What DOCTOR WHO Fans Really Want For Series 8
Well, August is here and series 8 of Doctor Who is upon us. Fans have been given sufficient time to grieve the loss of Matt Smith and to ready themselves for a whole different Doctor in Peter Capaldi. But with a new Doctor comes new concerns. What will he be like? What kind of adventures are we to expect? Rumors are flying all over the internet, but there are things we Who fans most want to see. These are but a few. I’m sure all our Whovians out there can fill in the blanks in the comments below.
A DIFFERENT DOCTOR
First of all, a lot of fans I talk to are looking for a different kind of Doctor. This is mainly concerning the relationship he has with his companions. Since the ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston, started making eyes at Rose, the new run of Doctor Who has been chocked full of romantic undertones. This led to full on relationships between him and his companions; everything from mild flirtation to all out kissy face. And, seeing that the new Doctor is an older man, seeing Capaldi going that far with Clara just doesn’t sit well with a lot of fans. Luckily enough, there are already rumors of this paradigm changing. If the fans are to find a romantic storyline, it will probably have to include just about anybody but the good Doctor this time.
AND, speaking of the ‘good Doctor’, there are changes coming for the sonic screwdriver wielding alien that go far deeper than his heart or libido. If you want a different Doctor, then I believe this is a good time to jump on board. Given the dark undertones of the final episodes of the Matt Smith Doctor, we are bound to see a darker, more serious man at the helm of the Tardis. “Am I a good man?” has been the lead question of this incarnation. This goes far beyond ‘THE DOCTOR LIES’ rule from the last run. He seems to be struggling with who he really is. It’s more than amnesia. It’s introspection in its most powerful sense. This, in itself, dictates a change.
There have also been rumors of a ‘less dependable’ Doctor. What this means is he’s not on his A game. Remember how every time the companions found themselves in an impossible situation the Doctor was there to pull their fat out of the fire? Well, not so much with this Doctor. The words series chief Steven Moffat used to describe Capaldi’s Doctor is ‘older, trickier and fiercer’.
“I think the fun story will be-and we have the opportunity here-is this is what regeneration can do to you. He can be very, very different.” Moffat later added; “Now it’s time for the old beast to snarl at you for a bit!”
THE RETURN OF MULTI-PART EPISODES
As much as we ‘hate’ cliffhangers and ‘to be continued stories’, a LOT of fans want more depth in the stories. This means multi-part episodes. If there is one thing I disliked in all of the recent runs were some of the episodes that seemed more like a big commercial touting how the universe feared the Doctor and how he was the unbeatable hero of Earth. Now, where this may have been true, it left some hardcore fans feeling a little empty. They already knew how cool he was and how his very name struck fear in the hearts of those who had the unfortunate role of being call his enemy. Now, this was probably necessary every now and again due to the newbies tuning in to find out what all the hubbub was about. It makes a good jumping on point.
But please, for the sake of your hardcore fans, don’t dumb down the meat of the story. If the story begs to continue, let it go. No more of this truncating, summarizing and rushing the pay off. Not all of the episodes were like this, mind you. But, my point is this is Doctor Who. There isn’t ANY need for fluff episodes or to stop and try and explain his character. Let it stand for itself and those who get hooked will hit the internet for info or pour themselves into some of the old series. We who claim to be Whovians found a way to catch up and the new fans will to. Give them that much credit for being an intelligent lot. And, at the risk of sounding arrogant, those who call themselves fans of the show are quick enough catchy up FAST.
NEW COMPANIONS (DON’T FORGET THE EYECANDY)
Another thing we fans of Doctor Who look forward to after every regeneration is the expected arrival of new companions. Now, Moffat and the powers that be have gotten smart and had a fan favorite companion stick around for almost every change of the guard along the way and it’s no different now. Clara is still in the Tardis to give fans something familiar while the Doctor gets his ‘whit’s about him. But without the almost expected flirtation and romance between the Doctor and his companion, where can we expect all of that to come from. A better question, after all the romance we’ve just come though, is it necessary?
On top of that, we come to the fact that Capaldi’s older than the last three versions of the Doctor and, although he’s highly attractive, the show has a danger of losing its boy toy. Now, this isn’t something that concerns me for, as long as the Doctor is a male, there always will be a non-ending line up of young, attractive female companions. But there is an absolute army of Who fans who jumped on board in the last decade that expect some young, attractive male eye candy. And, the answer is the new companions. There are already rumors of a workmate of Clara coming on board during one of the first few episodes. Samuel Anderson will be reoccurring as Danny Pink who happens to work at Coal Hill School with Clara. Danny’s sister, Courtney (played by Ellis George), will join them close to halfway through also. After David Tennant’s record of eleven companions, there’s no telling how many great characters we’re bound to see this time around.
Gallifrey and the Time Lords
Anyone who sat through the 50th anniversary episode: The Day of the Doctor was left with a yearning for the return of Gallifrey. The whole focus of the last few Doctors was the fact that he did something horrible to Gallifrey. Well, it looks like this has been undone. The one thing Who fans WANT to see, the one thing they HAVE to see is the return of Gallifrey. And, by the look of some of the spoiler episode listings, they are focusing the new Doctor on just that.
AND, if Gallifrey returns, so do the Timelords. That’s good and bad. The Doctor has family again. And, like most families, there is dysfunction. If there’s one thing the leadership of the planet is united on it’s their exasperation for the Doctor himself. So, bringing them back may cause more problems for the criminal who stole a Tardis than he’s ready for. It’s that whole ‘be careful what you wish for’ scenario. It may end up being something even the hero who saved them all will regret.
THE MASTER
Rumor has it Charles Dance is slated to bring the Master back to life
Yes, there are rumors. And before you say ‘but he died’, I would remind you that surely you’ve read enough comics to know better. The fact is it’s about time for the return of the Doctor’s flip side. He needs to run into something that can think as fast as he can and has the same type of resources. The Master is perfect for the job. He brings something old for the old school and a new face for the newbies. This new Doctor needs someone to play chess with; someone to push him to his limits. And with Capaldi’s Doctor being a bit short on the invincible and showing more and more of the vulnerable, the Master could be just the thing to cause him to rely more and more on his companions and his whits.
But, above all things, the hardcore Whovians want to see the Doctor in action again. For, no matter what his face looks like or his personality, it will always be the Doctor and we will always be there to see the next episode.
S#!T Talking Central