tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-733718838239486712.post7877234960696253229..comments2023-11-03T04:33:59.583-04:00Comments on Experimental Progress: In with the New Old, Out with the Old New: A Spoileriffic Doctor Who reviewPerson of Consequencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04788436443987713504noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-733718838239486712.post-13491796826712547172010-04-07T01:18:09.203-04:002010-04-07T01:18:09.203-04:00Well, first, I feel I must be pedantic and say a) ...Well, first, I feel I must be pedantic and say a) the series went on break in 1989, not 1969, (a typo, I presume) and also b) there was a movie in 1996, so it's not *technically* a 16-year break, as Paul McGann is *technically* the longest-running Doctor of all time. Also, there have definitely been not-quite-platonic companions in the past (Romana, Jamie the Scottish boy wonder, and that chick in the TV movie, to name [or neglect to name] a few), so while RTD rode that ship out of the harbour waving a rainbow flag, I do think it was floating that way years beforehand. <br /><br />Okay, now that's out of the way. I agree that Matt Smith at this point doesn't seem ALL that different from David Tennant, though that could be down to the fact that he's just regenerated. We've seen from past regenerations that the Doctor goes slightly nuts right after, especially in the reboot. I don't know if you saw the 2005 Children in Need short, but it's our first introduction to David Tennant as the Doctor (takes place between the end of the first season and the Christmas special), and in it he's kind of batshit insane. On the way to passing out, doing violent things to the TARDIS that freak the shit out of Rose, a sort of hybrid of 9 and what we would come to know as 10. As if he can't quite sort his personality out, stay conscious, and prevent the TARDIS from exploding at the same time. Which, you know, fair enough. I imagine we'll get to know 11 better as the series progresses, and it's probably not fair to make up our minds about him yet. Personally, I was hoping for a very different sort of Doctor -- 10 seemed to rely on the characters of past doctors (2 and 4, in particular -- 2 being the best one ever, btw), which is fine and it was very good, but 2 and 4 were separated by 3, who was a very different sort of fellow. We don't need ANOTHER bumbling silly doctor who's secretly an angry genius. <br /><br />I was hoping for a different sort of doctor. Did you watch the pilot episode of Being Human? You know the guy who played Mitchell? Something like that. Not in a, "I'm a sexy tortured vampire" way; more a "I'm much older and tireder than I look" sort of way. Smith is SO young to be playing the Doctor, that playing him in a goofy/silly way just makes him read as child, not child-like. (though I disagree on the food scene being just a Very Funny Scene -- as noted earlier, the Doctor goes funny after he regenerates; 10 did the same and I doubt he had the presence of mind to do anything but what he did at that point. I mean, 10 was in a coma until someone gave him tea by accident)<br /><br />And on the same subject, we don't need another damn *feisty* companion. And this time they've topped it by making her ginger. Like, fuck, what is this, Mills and Boon? I'm hoping Amy's boyfriend (probably fiance) plays a larger role -- the way Micky did, except in a less pointless sort of way. The boyfriend/probably fiance doesn't NEED to be that sort of counterpoint to the Doctor: bumbling but USELESS, where the Doctor is bumbling but GENIUS. Whatever happened to Martha's fiance? You know, the good one. Not Micky. Why is it that we can't have strong male characters who aren't the Doctor? (yeah, yeah, I know. Captain Jack. But still. He's pretty useless himself most of the time and I think his queerness makes him Other in a way similar to a female companion)<br /><br />I also hope that Amy's hero worship doesn't descend into sexual tension, though as you note it almost inevitably it will and it will make me sad and slightly irate.Caithttp://www.caitward.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com