#still learning Ncutis face!!!

[the-patrex]

Silly quickish sketches of the hugie aliens

[spif-lol]

I am having THOUGHTS about the new doctor who. I mean there's obviously a lot to unpack but ever since I watched Jodie regenerate into David Tennant (NOT ncuti) and her outfit dissolve into a David Tennant Doctor WHo TM suit I have been sooo scared that RTD was going to do what a lot of 'fans' want and pretend Jodie's era never existed. The sort of people going 'Doctor Who is finally back!' as if we've been on hiatus. I was also scared not just to lose the memory of Jodie, but to lose the aspects of her era that I have loved the most - like the complete loss of the Doctor Who god complex, Jodie's slow character development learning to trust and love and delegate and share with others, and the (sometimes) sheer unapologetic diversity and queerness/playing with gender norms that Jodie's era did moderately well with.

But I think I can safely say that those fears were abated with that episode. I was expecting this to just be DAvid Tennatn Part Two, but I was really struck by how different this new Doctor feels. He isn't the emotionally stunted, cannot spit it out, last of the time lords that 9 and 10 and 11 were. The new doctor is vulnerable and unable to hold back their own joy, much like Jodie in her best moments. The Doctor is saying they love people, easily and freely, to their faces. Jodie's joy and wonder at the universe and at being around people they love was absorbed and passed along. We've still got the angst, but in a show which is so much about change and renewal it is so refreshing to see a regeneration where it is so so clear that the Doctor has learnt and grown and good things are to come. We're getting to see real joyous closure with Donna. We get to see her breaking the cycle and fiercely loving and defending her daughter (I love you Rose! I love you Yasmin Finney!!). Oh yeah and also that episode was so unapologetically queer and trans, even if some of the gender stuff was messy. I love you Doctor Who you are so special to me I will forever be critical of you but thank you for giving me Donna and her messy lovely family and her trans daughter saving the day and the Doctor being sweet and happy and loving.

[willfrominternet]

Been a while since I posted here but I got a ping about this post where I talked about what I expected from Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and their adventures with Ruby Sunday. After watching the season, I think I was right in saying the Doctor should be fun and their adventures should be fun.

This was, by all measures, a season which hearkened back to the first years of the Modern Era. It felt like watching Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper all over again. Both Chris and Ncuti played Doctors coming from great trauma and wanting to escape it, even if they did it in different ways (with Nine having to learn to rediscover love and Fifteen openly embracing it.) Both of them also had to face trauma at the end of their first season (in Chris's case, his only season): Nine dealt with the return of the Daleks, nearly losing Rose, and having to sacrifice himself just as he was starting to recover, while Fifteen had to cope with how death followed them everywhere, regardless of their longing for peace, positivity, and fun.

Ruby was very much just a normal girl like Rose, and I think her unexplained magic abilities don't take away from that. Rose also underwent a transformation in her second (and final) season, where she got locked in an alternate timeline and (sort of) became the Bad Wolf. I believe we'll therefore learn more about Ruby's abilities and see her character transform in her second season, as well as learn about Mrs. Flood and how she plays into the Doctor's timeline. (Early thoughts: River, another child of Amy and Rory, the Rani, another pre-Hartnell Doctor, a future Doctor, etc. etc. etc.)

Anyway: This season was definitely fun, but brought back the philosophical and historical bits which originally made Doctor Who at least somewhat educational and thought-provoking. I think this was what was missing from Moffatt's and Chibnall's runs on the show: It became more centered around the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey lore and less around tying the history/sci-fi to current issues. (The Capaldi era actually did this somewhat well, but I'm biased because I love Capaldi.) Here's the ranking of episodes from best to okay:

Rogue

Dot and Bubble

73 Yards

Boom

The Devil's Chord

Space Babies

The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death

This first season did, in my opinion, feel too much like a taste of Doctor Who, or a "Season 1A." Series 7 was like this too, where we had so much left unresolved and underdeveloped after those first five episodes. (Not that the rest of Series 7 was much better, IMHO.) At least this first season for Ncuti felt a little more full, but now I'm even more excited to see what happens to the Doctor, Ruby, and whoever Varada Sethu will play in the next season. Perhaps that was the twist all along. Damn you, Russell! Damn you, Disney Plus!

Was this the finest season of the new incarnation of the show? No, but I would certainly give it a solid B. The writing was quite good, the acting was phenomenal, and the general vibe of the show definitely gave the impression that Doctor Who was back, baby. But the development did feel a bit rushed, and there were certain parts of the Doctor's character left over from previous incarnations which I thought they would have processed differently. Plus, I view other seasons of the show (Series 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10) more favorably. Call it bias, call it favoritism, call it nostalgia.

Whatever. Point is that Ncuti and Millie had a lot to prove in this semi-reboot of the show, and RTD had to show he still had his stuff, and by golly, they did it. I - as well as plenty of other long-time fans - haven't been this excited about the show in a while, despite how the season ended. And you're telling us we've gotta wait now for Christmas and then some time in the middle of 2025 for more? It's like I'm a high school fanatic raving mad in the middle of my bedroom again. What a wild feeling.

