Why the 11th Doctor is the best Doctor so far.
The answer to this starts back with Doctor #9. The Ninth Doctor showed us the darker side of the Doctor. He's been traveling along for some time at that point. At least he's by himself when he meets Rose Tyler in the basement of the department store.
He bears a cold and lonely heart on his sleeve. He talks to Rose about the destruction of his home planet, as his face crimps with a deep frown. He lets Cassandra dry and explode. He has traveled and he has frozen himself into solitary, one that he is desperately trying to break out of. You can almost see it on his face, he hates how cold and miserable he feels but he's just not sure what to do about it. Then he figures out exactly what to do, he sacrifices himself to save Rose. Although she is the one who saves them all, his act leads to his regeneration which is the beginning of the best Doctor to come. I would also like to note that Christopher Eccleston was essential to bring that "Manchester United" feel to the 9th Doctor. Although he has been heard saying he didn't enjoy playing the 9th Doctor, I still love that season and it has some absolutely fantastic moments in it. The story of Rose and Bad Wolf carves its way through the first season and leads to an incredible finale. A fantastic finale fitting of Doctor Who.
Now, on to the 10th Doctor.
Although the 10th Doctor is widely regarded as the "best" Doctor of the new seasons, I am still using the piece to argue otherwise. That being said, the 11th Doctor would NEVER have been possible without the 10th Doctor. Let's start at the appropriate moment, shall we?
A Christmas tree is smashing Jackie's apartment and it is closing in on Rose, Jackie, and Mickey. Rose only needs to whisper "Help Me" in the Doctor's ear, he then springs from his regeneration coma and saves them all. We know this is definitely the same Doctor in a different body with one simple action. Classic. Then, just as our heroes are about to bite the dust again, he awakens fully and saves the day. As the 10th Doctor's story went on and on, it only tied all our collective heartstrings tighter. From Bad Wolf Bay through The End Of Time, we are taken on an absolutely brilliant journey. Remember Pompeii? or Turn Left? The writing of the show only continued to prove how incredible this show really is and why absolutely it needed to stay on the air.
The 10th Doctor also took us through our first experience with the Weeping Angels, perhaps the most vicious of any villain we have yet to meet. However, we also have The Waters Of Mars. Remember that one? The Doctor, our hero, decided he was officially above all the rules of time and space. Yes, he did this partially out of his inherent need to save. He also did what he did to show that he, in fact, was in charge of time and space. The Doctor went from being a helpful and loving alien, to playing God and not blinking an eye. The Universe took only a moment to snap him back down from his high horse. Perhaps that was truly when the Doctor fell further than he's ever fallen before. He may have not wanted to go, but the Universe definitely had other plans.
I think this is a case where, as described in my previous post, Death clipped the Doctor pretty hard.
Finally, we come to the 11th Doctor. When he crash lands into Amelia Pond's backyard, he is all smiles and, strangely enough, kinda looks like a combination of the 9th and 10th Doctor. He's definitely got the hair, but with the stronger and more dominant face. No offense Tennant, but seriously. Can we all agree that Matt Smith is perhaps the most stoic Doctor in a long time?
Anyway, had it not been for the history we get with the 10th Doctor, the 11th Doctor would not have been able to handle the villains he met.
The 11th Doctor winds up in a war with the Silence, perhaps the coolest Doctor Who villain to date. This war approaches Doctor vs. Dalek proportions as it weaves through time in a spider web fashion. It builds out, then retracts, then builds again, always staying connected. The 11th Doctor does slip though as we get into his adventures. He even goes so far as to pull a gun on a very real threat. Despite that it was a western set-up, it is a well known fact that the Doctor never uses a gun. The Doctor uses a screwdriver.
Then there is the absolutely stunning episode "The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe". I defy anyone to watch this episode and not cry. It is executed brilliantly. It touches on the pure magic of Doctor Who in an almost "Amazing Stories" type of way.
All of those previous facts considered, combined with the Doctor's most recent journey to continuously find his new companion, put #11 at the top of my Doctor list. He would not have been possible without #9 and #10, as well as 1-8, I am not suggesting that he ever could be the product of any other precession. The Doctor is indeed the product of all who came before him and everyone who works on the show, and I feel that the current crew, combined with Steven Moffatt, and Matt Smith, is taking us through the best Doctor yet.
Allons-y! Get your coat!
Showing posts with label doctor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doctor. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
My favorite Doctor Who episode : Midnight
Doctor Who: Midnight
Note:Spoilers, soooooo.....watch the episode Midnight, season 4, episode 10, doctor 10
I decided to launch this officially by blogging about my favorite episode of the recent Doctor Who.
In MIDNIGHT, the Doctor tries unsuccessfully to get Donna to come along on a sight-seeing shuttle to the Sapphire Waterfall. He then enthusiastically boards the shuttle himself and sets out on the adventure with a handful of other people from all walks of life.
Right away this episode grabs me. The Doctor gets on the shuttle and everyone is starting to get lost in their own little world, as travelers often do. The fellow passengers are plugging in and tuning out, but not the doctor. The Doctor wants to engage his fellow travelers. With a flick of the 'ol sonic screwdriver, he shuts down all the entertainment and suggests they all get to know each other.
This reminds me of going to punk rock shows in the years before cell phones. When you would meet cool people in line while waiting to get in, then you'd meet more cool people when you all settled your places in the crowd. Back when you used to be able to smoke at all indoor concerts here in NY, these little circles would form throughout the general admission floor crowd. Simply getting into a circle or two would almost guarantee you a new friend or two. Back then, you'd actually have to TALK to each other to pass the time. I've met some great people chatting it up with fellow punkers between bands. In fact, it's how I've met some absolutely amazing people.
