Now that a bit of time has passed, I thought I’d attempt an assessment, good and bad of the last two series of the show. It is just my personal view, it doesn’t claim to be objective, but I have at least tried to provide some balance. It is rather warily and wearily that I tread this path, it is one fraught with danger and many a vehement, bitter argument seems to have been broken out along the way, with accusations on all sides. So, here goes nothing.
‘Doctor Who’ fandom can be a bit of a vitriolic place at the best of times. I’ve no real idea why that is – well I have, I suppose it is more that I just don’t really understand it. If I were to hazard a guess it is because fans are a bunch of very intelligent (or smart arse, take your pick!), highly opinionated people, sometimes with an interesting mix of personality characteristics. Both good and not so good. The best of people and well, the not. And well, they care, they care very much about the show. There is also a certain degree of angst amongst the older generations around fear of cancellation as a hangover from the 1980’s – although why I’m not entirely sure, since history shows that the series tends to survive well in whatever form – indeed personally, audio has almost surpassed TV as my medium of choice and the TV series itself has been back for 15 years now, so it is not exactly a bad run. Some of the negative voices have been politically unpleasant and the positives ones sanctimonious, high-handed and preachy. Not a lot of of it has been particularly edifying – but I refuse to believe it has to be that way or that it represents the majority.
Into this mix, you can add the general toxicity of public discourse at the moment. The politics of gender, race, sexuality and the tension between more conservative fans and those on the left or more progressive side. And something of a growing generational divide. All of which is of particular interest when applied to the ‘conversation’ within fandom around series 11 and 12. Forums and social media have deteriorated into a bit of sh*tshow in the last few years – or rather more of one. Personally, I’d just like to be able to discuss it as any other set of episodes of a TV show – which is what they are. That seems almost to be impossible, for some reason emotions run too high and attitudes are too entrenched on both sides. Not too many people have emerged for all of this covered in glory.
So, where do I stand on all of this? Well in a bit of an uncomfortable position, one which I have so far struggled with framing and have previously given up trying, really to avoid offence. The problem is, I don’t like series 11 or 12 all that much. I hoped I would, I’ve watched 20 episodes of Chris Chibnall’s ‘Doctor Who’ – I don’t think it is unremittingly terrible (mostly, although it really is at times), just not really good enough, the odd story aside, for me to actually want to watch it. A feeling I haven’t really had since the mid 1980’s, when I left the show behind for a while. Then I had the excuse of having better things to do – university, travel, music, sex. As we stand in lockdown and now in my 50’s only one of those applies, I’ll leave you to guess which!
The Good stuff
So, let’s start with positives. I really hate to kick something well intentioned, made by on the face of it by nice people, without at least trying to be even handed and there are some:
I like the use of history. That had been something that Steven Moffat was less interested in and I’ve generally enjoyed the historical stories – particularly ‘Rosa’ and ‘Demons of the Punjab’. I worried in particular that ‘Rosa’. might not be an appropriate story for British people to tell or for a sci-fi adventure series, that it might be crass. I needn’t have, it was handled very sensitively I thought. Both stories have their flaws, but they are by far the best of the two series so far.
Science and Engineering. I like the fact that the show has explored science and scientists – a real plus for me. Especially depicting women in science and engineering – something long overdue for me. I really like that we’ve had a story featuring Ada Lovelace for example, I would have preferred that she had her own story, but even so it is a story begging to be told. But we’ve also had the likes of Charles Babbage, Edison and Tesla. But also, the Doctor, as a woman doing science and engineering (building the sonic for example) and generally extolling the virtues of science. This was an area previously neglected by the show and is a real plus for me.
A female Doctor. This is a real problem for some people, but this seems an interesting move for me and one that took a bit of guts to push through – knowing that some parts of the audience really would not like the change. In my experience that applies to both men and women by the way and cuts across politics, some of the women in my life have been more vitriolic about the new Doctor than their male counterparts. Some of this is that people just don’t like change. They also often don’t like feeling like they are being told what to think. This impinges on both for some people. And some people just don’t think that the new Doctor is all that good – writing or portrayal or both. More later.
