#dw analysis

[grandadtwelve]

was going through old posts and happened upon this one about how the doctor has a deep tendency to latch onto the first face they see after regenerating and, specifically, how the first person thirteen interacted with was grace, who immediately died. and how that kinda fits with the sense of unmooredness her regeneration has.

and now I’m just thinking about the implications of the first face the fifteenth doctor sees being his own. the person he has the strongest attachment and feeling of responsibility to, the person he draws the most comfort from, being himself.

#you know… like that just gives me so much hope for fifteens psychological well-being and mental health hhhhh #doctor who #dw 60th #dw spoilers #thirteenth doctor #fifteenth doctor #dw analysis #the giggle #mios #500

[silvermarmoset]

something that i wish thirteen's era had covered more fully are the sheer weirdnesses in this body she regenerated into. why did she regenerate with brown hair that was already half-dyed blonde? how did she have ear piercings as part of a fresh new body? in what world does it make sense for her newly regenerated body to have cleanly shaven legs? thirteen has all these little feminine things going the second she appears, and it's never noticed within the show. and while i guess the masculine-presenting doctors also had little weirdnesses (Ten freshly regenerated with hair gel already applied), it feels more noticeable when the alien doctor falls in so hard with the very specific beauty trends of twenty-first century earth, in every element.

idk i just think having a female doctor could have been room for such growth, but these unspoken little markers that require work and choice being shown as innate and present the minute the doctor appears female strikes me as...i dunno, like guys who think women only look right if they're wearing makeup? like the female-presentation shtick women go through is in any way natural. the thirteenth doctor often seems surprised to be labeled a woman, and yet she's wearing eyeliner. who put that on?

#i feel like i'm not discussing this as clearly as i like...and i don't want to offend anyone or imply that eyeliner is only a woman's thing #eyeliner/ear piercings/etc. but it stands out to me that the only time we see the doctor lean into them heavily is when she's suddenly in #a female body? i feel like chibs' assumptions show up a little hard there #im just. sad that my mad little alien suddenly subscribes to modern earth beauty standards the second she appears #which i guess the masc doctors did too! but because masculine beauty standards are more in line w being natural theyre less noticeable #someone help me. something something feminism #doctor who #thirteen #thirteenth doctor #dw analysis #(kind of. mostly just. uhh. wondering why the doctor has to be pretty)

[casiesfandomblog]

#dw 60 #dw analysis #wild blue yonder #dw spoilers #dw specials

[paternostergays]

i hope people dont give chibnall too much credit for creating thasmin. because he didnt. us as fans saw the chemistry between yaz and thirteen that was there because of jodie and mandips acting, and then they were the ones that pushed for it. some of the best thasmin moments we have are because of their acting and improv, not chibnall's writing (we know this because a lot of them haven't been in the scripts), and at the end of the day we owe just as much, if not more, to mandip and jodie than we owe to him. so thank you to jodie and mandip for bringing thasmin into being <3

#im getting more and more frustrated w chibnall ngl #someone said he writes as if its a. audiobook and not a tv show and they pointed out whats been bugging me abt his writing #and people keep pointing out all these things that happened that had NOTHING to do with him! #doctor who #corvus rambles #thirteenth doctor #yasmin khan #thasmin #dw analysis

[master-missysversion]

Sometimes I think about how 13s companions would react to the past doctors and I think there's a few of them they really wouldn't get along with, mainly bc 13 sort of sugar-coats herself and she's really quite good at it, compared to 9 and 12 who were very open and honest about the darker or meaner parts of themselves, and 10 and 11 who were quite cheery (im not sure it was deliberate in their cases) but who couldn't really keep control of that facade for long

But I do think this whole deal goes the other way around too, i think 10 and 11s companions especially would be put off by 13, despite her warm demeaner and her niceness. In reality she's very closed off, she doesn't like to talk about or show emotions. She's also very awkward, not very physically affectionate the way 10 and 11 were. So i think their companions would get along with 13 on a surface level but would feel....off, the more time they spent with her

#doctor who #13th doctor #dw analysis #out of 10 and 11s companions i think Rose would adjustvthe best #i think amy and rory would see what shes doing immediately and just get frustrated with it #12s companions i actually think would be alright despite how different 13 and 12 are #when it comes to rose and clara im not sure the doctor would keep those walls up anyway #theyve already seen too much of her lol

[casasupernovas]

Here it is. My commentary for 'Human Nature' and 'The Family of Blood'. Part 1.

