BradleyS95 this is the thing that so sets him apart from Matt Smith’s Doctor. All the touchy feels goes out the window with 12. But personally I love it. Makes Capaldi’s Doctor such a badass. Also “I wasn’t saving him! I am saving Us!”
Benjamin RebelPhoenix Rule 1. I think he lies to protect himself. Holding people at arm’s length so he doesn’t get too close. So when those moments where hard choices come, he hopes his hearts will ache less.
What's enjoyable about this Doctor is watching him evolve throughout all his series. He seems so completely different in his last series to this episode's version
I found this on reddit, I hope it helps clear some things up. "He [The Doctor] is projecting. He doesn't like the soldier he sees in himself and his companions - he feels like that is a violent side of him that he doesn't want to let loose. He fancies himself a carefree spirit of good, and doesn't like / is afraid of the form of order his soldierly side represents in his life. He feels that his soldierly side is what led him to almost making the biggest mistake of his life (initiating the Moment). So, he projects his discomfort onto soldiers at large - that soldiers are violent and are not to be let loose, that they represent a fearful order that must be subverted, and that they make impulsive, stupid decisions that risk everything. He doesn't hate soldiers, he is afraid that he has accidentally become one - a bad one."
Honestly Capaldi's run is so great because he is the Doctor who's character development is worlds beyond any others, I can't wait for you to see where his era goes.
One of the best friends the Doctor has ever had, and most significant characters in the series, was a military officer, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. The Third Doctor spent five seasons with him and surrounded by soldiers. He has a lot of cognitive dissonance around that issue. I think because the Doctor has himself spent a lot of time in battle, in the Time War and more recently the conflict in Trenzalore, he dislikes that part of himself and tries to push it away when it appears in others around him.
The "You are a good Dalek" line brought me back to the first NuWho Dalek episode with Christopher Eccleston when the Dalek said "You would make a good Dalek."
I don't think 12 has a problem with soliders so to speak, I think he has a problem with himself being the solider who caused genocide and he's projecting that onto others.
I know its been 5 years, but whatever. The Doctor has never been particularly fond of soldiers, but i think his experience in the Time War just made things worse.
On the attitude towards soldiers thing, I completely get it, it's really inflexible... to borrow from one of this episode's line... However I think there are a couple of points to consider: 1) At no point are we supposed to think the Doctor is actually right in this. This incarnation is the Doctor at his most fallible (which is what I like about him, but that's ot). Plenty of things in the episode and in the series reinforces that he's wrong on this and other things. 2) This is a mistaken overreaction on the Doctor's part. He's projecting his insecurities on being a soldier onto others. The Time War has been reawakened in his memory thru his actions in the 50th. Yes he fixed his biggest mistake from that war, but it doesn't erase the hundreds of years he spent fighting it and all the other sins he committed. Add to that another 900 years being a soldier on Trenzalore and it makes sense why he doesn't want to be that anymore. His mistake, however is that he thinks pushing away soldiers is a good idea to prevent him slipping back into his commander role. tl;dr: The Doctor is sad, and he's wrong.
Not to mention that two of his worst enemies-- (Daleks and Sontarans) are extremely militaristic. At least half of the time, when he runs into soldiers, they are going to be his enemies.
The soldier hatred is down to 100’s of years on Trenzalore watching pitiful war and slaughter, which he’s been born out of. This series is such a “stay patient.. it’ll pay off” in terms of characterisation/plot. Clara and The Doctor in this series are flawed and wonderful and complicated and it’s a really new dynamic for a Tardis team. I have to say I haven’t watched Capaldi back in ages, his Series 8 persona is gobsmackingly different!
Considering 10 has the issue too, it's probably because he's reminded of his actions during the Time War. I won't go in depth, because it's a little spoilery, but the Time War casts a shadow over the entirety of New Who up until this point and perhaps one of the most underrated things Moffat did with the 50th was retroactively create a massive and fascinating character arc for 9-12, with each regeneration almost representing a[n out-of-order] stage of Grief: 9 is Anger, 10 is Depression, 11 is Denial and 12 is Acceptance. 12 accepts the actions of the Time War but is caught in an ethical dilemma as this contradicts his definition of a "good man", seen in Night of the Doctor ("I help where I can, I do not fight." "Because you are a good man, as you call yourself." "I call myself The Doctor"). I would speculate that this problem is projected onto Danny and is the source of his dislike.
They didn't really have to say it, it's the only logical reason for 12's prejudice towards soldiers in series 8. Even though he now realizes he didn't destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords in the war he still did had to do horrible things that he hates himself for, and Trenzalore clearly re-opened the wound for him. The way he talks to soldiers in series 8 is largely out of self loathing and not knowing and being afraid of what kind of person he is post Trenzalore and his regeneration.
If you think a soldier would be an interesting companion, go back and watch some 3rd doctor stories where the third Doctor is working together with "The Brigadier" and UNIT on earth :)
Jaime of the Second Doctor era was also a Scottish Warrior that the Doctor picked up in mid-battle. Unfortunately that episode didn't survive as it was thrown out. The character himself became one of the Doctor's best friends. He survived for the rest of Patrick Troughton's run as the Doctor.
I've only seen a few episodes with Jaime but I think the whole thing that he's a soldier never really was picked out as a central theme but Pertwee and the Brig were constantly argueing :D
In the classic series the doctor had loads of soldier companions, in fact his longest serving companion was a brigadier. I think the idea of him not liking soldiers is that when he sees them now they remind him of himself as a soldier in the time war, and he doesn't like confronting that.
Usually the things you hate the most are things you see in yourself you don't like. The Doctor is a very complicated individual. The Dream Lord in Amy's Choice showed his darker elements, and with 12 I think he stopped covering them up as much as he used to.
I think the main reason why the doctor’s against soldiers is that he very anti-war, not only has he usually been an advocate of peace and using weapons of possible, but this is especially prominent in modern who as he’s experienced the time war in which he commited a double genocide, and since then he’s been adverse to the soldier way of thinking because it makes him feel guilty and he knows what that way of thinking can make people do, especially in ecclestons last episode, he was prepared to wipe out the daleks for good (+humanity) and couldn’t bring himself to do it because he’d been in that situation before and he vowed never to do it again. A bit rambly but in essence he knows what the soldier mindset can do to people, and 12 is a very morally fixed character, so thats why he rejects the soldier
The Doctor is flawed as everybody is, but he is usually confident about himself. Several episodes of the Capaldi era (I won't tell you which ones, you might form a different view on them) seem to me like after the regeneration he is still trying to find his footing, trying to figure out who he is now. But once he does, he becomes an amazing Doctor.
Fun fact: When Star Trek created the Borg, they not only ripped-off the basic premise of the Cybermen, they also ripped-off their 1960s catchphrase "resistance is useless".
