#jodie whitaker | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mrleopard25 · 2 years ago

Text

Doctor Who Regeneration Series Revisited: The Thirteenth Regeneration

youtube

The Twelfth Doctor: “Oh, there it is. The silly old universe. The more I save it, the more it needs saving. It's a treadmill. Yes, yes, I know. They'll get it all wrong without me. I suppose one more lifetime wouldn't kill anyone. Well, except me. You wait a moment, Doctor. Let's get it right. I've got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first. Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never, ever eat pears! Remember, hate is always foolish, and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Oh, and you mustn't tell anyone your name. No one would understand it, anyway. Except, ah! Except children. Children can hear it sometimes. If their hearts are in the right place, and the stars are too, children can hear your name. Argh! But nobody else. Nobody else, ever. Laugh hard, run fast, be kind. Doctor, I let you go.”

Story (from “World Enough And Time”, “The Doctor Falls”, “Twice In A Lifetime”, and “The Woman Who Fell To Earth”):

In an ongoing attempt to rehabilitate Missy, the female incarnation of the Master, the Doctor, Nardole, Bill and Missy answer a distress signal from a colony ship that is caught in the gravitational pull of a blackhole. The ship is at a stalemate: it cannot escape the pull of the blackhole, but its engines are preventing it from falling any further. Bill is shot by a terrified crewmember and immediately kidnapped by a rescue team from the ship’s lower decks.

The Doctor, Nardole and Missy immediately realize that because of the time differential between one end of the ship and the other based on the distance from the black hole, any second they spend on the bridge would result in years down at the engines. The two race to follow Bill.

Unfortunately, 10 years have passed for Bill and her new friend Razor. She has had her wound partially healed but mostly supplemented with a cybernetic implant during her stay in a huge medical ward. Because of the crew’s ongoing deterioration of their health due to their proximity to the taxed engines, they have resorted to replacing their failing body parts with mechanical ones. These crew members also continue to make raids to other decks to grab the rest of the colonists for more medical procedures.

Nardole, Missy and the Doctor arrive in the engine deck and discover the colony ship is from Mondas, the homeworld of the Cybermen. These Mondasians are slowly transforming themselves into Cybermen as well, based on where in the ship they are. Those in the middle decks are living in simulated worlds and are self-sustaining, but the Cybermen are intent on abducting them for conversion to join their numbers.

The Doctor also discovers he is too late, and Bill has been converted into a Cyberman. However, Bill’s conversion is only physical and she still perceives herself as human. The Doctor finds hope in this, but is shocked to discover that Bill’s friend Razor is actually the previous incarnation of the Master in disguise. Missy and the Master team up to aid the Cybermen in their takeover of the ship, while the Doctor sets a trap on one of the colony decks to stop the Cybermen. Nardole and the colonists flee to other decks while the Doctor ignites his trap, detonating various parts of the deck under the Cybermen. Missy has a change of heart and decides to aid the Doctor, but both she and the Master backstab each other: the Master begins to regenerate and flees while Missy apparently dies.

The Doctor is also seemingly killed by the ongoing advance of the Cybermen. Bill suddenly finds that she is no longer in her new Cyberman body, having been freed by the alien entity The Pilot, whom she had a brief romance with earlier in the season. The Pilot rescues the Doctor’s body, and while Bill cries over him, his regeneration begins. The Pilot offers to show Bill the universe together, and they depart the TARDIS.

The Doctor awakens but refuses to regenerate. The TARDIS lands in Antarctica in 1986, and the Doctor ventures outside to quell the regeneration. He stumbles across the First Doctor, who is likewise refusing to regenerate. The crossing of their timestreams results in a temporal fracture which brings a Captain from World War 1 forward in time to join them, and attracts the attention of the Testimony, who are intent on restoring time. The Doctor is suspicious of their motives and even more suspicious when Bill reappears and offers her help.

After some investigation, both the Doctor and First Doctor determine that the Testimony is a ship of living memories preserving the essence of people through out time, and are benign. Bill is actually the living representation of her experiences, and she is able to restore the Doctor’s memories of his past companion Clara (which he had lost in an effort to save her). Both the Doctor and First Doctor take solace in the knowledge of their role in time and space, and both allow their regenerations to continue, restoring time.

