I Can't Believe it Took Me this Long!

This is going to be a long post and full of spoilers. So if you don't want to be spoiled read something else.

 I finally decided to watch this show because I knew that Captain Jack and Torchwood was a spinoff  and wanted to see his genesis on Doctor Who. The reason I didn't want to watch it before this was that I was such a fan of the original series and did not want this to spoil it for me. I was introduced to its original incarnation around 1989. My mum was a Moneypenny to a bunch of engineers at Boeing and one of them was a huge fan of the show and had all the episodes he could get on VHS tape. He loaned them to us and just like your first Bond (for me Roger Moore), you always have a special place for your first Doctor. Since I watched them in kind of a mixed up order, a sprinkle of Hartness, a dash of Baker, and a pinch of Pertwee, I liked them all. Eventually I found myself with a special fondness for Davison but in the end it was Sylvester McCoy who claimed the honor of Karen's favorite Doctor. So when this newest one started showing up on BBC America, I gave it a miss. Until just a little over a month ago. Miracle Day on Starz got me motivated to sit down and give it chance and, boy, am I glad I did. This show is something and I have not been able to stop watching.

The one thing that all the Doctor's in his various incarnations carry with him is a crushing loneliness. Some hide it better than others but all his faces carry it within, an invisible pall of darkness around his hearts. Seeing all the death and destruction that his life entails, hundreds of years of it, the loss of his planet, his past, that is not hard to understand. I think it is his companions in the end that keep him sane and able to carry on in his travels through time and space. He certainly does not like being alone, that is made abundantly clear. His thoughts and memories must hound him, never allowing him a moments peace. It is only when he can share himself with another that he can fully function. He is such an interesting character with such a rich mythology, it sometimes feels that you will never get to the end of understanding just who this man is, nor would you want to. He can act so shallow, but sometimes there is a look, an incident, and you can feel the depths, so deep you could never reach bottom. If you did it would be like looking into the time vortex that is the heart of the TARDIS and the understanding would consume you. Leaving the Doctor alone yet again with those sad and haunted eyes. Reinette from "The Girl in the Fireplace" called him her lonely angel. Lonely he most certainly is, but he is more God than angel, an immortal Time Lord. And like a God he is vengeful, unforgiving, full of wrath, wielding time like Thor does his hammer or Neptune controls the seas. But, like God as well, the Doctor wears two faces to match his two hearts. He can be loving, kind, and generous. He will sacrifice himself to save those he loves only to be reborn like the Phoenix and start the process all over again.

So starting with the first episode "Rose" with Eccelstone, it felt like I was in for an adventure. And, it has not disappointed. I really liked Eccelstone's portrayal of the ninth Doctor. Charming, witty, ingenious (as all the Doctor's are) with a deep pathos of guilt as the only survivor of the time war and an occasional uncontrollable rage (that Tennant finally allowed full vent to) he was fascinating and not a little bit scary at times. The stories were fast paced, interesting, and I enjoyed Rose who was so lively and excited about everything she saw. My favorite episodes of this season was the two-parter "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances." Not just because we get to meet Capt. Jack for the first time but because the story was so compelling. That scene with little Jaime walking alone down the dark and empty street, so small and vulnerable, going to his room, brought tears to my eyes. In the end, when everybody lives and the way the Doctor dances around like a child at Christmas had me up and cheering. And when the truth of the Bad Wolf is finally revealed at series end and winds up saving the world but destroying the Doctor I knew I would miss him. I didn't know how I would feel about this new floppy haired version, the tenth doctor. But this was Doctor Who after all, if you can't stand change you shouldn't watch.

To Be Continued---Whew, I think that I will  break this into two parts and move on to Tennant tomorrow. As always, comments are welcome.