The Problem With The New Doctor... *spoilers*

[DangerMouse]

Now I like Matt Smith.

And I'm with-holding judgement until the new series is finished.

But, there are a few problems for me - and I'd appreciate your resonse:

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

Secondly, everything The Doctor has been through, why is there no 'baggage'??? It's like nothing that happened to him before has any bearing on his character. He takes on a new assistance like all the 'issues' have been swept away. His final battle with Gallifrey and The Master has had no affect on him whatsoever... What the ???

Finally... isn't it just a bit 'same old, same old'. All his old enemies back again.

What do you think?

 

[Chaos Descending]

Regeneration is a powerful restoritive process.

 

[Mr. Sin]

Regeneration-or at least the Doctor's who are mostly unexpected-is sort of a random thing, although other time lords such as Romana (and possibly the Master) have been able to choose their bodies, and the Doctor was given several options for his third incarnation in The War Games. The Doctor's body and size tends to fluctuate-Colin Baker, for instance, is very different physically from Sylvestor McCoy. The only time the Doctor's really regenerated into an 'old' Doctor is Pertwee, mainly, who was in his fifties.

Each body does seem to age itself though if it doesn't regenerate-Tom Baker's aging in The Leisure Hive, and of course Tennant's in the Sound of Drums/Last of Time Lords.

As for 'baggage' keep in mind this is a new producer, and we'll deal with the consequences. The Time War storyline is kind of resolved anyway.


The old enemies also always keep coming back, as well, but this has happened several times in the series before, both old and new. The Daleks were presumed destroyed in their original story, and they were 'finally' defeated again in Troughton's "Evil of the Daleks".


As for the other ones, Silurians haven't had a story in nearly 30 years, The Angels are new, these Cybermen are 'sort of' new, etc.

 

[Kibbin]

If you were gonan trade your body in would you want an old nackered one?
Second, he seems to carry baggage alright, just look at tonights episode. Granted he doesn't keep going on about cos, well theres not a lot he can do. The master thing, he can't do anything about atm so what should he do, just sit down and sulk. Might be more realistic but it would be a boring show, plus we got enough baggage with Tennant imo.

 

[Cuhl]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

Maybe that's the Time Lord way of coping with a mid-life crisis. If he were a human, he'd be buying a sports car or dating a 20-year-old.

 

[Bacl]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

Maybe that's the Time Lord way of coping with a mid-life crisis. If he were a human, he'd be buying a sports car or dating a 20-year-old.

Yep. When you are young, you want to look older.

When you are old, you want to look young.

"Back at the very begining, I was always trying to be grumpy and important, like you do when you're young."

 

[davejames]

I imagine if any one of us were to die in an accident, or from some long drawn-out disease... and then woke up to find ourselves with a brand new life and in a brand new body, we'd be pretty excited too.

We be too busy enjoying ourselves to dwell on the past too much, and it must be the same for the Doctor.

 

[Kelso]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

Perhaps that is why his regenerations are limited.

 

[23skidoo]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

First off, he's actually more like 1000, as the Seventh Doctor gave his age as 953 after his regeneration. But we'll save that hair-splitting for another time.

The fact is there is no rulebook when it comes to regeneration. Troughton was younger than Hartnell, but Pertwee was older than Troughton, then Tom Baker was younger than Pertwee, and Davison was younger than Baker, but Colin Baker was older than Davison, and McCoy was about the same age as Colin Baker, and McGann was younger than McCoy, but Eccleston was older than McGann...

If they were to keep casting progressively older, we'd have to have Mickey Rooney playing the role by now.

Secondly, everything The Doctor has been through, why is there no 'baggage'??? It's like nothing that happened to him before has any bearing on his character. He takes on a new assistance like all the 'issues' have been swept away. His final battle with Gallifrey and The Master has had no affect on him whatsoever... What the ???

I think the Ninth and Tenth Doctors had plenty of baggage to take care of, and this isn't Battlestar Galactica. This is Doctor Who. The previous era spent too much time on baggage as it was (and I say this as a huge admirer and lover of Russell Davies' work). It's time to move on. And I think that's the point that might be getting missed in this piece of criticism. Life goes on. In real life people deal with their moms and dads dying, their pets dying, people they love getting killed in car accidents, losing their jobs, getting cancer, having to work long hours -- but most people don't just crawl into a corner and stay there (or at least not forever), life goes on. And that's the message that's coming across here. As far as the Doctor is concerned, the baggage was left with Ten. But we don't know what's just around the corner. When Ten regenerated it was thought he'd left the baggage of Nine behind, too...

