#doctor who ramblings

[normiedoctorwho]

Venting about the 12th Doctor and nuwho experience so far

So I’ve been working my way through nuwho for about a year and a half now, and since it hit 12 it’s been extremely slowly. The reason it’s been so slow is while there are episodes I like, I cannot for the life of me get invested in these characters, the major exception after the s9 premiere being Missy.

I love her.

Dearly.

I’m just gonna pull off the bandaid now, I liked Clara more with 11. I know heaven sent is gonna be amazing and gives a great tragic goodbye for her, the fact is as of now, I wish she would’ve left either after kill the moon, or after the s8 finale.

And I’ll stress that I am extremely biased towards more classic who feels for episodes. That’s where I got into the series and if you know me, you’ll know I DESPISE new who’s constant raising of the stakes. As in then Modern day earth/the whole universe has to be on the line.

I’ve reached a boiling point with the 12th doctor because Moffatt’s inability to commit to his dramatic plot points.

I’m not expecting Missy to actually be dead. It was obvious she survived. And she was the best part of the s9 premiere, but like… more of a buffer guys.

Speaking of a buffer, once again we have a perfectly fine companion break up that’s undone by the Christmas special because god forbid new who has a good companion exit/commits to it outside of Martha’s.

(Opinion context: Rose’s first exit worked, then Journey’s end happened. Jack’s was straight up bad, just forgot about him for two seasons, Martha is good as stated, Donna’s was horribly contrived and fucking stupid actually happy that’s getting a do over, Amy and Rory had their good exit at the end of s6, which got ruined by the Christmas special, and now Clara with the same shit.)

Magician’s apprentice in particular annoyed me because it felt like it was spinning it’s wheels while also yet again making the stakes impossibly big when they did not need to be. At least at the start. “The Doctor is dying. Airplanes are frozen in mid air! The master is back! What do we doooo?” When the initial conceit of the Doctor being torn between helping a kiddo Davros or letting him die was way more interesting. And I won’t lie, not all of this criticism is fair. I’d heard this was the premise of the episode for months if not years in advance, and got excited and built my own picture of what it could’ve been. And when the episodes themselves seemed to be actively avoiding the interesting thing in favor of Davros and 12 sitting in a room reading their character analysis’ of each other while Missy and Clara run around a radiation filled planet with no side effects, I got bored fast.

Like Moffatt, I know you got the idea for this episode from 4’s speech in genesis. You don’t have to literally play the clip from the speech. It’s not necessary and just eats up time. Just role with the dramatic irony and have fans notice the reference.

I will say I liked that 12 didn’t fall for Davros’ obvious lies and that 12 had a real plan to kill all of the daleks on the rebuilt skaro. 10 seemingly backtracking to pre remembrance character development never sat right with me. And 11 never truly contemplating the gravity of the consequences of choosing to save the earth over destroying the daleks in victory of the daleks was also annoying. So to give 12 this chance to get rid of it all and have him actually go through with it was nice.

I fully expect Davros to return at some point, but at the very least, it won’t be because the Doctor showed him pity. They are well and truly past that now.

But then he almost falls for Missy’s bit to trick him into killing Clara? Ugh. More importantly though, this episode relies wayyyyy too much on the audience’s classic who knowledge of thecharacter dynamic and what happened to Skaro. As far as I can remember, nuwho does not ever explain the Doctor destroyed it.

Listen I like it when classic who comes up in nuwho, but nuwho needs to stand on its own. And if it’s gonna take cues from classic who, then for the love of god stop having 3 save modern day earth plots per season and let the timelords be actual forces in the narrative. Vs some tragic backstory you lean on b/c you’re convinced the doctor’s mysticism is why we like him so much.

I swear nuwho downplaying that the doctor is a renegade timelord b/c Galifrey is no longer a factor in the plot outside of “waaa I destroyed my home planet in the time war,” is just so annoying. The writers focus on the stole the tardis aspect and not “my people had time and space travel but they sat on their asses vs using it to explore and help people.

