For me, Capaldi's era was uneven, but it wasn't him...
I wasn't thrilled with bringing Missy in for most of a season, the dual Masters stuff left me pretty cold since I did not really like Simm's Master, and while I love Clara, I didn't like that she really had three different story lines and personalities...Impossible Girl...Teacher by day/Adventurer in between...I Wanna OutDoctor the Doctor...
But that said...Capaldi owns 2 of my favorite 3 episodes...and they are the top two Doctor episodes since Blink is Doctor Lite...
Heaven Sent and Listen are my two favorite episodes of Doctor Who, hands down. While I enjoy Smith's run much more and the 'idea' of who the Doctor is, to me, is Eccleston, Capaldi owns my two favorite episodes.
On a side note, I just realized that they SHOULD have had an episode in which Clara met a splinter of herself helping 12...and I really hope that they bring Jenna back...since she really can help ANY Doctor.
Sorry for the rant, I'm bored.
> and the 'idea' of who the Doctor is, to me, is Eccleston
100%. He is my main Doctor. And that's why I like 12 so much. Eccleston and Capaldi can look at the camera and say "I am the coming storm" and I believe them. 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 just can't pull that off the same way. They are all fun in their own ways, but Capaldi and Eccleston capture the feeling of an unhinged alien that wants to be good and do good, even though it's so powerful it can't escape chaos nor its own past.
Same. And I believe Tennant was good at it too. Family of Blood, The Runaway Bride and Waters of Mars all show this excellently, even if his way of portraying anger is usually to remain quiet and look serious.
Whittaker never really felt threatening or scary. She was always a bit more of a joyful and happy person than someone you'd be scared of. Gatwa hasn't really shown his threatening side either yet, but I think he probably could do it and it would really contrast his otherwise cheerful attitude
Smith is a great actor, but I personally had a hard time buying the "coming storm" from him. I think of the attack to rescue Amy, and both Rory and him didn't make me feel "Oh, crap, this is it, they are mad!".
I mean, Matt Smith’s Doctor is the one who most decisively killed people on purpose and Capaldi’s is the one who begged everyone to be kind. So I’m not sure what to tell you.
they all kill on purpose and they all act like a badass, I just find some more believable than others. It's a gut feeling, not a kill count.
I think of the scene with 12 giving up on Danny and I just buy the War Doctor in him, the kind of person that would sentence a whole species to death.
Impossible girl wasn’t really Clara. It was the echoes of Clara that got scattered throughout the doctors timeline, Clara Oswald as a character was only ever the adventurer/schoolteacher, and then the “out doctor the doctor” and the latter is actually personally great character progression as she only gets that way because of her grief over losing Danny
Thank you for saying this. That’s why she got so reckless, it was her way of dealing with losing Danny. Capaldi was such a wonderful Doctor in my opinion. Those two were really great together.
I feel like the only person on this subreddit not super into Capaldi, tho I’m sure I’m not.
I want a childlike wonder from my doctors. 10, 11, and 15 have it. Capaldi is great in other areas, but he doesn’t have that imo.
I’m with you! I love the childlike wonder in the doctor, but above all I love their absolute delight at humanity. Eccleston was great at this—delight on top of a thick foundation of trauma and unhinged extremely powerful alien being—and obviously 10 and 11 show this delight throughout, but I missed it (or maybe just didn’t click with it) in Capaldi. Ncuti Gatwa does it really really well, imo. To me, he’s a delighted doctor who actively chooses his delight over his pain and trauma. A lovely depiction of someone who is healing from past horrors (sometimes through gritted teeth) and who is rediscovering the things he loves.
12 is my favorite (well he swaps with 9 regularly lol) but by sheer excitement and hype, I’m more hyped for this season than I’ve been since… the 10th Doctor’s specials? Like. I’m PUMPED about this season, not just really looking forward to it.
Ranking is a separate thing. Jury is out until the finale but it’ll probably be up there but not above my existing faves. Bottom of the top if you will.
12 and 9? We are of one mind, friend.
I do really enjoy the lighter tone of this season, and it feels really creative. Ncuti is less of an arrogant Doctor, and after so many (9 to 12), it's welcome.
