So part 2 - how well does she inhabit that character so far? I’m still deciding but of course it took me a few each eps to decide each regeneration before too.
The alternative is constant Daleks or no Big Bad for a series so its an illogical bit that’s a reasonable price to pay.
This episode felt a bit introductory—sort of going through all the major elements of the Doctor, as a character, what she does, and the whole deal. Kinda like opening the door for potential new viewers. That made it a bit generic, unfortunately. Still, I’m liking Whittaker in the role, and I’m just excited to have the Doctor back!
One thing that I don’t think I will warm to is the new TARDIS interior. I’ve never been a fan of organic design at the best of times, and this one just looks all flash and no bang, like there’s no logic to it. There are steampunk elements to the console, but that’s lost in amongst the crystals-for-no-reason aesthetic.
Also, the tiny TARDIS that spins is a lame addition.
It’s early days, there’s a small chance I will change my mind, but I’m not feeling it at all. My favourite design was Eleven’s.
It’s also too dark. I mean, from what little I saw of it, it seemed like a cave.
Just rewatched both episodes, and found them improved on second viewing. As has been stated, I like the fact that the new friends are just an ordinary group of folks who got caught up in the mess the Doctor was fixing. That said, they all seem to suggest a bit of competence - Ryan asks smart questions, Yaz is a cop, and Graham has some common sense (“Now they’re all running toward the alien!”). Got a good feeling about this group. And the diversity doesn’t seem forced or tokenish - more like a simple acknowledgement that if you scoop up an random group of Britons, a black or South Asian person is just as likely as a white one.
As for the Doctor, I wonder if the key to her character will be the way she’s described herself. She’s not the War Doctor, or the Oncoming Storm, or the one who’s name is the greatest secret in the galaxy; she’s merely a traveler, who tries to help whenever she finds someone in trouble.
Of course, the whole “Timeless Child” thing seems to suggest another question-of-the-Doctor’s-identity arc; but for these two episodes, she does seem like merely the woman who sorts out fair play for the universe.
I’m just glad the sniper-bots didn’t have emoji faces or some other kind of Moffat bullshit.
After the two episodes I am liking Whittaker’s Doctor. Having a young eager Doctor after an old Doctor is refreshing.
I like the three companions deal. It works and feels comfortable and not at all forced.
I liked the episodes stories and am eager to find out where the writer’s are going to take this new Doctor.
More like Stormtrooperbots. For “snipers” they didn’t seem to be able to hit much.
Did we ever find out who moved the planet and why?
I saw someone speculate that the TARDIS was causing the planet to phase in and out and mess up its orbit. Not sure how that would work, but it’s a theory.
I think the new Doctor and new show-runner is what Doctor Who desperately needed. I wanted very much to like Capaldi but the plots and writing put together for him by Steven Moffat were overall terrible. And this is as one of the rare Clara fans. Last year I had given up on the show.
Chris Chibnall seems to have reinvigorated the show. After the first year of Matt Smith and a short boost with Clara added, Doctor Who had stopped be a very good show and struggled to be a good show. These 1st two episodes were very entertaining. Jodie Whittaker seems up to the task and the companions are fine so far.
Indeed the Police Box as a vestibule to another space seemed contrived to get away from the “it’s bigger on the inside …” tradition.
I do though overall like the look and feel of the show.
I loved Clara.
The show feels bigger and more cinematic. OTOH, it’s just not holding my attention as much. Maybe now the Tardis is back it will come back into place. Also, I don’t know why it is, but I feel like Jodie is as much of a stand in for the audience as the companions. Her presence isn’t exactly reassuring. Not sure why but I don’t think it’s just because she’s a woman. I think her ratio of questions asked to answered is almost on par with the companions.
I’m hoping that now she’s back in the TARDIS the “new Doctor” thing will fade away and the show will settle down. That said, I have misgivings about a Rosa Parks-based episode, both because hammering in an alien invasion to her story could require a major stretch and because the temptation to preach will be high.
Rosa Parks is a good place to preach if done right. If they go the route of one person can change the world and they do it well, it could be amazing. If it is a silly episode and a hamfisted message it will be dreadful.
I’m trying to keep an open mind - but -
UK shows and movies don’t really understand US race relations. They often end up feeling just wrong. (I also really don’t trust this particular showrunner after the mess that was Broadchurch. He’s willing to sacrifice narrative, logic, plot, realism, and character to get a cinematic shot or a dramatic moment.)
It seems to me that the biggest risk, given the standard Doctor Who narrative of The Doctor Shows Up and Saves Us All, lies in inadvertently writing a story where a white person solves racism.
Well, although it was a different crew I think they did a great job with Nixon back in the Matt Smith era. I’m used to seeing the typical Baby Boomer portrayal of Nixon as some combination of a fiendish master plotter and bumbling nincompoop who’s the most awful person to ever sit in the White House, and figured that’s what they’d do. But they presented him as no more bumbling than other leaders who get pushed around by the doctor, and no more evil than any other world leader, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Though amarinth is right that there’s a strong possibility for something REALLY cringeworthy to come out when Brits try to write a story about American race relations.
Hopefully it’s just a bit in which they somehow got in the way of history and have to undo the possible damage they did.
Who does best with race issues by just acting fairly blind to it. Many couples and families who just happen to be mixed (this crew inclusive) and rarely a big issue over what color someone happens to be. The times they tried to address racism in history, like in some of the Martha eps, did not come off so great.
Agreed. One of the Doctor’s fundamental qualities is his/her ability, or willingness, to see the essential personhood of every being he/she encounters, irrespective of race or gender or tentacle count. It would very much be in character for 13 to not even notice that humans divide themselves up into different races according to the color of our skins, or realize there was something unusual about Graham and Grace’s marriage. I could easily see Yaz or Ryan having to explain to her why Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the back of the bus was a big deal.
I have to say, I’m not sure I’m sold on the new Doctor. The whole “I’m not really sure what’s going on” thing almost makes her seem like her own companion. Traditionally, the Doctor is a bit of a mad pompous jerk, with the companions vacillating between awe and wonder at their experience and serving as a foil to keep the Doctor grounded.
Although I am kind of curious to see if Missy returns.
Not to mention that episodes about Earth human racism or Hitler and WWII seem absurd in the context of the Who universe where The Doctor and his companions routinely encounter genocide on an interstellar scale.