Whew. I have been putting this off for a while because I have a lot to say. Lots of missed opportunities, questionable choices and more. Without further ado, here are my thoughts.

Let me preface this by actually saying what the story is, or was. This story is written by Paul Cornell, based off of his book of the same name from the 90s Virgin New Adventure's Doctor Who book series. After the show had been cancelled, it was this material amongst Big Finish that kept the fandom going. The story featured companion Bernice Summerfield and the Seventh Doctor and is basically the same plotline: the Doctor becomes a human teacher named John Smith in the early 20th century. Due to being a book, it's a lot more detailed and the villains are a lot more intense but that's the basics. I'd also like to note that despite Cornell's credit, showrunner Russell T Davies made it clear in 'The Writer's Tale' that he contributed/edited and signed off on stories for Series 3, even going so far as to not have his name on some, something he did not have a grudge over. So bear that in mind when I discuss some choices the episode makes.

So, off we go and in a pretty solid and gripping opening scene, we are thrown right into the middle of a pretty intense scenario featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. They are being chased by something and the Doctor has to make a pretty quick choice to throw them off. So, the Doctor chooses to so something that entirely depends on Martha. His life depends on Martha. Hands out the watch. I'm invested immediately. It then cuts off to a different scene where confusion. What. Where. How? The Doctor is speaking funny, saying he dreamed of being a traveller. Why is Martha dressed as his maid? Why is she calling him Smith? Why is she saying he's human. Why on earth are they in 1913. We the audience are left to ponder what the hell is going on as the credits roll to reveal the title: 'Human Nature'. One thing I do really like about this story is how it doesn't immediately answer questions, but trickles through, and uses flashbacks to weave it all together.

We learn pretty quickly that this isn't a conventional Doctor Who story, and for the first time in the series, the Doctor is largely absent for TWO episodes, which is quite a bold decision to make. But a great way to ensure that the audience understands his importance and want him back. I read somewhere that David Tennant was actually sick during the filming for this, which added another layer of the Doctor being gone, due to him being obviously less like himself and quieter, something observed by the crew.

So, this is not the Doctor, but John Smith, a history teacher, who notably in the only lesson we actually see him teach, tells the class about battle, combat, the Battle of Waterloo, 1815. Remember this episode is set in 1913, November 1913 to be exact.

I do remember wondering if Martha had also changed, but being convinced that it was a story where she was the only one who knew the truth, due to her being the one to dismiss John Smith's dreams and tell him he is human. And we see her once more, performing the role of a maid. Martha Jones. Brilliant Martha Jones is having to be a maid. In 1913. Wow. I wasn't mad at this at first, mainly because this just reinforced to me how deep in trouble the Doctor and Martha must have be in. The stakes are high. I had already realised he has changed into a human to avoid these advesaries, just not known why. Martha clearly wouldn't have had to do this without good reason. To be placed in such a hostile environment as we begin to see, only fortifies the idea that this is the most dangerous scenario the Doctor and Martha have faced.

We are also introduced to Jenny, Martha's only friend in 1913. People have spoke of the 'Doctorfication' of Martha Jones this season as she has to take the reigns multiple times in ways many companions never do. So, like the Doctor, she gets her own companion in Jenny. Jenny who points out Martha's Londoner accent and admires her boldness. Because she's clearly the first person to challenge the roles they both are placed in, as women but also as a black woman. Martha and Jenny is then patronised and talked down to by Baines and Hutchinson, two boys attending the school in the most snooty, pompous, blood boiling way possible.