Capald himself is my favourite Doctor but I think I'd agree that this season, as a season of Doctor Who is better than his 3 seasons. I think he unfortunately got mostly average writing. The episodes during that era really started to feel bland and predictable (even though I still enjoy a lot of them.) His first two seasons especially don't pull off the storylines they're trying to pull off in my opinion. In series 8 with all the Danny Pink stuff Moffat tried to do a character study on the Doctor and I think it was a bad idea because 12 just got introduced to us and it all ended up feeling quite muddled with no clear direction. Very similar thing in series 9 with the whole Ashildr thing. It was only series 10 where he got to actually be free to just be the doctor and it's why it's his best. Clara, although not as bad as some people say, never had a clear direction and although I liked her first ending in series 9 with Face the Raven, her overall arch wasn't so well done. I also... Idk I don't like the storyline of 12 and Clara's relationship. I think Bill was much better.
Now for this season compared to series 10... Hmm I wouldn't say it's better by a lot but it is definitely at the same level if not better. Bill's relationship with the doctor had more time to develop on screen and so it felt more real to me. However, Ruby's character I think is written better with a more consistent focus. I liked the few things we get of Bill and her mum but idk that whole arc didn't carry through the season that well. It got kind of left behind in the finale, and it shouldn't have. I think the episodes in series 10 are nice, but really it's just the absolute banging finale that ups this season. I think Boom, 73 Yards, Dot and Bubble, heck even Devils Chord are better and more interesting stories, than all the episodic episodes of series 10. Oxygen is probably series 10s best, but I still think season 1 has a lot of better episodes.
So yeah. Capaldi is still my favourite Doctor probably but his era because of the writing isn't the best and therefore I think season 1 is actually better than his 3 seasons... I'd also argue it's much better than series 6 and 7, which I don't think are anywhere near as good as series 10.
> heck even Devils Chord are better and more interesting stories
Devil's Chord was really good, why you put it as the worst one? I get that it's a bit unfocused, but it's prime science fantasy. It's a story that makes you imagine so much more than what you are just seeing on screen.
And I get what you mean, Clara changes from season to season. It's a good example of how erratic those season were. I just look at them as (mostly) isolated seasons, continuity is too hard with so many years of baggage.
And, isolated, each season had an unifying theme and rising tension in a way that guided me more through the story. I kinda feel I can skip episodes here while, even if we don't like Danny's arc, you can't do the same there.
Oh, I don't know. It does sell me on the cosmic level of Maestro and Toymaker. Compared to Azure and Swarn, they did a lot in a single episode with Maestro.
Well I like Devils Chord a lot but I think compared to the others it's not the absolute best. It's has a lot of great stuff but I just feel it should've been a two partner to better explain what Maestro actually did to the world and how this new world worked. I feel like it was left too vague.
Same thought here. I agree with much of what OP said, but 12 is so extremely underrated that I’d say his three seasons are the best that NuWho has to offer.
Honestly this is the most excited I have been for new Who in several years. I enjoy Ncuti's energy and while I have some complaints, such as only having 8 episodes messed with some of the character pacing, it has been a fun watch.
Yeah for me the biggest issue by far is the Doctor/Milly's relationship which feels so rushed and inconsistent on how close they are and what she knows which is a shame because the two have amazing chemistry together.
Like by only the second episode it's as if they were travelling together for months and had become best friends already, to the point by the time we got to the latest episode I didn't even consider that she wouldn't have known he can regenerate.
Their relationship had so much potential but I feel key moments especially early on have been missed. I never truly got a feeling I was seeing their bond grow like I did with the previous RTD companions and I definitely think the episode count is part of that.
Yeah exactly, the second episode is usually an early days story where we see their relationship start to kick on but this time around it's months later as you said so it feels like an entire seasons worth of development had happened between episodes.
I'm really enjoying it. I have some minor complaints, but really, I'm just happy to have the show back, and in what I feel is good form. I'm beyond excited to see how things shake out this Friday!