I think Clara may have had a temporary moment of insanity when saying what she said to Danny, maybe too much of the doctor rubbed off on her. In terms of the doctor's attitude towards soldiers I'd say it's kind of fair enough when War led him to murder 2.47 billion children on Gallifrey. It's not that the doctor is correct it's just he's flawed in wanting complete pacifism which he really believes in an option. I do think your idea for a soldier companion could work.
Hopefully you let this Doctor grow on you. His first season has a lot more ups and downs than previous Doctors, and he goes through a lot more character development than the rest in my opinion. He can be a bit of an struggle to get on board with early on, but by the end you'll love him.
Regards the Doctor and soldiers- just bare in mind as 11 he had to reincorporate into his mind all the memories of the War Doctor and all the terrible things he did as a soldier and leading soldiers in the Time War. As if that wasn't enough he then spent most of the last thousand years of his life as Eleven defending Trenzalore from invading armies. So its understandable that he is not keen on having soldiers about- they remind him of himself too much. As others have mentioned the Doctor had a life long friendship with a soldier, the Brigadier, starting in his second incarnation and lasting through till the Brigs death (you may remember in the Wedding of River Song it is receiving a phone call that the Brigadier has passed away that makes his mind up to face his end at the hands of the Impossible Astronaut) . They still clashed over the military method and the scientific method yet they remained close friends throughout. If you want to see the Doctor with soldiers as companions then the 3rd Doctor era is the one for you. But 12 has his own issues to deal with in this regard, its one of the things that makes him so interesting.
Acendiat Media- Well in the 50th the Doctor says of the War Doctor that he pretended he did not exist- in order to do that at the very least 9, 10 and most of 11's time he would have been willfully forgetting him and what he did. It all depends I suppose how you interpret the following lines in the 50th- "There's one life I've tried very hard to forget" and "All those years, burying you in my memory. Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself." It seems to me therefore that its only after the events of the 50th that the Doctor internally allows himself to remember the War Doctor and what he did during the War. I think prior to that he just shut it all away somewhere in his mind and closed a door.
Petty Tyrant that's called repressing memories and it's unclear to what extent that was. It sounds to me more like not thinking about that embarrassing thing that happened to you. The doctor talks about the time war a number of times which suggests he remembers it.
Acendiat Media I see it as probably something akin to how Rory describes remembering being an auton Roman for two thousand years- the memories are there, but not all the time and he can shut the door on them if he wants- but he still knows it happened without necessarily remembering the details. Likewise the Doctor remembers the Time War as a thing that happened and he was involved in, but the actual memories of what he did during it he deliberately has closed off from himself, hence the line about keeping it secret even from himself. At least that is my reading of it, and without going to spoilery territory I think some things 12 says in his time reinforce the notion these memories are very raw still to him.
Just understand Jess that this whole 'Doctor being against soldiers' arc does go somewhere, I wouldn't say it's the BBC being anti-soldier, it actually makes sense that at the beginning of this incarnation the Doctor would be hesitant about soldiers and war. After all his previous incarnation did come face to face with the version that fought in the Time War, and he spent more than 300 years fighting a battle on trenzalore. This soldier arc does go somewhere and it works really well for how the Doctor's thoughts and feelings change. Also I wouldn't say people just take it, there is push back from people about his opinions in this season. Luckily it's the only season that sort of plays on this theme.
Also I'd say Clara's comment about 'shooting people and crying afterwards' was simply her just being stupid, she realised what she said was insensitive after she'd said it, seems like a throw away line, but I do think it was in poor taste.
Most of his male companions were (or became) soldiers. Ian: teacher Steven: soldier from the future Ben: Naval seaman Jamie 💓: Highlander fighting the British The Brigadier etc al ❤: soldiers (and best friend!) Adric: mathematician Turlough: exiled soldier Lee (from tv movie): gang member Jack: Time Agent, soldier Rory: nurse (became a soldier while traveling with the Doctor)
The Brigadier (Kate Stewart's father), met the 2nd Doctor, was pretty much a companion for much of the 3rd's run and also in some of the 4ths adventures and at least one 5th and one 7th (all in TV adventures, if you count prose/comic/audio adventures I think he probably met all the incarnations at one point or another). So I think having an issue with a soldier as a companion is definitely a post Time War event. As I mentioned elsewhere it is probably because he sees himself in them, and is reminded of what he had to do during the Time War and on Trenzalore/Christmas prior to his regeneration to 12. (And his speech to clara in the Tardis near the end of Deep Breath speaks of making up for past mistakes or actions) If 10 is the one who regrets, and 11 is the one who forgets; 12 is possibly the one who repents.
Thank you for going in with an open mind with these episodes. This is probably the deepest identity crisis the Doctor has had and he is still working things out. Capaldi said he wanted to go back to the Doctor being more alien and a bit shut off as he has seen what being too involved with the human race has caused in the past but don't worry he will evolve over his tenure and a bit more looser ( particularly in his wardrobe!!)
I think the soldier prejudice thing kind of makes sense when you consider that after the Time War and the 900 year long battle on Trenzalore (which had only ended weeks, if not days ago in his own personal time line at this point), He's actually spent the majority of His life fighting in wars and witnessing the most horrifying and emotionally traumatising things one could even dream of.
As stated in the 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor is the man who regrets what he did in the Time War, while 11th is the man who forgets. The 12th Doctor, Capaldi, is perhaps best described as the man who is still effected by the events of the Time War, like an old seasoned war veteran who is also troubled by all his past failures as The Doctor. I think this is a good representation of the 12th Doctor as he's not as caring as the previous Doctors until later in the series.
If you want a soldier companion, then you should check out the Third Doctor's era. The main team is the Doctor, Jo or Liz, the Brigadier (the Doctor's best friend, who met almost every incarnation of the Doctor in the show), Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton. It's a proper ensemble, military-based era. I think it would potentially become your favourite era. It's a family atmosphere (similar to Eleven and the Ponds), a large regular cast (which you've mentioned liking before) and it's a good group of soldier companions (which makes a nice change to the post-Time War doctors' resistance to the military). The more I think about it, the more I realise that it's practically been designed to appeal to you, personally, hah.
I think it has a lot do with who is playing the Doctor. Some people play the Doctor who dislikes killing and avoids violence. Others played Doctors who had no problem killing. The third DoctorJon Pertwee was a member of a military spy group in WWII. Along with placing the show on earth for a while, I would not doubt he was influential in selling the military angle.
"I feel like he's hypnotizing me!" Yes that was pretty trippy. And the claustrophobia is real in this episode! When Clara goes into that thing, I just feel more trapped the deeper she goes. I'm like, how is she not freaking out? I love Danny and it's hard to watch people talk to him that way. I LOVE the thoughts you have on this episode. After Rusty said, "you are a good dalek." Did anyone else find it funny the way he looked back at the Doctor dramatically? ALSO, does anyone else see Sherlock and Watson when you look at 12 and Clara? I'm rewatching it all now and their dynamic, their roles, the way they speak to each other reminds me of Sherlock and Watson! Really great reaction all around Jess! I loved hearing your thoughts on the deep aspects of this episode, and it was so fun watching you laugh so much at the awkward exchange between Danny and Clara!
