Disappointed by Doctor Who

[Savannahmann]

I just watched the Season 8 episode with Peter Capaldi. I didn't like it. I didn't like the theme music, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the actor.

The classic Doctor Who are classics because for their time, they were astonishingly clever, and original. They performed miracles with pennies worth of special effects budgets. But, each regeneration was more. More special effects, more unique atmosphere from the actors. The iconic things boggle the imagination. From Tom Baker's twelve foot long scarf, to the Cricket uniform worn by Peter Davidson.

But, here is the thing. Christopher Eccleston's brilliant reboot was just that. Brilliant. He was cool, a leather clad slightly hyperactive and very sad Time Lord. It was post Time Wars, and the Time Lords were no more thanks to the Doctor. He felt such remorse from that, and it is understandable that he should.

Then we drop into the David Tennant days. Another cool, iconic figure. Long coat flapping in the wind as he charges off into danger. He worked things out by talking to himself, a touch to the old Doctors of the originals. But he did it with a modern flair. Billie Piper said he had great hair and she meant it. He rarely got annoyed, and only occasionally got angry. But he was sad, and he was brilliant. He enjoyed the game, the puzzle, the monsters.

Matt Smith, the Youngest. Again with the iconic style. A desire to chase the kids back behind the couch where they would peek over the edge. Comic timing and a brooding sense about him made his character fun, interesting, and so energetic. But also determined. Determined to save humanity. Determined to win.

This is where Stephen Moffett came in and waved goodbye to David Tennant, and welcomed us with Matt Smith. He reimagined Sherlock Holmes, and did so brilliantly. He didn't pretend that nothing had changed since Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the stories. He took the brilliance, the singular powers of observation that was Sherlock Holmes into the 21st Century and made it work. He took over Doctor Who and made it hip, cool, and enjoyable. So one could say after Matt Smith that generally speaking, Doctor Who was cool, hip, and enjoyable. You liked the characters, you liked the stories, even the somewhat weak ones that you had the feeling were thrown in just to round out the season.

Now, the 8th Season. Peter Capaldi's portrayal under the direction of Stephen Moffett has made the worst mistake possible. Worse than Dinosaurs on a Space Ship. Worse than any thing he could have done carrying the story forward. He is trying to bring back the old Doctor Who in the modern series. The old Doctor Who series was astonishing in its day. Even now, when you view it through the lense of that fact, it was way ahead of it's time in the 60's and 70's, now it's tired, and weak. The opening credits, an homage? The music, a reimagination of the old school style? It doesn't work in 2014. It didn't work for me, and I really wish it had.

Matt Smith was the last Doctor by the original storyline. Now, it seems he's the last Doctor in my mind too. I wanted to like Peter Capaldi. I wanted to fall in love with the show like I did with Matt Smith popping out of the TARDIS to find young Amelia Pond who doesn't understand how he fell into the swimming pool when he was in the library.

I miss Doctor Who already. All the hype, all the ginned up excitement. A world tour to introduce the new Doctor. All wasted. Watch the ratings drop soon. Because other than Austin Powers, nobody wants to see someone stuck in the 60's in the modern world.

[Adsos Letter]

1. So...

You didn't like it?

[shenmue]

2. ...

Nah, it was good!

Put away your grumpy face. Stop expecting everything to all be the same.

[TM99]

3. I totally disagree.

I grew up on Dr. Who. I started watching in 3rd grade in the early 1970's. I watched it religiously through college into graduate school (yes, I am a total Sci-Fi nerd!).

I was wary of the reboot in 2005 but fell in love first with Eccleston and then again with Tennant. I absolutely hated Smith and was ready to give up on the Doctor the longer he was in the staring role. He was juvenile, not funny, and never once gave me the impression that he was portraying a nearly 2000 year old alien Time Lord. From Hartnell to Baker to Tennant, I always felt the actors portrayed the Time Lord with gravitas. Smith, perhaps due to his youth, simply could not pull that off. The Smith years always made me feel like I was watching a children's show, and Doctor Who is anything but a kid's show.

I am really glad that they are returning to an 'old' Doctor. The music has changed several times over the decades so I am really not attached to that. Capaldi was amazing. He actually pulled off Smith better than Smith was doing. He started out odd and out of sorts and then realized who he was again. He had the gravitas. He was aware of both the good and bad that he was capable of.

And as an older Gen Xer, yeah, I really like the return to the old style. I loved him being older than his 20's. Frankly, Clara now feels out of place and I suspect she will depart in the next few episodes if not by the end of this season. I laughed as Moffat tried hard to convince the 'younger generation' that it was OK to enjoy and trust a Doctor with gray hair and facial wrinkles.

I am not a big fan of the re-imaging of the Doctor as Sherlock Holmes. I much prefer the two classics to remain separate and yet equal in their enjoyment. But all in all, I really liked this episode. I loved the little jibes at past actors and performances. I loved the nods to Tennant and Madame Pompadour (one of the really great Tennant episodes in my opinion.) And I am looking forward to seeing the Daleks again next episodes. I had nightmares about them as a kid. Modern isn't always better and sometimes returning to the past in order to move forward is the right thing to do. I am looking forward to seeing what this Scotsman can do with the role given some time to develop him.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I read a report that said that Jenna Coleman is leaving after the Christmas Special

but I don't remember where I read it.

[jambo101]

4. Give it a few episodes.

Last edited Mon Aug 25, 2014, 06:12 AM - Edit history (1)

This new doctor will grow on you/
Like all the doctors theres a bit of a wearing in factor.

That said i found the first episode with this doctor a bit of a bore.

[Tikki]

5. I liked it a lot....

Tikki