# What non-scifi/fantasy characters would have the best (or worst) reaction to meeting the Doctor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910 "2015-02-05T18:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/1 "2015-02-05T18:32:48Z")
[Suggested by this Doctor Who/Sherlock video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3bGYljQ5Uw) A couple of things before we start: 1. To avoid giving the cast of _Big Bang Theory_ an unfair advantage, let’s assume that any characters we name are their equivalents in the _Doctor Who_ universe. In other words, we’ll be talking about characters who haven’t been watching the Doctor’s adventures on TV (or reading DW comic books or novels, or playing video games, etc) for years. If they know the Doctor at all, it’s as a rumor discussed on internet message boards and no more. 2. No science fiction or fantasy characters, and that includes comic books. Why no? Eat your spinach, that’s why not. More seriously, it’s because Superman and the Justice League aren’t going to blink at the idea of a time traveling alien; neither will Lazarus Long. 3. There should probably be a fourth stipulation but I can’t think of one. Oh, all right, nobody from porn. No real reason for that one. Anyway, let’s recap. Within the above stipulations, what fictional characters would have the most positive reaction to sharing an adventure with the last Time Lord, entering the TARDIS, maybe being invited to be a companion? Who would react most negatively? ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/2 "2015-02-05T18:36:52Z")
Nitpick, that’s the BBC/PBS Cumberbatch Sherlock not the CBS Elementary Miller Sherlock. You got me all excited. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/3 "2015-02-05T18:36:53Z")
I would expect any character from a non-scifi universe to react to such a thing much the same way a person from our universe would: with disbelief and, perhaps, doubts of the Doctor’s and/or hir own sanity. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/4 "2015-02-05T18:46:27Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > Nitpick, that’s the BBC/PBS Cumberbatch Sherlock not the CBS Elementary Miller Sherlock. You got me all excited. Already corrected the mistaken “Elementary” reference. Sorry for – No, scratch that, that’s not a Rhymerian answer. Let me put on the crazy hat. :: dons Crazy!Skald hat :: Fool of a Took! The OP clearly says “Sherlock,” not “Elementary,” and always has! Your inability to tell one from the other demonstrates your essential Welshness. Apologize immediately or be slapped with this fish! > [@Scumpup](#): > > I would expect any character from a non-scifi universe to react to such a thing much the same way a person from our universe would: with disbelief and, perhaps, doubts of the Doctor’s and/or hir own sanity. Come on and play man! Despite the stipulations in the OP, I think the Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, and Bernadette from BBT would be briefly gobsmacked but ultimately able to handle it; the first three would still know a lot of SF and fantasy even if there were no DW fiction in their universe, and both girls mentioned are intellectually flexible enough to handle it. Sheldon would have more trouble, not because the concepts would be too alien (he’d still know Star Trek, after all) but because he’s fairly fragile emotionally; there’d be too many things in his past he’d want to change. (Didn’t his father die when Sheldon was fairly young?) The other blonde girl, Leonard’s girlfriend, would have the most trouble; seeing the inside of the TARDIS would leave her shaking. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/5 "2015-02-05T18:57:43Z")
I thought they’ve been showing us for years what happens when non-SF/F people meet the Doctor? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/6 "2015-02-05T21:29:03Z")
Elsa Mars (Jessica Lang’s character from AHS: Freak Show) would want to steal the Tardis and make it part of her Freak Show and charge admission. “Behold the ship from space that is bigger inside!” She would also try to force the Doctor to go back in time and kick whoever it was who gained fame before her out of the way so she can grab the spotlight and become a superstar. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/7 "2015-02-05T21:34:03Z")
I think Scout would be intrigued and civil. I think Queequeg would feel he were suffering a heat stroke. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/8 "2015-02-05T21:36:05Z")
I prefer to fight the hypothetical and imagine Mordin Solus’ first meeting with the Doctor. “Hmm. Bipedal. Mammalian. Interesting. Human? No. Humans only have one heart. Too tall for a batarian. Not enough eyes either. Self-regenerating DNA? Suggests Cerberus work, but no signs of genetic therapy. Low-level telepathy indicates early exposure to element zero, but no signs of eezo contamination in blood… Time vortices, perhaps? Only vortex-bearing planet in habitable zone for warm-blooded mammals is… Gallifrey? Time Lord? Time Lord! Fascinating. Love your work with asexual reproduction. Very influential in genophage research. Traditional clothing a bit gaudy. Prefer form over fashion.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/9 "2015-02-05T21:55:51Z")
Inspector Spacetime would be affronted. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/10 "2015-02-05T21:58:06Z")
I’d love to see how Howard Beale from Network reacts to a conversation with The Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/11 "2015-02-05T22:12:24Z")