And I like the way that apart from when it makes plot sense (‘The Witchfinders’, ‘Demons of the Punjab’ etc.), they’ve largely ignored the change of gender. Someone like Steven Moffat would have really run with that, lots of smart, gender-based gags, which I’m not convinced would have been the way to go. It would have been funnier, but just getting on with it seems a better way of approaching it to me.
Moralilty. The series wears its heart on its sleeve, it generally isn’t afraid of clearly depicting right and wrong. A difficult line to walk in these times. The execution of this isn’t always particularly well done or hugely articulate for that matter, but it is well meaning and there is no way that I would argue against the show saying that racism is bad or that looking after the planet an awful lot better would be a good idea.
Visuals. It mostly looks quite nice, with some real caveats. I’ll just say ‘Orphan 55‘ here – though there are other not great examples.
I really like the version of theme music. That is an excellent piece of work.
Right that’s about it. I’ve done my best. Now the not so good.
The not so good stuff
Pacing. The pacing of a lot of these episodes is really off. Some stories (‘Battle of Ranskoor av Kolos’ I’m looking at you in particular.) are really rather dull. I’ve found myself looking at my watch, checking stuff on the internet, even falling asleep. All of which is new to me during ‘Doctor Who’ – normally everything stops for that. It doesn’t afflict all stories by any means, but there is something odd about the pacing. Even a pacy story like ‘ Resolution’ which builds up some real momentum, then has this killed stone dead by the café scene, which is interminable. In part I think it is a problem with the writing, partly editing and I think the lower key incidental music might also play a part. There are rare examples when it gets better (episode 1 of ‘Spyfall‘ for example), but really they are exceptions.
Dialogue. Some of the expositional dialogue is really painful to listen to. It really isn’t one of Chris’s strong points and really doesn’t play to Jodie’s strengths either. David Tennant could rattle off this stuff, but Jodie struggles a bit with it. Some of this makes me feel like someone is raking their nails down a blackboard. During my first watch of ‘Tsuranga’ I stopped iPlayer and just wanted to scream – ‘just make this dialogue stop!’. Another prime example was ‘Timeless Children‘, which felt like one long piece of exposition, with an explosion at the end. There are entire sequences that just feels like an actor is reading from wikipedia for minutes on end. The ‘comedy’ moments also quite often fall flat, or are explained for no real reason, ruining the punchline such as it was anyway. This all lends the stories a slightly deflated air, after the party.
Science Fiction stuff. Chris has a habit of zeroing in on exactly the sort of stuff I really don’t like in sci-fi and fantasy. It is almost unerring how he does it. It just feels like far too much ‘Star Trek’ , ‘Lord of the Rings‘ and ‘Star Wars’ in the mix – lots of people in robes, with staffs reeling off exposition and crap alien religions, wizard type figures spouting portentous crap dialogue. This is just a taste thing, I mean each to their own, but a lot of this really, really isn’t for me. I don’t like it in other TV, films or books, so there is earthly no reason why I should like it in ‘Doctor Who’. However, I might overlook some of it if the other things felt right.
The leads. They are all fine. By which I mean just OKish. The problem is in a show like ‘Doctor Who’, especially when the writing isn’t up to scratch you need much more than that. The leads need to carry the show, elevate it. It isn’t easy and not all actors, not matter how good are suited to it. The thing is though if you don’t love the Doctor and companions and want to spend time with them, for me the show is a bit f*cked. It is that fundamental. And yes, there are too many of them. In ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’ they tried to introduce and make us care about 5 new people. Russell T Davies would struggle with that, never mind Chris Chibnall. There’s a lot of standing around doing nothing much. And I just don’t really care much about any of them – even Graham whom I would guess I am supposed to identify with. Live or die – nope just checked I don’t really care. It’s a shame really.
