I finally got caught up on Doctor Who late last week, just in time for the 50th Anniversary Special. “The Day of the Doctor” was great and, even though I’m not the world’s biggest Whovian, I still geeked out quite a bit.
I’m still collecting my thoughts about the special and some of its deeper themes. At this point, though, I’ve just got some sporadic thoughts and questions. These definitely aren’t spoiler-free so continue at your own risk.
- How did the Doctor and Clara get off Trenzalore? Apparently the Doctor just carried Clara away and Clara became a schoolteacher. I was very confused.
- I like that Rose Tyler showed up, even if she was just the consciousness of a genocidal weapon.
- I really like Tennant’s Doctor and Rose because their relationship seemed the most authentic and the most human. Their relationship was special and I don’t know if the Doctor will ever have a relationship like that again.
- Speaking of Tennant, I was reminded why I loved him as the Doctor. He was hilarious and intense at the same time.
- I also liked when John Hurt’s Doctor questioned Matt Smith’s Doctor’s ability to speak without moving his hands. Matt Smith brought a youthful, kinetic energy to the role that I may or may not be sad to see go.
- I enjoyed that the special focused on Gallifrey and the Doctor Who mythology. I know the Time Lords played a bigger role in some of the earlier Doctor Who stories but they really haven’t been around lately…mostly because they were all dead.
- I appreciated the changes from the War Doctor, to the Tenth Doctor and to the Eleventh Doctor. They showed how the weight of a decision could impact somebody over years and centuries.
- I know that Christopher Eccleston has some problems with Doctor Who’s producers, but it would have been awesome to see John Hurt regenerate into Eccleston.
- Tennant’s final line, “I don’t want to go,” reminded me how heart wrenching it was to hear him utter that same line in “The End of Time.”
- The cameo by Tom Baker as the museum curator was the best. I remember watching Tom Baker as the Doctor on PBS in the 80s. I didn’t really know what was going on but the Fourth Doctor will always be my first Doctor.
- The cameo of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor was exciting and thankfully we only have a month left until his full appearance. I’ll be sad to see Matt Smith go but I’m ready for someone new. I didn’t feel the same way about Tennant.
Those are just some initial thoughts about “The Day of the Doctor.” There are definitely some deeper themes that I’ll address soon. Whether at the surface or on a deeper level, though, I loved the 50th Anniversary Special. It makes me wish I had boarded the TARDIS a lot sooner.
What thoughts or questions did you have about “The Day of the Doctor?”
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