I’ll clarify that I do not hate all of new who. I like it overall. And I like older doctors too. Plz I don’t hate capaldi as an actor I think he does a good job with what he’s given. But god does where I’m at feel like the show is just running on fumes while also having it’s head up it’s own ass.

I bet Clara’s clear trauma at 12 nearly killing her and being unable to explain who she is will totally get addressed in the next story.

/s

#doctor who #doctor who ramblings #doctor who watchthrough

[forget-about-me2]

I don't know if I ever talked about this before, probably not. But I absolutely handcannon the Doctor and Martha sharing the bed more often than not and falling asleep together.

And I don't just mean adventures with the "there was only one bed" trope. No I'm talking on the TARDIS herself.

But they never talk about it. They don't even start in the same bed each night. Just every night one of them gets out of bed pads over to the others bedroom and like opens it before joining the other.

I imagine this at first started after an especially harrowing adventure ,maybe daleks in manhattan or even gridlock or something, and one of them has a nightmare and like just needs to make sure the other is still there and alive and then the other catches them watching and just lifts the duvet inviting them in.

The nightmares happen more often so this often happens. At some point, it just turns into a silent exchange of just lifting the duvet and letting them in, or just the one moving not even waiting for acknowledgement just climbing in bed.

Eventually, it of course moves to them just not having a nightmare but just wanting to be close, but both are scared of scaring the other off so they always wait a bit before going.

All the time they just never talk about sharing the bed, but it becomes a nightly habit.

And then they are separated and both struggle with sleeping.

And then once Martha has left the TARDIS the Doctor lands in her flat virtually every night for his nighttime cuddle and they still don't fucking talk about it

#and then Donna wakes up before them #leaves the TARDIS searching for the Time Lord #And just ends up gawking at them sharing a bed #of course she ends up teasing them about it #or maybe even jums to conclusions #doctor who #tenmartha #ten x martha #tenth doctor #martha jones #martha deserved better #doctor who ramblings #this is potentially my favourite tenmartha headcannon

[timetravelbypen]

Power of the Doctor ramble

So I’m of two minds about the lack of Thasmin kiss. I’ve hopefully figured out a way to watch this with my best friend who doesn’t have cable tomorrow, so once I’ve seen it again and can more fully appreciate what we DID get without my hopes of what we COULD get in the way, I might be able to solidify this a bit more, but. Because on the one hand, what we DID get was incredible! Overall I really really loved the episode! Their scenes together were all so good, there was so much care and respect built into every single line, and Yaz’ Doctorification arc was TRULY incredible. And it builds from and respects the Doctor’s choice in the previous episode, that this is something she just can’t give. And as a very ace person, a story treating platonic love as literally the most important thing in the universe is amazing, actually. And also this is a story of “it matters that the love was there. It didn’t save everyone, but it saved a lot of people, and it matters even if it wasn’t everything we wanted, because the love really was there” story. And I love those stories. But I work in corporate IP media. And I know, all too well, just how hard it is to get queer things greenlit. I have been there. I have spent so much time crying in office bathrooms trying and failing to get something through for characters *much* less brand significant, in much less high-profile formats, than the Doctor. And so I don’t really know if this was what Chibnall (and I don’t pin the “blame” for this on him at all) felt was best for his characters, or if some exec somewhere who hadn’t even read the scripts said “you can go this far and no further. Here is the line. These are the Rules.” I suspect, from my experience, that it’s the latter, although because of my experiences I might be reading into it too much. I have no way of knowing for sure. And I have to admit, it hurts that I thought maybe, just maybe, we might win this one.

