I spent pretty much the entire day yesterday unpacking and getting our new apartment settled. We’re making progress, there are fewer boxes strewn about than there were, but our dining room is still completely packed with unpacked boxes. That being said, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to write about the 13th Doctor.
On Sunday morning Jodie Whittaker was revealed as the next Doctor. This is the first time in the series’ long history that the titular Time Lord will be played by a woman. Whittaker has appeared in numerous British television shows, most notably Broadchurch. Chris Chibnall, who will be taking over as showrunner for Doctor Who, created Broadchurch and had worked with Whittaker on that series. I’ve never seen Whittaker in anything, but I’m excited to see her take over the TARDIS.
As soon as the Master regenerated as Missy, the writing was on the wall that the Doctor was going to eventually regenerate as a woman. Predictably segments of the Internet responded poorly to Whittaker’s casting and, perhaps even more predictably, other segments of the Internet shamed the first segment. I’m happy to see a woman as the Doctor and don’t feel like it does anything to hurt the integrity of the character. We accept a show all about a time traveling alien, but we think that alien regenerating as a woman is outside the realm of possibility? C’mon.
Not only am I happy to have the Doctor be a woman, but I’m also happy for the role model that Whittaker will be. The Doctor has always been someone to whom I can relate; I’m not thousands of years old, but I am a man. Now women and young girls will be able to connect with the Doctor in a new way. As soon as Whittaker was announced as the Doctor, I saw some of my former female students reacting to the news on social media. They were so excited to see the Doctor portrayed as a woman because it meant that the Doctor would be like them.
I love Doctor Who because, as I wrote about last week, he (and now she) always does what is right, decent and kind. Regardless of his or her gender, the Doctor can inspire us to be the best that humanity has to offer. For followers of Jesus that means living the lives for which we were created, which definitely means doing what it right, decent and kind.
What do you think of the 13th Doctor?
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