderson is a standout as AJ. There’s a lot to like about ‘A Boy Called Red’; it just doesn’t stand out as especially memorable when compared to some of the stronger Creeped Out stories, perhaps because there’s no real antagonist. 

17. ‘Bravery Badge’ (Season 1, Episode 7)

A troop of Girl Guides—sorry, ‘Hedgehog Rangers’—head into the woods for a camping trip. When the girls start falling into a strange trance, it’s up to a moody, reluctant Ranger to save the day. The setting here is promising, the campfire scene is a highlight, and the urban legend about the missing troop is a great touch. Unfortunately, the good stuff is undermined by questionable acting and a somewhat ridiculous supernatural menace. Though I will admit the singing is quite creepy.

18. ‘Shed No Fear’ (Season 1, Episode 10)

Set in the 1970s, with some decent period detail, this episode follows two boys as they battle a mysterious shadow-creature inhabiting an old shed. It’s cute to see Greg and Dave rekindle their friendship and tell the smarmy football captain to get lost, but the threat of the Shade is never particularly well-developed. The title also annoys me. Outside the context of this episode, nobody has ever uttered the phrase ‘shed no fear’. It isn’t even a good pun!

19. ‘The Unfortunate Five’ (Season 2, Episode 5)

Five kids in detention meet their match in a seemingly sweet, yoga-loving teacher who pits them against each other. Establishing five protagonists and two villains within the space of 25 minutes is a tall order, and it’s one this episode doesn't meet. ‘The Unfortunate Five’ has a good concept and also boasts one of the series’ goriest images (when Faye attacks Hawkins and blood spatters across the glass—I’m kind of surprised CBBC didn’t cut that). But the flimsy, unmemorable characters doom it to the lower reaches of this list.

20. ‘Only Child’ (Season 2, Episode 7) 

This could have been great: the story of a girl being menaced by her demonic baby brother, while her parents are convinced she’s just jealous, has lots of potential. Yet ‘Only Child’ doesn't really work. The denouement is rushed and muddled (exactly how does Mia identify the link between the baby’s power and the feedback sound?) and the low-budget special effects don't help. It also suffers from being set entirely within the Tuthill family’s apartment, which looks like a cheaply decorated show home. 

21. ‘Help’ (Season 2, Episode 3)

A very meh installment about a brother and sister who are overly reliant on their family’s Amazon Alexa-like virtual assistant. It’s basically a weaker version of ‘Marti’ with a much less impactful message. The siblings are barely fleshed out, and the episode shares with ‘Only Child’ a sterile-looking set that doesn’t resemble a real family home at all.

22. ‘Spaceman’ (Season 1, Episode 8)

If episodes like ‘Trolled’ and ‘No Filter’ represent what a show like Creeped Out should be, ‘Spaceman’ is exactly what it shouldn’t be. If ‘Cat Food’ proves how well humour can work within a scary story, ‘Spaceman’ shows exactly how it can go wrong. The tale of unlikely pals Spud and Thomas finding a crashed spaceship is by far the worst thing Creeped Out has come up with—it’s implausible, unfunny and not remotely creepy. Avoid.

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who Season 14 Wish-List: What We’d Like to See

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With the recent announcement that star Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will be departing Doctor Who following the next season, we have confirmation that Season 14 will be yet another opportunity to regenerate the long-running science fiction show. In that spirit, we reached out to the many Doctor Who viewers amongst our writers to get their personal fan perspectives on what they’d like to see from the next iteration of Who. Here’s what we came up with. Add your own wish-list items below…

Make the Doctor a Bit of a Bastard

My number one wish-list item for season 14 is I want the Doctor to be a bit of a bastard. Steven Moffat had his flaws, but one thing I loved was his interpretation of what the Doctor *is*. The way Moffat sees the Doctor is that there is this vast, ancient alien god, full of loneliness, grief, and rage that can burn out suns. And when it meets humans it pretends to be this fictional character called “the Doctor”, who is half idiot, half superhero (Of course, I think Moffat would also tell you that, though the Doctor might not know it, if you scratch the surface of the alien god behind the mask, you’ll find that deep down it is part idiot, half superhero).