An interpretation of that final scene with rusty, that i love, is that, Rusty wasnt insulting the doctor, he was emphaticly trying to TELL the doctor what he cant see with his own eyes. The dalek race as a whole are "bad daleks" the DOCTOR, is a good dalek, because he does the same thing as the daleks, wiping out species after species...except unlike the dalek race? He understands MERCY.The doctor isnt a "bad person" because hes a good dalek. hes the BEST person, because hes a GOOD. dalek. He does the hard acts, for the right reasons. To quote missy "You'll really kill me? To save her soul?" He'll kill if he has to, to save others from that same act.
When you commented “The borg showing up?” when the dalek said”resistance is futile” reminded me of a graphic novel where the Doctor (in fact 11) with Amy and Rory met up with Star Trek NextGeneration and the Borg and the cybermen joined forces, Pretty interesting read & storyline.
They're always brave. The various Doctors have all had their own flaws. I get the feeling 12's journey is in many ways an acceptance and atonement for them. 10 was the one who regrets. 11 was the one who forgets. 12 was the one who accepts.
Something to remember is that the last Doctor we became aware of was the War Doctor. It makes sense in some ways to see 12 as the _anti_-War Doctor, regenerations in the modern era are informed by what has gone before. At the moment the Doctor associates soldiers with war and that alone but give him time, he'll see the error of his ways and come to understand the power of a soldier's promise.
Remember people told you too give a time to understand this doctor yeah... This doctor is not so your goofy one all the best for the rest of the season👍👍👍
Hey sesska, when the 3rd doctor stayed on earth he became best friends with Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Kate Stewarts father. As you may know the Doctor was the scientific authority at UNIT. You can see the Doctor interact with the Brigadier as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and a mention of the brigadier passing away when 11 was about to get shot by River in Utah. The Brigadier was the person able to pull the trigger when the Doctor couldnt and has saved the Doctor on countless occasions.
Now I want to see the 12th Doctor doing hypnosis/motivational videos. :) And I love that line: "I've opened up your mind, and now I'm coming in." That is both scary and beautiful at once.
You saw a small number of Episodes in New Who where UNIT (Soldiers) were involved. In Classic Who, starting with the Second Doctor, there were lots of Episodes with UNIT. The Third Doctor was with UNIT and the Brigadier for a long time. Of course they were with the other Classic Doctors from time to time. THEN there was the Time War where the Doctor was a Warrior for Hundreds of years. He wants to forget that time and the things he did. Soldiers keep reminding him of what he wants to forget.
Your reaction has actually given me a whole new perspective of this episode and how dark it actually is. It's a perfect "proper" introduction to Twelve that sets up a really interesting arc for him personally. He's a really unique Doctor and I've come to love him a lot from these first episodes :3
the doctor was a solider, he fought in the last grate time war. and ended it, killing all daleks, all timelords and saving the rest of space and time. He knows the hurt he inflicted, he knows the hurt soldiers inflict on those they have to fight against. He sees all the pain, all the broken hearts, families and lives. I think his disdain for soldiers is not necessarily justified but understandable given his experience of war.
As folks have said - Twelve's disdain for soldiers comes from him wrestling with his own inner hatred of the things he's done. However, he has had soldiers for companions in the past! The Brigadier was one of his closest and best friends, and that was back in his era as the Third Doctor.
"You looked inside me and you saw hatred. That's not victory" I love that line. It just always sticks with me. It reminds me to not hold onto hatred and just be kind. Not sure that's the intention of the quote but thanks anyway Doctor and Rusty!
The Doctor has always been one to avoid war if he could, but his longest human friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, was a soldier. His disdain for soldiers in general, became more an after effect of The Time War, I always have felt.
all i can say is i've had a long, shitty day and i just saw that you posted a new doctor who reaction and out loud i said 'oh my god' 'oh my god' 'i've been blessed'
Great reaction as usual i was a bit worried about the soldier thing with the doc but i get the impression you know it will be sorted eventually.cant wait for the next episode👍🏻🤘🏻
The thing about the Doctor is that he IS a soldier. The reason he travels with companions is because whenever he’s ready to go too far, he needs someone who isn’t used to fighting to be there and tell him when to stop. He essentially brings along a civilian to give him better orders. His difficulty towards soldiers is hypocritical, and a major character flaw, but it makes sense for him as a person.
the reason the daleks are in every season is because the creator of the daleks (terry nation) kept the privatised rights to them when the show went off air in the 80s, russel and julie had to fight for the usage of the daleks and the best deal they could get was to use the daleks at least once every season. Otherwise terry gonna sue their asses lol.
I always felt that his antipathy to the military is a bit two-faced, seeing has he was attached to them for ages and one of his closest friends is a Brigadier General. Certainly, the Time War has left him scarred, but his attitude goes way back. I believe that it's rooted in a total disdain for authority (in the classic series he was elected President on Gallifrey, and shirked all responsibilities by running away, again). It's just part of his make up. If he were less flawed, we wouldn't like him so much.
Great reaction, keep up the good work and take care of yourself! Also, I can totally get why that episode was uncomfortable viewing (and there's probably one on the way that's equally if not more uncomfortable on that front), but it's setting up some really good, and, imo, military-positive stuff later down the road, so there's that.
When Rusty said "You are a good Dalek" I love it. Because way back with Christopher Ecelston being told by the Dalek in the underground bunker that "He would make a good Dalek" just makes you realise all that hate inside of him can never go away even when doing something good.
The Doctor's disdain for soldiers stems from experiences he's had in the early days of Doctor Who. In classic Who, The Doctor was a staunch ally with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewert. The third Doctor had nothing but soldiers for companions. It's the idea that his worst enemies, The Daleks and The Cyberman, are like soldiers..even though they really arent. You've got something there though, Danny Pink is a soldier and you'll see more of him..lol.
The Doctor is someone who has seen war from all angles, who does not generally take orders and I think sees people who do as inherently untrustworthy, in that you are not dealing with their morality, which you might be able to appeal to, but to that of their masters', who you probably will not be able to sway. The series was born out of a country that had been through the experience of the Second World War, the Blitz and the liberation of the camps where the Holocaust happened well within living memory at that time. The Daleks were based, at least in part, on the Nazis, and the idea that you simply obey orders rather than be the kind to question them I think informs a lot of what Doctor Who was always meant to be about. And it's a theme that comes up again and again in the series. This is only re-emphasised by the story of the Time War and the Doctor's role in it. As to having a soldier as a companion, those who grew up with Classic Who know that he has had warriors as companions more than once, and his relationship with the Brigadier was a very important one. At its best, the writers of Doctor Who have always tried to present multiple takes on all kinds of questions, and the Doctor's relationship with soldiers and warriors is no exception.
