New Doctor Alert

[netgirl_y2k]

I was fully expecting to be disappointed when they inevitably cast a man as the next Doctor, because I expect the Thirteenth Doctor to become to Doctor Who what Catwoman became to superhero movies, i.e. 'we tried it with a woman once, *everyone hated it, and we plan to take entirely the wrong lessons from this.'

Approximately thirty seconds after they announced Ncuti Gatwa my opinions had hardened into a rock solid: WHAT A GOOD AND HANDSOME AND SCOTTISH CHOICE.

I'm still sceptical about the return of RTD, only because bringing back someone who had their finger on the pulse of making DW cool and relevant fifteen whole years ago reeks of desperation. And the fact that they, like, just announced this with no fanfare or real speculation says a lot about the mountain DW has to climb, but this casting is a good start, I feel.

*By 'everyone' I mean loud weirdos on the internet (and that one Tory MP, apparently), who are surely currently soiling themselves over this latest announcement too. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I wanted to love it. I had wanted a female Doctor since I was three. I cried when Jodi Whittaker was cast. And yet it was like the episodes fell out of my head like sand even as I was watching them. There was just...no there there.

Comments

[adafrog]

Hadn't heard that yet, but this guy is handsome. Hopefully the story lines won't be tortured and horrible like 11 and 12 (especially 12).

[netgirl_y2k]

I know, right. I have zero interest in men and even I was like: that is an extremely handsome man.

I think there's reasons to hope storyline wise, RTD's finales could be tortured, sure, but in general he had a lighter touch with the show.

[adafrog]

I definitely liked the lighter touch. That, and you didn't have to watch the entire series so closely to figure out what the hell was going on. I still have no idea why 12 died.

[lyr]

I am bracing myself for the inevitable flood of OH NOES, THIS IS STILL TOO WOKE! that I expect will accompany the next few years.

[netgirl_y2k]

I've already seen some of it from the usual "culture war" grifters, but hopefully the grift won't fly this time.

[fahrbotdrusilla]

I’m actually pleased the right people are angry about this, it’s been less than 24 hours and I’ve already developed a bit of a crush on Ncuti…

ETA: it’s funny I spelled “crush” wrong and not “Ncuti”

[netgirl_y2k]

We didn't lose anyone of value with the announcement of Jodi's casting (a lot of the people who drifted away really wanted to enjoy her run) and we won't lose anyone of value with Ncuti's.

It's really quite a good aresehole deterrent system.

[chestnut_pod]

I haven't watched DW in many years either, but am quite pleased with this choice :)

[netgirl_y2k]

I think it's the essential nature of ever having been a Doctor Who fan, even when you have't watched it for years you will still have very strong opinions about the direction the show should be taking.

[naoist]

You're not the only one I know that was disappointed with the writing for the 13th; I know some of my friends felt let down with Thasmin in particular, because they were so excited with what was building in promotion and on social media, but that turned out to be basically nothing in the show itself. If you compare what, say, 10th and Rose got with the vague, basic conversation between the 13th and Yasmin on the beach... I dunno, the difference is clear, and I feel like we're past the need to rely on that kinda subtext now.

Though I can't comment personally, since I fell off after 10th (not for any particular reason; I just got caught up in other things), I am glad that there're some things that indicate things getting better with the new Doctor.

(Also - I started following you after noticing we had a few fandoms in common. Hope that's alright!)

[netgirl_y2k]

They left it too late to introduce Yaz/Thirteen if they wanted to do anything interesting with it. I don't know, the charitable part of me likes to think that if covid and the subsequent filming restrictions hadn't happened and they'd had a full final series to play it out it might have been more satisfying, but the cynical part of me thinks it was just a last ditch attempt to get people talking about the show again.

(Of course, hi, welcome!)

[naoist]

I feel like it's a mix of both. COVID meant they couldn't wring as much of it out as they could, but they also didn't feel like they were ever actually going to go that far in the first place. Again, though, that's just the vibe I've gotten from my friends' commentaries.