[sadcoms]

i hope this is the last post i’m gonna write about this but one of the reasons the 60th specials upset me is that it felt like rtd cheapened his own legacy. his initial run, especially season 4, was so meaningful to me as a kid, so influential to me as a writer and even the way i love and engage with tv to this day. that’s not to say he or his run was ever perfect, the most obvious issue being the terrible choices with martha and mickey, and others.

but it’s still upsetting to know that he doesn’t get what made his own series special. which i kind of knew when i read in the writer’s tale that, had catherine not come back as donna for season 4, the companion would have been romantically interested in the doctor. again. the thing he most consistently got right was how his run had stakes; how you could feel the heavy weight of death. tentoo works because it IS bittersweet, because it does come at a cost to both the tenth doctor and donna.

and now? he just gives us another tennant clone and it means nothing. if it had been 13, if david had just come back as tentoo to remind his former self that resting, living, is still an adventure. that despite what it might feel like, it’s an option. and after all the horror 13 faced it could have felt like a catharsis, especially if she’d reunited with the fam in addition to tentoo reuniting with donna. maintaining the biregeneration would still have undercut ncuti’s debut but not the way having david as TWO different doctors did (plus i was never expecting rtd to have improved on race because i watched years & years and wow yikes).

but it still sucks that someone who has written genuinely meaningful things to me hasn’t learned anything in the intervening years. that perhaps next time i revisit s4 it’s going to shine a little less brightly because of what he’s now written, to me the sign of truly bad writing and something i’ve already experienced from another doctor who showrunner, and that makes me sad. a real “you either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain” moment.

[sometimesraven]

The fact that I went through most of my life experiencing, processing and healing from my trauma alongside The Doctor only for RTD to go “lol the last 15 years of character growth didn’t happen actually” is a slap in the face actually

Thirteen’s era was bad in a lot of ways but one of the first things I noticed was that her brightness and her optimism were such a natural progression of the healing Twelve did throughout his regeneration. And as someone who had also gone through the same growth and was learning to accept and love and Just Be despite everything that was huge to me, it was such a hopeful message just as Doctor Who has always been for me.

I’ve been thinking about it and I realised we’ve already seen what happened in The Giggle. In Moffat’s era, but it was over time and it was earned.

Twelve was carrying So Much trauma. He was tired and bitter and angry, carrying the expectations he’d learned in the previous incarnation (that people see him as far higher than he sees himself, that he’s a god and a warrior and a healer and he doesn’t want that, he just wants his friends and his box). He’s fighting between who he is and who he’s expected to be and he can’t run away from it any more.

This all comes to a head with Heaven Sent/Hell Bent where he loses his best friend. The woman who had guided him and supported him through this trauma, the one who was there to help him learn that the preconceived pressures of “good” and “bad” he put upon himself were bullshit and he’s just Some Guy Doing His Best and that’s okay, he doesn’t have to be more than he is even if the universe tells him so. He thinks he’s responsible for her actions (which arguably goes all the way back to Davros accusing him of turning his companions into weapons) and he relapses into trying to control everything, brings her back, does all of this shit for her that she never asked for.

And that’s when he learns his inability to let go and actually face the pain rather than running from it is hurting people and himself. He’s faced with what he did to Donna at long last and given the chance to not repeat that mistake. Clara teaches him one last lesson.

Then he settles. He takes care of Missy and spends some time as a professor, meets a new companion and by the end of his regeneration he learns to let go.

This is the point where I realised RTD had somehow rehashed something that had already been done.

He lets go. He passes the torch into a brighter, more optimistic Doctor less burdened by the previous incarnations’ trauma and ripe for a whole heap of NEW trauma, still remembering all she’s lost but able to put it behind her and focus on the happy memories and the love. She has a family.

The Doctor had healed in a meaningful way, and more importantly a way those watching could see and realise that yes, it’s possible. Yes, it’ll still hurt sometimes, but it’s possible to heal from the terrible things that have been done to you. It’s possible to live a full, happy, bright existence even if the past doesn’t truly go away.

Obviously it all goes downhill again and yeah, the unfortunate writing means that Thirteen had some really unhealthy coping mechanisms that were never addressed. Yeah, the Flux happens. Yeah, Gallifrey dies again.

But.

Imagine this for a second: Rose and Donna’s “let go” statement, ignoring the gender essentialism. It turns out they’re actually harkening back to “Doctor, I let you go.”. Thirteen bigenerates and Fourteen (Ncuti) gives the “therapy in the wrong order” speech, but this time it’s because they’ve already been through the same trauma.

They’ve already seen their planet die, they’ve already lost so much and felt responsible for so much death, but because they’ve already been through that trauma from 9-12 and been through that healing combined with the Toymaker’s wibbly wobbly laws of physics, the bigeneration came from a subconscious recognition that they’re relapsing into those bad habits (compartmentalise, put it away, keep running) and that they need to slow down and stop to process this again.

It would be an excellent way of doing what Rusty wanted and soft rebooting while also showing the audience “hey, sometimes when you think everything is okay it’ll fall apart again, you’ll relapse, things will seem shitty, but because you’ve done all this healing and have all these tools and learned to trust people it’ll be easier to bounce back from, just have patience with yourself” rather than coming across as just completely retconning 15 years of character growth in favour of cheap fanservice

Idk I just have so many issues with The Giggle and I thought they’d get smaller over time as I get over the initial what the fuck but I’m only getting angrier lmao. Like acknowledge the previous writers or don’t, you can’t acknowledge them and then try to gaslight an entire audience into thinking it didn’t happen

[denimbex1986]

'You can always count on The Doctor to deliver some iconic and memorable lines of dialogue, and ever since Doctor Who’s modern era began in 2005, we’ve gotten countless legendary lines. This quick-witted and wise time lord played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa has delivered some hilarious, poignant and at times sassy quotes...

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff." -Tenth Doctor in “Blink”

As David Tennant’s Doctor is attempting to explain a very complex situation to Sally and Larry in “Blink,” one of Doctor Who’s best episodes, they keep questioning him about how time works. Ultimately, he gives into the question and explains it as eloquently and simply as he can, which is of course still pretty “wibbly-wobbly.”

"All right then, Doctor Whoever I’m about to be… Tag. You’re it." - Thirteenth Doctor in “The Power of the Doctor”

Ending out a historic run, Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor left us with an iconic line before tagging a familiar face, David Tennant, as the Fourteenth Doctor.

"Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead." -Tenth Doctor in “Blink”

The weeping angels – a monster essential to understanding Doctor Who – are single-handedly one of the scariest creatures on the show. That became very apparent in “Blink” as the Tenth Doctor explained that if you bat an eye, you could end up dead, because you never know when the lurking angel statues will get you.

"Rose… before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I!" -Ninth Doctor in “The Parting of the Ways"

Christopher Eccleston may have left the show after one season, but the Ninth Doctor will always be remembered. From his beautiful relationship with Rose to his “fantastic” last line, he still has a great legacy.

"Everything ends, and it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's always happy. Be happy. I'll look after everything else." -Twelfth Doctor in “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”

Anytime The Doctor has to talk about their past, it’s always sad. However, the timelord is also aware of how good things can be as well. So, when speaking about taking care of the world after returning, he implores those he’s with to “be happy,” and not dwell on the end.

"Allons-y!" -Tenth Doctor’s Catchphrase

While the other Doctors’ catchphrases are in English, David Tennant’s fan-favorite Tenth Doctor decided to get fancy and make his French. Honestly, every time I hear “Allons-y” – which means “let’s go” – I smile.

"Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person." -Tenth Doctor in “The Lazarus Experiment”

Throughout their years of life, The Doctor has gained immense wisdom, especially when it comes to spending time with those you love. This line is delivered as Ten explains why there’s more meaning in living a full life than a long one, a lesson The Doctor knows all too well, and one we can all stand to learn from.

"Never be cruel. Never be cowardly. Hate is always foolish. Love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Doctor… I let you go." -Twelfth Doctor in “Twice Upon A Time”

While Peter Capaldi’s Doctor was known for being the grumpiest of the bunch, he was also wise and caring, as you can tell with this sweet and inspirational quote from his final moments before Jodie Whittaker took over as the Thirteenth Doctor.

"I don't want to go!" -Tenth Doctor in “The End of Time”

It’s always sad when a Doctor regenerates, however, Ten’s was extra emotional, because he didn’t want to leave. David Tennant truly loved playing the Doctor, and you could feel the sadness as he said goodbye. Luckily, he didn’t leave forever as he came back for “Day of the Doctor” and he returned again for the 60th Anniversary as the Fourteenth iteration of the time lord.

"You’re my favorite, you are. You are the best, you know why? Cos you’re so thick! You’re Mr. Thick Thick Thickety Thickface from Thicktown, Thickania. And so’s your dad!" -Tenth Doctor in “The Girl in the Fireplace”

The Doctor has sick burns up their sleeves every once in a while, but this was not one of those moments. However, what matters is David Tennant’s Doctor tried. In this episode the tipsy time lord waltzed in to save Rose with his tie on his head and drink in hand hurling insults like this at the evil Victorian robots.

"In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important." -Eleventh Doctor in “The Almost People”

If there’s one thing the Doctor truly believes in it’s how vital all life is, and how everyone deserves to feel valued. He made that clear during this Christmas special when Matt Smith’s time lord said this memorable line.

"Lives change worlds. People can save planets or wreck them. That’s the choice. Be the best of humanity." -Thirteenth Doctor in “Orphan 55”

When Thirteen and her pals go to a resort that turns out to have some horrifying secrets, she helps save the day and teaches everyone, including the audience watching the episode, that we should always be trying to be the best of humanity.

"Right, physics! Physics, eh? Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics…" -Tenth Doctor in “School Reunion”

Somehow, the Tenth Doctor found himself teaching the youths about physics, and before hopping into his complex lecture, he started by simply saying the word over, and over, and over again. It was hilarious, especially considering the incredibly smart words that came out of his mouth after this silly moment.

“We’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” -Eleventh Doctor in “The Big Bang”

When Eleven thinks he’s going to lose Amy Pond, he tells her their story. At this point, he thinks they’re parting ways and that when Karen Gillan’s character wakes up she won’t remember. So, he simply tells her that he’ll be a story in her head, and that at least the time they shared created a great story.

"You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books, the best weapons in the world! This room is the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!" -Tenth Doctor in “Tooth and Claw”

The Doctor never uses weapons. He uses his sonic screwdriver and wit to solve his problems, which is one of their most admirable qualities. So, it made sense that when someone asked if they had weapons to fight the bad guys, Ten responded saying the books that surrounded them would help them more than any weapon...'

[ryttu3k]

Thoughts on Doctor Who - Dot and Bubble!

You know what, it's a bold new choice on Doctor Who to go, "Actually, this entire pastel-washed Celebration-meets-Tiktok society probably should die" but I can't say it's like. Entirely wrong in this case. Can't help someone who's so thoroughly wedged up their own arse (or stuck in their own bubble, ofc) they actively refuse help due to their own bigotry, y'know?

Actually, it's very much an 'offering mercy to the enemy' kind of thing. Which, historically, hasn't tended to go great either. It just hits a little different because we spent the entire episode focused on Lindy's storyline that we go, "Oh, she's the protagonist" and it's only at the end that we really get confirmation of, "Ah. She's the enemy." Although, in fairness, the endless microaggressions piling up culminating in killing Ricky was a pretty big hint, so…

Kind of refreshing that the first episode in which the Doctor's skin colour comes up is set in the future, which normally are pretty free of like. Racism and bullshit like that. Like Martha, Bill, Yaz, and Ryan all mention racism being an issue in historical episodes, Thirteen only gets talked down because of her apparent gender in a historical. You kind of make this assumption that even if there are still massive issues in the future, something like race isn't one of them. Only, it is. And Fifteen is the one to come up against the brunt of it. Any other Doctor, and the entitlement may have shown, but the racism may have stayed hidden (unless, again, Martha, Bill, or Yaz and Ryan as companion). Fifteen, however, gets them to show their asses just by virtue of existing. He was literally trying to save their lives!