The Doctor is your best friend, and that’s important, but also, sometimes the mask slips. The Doctor should be a bit scary as well as wonderful, and I don’t think Jodie Whittaker has had much chance to show that side of the character. She’s kind and clever and brave and heroic, but she should also get to bluster and be a massive egotist and look like an actual idiot. I hope her successor does get that. Chris Farnell

Vinay Patel as Showrunner

I don’t know if he wants the job, but writer Vinay Patel is my wish-list choice for the next showrunner of Doctor Who. Patel’s two Who episodes are not only among the most successful episodes in recent Who history, but succeed in different ways. With Season 11’s ‘Demons of the Punjab,’ Patel demonstrates that he is able to work outside the traditional Doctor Who formula, giving us a historical episode that challenges the colonialist framework arguably written into the DNA of the show. With Season 12’s ‘Fugitive of the Judoon,’ Patel was asked to incorporate many, many different plot elements into a single episode, without losing the focus or heart of the story—and he pulls it off. Doctor Who has made a big deal about recent strides in representation both in front of the camera, and in directorial roles—and for good reason—but we have never had a person of color in the most creatively influential role of all: head writer/showrunner. The job of showrunner is much larger than the job of an episodic writer, encompassing producer responsibilities in addition writing choices, and I would love to see what Patel could do with it. Or, if he doesn’t want the showrunner job, find him a good non-writing executive producer to support him in the role of head writer. Kayti Burt

More Solo Doctor Episodes

It’s rare to find the Doctor alone. But some of NuWho’s most memorable episodes―’Midnight’, ‘Waters of Mars’, ‘The Lodger’, and ‘Heaven Sent’ spring to mind―have had a conspicuous lack of companions. These companion-lite episodes run the gamut from comedic to exceedingly dark. But all of them benefit from the increased story-telling space created when the Doctor flies solo. Companions serve an important function in Doctor Who. They are audience stand-ins who interpret, question, and ultimately humanize the Doctor. Taking them away, then, forces both writers and viewers to re-learn who the Doctor is through the eyes of strangers. No companions also, from a practical stand-point, means fewer obligatory characters to juggle in NuWho’s tight 45 minute run-time. The writers are free to spend more time on the one-off casts of a given episode, investing us in the mundane struggles of an ordinary bloke who resembles his couch or illuminating the humanity of a shuttle of tourists before it is ripped away. Of course, Doctor Who without companions wouldn’t be Doctor Who. But sometimes a companion-lite episode is the perfect way to remind us why we keep watching. Zoe Kaiser

Give Big Finish a Crack of the Whip

They may have begun their contributions to the Doctor Who canon with a series of niche audio adventures during the show’s wilderness years, but today Big Finish are a lynchpin of the show’s expanded universe. Playing a pivotal role in 2020’s ambitious multimedia epic Time Lord Victorious, and then squeezing into their garden sheds to keep producing content during the pandemic, the team have repeatedly proven they’ve got the skill and imagination to make the most that all of time and space have to offer. 

Just imagine what the Big Finish team could do if handed the reins for a run of adventures you could actually see. Whether it took the form of a fresh start with the next official Doctor or a selection box of old regenerations romping across reality, a palate-cleansing series of ‘new’ writers giving it their all on Saturday night telly before the regular format resumed could be just the thing to reignite the interest of fans whose attention has waned in recent years. (Also, they’ve got Eccleston’s phone number now. Just saying…) Chris Allcock