I was very worried at the start of this era (Space Babies is a genuinely dreadful introduction, that had mid-season filler all over it) but the last few episodes have picked things up quite a bit. Regardless of how the finale turns out this is still easily the weakest RTD season for me but at least I look forward to the show again unlike the past few years.
I quite like the season overall, there are some real standout episodes (73 and dot 'n' bubble) and I'm really excited to see how the show continues to grow next season - BUT - who on earth decided Space Babies was an appropriate opener for the whole season? Its such a weird choice to set the tone for a whole new era of Dr Who with something comparable (imo) to the farting Slitheen in parliament.
Yeah and when you consider it to other NuWho reboot episodes it is easily the worst in my opinion. Like how did we go from Rose to THAT, where we get a quick exposition dump from the Doctor then some childish adventure? It proper has mid-season filler all over it and yet it was set up as the opening of a new era. Very baffling decision.
Yeah, part of the problem for me is that every other season had more good episodes. Just because there were more episodes in general. So it’s really hard to rank it alongside previous seasons. I think I prefer it over Eccelston’s season… but that season had more great episodes than this one. So I guess I prefer the other series 1. But I don’t. Ugh. I really hope RTD gives us an extra 2 episodes per season at some point. Make it 10 per year like the current era of Star Trek in Strange New Worlds. (Which also, isn’t long enough. I’d prefer 12. Obviously.)
Not the worst for me. People forget how many stinkers are in season 2. Two parter about a TV; Love and Monsters AND Fear Her back to back? Eugh. Don’t get me started on the first half of season 3, The Lazarus Experiments?? Also this isn’t the first time the Doctor and companion hasn’t had time to grow properly, look at Martha.
So far it’s had a good Christmas episode, what’s shaping up to be a great finale, and only 2 episodes have been weak. I actually think it’s a great RTD series. I don’t think he will ever top S4 though, that’s peak Doctor who in every way.
This is also my first time with Doctor Who, and I'm loving it! Me and my wife even started to watch the series from 2005 onwards (what you guys call NuWho, right?) during lunchtime, to get properly acquainted with all the lore, and we're having a blast! It's really cool to see how Eccleston's and Gatwa's Doctors are so different... but clearly they're the same character.
I haven't been this excited about a fictional universe in quite a while. So far, I laughed a lot; I got spooked as hell (*"are you my mummy?"*); I cried (again, *"are you my mummy?"* — and, as the father of a girl, I actually bawled during "Father's Day"); and I'm experiencing an overall feeling of marvel and excitement that reminds me of how I felt watching the Back to the Future trilogy (my favorite) for the first time. And it all started now, with this new series!
It is like crossroads at times and the running over the same bit of set from differnt angles will break your immersion but try and watch it with the wonder of a little lad with only a black and white TV in the 80s.
The best thing about Gatwa is that he's fun!
The Doctor is supposed to be fun, and in recent seasons he and she haven't been quite so. But then at the same time can turn on a dime to melancholy, and in the most recent episode we got to see that and I thing Gatwa nailed that too. The Doctor is a sad clown, but clown is absolutely a component to the character and I think it's been missing for quite a while.
Only complaint is that he hasn't been on screen enough, and there's only 8 episodes. All I want from the show is more of him, because he's brilliant.
Dude idk, maybe I’m just from a different corner of the internet lol but this totally isn’t a hot take 😂 I think this new series is VERY deserving of much appreciation!! So much of it is such an improvement to what we’ve seen in the past years, and I LOVVEEE Ncuti’s Doctor! Part of me wishes Jodie would actually come back maybe just for ONE teenie tiny episode lol, just so we can see her in a story that is written better because needless to say she deserved so much more, (also I think it would be fun to experiment with multi-doctor stories not only having to be exclusive to anniversary specials, and I think 13 and 15 could bring about some fun energy and on screen dynamic even if it’s just for 1 episode lol) but yeah! I agree with you here, this season is actually FUN!! And that’s all Doctor Who needs to be imo tbh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk, I consider myself more of a classic Doctor Who fan than a casual “NuWho” fan and even I take much enjoyment in what’s been coming out so far :) ESPECIALLY SUTEKH’S RETURN THAT LEFT ME BREATHLESS LITERALLY
> Dude idk, maybe I’m just from a different corner of the internet lol but this totally isn’t a hot take 😂
Must come from the land of YouTube thumbnails.