Quote from RTD: "The moment we cast Ncuti, everyone said to me, "Oh my god, what's it going to be like when he goes into the past? Because a Black Doctor's going to face such racism." You sit there going, "What about now? Why do you think that racism's only in the past, when you look at what's happening to the world?""

Did come across as very nihilistic, ending-wise. RTD has said this episode was Black Mirror-influenced, and yeah, can definitely see that. You know what, that planet and the Finetime community are doomed. The planet's population is gone, a good chunk of Finetime's population is gone (or couldn't be led to safety, in which case it's only a matter of time), and lbr these kids only learned to walk a few hours ago. I would be amazed if they lasted a week playing Pioneers outside. And there's nothing that the Doctor can do, because they're so entrenched in their own racism that they refuse the literal lifeline he's throwing to them!

Conclusion: Fascinated how they went from, "Social media bad!" and "Killer AI!" to, "Actually, maybe social media isn't the problem and maybe, just maybe, it's people being so obsessed with staying within their literal bubbles that they begin to systematically dehumanise anyone who doesn't 'belong'" and also, "Actually yeah I'm kinda going for the AI deciding that the best way to deal with institutionalised and entrenched racism and bigotry is to kill them all with giant slugs."

(I mean, if the Dot AI could see how literally everyone was, I assume they realised they wouldn't accept a sapient AI as a new life form…)

Acting: Not quite as Doctor-lite as 73 Yards, this was more… Diet Doctor and Companion. That said, what we did get from Ncuti Gatwa was goddamn masterful. His reaction when he realises what's going on the end was heartwrenching - the disbelieving laughter, then the anger and frustration. So goddamn good. That said, Callie Cooke as Lindy was obnoxious and thus perfectly acted. Like at the beginning you were lowkey hoping she'd get her head out of her arse, and by the end you were hoping she'd get eaten :D Also enjoyed Tom Rhys Harries as someone who's been raised in the bubble but is at least trying to start just… slowly stepping out of it, only to be violently rejected by the rest of the bubble.

Continuity: Another Susan Twist! This time, actually called out! You know, there are two possibilities here, and both are extremely funny: 1) RTD intentionally cast an actor named Susan Twist to appear in every episode in order for her multiple appearances to foreshadow a twist revealing Susan Foreman, or 2) RTD intentionally cast an actor named Susan Twist to appear in every episode in order for her multiple appearances to have absolutely nothing to do with Susan Foreman and the repeated appearances are something else entirely. Either way, it's goddamn hilarious.

Nothing on Ruby's backstory this week, including a lack of snow. Ruby did feel somewhat unimportant here, she was only really there to make Lindy actually listen, because she's white and blonde and therefore Like Them and therefore worthy of listening to, and could have been replaced by any other young white companion, like Rose or Clara. If it had been the Doctor on his own, or Martha, Bill, or Yaz and Ryan as companions (or potentially even Donna, who might have got caught by ageism?), Lindy would have just kept blocking and blocking and never, ever listening.

The Big Bads of the season continue to oscillate between the possible Pantheon (the Toymaker, Maestro, possibly Mad Jack/the Fairies?) and just. Humanity. The humans who forced babies to be born then abandoned them, the military industrial complex, nuclear ambitions (the only one so far not set very far in the future), and now pastel-washed white supremicists. Very much a 'yeah, humanity definitely still hasn't solved these issues yet' kind of thing.

The 'stories being real' theme was handled kind of obliquely. Still definitely there, but it was a human consequence of being stuck in their own bubbles/narratives and being unable to see or accept anything outside it, and less a metatextual example like with other episodes.

Season ranking

As of s40e05:

73 Yards

The Devil's Chord

Dot and Bubble

The Church on Ruby Road

Space Babies

Boom

[whoreviewswho]

Wokeness, Responsibility and if RTD is problematic - The Regeneration Question and Davros with Legs

Is Russell T. Davies a problematic figure? Is he too woke or not aware enough? Is he doing something wrong to illicit negative responses from the progressives as well as the conservatives? Is it something in the programme, something in the marketing or is he doing nothing particularly bad at all? Well, perhaps you and I, faithful reader, can come to some sort of conclusion. Let's find out together as we take a dive into the controversial choices behind RTD2 and the mind of the man behind them.

At the end of 2022's The Power of the Doctor, Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor regenerates into her fourteenth body, the same as her tenth incarnation as played by David Tennant. Taken on face value, the scene is innocuous enough. Just a standard regeneration with the surprise appearance of the most popular (sorry Tom) Doctor Who ever for our next story instead of the expected Ncuti Gatwa.

Except, there was something else unusual - the Doctor's clothes regenerated with her. With the sole exception of the very first regeneration (which can be excused as a relic from before the 'rules' were decided upon), this is without precedent* and was clearly supposed to mean something. After all, Russell thinks. He is a clever man and he would never do something as bold as this without there being a reason.

Well, yes. There was a reason but a lot of fans were dismayed to learn that the reason was not built into the narrative but a consequence of real life. In DWM 584, these comments from Davies were published;

“I was certain that I didn’t want David to appear in Jodie’s costume. I think the notion of men dressing in ‘women’s clothes’, the notion of drag, is very delicate. I’m a huge fan of that culture and the dignity of that, it’s truly a valuable thing. But it has to be done with immense thought and respect. With respect to Jodie and her Doctor, I think it can look like mockery when a straight man wears her clothes. To put a great big six-foot Scotsman into them looks like we’re taking the mickey. Also, I guarantee you it’s the only photograph some of the papers would print for the rest of time. If they can play with gender in a sarcastic or critical way, they will.”