More Non-UK Episode Settings

I would like Doctor Who in Season 14 to use the TARDIS to see the Earth’s past and present beyond the UK. In the Classic era, many episodes both modern and period were set in the UK purely out of budget necessity. In addition, the early mandate for the series to teach children about the past also meant a heavy focus on Classic Who to cover many areas of UK history. Modern Doctor Who has filmed episodes or scenes in South Africa, New York, Spain, and Utah. There’s so much unexplored history ripe for alien meddling outside of the UK, especially including Asia, Africa, and Central/South America. The series has mentioned several worldwide alien invasions in modern times and the past. Why not have the Silurians wreak havoc in ancient Nigeria? Why do the Cybermen always appear in London first and not Tokyo? If Classic Who can use a soundstage to mimic the Aztec Empire, what excuse does modern Doctor Who have with multiple times the budget, greater access to research resources, and production technology? Hopefully, by Season 14, most pandemic restrictions would have been lifted to allow international filming to resume. There’s so much human history and modern-day experiences outside of the UK. Fans love reading up on the real history and/or modern references to plot events. The Doctor has seen the whole of human existence, Doctor Who is overdue for reflecting more of this. Amanda Rae-Prescott

Retcon ‘The Timeless Child’ Revelation

I understand why Chris Chibnall was seduced by the narrative possibilities of ‘The Timeless Children’. Now that we know the Doctor has lived countless more lives than the 13 (ish) we’ve come to accept – many of them hidden behind a mind-lock following service to a secret Time Lord sect – there exists the tantalising prospect of a hidden Doctor lingering just over every horizon.

If we concede that it was a master-stroke for Russell T Davies to have introduced the Time War, an event that coloured the first of the modern-era Doctors in heavy shades of guilt and grit and regret, then it’s tempting to conclude that these more recent revelations will serve a similar function; that the Doctor’s seismic re-reckoning of their sense of themselves will unlock reservoirs of dramatic tension.  Except… Well, there’s the old adage that says that if anything can be anything, then nothing means anything, and I think that applies here. A tweak is fine. But ‘The Timeless Children’ is a bite too big, a cheat, a rug-pull for the audience and character both.

Red Dwarf, too, plays hard and loose with canon, but if co-creators Grant and Naylor had decided to continue their saga with the mind-bending events of ‘Back to Reality’ cemented as fact, then Red Dwarf wouldn’t have been Red Dwarf anymore. We can only hope that a future showrunner, or even Chris Chibnall himself, is clever enough to ret-con the events of ‘The Timeless Children’ as nothing more than the cunning malfeasance of The Master. Jamie Andrew

Read more

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By Amanda-Rae Prescott

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Doctor Who: BBC Confirms Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall To Leave in 2022

By Louisa Mellor

Make it Scary. Properly Scary

Every time I talk about Doctor Who with my mum, the phrase ‘hiding behind the sofa’ comes up. Though I am a die-hard horror fan, I too had my share of – not hiding – but having nightmares after episodes of my generation’s Who – namely about the Sylvester McCoy era Cheetah People (coming to get me in my bathroom) and the Psychic Circus (my long-standing fear of circuses, clowns and reality TV talent contests was born here). While NuWho has definitely had some good scary ones – ‘Family of Blood’, ‘The Empty Child’, ‘Blink’ – we haven’t had a properly chilling arc in a while. And it does need to be an arc – setting up something terrifying and then defeating it in the space of 45 minutes and then moving along, doesn’t really cut it. I’d love something like ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’ story, which gave us the Psychic Circus and ran for four episodes. Those sofas aren’t going to hide behind themselves. Rosie Fletcher

Writing That Better Reflects the Doctor’s Identity

Perhaps naively, I’m assuming that the Fourteenth Doctor won’t automatically revert to being a white, cis male in the wake of Jodie Whittaker’s departure. (Fingers crossed, I guess!) But, whether the next Doctor turns out to be another woman, a POC, a member of the LGBTQ community, or some combination of the above, I hope that Doctor Who realizes we need to see actual stories that reflect that identity. 