Upon regenerating, the Doctor excitedly discovers that he is a now a woman. The Doctor barely has time to process this change, when an explosion consumes the TARDIS. The delayed regeneration and the schism of time has caused a paradox within the TARDIS systems. The TARDIS materializes over Sheffield in 2018, and ejects the newly regenerated Doctor out above the city before an explosion continues to consume the TARDIS interior, and it dematerializes.

The Doctor crashes through the roof of a train just in time to save a group of passengers from a tentacled alien. With several of them aiding her, she fashions a new sonic screwdriver and investigates the appearance of strange pods and murdered people missing their teeth. It seems the Earth has become a battleground between a Stenza Warrior and the bio-data retrieving gathering coils.

Production:

There was no question that the series would continue onwards, as back in 2015 Steven Moffat confirmed the show would run until at least 2020. But then in 2016, Moffat announced that he would leave the show as showrunner at the end of 2017, and not long after that Peter Capaldi announced his intention to likewise leave the show. Moffat at this point was exhausted from his work on all his projects, and was likewise under constant scrutiny by fans and critics. I was there, guys, and I remember how much the fans now seemed to loathe him.

That being said, Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor was very successful, with him enjoying good ratings and being very popular with fans. This series focused primarily on the aftermath of the Doctor establishing the story arc of River Song (by gifting her a sonic screwdriver) seen through out the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor’s tenure, and his acquiring her companion Nardole, to his care and rehabilitation of Missy while she is imprisoned on Earth. However, beyond those two elements, the series is primarily filled with stories that do not rely on throwbacks to previous adventures. Instead the Doctor has taken on Bill as a student of sorts, much like the Seventh Doctor’s relationship with Ace. Really, the only real callback to past serials was at the very end of his tenure with the return of the Mondasian Cybermen, then the Christmas special with the First Doctor, once again played by David Bradley. Moffat personally wrote those final two stories as a sendoff to his time as showrunner. And as a special, the episode prior to that, “The Eaters Of Light”, was written by Rona Munro who wrote “Survival” back in 1989. It was the first occasion where a writer for the classic series returned for the relaunch. But it was time to move on now.

Chris Chibnall, writer of such stories as “42″ and “Dinosaurs On A Spaceship” as well as co-producer and head writer of the spinoff series “Torchwood”, was announced as the new showrunner. I was fine with this, as he had proven himself as a fairly competent and creative writer. For the newest Doctor, Jodie Whittaker was cast. She was already gaining a lot of traction for roles in series like “Broadchurch” (which had Chibnall as the showrunner) and films like “Attack The Block”. She was primarily known for her dramatic roles, so enthusiastically seized this opportunity to not only make history in the program but to also challenge herself.

Murray Gold, series composer since the relaunch in 2005, also left the program and was replaced by Segun Akinola, who was in his mid-20′s at the time. Most of the bombastic orchestral arrangements were replaced by ambient and dark electronic. Further announcements were made that for Series 11, all writers and directors would be new to the series, probably to infuse fresh blood into the franchise. Chibnall also intended to introduce more diversity to the production team, both racially and with more representation of women.

The new title sequence would be far more reflective of the 60′s in both tone, music, and effects, and like those years there would be more companions than with previous Doctors. The biggest name to join on as a companion was tv personality Bradley Walsh, who was “aged up” for his role as Graham. Joining him would be Tosin Cole as his step-grandson Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as police officer Yasmin Khan.

There would be fewer episodes for Series 11 with 10, and very few tie-ins to past series would be revisited. As such, one could start the show at the beginning of the Thirteenth Doctor’s tenure without really having to know much backstory of the program (but it helps). The TARDIS itself went through a massive redesign, going from the library/laboratory look, but to the more basic feel of earlier seasons. But instead of the coral, organic look, there was a more crystalline looks amongst what could be architectural ruins. The control console is still a mishmash of various knobs and levers that could be from anywhere, which still lends to the chaotic nature of how the Doctor pilots the TARDIS.