Unsurprisingly, this choice became a not insignificant talking point in the fandom in the weeks following. A particularly articulate thread was posted by tess owen’s #1 fan || (i still love you yaz dw), @_mag_lex, on November 10, 2022 summarised the discussion well when she said;

"I don’t understand how DT wearing 13’s outfit is a mockery of drag, given that it’s deliberately and definitively gender-neutral. Anyone who watches and cares about the show understands that. I also don’t understand the logic of pandering to bigots rather than catering to fans [....] You’re telling me that Doctor Who is now scared to push boundaries. That’s what this says to me. But sci fi is all about pushing boundaries. Opening minds. Why are we limited by things like this? I’m so sad."

The stance from RTD does not seem in and of itself confused. He made the decision to avoid showing a man in clothes designed for a woman based on a potential, and what he saw as a likely, media reaction. The mention of tabloids and newspapers is revealing, of course. He is a boomer. Terminology aside, though, I would agree that depicting a man in women's clothes opens the door to ridicule from the anti-woke crowd in a way that not showing it wouldn't. And, yes, they are women's clothes. With all due respect to everybody who claims otherwise, I don't think the refute that Jodie's costume is designed to be genderless really holds any water. The costume designed by Ray Holman and inspired by Jodie Whittaker's suggestion is not inherently feminine but the shape and cut and final choices were made with her, a cis woman, in mind as the wearer.

Now, what does hold some amount of water is the context of the rest of the episode. Approximately 44 minutes before David Tennant appears in his all new costume, Sacha Dhawan's Master can be seen wearing Whittaker's complete costume and he continues to for several minutes following. It is at this juncture where our second comment from Hagan feels appropriate;

"[In reference to David Tennant wearing Jodie Whittaker's costume] Dude's heart's in the right place but his head's in the fucking clouds half the time." - November 10, 2022

What many have noted, Hagan included, is that RTD inadvertently suggests here that the Master, the villain, being seen in clothes intended for someone other than of his assigned gender is perfectly acceptable but to see our leading hero in this way is something to avoid. Without the full context of the quote, we appear to have RTD shying away from doing something opposed to UK's cultural and societal norms regarding gender rather than being openly proud of the juxtaposition; we have just witnessed a gender transition which is another day in the office for our hero.

Then again, if one never came across RTD's comments in the first place, would there be as much reason to be bothered by the decision at all? Certainly, there is the valid feeling of disappointment that would have come from many fans about never seeing Whittaker's male successor in her clothes but, prior to the statement, I saw less of that online than I did excitement. Most viewers seemed to reasonably assume from the way the scene plays out that the choice to regenerate the clothes would have some bearing on the plot in future events. It stands to reason that the Doctor regenerating their clothes and regaining an old face are related. Well, we know now that they were not, at least not on-screen.

They are related in the real world but, alas, in a very perfunctory way. As I am sure RTD was well aware, the clip of Jodie turning back into David was a very popular moment and even named TV Moment of the Year at the Edinburgh TV Awards. Most significantly, the costume from the previous era was not the one seen all over the media. 

So, knowing that the costume change would not be addressed in his scripts, RTD addressed it himself in what some might call a flagrant display of moral hubris. Again, the sentiment of 'let's not give queerphobes ammunition' is in no way a problematic one but the optics of forever binding that decision to an episode that makes no display at all of the villain dressed in women's clothes are not so great and a little baffling. It is almost as if RTD had no idea what even went on in the story he was picking up from. As others such as Hagan have pointed out, there is also the notable matter of the Master as written by RTD who was last seen wearing women's clothes in multiple instances during The End of Time. While it his unfair to say his choices in 2009 and choices in 2022 directly reflect each other, it still contributes to an awkward feeling and some bad optics. 

RTD refused to give ammunition to queerphobes so he handed the fans a loaded gun and asked them to point it at him. It sounds almost noble but was it truly necessary? He could have said nothing for a much lesser reaction. In that case, nobody would have questioned his equating the art of drag performance with just men in women's clothes. This is the first of several examples in what I am attesting to be 'pre-emptive damage control'; cases of RTD identifying where audiences might have a problem and then going well out of his way to ensure that they don't at the very real risk of drawing attention to problems that may not have even been there in the first place. Or, at least, not in the way that he is envisioning. I am not refuting the suggestion that media outlets would have made jokes out of Tennant in a woman's clothes. That seems like a very real possibility. For RTD, it seems that the potential harm from that outweighed any potential strength that could be gained from depicting it in the first place. Is the best outcome for queer Doctor Who fans the one where the show seems to take no pride in depicting aspects of queer culture or make any attempt to own that choice at all? 

A similar situation occurred a little over twelve months later with the premiere of, of all things, a Children in Need sketch. On November 17 2024, Destination: Skaro was broadcast in the UK and, eight days out from RTD2 kicking off proper, it was audience's first glimpse into what might be in store with David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor and perhaps the general flavour of the era. At time of writing, the latter seems a little too soon to say though the nature of the short obviously lends it to being more comedic than a typic Who episode. Something that did become clear though was that the outspoken, socially-conscious thinking that informed the previous year's regeneration scene showed no signs of disappearing. 

Destination: Skaro surprised fans with the unexpected return of Julian Bleach in the role of Davros. The scene took place on the titular planet during the early stages of Dalek development and saw the Doctor accidentally influence the Daleks' design. The short was immediately notable for depicting Davros as fully-abled, not wheelchair bound or in any way disfigured. Prior to any statement from RTD regarding the choice, fans like myself appeared to conclude that this scene must be intended to take place prior to all of Davros' other appearances. Hs debut, Genesis of the Daleks, makes it clear that his chair is a life-support system and the Daleks seen there are all fully designed. So this is a prequel to the 1975 story. Easy enough to accept. But, then, RTD said this in an episode of Doctor Who Unleashed:

"We had long conversations about bringing Davros back, because he's a fantastic character, [but] time and society and culture and taste has moved on. And there's a problem with the Davros of old in that he's a wheelchair user, who is evil. And I had problems with that. And a lot of us on the production team had problems with that, of associating disability with evil. And trust me, there's a very long tradition of this... I say, this is how we see Davros now, this is what he looks like. This is 2023. This is our lens. This is our eye. Things used to be black and white, they're not in black and white anymore, and Davros used to look like that and he looks like this now, and that we are absolutely standing by."

