The interesting thing about The Woman Who Fell to Earth as a first episode, as compared to Rose or The Christmas Invasion or The Eleventh Hour, is that it’s not a story about the end of the world. It’s a story about saving one person, about stopping the use of Earth as a hunting ground. The practice isn’t any less “completely obscene” simply because it only targets a small minority, and stopping that is a worthy enough cause to be the introduction of a new Doctor.
What struck me about Thirteen’s big “I am the Doctor” moment, even as I was watching it, was that her companions weren’t there. She wasn’t showing off for anyone, she was simply telling the truth to someone she needed to stop. It wasn’t anywhere near as theatrical as Ten or Eleven’s declarations. Instead, it was simple and honest and said for a purpose.
Am I rewatching the new Doctor Who ep for the third time today? PERHAPS.
But one of the things that stands out to me so much about this episode is that it washes away a lot of the things that made me frustrated about the Moffat era.
- The plot MAKES SENSE. I feel like I could use this ep to introduce anyone to Doctor Who and it would make sense. It’s not concerned with being THE MOST “CLEVER” THING ON TV. It’s not concerned with twists and turns and surprises that aren’t earned just to prove how clever the writers are.
- It’s fun. It’s legitimately fun.
- The new companions? There doesn’t seem to be a big mystery about them (*cough*Clara*cough*River*cough*) They seem like normal people who were just in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time. GIVE ME MORE OF ANYONE CAN BE HEROIC INSTEAD OF ONLY THE *SPECIAL* TRAVEL WITH THE DOCTOR. Let me see myself in them cause I’m not special, but I bet I could be if I got to travel with her.
- Showing that the Doctor is brilliant and clever and quick instead of just telling and telling and telling me.
- All the companions get to use their knowledge to help the Doctor. And it’s not magic knowledge, it’s things like bus drivers and police work and social media.
- The Doctor never pulls a ‘no I have to go alone’ bullshit – everyone’s like ‘how do we help?’ and she’s all ‘C’MON FAM WE’RE GOING TO FIX THIS TOGETHER’.
I just really like this season already, okay?
i really resonate with your comment about the companions being normal, everyday people put into extraordinary situations that challenge them and test them as opposed to mystery boxes or Incredibly Special People
there was this interaction that twelve had with bill that really rubbed me up the wrong way which was this:
DOCTOR: Humanity’s doomed to never learn from its mistakes.
BILL: Well, I guess that’s part of our charm.
DOCTOR: No, it’s really quite annoying. […]
BILL: Why do you put up with us, then?
DOCTOR: In amongst seven billion, there’s someone like you. That’s why I put up with the rest of them.sure, some people are assholes, but even then, one in 7 billion? it just seems so antithetical to dw’s core message. everyone’s got something to offer, or some capacity for change. i’m glad The Chibs ™ is going back to basics in terms of how rtd would really focus in on how each person had something of value about them and sense of complexity, even if they were the smallest background character
one: intentionally kidnaps 2/3 of his first companions
thirteen: accidentally kidnaps 3/3 of her first companions
one: intentionally kidnaps 2/3 of his first companions
thirteen: accidentally kidnaps 3/3 of her first companions
the downside of having an alien friend