So that's it!! It seems so long ago and yet it also feels like they were barely here!!
This series has really made a mark on me!! A good mark I would like to add.
This is the first time I have watched Doctor Who and made a few comments about it here and there on X. I have been a watcher of all things Who on social media for quite some time but I have never really piped up. It is vile out there, and it has made me so keen on this series as I see the joy that Ncuti and Millie bring to the their characters. I see how much love for the show RTD has, and his passion to put things out there for marginalised groups. All of it has really inspired me. I don't think I would be checking bios and Google to find peoples correct pronouns before May - but now I do. I don't always understand everything, but then life wouldn't be that fun if we understood everything would it? Doctor Who always has a way of making me think though, every era, every Doctor, every showrunner.
It is official, I have adored this series. It has been a funny one though with a couple of issues. Lets start with one a lot of people have brought up - episode count and length. It really didn't feel like enough did it? Ten hour long episodes would of surely been better? Obviously I am not in TV and have no clue about budgets and deals with Disney and the like, but ten hour long episodes seems perfect to me. I guess it will become clearer after Ncuti's second series as hopefully he won't go missing for two episodes in that. Having both 73 Yards and Dot and Bubble really felt like we barely got to know him. Perhaps things will be different next time round with him in it more.
When Ncuti was there though he shone, he is such a great Doctor. I am already dreading his regeneration which I guess is a good sign! Wouldn't it be ironic though, if when his time comes he does so with a smile and no tears? Tears, that has been his thing, I know it has made a lot of people cry themselves but again it is something I have liked. I don't think you could ever say his tears weren't justified either? Losing a love, the end of the Universe (partly because of him I might add), his friend potentially being killed and not being able to do anything about it, you get the picture.
He is the Doctor, and the people who whine and moan about him are defiantly missing out on something amazing. A lot of the criticism he gets seems to come from people who haven't even watched the show. I remember seeing a clip from GB News and fuck me, at least watch the show before slating it. Saying all it is is gender politics is utter shite. Casting an actor who is trans, bi, gay, lesbian, etc, etc is not gender politics for fucks sake. One of the stand out actors from this series was Jinkx Monsoon, did it matter that they are a drag queen? All I cared about was that they were a bonkers, eccentric, sometimes scary, Doctor Who monster!!
A lot was made of Ncuti's comments about touching grass, the usual suspects crawling out from the woodwork saying they aren't watching and are touching grass, yet still commenting on every episode they apparently didn't watch. Something really should be done about vermin like this. Pricks calling RTD or Ncuti groomers - so you are telling me RTD poured his heart and soul into this show just to groom children, and that he partnered up with Disney just to get some extra groomers on board? Fucking behave!! Next they'll be telling me we were actually having chips installed into us instead of a COVID vaccine, or that Boris and Donald are both the answers to all our problems? Ah, whoops, that's a bit awkward!!
Where was I anyway?! Series 1, or 14, or 40, whatever floats your boat being a bit short on episode counts. Ruby might of been a bit more fleshed out, as the series progressed I thought there might be some big reveal about time bending around her and that was why she had had so many adventures that we hadn't seen, but nope. Do not get me wrong, Millie Gibson was a bloody marvel. I really hope she still has a big part to play in the next series. It is hard to imagine that she was only 18 at the time of this being filmed, she is going to be a big old star I think!!
I feel like in RTD of old more emphasis was placed on Rose, Martha and Donna's family. In this series it feels like the Doctor only speaks to the family to move the plot along in a flashback or two. We never got to see anything develop, one second they had no idea, the next they were pretty cool with the whole family member nipping off for adventures in time and space.
The stories were so varied, and we got some bangers. It started slowly, The Church on Ruby Road was steady, but it was no The Christmas Invasion, and Space Babies was a standard RTD opener, but it was no The Eleventh Hour. However, after that, wow!! The Devil's Chord was crackers, so different, so fun, so colourful, Boom was a complete change of pace, it looked amazing, gave Ncuti some great stuff to work with and boy did he work with it. 73 Yards was one of the best episodes RTD has ever written in my humble opinion. Dot and Bubble was clever, and thought provoking. Rogue didn't really float my boat, but again, Ncuti got some great scenes with Jonathan Groff. It's been a while since the Doc's had a snog!! I felt all nostalgic watching the cliffhanger to The Legend of Ruby Sunday and I am a fan of Empire of Death, sue me!!!!!!
Every week just served up something completely different and this is where Doctor Who always outdoes any other show. Camp God's of music or Welsh folk horror, a queer love story in Regency England or some talking babies - in space - with a monster made of bogeys. Come on, Doctor Who fucking rocks!!!!!
Now comes a hot potato - the series arc? I was gripped by it, although was it me or did it take a bit of a back seat near the end of the series. Dot and Bubble and Rogue didn't really touch on anything about Ruby as far as I can remember. The scene with Ruby tied in musical notes by Maestro, the Christmas song playing as it snowed, as Maestro and the Doctor looked on wondering what the hell was going on will be a scene that will long live in my mind, the scene in Space Babies was great as well some to think of it. Did we get a neatly tied up arc for Ruby and her Mum? Nearly in my opinion, one thing let it down, and that was the point for naming her. Could this have been done more subtly? Perhaps. I was also slightly peeved the Mum was welcomed with open arms as well, surely someone in the Sunday household would be just a teeny tiny bit pissed with her? I liked the idea that she was just a normal person though, I was not expecting that one bit. I think full time fans might of been a bit disappointed by this as we all want a returning character or two, but if you were a casual viewer or just started to get into Doctor Who this would of been amazing.
I would also like to note that I character coming back isn't always a good thing. It can often be a bit corny. There have defiantly been some hit or miss returns in the past, and you don't even have to look that far back to see what I mean.
Do not get me wrong by the way, I was as emotional as the rest of you watching that coffee shop scene.
I really hope that this is just the start for the show with Disney and that they have some faith with the product. I would love for overseas viewers to get more of a back catalogue of Who all in one place, I would love for us to get some spin offs. I hope the negative ninnies don't get in the way of this wonderful show. The Disney money showed!! Sand falling across London, wow!! The TARDIS whizzing in to places, oh yeah! The scene where Sutekh was spinning around the TARDIS toying with it was stunning. The monsters looked amazing, everything looked great to be honest!!
Regarding the monsters this series, they were all great, and different, however, bar some crazy shit going down in The Legend of Ruby Sunday and a couple of moments with Maestro I don't think we had any major scares. I like my frights frequent and stakes high, and I felt that was lacking a bit this series.
I need to see Ncuti face off against the Daleks as well. I need to see him calling one of them honey and my life could well be complete.
I am also a believer that Disney did not have much of a say in how things went, other than saying here is some dosh, make it look good and why not have Jonathan Groff for good measure.
Maybe the gap between Flux and this has starved me, but I honestly think this is one of the best series we have had in the modern era. A modern Doctor that can even drag middle aged white men like myself along with them. I really do think we are on to a winner here, I have VERY high hopes for 2025.
Russell working with a few more writers will inject the show with new ideas again, it's only just beginning!!
My hopes for 2025 would be another varied series much the same as this one, with some more scary monsters, a face off against the Daleks, and a more fleshed out companion. I would also love to see more of the amazing Millie Gibson (which I believe will be happening?) and a Maestro return wouldn't go amiss as well. Roll on Christmas!!
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