In my opinion, there is little to object to here. Associating disability with villainy is a longstanding, harmful trope of genre fiction and something that Doctor Who has indulged in innumerable times throughout its history. Given that this short was airing within a charity event for disadvantaged youth, the optics of the decision make a lot of sense. It was a good call for RTD to contribute to the conversation about disability in a positive way. For the most part, this alls seemed to go down quite well. What some fans objected to was what was said toward the end of his comments, specifically the suggestion that this is how Davros will be portrayed moving forward.

This was met with a polarised reaction in fans, including those who are wheelchair users. YouTuber Tharries, notable among many things for being one of RTD's inspirations to depict the TARDIS as having a ramp in The Giggle, posted his reaction on November 18, 2023;

"As a disabled Doctor who fan I've always felt somewhat conflicted on Davros as a character, much as I love him he does contribute to the longstanding disabled evil man trope so to see @russelldavies63 address that meant a lot."

Tharries remains an outspoken fan of RTD and strong advocate for disability representation in the show. On the other side, were fans such as Rob Keeley who remarked on November 19, 2023;

"I've been a wheelchair user all my life and a #DoctorWho fan since the 1993 Genesis of the Daleks repeat. I don't find #Davros offensive - he's a great character. What's offensive is treating all disabled people as the same, assuming we all automatically identify with one another."

Mind you, it is probably also worth repeating Keely's review of The Star Beast from November 26 that same year for a more complete context of the man's views;

"True there was nothing very new, I still hate casual bad language in Who and the woke resolution was rubbish, but it still felt like Doctor Who more than anything in a long time."

A common outcry of detractors was that a link was never made between Davros' evil qualities and his being disabled. Dav McKenzie writing for The Spoilist on November 2023 provides an articulate quote mounting this defence but, amusingly, fails to attribute it to anybody;

"Say goodbye to Davros, one of Doctor Who’s most enduring foes. RTD has decided Davros boils down to discrimination against the disabled. He is a war-scarred cripple who is a megalomaniacal genius. His disability does not define or even restrict him as he is one of the most dangerous Doctor Who villains ever. Thanks to RTD though Davros has no injuries and is not in a wheelchair any longer. Goodbye, Davros. We had a good 40 years."

This particular line of defence never sat well with me. It was only in 2015, after all, that we saw Davros as a fully-abled child with no signs of fascist or psychotic tendencies. That depiction leaves one with little room to refute that his path to evil is in entirely unrelated to his disability.

It remains difficult to find a consensus on fan opinion at the best of times but this particular situation seems to remain a huge unknown quantity. Perhaps it will become clearer when Davros next returns to the show, if RTD even intends to do that. What was clear was that Davies wanted to make a statement about disability representation in his Doctor Who, spearhead these values with a new take on Davros right before then debut of new supporting character, Shirley.

And, again, I feel that the same question needs to be asked; would this have been a lot better received if RTD let the work speak for itself? Did he have to make such a definitive statement in Unleashed when we could see in the work that he was making that he had a strong, intelligent disabled character and no longer leaned on disability for villainy? Yes, the statements are inviting conversation and critical thinking which is always good but is RTD just virtue signalling or actually inciting change? Or is he doing both?

To be continued in part two; Rose Noble and Trans Identities in RTD2

*Tom's boots not withstanding

[zeke-ewan]

IMHO: David Tennant as 'the Bridge Doctor'; I think it was a good move. In this essay I will...

Talk at length about this whole thing, if invited.

For now, I will share main points, and if anyone wants more, you know what to do - it's tumblr. This isn't super long but I still hate taking up dash space, so:

I am inspired to write this because I watched this video ... ("The REAL Reason David Tennant is Back as Doctor Who" by Joe Brennan on Youtube). And I would like to politely add my own opinion, as I am one of the "nostalgic fanboys" mentioned in the video, but I also consider myself able to learn and change perspectives, as I highly value the adaptive nature of scientific research.

"The News" to which I am responding, is that David Tennant will play The Doctor, while we await Ncuti Gatwa who is working on another project. Some opinions are concerned this is too much fan service, despite "Tentwo" being somewhat of a placeholder, as Ncuti is presently too busy to film Who.

Key points of which I think when considering this move:

If you really have selected the perfect person for the role, wouldn't it make more long-term sense to hold their role for them while they make the necessary accommodations? I can surely say that if someone headhunted and offered to change my life with the role of a life time (though I think if it were my first role, I'd have another character in mind for myself, if I were able to make wishes haha) I sure would need to make some necessary adjustments!

Joining something as phenomenal and endless as Doctor Who has got to be one of the biggest honours in Sci-Fi, pop culture, etc, along with a number of other popular or obscure titles that have endured as long (I would like to nod to Star Trek, Star Wars, Red Dwarf). And adjusting one's life to accommodate filming such a title would take much preparation.

Personally I welcome the nostalgic nod to the anniversary with the 'Fan service doctor'. Sometimes, when able to show growth through throw-back, nostalgia is okay, for a moment. In a world where the nostalgeneration (my term, anyone a fan?) who watched our parents fear the technology then integrate it into our entire society. The millennials were the ones who grew up riding bikes then couldn't afford our own cars, so please give us a break when we get excited to see hopeful faces from our upbringing, or at least me, if I am alone in this feeling.

I was promised success upon completion of school, then failed school, over and over and over. But I have fond memories of watching Doctor Who with my mother, who remembered it a bit growing up, despite not being an avid Sci-fi fan.

