Tom Baker's Doctor was a combination of the previous three, the first Doctor's anger and curiousity, the second Doctor's whimisy and the Doctor's style only alittle more causual. Any actor who plays the Doctor will bring in traits of previous Doctors as well as making the role his own.
Do you think Matt Smith can portray the Doctor's dark side?
- Thread starter Joe Washington
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Tom Baker's Doctor was a combination of the previous three, the first Doctor's anger and curiousity, the second Doctor's whimisy and the Doctor's style only alittle more causual. Any actor who plays the Doctor will bring in traits of previous Doctors as well as making the role his own.
And yet this is a message board, built specifically to discuss, postulate, and elaborate on Doctor Who. So, measuring the necessity of a conversation on the same board where people are debating the characters bow-tie is pretty pointless, wouldn't you say?
Now, as I was saying, in comparison to his previous incarnations, the 9th Doctor's gruff exterior harkens back to his sixth and first incarnation. Nothing more, nothing less. And with the latest episode, it's obvious that Eleven has a similar streak of anger in him. I love it.
I think we just saw a glimpse of the Doctor's dark side in Matt Smith in the latest episode, The Beast Below.
That's certainly true.
I'd agree with "not often", but "never" is obviously wrong. You get a well acted and well written dark and moody Doctor in the very first episode of the series.
Again there were examples of Matt portraying the serious side of the Doctor in yesterday's episode so to answer Joe's original poster I think the answer is yes.
On the subject of the Ninth Doctor's gruffness...while it was a dominant and often portrayed trait of this incarnation of the Doctor don't forget too that he also displayed bursts of energy and excitement and displayed rare moments of pleasure and happiness as well. Indeed I think while he was haunted by the events in the Time War his adventures with Rose began to bring out his better side.
On the subject of the Ninth Doctor's gruffness...while it was a dominant and often portrayed trait of this incarnation of the Doctor don't forget too that he also displayed bursts of energy and excitement and displayed rare moments of pleasure and happiness as well. Indeed I think while he was haunted by the events in the Time War his adventures with Rose began to bring out his better side.
I was particularly pleased to see a little of Ecclestone's "you stupid apes!" attitude in Smith last night. His treatment of Amy and the declaration that no human had 'anything' to say to him was really effective. Matt Smith pulled it off wonderfully, IMHO. While it's simply impossible for Smith to be as imposing or outright threatening as Ecclestone, he appears to be more than capable of bringing the kind of subtle (and not so subtle) contempt for humans forward in such a way that isn't off-putting.
What I like about Smith's take on the character's dark side is that the bark is intentionally not as big as Eccleston's. When he gets furious, he's much more quiet about it. He doesn't yell and threaten or rant and rave. He stops listening to you and tells you he's taking you home -- he actively withdraws his affection from you, instead of extending his anger to you. In some ways, it's even more hurtful a way to express anger.
^ Yeah I noticed this as well...almost as if he's really quick to judge, almost emotionally reactionary if you will. I agree too that the scene where he says no humans talk to him...was very reminiscent of Nine's stupid apes comment.
Are you new to the internet? Anything asserted with authority is true... no matter how hyperbolic.
I think the Doctor's 'dark side' in the earlier series was played off more as him being alien rather than angry (With the exception of Colin). For instance the scene in Pyramid Of Mars, where Sarah confronts the Doctor about his not caring about Laurence's death at the hands of his brother; or in Curse of Fenric where Ace confronts him about manipulating events and keeping her in the dark. While other times he cares about humans, he's often thinking of 'the big picture' instead of individuals.
Well, Smith's character has a hissy at the climax of The Beast Below because he's not as clever as he was when he faced the Sycorax - that's not exactly a "dark side" so much as it is stumbling around in the dark.
Thank goodness Amy was there to be the Doctor when he wasn't.
Thank goodness Amy was there to be the Doctor when he wasn't.
Nope, sorry, it's not - "not perfect" isn't the same as "not up to the job," and this is a case of the latter rather than the former. It's not as if anyone would have maintained that Tennant or Eccleston's Doctors were "perfect."
Certainly Ten maintained an aura that he was always right. For me it's nice to have a falible Doctor again, been a while since Davison.
And no, Tennant wasn't perfect, but then I wasn't saying he was, I was commenting on the persona he portrayed. Eccleston was completely fallible and often shwon as being completely wrong by his companion (Dalek anyone?)
And no, Tennant wasn't perfect, but then I wasn't saying he was, I was commenting on the persona he portrayed. Eccleston was completely fallible and often shwon as being completely wrong by his companion (Dalek anyone?)
Completely agree. How boring it is to watch a Doctor like Ten just fix things with the snap of his fingers and magic wan--...I mean, Sonic Screwdriver. I prefer a Doctor that makes wrong decisions, that has to work through the problem, that sometimes needs help. The Eleventh Doctor is already outshining Ten for me...
Nah, just obsessive and smarter than anyone in the room.
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