One of the positives of this episode is how it does not shy away from calling out just how arrogant and downright vile the attidudes of the country could be, especially during this period of time in British History. Baines and Hutchinson were not born that way. We see later exactly what kind of education these two are getting. Hutchinson then makes a racist remark to Martha, comparing the colour of her skin to filth before laughing and leaving. Martha is clearly riled by it but chillingly and accurately says (more to herself than Jenny) after Jenny points out the bleak apparent truth that boys like that would be the leaders of the country, that that may not be the case, knowing in the next year, a whole generation would be killed in a bloody, unnecessary and tragic war.

It's at this point it's made crystal clear that Martha Jones knows. Whatever is going on here, why she is here, with the absent minded John Smith, who flits by, 'head's in the clouds' says Jenny, Martha is the one who is in the know. And knowing the war is coming and being in this environment has to be so emotionally draining, especially as she knows there is nothing she can do to stop it. Not that they would listen to her, according to Martha, Jenny and Mr Smith are the only people who show her kindess here. Which is interesting, because John Smith doesn't seem kind to Martha at all in these episodes. Just polite. There is a difference. Not once does he ever defend her from condescension from the staff. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We are then introduced to a character that also was in the original book - Nurse Joan Redfern. In some typical cutesy/awkward banter between her and John, it's pretty clear what is going to happen in this episode. I remember literally saying out loud "NO!" When Joan said "we make quite a team." Because I knew that I was gonna get a love story and I didn't want it. Mainly because it would take time away from the main companion, Martha, something that happens far too frequently this season. In fact, Martha is not just mainly reduced to the woman pining on the outside, but the woman pining alone. Martha Jones is seperated from the Doctor for most of this season, no doubt to reflect his literal emotional distance but all this achieves is a isolated companion. Which, as a viewer who is always excited to see who the Doctor meets next and how they interact, is a huge disappointment. And kind of maddening. Especially as this new woman is a racist. The scene before literally told us bold faced that this school has racists in it. Baines does not call out Hutchinson for his comments but laughs with him. The school is clearly full of racially prejudiced people and no doubt the staff. Which includes this lady. So I immediately knew she was going to be one so I automatically didn't like her and certainly was not going to invest in whatever love story they were going to push. I've seen many people say making her 'complicated' by showing her accurate prejudice for the time period is a good thing because it makes for a complex chatacter reading. Which I only agree maybe 10% with. Because it's true. People are complex beings. We see with Joan in her first scene that she is capable of being empathetic, polite and helpful. But we are later confirmed that she's also a racist. And as a black person, I am quite frankly tired of having to give characters like this grace. Because that courtesy is never extended the opposite way. I've made up my mind and being a racist is a pretty good reason to not like someone. Anyway, during this scene John Smith falls backwards down the stairs.

Martha bursts in as Joan tends to his wounded head because of course she does and Joan pointedly reminds her of her position, saying it is rude to enter "a master's study without knocking." To which Martha hilariously, mockingly, knocks on the already open door and comes back in. As Martha queries what happened, John Smith looks away and mumbles that it wasn't that big a deal, probably embarassed because it only happened because he was flustered by Joan. Again, even though what Matron is saying is accurate for the attitude of the time, the person that Martha says is 'kind' to her doesn't exactly defend her from Joan's little rebukes. Doesn't say "it's okay it's only Martha." When she enters his study, doesn't say "she's just wants to make sure I'm okay" after Joan cuts Martha again after she asks if she's checked for a concussion. And most cutting of all, Martha can't even use her medical knowledge to help because Joan knows more than her. Yeah, 20th century Matron knows more than the 2007 medical student. It's not just because Joan is older, or because Martha is a servant either. I'm sure Martha wanted to scream in frustration. We are immediately shown just how difficult Martha's role here is. We know she's clearly looking out for the Doctor here, but how is she supposed to do that when she is looked down on by everyone, so much so her voice is not heeded as useful or needed but borderline impertinent.