During the Chibnall era, the show has been largely content to write a female Doctor as though that character’s experience wasn’t terribly different from any other incarnation of the Time Lord, with little focus on how historical sexism or the general misogyny of society might impact her. There were a few obvious exceptions to this – Season 11’s ‘The Witchfinders’ comes to mind – but, for the most part, Doctor Who hasn’t seemed terribly interested in exploring how a female Doctor might necessarily have to move through the universe differently than her male counterparts did. (I mean, the idea that random men throughout time and space would just… allow a strange woman to take charge and tell them what to do feels less realistic than the existence of the TARDIS). For our next non-traditional Doctor, I desperately want to see them navigate the world differently because the world reacts differently to their identity, rather than simply pretend there’s no real difference between Thirteen and the other incarnations that have come before her. Lacy Baugher

Bring Back a Classic Companion

It’s unlikely to the point of impossibility that we’ll see a Classic Doctor returning full time to the TARDIS for another crack at the cosmos, complete with age-worn face. But there’s nothing prohibiting a classic companion from rejoining Team TARDIS. Sarah Jane’s reunion with the Doctor in ‘School Reunion’, alongside David Tennant’s Tenth incarnation, provided goose-pimples galore, and kick-started a spin-off show that sealed Elizabeth Sladen’s reputation as one of Doctor Who‘s eternal treasures.

It would be great to see Jo Grant or Jamie or Ace meeting a new Doctor, and adjusting to another new face, while we, the audience, would get to see both how the companions’ lives had changed sans the Doctor, and how a classic companion would look filtered through our modern sensibilities. It could be fun, soulful, and touching. It would also introduce a new generation of Whovians to the people without whom the show wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has. Jamie Andrew

Make Kids Want to Play it in the Playground

This is a tricky ask. Children’s TV habits have moved a long way from the time you could stop a random child in the street and they’d be able to accurately recite the BBC One weekday schedule with allowances for interruptions by the chancellor’s budget and Wimbledon. It’s a different world. Less ‘Watch with Mother’, more ‘Watch a 31-year-old Danish man play Minecraft while also watching 2020’s Funniest TikTok Fails and liking a video of a Year 10 vomiting frozen honey.’ Capturing kids’ attention is hard, but if Doctor Who is going to have a future anything like its past, it needs to ignite a young audience. It needs to be doodled on pencil cases. It needs to transform airing cupboards into TARDISes and multi-colour Biros into Sonic Screwdrivers. Children need to careen around the playground yelling ‘Exterminate!’ and imagining themselves as the cleverest and the bravest, an alien with two hearts and multiple universes at their feet. It has to keep on making them feel bigger on the inside. Louisa Mellor 

​​Add a Non-Contemporary and/or Non-Human Companion

In NuWho, the main companion character has often been situated as the audience surrogate. Because of this, Doctor Who writers have always chosen to make the character our human contemporary, which is to say from our own time and also from Earth—more specifically, the U.K. While there have been exceptions to this rule, from Nardole to Victorian Clara, they have always been fleeting and/or tertiary characters, rather than a central character. Classic Who has a history of much more temporally and planetarily diverse companions. For example, Second Doctor companion Victoria was snatched from 1866 England by the Daleks before the Doctor and Jamie saved her and she continued on the TARDIS with them. Elsewhen, Fourth Doctor companion Romana was a Time Lord from Gallifrey, like the Doctor. After so many seasons of contemporary, British Earthers traveling in the TARDIS, I would love to see Doctor Who get a bit more creative with one or more of their main companions in Season 14. If undertaken earnestly, it would be a simple way of challenging the show’s storytellers to explore new cultures and/or dynamics across multiple story arcs. Kayti Burt

Stop Looking Inwards and Attract a Wider Audience

Much has been made, in this ongoing culture war that grinds against our minds 24/7, of the idea that Doctor Who is somehow a woke show now, as if the show hasn’t addressed political, social and environmental concerns since its first story, or fan forums weren’t simmering with threads unironically titled ‘The Gay Agenda’ in 2005. There are some obvious differences now: firstly the aforementioned cultural shift whereby anything remotely progressive is an affront that must be removed, and secondly the fact the show now has a female lead and more Black and Asian actors in the main cast.