As always, great reaction from you, and I like the new camera. :) Love your honesty, and what you bring to the DW fandom, oh, and I loved your reaction to Missy. ;) See you next week. :D
The soldier stuff was awkwardly handled for sure, and I think it's reinforced here because we're hearing it from both Doctor and companion. I would simply say though that as with much of Twelve's era it's all about the journey - and it's often a long one at that. It makes for some compelling dilemmas along the way, and whilst some like this one are let down by writing that's not up to standards, others end up far better than this.
"Doctor--the universal word for healer and wise man. We get that from you, you know. But if you keep going the way you're going, what will that word come to mean? In the language of the forest, 'Doctor' means 'great warrior'". "The Doctor--always running, never looking back, because he dares not out of shame...This is my victory. I have shown you...yourself".
As I said previously, loved Matt Smith he reintroduced me to New Who. and got me to purchase and watch tons of Classic Who! With that said I loved your reactions to this episode. I loved Matt, he got me to back and watch Eccelston and Tenant. I’ve thrilled and enjoyed all the Doctors 9-11. This is My Doctor, I cant wait to further enjoy your reactions and listen to your observations on Cspaldi! Thanks!👮🏼♀️
Jess - (Possible spoilers if you watch more of the Classic Era) If you watch some of the 3rd Doctor stories you will see the Doctor working alongside the Brigadier and other UNIT soldiers without many problems. This prejudice has mostly erupted ever since the Time War. Wars ultimately change both society and soldiers. The Doctor still looks at his part in the Time War with much regret and hatred at some of his actions. In more recent episodes you will obviously know that the 11th Doctor was a product of the Trenzalore War. This Doctor was born out of war and therefore has some of the traits of 9. He needs Clara to make him better, much in the same way that Rose helped 9 and 10.
This Doctor evolves and changes as the episodes go on. I think after Matt was so beloved they took a while figuring out who 12 was going to be. But he finds his way :)
You have to realize the Doctor's disdain for soldiers comes partly from a long history of "shoot first, don't bother with questions after" sorts of soldiers he's had to deal with in the past, and partly from a self-loathing over what he's had to do as a soldier himself. He fought in the Time War, so when he's talking about soldiers, he's also talking about himself. It's not a judgment on RL soldiers by the show's writers. I know from your real life that it's hard not to have a knee jerk reaction. I'm sure a lot of people did. You just have to put yourself in the Doctor's shoes.
OH WOW! It's been years, but I'm just now noticing that Ross (the guy that got vaporized by the antibodies) is played by Ben Crompton, who plays Dolorous Edd in Game of Thrones. I thought he looked familiar. (Though for a moment I thought he looked like the guy who played Shane in Shameless UK.)
I don’t think it’s prejudice, I think it’s fear. He won’t have a soldier as a companion because he spent so long being a soldier (War Doctor) that he needs a companion who will remind him that he doesn’t have to fight all the time. Especially his more volatile incarnations, like 12.
The Doctor has had Great relations with soldiers, even going back to the 2nd Doctor. This anti-soldier attitude was unique, and you can imagine very divisive.
"I'm his Carer"
"Yes, Carer.... she cares so I don't have to"
I love that line XD
BradleyS95 this is the thing that so sets him apart from Matt Smith’s Doctor. All the touchy feels goes out the window with 12.
But personally I love it. Makes Capaldi’s Doctor such a badass.
Also
“I wasn’t saving him! I am saving Us!”
I honestly hated that line because it betrays his character. 12 cares a lot, he just has to make a lot of really tough choices.
Benjamin RebelPhoenix
Rule 1. I think he lies to protect himself. Holding people at arm’s length so he doesn’t get too close. So when those moments where hard choices come, he hopes his hearts will ache less.
What's enjoyable about this Doctor is watching him evolve throughout all his series. He seems so completely different in his last series to this episode's version
It echoes the path the First Doctor took. Two of the best character developed Doctors out of its entire history.
Adam Darren Sooo true. And people always forget that One changed, they just watch the first episode and assume he's the "grumpy Doctor".
I mean... that's why what happened on TUAT, happened... It was Moffat making it all obvious in case anyone didn't understand the idea of Twelve, lol
That's because 12's character development is inconsistent.
@@BRAWGWill how?
I found this on reddit, I hope it helps clear some things up.
"He [The Doctor] is projecting. He doesn't like the soldier he sees in himself and his companions - he feels like that is a violent side of him that he doesn't want to let loose. He fancies himself a carefree spirit of good, and doesn't like / is afraid of the form of order his soldierly side represents in his life. He feels that his soldierly side is what led him to almost making the biggest mistake of his life (initiating the Moment).
So, he projects his discomfort onto soldiers at large - that soldiers are violent and are not to be let loose, that they represent a fearful order that must be subverted, and that they make impulsive, stupid decisions that risk everything.
He doesn't hate soldiers, he is afraid that he has accidentally become one - a bad one."
Honestly Capaldi's run is so great because he is the Doctor who's character development is worlds beyond any others, I can't wait for you to see where his era goes.
Matthew Martin This. All this. Aaaand Danny.
One of the best friends the Doctor has ever had, and most significant characters in the series, was a military officer, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. The Third Doctor spent five seasons with him and surrounded by soldiers. He has a lot of cognitive dissonance around that issue.
I think because the Doctor has himself spent a lot of time in battle, in the Time War and more recently the conflict in Trenzalore, he dislikes that part of himself and tries to push it away when it appears in others around him.
Capaldi' humour is the best "she's cares so I don't have to" too good
*Moffat's humour.
The "You are a good Dalek" line brought me back to the first NuWho Dalek episode with Christopher Eccleston when the Dalek said "You would make a good Dalek."
I don't think 12 has a problem with soliders so to speak, I think he has a problem with himself being the solider who caused genocide and he's projecting that onto others.
I know its been 5 years, but whatever.
The Doctor has never been particularly fond of soldiers, but i think his experience in the Time War just made things worse.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
"No I'm inside a dalek!"
On the attitude towards soldiers thing, I completely get it, it's really inflexible... to borrow from one of this episode's line... However I think there are a couple of points to consider:
1) At no point are we supposed to think the Doctor is actually right in this. This incarnation is the Doctor at his most fallible (which is what I like about him, but that's ot). Plenty of things in the episode and in the series reinforces that he's wrong on this and other things.
2) This is a mistaken overreaction on the Doctor's part. He's projecting his insecurities on being a soldier onto others. The Time War has been reawakened in his memory thru his actions in the 50th. Yes he fixed his biggest mistake from that war, but it doesn't erase the hundreds of years he spent fighting it and all the other sins he committed. Add to that another 900 years being a soldier on Trenzalore and it makes sense why he doesn't want to be that anymore. His mistake, however is that he thinks pushing away soldiers is a good idea to prevent him slipping back into his commander role.
tl;dr: The Doctor is sad, and he's wrong.