John Smith changes the subject though, and tells Martha how he was telling Matron about his impossible dreams and we get another plot twist. The biggest indicator that the Doctor is an alien are his two hearts. So the shock when Matron confirms only one heart. The Doctor is indeed human. How? We don't know yet, but we know it's tied to the watch. In another hint, John Smith says he dreamt he was hiding.

We then get John Smith showing Matron the journal showcasing classic Doctor Who villains, old faces officially making the 8th Doctor canon and of course, a callback to Rose Tyler, the sixth direct mention this season in episode 8 oh joy. I made a post before about what a missed opportunity it was to not show Martha's page. It does exist. I don't wanna watch John and Joan go all 'ooh' over his apparent 'fiction'. I want a moment where Joan finds the journal by mistake or purpose and finds Martha's page, because the journal doesn't just show crazy things but John Smith's lingering fears that something is not quite right. They're not just dreams, they're nightmares too. And in Martha's page he is clearly simultaneously disturbed and intriged by her. It's also an intriguing peek into the residual thoughts the Doctor has on her. That he doesn't know her too well (who's fault is that?) and that she wants to help. This is never addressed in the show and the page is never shown. Once again, Martha's character takes a backseat.

It's not lost on me that in this racist period, even with a rewritten brain, Rose still gets a poignant emotional beat and Martha is left in the wings. Again. I'm tired of Martha getting the backseat in her own damn season. In 1913. An era where white people are supposed to be superior. Does this ever get addressed? No. It gets worse. And it's painfully clear that there were no black people in the writers room because the optics of this are crazy.

Martha is concerned by the book of course, they need to be HIDDEN. Can't very well stay lowkey if he's writing the sh*t down can they? I think it's also the first time Martha has seen the journal. It's probably the first time he's began to speak about it openly. Maybe he's only just begun to dream about his true self. We found out that they've been there for maybe a maximum of almost three months. This seems to be a new development, or maybe he has been writing all the time. So Martha tries to downplay it, lest Joan get too curious. But Joan rather alarmingly confirms to Martha that she knows something is wrong with him, "it's like he's left the kettle on." We also get the Doctor and Martha's cover story - she arrived with him and he got her a job as a maid, and they know each other because she used to work for the Smith family, he 'inherited' her. Yikes. And Joan, in a 'sorry not sorry' brusk manner says for her to back off essentially; "you sometimes seem a little familiar with him. Best remember your position." A loaded statement. Not just pointing out her being a maid. But a black one. Remember your place. He's not just a man but your superior.

Throughout most of this season, there definitely feels like there's a vendetta out against Martha. In her debut she's clever, brilliant, beautiful and confident. And for some odd reason, it feels like the show feels like that is wrong. So we need to pull her down a couple pegs. Have the Doctor aggressively reject her at the end of the episode. And in the next. Take her to the slums with drug addled versions of her human race. Then the Great Depression where we have remind the audience that she is only just a unrequited love interest. Separate her from him so they can't bond as a companion/Doctor duo. Have him dump her back home then return immediately because she is apparently something he can pick up and drop off like a doll whenever he fancies. Then, in the episode where we are supposed to get headway, we tear him away from her in the early 20th century.

Martha Jones is brilliant, but it sucks that she has to do so much alone.

I'm barely through the episode but this post is already too long, so this is part 1. Part 2 will be up soon!!!!!

#doctor who #martha jones #tenth doctor #10th doctor #tenmartha #joan redfern #baines #hutchinson #jenny #rocastle #tim latimer #doctor who commentary #dw analysis #paul cornell #russell t davies #90s doctor who #series 3 #rose tyler #8th doctor

[cynicalclassicist]

On realising the religious allusions going on in Doctor Who: Flux, suddenly it takes on a new level to me! I was thinking today about how 13 getting turned into an Angel and taken up by the Angels to meet a Founder figure felt like a parody of ascension... and then it snowballed out!