Another important difference to, say, Russell T. Davies or Barry Letts’ approach, is that the writing is noticeably patchier. The concepts in the stories are not necessarily bad, but there’s both a cynical edge and a feeling that the characters are defined more by trauma or disability than beliefs or behaviour. The issue is not that Doctor Who is suddenly woke, it’s that the writing isn’t strong enough often enough.

So what I want for Doctor Who to do next is make me want to watch again, but ideally to continue with what worked with Chibnall’s approach – and despite my criticisms I believe there are successes here. The show should maintain all the elements that would annoy Piers Morgan, but also it needs to reach out to a wider audience as it did in 2005. Much as I enjoyed Steven Moffat’s era, it began to look inwards to the show’s mythology more often than it did outwards, and this needs to be reversed. Andrew Blair

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

The post Doctor Who Season 14 Wish-List: What We’d Like to See appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[bright-eyes-hope]

Get to Know Me!

I was tagged by @fuwaprince ! *.*

Rules: Answer these 92 statements (what, how I answer a statement?) and tag 20 people

Last: 1. Drink: Water. I love water. ^u^ 2. Phone call: My granny saying good night. <3 3. Text message: My best Bro comforting me after I had a nightmare. :u: <3 4. Song you listened to: Not entirely sure … maybe Houkago Tea Time's U & I. 5. Time you cried: When I re-read Around the corner. :-: </3

HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: sure 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: Well … sorta. 8. Been cheated on: yeah 9. Lost someone special: Sadly yes. Diabetes can be such a bitch. </3 10. Been depressed: I … am not sure … probably reactive depression … and borderline … 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: No! Since my biggest demon is Emetophobia, I managed not to throw up from alcohol. ('^')

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: orange, light blue, turquoise, (pastel) lilac

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: Yes, a bunch actually. <3 16. Fallen out of love: No. 17. Laughed until you cried: Probably. I've spent some time with my Bro, so chances are pretty high. ^.^* 18. Found out someone was talking about you: No. 19. Met someone who changed you: Difficult … probably … in one way or another. '~' 20. Found out who your friends are: Well … I knew that before … 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Yes. ^-^' Don't people usually add their partners on Facebook? ^.^'''

GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: I think all of them … since Pet Society has been taken down, I lost my online friends over the years … ._. 23. Do you have any pets: Yass! Track my Instagram for loads of cat pics of my beauties Aphrael and Dracul! <3 24. Do you want to change your name: Nah ... 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: Went for lunch with my mom and granny and got some nice Pjs and socks with Pusheen and Grumpy Cat on them. <3 26. What time did you wake up: Today? At 6:30 'cause I had a doctor's appointment. 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Coming home after watching GoT with the squad and forcing myself to go to sleep. XD 28. Name something you can’t wait for: The arrival of my dearest Mimic tomorrow afternoon! *o*/ 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: I'm seeing her right now when I look up. XD 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: Hm … maybe I should have taken that Judo class in middle school ... 31. Listening right now: Watching Hannibal again. It's the scene with the pigs … I'll spare you the exact ambient noise. :P 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: You bet! XD There is my Bro's brother, then an old friend from school, a fellow YouTuber, a guy we play boardgames and do LARP with, and of course my boyfriend. XD Oh and an actor. I've got plenty of Toms in my life. <3 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: Right now my ears are closed completely … like I can't hear … it's been the left one for hours and it just switched to the right one … at least it's not both at the same time. -.- 34. Most visited website: YouTube I guess. Or Tumblr? 35. Mole/s: Lots of them. Mostly on my arms and shoulders. 36. Mark/s: Plenty of scars, most of them on the left arm and hand, two on my chin and one on the right knee. Probably a few stretch marks on the boobies. 37. Childhood dream: Hm … I always wanted to live in a house full of cats … now I live with two and the house is pretty full of them. =^.^= 38. Hair color: Crimson Red! <3 39. Long or short hair: Hard to say … it's not really short but also not really long anymore. I totally love my current hairstyle tho, it's super practical and looks really good on me. ^-^ 40. Do you have a crush on someone: Yes. ^///^ 41. What do you like about yourself: I'm kinda comfortable with my body in general. I also like that I managed to keep some personality traits no matter what others thought about it. :P 42. Piercings: Nope. 43. Blood type: 0+ 44. Nickname: My nick, gamertag etc. is Brighteyes, Bright Eyes, Brighteyes Hope and so on. 45. Relationship status: Very much in love. :P 46. Zodiac: Virgo 47. Pronouns: She/Her 48. Favorite TV Show: Not this again. XD OK, My Little Pony(,)Friendship is Magic, Steven Universe, Himouto Umaru Chan, K-On!, Madoka Magica, Princess Tutu, Sakura Trick, Selector Infected Wixoss, The IT Crowd, Star Trek, I probably forgot something. ._. 49. Tattoos: Maybe … someday … soon. ^x^ 50. Right or left hand: Right. 51. Surgery: Two times. A tonsillectomy at 17(?) and a conisation at 26. 52. Hair dyed in different color: Different shades of red, I also had black lowlights once. 53. Sport: I wish … ^-^' I really wanna get stuff done! 55. Dream Vacation: Tokyo! All the shopping! *o*/ 56. Pair of trainers: Uhm … colorful no name ones? ^.^'

