I myself like Whittaker, but I can't say the story impressed me. I was hoping that they would be getting some better writers in.
shareMy conclusion was pretty much identical. I quite liked her, I wasn't blown away but it was a good enough start to think that she will fit the role. The story however was very poor, hoping it will improve but am worried that it will suffer the in the same vein as the past couple of seasons.
shareShit.
I'm going to post an unpopular opinion, but I'm not sold on this yet.
Nothing to do with the character being female. More that I just felt something was off. I felt the writing/character choice felt, I don't know, not suited to Jodie. Some of the big moments, like her confronting of the villain or when she took a long jump in order to capture him felt off, to me. I still felt like I was watching an actress playing the Doctor, rather than the actual Doctor. Also, I didn't take to any of the new characters either. Bradley Walsh seemed out of place. I didn't care about the guy overcoming his condition to ride his bike. Didn't even feel that moved when his aunt died. Something just missing, for me.
However, and perhaps most importantly, when Jodie came out in her own costume, for some reason that felt more like a click moment. Like, oh there's The Doctor. So hopefully, I'll get more used to her. Also, that young policewoman character seemed alright. Wanting more of a challenge, seeking adventures. Seemed decent companion material.
It's always hard to review a Doctor's first episode. Partly because you're still getting used to the new character, and partly because the plots are always a bit duff. Doctor stumbles around confused for a while, accidentally witnesses and alien invasion, gets used to himself/herself, defeats the aliens, puts on new suit. They're introductory episodes, rather than plot-driven ones.
Maybe it'll take a few episodes to get used to, and one day I'll look back and enjoy this episode when I'm more used to the characters. Hope so.
It's the trying to make out the Doctor has previously been female gets me. The doctor says that she hasn't bought female clothes in a long time.Missy previously said I remember the Doctor when she was a little girl. We've seen the previous incarnations of the Doctor....all MALE!!!!!
Stop with this shite Chibnall and respect the intelligence of your audience. You want to make the doctor female, knock yourself out. But at least write a decent introduction story.
This was boring, and that's being kind.
Am I against a female Doctor? Yes, but I was prepared to give it a go. don't think I'll bother watching now.
Yeah, sounds a bit like the writers are trying to social engineer the narrative. The Doctor was born in a male form - that is the assumption established by the classic series. I believe you need to have some ground rules for a character otherwise why have characters or different personalities in a story?
There are/were female Time Lords - there is no gender discrimination in the career structure of the Time Lords that I'm aware of, so there is no real justification in playing gender politics with the Doctor's identity. The decision to make a gender swap for this incarnation is probably based on a political agenda. However, there is room for creativity if you want to take the Doctor in future self directions - reengineering his past just underlines a political agenda which is not warranted. The quote from the new series female Doctor episode one about familiarity with female clothing could also refer to past experiences with female companions and their wardrobe needs or some memory or dealings with other women.
The story was low key and not especially exciting but it was good at focusing on the characters which will be featured in the series in some way. They don't feel as if they just popped out of nowhere or work as convenient cliches for the story.
I honestly think that instead of regenerating The Doctor into a lady, they should have had The Doctor step aside or go missing and have a lady Time Lord be pronounced "The New Doctor." That way you could also have a new character who is equally mysterious, having had different encounters with some of the same characters, and keep an ongoing mystery about what happened to the Old Doctor with the 13 regenerations. And yes, she could be of equal stature to the old Doctor.
Then when they feel like bringing him back, he could have regenerated a mysterious number of times.
That would not work. The Doctor is not like other Time Lords, what makes him/her Our Hero is his long history of being unlike the other time lords, who are frankly a bunch of bastards who think humans and other mortal species aren't worth liking or saving. The Doctor is the one we like, the one we know, the one we trust, and without him/her there's no show.
Sigh. I myself am totally okay with hiring an actress to play the Doctor, Time Lords are aliens and there's no logical reason to say that if they can't change sex as well as age, haircut, weight, and teeth with each regeneration. But I kind of wish that the BBC hadn't made this decision, because I knew there was going to be no end of fan whining about this, probably so much that nobody is going to want to talk about the actual show.
Perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye. Maybe the Time Lords view the Doctor as a necessary evil.
shareNice idea. The journey into caring about humans by a different Timelord would be a nice change of pace.
I don't care about the new Dr being a woman. But I do care about good writing. I quit during Capaldi due to having had enough of the bad writing. This is not a good start.
If they could write the female Time Lord well that could be worth trying. Whittaker's Doctor might be a template for future building into a rather bad cliche of female empowerment if they decide to go down that route. Romana was a strong character without resorting to politicking - she was a credible character in her own right without further elaboration in the modern style of gender conflict. The arguments/friction between the Fourth Doctor and Romana was a perfect illustration of the reality of coexistence between different personalities and gender expectations - no-one is automatically right and the conflict doesn't have to be overstated.
Knowing that Whittaker can play underdog hero characters sympathetically and well I'm really hoping she can do the Doctor role justice.
The quote from the new series female Doctor episode one about familiarity with female clothing could also refer to past experiences with female companions and their wardrobe needs or some memory or dealings with other women.
It could, but I don't think it did.
For me Whittaker was a bit like a female Eccleston, which isn't a bad thing, but the episode itself was a rubbish rip off of the new predator movie (itself a poor entry in the franchise). The supporting characters made me wish Bill (not a favourite with a lot of fans) had stayed around. In fact, they'd have probably done better keeping the Hunters target on as the assistant.
"It's always hard to review a Doctor's first episode. Partly because you're still getting used to the new character, and partly because the plots are always a bit duff. Doctor stumbles around confused for a while, accidentally witnesses and alien invasion, gets used to himself/herself, defeats the aliens, puts on new suit. They're introductory episodes, rather than plot-driven ones."
This is true, the introductory episodes are usually pretty weak.
I really liked Whittaker and I don't care at all that the Doctor has regenerated into a female. I do lament the lack of original strong female characters, but that's something different.
I actually liked this episode. I had read a bit about a not so great story, but I would take a story like this over the adipose, WWIII with The Slitheen, or the awful episode Love and Monsters. It was so much better than Kill the Moon and The Creature from the Pit.
So all that being said, I'm certainly going to give this a chance.
Jodie wasnt bad or terrible, but the lame Predator rip off story wasnt really the best way to start the series.
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