I could explain my points further, except I am attempting to practice sleep hygiene and it's already past my bed time, so I must away.

I think it's okay to take a breather with some gentle nostalgia to celebrate a monolithic anniversary, so that we can say that we didn't miss that huge milestone, but still keep the role open for the perfect next candidate.

Personally, I'd rather wait for the dream role than rush into an ill-suited one. Sure would help the wait, knowing what's at the end of the tunnel, but at this point, I'm not even sure what I'm 'waiting on' any more. And I'm determined to make this waiting room as interesting as possible - when the main quest is out of reach, do side-quests! I just hope the main quest becomes clear again soon, even if I have to write the dang code myself, lol.

[sexeducationfans]

Vice interviews Asa Butterfield and Ncuti Gatwa

Ncuti on the downside of sudden fame:

"I stepped onto a plane with 500 Instagram followers and stepped off with thousands in the space of eight hours," he said while sipping from a mug of Earl Grey tea in VICE's test kitchen. "There were a whole bunch of slutty pictures I had to get rid of."

His friend and co-star gently reminded him, however, that he still posts fire thot pics, to which Ncuti had to make an admittance: "I’m a hoe. I’m sorry, I've just got to be a hoe."

and on representation:

That representation is especially important to Gatwa, who feels empowered to tackle the joys and struggles his character faces. "I feel so grateful to play Eric, someone that represents so many different intersections. He’s a gay Black boy—a minority within a minority," Gatwa continued. "There’s a lot of racism in the gay community and homophobia in the Black community, and Eric is standing in the middle of those intersections. If I can encourage people to stand up and take space and make noise, then I’m very happy to do so. Nobody should be getting silenced. Nobody’s going to erase mine or anyone’s existence."

Read the entire interview:  The Stars of 'Sex Education' Learned a Lot from Acting Like Mating Slugs

[denimbex1986]

'Well now, that was quite the episode of Doctor Who. Clearly wanting to end the 60th anniversary specials with a bang, the latest episode from returning showrunner Russell T Davies, titled The Giggle, saw David Tennant's Doctor and Catherine Tate's Donna Noble take on the Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris.

Their battle against the villain took many unexpected turns, which all built up to the moment everyone was waiting for - the regeneration into Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, who will be captaining the TARDIS from here on out. However, it's safe to say that it was far from your usual regeneration... Oh yeah, Davies is having fun, and not only with that, as a few clues are littered throughout the episode too that hint at what's coming next.

Naturally you will be left with many questions but never fear, as we've got the answers...

So… what is bi-generation?

The Giggle just completely changed the history of Doctor Who with the introduction of bi-generation, a new concept for the beloved show. As the Toymaker challenges the Doctor to a third game, as they are playing for best of three, he decides he wants to play against a new face, blasting the Time Lord with the galvanic beam, causing him to regenerate.

Companions Donna and a returning Melanie Bush (portrayed by Bonnie Langford), each hold the Doctor's hands, who of course chooses his famous catchphrase "allons-y" for his last words. However, after glowing with light nothing happens - the Doctor still has David Tennant's face. Saying that it "feels different this time", the Doctor asks his friends to "pull" his body each way, and in doing so they yank Ncuti Gatwa out of him. And so, standing in front of us are two Doctors - Tennant's Fourteenth and Gatwa's Fifteenth.

Both are clearly initially puzzled, but soon realise that they have "bi-generated", something we are told was previously only thought of as a myth. This means we now have two Doctors, each with the same memories and abilities, but able to co-exist in the same world, leading separate lives. And if you were worried about them sharing a TARDIS, Gatwa's Fifteenth reminds us that after winning the Toymaker's game they are still due to be given a prize. And so, he hits the TARDIS with a fairground hammer causing it to duplicate. Tennant's Doctor now has his own, as does Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor - notably his comes with a jukebox, which is rather fabulous!

What happens to David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor?

After banishing the Toymaker (more on that below), David Tennant's Doctor admits that now there are two of them, he's unsure how everything is going to work. As the Doctors discuss their life so far, it's noted that not for one second has the Time Lord stopped for a breather, always going from adventure to adventure, battle to battle. Donna believes this is why his previous face came back and reunited with her - the Doctor's body was telling him that it's worn out and needs to process all the pain it's experienced over those many, many years. And how better to do that then spend some time relaxing with best friend Donna Noble?

Which is exactly what the Fourteenth Doctor does, going on a journey they have never been on before - resting. After saying goodbye to Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, we catch up with Tennant's Time Lord at Donna's home, where he is sat enjoying lunch with his new found family - which includes former companion Mel. Smiling at everyone, he says he has "never been so happy" in his life.

However, we doubt that this restful time will last as the Doctor can't resist adventuring. In fact, we learn that he has already taken Yasmin Finney's Rose and Langford's Mel for a spin already in his TARDIS. With the launch of the new 'Whoniverse', the official home for all things Doctor Who, and a deal with Disney+ internationally, we can easily see Tennant's Doctor getting his own spin-off show. Allons-y!

What happens to Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor?

After comforting an emotional Fourteenth Doctor, it's time for Ncuti Gatwa's Time Lord to go on his own adventure. Saying goodbye to Donna Noble and Tennant's Doctor, giving the latter a respectful salute, the Fifteenth Doctor sets course for a new destination in time and space, beginning their travels in the TARDIS. Just like us at home, Donna asks the important question, "where's he going?" The Fourteenth Doctor's answer is quite simple, "everywhere". He then wishes the Fifteenth Doctor "good luck" on his journey, which is an emotional handover between the two characters.

Words appear on the screen right at the end of the episode telling us that the "destination" is "Christmas" - with a trailer playing after the credits have rolled for the upcoming Christmas Day special The Church on Ruby Road.

What happens to the Toymaker?