MORE GENERAL: 57. Eating: Chocolate. Other sweet stuff. Chips. And occasionally a salad. 58. Drinking: Mostly water. I also like cool tea and juice. Like lemonade. 59. I’m about to: Go to bed and watch more YT there. XD 61. Waiting for: My ear to open up again. -.- Gotta see the doctor tomorrow if that will not happen soon ... 62. Want: The job I'm looking forward to in autumn. The courage to tell people how I feel about them. To learn more skills to get the best possible version of myself. ^u^ 63. Get married: Probably not. Most likely not. XD 64. Career: As said before, I'm kinda becoming a graphic designer or something. I hope one gets plenty of muneyz for doing tha graphicz.

WHICH IS BETTER 65. Hugs or kisses: … they usually go together, no? o.O 66. Lips or eyes: Uhm … depends on if you wanna taste or see stuff ... 67. Shorter or taller: Don't care. 68. Older or younger: Don't care. 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Hm … I've never given arms much thought … I might as well go for belly. .3. 71. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive! Over sensitive to loud shit actually. 72. Hook up or relationship: Oh, there it is. OK. *deep breath* Why not both? *outs herself as poly* (｡>//u//<｡) 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: I'm gonna go for hesitant … safety first, kids.

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. Kissed a Stranger: Don't think so ... 75. Drank hard liquor: Yes, a bit ^.^ 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: Nope. 77. Turned someone down: Yes. 78. Sex on the first date: I … honestly can't remember … °.° 79. Broken someone’s heart: Maybe. :_: I'm so sorry. 80. Had your heart broken: Yes. Learning from mistakes and stuff. 81. Been arrested: Nope. 82. Cried when someone died: Yes. 83. Fallen for a friend: Happens. ^///^

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: Yes! 85. Miracles: Hm … in a way. 86. Love at first sight: What exactly does that mean? Really seeing a person for the first time? As in not knowing anything about them except their looks? In that case of course not. o.ô That's attraction or whatever but the term „love“ means something entirely different. 87. Santa Claus: Never, I grew up as a protestant child. XD Got unsure of my belief in the last few years ... 88. Kiss on the first date: Yes … I think so … '~'

OTHER: 90. Current best friends names: Ugh, where to draw the line? Let's only do the ones who are like Family this time: Of course my brother from another mother: Oli And my dear Mimic who is always welcome at my home if she comes back to this country. <3 91. Eye color: Blue 92. Favorite movie: (」゜ロ゜)」 OK. Let's say Studio Ghibli. Big Hero 6. Land before Time, Toy Story, Room 1408, Black Swan, Zoomania, Kamikaze Girls and everything with Jodie Foster.

Tagging:

TAG YOURSELF! DO IT OR DON'T IT!

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