UltKaizoku nail on the head 😉 brilliant take on it 😜
^ THIS, FUCKING THIS!
Not to mention that two of his worst enemies-- (Daleks and Sontarans) are extremely militaristic.
At least half of the time, when he runs into soldiers, they are going to be his enemies.
The soldier hatred is down to 100’s of years on Trenzalore watching pitiful war and slaughter, which he’s been born out of.
This series is such a “stay patient.. it’ll pay off” in terms of characterisation/plot. Clara and The Doctor in this series are flawed and wonderful and complicated and it’s a really new dynamic for a Tardis team.
I have to say I haven’t watched Capaldi back in ages, his Series 8 persona is gobsmackingly different!
Considering 10 has the issue too, it's probably because he's reminded of his actions during the Time War. I won't go in depth, because it's a little spoilery, but the Time War casts a shadow over the entirety of New Who up until this point and perhaps one of the most underrated things Moffat did with the 50th was retroactively create a massive and fascinating character arc for 9-12, with each regeneration almost representing a[n out-of-order] stage of Grief: 9 is Anger, 10 is Depression, 11 is Denial and 12 is Acceptance. 12 accepts the actions of the Time War but is caught in an ethical dilemma as this contradicts his definition of a "good man", seen in Night of the Doctor ("I help where I can, I do not fight." "Because you are a good man, as you call yourself." "I call myself The Doctor"). I would speculate that this problem is projected onto Danny and is the source of his dislike.
Regarding his series 8 persona being different, I feel like the hairstyle plays a significant part of that
__davidmb when did they say that??? I can’t even remember them saying that’s the reason haha
They didn't really have to say it, it's the only logical reason for 12's prejudice towards soldiers in series 8. Even though he now realizes he didn't destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords in the war he still did had to do horrible things that he hates himself for, and Trenzalore clearly re-opened the wound for him. The way he talks to soldiers in series 8 is largely out of self loathing and not knowing and being afraid of what kind of person he is post Trenzalore and his regeneration.
Actually I think it's largely down to the knee jerk opinions of the show-runners.
One of my favorite Capaldi episodes ever! I love how dark he is and how steampunk season 8 is.
If you think a soldier would be an interesting companion, go back and watch some 3rd doctor stories where the third Doctor is working together with "The Brigadier" and UNIT on earth :)
Jaime of the Second Doctor era was also a Scottish Warrior that the Doctor picked up in mid-battle. Unfortunately that episode didn't survive as it was thrown out. The character himself became one of the Doctor's best friends. He survived for the rest of Patrick Troughton's run as the Doctor.
Mythril I love the Brigadier. The only soldier who can be a companion. A true friend to the Doctor above all else.
The Brigadier is also one of my favourite things about Doctor Who, but the whole Pertwee era is :D
I've only seen a few episodes with Jaime but I think the whole thing that he's a soldier never really was picked out as a central theme but Pertwee and the Brig were constantly argueing :D
+Allie The only soldier? What about Sgt. Benton?
In the classic series the doctor had loads of soldier companions, in fact his longest serving companion was a brigadier. I think the idea of him not liking soldiers is that when he sees them now they remind him of himself as a soldier in the time war, and he doesn't like confronting that.
Usually the things you hate the most are things you see in yourself you don't like. The Doctor is a very complicated individual. The Dream Lord in Amy's Choice showed his darker elements, and with 12 I think he stopped covering them up as much as he used to.
I think the main reason why the doctor’s against soldiers is that he very anti-war, not only has he usually been an advocate of peace and using weapons of possible, but this is especially prominent in modern who as he’s experienced the time war in which he commited a double genocide, and since then he’s been adverse to the soldier way of thinking because it makes him feel guilty and he knows what that way of thinking can make people do, especially in ecclestons last episode, he was prepared to wipe out the daleks for good (+humanity) and couldn’t bring himself to do it because he’d been in that situation before and he vowed never to do it again. A bit rambly but in essence he knows what the soldier mindset can do to people, and 12 is a very morally fixed character, so thats why he rejects the soldier
KoffingOnion thanks lol
'I am not a good Dalek, you are a good Dalek'....Damn, I almost forgot how savage Rusty is, if he had a mike, he would have dropped it.
He dropped his plunger
Point.
Looking back at this, I could swear the way he turned around to roll away, Rusty was giving Twelve the sassy side-eye.
Don’t be lasagna
why?
no but my bro left a plastic lid to the glass tray with lasagne in it lol XD
The Doctor is flawed as everybody is, but he is usually confident about himself. Several episodes of the Capaldi era (I won't tell you which ones, you might form a different view on them) seem to me like after the regeneration he is still trying to find his footing, trying to figure out who he is now. But once he does, he becomes an amazing Doctor.
It's so fun watching people do the whole Missy thing for the first time.
time wasting I know! I can’t wait for her later reactions with it.
yea I know, and she just keeps getting better and better, which is the fun thing.
"Yeah, my carer, she cares so I don't have to."😂😂 One of my all time favourite lines in the modern series.
The first of many amazing Capaldi speeches
Fun fact: When Star Trek created the Borg, they not only ripped-off the basic premise of the Cybermen, they also ripped-off their 1960s catchphrase "resistance is useless".
In the thumbnail it looks like the dalek is peeking over your couch.
Oh my, I first read that as 'crotch'!
I think Clara may have had a temporary moment of insanity when saying what she said to Danny, maybe too much of the doctor rubbed off on her. In terms of the doctor's attitude towards soldiers I'd say it's kind of fair enough when War led him to murder 2.47 billion children on Gallifrey. It's not that the doctor is correct it's just he's flawed in wanting complete pacifism which he really believes in an option. I do think your idea for a soldier companion could work.
Well said.
That was over 1200 years ago know
Every single male companion was in a military in some form
apart from adric
I think murdering 2.47 billion children kind of sticks with you until the day you die.
Mark McKeown wut?
Hopefully you let this Doctor grow on you. His first season has a lot more ups and downs than previous Doctors, and he goes through a lot more character development than the rest in my opinion. He can be a bit of an struggle to get on board with early on, but by the end you'll love him.
This is the first time we’ve seen Daleks exterminate someone since Victory of the Daleks at the start of Smiths era
We need death again.
The Revenant Chainmaker Hopefully under Chibnall death can be meaningful again (I.e. irreversible)
The Revenant Chainmaker I like it when the Daleks go all out
A time lord gets blown up by one in day of the doctor
Don’t know if that counts as extermination though thinking about as they could regen
"Life......returns. Life.....prevails. Resistance is futile."
Chills.
Regards the Doctor and soldiers- just bare in mind as 11 he had to reincorporate into his mind all the memories of the War Doctor and all the terrible things he did as a soldier and leading soldiers in the Time War. As if that wasn't enough he then spent most of the last thousand years of his life as Eleven defending Trenzalore from invading armies. So its understandable that he is not keen on having soldiers about- they remind him of himself too much.
