There’s something people are forgetting about Doctor Who
The time of tip-toeing around representation is over
David Tennant is back. Catherine Tate is back. Doctor Who is back!
And it’s made some people very, very mad…
Doctor Who has just celebrated 60 years on our screens with the first of three anniversary specials airing on Saturday 25th November. The Star Beast – written by returning showrunner Russel T Davies – brought back some classic faces in a modern Whoinverse. Not only did we finally get some long-awaited closure on the DoctorDonna storyline, but we were also given a glimpse into what we can expect from this new era of Who.
Unfortunately, it seems what we can expect is much of the same bigotry Doctor Who has been receiving for years.
The Regeneration of Generations
60 years ago, the foundations of Doctor Who were built. These foundations were an alien protagonist with two hearts, a time machine that is bigger on the inside and a variety of extraterrestrial baddies for our protagonist to defeat. So, in some ways, you could say that Doctor Who is exactly the same today as it was six decades ago.
Of course, since the first-ever episode, the show has grown alongside the world it has entertained. New storylines were forged, representation was updated and some adult fans have been making their dislike of these updates very obvious. Don’t get me wrong, the Doctor Who fandom is one of the most inclusive out there but the passion that drives many of its welcoming fans also fuels some horrendous hatred.
It’s impossible to make everyone happy but disliking some episodes isn’t the issue here. Maybe a companion wasn’t your cup of tea, you’re entitled to prefer one Doctor’s era over another, and I’ll even accept that there are fans out there who liked the Timeless Child storyline…
But, the Doctor becoming a woman, the inclusion of more queer and POC characters or the introduction of more inclusive language shouldn’t be a reason you suddenly turn against a show you claim to love.
The Star Beast Review
Overall, I enjoyed The Star Beast. Was it everything I hoped it would be? Not exactly, but it was also some things I didn’t expect it to be and I loved that! I’ve tried to summarise my feelings about the episode in the paragraphs below.
The first thing I need to make clear is that I absolutely loved how silly the episode was. Russel T Davies has described The Star Beast as the more family-friendly of the three anniversary specials, and you can totally tell. Based on an original Doctor Who comic strip of the same name from 1979, the ET meets Gremlins storyline was a simple but effective background to The Doctor and Donna’s reunion. It wasn’t overly complicated so we could focus on the return of our partners in crime – and get to know some new ones – but it still drove a compelling narrative to the conclusion of another that was started 15 years ago.
The Metacrisis Conclusion
The Metacrisis storyline in season 4 of Doctor Who is one of the most heartbreaking in history. After Donna absorbed the power of the Timelords, The Doctor wiped her memory to save her life. And (just in case you didn’t catch it during the episode) if Donna remembers The Doctor, she will die. This danger makes for some pretty high stakes, or so you would think.
The solution to this decade and a half of heartbreak was surprisingly disappointing even if it was still heartwarming. Rose (Yasmin Finney) inheriting part of the metacrisis makes total sense but it also really summarises a major criticism I had with the entire episode: pacing.
Russel T Davies is an incredible writer. That has been proven time and time again throughout the years. But, is he a perfect writer? No, none of us are! So, I might not have liked the conclusion we got but I appreciate that the solution couldn’t be dragged out for the entirety of the anniversary specials. Otherwise, we would be robbed of The Doctor and Donna being fully and truly reunited as the pair we’ve so dearly missed.
Inclusivity & Representation
Since Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005, it has strived to be inclusive. Of course, that is mostly thanks to Russel T Davies getting the ball rolling for the seasons to follow. That’s why any true Who fans shouldn’t be surprised that The Star Beast included the first explicitly trans character in Doctor Who.
Yasmin Finney’s character, Rose, isn’t surprising or pandering as some on the internet seem to believe. Nor is the conversation that happened in Donna’s living room about pronouns. Personally, I do agree with those who felt it was kind of clunky but I don’t think it was out of place at all. In fact, after watching and reading reviews from trans people, the awkwardness of the moment actually reflected real life depressingly well.
The way Rose’s trans experience was woven into the Metacrisis conclusion wasn’t something that bothered me at all. Of course, some very valid points have been made by trans creators on this inclusion so I would encourage you to seek them out for a more balanced perspective. But, as previously mentioned, it was just a shame that the storyline was resolved so quickly by Rose and Donna “letting it go.”
Special Effects
While I’m not sure how I feel about the launch of the Whoinverse yet, I do fully appreciate the budget that has come with the Disneyification of Doctor Who. Sure, it led to some slightly Marvel-esque action scenes but this is the 60th anniversary, people! There’s no better time to go big or go home. Saying that, there was one upgrade I’m not completely sold on: the Doctor’s new sonic screwdriver.
I have always loved the sonic screwdriver (I still have the 9th/10th Doctor’s version from when I was a kid), but the thing I loved about it was how overpowered it wasn’t. Now, it’s a pocket-sized computer, a force field creator and can finally resonate concrete. I suppose the only question I really have is…does it finally have a setting for wood?
So, there are some legitimate criticisms to be had about The Star Beast. Was it the best episode of Doctor Who yet? Absolutely not. Could it have benefitted from a tad more nuanced and better-paced writing? Most definitely. Did I still enjoy every nostalgic, silly moment of it? Without a doubt.
Something we all need to remember…
After saying all of this, what is it that people have forgotten about Doctor Who? What vital part of information have people been overlooking for far too long in their criticisms? The big reveal is…
Doctor Who is supposed to be a show children can also enjoy. Yes, sometimes it pushes the barriers with scary moments or slightly more mature themes, but at its core, Doctor Who is a show for children that many continue to enjoy into their adulthood. That means it has always strived to have inclusive elements that both entertain AND educate.
That’s the beauty of it, that’s why it’s stood the test of time these last 60 years. And, I believe, it’s the reason many people are confusing forced representation with simplicity. As I said, there is definitely an argument to be had that some of the inclusive conversations in The Star Beast felt “clunky” but, overall, it’s for the purpose of teaching people (children and adults) that asking someone what their pronouns are is normal and easy to do. Then, hopefully, one day, these conversations in the media and IRL won’t feel so “forced” or “awkward.”
Don’t like it? Think Doctor Who isn’t a show for you anymore? That’s fine. This is your stop to get off the TARDIS. The time of tip-toeing around representation is over and if we have to have a few clunky conversations to get here then that’s a price I, and many members of the fandom, are willing to pay.
Originally published on WordPress on December 1st 2023
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