On November 23rd, fans of the popular sci-fi show Doctor Who were given the early Christmas gift of a 50th anniversary episode called “The Day of the Doctor.” Doctor Who fans were left hanging with the last episode of Season 8 (“The Name of the Doctor”) in which a mysterious, previously unknown reincarnation of the Doctor was introduced.
Highly anticipated by millions of fans around the world, the episode promised an encounter between the two highly popular characters of the eleventh and tenth doctor (played by Matt Smith and David Tennant) as well as the intriguing introduction of another doctor from their wartime past, played by John Hurt. While the writers cleverly brought in references to old jokes and characters, I still have mixed feelings about the episode as a whole.
First, I adored having David TENnant (haha) back. He will always be my favorite doctor, and seeing him on the television once again, appeased both me and other “Who” fans around the world. Steven Moffat, the writer of the show, even slipped in references to his past experiences, giving perspective to where exactly on the timeline of his life Ten was. There were allusions to a companion from whom he was separated as well as the innocent line of “I don’t want to go,” giving a reference to his regeneration into Eleven, breaking the hearts of almost every single fan watching.
When both Ten and Eleven were brought together, they fought about who was better with the sonic screwdriver comparisons and the hilarious quips they made. My complaint is about when John Hurt’s doctor came in. Viewers in the audience had already been told how he was the reincarnation of the Doctor who fought in the battle that ultimately destroyed his home planet: The Time War. However, his character and actions paled when onscreen with the bold personalities of Ten and Eleven. He faded into the background and the focus of the episode, saving the Doctor’s home planet of Gallifrey, was lost. I found myself concentrating so much on the comedy and interactions that I lost track of the plot.
I’m not going to deny – I got excited when I saw the three of them standing together up against the Daleks (the alien race that is the sworn enemy of the Doctor’s) but the way that Gallifrey was “saved” seemed rushed and strange. When the picture frame that could capture a scene or place and freeze it in time was mentioned, immediately I jumped to the conclusion that the planet was actually in existence and the Daleks and Time Lords trapped there were still living. If I could reach that conclusion so quickly, then why couldn’t the Doctors? Of course, I guess that question could be answered by the scene in which the three doctors tried to figure out how to unlock a door that had already been unlocked.
There were nice poetic moments in the episode. There was a parallel between the humans saving London or destroying it and the Doctor’s situation with Gallifrey. Both ended the same way with the planet and London being saved and choices made for the greater good made. My favorite concept in the anniversary special had to be when the doctor was lost and couldn’t decide whether to sacrifice his home planet or watch it burn on its own. He had never accepted help from others and was always the one doing the saving, but in this episode, he had to save himself. He accepted help from his reincarnations and justified the end choice nicely.
The very end of the episode was a major highlight for me as well. The actor of a previous doctor, Tom Baker, made an appearance as the curator of a museum and had a nice conversation with the eleventh doctor, setting the stage for the Christmas special and hinting at Eleven’s regeneration. The last scene showed the eleventh doctor joining the rest of the doctors from his past, look up at the sky where their home planet, Gallifrey, is located. Viewers are left with the idea that the Doctor is going to go searching for Gallifrey. What an ending.
On December 25th, BBC will be airing the yearly Christmas special called “The Time of the Doctor.” Matt Smith announced this year that that will be his last episode as the eleventh doctor. After four years of playing the part, I agree that while he will be missed, he needs to move on.
There have been whispers of a possible female doctor; although, all of the regenerations have been male thus far. British actress Emma Thompson even spoke on a talk show about how if she was ever offered the part, she would most certainly take it. However, no such casting occurred.
Over the summer, there was a special program that announced that the twelfth doctor would be a beloved BBC actor, Peter Capaldi. At first, a lot of people were cautious about the new choice because Smith is so beloved by most Whovians, but soon fans were all over the new doctor and expressed enthusiasm. Many have hope that he and the writers will bring in some of the humor from a show he previously starred in, The Thick of It.
No matter where Steven Moffat decides to take Doctor Who, I have faith he will leave us fans with the proper amount of despair at the departure of Matt Smith.
