In which I discuss Doctor Who.

Disclaimer: I'm currently near the end of series four. I'm trying my best to avoid real spoilers for anything past that, so please keep that in mind if you comment. :) Also, I haven't seen any of the classic episodes yet, though I want to eventually see a few from all of the previous doctors.

This is the story of how I met the Doctor. :)

Over the last couple of years, I had occasionally seen references to Doctor Who online. Finally I decided to check it out on Netflix, which was a completely overwhelming experience. Basically all I got was that it was a British television show about space and time travel...and there was this neat-looking blue box. Mostly I was confused because there were new shows and old ones from the 60s and specials that you have to watch in between certain seasons and it was all just a bit crazy. {We have the DVDs, not streaming, so I don't know if the streaming is better organized on Netflix.}

So over the next few months I had the idea in the back of my mind that I should check out at least a couple of episodes. I kept coming across more people writing about Doctor Who, and even a DW blog party, so finally I gave in. I remember I googled something like "where to start watching Doctor Who," and after doing a bit of research, decided to just begin with the new revamp that started back in 2005.

And I am hooked. Completely hooked.

I have never been a sci-fi, spaceish person. I think that the stars are beautiful, I've played the Star Wars Lego computer game with my younger cousin, and I really enjoyed Beth Revis' Across the Universe trilogy. But that's it. I've never seen anything like Star Wars or Star Trek, and I've never had any desire to.

But now I watch Doctor Who. The Doctor travels through time and space in a blue box. He saves our world and the universe again and again from aliens. There are always aliens. Every problem in the course of history was apparently caused by aliens. It's science fiction in a huge way, and I love it. And I did not expect to. :)

The show in general is all over the place. It can be quirky and hilarious and fun and campy. There can be villains that are laughable because they're so weird and cheesy. But then, in another episode or even just moments later, things can get really serious. Everything and everyone can be in danger. There are moments that are so sad or profound that I'm grabbing tissues, or villains that are so creepy that I think it was probably a bad idea to watch Doctor Who after dark. To me, it's always an amazing thing when a show or book or movie can do all of this, and do it well. It's not jarring when things shift. It's just sort of seamless.

I'm not going to lie...most of my favorite episodes so far have been the ones that take place in the past, not the future. Because if I had access to a time machine, I would obviously want to go back in time. So far the Doctor and his companions have met Queen Victoria (I didn't even mind the werewolf aspect) and Shakespeare and Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie (1920s England and a murder mystery at the house where Agatha Christie was staying?? *swoon* The awesomeness of this episode was only marred by...the giant wasp. Seriously? That's the best they could do?). They've visited Pompeii and WWII era England. I love that kind of stuff.

But I think my absolute favorite episode so far was Blink. I had heard a lot about it and was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. But it did. The weeping angels were creepier that I would have ever thought possible. :) The whole episode was incredible. {I even convinced my parents to watch it, though I don't think they'll be becoming DW fans anytime soon.}

 

Another thing I love about Doctor Who is that since it's by the BBC, all sorts of familiar faces show up as supporting cast. I was keeping a mental list at one point: Barty Crouch and Barty Crouch, Jr. from Harry Potter, Kitty Bennet of P&P/Ada from Bleak House, Tattycoram from Little Dorrit, Fanny from Mansfield Park, Mrs. Crawley from Downton Abbey, John Chivery from Little Dorrit (poor guy always seems to spend most of his onscreen time crying), etc. I'm always curious which period drama actor or actress is going to turn up next. :)

Okay, now I have to talk about the actual doctors. You should know that changing actors in a show or movie series is one of my pet peeves. {Love Comes Softly series, I'm looking at you. Sometimes you needlessly killed off characters to bring in new faces, which was bad enough, but sometimes you didn't even bother doing that.} But if you have to, DW has found a pretty clever way to get around it. Because the Doctor doesn't die...he regenerates. How convenient! :)

I thought the Ninth Doctor was awesome. He was funny and kind of tough, and I couldn't imagine anyone other than him and Rose. When I was almost finished with the first series, I had a real prejudice against David Tennant, who I knew was about to become the new doctor. But wait- before you leave me threatening comments for saying anything against the Tenth Doctor, let me explain.

First of all, he wasn't the Ninth Doctor. I don't like change, people. :) Second of all, he's Barty Crouch, Jr. in the fourth Harry Potter film...a bad guy who I had this permanent image of in my mind. Thirdly, he spent most of his first full episode weak and sleeping. I was stressed out because this is the Doctor! He's supposed to be helping people, saving the world, etc. And he was completely worthless at that time.

But I was wrong. Because when he finally woke up, he had a sword fight with the bad guy while still wearing pajamas.

And now I'm all: how was anyone other than David Tennant ever the Doctor? Because he's the best. I totally have a crush on him and I don't even have to explain it...if you're a girl and you've watched Doctor Who, you know why. :)

He's a bit wacky and enthusiastic. He's handsome and smart and funny. He always wears a suit, which reminds me of how men dressed in classic films. He once spoke using lyrics from a song from The Lion King. He said that he cried while reading the last Harry Potter book. :) He can say things like, "I'm the Doctor, I'm very clever," and you don't think he's arrogant. He's not bragging, he's just stating a fact.

 

And now that I know that the end of the Tenth Doctor is approaching, I'm already feeling devastated. I'm dreading those last few episodes and specials because that means the end of David Tennant as the doctor. But I'm excited, too, about a new doctor and new companions.

Speaking of companions, Rose was my favorite for a while, but now I actually really like Donna Noble, too. I didn't like her in the one earlier episode she was in, because she was sort of brash. But in season four, she's really grown on me. I like that she actually sought the Doctor out after that first time, and I like that she's not as super-skinny and conventionally pretty as Rose or Martha. :)

P.S. Have you ever browsed Etsy for Doctor Who stuff? Absolutely amazing. The nerdy level of some fans blows me away. Also, I need these salt and pepper shakers. And this TARDIS night light. It "discourages nocturnal Dalek attacks." Oh. My. Goodness.

So...please be all Doctor Who fangirly with me in the comments! Who's your favorite Doctor? Who's your favorite companion? What episodes do you love and which ones are you not so crazy about? Which bad guy do you think is the creepiest?

Until next time,