#doctor who #doctor who: flux #religion #dw analysis #chris chibnall

[disasterlesbianamelia]

just finished catching up with doctor who redacted and i have to say that while i’m just not very engaged with the current era of the show the last year-ish has been great for stuff on the margins of it, this and both of the maze theory games have really hit the spot in what i’ve been looking for from the series in waiting for RTD2 and i don’t think it’s a coincidence that all three of them play with the show’s metanarrative quite a bit (also spoilers but given the next episode of redacted is going to feature larry nightingale i wonder if it’ll tie into the lonely assassins at all)

redacted especially is just…chef kiss. it’s the most i’ve enjoyed a new doctor who thing in at least 4 years. there’s hardly a single thing that i don’t love about its attitude to transness and queerness particularly in the context of being a british working class trans lesbian listening to this in 2022, it’s so unusual to see the perspectives of you and your friends in anything even adjacent to the mainstream especially given how hostile the mainstream here is towards us (and i very much enjoy how pointed redacted is about that). even aside from that the sci-fi concept is great, and it makes really intelligent use of the show’s past and present cast whether they’re actually in it or just referenced

but most of all i just love the girls and the camaraderie between them, the way cleo navigates her complex relationships with her family, her wonderful energy (and attempted theft of onions), shawna’s care and compassion for the people she loves and abby’s barely concealed crush on shawna and constant disdain for men (particularly shawna’s bf)…cannot get enough of all of it. more of this please

#doctor who redacted #doctor who redacted spoilers #juno dawson #dw analysis #cleo proctor #shawna thompson #abby mcphail #i want to go in depth with the edge of reality at a later date #there were aspects of that game that felt very specifically targeted @ me #i don’t even mind that it was glitchy as fuck and between it and KH1 fried the original hard drive of my ps4

[thegirlwiththegoldenscarf]

Unpopular opinion but The Doctor's relationship with The Master was far more interesting in season 12 than it was in previous incarnations, no shade to Michelle's missy nor Capaldi's doctor, they did what they could with Moffat as a showrunner.

#doctor who #the master #dw analysis #the doctor #13 doctor #thirteen

[thefiresofpompeii]

the composition of this shot... finger pointed at the doctor in accusation, bill is speaking the words but both masters are talking through her, surrounding her as witnesses as she channels their bitterness, their rage, their abandonment. the master waited for him. jack waited for him. older amy in that hospital waited for him. bill waited for him. ashildr-me waited for him. but he always came back too late. the man whose ship's engine noise is a sound that heralds hope wherever it lands left the ones he cared about behind. when hope itself leaves you behind, what redemption could you ever dream of?

#doctor who meta #world enough and time #bill potts #simm master #missy #twissy #thoschei #jamie catches up #twelve #twelfth doctor #tenth doctor #doctor who series 10 #doctor who #dw #jamie.txt #doctor who analysis #tensimm

[inhonoredglory]

1/2 With RTD and David back in the show, I've been on something of a nostalgia trip and I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I found your blog through your DotD essays. I was a huge fan of DW back in the day and fell out of love with the show because of the 50th and all the surrounding fandom discourse. Your meta really helped me process all those feelings and articulate them in a way i didn't know I needed lol

2/2 I haven't seen a single DW ep since 2013, so it's a testament to how amazingly written your essays are that I STILL remember them after all these years. They've been living in my head rent free for almost a decade 😭

Wow. This really means a lot to me y'know, anon? It really does. I miss writing huge thinkpieces like that one, and it warms my soul to know that the stuff I did before is still relevant and had helped heal you in some way back in those crazy days.

