And AWESOME! I really enjoyed his performance.
I have to say, I am not happy with the idea of Catherine Tate joining the cast. Martha was really good (though Jack was better, as people have said), but we’ve already seen Tate playing companion, and she wasn’t all that great.
I agree that she wasn’t great in the Xmas special, but I’m willing to give her and the writers the benefit of the doubt. If she were toned down from the hysterics of the special, it could work.
I thought I would hate her in the x-mas special, given her obnoxious character, but actually thought she was terrific, and am really glad she’s back. Definitely not a Rose/Martha clone too, which adds a different and interesting dynamic - the whole “I’m in love with the Doctor but he isn’t interested in me” was an appropriate theme for a relaunched show, because new viewers wouldn’t know the Doctor is essentially asexual, but it’s old now.
That would be a laudable goal if it’s what was intended, but I don’t think that what they’ve shown onscreen backs it up. To make an exceedingly geeky analogy, it’s not the Spock/Nurse Chapel dynamic, it’s the Picard/Dr. Crusher or Mulder/Scully one. The Doctor has had romantic relationships with characters other than Rose/Martha, after all. He’s not asexual, just apparently averse to damaging a productive working relationship.
He also lives a thousand years longer than most human females.
Huh? That’s exactly what he’s always been on the show - he’s never had a romantic relationship with anyone.
The only hint that he’s been anything other than “friend” to anyone was the fact that when the show launched 40 years ago, it had a character who he called his grand-daughter – but that really just reflected different intentions for the show, when he was essentially just a grumpy old scientist, long before “regeneration” and Gallifrey, etc. If anything, they subsequently downplayed that character’s relationship with the Doctor to the point where it was possibly retconned into just a term of endearment – that was certainly the view of the creators in last stint of the show before the relaunch.
Ahh, you’re one of those “asexual” doctor nutters. How else would he have a granddaughter? Plenty of people suspected he was having a romantic relationship with Romana also. Just like the show has evolved over the years, so has the character of the Doctor.
Wasn’t the Doctor falling in love with Madame de Pompadour?
He snogged her, and they seemed pleased with each other.
That and the hint about “Cleo”.
Do you even watch this show?
Actually, I’d prefer the Doctor to NOT be asexual, which is why his lack of sexual interest or relationships - or even physcial affection - has always been so glaring.
There have been some recent hints at changing this, starting with the American Doctor Who movie, which obviously presented (at the time) a pretty startling change in the Doc’s attitude towards a “companion” by having him actually want to kiss her.
As far as the Grand daughter - like I said, you have to look at the show’s origins, and the views of its creators at the time. Originally the Doc was going to be a normal but eccentric dude. Starting in the 70s they really whitewashed the Granddaughter history, and by the time of John Nathan Turner’s run, that origin had been retconned to the point where she was unrelated to him – Eric Saward and Andrew Cartmel, the two most enduring script editors during that run, actually wrote stories (never filmed, so whether they’re canon is questionable) stating she was the offspring of other Gallifreyans like Rassilon.
Romana actually highlights how asexual the Doctor has been written, since they’re never shown demonstrating any physical affection, or even exchanging any romantic talk, and when Romana leaves they’re both unemotional about the whole affair.
I wouldn’t mind at all if the Doctor had a romantic relationship with a companion - hell, I’d like him to start banging Captain Jack if that meant Jack would be on the show regularly. The relaunched show has regularly hinted at the Doctor possibly having sexual interests (and also of re-embracing his origin as a guy with a family), but I’d really wish they’d be more explicit.
Lol, I don’t know where you’re from, but I’ve grown up with it, and have seen every episode a zillion times, since I used to watch 'em nightly.
But hey, don’t let your ignorance stop you from being rude.
Watch it harder.
Yeah, I would say that anything that wasn’t filmed isn’t canon, and truth be told, there really isn’t any hard and fast canon to the show as it is. As I said before, the show changes with the times, to adapt to the times, and that’s one of the things that makes the show so good.
I just saw Shakspeare Code, thought it was a good story.
Spoiler, a bit
What got me was the ending. It was the best.
Queen E comes in. Sees the Doctor and goes ballistic, “off with his HEAD!!”
Martha asks whats up with her, he doesn’t know, hasn’t met her yet.
That’s good stuff, I had a good chuckle. I love timetravel stories, Doctor Who or otherwise.
I’ve been watching Season 3 as it airs on Sci-Fi. Shakespeare code was one of the funniest episodes of the show to date. I loved the back and forth between the Doctor and Shakespeare, and a lot of the one-offs and in-jokes were hilarious. I even laughed at the Harry Potter references and I don’t even read the books. Brilliantly scripted episode and a reminder of why I like the new Dr. Who so much.
So I finally catch up and watch the great season finale, only to come and read this. Tate? As companion? Ugh. Maybe if I go watch Torchwood to see how bad it is, it will kill any interest I have for the show/universe.
Cathrine Tate as the companion.
That should be really funny, or really annoying. I liked her in Runaway Bride, but she was, well, a bit of a whiner. Could be good for a change, because both Rose and Martha, as characters, were(are) able to handle themselves rather well at times.
I still wish Christopher Eccleston was the Doctor. No slight to David Tennet, he’s really good to. But I really became a CE fan after the line “Would you mind not farting while I’m speaking”. David can be a little to Peter Davidson at times. While Mr Davidson was ok, I was glad when he left.
Anyway, 42 is on tomorrow and I’ve heard it’s pretty good. Less silly than some of stories this season from what I’ve been told. Gridlock, while good, was a bit strange and the Dalek episodes were kinda so-so.
Ugh, Davison (no middle d) was awesome compared to the two retards who followed him.
McCoy could have been brilliant if he’d been given Davison’s scripts.
I agree.
His stories seemed ill fitted to his character.