Finally... isn't it just a bit 'same old, same old'. All his old enemies back again.

So what's your point? That's one of the reasons why Doctor Who has survived for 47 years. Mixed in with new creations are old favorites returning, just like a favorite rock star performing his greatest hits in a concert. You want to hear new stuff, too, but you feel disappointed if he doesn't do some of his old tunes, too. The Daleks and Cybermen definitely qualify. The challenge is in coming up with new ways to present them, and from what I hear of the episode that aired in the UK tonight (and will show here in North America 2 weeks from now), the Daleks are getting a twist.

Alex

 

[wamdue]

it does seem to me (at least) that none of the first 3 episodes have been without problems, even the very enjoyable "Victory of the Daleks" has quite a few plot holes.

This however is not really Matt or Karens fault, I think it might be Moffatt, and the other writers.

 

[Gepard]

My only problem with the new Doctor is that he keeps needing Amy to be the brilliant one at the last minute. What happened to him being a super-genius?

 

[Brent]

My only problem with the new Doctors is this love fest he seems to be having with his companions

I wouldn't mind having an older doctor again though

 

[wamdue]

My only problem with the new Doctor is that he keeps needing Amy to be the brilliant one at the last minute. What happened to him being a super-genius?

yeah that is getting old as well,

god ive become such a critic.

 

[shivkala]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

You know, I loved being you. Back when I first started, at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you're young. And then I was you, and it was all dashing about and playing cricket and my voice going all squeaky when I shout. I still do that, the voice thing, I got that from you! Oh, and the trainers, and [puts on his glasses] snap. 'Cos you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor.

I think that says it right there. When we're young, we try to act old, we want to be old, because we think that's what it's all about.

Then, as we get older, we wish to be younger. The Doctor can do that and maybe, subconsciously, he wants to, therefore he regenerates looking younger.

 

[Kibbin]

I've often thought the doctors are subconsciously chosen similar to how other timelords seem to be able to pick and choose, even in the new series the Master seemed to have more control over his regen then the Doctor ever has. Of course I link this all in to him being half human so what do I know.

 

[Venardhi]

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

I don't necessarily have anything against a young Doctor, I just think that after the young and dashing Tennant it would have been nice to have a bigger change than they seem to have made with Smith.

Secondly, everything The Doctor has been through, why is there no 'baggage'??? It's like nothing that happened to him before has any bearing on his character. He takes on a new assistance like all the 'issues' have been swept away. His final battle with Gallifrey and The Master has had no affect on him whatsoever... What the ???

We do see hints of it, but if by the end of this season we don't see anything more on that front I am definitely with you. 10's 'death' was one of, if not -the-, most traumatic of his regenerations. Glossing that over would be a mistake I think. Personally it seems like every regeneration should come with its own bit of survivor's guilt. The new personality knows that the previous one had to die for it to exist, and knows exactly how painful/emotional/etc. it was.

Finally... isn't it just a bit 'same old, same old'. All his old enemies back again.

What do you think?

These first three episodes certainly haven't inspired me with confidence, but I had the benefit of jumping into the series as a whole (not counting the TV movie) with the 2nd season when the previous team had really hit their stride. I probably would have felt much the same with the first few episodes of the 9th doctor.

 

[Anji]

Whoa, guys. Go easy on him. He's barely into his first season. I don't recall any doctor having a good first season. The Matt and production team need to find their way.

And as far as age is concerned, he can be 25 or 105, as long as the guy has what it takes to be The Doctor, I don't care.

And this guy's got it.

 

[Kelso]

Eccleston and Tennant were both stronger in their early episodes than Smith has been so far. He isn't a bad actor, he's just following behind two better actors.

 

[Stevil2001]

Whoa, guys. Go easy on him. He's barely into his first season. I don't recall any doctor having a good first season. The Matt and production team need to find their way.

Bill Hartnell, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, and Christopher Eccleston would like to disagree with you.

 

[The Wormhole]

Well, after having just seen The Eleventh Hour, I'll just say that I think Matt Smith kicks ass as the Doctor.