11th Doctor

The Eleventh Doctor has managed to exceed all expectations. Coming off one of the most popular Doctors in the tenth version and the writer/ show runner who literally brought the show back from the dead—the new Doctor is perhaps better.

This is perhaps not much of a surprise. Stephen Moffat was consistently the best story teller in the past four seasons. It only stands to reason that he would construct a great season. His understanding of plot and structure are only improved by the fact that he understands what makes the Doctor great. Russel T. Davies had a problem in that he would sacrifice the essence of the show for the sake of an emotional impact. That, and for him the most important of all emotions seemed to be romantic love. Therefore, he made the Doctor a romantic character, which goes against who the Doctor is. Moffat has not made that mistake. He understands that friendship can be as deep as or deeper than romance, and he knows that above all the Doctor is alien. So, this season our emotions have followed the tightly plotted story arch that blew “Bad Wolf” or “Torchwood” completely away. This season was powerful.



The Eleventh Hour

We first meet the new Doctor with a clever reference to the Winnie the Pooh stories. This Doctor really is a Tigger. We also get the best introduction to a companion ever, as it takes some 14 years. Then there is the crack—and this all ties in beautifully to the rest of the season…

The Beast Below

The beast in question turns out to not be whatever is deep in the bowels of the futuristic mobile version of London, but the human system of government in which people choose to forget the truth rather than face a harsh potentiality. Such a good commentary on the way the masses choose to deal with issues—and why the current crop of world leaders are anything but.

The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone

This is a scary and entertaining story—seeing the return of two of Moffat’s best creations: the Weeping Angels, and River Song. It also helps further the story of the cracks in the universe and foreshadows events to come in the finale.

Amy’s Choice

Here we see a huge amount of character development in a good way. We see into the psyche of the Doctor as the alien that he is, and we have romance—but it is the human couple traveling with the Doctor who are in love.

The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood

The Silurian’s return to Doctor Who with much of the same political message they brought in the seventies: can’t we all just get along? Here, thankfully, it is not just some of the humans who are weak and/or bad… it turns out that the Silurians have bad apples too. This helps strengthen the diplomatic appeal of the story. It is the best way out of these confrontations, but it is not always possible and that is not always our fault.

Vincent and the Doctor

This is an emotional and beautiful story. It is unusual to see this amount of character in a secondary person in sci-fi. When the Doctor gives Vincent a glimpse into the fact that his life does make a difference and have meaning it is so moving. The fact that it doesn’t change anything and the painter still takes his own life is just as moving for other reasons. Everyone who tries to help other people is devastated when that help is rejected or fails to get through for some reason.

The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang

The finale is what all finales have become: big, epic, and theatrical. However, the build up for this delivery—the plotline for the whole season as it were—is much stronger than it has been in the previous four seasons, and therefore for the entire history of Doctor Who as well. Check it out!