Thursday, December 3, 2009

My Favorite Character of the Noughties: The 10th Doctor


From two thousand to two thousand ought-nine fiction has brought out plenty of new characters, many of whom are very appealing, and will surely be covered here someday anon. For today, though, I'm going to skip my detailed plans to list the top eight attractive Sea Devils, and bring you this instead:
For the last five years, actor David Tennant has put his unique bio-stamp on the longest-serving TV alien of all time: the formerly obscure and now ubiquitous Doctor from the dead planet Gallifrey. The BBC in Wales began throwing great writers, excellent actors, and scads of cash at Doctor Who in 2004, and the program (about a strange man who roams time and space in an old phone box) soared once more.
It's a really, really, really, REALLY exceedingly damn good show. Running continuously since 1963 (with a minor 15 year long exception) Doctor Who boasts the unique and brilliantly clever device of regeneration, allowing the alien Doctor to genetically 'reboot' and take on a whole new appearance and persona each time he meets with death in the pursuit of saving the galaxies from horrible monsters.
The ninth incarnation was really fantastic. I'm rather partial to the seventh and fourth as well.
Everyone has their favorite. Mine is the tenth.
He is splendid. It seems like he's run the entire gamut of emotion in the last 5 years. He's taken down villanous scarecrows and hideous stone angels. He's saved the human race in the year 5 billion. He's loved a human girl and lost her over and over. He's even been copied into a half-human form which finally managed to... well, spoilers. Also, he eats peanut butter out of the jar with his hands.
His companions are brilliant. Rose, Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane... I almost made this post about Donna, frankly. And Donna's granddad Wilf as well. Oh, they're so brilliant! See, good writers, great actors... Yeah! Just, yeah! This is the sort of thing that brings out Gushy McFanboy. The Doctor's tenth incarnation has so much to admire. Running about, healing crowds of zombies, kissing girls, hamming it up while metabolizing poison, weeping at the death of his greatest adversary. A great pacifist, the Doctor, but also a fighter of evil in any form. He's very funny. Very, very silly. Then he'll suddenly turn quite serious, indeed. He's a great one for contrasts. I'd venture to say he's all things to all people. A lonely little boy. A tired old man. A wild-eyed optimist. The universe's cruelest cynic. A romantic. A heartsickened fool. Skilled beyond all reason and hopelessly lost as well.
It sure doesn't hurt that he's handsome. You won't catch my wife ogling the seventh doctor (Sorry, Mr. McCoy).
The 10th Doctor has over 900 years worth of experiences in all the galaxies and all the time that has ever been and some parrallel worlds as well. He has a vast reservoir of love for all living things, and a giant hurt at the loss of his people, his home, his planet. I admire this character for bravery and the strength of his intelligence. For his love of life.
And after so many have come to love him back, this Christmas and New Years we all will have to watch him suffer and die.
His character may be tested, but I have much faith in him.
He's saved us from our nightmares and ourselves countless times before, I'm sure he'll keep right on doing it until The End of Time...
Uh, oh. That's what this next one's called.
Oh, dear.
Long Live the Doctor. Splendid chaps, all of them.

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