I guess you could call me a big Doctor Who fan. I've watched all of Classic Who, I've watched all the spin-offs, I've listened to a lot of works by Big Finish, and sure there are ups and downs, but it has a special place in my heart.
The years leading to this episode have been rocky at best. The numbers speak for themselves, and for the most part I agree with them. Jodie's era unfortunately was sub-par. There were still some good moments and seldom times where she felt like The Doctor, but ultimately she was wasted, which is sad, because I feel like she could have been great. However, everything changed with the timeless child. That's a line that can't be uncrossed. As a fan of the show, the story hurt me. Not only undermining 60 years of established history, but to do it in the way it was done was deeply saddening.
Then comes a new hope. Established show-runner RTD and fan favorite doctor David Tennent were announced for the 60th anniversary 3-part special. After the disaster which came before, maybe we can just look past that and return to some good ol' Doctor Who roots. Or at least that's what I thought. The 3 episodes made it very clear what kind of show Doctor Who is now. I think most people will agree diversity is a good thing, but the way BBC and Disney handle it is done with such poor taste it's insulting. After the specials I had decided still to give it one more chance.
Which brings us to this episode. The Christmas special, a Who tradition. Despite having a front row seat to the tragedy that has unfolded in the last 3 episodes, I stupidly still had some hope. This episode has finally took it all away. It has cemented my decision to say goodbye to Doctor Who.
The story was very weak. The episode didn't even have a Christmas atmosphere other than Ruby's birthday being Christmas Eve. The episode was choppy and jumpy without clear transitions. The ending was flat and felt rushed. The DEI agenda is still being doubled down on. The sonic "screwdriver"? Why not just call it the sonic remote, I could live with the switch up but why call it a screwdriver? Magic gloves? Goblin dance number? Quite frankly this episode was an embarrassment. At least Gibson seemed promising as Ruby Sunday.
When I look back at other Christmas specials...A Christmas Carol...Last Christmas...even The Christmas Invasion... and then look at this episode, it makes me want to cry. How something so special to me personally could fall so far. Those episodes were magical and set the stage for who The Doctor is and what he stands for. Some of those episodes gave me chills or brought me to tears. They made me think about complex issues gracefully and with class.
The Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, he has lived thousands of years and has lost things you cannot understand. He is the oncoming storm, the destroyer of worlds, but he is also kind. His eyes grieve with the mistakes he's made and the lives he lost. His eyes heavy with the impossible decisions he's had to make. He carries immense wisdom, but also immense sorrow. He carries a burden that follows him to the edge of the universe and the end of time. He is a warrior, a wanderer, a survivor, a savior, he is the harbinger of chaos and hope. He is goofy but even more fierce. The laws of time are his. He travels with companions to keep him grounded, to remind him of the beauty and life's fleeting nature. In the vast expanse of time and space, the Doctor remains an enigma--a paradox of strength and vulnerability, a beacon of hope in the face of endless trials, carrying the weight of the cosmos while cherishing the fleeting moments of beauty found in the company of companions.
Needless to say, Gatwa's doctor is not this. I hope I'm wrong, but I will not be sticking around to find out. I'm tired of being disrespected as a fan. Unfortunately, it's very clear the intended direction for Doctor Who to go. And with the ones in charge continuing to double down.. triple down... quadruple down... on bogus and backwards decisions... I'm tired of having my heart broken.
This is my dropping off point. I sincerely hope the new generation enjoys Doctor Who as much as I did. ~ Doctor... I let you go...
The years leading to this episode have been rocky at best. The numbers speak for themselves, and for the most part I agree with them. Jodie's era unfortunately was sub-par. There were still some good moments and seldom times where she felt like The Doctor, but ultimately she was wasted, which is sad, because I feel like she could have been great. However, everything changed with the timeless child. That's a line that can't be uncrossed. As a fan of the show, the story hurt me. Not only undermining 60 years of established history, but to do it in the way it was done was deeply saddening.
Then comes a new hope. Established show-runner RTD and fan favorite doctor David Tennent were announced for the 60th anniversary 3-part special. After the disaster which came before, maybe we can just look past that and return to some good ol' Doctor Who roots. Or at least that's what I thought. The 3 episodes made it very clear what kind of show Doctor Who is now. I think most people will agree diversity is a good thing, but the way BBC and Disney handle it is done with such poor taste it's insulting. After the specials I had decided still to give it one more chance.
Which brings us to this episode. The Christmas special, a Who tradition. Despite having a front row seat to the tragedy that has unfolded in the last 3 episodes, I stupidly still had some hope. This episode has finally took it all away. It has cemented my decision to say goodbye to Doctor Who.
The story was very weak. The episode didn't even have a Christmas atmosphere other than Ruby's birthday being Christmas Eve. The episode was choppy and jumpy without clear transitions. The ending was flat and felt rushed. The DEI agenda is still being doubled down on. The sonic "screwdriver"? Why not just call it the sonic remote, I could live with the switch up but why call it a screwdriver? Magic gloves? Goblin dance number? Quite frankly this episode was an embarrassment. At least Gibson seemed promising as Ruby Sunday.
When I look back at other Christmas specials...A Christmas Carol...Last Christmas...even The Christmas Invasion... and then look at this episode, it makes me want to cry. How something so special to me personally could fall so far. Those episodes were magical and set the stage for who The Doctor is and what he stands for. Some of those episodes gave me chills or brought me to tears. They made me think about complex issues gracefully and with class.
The Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, he has lived thousands of years and has lost things you cannot understand. He is the oncoming storm, the destroyer of worlds, but he is also kind. His eyes grieve with the mistakes he's made and the lives he lost. His eyes heavy with the impossible decisions he's had to make. He carries immense wisdom, but also immense sorrow. He carries a burden that follows him to the edge of the universe and the end of time. He is a warrior, a wanderer, a survivor, a savior, he is the harbinger of chaos and hope. He is goofy but even more fierce. The laws of time are his. He travels with companions to keep him grounded, to remind him of the beauty and life's fleeting nature. In the vast expanse of time and space, the Doctor remains an enigma--a paradox of strength and vulnerability, a beacon of hope in the face of endless trials, carrying the weight of the cosmos while cherishing the fleeting moments of beauty found in the company of companions.
Needless to say, Gatwa's doctor is not this. I hope I'm wrong, but I will not be sticking around to find out. I'm tired of being disrespected as a fan. Unfortunately, it's very clear the intended direction for Doctor Who to go. And with the ones in charge continuing to double down.. triple down... quadruple down... on bogus and backwards decisions... I'm tired of having my heart broken.
This is my dropping off point. I sincerely hope the new generation enjoys Doctor Who as much as I did. ~ Doctor... I let you go...
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