Checking in with the Doctor: Series 9 Midseason Review

You need to start watching Doctor Who again.

Okay, I never stopped. But I get it. I was skeptical too. I fell in love with the show when the Ninth Doctor told Rose that he could feel the turn of the Earth. Puns and camp and coincidence are all excusable when the Tenth Doctor is basically Jesus and the recurring theme is the wonder of the world and the value of humanity. Eleven even told us, with a cold fury, “In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.” And then somewhere along the line, the show stopped being about that. Characters changed personalities depending on who was writing the episode, coincidence got us out of trouble instead of into it, and it was hard to care when the world was ending, again, but the Doctor just had to push the reset button, again, to save the day. In Series 7 it was clear to me that when it came to Clara’s personality, none of the writers were on the same page. In rewatches of Series 8, I felt like the show was almost contemptuous of its audience, as if it couldn’t care less if I gave a damn about it. Or maybe that was just the vibe I got from Capaldi’s Doctor.

But for Series 9, things are changing. I’m seeing some glimmers of the show I loved so much. So if you’ve stayed away, let me show you what you’ve missed, and why it’s a good time to give it another chance.

Lots of spoilers for Doctor Who, Series 9, through Episode 7 and hints for later on.

Doctor Who: “Death in Heaven” Review

Well, Whovians, Season 8 has been a wild ride. While the first half of the season may have been a bit bumpy, the second half seemed to have a slightly more cohesive story, chugging forward toward the two-part season finale.  And oh what a finale it was: action, drama, and feels galore. One of the most common criticisms of Moffat’s work as Doctor Who showrunner is that he won’t give his characters lasting, meaningful consequences to their actions. This time we get some serious consequences. I can’t say much more without a spoiler warning, so here we go!

“Time of the Doctor” Review

Merry Christmas, Whovians and sundry! Yesterday sure was… something, wasn’t it?

Hit the jump for spoilers.

And the Twelfth Doctor is…

After a truly anxiety-inspiring wait, it has been announced that the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor will be played by Peter Capaldi!

Capaldi previously appeared in Doctor Who in the S4 episode “Fires of Pompeii”, in the Torchwood Children of Earth series, and has played roles in several other shows.

From the live reveal special, he seems like a nice enough guy, and I wish him all the luck in the world with the role. However, I do find it depressing that, yet again, when given the chance to cast an actor of color or a woman in the role, the BBC opted to cast another old white guy. (Also, so much for my hopes that the twist of the reveal would be that Moffat, not Matt Smith, was leaving the show.)

What do you think of the new actor, readers? Who was your dream Twelve? Let me know in the comments!