And so the cycle repeats, as it has
always done and always will do. Doctor Who fans find themselves in a
particularly awkward part of the show right now in that the current
Doctor is leaving, and the new one has been announced. Before we get
too deep into that, however, let me tell you the tale of the last
time we found ourselves in this situation: when David Tennant was
replaced by Matt Smith.
This change was arguably bigger than
the one we face now, as Tennant was not only the first Doctor for so
many people that tuned in to the new series, but he was also the most
popular, in many polls beating even the previously untouchable Tom
Baker.
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| All the jelly babies in the world cannot fix my dissapoint. |
His leaving the show cast even more
uncertainty in that Russel T. Davis, who had been the lead writer
since the show restarted, was also departing, leaving writing in the
the hands of Steven Moffat. We knew Moffat could
write
fantastic stories, such as the “Silence in the Library” arc and
“Blink”, but we didn't know how much that was Moffat himself, and
how much came down to Davis looking over his shoulder.
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| This is the face of the man who will make characters you love, then kill them in front of you. |
So
when Matt Smith was announced to be taking over the role, a lot of
people moaned and groaned like Smith fans are now. “He's too young
looking” we said (this being my main complaint) “he has emo
hair”, “he can't pull off a role like this”, the list goes on
and on. I admit that I too was skeptical of Smith being the Doctor,
and still think Tennant was the superior person in the role, but that
may well be my own rose-colored glasses for my first Doctor peeking
through. The fact is that Smith came in, found his place and his
character, and has by all accounts been a highly successful version
of the Time Lord.
So
why do I tell you all this? Because I'm seeing a lot of debate about
Peter Capaldi being the Doctor. I'm seeing a lot of people complain
that he's not young enough, that he's too different, or going the
opposite direction and saying “only REAL fans of Doctor Who will
stay with the show now, not these newbie posers.” Both of these
sides are just silly.
Complainers
I go easier on because I've been there. I've lost my first Doctor. In
our mind nothing can touch the first person who invited us into the
magic blue box to explore time and space, and most likely, in our
eyes, nothing ever will. Frankly, there's nothing wrong with that, it
just means that you were passionate about the show, and are sad to
see the way you know it go. What I'm here to tell you now though, is
that it will be fine. The first episode or two may be rocky, you may
see all Capaldi's flaws right away and begin to nitpick, but you will
soften up. He'll get a good line, and a good scene, and a great
episode, and eventually you'll be able to let go of the past and accept him. Its
like an entire cycle of grief for one fandom.
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| I don't want A Doctor, I want MY Doctor! |
People
who are hating on the new viewers, just try to remember what you were
like when your first Doctor regenerated. Deep down, were you really
instantly accepting the new Doctor, or did he feel like your parents
had gotten you a new puppy to replace the one that got hit by a car?
What it comes down to is that everyone is new to a show at some
point, and everyone has their first Doctor. I'm sure some people will
stop watching now that Smith is gone, but it doesn't help to drive
away other fans as well.
So
that said, what do I think of the prospects for the new Doctor?
Frankly, I'm excited. I think the older actor can bring out a side of
the character that the younger guys are unable to explore. I think it
opens up new kinds of relationships with his companions other than
pining love interests. In short, I think that it will be a refreshing
change. I don't really care that he's an actor that's been on the
show before (hell, what British actor hasn't?) and its been
established via Romana that Time Lords can take the faces of people
they've met before.
Of
course, all opinions are subject to change once we actually see the
new Doctor in action. I'm just trying to stay as open as possible to
the possibilities. Keep in mind, Capaldi will be someone's first
Doctor. All I can say for sure right now is good luck Peter.