Doctor Who is a hugely special show, and I guess that's why we were hurt so much by it. RTD coming back is kinda something therapeutic, for me anyway. Like the Who I fell in love with can come back one more time and I can feel again that special RTD magic of emotional integrity, nuanced morality, and profound sensitivity to life, death, and the wonder of the universe. And of course, David Tennant 💙

Thank you for stopping by my inbox with this beautiful comment. You're amazing, hon.

(Here's my old meta on the 50th anniversary episode, if anyone wants to time travel back to the last time DT showed up in Who.)

#kfposts #💙 #doctor who #day of the doctor #dw analysis #dw meta #ask #anonymous #dw #dw fandom

[grandadtwelve]

s10 twelve is twelve at peace. post-heaven sent clara is clara at peace. with their mutually obsessive link broken, twelve is free to love and care for others without clara eclipsing everything else just by being near him. without the restraints of twelves morality and her own mortality, clara is free to live recklessly, to keep going forever. the people they are at the end of their story don’t work together, but they only BECAME those people because they were put together.

at the start, clara is a schoolteacher trying to maintain a committed relationship. at the start, twelve is afraid that he is heartless. they want to become more like the other. and they succeed.

swap! twelve is a schoolteacher who reestablishes a committed relationship with his wife (as well as makes a different kind of commitment to missy). and clara is, functionally, literally heartless.

#like who would have thought. at the beginning of their story who would of thought this is who they would become #this as close to verbalizing these thoughts as I’m going to get #anyway. they’re so interesting #twelve & clara #twelveclara #twelfth doctor #clara oswald #doctor who #mios #dw analysis #500 #1k #show d later tag

[silvermarmoset]

if you had to pick one outfit from each nuwho doctor's era which ones would you pick? could be from anyone

terrific question!!

Nine

my first thought was the subtlety of any of Nine's jumpers and my second thought was Jabe and her beautiful dress, but I think I'm going to have to cop to my love of character-based costume design and say Rose's insane scarf outfit from Boom Town. if i really wanted to be normal I'd point to her white tank top outfit in Dalek—which does such a stunning job of setting Rose as the moral touchstone in a dark, angry episode—but I have a big weak spot for Rose going full silly and wearing a big loud scarf and a tiny skirt and her hair in those nonsense braids. it's the first time in series 1 we see Rose kind of lean into the I'm-a-glamorous-time-traveler-outside-the-laws-of-normie-fashion, so it's kind of a precursor to her choices in s2 but also such a fun break from her s1 hoodie-and-a-jean uniform. I love the hoodie-and-a-jean uniform, but if we're going to pick fave looks, this is it for me.

runners-up:

the dalek tank top

rose's hot pink loudmouth shirt in 'wwiii'

jabe <3

Ten

Rose's Tooth and Claw look is my definition of perfection. I love all the story elements it covers: Rose's sass and youth and flirtiness, that little bit of messy that always shows up when she's at her best, how it's both jaunty and ready to adventure but also so (SO) much an outfit for a cute date. And then there's the visual pun of the crown right on her chest—my GOD that's a fun touch. RTD once said this is the episode he'll be playing on endless repeat at the old folks home and for the crown T-shirt alone I'd agree with him.

runners-up:

donna's beautiful red shirt we see for 14 seconds in 'turn left'

pretty much everything of martha's but i'd be lying if i said i don't think of her 'family of blood' military jacket nigh-constantly

all of ten's ties but mostly the fruity ones

Eleven

i was going to write a long screed about how unjust forcing me to pick one outfit from the era of amy pond is, and then I remembered River Song's gold dress exists and i have no other opinions. this. this this this. give it to me.

runners-up:

there aren't any

give me the dress

ugh fine amy's wedding dress and her big red sweater can be here too

Twelve

SO SO SO DIFFICULT. bill is here and bill is the icon. I'm going to go with her stripe-shirt-and-overalls gorgeousness from Knock Knock. It really doesn't have any character relevancy or bigger meaning, I just think it's cute as fuck and I want to shake Hayley Nebauer's hand.

runners-up:

clara's 'into the dalek' blue-eyed pun shirt

bill's french fry shirt

river song's gorgeous christmas dresses

Thirteen

i haven't watched thirteen's era entirely so I'm on the wrong foot here, but I'm going with Aisling Bea's wonderfully noxious outfit because she was a delight and I would have liked to see more of her barely contained rage buffeting Thirteen for about twenty more episodes.

