#947 – Doctor Who-esday: Kill the Moon

All of our choices have consequences. That reality formed the foundation for “Kill the Moon,” the most recent episode of Doctor Who.

During the course of the episode the most important choice seemed to rest in the hands of a teacher, a student and an astronaut. That choice had far-reaching consequences: the destruction of a unique life or a catastrophic loss of human life. In the end, though, the biggest choice was in the hands of the Doctor and he chose to abandon Clara. The consequences of which appear to be a parting of the ways.

I thought “Kill the Moon” was another strong episode of an already strong season. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects of an embryo inside the moon but I was most moved by the fissure between the Doctor and his companion.

Here are some other thoughts I had while watching “Kill the Moon.”

Unique

Like Clara, I may have had a few choice words for the Doctor. I wouldn’t stand for him, or anyone, telling a teenager that he or she isn’t special. After working with teenagers for 15 years, I know that all they want to do is belong and feel loved. Sometimes that pushes them to make bad decisions, but sometimes they find love and acceptance in safe, caring environments. Every teenager, every person, is unique and has intrinsic value. If American Idol has taught us anything, it has taught us that we shouldn’t lie to teenagers and tell them that they’re great at something when they’re not. We should, though, point out all of the aspects of their characters that do make them special and unique. We also need to remind them that they have value simply because they’re created in the image of God. And it probably wouldn’t hurt reminding ourselves once in a while.

Nice

Everything doesn’t have to be nice. Some things are just bad.

When faced with a decision to kill the embryo of an incredibly unique creature or potentially destroying earth, things are probably pretty bad. For most situations in our lives, though, there’s always some amount of nice or good, even among the bad. I find it fitting that Captain Lundvik was reprimanding Courtney, telling her that life is sometimes just bad. Children often have an innocence about them; they can see the silver linings that most jaded adults miss. But because of the resurrection there is always a silver lining. The worst day in the history of the universe turned into its greatest day. Death turned into life, dark transformed into light and sin was traded for forgiveness. So, no matter how bad things are, there is always something nice and good because of what Christ did on the cross.

Aloof

I love the Doctor’s attitude this season. Everyone loved Matt Smith’s Doctor because he is someone they’d want to hang out with. While I thought Matt Smith was great, I’ve found Capaldi’s Doctor much more to my liking. I like his callousness and coldness; perhaps I see more of myself in him. There are consequences to his aloofness, though, and now he may have lost his Impossible Girl. Like the Doctor I tend to be aloof. It’s not that I don’t like people; I’m just extremely shy. I can speak in front of hundreds of people without a problem, but I often freeze up in one-on-one situations. In spite of our natural tendencies, we still need to strive to engage with those around us. Jesus left heaven and came to earth in order to engage with us. Whether we’re aloof like Twelve or cuddly like Eleven, we still need to engage with friends, family and strangers. Because if we don’t, we might eventually lose them.

This series of Doctor Who has been great and I’m loathing the fact that there are only five episodes left. I can’t wait to see what happens with Clara and how the Doctor deals with the consequences of his actions.

What did you think of “Kill the Moon?”