As for the regeneration itself, the effects were again quite similar to previous instances, but a little more direct with tendrils of energy shooting out from the Doctor’s head and hands. The face is again mostly obscured, but the close up on the eyes shows the transformation, and those who were somehow not in the know about the casting, would only see the barest glimpses of the Doctor’s new feminine form.

Analysis:

First let’s get this out of the way: YES, Community did predict the regeneration of the Doctor into a woman in its thinly veiled parody “Inspector Spacetime” and YES it did predict the abject hatred fans have for her tenure “not because they’re sexist, but because she sucks.” For the last few years, I have heard variants of this sentiment, mostly targeted at Chris Chibnall or just straight up “the writing.” Do I agree with this assessment? No, but I figured we should just get that out of the way because it is a strange coincidence.

From the get go, I was completely fine with casting Jodie Whitaker. I knew she had the chops and the talent, as I had seen a few of her past projects. But the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to was the blatant sexism I knew would be coming. And then the underscored sexism from “fans” who (like above) would look for reasons to criticize the show and her casting while trying to not sound sexist.

Here’s what it boils down to, kids: if you don’t like the show, fine. No one is forcing you to like things. But when you start using stupid arguments to target this incarnation of the show, you’re only exposing your actual objections. Every season has had stinker episodes. Every writer has put out ludicrous premises and painful dialogue. Stylistic and production changes are frequent on the show. Casting against established type goes back to the 60′s. Etc, etc. Saying “It just doesn’t work for me,” is FINE. That’s OKAY. I can’t convince you to like something. I just ask that you look critically at yourself as much as you’re suddenly looking at the show.

Anyway.

Let’s get the big question out of the way: why did the Doctor regenerate into a woman? Why now and not earlier? There was a bit of priming going on in the Twelfth Doctor’s final season where he would mention that he may have been a woman before, but couldn’t quite recall. He would also declare that gender politics were signs of a lesser advanced species and the Time Lords had evolved past them (although Bill calls him out on that by noting that the title “Time Lord” is a gendered term - I’ll give a pretty easy defense for that in that the TARDIS’ translation matrix is taking the Gallifreyan language and “dumbing it down” for humans). Couple that with Missy being a very successful interpretation of the Master, and you’ve got the pieces in place to change the sex of the Doctor.

But what about the in-universe explanation? I don’t think it was random or just chance, to be honest. And it’s pretty simple, at least for Doctor Who. The Pilot showed up earlier in the series (in “The Pilot”) as a corporeal but near-omnipotent being who has deep affection for Bill. She leaves Bill, but not before enveloping her in a bubble of water and showing her a vision of the universe. We learn in “The Doctor Falls” that she has altered the very essence of what Bill is at this point, to protect her. And it is successful in that the Cyber conversion is only on a physical level, and the Doctor sees that, impossibly, the Cyber Bill cries real tears which should be impossible.

At the end of the story, Bill is reconstituted into a form like The Pilot’s, leaving her Cyber converted body behind. We also see that the Doctor has been killed in his battle against the Cybermen. Bill, in her new form, cries over the Doctor’s fallen body and almost wipes her tear off of his forehead but stops and leaves it there. I firmly believe the Doctor had died, and the tear which was infused with her new lifeforce revived him enough to begin his regeneration. And because Bill is a woman, I believe that having HER lifeforce infuse into his body directed the course of the regeneration to also become a woman. We have seen, especially in “Night Of The Doctor” and “Destiny Of The Daleks”, that outside factors can influence the course of the regeneration.

The Doctor’s rejection of this regeneration makes a little more sense when approached from this angle as well, as he has now even been denied death. His life up to this point has been completely guided by external forces, whether by the Time Lords, his TARDIS, his companions, or his enemies. Ironically, he left Gallifrey for reasons entirely devoted to his intent to lead his life how he wanted, even through all the excuses he has given. The First Doctor said he wanted to answer the question of good and evil, the Second Doctor said he was bored, the Tenth Doctor said he had the urge to run since he saw the Untempered Schism. These excuses aren’t contradictory, but they do illustrate that any way the Doctor thinks about his exodus from Gallifrey, it all boils down to being against conforming to life on his homeworld.