Jodie is a decent enough actor. I saw her playing Antigone at the National with Christopher Eccleston. She was good, not spectacular, but good. But up against Christopher Eccleston as Creon. Plenty of people like her performance and what she is doing with the role – great, good for them. It isn’t really working for me though. Which is a shame as I’d rather like to like the first female Doctor. It makes me uncomfortable that I don’t all that much. But those are the breaks. That isn’t my fault or actually my problem. She wouldn’t have been someone whom I would have cast as a female Doctor, but you know that can work, casting something different, I was open to her being good and later on hopeful of her improving. I’m still hoping for someone like Rachel Stirling or Helen McCrory in the future, it’s unlikely and I won’t use that as a stick to beat Jodie with – it is just my preference. I also can’t split out the performance from the writing, without seeing what other writers – Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies etc. would have done with her. Maybe it would work better, maybe not.
Certain stories. Some of them have been dreadful – ‘Tsuranga Conundrum’, ‘Orphan 55’, ‘Battle of Ranskoor av Kolos’. Each series since the show returned have had weaker stories, I could name a few possibly as weak as those since the show returned – ‘Kill the Moon’, ‘Nightmare in Silver’ etc. Normally there are one or two excellent stories, a couple of good ones, a load of averagely good and a couple of not so good. However, the quality of the whole range of stories has slid backwards to my mind – excellent has gone to good, good to average, average to weak etc. It is like the whole bell curve of quality has been shifted backwards towards the weaker end of the axis.
Politics. Other stories have specific issues – “Kerblam!‘ for example which seems to exonerate the corporate culture of certain companies and place the blame elsewhere. The politics of it all is a bit strange, the progressive mixed with the reactionary. I’m fine with the show appealing to all sorts of people, but ‘Kerblam‘ though?
The TARDIS interior – it’s just rubbish!
‘Timeless Children’ – I hate this – almost every aspect of the story and especially the plot arc. With the caveat that I don’t know where it is going next. Which is also caveated by the fact that I don’t care where it is going. I could give details, there are so many things wrong with actual story never mind what it does to Who mythology, but that would mean me thinking about it again and I really don’t want to do that! I’d rather just forget that it ever happened and that I ever saw it. The damage it causes to the architecture of the show and how I perceive the fictional character who I’ve loved most all of my life, well it is sufficient alone for me to exit at this point. Others feel differently – well good for them. Reviewing is an inherently subjective and personal process, in that sense the opinion of others is only relevant as a counterpoint to that of the author, as a discussion point. There isn’t anything anyone could say to make me think differently, it feels like the end of something to me, the end of my interest in the show as an ongoing concern, I’m out.
That’s enough – you get the general drift?
Where next?
Overall, if I were to characterise things, if this hadn’t been called ‘Doctor Who’ I would have given up part the way through ‘The Ghost Monument’. I finally gave up after ‘Orphan 55’, which I really don’t like. Only to come back to watch ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’ a few weeks after it’s transmission as friends whose opinions I trust, advised me to watch it. I only saw three episodes of series 12 live, the first two and last one. I could easily have watched all of them live – I was home, but normally doing something else instead when it was on, but I just found it easier just to watch them weeks afterwards, normally in easier to digest chunks rather than in one go, previously unthinkable.
A TV series not doing what I want it to or living up to my expectations really isn’t the end of the world. Plenty of things going on right now are far, far more important. I just wouldn’t want people making assumptions about me and my attitudes to those more important things on the basis of me not liking it. Anyone who wants to judge me and does that, can frankly f*ck off and mind their own business. I could list my core beliefs in here, but that would just be me telling you what a nice person I am really, as if I have to be ashamed of my opinion. I’m not. I’d really rather like to like it, it makes me a bit unhappy that I don’t, that’s it. Again, these are just some episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ – nothing more. The sooner that the rest of fandom thinks of them that way, the better.
Where to next? Who knows, I think it’s too late for me for this era. The next? I suspect that it is probably on a course drifting away from me now. And maybe that’s right – it should appeal to different generations and I’ve had my go, for quite some time now. Given the changes in how people consume (hate that) content (hate that even more), maybe it just won’t be all that relevant any way. Or maybe it will have just one of its cyclical surges in popularity again, maybe it’s just around the corner. Who knows.
A Journal of Impossible Things 