As others have mentioned the Doctor had a life long friendship with a soldier, the Brigadier, starting in his second incarnation and lasting through till the Brigs death (you may remember in the Wedding of River Song it is receiving a phone call that the Brigadier has passed away that makes his mind up to face his end at the hands of the Impossible Astronaut) . They still clashed over the military method and the scientific method yet they remained close friends throughout. If you want to see the Doctor with soldiers as companions then the 3rd Doctor era is the one for you. But 12 has his own issues to deal with in this regard, its one of the things that makes him so interesting.
Petty Tyrant he only had to reincorporate the events of the 50th not the entire time war.
Acendiat Media- Well in the 50th the Doctor says of the War Doctor that he pretended he did not exist- in order to do that at the very least 9, 10 and most of 11's time he would have been willfully forgetting him and what he did.
It all depends I suppose how you interpret the following lines in the 50th-
"There's one life I've tried very hard to forget" and "All those years, burying you in my memory. Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself."
It seems to me therefore that its only after the events of the 50th that the Doctor internally allows himself to remember the War Doctor and what he did during the War. I think prior to that he just shut it all away somewhere in his mind and closed a door.
Petty Tyrant that's called repressing memories and it's unclear to what extent that was. It sounds to me more like not thinking about that embarrassing thing that happened to you. The doctor talks about the time war a number of times which suggests he remembers it.
Acendiat Media I see it as probably something akin to how Rory describes remembering being an auton Roman for two thousand years- the memories are there, but not all the time and he can shut the door on them if he wants- but he still knows it happened without necessarily remembering the details.
Likewise the Doctor remembers the Time War as a thing that happened and he was involved in, but the actual memories of what he did during it he deliberately has closed off from himself, hence the line about keeping it secret even from himself. At least that is my reading of it, and without going to spoilery territory I think some things 12 says in his time reinforce the notion these memories are very raw still to him.
Petty Tyrant 9&10 talk about specific places and events in the time war so I can't really get on board with this theory.
To be honest, Capaldi's 3rd episode 'Robot of Sherwood' was the one that got me hooked on the 12th Doctor.
It's a funny episode, full of jokes, but I didn't like it per se. Maybe cause I don't like Robin Hood.
Just understand Jess that this whole 'Doctor being against soldiers' arc does go somewhere, I wouldn't say it's the BBC being anti-soldier, it actually makes sense that at the beginning of this incarnation the Doctor would be hesitant about soldiers and war. After all his previous incarnation did come face to face with the version that fought in the Time War, and he spent more than 300 years fighting a battle on trenzalore. This soldier arc does go somewhere and it works really well for how the Doctor's thoughts and feelings change. Also I wouldn't say people just take it, there is push back from people about his opinions in this season. Luckily it's the only season that sort of plays on this theme.
Also I'd say Clara's comment about 'shooting people and crying afterwards' was simply her just being stupid, she realised what she said was insensitive after she'd said it, seems like a throw away line, but I do think it was in poor taste.
I'm so excited for you!
You're just at the cusp of Capaldi's era, so many incredible episodes await!
Most of his male companions were (or became) soldiers.
Ian: teacher
Steven: soldier from the future
Ben: Naval seaman
Jamie 💓: Highlander fighting the British
The Brigadier etc al ❤: soldiers (and best friend!)
Adric: mathematician
Turlough: exiled soldier
Lee (from tv movie): gang member
Jack: Time Agent, soldier
Rory: nurse (became a soldier while traveling with the Doctor)
Harry: unit medical officer
The Brigadier (Kate Stewart's father), met the 2nd Doctor, was pretty much a companion for much of the 3rd's run and also in some of the 4ths adventures and at least one 5th and one 7th (all in TV adventures, if you count prose/comic/audio adventures I think he probably met all the incarnations at one point or another). So I think having an issue with a soldier as a companion is definitely a post Time War event. As I mentioned elsewhere it is probably because he sees himself in them, and is reminded of what he had to do during the Time War and on Trenzalore/Christmas prior to his regeneration to 12. (And his speech to clara in the Tardis near the end of Deep Breath speaks of making up for past mistakes or actions)
If 10 is the one who regrets, and 11 is the one who forgets; 12 is possibly the one who repents.
Thank you for going in with an open mind with these episodes. This is probably the deepest identity crisis the Doctor has had and he is still working things out. Capaldi said he wanted to go back to the Doctor being more alien and a bit shut off as he has seen what being too involved with the human race has caused in the past but don't worry he will evolve over his tenure and a bit more looser ( particularly in his wardrobe!!)
I think the soldier prejudice thing kind of makes sense when you consider that after the Time War and the 900 year long battle on Trenzalore (which had only ended weeks, if not days ago in his own personal time line at this point), He's actually spent the majority of His life fighting in wars and witnessing the most horrifying and emotionally traumatising things one could even dream of.
As stated in the 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor is the man who regrets what he did in the Time War, while 11th is the man who forgets. The 12th Doctor, Capaldi, is perhaps best described as the man who is still effected by the events of the Time War, like an old seasoned war veteran who is also troubled by all his past failures as The Doctor. I think this is a good representation of the 12th Doctor as he's not as caring as the previous Doctors until later in the series.
i would say he still is caring he just isnt concerned with politemess and is extremely sarcastic/sassy
Big fan of this ep. One of Capaldi's best!
If you want a soldier companion, then you should check out the Third Doctor's era. The main team is the Doctor, Jo or Liz, the Brigadier (the Doctor's best friend, who met almost every incarnation of the Doctor in the show), Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton. It's a proper ensemble, military-based era. I think it would potentially become your favourite era. It's a family atmosphere (similar to Eleven and the Ponds), a large regular cast (which you've mentioned liking before) and it's a good group of soldier companions (which makes a nice change to the post-Time War doctors' resistance to the military). The more I think about it, the more I realise that it's practically been designed to appeal to you, personally, hah.
Delboy359: True. But I think we can all agree, not as much as 12 in Series 8.
I think Battlefield really loses much if it doesn't have the nostaligia factor
Like I've said - the doctor's a solider, but he's not military.
i would add to that that pertwee is amazing as well
I think it has a lot do with who is playing the Doctor. Some people play the Doctor who dislikes killing and avoids violence. Others played Doctors who had no problem killing.
The third DoctorJon Pertwee was a member of a military spy group in WWII. Along with placing the show on earth for a while, I would not doubt he was influential in selling the military angle.
If you're reading the comments, please stop now. Someone in spoiling things on purpose. I think you don't do that anymore, but just in case.
Why are people so cruel and cowardly? Such a shame they don't pay attention to the actual show they want to spoil.
"I feel like he's hypnotizing me!" Yes that was pretty trippy. And the claustrophobia is real in this episode! When Clara goes into that thing, I just feel more trapped the deeper she goes. I'm like, how is she not freaking out?
I love Danny and it's hard to watch people talk to him that way. I LOVE the thoughts you have on this episode.