But, as the Tenth Doctor learned in his final days, he is forced into a role of protector and he ironically cannot escape that either. And so he rejects his regeneration, because he was ready to die. From his point-of-view, he had failed in restoring Bill from her Cyber conversion, he had failed to rehabilitation Missy, and all he had left now was to protect Mondasian refugees from the Cybermen. Making a final stand against an invading force was how his previous incarnation was ready to die, and I think both incarnations take some solace in knowing they will die for something noble. But here he is.... alive again and he doesn’t even know how it happened.

During “Twice In A Lifetime”, he receives comfort in learning that he hadn’t failed Bill. He is able to pull back and see how he is remembered both positively and negatively, and can see how far he’s come since his first incarnation. Then to find out that the Testimony Foundation is not just another villain to fight, but a reflection of humanity’s legacy inspires him. Mirroring that sentiment is the Christmas Armistice in World War 1 he witnesses first-hand (again) that instills a sense that, even during a brutal war, miraculous and unexpected events can still happen. He is moved, and I think it’s an excellent way to end his tenure.

Now on to the Thirteenth Doctor, and first off the general tone of the show. Yes, it has definitely changed. From the start, the new opening sequence is far more reflective of 60′s Doctor Who with its howlaround, video feedback, look. The incidental music is ambient and dark, and even the lighting seems a bit more unnerving. But this is sharply contrasted with Whitaker’s take on the Doctor, who loves her companions and is infectiously excitable. This sort of contrast reminds me very much of the Second Doctor’s tenure.

However UNLIKE the Second Doctor, the Thirteenth Doctor is far more techy and enjoys tinkering with gadgets not unlike the Third Doctor. Her big toothy grin evokes the Fourth Doctor. It’s fairly obvious that Whitaker did her homework. The stories were a little hit and miss though, but again this is nothing new. The story “Rosa” had a great sentiment, but I felt it got a little confused in its execution. This would probably have worked far better as just a historical or, like “Vincent And The Doctor”, with the alien influence really minimized. As an example where that is done successfully, “Demons Of The Punjab” really nails the tone and the writing, and stands out as a highlight for not only that series but Thirteen’s entire tenure.

To try to have Thirteen stand on her own, references in that first season to past seasons was super light and I even started questioning if Thirteen even remembered her past selves. She did, as it transpired, but the production team was pretty smart about allowing new viewers to not get bogged down with the past. Further series not only brought back references to past series, but also expanded it and shook it up pretty explicitly - but more on that next time.

And I know they really wanted to start her first episode off with a bang, but having her fall from sub-orbit and crash through a train roof was... a little excessive. It IS easily explained that the excess regeneration energy undoubtedly just healed her, but we weren’t even given that. Again I wonder what new viewers were thinking.

If I had one complaint, it would honestly be that sometimes I legitimately have a hard time following what everyone is saying. There’s something about the writing and direction, and this is not the fault of a single writer or director but probably Chris Chibnall as showrunner, that important dialogue seems to blast through really quickly and really subtly, and there were many occasions that I completely missed plot points and had to doublecheck the Wiki entry later. Whitaker does have a pretty pronounced North accent, and the other characters can rattle off their lines just as quickly as she can at times. I’m sure native UK residents don’t have this problem though.... right?

And Another Thing...

I love that David Bradley gives us a fantastic portrayal of the First Doctor, but go back and watch William Hartnell’s actual episodes: he’s not nearly as sexist or difficult as depicted in “Twice In A Lifetime”.

Yasmin: “Hey! Hold on there please, madam. I need you to do as I say. This could be a potential crime scene.” The Thirteenth Doctor: “Why are you calling me madam?” Yasmin: “Because you're a woman.” The Thirteenth Doctor: “Am I? Does it suit me?” Yasmin: “What?” The Thirteenth Doctor: “Oh yeah, I remember. Sorry, half an hour ago I was a white-haired Scotsman. When's the next train due?”

#doctor who #Twelfth Doctor #thirteenth doctor #world enough and time #the doctor falls #twice in a lifetime #the woman who fell to earth #peter capaldi #david bradley #jodie whitaker #first doctor #cybermen #TARDIS #Regeneration #review

4 notes · View notes