After losing a game of catch against the two Doctors, it is decreed that the Toymaker will be banished from existence for forever. Shrunken into a box, UNIT's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart asks her colleagues to take the Toymaker down into the deepest vault, where he will be trapped.

Just before he is punished to banishment the Toymaker warns that his "legions are coming" - whilst we think this is a desperate, empty threat, you really do never know with Doctor Who. Maybe the Toymaker will pop up again in the future...

Who is 'the one who waits'?

One character that we definitely know is coming is "the one who waits", a character the Toymaker mentioned earlier whilst in discussion with the Doctor. He confessed that whilst he has faced many foes - including the Master - there was one "player" he could not play against, cryptically saying: "I saw it, hiding, and I ran."

Naturally the Doctor questions who the Toymaker is referring to, but the villain shrugs it off by replying with: "That's someone else's game." Presumably here that "someone else" is Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, who will at some point face-off against this currently mysterious enemy.

But who is the one who waits? Given that Doctor Who has a long history, there are plenty of villains to choose from, but it has to be someone so terrifying even the Toymaker didn't want to take them on.

One possible answer is the Eternals - and no, we aren't referring to the Marvel characters here, but instead a race of powerful, element beings who were first introduced to Doctor Who in 1983. Able to create things out of only thin air and manipulate matter at their will, they would be a formidable foe.

We have also met similar powered beings in 1978, this time called the Guardians (again, not a MCU reference), who each embodied different parts of the universe, from light to darkness.

Of course, we will have to wait and see, but perhaps this is the "boss" the menacing Meep mentioned in the first Doctor Who 60th anniversary special The Star Beast. We were told that character would be revealed during Ncuti Gatwa's upcoming season, so maybe it is the same being as "the one who waits".

What happens to the tooth containing the Master?

Not all of the Toymaker is banished into that box though, as we see his gold tooth lying on the floor. Of course, that isn't your typical tooth though, as we learnt earlier that inside it is the Master. That's right, the most famous Doctor Who villain of them all played a game against the Toymaker and lost - his punishment was to be "sealed for eternity" inside that tooth.

Intriguingly a hand wearing red nail polish picks up the tooth, indicating that someone is going to bring the Master back. But who does the hand belong to? Our bet is that it's the character Ru Paul's Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon will play. All we know so far is that Monsoon will play a villain against Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, an enemy that is said to be "the most powerful" one yet in Doctor Who history. Intriguing...'

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who fans have been accustomed to the show’s regeneration concept for almost 60 years. However, the show has now introduced a new form of regeneration that fundamentally impacts the show.

Both diehard and moderate fans of Doctor Who will know how the regeneration process works. While it was undoubtedly a shocking idea in 1966 when it was introduced, it has become one of the most defining aspects of the show. To get around the problem of actors aging or moving on to new projects, Doctor Who introduced regeneration. The Doctor, an alien Time Lord, can regenerate when they reach old age or are fatally injured. It’s not much different than how our cells regularly replace themselves over time. However, in this case, the Doctor regenerates all their cells simultaneously, resulting in a new physical body with a unique personality.

There have only been a few minor changes in the regeneration process in the show’s history. Although the Doctor initially only had 12 regenerations, they were later granted more, a predictable change for the show to keep going. The only other major change was when the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodi Whittaker) regenerated into the same body as the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). It was the first time the Doctor regenerated into a past face, but it didn’t feel too significant since fans knew Ncuti Gatwa had already signed on to be the new Doctor. Thus it was assumed to be a fun way to bring Tennant back temporarily for the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials. However, fans have now learned that Tennant’s return wasn’t temporary due to a new concept called bi-generation.

What is bi-generation in Doctor Who?

Viewers had quite a shock at the end of the Doctor Who special, “The Giggle,” when the Fourteenth Doctor (Tennant) begins regenerating after being killed by the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris). Surprisingly, he doesn’t regenerate into Gatwa’s Doctor immediately. After the regeneration process happens, he still looks like Tennant. That is until he’s pulled apart, and it’s revealed that he’s now two people—Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. Everyone on the show utters a resounding, “What?!” So, what did happen?

It turns out the Doctor bi-generated. Instead of regenerating into a new person, the newest incarnation of the Doctor was able to split from the old one, creating two separate Doctors. Both still have the Doctor’s memory but have a distinct physical body and personality. They did split the clothes the Fourteenth Doctor was wearing, with the Fifteenth Doctor getting his underpants, shoes, shirt, and tie to ensure he was appropriate for the camera. However, they’re more like twins than like clones.

Then, of course, the TARDIS also bi-generated to give each of them a TARDIS and allow them to live separate lives. As for how the bi-generation happened—we’re not entirely sure. The Doctor indicated the concept was known but thought to be a myth. It appears to have happened spontaneously, and it’s unknown if it will occur again. Just like cells can regenerate, though, they can also split, so this is likely where the bi-generation process comes from.

What does bi-generation mean for Doctor Who?

The bi-generation appears to be permanent in Doctor Who, as “The Giggle” ends with the Fourteenth Doctor hunkering down with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and her family while the Fifteenth Doctor prepares to take on the Doctor’s typical role of traveling the galaxy and saving the world. It’s unclear if the Fourteenth Doctor’s story is over or if he’ll return in the franchise’s future since he’s still a part of the universe.

However, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies warned fans that the bi-generation is “bigger than you think.” Davies hit fans with the idea that the bi-generation impacted all of the Doctor incarnations. He suggested every past incarnation split from the Doctor and is now living in a splinter timeline, thus creating a “Doctor-verse.” Still, Davies suggested that all these past Doctor won’t be explored in the main show, stating that Tennant was “parked,” and the show would be about the new Doctor who “is out amongst the stars.”

So, perhaps the bi-generation won’t impact the main series noticeably. The continued existence of other Doctors and the Doctorverse, though, creates the possibility for some spinoff series or movies featuring past incarnations.'