(this woman would have been an iconic companion and nothing can convince me otherwise)

runners-up:

i like thirteen's color-reversed coat!

jo martin <3

#doctor who #doctor who costume design #rose tyler #bill potts #river song #dw analysis

[katzone]

I want y'all to know that all my fem!Light Yagami drawings where she's drawn looking feminine are her b4 coming out and entering her butch era.

(also for those who wanna read Light's internal monologue I left it below:)

#death note #light yagami #fem!light yagami #female light yagami #misa amane #cw suggestive #katart #i'm kinda glad light isn't a woman bc she'd be one of the most universally hated anime characters ever (esp among dudebro fans) #(but dw she'd have a legion of tumblr lesbians defending her honor) #I just wouldn't be able to handle seeing my blorbo slandered by dudebros with no media analysis skills (i've experienced the horrors b4) #genderbend #genderswap

[paternostergays]

the only thing i think that could be worse than the written gallifreyan in the show being a random bunch of circles and lines is if all the written gallifreyan actually does mean something but it's the crew's own alphabet that we won't ever be able to read. like could you imagine if every bit of gallifreyan we see actually has meaning that gives every scene it's in even more depth??? if there was so much more canon lore about the time lords that we just don't know because we can't read it???? it would infuriate me. id be so mad

#doctor who #gallifreyan #dw analysis #i need to change that tag it rly doesnt work #meta maybe. ive seen that one be used #dw meta #corvus rambles

[i-like-media]

but is it really any wonder the 14th would break like brittle bones at the mention of the flux and the timeless child stuff.

I think most of his faces have held a sort of pride towards the timelords and Gallifrey, choosing to honour their memory and have his people be remembered fondly despite all their flaws. But I feel this face, when it was the 10th, spoke of it with the most heart. At least, more grandiosely! When he spoke about Gallifrey, it was like a legend. A promise. A promise to never rid anyone of their homes and family ever again.

And I feel the reason the 10th clung to his origins like he did is because compared to all the other doctors, he longed for a family the most. Not a companion, but a proper family. A place to belong. A fatherly shoulder to rest his head on, a sister to ask for advice, a partner for life and a mother to scold him for mischief. which he used to have. All of it.

And he was forced to let go of all of it.

Then what do you do. You die and move on, now warry of ever opening up your heart that far again because deep inside a face of you knows how much it hurts to open it all the way. And still, the doctor has Gallifrey and his identity to hold onto. His only constant. A belonging lost to time yet with an unwavering connection that remains. What do you do when you lose that too, and get your old face back?

you break!

Throughout the 3 specials, the doctor is so so scared of losing Donna again. He would be any day, but now with his old face back, it's the only constant he's got left. the only slither of family he was able to save AND the only one that still remains. If she dies, that face has truly, completely, lost and ruined everything he ever dared to open his heart to back then.

Which is why the 15th knew it was so important for the 14th to stay. They may not have a solid origin anymore, but there's still a family waiting for them. And he knows very well the 14th can't carry on and leave all of it behind with the knowledge he has now.

He has to heal so the doctor can thrive. He has to come home, so the 15th can play outside.

#please be kind in the comment this is an analysis on 10 specifically! #i know the other faces have a complex relationship with the people they meet too #dw 60th anniversary #dw 60th #doctor who #doctor who spoilers #15th doctor #14th doctor #10th doctor #donna noble #the doctor #david tennant #wild blue yonder #the giggle #doctor who special #doctor who special 2 #doctor who 60th anniversary #doctor who donna #doctor who analysis #analysis #character analysis #the flux #the timeless child #doctor who flux