Also, being a professional editor means sometimes it’s hard to turn off Editor Brain, and for the most part this episode did (which is high praise!), but I wanted 1-3 more lines in their final scene together. We’ll see if watching it without a GODDAMN COMMERCIAL BREAK in between “let’s not say goodbye” and Yaz being dropped off (seriously BBC America you’re the worst) changes my mind about this, but I think I just needed a tiny little bit more to get that Yaz “I’m with you, whatever happens” Khan would willingly walk away so easily. And I loved her arc and I’m SO RELIEVED she’s alive and I think she’s been left in a great place, and overall I think Chibs is pretty spare with his writing and that’s what I like about it? He doesn’t belabor the point, but this one, this needed just a tiny bit more, I think. It needed a “I think I have to do this next bit alone” / “Are you sure?” / “I promised I would get you home, Yasmin Khan. And I will.” / “Let’s not say goodbye.” Just that last little bit felt like it was missing, just one last little bit. Also I hope Yaz gets to have a good cry somewhere because she’s dropped straight from “my not-quite-girlfriend/best friend died” to “former companion support group” with nothing in between and OOF what whiplash.

Also also I knew that was exactly what returning-DT would say. I KNEW IT. *sighs forever* (10 brought me into this show I love 10 I will always love 10 but - again, less for the-actual-show-itself reasons and more for external fears that RTD will just pretend 13′s era didn’t exist reasons - I am not excited to see him back in this precise way, but we shall see.)

#also they can't call him the 14th doctor because also in corporate IP that would fuck up the metadata on the toy sales #and we can't have that #they gonna put 10/14 on all the packaging? I think not #also they probably couldn't get Tosin and Freema back #but I wish they had had Ryan and Martha at the support group #because Martha in particular deserves a support group #and also then Yaz wouldn't be the only white person in the room #also also if they had to bring back DT couldn't they at least let him be Scottish? #only modern Doctor not to get to use his real voice which is so sad #anyway #1am rambles #I have no idea how I'm going to function tomorrow I have so many Feelings #overall I truly did love the episode! #doctor who ramblings #doctor who #doctor who spoilers #thasmin #the power of the doctor #power of the doctor spoilers #spoilers: not safe for Sarahs

[manwholovescabins]

i’m sorry but some people don’t get nine. he’s not a grumpy asshole, he’s grieving and alone and lost. and yet he still has so much love and curiosity and excitement, which are the hardest things to reach when you’re drowning in grief. but he’s one of the silliest and cutest doctors. he’s just also carrying the weight of losing everything and being constantly confronted with reminders of his loss and the possibility of more loss. and he’s in love, by the way!! desperately in love and knows it’s doomed, just like all of his loves. especially now that everyone who is like him has died. but he’ll hug anyone. he’ll smile and laugh and ask questions and promise a couple in love that they will get their wedding. he’ll take rose’s hand and hug her and laugh with her in the face of the worst danger because at least right now he does have that love, even if he knows he will lose it, and the freshness of his grief only makes him treasure it more. hope that helps!!

#doctor who #ninth doctor #ninerose #a bit of a ramble but i’m right #if you get it you get it!

[crystal-mouse]

Ok but can we please talk about how groundbreaking it is for THE 60th anniversary episode to be SO trans positive- like yes, it was a little heavy-handed in places in the way that cis writers write trans dialogue and think about gender, but in considering how the climate is *especially* in the uk rn, for Doctor Who to go, no actually- trans rights, acceptance and love/support?? To normalise trans people as normal people and that a trans woman is INTEGRAL and FOREFRONT to the narrative and saves the day on prime time television on the longest running drama AND highly awaited episode?? It's massive.

#why representation/visibility is so important #thank you rtd #thank you yasmin #doctor who spoilers #dw spoilers #doctor who #mouse rambles

[go-to-the-mirror]

#tenth doctor #doctor who #doctor who memes #my lonely rambles #this girl has so many issues #1k #2k #3k #4k #5k

[ramshitposts]

so obsessed with 12 he only interacted with queer women (and nardole) and then regenerated into a queer woman like wth was that

#ngl he was also a queer woman #in my heart atleast #this is a slightly incoherent ramble sorry everyone #doctor who #12 #13

[ocean-returns]

You couldn't do a straightforward Human Nature plot set in the 12th Doctor era bc if 12 got fobwatched Clara would immediately steal his identity. Missy would also steal his identity. Absolutely insane Doctorfication possibilities.

