Twelfth Doctor, Eighth Season

(Warning: Spoilers)


I'm real happy to be watching Doctor Who again but I didn't enjoy the first two episodes much. The only parts I liked in Deep Breath were the ones with Madam Vastra, Jenny, Strax and the T Rex. The Doctor was still a non-entity for me and I didn't bother to focus on him because at this point, he was still getting used to his regeneration and trying to figure out how to talk and act. It's good how they showed Clara's discomfort in dealing with this stranger though; she was definitely playing stand-in for the fans who miss Matt Smith and are getting used to their hero in an older body :D

Clara and Twelve will do fine. In fact, I wasn't happy with her girl crush on Eleven because not only did he already have River but the situation had a 'been there done that' stamped all over it. Didn't that one sided attraction happen with Martha before? Anyway, Clara's caring personality makes a good contrast with Twelve's grumpiness. She's a teacher who learns a lot from him and he learns a lot from her, too.


At first, Into the Dalek seemed like an interesting reinvention of an old subject but it turned out to be unspectacular and boring for me. I heard it was a lot like The Invisible Enemy, an old classic serial where the doctor shrunk and got trapped inside his own body but this wasn't an issue. I don't mind it when plot lines are repeated for as long as the modern versions are able to bring something new to the table. I didn't get that feeling when I watched Into the Dalek. It showed how a Dalek would be able to feel compassion, view other species as equals and demonstrate a reluctance to kill (them) which led to its destruction...but this was already covered in Dalek with Nine and Rose.

On the other hand, Robot of Sherwood was fun, charming and had a spirit of adventure that reminded me of every version of Robin Hood that I'd seen. It wasn't the most original in that it also reminded me of an earlier classic, The Time Warrior, but the way they portrayed Robin Hood and his bickering interaction with the Doctor wasn't just amusing but gave good insight on Twelve's less than playful approach in dealing with others. Several highlights in this episode: Clara not fading into the background despite getting caught between Robin and Twelve's petty fighting, her scene with the sheriff, Robin and his merry men, the doctor's duel with Robin by the river and how it was repeated (very effectively) in handling the enemy. My favorite? How the episode touched on heroism, emphasizing that it didn't matter if one was remembered as a fictional character rather than as a historic figure for as long as he/she was able to help those in need.

Overall, while I didn't care for the first two episodes the third more than made up for it and hopefully, it will all be uphill from there. Moffat also hasn't abandoned his penchant for spreading a story arc over a season and while most of my favorite Who stories come in only one or two parts, I don't mind if a story is delivered in small doses- especially if written well, like they did when they teased us with the Silence in season 6. Right now, I'm curious as to where the whole destination paradise story is headed and who the mysterious woman in the garden is- the Master? Or maybe a regenerated River Song?

Eleven and Four are still my favorite doctors from New and Classic Who respectively but Twelve showed a lot of potential in what I've seen of him :) Capaldi's doctor reminds me a little bit of Nine, Seven and One in that there's a bit of an edge to him, a darker personality and a temper. He's also far from cheerful and hates banter, which distinguishes him from Ten and Eleven's upbeat hyper-activeness. I'm looking forward to what Capaldi does with his doctor and watching this show gave me the same old, comfortable feeling despite having to get used to the changes.