After Rusty said, "you are a good dalek." Did anyone else find it funny the way he looked back at the Doctor dramatically?
ALSO, does anyone else see Sherlock and Watson when you look at 12 and Clara? I'm rewatching it all now and their dynamic, their roles, the way they speak to each other reminds me of Sherlock and Watson!
Really great reaction all around Jess! I loved hearing your thoughts on the deep aspects of this episode, and it was so fun watching you laugh so much at the awkward exchange between Danny and Clara!
An interpretation of that final scene with rusty, that i love, is that, Rusty wasnt insulting the doctor, he was emphaticly trying to TELL the doctor what he cant see with his own eyes. The dalek race as a whole are "bad daleks" the DOCTOR, is a good dalek, because he does the same thing as the daleks, wiping out species after species...except unlike the dalek race? He understands MERCY.The doctor isnt a "bad person" because hes a good dalek. hes the BEST person, because hes a GOOD. dalek. He does the hard acts, for the right reasons. To quote missy "You'll really kill me? To save her soul?" He'll kill if he has to, to save others from that same act.
i like this interpretation
'You are a good Dalek.'
The moment I heard that, I just felt a real chill down my back.
I just adore your reactions Jess, you’re the one RUclipsr I vicariously live through via their reactions! Keep it up :)
I liked the way the Dalek gave the doctor the evil eye-stalk at the end.
When you commented “The borg showing up?” when the dalek said”resistance is futile” reminded me of a graphic novel where the Doctor (in fact 11) with Amy and Rory met up with Star Trek NextGeneration and the Borg and the cybermen joined forces,
Pretty interesting read & storyline.
They're always brave.
The various Doctors have all had their own flaws. I get the feeling 12's journey is in many ways an acceptance and atonement for them.
10 was the one who regrets.
11 was the one who forgets.
12 was the one who accepts.
Something to remember is that the last Doctor we became aware of was the War Doctor. It makes sense in some ways to see 12 as the _anti_-War Doctor, regenerations in the modern era are informed by what has gone before. At the moment the Doctor associates soldiers with war and that alone but give him time, he'll see the error of his ways and come to understand the power of a soldier's promise.
Remember people told you too give a time to understand this doctor yeah... This doctor is not so your goofy one all the best for the rest of the season👍👍👍
Jiga I think her comments at the end clearly indicate she's giving it time to see where it goes
20:20
Perfectly ordinary reaction when confronted head-on with Capaldi's eyebrows.
“Does she like him back?” She initiates the whole thing for goodness sake!
As soon as i heard "you are a good dalek!" i just got fucking flashbacks to nine
"You would make a good dalek!"
I really love Samuel Anderson as Danny.
Veikko Elo I’m honestly the opposite. I thought his acting was pretty wooden throughout.
Samuel is great
Dark Delete that spoiler ffs (not that anyone cared about it but hey)
Capaldi's 1st great 'Doctor' moment was making Journey say please.....great stuff.
Oh there’s a crossover comic with 11,Rory & Amy where the meet Star Trek The Next Generation & help defend the Borg & Cybermen Who have teamed up
Borgin & Burkes Antiques Shop
Too bad it's not canon :(
that sounds awesome!
Wasn't bad, nice art-looked like pastels.
mpg272727 Doctor Who has no canon
The sass the Dalek radiates when it turns around after having called the Doctor a good Dalek (22:10)
Hey sesska, when the 3rd doctor stayed on earth he became best friends with Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Kate Stewarts father. As you may know the Doctor was the scientific authority at UNIT. You can see the Doctor interact with the Brigadier as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and a mention of the brigadier passing away when 11 was about to get shot by River in Utah. The Brigadier was the person able to pull the trigger when the Doctor couldnt and has saved the Doctor on countless occasions.
I don't get the Danny hate, I like him.
It's like how people claim 12 is the best doctor, but all his scripts are apparently bad somehow. It's just stupid people being butthurt because ???
The only problem I have with Danny Pink is the actor playing him. Could Doctor Who not get a better actor or something?
Nothing wrong with the Actor playing Danny, if you pay attention to his character, it makes sense how he behaves. (Spoilers: depression and such)
Even knowing that, I still felt that they could've gotten a better, or at least capable, actor.
I liked him too :)
You're gonna love Danny. He's a great character.
Now I want to see the 12th Doctor doing hypnosis/motivational videos. :) And I love that line: "I've opened up your mind, and now I'm coming in." That is both scary and beautiful at once.
You saw a small number of Episodes in New Who where UNIT (Soldiers) were involved. In Classic Who, starting with the Second Doctor, there were lots of Episodes with UNIT. The Third Doctor was with UNIT and the Brigadier for a long time. Of course they were with the other Classic Doctors from time to time. THEN there was the Time War where the Doctor was a Warrior for Hundreds of years. He wants to forget that time and the things he did. Soldiers keep reminding him of what he wants to forget.
Your reaction has actually given me a whole new perspective of this episode and how dark it actually is. It's a perfect "proper" introduction to Twelve that sets up a really interesting arc for him personally. He's a really unique Doctor and I've come to love him a lot from these first episodes :3
the doctor was a solider, he fought in the last grate time war. and ended it, killing all daleks, all timelords and saving the rest of space and time. He knows the hurt he inflicted, he knows the hurt soldiers inflict on those they have to fight against. He sees all the pain, all the broken hearts, families and lives. I think his disdain for soldiers is not necessarily justified but understandable given his experience of war.
As folks have said - Twelve's disdain for soldiers comes from him wrestling with his own inner hatred of the things he's done. However, he has had soldiers for companions in the past! The Brigadier was one of his closest and best friends, and that was back in his era as the Third Doctor.
omg. took me minutes to realise that the video I was staring at was the next episode to doctor who. finally clicked on it.
Dont worry. Twelve doesnt stay anti soldier nor does the writing
I need to watch Fantastic Voyage again..
Your reaction to Missy is hilarious. I'm dead. Is it bad that I wanted Rusty as a companion?
tylerx2f01 potential spoilers there
You got handles instead
Liam Catterson And any fan theories that Rusty is the Dalek in S1E6 is gibberish.
I always love these episodes where the Doctor is forced to confront himself, the person he is and the person he strives to be
"You looked inside me and you saw hatred. That's not victory"
I love that line. It just always sticks with me. It reminds me to not hold onto hatred and just be kind. Not sure that's the intention of the quote but thanks anyway Doctor and Rusty!
What I love about these first two episodes is the Doctor trying to figure himself out.