Also, 12's forgotten memories canonically manifest as songs AND he's faceblind, so he wouldn't even have a dramatic dream journal full of half-remembered portraits, he'd just be hanging out in his university office shredding guitar solos while Bill (who he just met) is like "Wow, sick riff Professor Smith!" and he's like "Thanks, it's called I Dreamt I Rode a Dinosaur."

#doctor who #twelfth doctor #clara oswald #''Clara acquires the human Doctor as companion while publicly using his name'' is the obvious option but not the only one... #(The dramatic irony of John Smith not even considering he could be the Doctor bc She's Right There What Do You Mean?) #but honestly either Clara or Missy might fobwatch him against his will if they deemed it Necessary #and there'd probably be some kind of episode theme about The Importance Of Memories TM #I'm rambling now

[paternostergays]

fourteen getting the zoomies when he saw the new tardis interior was a classic doctor autism moment i loved it

#doctor who #dw spoilers #the star beast #corvus rambles

[transgenderdoctorwhomst]

What if 11 had to get fobwatched. I don't think Amy and Rory would know how the fuck to handle Extremely Autistic Human Man!Doctor at all. He's still climbing everything and taking things apart for fun except now if he falls off their roof he actually breaks something. And because this is the Doctor any of his instructions on how to keep an eye on him are completely utterly useless to them

#doctor who #eleventh doctor #11th doctor #i need more fobwatched doctor stuff in my life #and the fanfics are incredibly sparse #blanket permission to steal this #ramblings #fobwatch!eleven

[horizontalsplash]

love that if you aren’t in at least a foot deep in the doctor who fandom there’s no fuckin way to guess what characters the ship name thoschei is for

#like it’s not hard to find #it’s not a complicated explanation #it’s not an uncommon ship #just. how do you guess that #they don’t give you that in the show at all #ramblings #doctor who

[space-elixir-0o]

#doctor who #classic who #4th doctor #doctor who spoilers #doctor who special #the master #tardis #text post #sarah jane smith #tom baker #back on my bullshit #ramblings

[causalityparadoxes]

Kind of hysterical to me that Steven Moffat, famously the most sexist of the nuwho showrunners, is also the only one to get the Doctor's transgenderism right.

Both Chibnall and RTD seem(ed) so stuck on regeneration being a binary switch. That while their body can change they are always inline with it, and in that way cisgender.

But god for all his faults Moffat did write the Doctor and Missy with a certain disconnect from humanity and human gender.

Like yes Missy played into being a woman but it was always a performance, SHE knew she was above it but she loved the way she could use it to fuck with humans.

Then with 12 you have Capaldi's whole performance and that lovely moment with Bill. Like ofc it was less explicit than we just got with RTD, but for being stories that are what nearly a decade old now? It was fucking AMAZING and what we did get was so good and so on point with the doctor's nonbinary identity.

Obviously he doesn't come close to whatever the Eighth doctor writers were on in the edas. But in terms of modern who? Damn I miss 'we are so far above your petty human obsession with gender'. I want that kind of nonbinary-ism back please. please...

#doctor who #dw spoilers #the star beast #dw #Steven Moffat #rambles

[zipstick]

imagine transitioning and then one day you find out that you accidentally named yourself after your mum's alien best friend's ex girlfriend without realising

#rose noble #doctor who spoilers #doctor who #my ramblings

[terapsina]

#tardis #asshole research transport #perihelion #lucy #moya #lovelace #justice of toren #hera #doctor who #the murderbot diaries #killjoys #farscape #wayfarer series #the long way to a small angry planet #ancillary justice #wolf 359 #polls #terapsina rambles #this is fun i can see why everyone's getting obsessed with posting these

[go-to-the-mirror]

the sound of drums is just so funny because martha's in love with the doctor, jack's in love with the doctor, and the doctor has completely ignored them both in favour of pining over his boyfriend who hates him

#like #tensimm #thoschei #episode: the sound of drums #doctor who #the sound of drums #my lonely rambles #1k