The Latest
I was geeking out over all of yesterday’s Doctor Who news when somebody scoffed and said “I wish I could still care about that show…”
I didn’t want to say anything then and cause a scene, but it’s really bothering me, so if I’ve got to vent, I’m going to do it here and now.
To her I would say this: I know why you’ve got the attitude you have. It’s because you’re riding the “I hate Moffat” train, which I’m sure is somehow still very fashionable with people like you, but Steven Moffat is NOT the worst thing to happen to Doctor Who
I know the ins and outs of this show’s history and this is not the first time it’s found a lapse in quality, and this one is hardly the worst. And Moffat, the guy you’re so keen to put on a pedestal as the most evil man in the world? He is far and away from being the worst person to be at the helm of Doctor Who.
If you need a specific example of a shitty time in Who history for everybody, you need look no further than Colin Baker’s era - not because of the costume or the writing, but because of how Colin and the show itself were treated. The people in charge had no respect for their lead actor’s vision of who his character should be, and an entire season of great story ideas was cancelled while the show was put on hiatus for an entire year. On top of that, one producer in particular not only knowingly married Colin’s ex-wife, but fired him from the show after three years and only two televised seasons.
The issues that people are taking with Moffat’s leadership are entirely based around his choices in writing and the position of authority he holds over the show. Not only is the writing really not that bad when you stop picking it apart, but as you can see from the way Colin Baker was put through hell in his time, sub-par writing does not mean that a show has been “ruined”
Am I defending Moffat? Certainly not, there are many choices he’s made while writing Doctor Who that I disagree with, and I think when Peter Capaldi decides to pass on the role, Moffat should hand over his pen to somebody else, it’s time for another change of face like we saw when Russell and Julie left. At the very least though, he does care about the show, and we are lucky to have people running it who love it so much.
So here’s the thing: for people like me, Doctor Who isn’t just some trendy thing to be worn like a badge of nerdom, it’s a beloved part of our lives. Even when we don’t like a particular episode (or even an entire arc!) we know that it is capable of so much more, and we will trust it to be so the next time we see it.
So you can live your life like the flake you are, if that’s what you want, it’s none of my business to stop you.
But I’ve got something better.
Doctor Who finales so far
The Pandorica Opens/Big Bang Two : 10/10
Parting of the Ways : 10/10
The Name of the Doctor : 9/10
The Sound of Drums/Last of the Timelords : 7/10
The Wedding of River Song : 7/10
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday : 3/10
The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End : 1/10
Huge expectations for Death in Heaven. If part 2 is as good as part 1, it might become my favorite.
GALLIFREY RETURNS
When The Doctor went outside with Missy she said “Don’t you know where we are?” They’re on GALLIFREY!!!!!
Just a hunch don’t know yet maybe.
Yeah for sure, hence the bus to whitechapel and everything
Colepaldi RPF - I like sweet and I like you
Okay, this one is total fluff. It came to my mind, when I read post that someone told PC to check out tumblr. Story line: Jenna Coleman has not been on the show yet, so they don’t know each other. While doing their groceries they meet by the cereal section. There are hard decisions to make. Word count: 1800. Rated G. Fun, Fluff, harmless. (The title is rubbish.. I know)
Jenna walks around in the supermarket, the only thing she needs are some new cereals. For a reason she don’t know, she has become an addict about it in the last year.
She comes around the corner, and there is this long corridor, with two sides of shelves covered with cereal. It is like 20 meters of cereal boxes. She hates it. She always needs forever to decide. The floor is almost empty. Just a tall, lean man who seems to have the same problem, stands in front of some bio cereals.
It only takes her a few seconds till she recognizes him. Yes, it is definitely him. The Doctor. For some unknown reason she turns around, to check if someone else is there. For another moment she dwells on the question if she should approach him or not, and mostly if, how.
She has never met anyone famous. What are you going to do, when you meet one? What to say? It is not her way to approach strangers, praising their work.
When she finally has settled her opening sentence - let’s just try out “Hello!” - a young girl - maybe sixteen approaches him, and she steps a bit back, and does as if she is still in struggle with the cereals.
“Mister Capaldi?” the young girl asks, and he turns toward her, gives her a smile, and nods.
“Hey!”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe it!” the girl grins from ear to ear and can’t believe her luck. Nervous but single minded she asks him for a picture on her phone. He obliges and Jenna can see that he makes his mysterious Doctor face. She can’t help but smile behind a covered hand about it.
They do small talk, about the latest Doctor Who season and the Girl gets some autographs from him, and Jenna is impressed how nice he is and how patient. Gracious even. He makes the girl feel special. Not every actor can do that. After all, he is doing his private shopping - some can lose their nerves there.
“People really adore you, Mister Capaldi,” the girl goes on. Jenna knows exactly what the Girl wants to tell him between the lines without using the words “sexy” and “attractive”. Peter seems to know too.
“It is overrated,” he only says, handing her his autograph.
“No it is not,” the young woman blushes, “you should go onto TUMBLR. It will change your philosophy about yourself.”
Jenna is impressed by the girl, that she points that out to the star.
“Maybe I do,” he says, and the girl snickers, and then goes her way.
He turns around, and sees Jenna, and she feels caught and in the need to run away like a wild gone goose or something - but she suppresses the feeling, and rescues herself into some awkward back and forth dance.
He probably thinks, she is just another fan. So he keeps standing with his front toward her, as giving her the chance to approach him too. Indeed her feet carry herself toward him, but instead of facing him, she is still looking down the million cereal boxes in front of her.
He can’t hide a laugh because of her, but then decides that she might not wants to talk to him, so he turns back to the shelf in front of him.
They are now only a meter away from each other, when she says, “don’t.”
I’m gonna be sick.
Everytime Missy shows up, I cringe. Because she seems basically the female version of the clunky, unsubtile Mustache Twirling Villain, the one who’s constantly like “Mwahaha, I’m so devious, look at how devious I am!”
I crave a more subtile and complex antagonist. A villain who’s not just a monster or a Doctor stalker. A villain who’s not immediately introduced as the villain.
I used to wish Danny Pink would turn out to be the Master.
Yeah I agree, a more subtle villain would be great , She sort of reminds me of what the master was like during the RTD era :/ *Cringe*