The Doctor has always been one to avoid war if he could, but his longest human friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, was a soldier. His disdain for soldiers in general, became more an after effect of The Time War, I always have felt.
all i can say is i've had a long, shitty day and i just saw that you posted a new doctor who reaction and out loud i said 'oh my god' 'oh my god' 'i've been blessed'
Great reaction as usual i was a bit worried about the soldier thing with the doc but i get the impression you know it will be sorted eventually.cant wait for the next episode👍🏻🤘🏻
The thing about the Doctor is that he IS a soldier. The reason he travels with companions is because whenever he’s ready to go too far, he needs someone who isn’t used to fighting to be there and tell him when to stop. He essentially brings along a civilian to give him better orders. His difficulty towards soldiers is hypocritical, and a major character flaw, but it makes sense for him as a person.
the reason the daleks are in every season is because the creator of the daleks (terry nation) kept the privatised rights to them when the show went off air in the 80s, russel and julie had to fight for the usage of the daleks and the best deal they could get was to use the daleks at least once every season. Otherwise terry gonna sue their asses lol.
I always felt that his antipathy to the military is a bit two-faced, seeing has he was attached to them for ages and one of his closest friends is a Brigadier General. Certainly, the Time War has left him scarred, but his attitude goes way back.
I believe that it's rooted in a total disdain for authority (in the classic series he was elected President on Gallifrey, and shirked all responsibilities by running away, again).
It's just part of his make up. If he were less flawed, we wouldn't like him so much.
Great reaction, keep up the good work and take care of yourself!
Also, I can totally get why that episode was uncomfortable viewing (and there's probably one on the way that's equally if not more uncomfortable on that front), but it's setting up some really good, and, imo, military-positive stuff later down the road, so there's that.
When Rusty said "You are a good Dalek" I love it. Because way back with Christopher Ecelston being told by the Dalek in the underground bunker that "He would make a good Dalek" just makes you realise all that hate inside of him can never go away even when doing something good.
The Doctor's disdain for soldiers stems from experiences he's had in the early days of Doctor Who. In classic Who, The Doctor was a staunch ally with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewert. The third Doctor had nothing but soldiers for companions. It's the idea that his worst enemies, The Daleks and The Cyberman, are like soldiers..even though they really arent. You've got something there though, Danny Pink is a soldier and you'll see more of him..lol.
Well that's the week nicely rounded off. The series is starting to warm up and we've got the obligatory Dalek episode behind us now.
The Doctor is someone who has seen war from all angles, who does not generally take orders and I think sees people who do as inherently untrustworthy, in that you are not dealing with their morality, which you might be able to appeal to, but to that of their masters', who you probably will not be able to sway. The series was born out of a country that had been through the experience of the Second World War, the Blitz and the liberation of the camps where the Holocaust happened well within living memory at that time. The Daleks were based, at least in part, on the Nazis, and the idea that you simply obey orders rather than be the kind to question them I think informs a lot of what Doctor Who was always meant to be about. And it's a theme that comes up again and again in the series. This is only re-emphasised by the story of the Time War and the Doctor's role in it. As to having a soldier as a companion, those who grew up with Classic Who know that he has had warriors as companions more than once, and his relationship with the Brigadier was a very important one. At its best, the writers of Doctor Who have always tried to present multiple takes on all kinds of questions, and the Doctor's relationship with soldiers and warriors is no exception.
As always, great reaction from you, and I like the new camera. :) Love your honesty, and what you bring to the DW fandom, oh, and I loved your reaction to Missy. ;) See you next week. :D
Seriously! If Rusty is the Dalek from the 9th Doctor's era who destroyed itself, reborn. Then WOW!
The soldier stuff was awkwardly handled for sure, and I think it's reinforced here because we're hearing it from both Doctor and companion. I would simply say though that as with much of Twelve's era it's all about the journey - and it's often a long one at that. It makes for some compelling dilemmas along the way, and whilst some like this one are let down by writing that's not up to standards, others end up far better than this.
"Doctor--the universal word for healer and wise man. We get that from you, you know. But if you keep going the way you're going, what will that word come to mean? In the language of the forest, 'Doctor' means 'great warrior'".
"The Doctor--always running, never looking back, because he dares not out of shame...This is my victory. I have shown you...yourself".
As I said previously, loved Matt Smith he reintroduced me to New Who. and got me to purchase and watch tons of Classic Who! With that said I loved your reactions to this episode. I loved Matt, he got me to back and watch Eccelston and Tenant. I’ve thrilled and enjoyed all the Doctors 9-11. This is My Doctor, I cant wait to further enjoy your reactions and listen to your observations on Cspaldi! Thanks!👮🏼♀️
Jess - (Possible spoilers if you watch more of the Classic Era) If you watch some of the 3rd Doctor stories you will see the Doctor working alongside the Brigadier and other UNIT soldiers without many problems. This prejudice has mostly erupted ever since the Time War. Wars ultimately change both society and soldiers. The Doctor still looks at his part in the Time War with much regret and hatred at some of his actions. In more recent episodes you will obviously know that the 11th Doctor was a product of the Trenzalore War. This Doctor was born out of war and therefore has some of the traits of 9. He needs Clara to make him better, much in the same way that Rose helped 9 and 10.
‘The rebels will be exterminated’ - Darth Dalek
Capaldi says so much with the eyes
This Doctor evolves and changes as the episodes go on. I think after Matt was so beloved they took a while figuring out who 12 was going to be. But he finds his way :)
I like Into the Dalek overall. Some fun concepts in play here. I liked that they went a new direction with it.
You have to realize the Doctor's disdain for soldiers comes partly from a long history of "shoot first, don't bother with questions after" sorts of soldiers he's had to deal with in the past, and partly from a self-loathing over what he's had to do as a soldier himself. He fought in the Time War, so when he's talking about soldiers, he's also talking about himself. It's not a judgment on RL soldiers by the show's writers. I know from your real life that it's hard not to have a knee jerk reaction. I'm sure a lot of people did. You just have to put yourself in the Doctor's shoes.
OH WOW! It's been years, but I'm just now noticing that Ross (the guy that got vaporized by the antibodies) is played by Ben Crompton, who plays Dolorous Edd in Game of Thrones. I thought he looked familiar. (Though for a moment I thought he looked like the guy who played Shane in Shameless UK.)
I don’t think it’s prejudice, I think it’s fear. He won’t have a soldier as a companion because he spent so long being a soldier (War Doctor) that he needs a companion who will remind him that he doesn’t have to fight all the time. Especially his more volatile incarnations, like 12.
It's kinda of a callback to season 1 episode 6, when the Dalek said to the 9th Doctor "you would make a good Dalek" when he told it to kill itself.
That's just like a American solider turning against his fellow soilders and killing them all
in classic who he had a few soldiers with him " leftbridge stuart"for one
The Doctor has had Great relations with soldiers, even going back to the 2nd Doctor. This anti-soldier attitude was unique, and you can imagine very divisive.
You're reaction to "You are a good Dalek" was one of the my favourite things from any reaction vid
On the miniaturizer: 'Great idea for a movie...' Like the Fantastic Voyage reference.
Once again you've made my day. Fantastic. I agree with your comment about a different type of Dalek story
The Borg actually do feature with The Doctor in cross over Comics with Next Generation.