# Dr Who: Article nails Matt Smith and Steven bloody Moffat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070 "2013-06-03T21:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/21 "2013-06-04T21:59:00Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I thought he looked like the love child of Columbo and a NYC cabdriver. šŸ˜ƒ LOL! Excellent description. Yeah, I didnā€™t mean to imply McCoy had edgy good looks. His dynamic with the companion, someone elseā€™s edgy good looks. Julian Sands or Julian McMahon would be good choices. But you know, their name doesnā€™t have to be Julian. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/22 "2013-06-04T22:39:19Z")
Iā€™ve been disappointed with the Moffat era. There have been some high points like the Van Gogh episode. Itā€™s his grand story arcs that never make much sense that bug me. Iā€™ve warmed to Matt Smithā€™s Doctor. Heā€™s brought a lot to the character. Especially his manic body movements. Heā€™s unique. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/23 "2013-06-05T00:25:59Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > **GuanoLad** , they have this newfangled invention, theyā€™re called ā€œwigsā€. When your hair is your signature feature, replacing it with fakery stands out. It just wouldnā€™t flop right. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/24 "2013-06-05T00:51:18Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > That was RTD. Moffat put an end to that. Not by my reckoning; it was the way the first story with Smith ended: proclaiming himself a badass to the big monster thing and scaring it into submission. Seemed to be the way that almost half of the first Smith season resolved stories, to me. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_the_Wonder_Spirit)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/25 "2013-06-05T01:10:19Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > Iā€™ve loved his take on ā€œSherlockā€ so far, although the trailer for Series 3 makes me wonder if I should just leave that as is How can there be a trailer for series 3 of _Sherlock_, they havenā€™t even finished filming it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/26 "2013-06-05T02:40:52Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Not by my reckoning; it was the way the first story with Smith ended: proclaiming himself a badass to the big monster thing and scaring it into submission. Seemed to be the way that almost half of the first Smith season resolved stories, to me. YMMV. Iā€™d almost say Moffat started it. The first time it was used as a resolution to a story was his ā€œSilence In The Libraryā€/ā€œForest Of The Deadā€ 2-parter - the Vashta Nerada are defeated by the Doctor telling them to look him up and see who theyā€™re dealing with. They back down and thatā€™s the end of that, the monster defeated by the Doctorā€™s legendary reputation. And as mentioned, basically the same thing happens again in ā€œThe Eleventh Hourā€. I donā€™t mind it as a flavouring to the series, but using his status as a way to defeat the villain and resolve the story seems a bit much. Moffatt is also the one who has entire races and armies combining to defeat the Doctor, a war being fought to stop him, and a religious order devoted to stopping a prophecy about him coming true. All of which I quite liked, but suggesting this is a characteristic of the Russell T Davies period but not the Steven Moffat one seems the wrong way round to me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/27 "2013-06-05T03:58:27Z")
> [@Monkey\_Chews](#): > > Iā€™d almost say Moffat started it. The first time it was used as a resolution to a story was his ā€œSilence In The Libraryā€/ā€œForest Of The Deadā€ 2-parter - the Vashta Nerada are defeated by the Doctor telling them to look him up and see who theyā€™re dealing with. They back down and thatā€™s the end of that, the monster defeated by the Doctorā€™s legendary reputation. And as mentioned, basically the same thing happens again in ā€œThe Eleventh Hourā€. I donā€™t mind it as a flavouring to the series, but using his status as a way to defeat the villain and resolve the story seems a bit much. > > Moffatt is also the one who has entire races and armies combining to defeat the Doctor, a war being fought to stop him, and a religious order devoted to stopping a prophecy about him coming true. All of which I quite liked, but suggesting this is a characteristic of the Russell T Davies period but not the Steven Moffat one seems the wrong way round to me. Yeah the Vashta Nerada thing was what I was talking about. Thanks **Monkey Chews** , Iā€™d have never remembered what they were called. In the Davies stories, the Doctor worked to defeat whole armies; in the Moffat stories, whole armies were working to defeat the Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/28 "2013-06-05T04:13:41Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Iā€™ll admit to being intrigued by [the horseshoe](http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/14/matt-smith-shaves-off-doctor-who-hair-and-goes-topless-for-ryan-gosling-film-3758536/). Oh my god he looks like Chris Eccleston. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070/29 "2013-06-05T09:32:48Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > My favorite option is to go with a smart, snarky, cerebral older Doctor who largely disdains technology and physical action in favor of thinking. Maybe more of a Nero Wolfe with his Archie to do the legwork. Think Stephen Fry or James Earl Jones, the ultimate Voice of Authority, thinking circles around everyone. Not someone who frenetically spouts out everything that comes into his head, but has to be drawn out and will only reluctantly explain things to the lesser minds about him. Eschews a sonic screwdriver as a toy that you use only as a last resort. Snarky, superior, but very occasionally extremely charming and avuncular. Does not get into romantic situations. Iā€™m afraid you canā€™t afford Peter Dinklage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-article-nails-matt-smith-and-steven-bloody-moffat/660070.md?page=1)