So, the Doctor settles in with everyone and they all get to know each other. Then the tide of the episode starts to turn. It isn't often that the Doctor is out, alone, away from the Tardis, and gets himself into a situation that is so sticky you can't see his way out from your couch. This episode strikes that chord dead on. Within minutes, the Doctor is on the verge of being thrown out of the shuttle and to his certain death. These passengers do not know him, or the wonderful things he has done, they only know they are afraid and will do whatever they can to survive. Just when it looks like it's all over for Doctor Who, the flight attendant grabs the real enemy and throws them both out the door. She saves the Doctor's life.
It's rare that a person, who is not a companion, saves the Doctor from certain death. Every time it happens is magic, but this one was really something. She saw through the situation and saved him, at the cost of her own life.
Then the Doctor returns to Donna, who has been relaxing and getting pampered, and gives her a solid hug. The relief is written all over him and it hits you just how close even he believed he was to death. He then sits with Donna and tells her everything so they can reflect and assess what happened. This moment reminds me of the end of the "Turn left" episode, where one of the main characters has been through an incredibly traumatic experience. It is refreshing to see that a series based on leaders and companions can still branch out and give our heroes separate mountains to climb and conquer.
Note:Spoilers, soooooo.....watch the episode Midnight, season 4, episode 10, doctor 10
I decided to launch this officially by blogging about my favorite episode of the recent Doctor Who.
In MIDNIGHT, the Doctor tries unsuccessfully to get Donna to come along on a sight-seeing shuttle to the Sapphire Waterfall. He then enthusiastically boards the shuttle himself and sets out on the adventure with a handful of other people from all walks of life.
Right away this episode grabs me. The Doctor gets on the shuttle and everyone is starting to get lost in their own little world, as travelers often do. The fellow passengers are plugging in and tuning out, but not the doctor. The Doctor wants to engage his fellow travelers. With a flick of the 'ol sonic screwdriver, he shuts down all the entertainment and suggests they all get to know each other.
This reminds me of going to punk rock shows in the years before cell phones. When you would meet cool people in line while waiting to get in, then you'd meet more cool people when you all settled your places in the crowd. Back when you used to be able to smoke at all indoor concerts here in NY, these little circles would form throughout the general admission floor crowd. Simply getting into a circle or two would almost guarantee you a new friend or two. Back then, you'd actually have to TALK to each other to pass the time. I've met some great people chatting it up with fellow punkers between bands. In fact, it's how I've met some absolutely amazing people.
So, the Doctor settles in with everyone and they all get to know each other. Then the tide of the episode starts to turn. It isn't often that the Doctor is out, alone, away from the Tardis, and gets himself into a situation that is so sticky you can't see his way out from your couch. This episode strikes that chord dead on. Within minutes, the Doctor is on the verge of being thrown out of the shuttle and to his certain death. These passengers do not know him, or the wonderful things he has done, they only know they are afraid and will do whatever they can to survive. Just when it looks like it's all over for Doctor Who, the flight attendant grabs the real enemy and throws them both out the door. She saves the Doctor's life.
It's rare that a person, who is not a companion, saves the Doctor from certain death. Every time it happens is magic, but this one was really something. She saw through the situation and saved him, at the cost of her own life.
Then the Doctor returns to Donna, who has been relaxing and getting pampered, and gives her a solid hug. The relief is written all over him and it hits you just how close even he believed he was to death. He then sits with Donna and tells her everything so they can reflect and assess what happened. This moment reminds me of the end of the "Turn left" episode, where one of the main characters has been through an incredibly traumatic experience. It is refreshing to see that a series based on leaders and companions can still branch out and give our heroes separate mountains to climb and conquer.
Doctor Who For Life Blog
I started watching Doctor Who about 2 years ago when my fiancé introduced me to the show by having me watch the episode "Blink". Yes, the perfect episode to start with to determine if you are about to become a Whovian (huge fan of Doctor Who). I became a Whovian after that and spent the next few months watching every Netflix'd episode of Doctor Who that I could. Catching up was so much fun, we would have Doctor Who days, just watch 5 or 6 episodes in a row. My favorite villain is a tie between the Daleks and the Silence. I'm probably still more of a Dalek fan. I definitely cheered at the end of an episode during the "next time on..." scenes when they showed the Daleks. They're so legendary to the series and their update was fantastic coming into the 2005 reboot of the series.
Anyway.
The real question is, why do I love Doctor Who?
Aside from the fact that it's acted with such conviction that you can't help but let it absorb you...
I love Doctor Who because it inspires me everyday by reminding me that anything is possible. The concept of the show is fantastic in and of itself. You have an aging alien that bears the direct likeness of a human that travels through time and space showing his companions remarkable things and places that they would never see without his help. Not only that, this alien is compassionate and routinely saves entire worlds from falling into the deep darkness of space. The journeys of the Doctor, in the TARDIS, through the time vortex truly represent the journey through life that we all experience.
The time vortex is life, but life only goes one way. Perhaps that's why the Doctor is so old and yet still so young, his life goes in many more directions than ours. Hence, he is always traveling through the deep darkness that can consume anything, perhaps it even represents death and that's why he is always moving. His age reflects his constant journey away from death by crossing it's path all the time? Just a thought, I'm sure I'll blog about that later.
That little paragraph right there is the perfect reflection of why I love the show. It inspires me to think, to live, to wonder. The sheer concept of the show is so wonderfully insane that it reminds me anything is possible, anything can be thought of, and life can take you to fantastic places that you never thought you would go.
Expect this blog to be an incredibly enthusiastic jaunt into speculations about upcoming episodes, reflections on my favorite episodes, and lots of fan gushing about the series.
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