Why Modern Doctor Who’s 'Wokeness' isn’t its Problem - It’s a Reliance on Nostalgia
- doctorbrick
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Doctor Who has always been about change, that is why we are still here, 62 years later. New Doctor's, new companions, new showrunners and writers - always reinventing itself.
It adapts, it evolves. It regenerates. People love it, people hate it, people are sometimes between the two.
There seems to be this growing feeling around the depths of social media and beyond that Doctor Who is struggling, and it is struggling because it is too woke. The show as been accused of being too inclusive - featuring diverse characters, LGBQT+ representation, stronger political themes, Davros no longer in a chair, etc.
I would argue that this is Doctor Who's super power and its greatest strength, and I believe its greatest weakness is its tendency to cling to the past now and again. I cannot think of a better example of this, than the most recent series. So does the modern version of Doctor Who have a wokeness problem, or does it have too much reliance on nostalgia?
I will ignore Space Babies, that really wasn't my cup of tea, but Doctor Who went in such a fun direction with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson leading the way. Being around 60 odd years can make you sometimes think this idea has been done before, but episodes like The Devil's Chord, Dot and Bubble and 73 Yards felt new, fresh, different. That is how I like my Doccy Who!
It has been said a million times before, Doctor Who has always been reflective of the world we live in, it comments on issues of the time - hello Nazi Daleks! This isn’t a weakness, this isn't a go woke, go broke situation, this is normal service from a show that has done this forever. There is no show quite like Doctor Who, there is no character like the Doctor, two hearts, kind, brilliant.
Where series 1 and the 60th specials fell down for me, was when we were hit over the head with nostalgia. UNIT is my biggest problem really. I have moaned about it already, so apologies for going over old ground. UNIT were of no use in the finale, the story wasn't moved on by them, and there appearance seemed to diminish the threat of Sutekh if anything. UNIT seems to be nothing more than a good tool to bring old companions back.
Here lies the main crux of the issue for me - can you name a returning companion that was better than their original run? I know, it is down to taste of course, but was Donna's ending in The Giggle an improvement on her tragic ending in Journey's End? Did we really get the best of Rose Tyler in her return in the same episode? Series 1 Rose wouldn't have been smiling and congratulating everyone threatening to blow up planets and spaceships, she would have been appalled.
Martha's fleeting return in The End of Time does not improve on her story! If anything, she was shoehorned in with Mickey just to give them something to do.
Now the obsession seems to be bung a few characters in UNIT. This just makes UNIT look more shit than they already are. Oh and we get it guys, Kate is the Brigadiers daughter, I think you have mentioned it enough now!
I am assuming Ruby will now be working for UNIT, and I pray she doesn't get the Martha treatment. I love the companions because they are human, and flawed, not because they are super-duper alien fighting, one dimensional, brought in for nostalgia soldiers for UNIT. No thank you!
Doctor Who is always at its best when it embraces the new. Just look at its return, a new Doctor, a new companion, lots of new monsters, and a modern tone loud and proud in front of all of that. More recently, Flux was, for me, brilliant, but The Power of the Doctor straight after fell down as we were constantly being told how amazing old companions are, and I'm sorry, but they just didn't really aid the story in any way, shape or form.
The show’s inclusive and modern take on storytelling is exactly what Doctor Who needs to survive and thrive in today’s world. What it doesn’t need is to keep relying on the comfort of past characters and organisations like UNIT to drive the story forward. Nostalgia can be a nice seasoning, but it shouldn’t be the whole meal. The Doctor’s universe is infinite, and there are countless new stories, characters, and adventures to explore. That’s where the future of Doctor Who lies - not in the rear view mirror, but in the stars ahead.
Let's face it though, if Martha or Nardole came back I would be a complete hypocrite, but I would be a hypocrite loving life. I take everything I said back. Ignore me. Complete shit as always.
What do you think? Do you love UNIT coming back? Do you enjoy Mel playing major roles in the last couple of years? Would you rather see new characters and villains? Let me know in the comments below.
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