I saw a very cool musical a few months ago called “[Sherlock Who](http://gsopera.com/production/sherlock-who-lamplighters-music-theatre-2014),” where Holmes (classic version and modern Cumberbatch version) met and had adventures with the Doctor (Tenth and Fourth regenerations), all set to the the tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan. It was very funny, and I thought they made a good case for Holmes getting on quite nicely with the Doctor. As for other characters…I think Gil Grissom from CSI might find traveling with the Doctor fascinating. Dougal McGuire from Father Ted might be fun. Stretching the “no science fiction” a bit, any of the three leads from Jurassic Park (Malcolm, Grant, or Sattler). ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/12 "2015-02-05T22:15:23Z")
Sgt. Joe Friday would definitely have trouble getting “just the facts” from the Doctor. He might even try to run him in for vagrancy. “Oh, you live in a police call box? Come along.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/13 "2015-02-05T22:27:51Z")
Stewie Griffin would be unimpressed. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/14 "2015-02-06T00:19:41Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Despite the stipulations in the OP, I think the Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, and Bernadette from BBT would be briefly gobsmacked but ultimately able to handle it; the first three would still know a lot of SF and fantasy even if there were no DW fiction in their universe, and both girls mentioned are intellectually flexible enough to handle it. Sheldon would have more trouble, not because the concepts would be too alien (he’d still know Star Trek, after all) but because he’s fairly fragile emotionally; there’d be too many things in his past he’d want to change. (Didn’t his father die when Sheldon was fairly young?) The other blonde girl, Leonard’s girlfriend, would have the most trouble; seeing the inside of the TARDIS would leave her shaking. I actually think Penny would be just fine with it (that’s Leonard’s girlfriend’s name – Penny). She’s clearly quite happy not understanding things. She may even need to have it pointed out to her that it’s not usual for things to be bigger on the inside than the outside. Sheldon would probably end up paralysed by his inability to work out how any of it worked, have a hissy fit, and then go off and sulk. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/15 "2015-02-06T00:27:22Z")
A real person of the past but a common character, I think Tesla would handle it well and possible suggest a few improvements. I think Major Frank Burns would do the worst, he would be confused and probably frightened. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/16 "2015-02-06T00:43:17Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I would expect any character from a non-scifi universe to react to such a thing much the same way a person from our universe would: with disbelief and, perhaps, doubts of the Doctor’s and/or hir own sanity. Let us assume the character has seen the TARDIS materialize. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/17 "2015-02-06T00:47:41Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > I actually think Penny would be just fine with it (that’s Leonard’s girlfriend’s name – Penny). She’s clearly quite happy not understanding things. She may even need to have it pointed out to her that it’s not usual for things to be bigger on the inside than the outside. > > Sheldon would probably end up paralysed by his inability to work out how any of it worked, have a hissy fit, and then go off and sulk. Penny’s not an idiot; she’s just not of a technical bent. She’d realize without help that the inside-bigger thing was effed up. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/18 "2015-02-06T00:49:07Z")
Phoebe Cates would pack a bag and be inside the TARDIS before the Doctor finished speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/19 "2015-02-06T00:50:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Let us assume the character has seen the TARDIS materialize. I think that’s a good suggestion. Some characters will simply refuse to credit their eyes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910/20 "2015-02-06T00:50:53Z")
Harry Potter and Co. would probably first think he was some sort of ultra-powerful wizard, before learning that there’s a _whole universe_ up there that their world has, for some reason, entirely ignored. The Doctor would have fun poking at various plot holes in their lives, while they’d magick the TARDIS up and make him insane. Pretty much no one on the Discworld would be phased at all, given the things everyone there takes for granted on a daily basis. “Oh, travel through space in a blue box, do you? Well, the creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions are due to attack tomorrow, and I’ve got to have a little chat with a couple gods in a half hour. Come back next week, alright?” Ponder might find the mechanics of time travel interesting, though (bless his logical little soul). Maybe the TARDIS and Hex could be friends! ETA: I just saw the “no fantasy or sci fi” stipulation. Maybe I should work on my reading comprehension. :smack: For some reason Holden Caulfield comes to mind - he’d probably like the Doctor, actually. I can see him making a good alien-fighting assistant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-scifi-fantasy-characters-would-have-the-best-or-worst-reaction-to-meeting-the-doctor/711910.md?page=2)