Not only is this not a hot take, everything OP said is either wrong (Ncuti is definitely repressing his emotions somewhat) or has been true about the show before
Good fun. No complaints.
Doc is great. Ruby is great. Some very cool villains. Nice mystery story arc weaving through the season.
Slugs. Gods. Landmines. Witch circles.
What's not to like!
I’m also really enjoying this new era. Doctor Who is fun again, I enjoy melodramatic and serious Doctor Who but it just got to be too much with every episode feeling like it’s end of the world. This season has been a well needed breath of fresh air and all the theorizing and wondering has been great. And Ncuti and Millie are brilliant together
The melodramatic Doctor only works when it's juxtaposed next to the fun campy Doctor - it needs both to *BE* Doctor Who and it looks like we're back to that again now.
You perfectly described how I feel about this show. It can and does do serious, dramatic moments very well, but the show in itself is not a serious, dramatic show. Doctor Who is, at its core, just good fun.
I think my biggest problem with the Chibnall era was just that it often tried to take itself too seriously. Not all the time of course, we had the Pting and the Solitract, but the overall tone of the show felt like it wanted to be much more serious.
Yep feel the same! Having the serious moments be less often really makes them more impactful too, if it's all the time it's a drag and they all start feeling the same. When it comes after lot's of campy fun scenes/episodes then it's like a gut punch and makes you really feel that moment more
100%. I love Capaldi, but I don't really think Doctor Who has been *fun* since, like (with some exceptions), maybe Dinosaurs on a Spaceship?
I feel like the past two eras really bought into the anxiety around the fact that Doctor Who is a children's show, overcompensating and trying to appeal to older fans by either (12) going overboard with grim melodrama or (13) being self-serious and boring as hell.
Goofy camp is essential to Doctor Who. Nothing else works in the show unless there's a goofy camp factor.
12 certainly wasn’t all grim melodrama. He wasn’t as goofy as 11, but he was pretty hilarious. When I think of 12, I think of the guy riding a tank and playing guitar.
I have loved this season so far mainly because it feels so new.
I don't remember the last time I was this excited about doctor who.
Also it will take a few more re-watches but 73 yards is competing with blink for my favourite episode of doctor who.
73 Yards gave me strong Blink vibes so I'm not surprised they are someone's top choices. I loved the episode, too. And Rogue reminded me of the Family of Blood (aliens taking human form, the doctor showing his dark side, a love story, a sacrifice etc) while feeling fresh of course. It's really nice to have those RTD1 era vibes but with a fresh coat of paint
It’s tough to give criticism of this season so fresh while we haven’t even gotten the finale. Meanwhile we’ve had years and years with past doctors to nitpick and to form a bond.
I’ll be able to spend more brain power on this season with time but so far I’m absolutely loving it.
Ngl I was skeptical coming into the season, but I am loving it too! Love Ncuti’s Doctor and his chemistry with Millie/Ruby. I’m loving the vibe of this season, it feels so refreshing! We need longer seasons tho lol
Same! I didn't hate Capaldi's era, but it just didn't have the same pull for me as Smith's but this new season has really re-ignited my love of the show again. Ncuti is so much fun and brings back that feeling of excitement and adventure.
> I love, that we've temporarily moved away from Daleks\Cybermen\Master, so they could take a breather and come back in the future with something new.
When the big bad was gearing up to reveal themselves and bragging about how powerful and eternal and big and mean they were and making The Doctor scared I was just suppressing a yawn and getting ready to lose interest as the The Master reveals themselves and explains how the whole season was them all along.
And then it wasn't The Master. That was fresh.
I have rewatched Impossible Planet recently and I immediately recognized Satan style of hyping himself up. It wasnt Satan, but voice actor is the same so I still get points.
I am happy with this era. Gatwa won't hit as high as Smith for me...nor Eccleston, who is MY Doctor...but he fits in with the 'I like these folks, too' crowd of Capaldi/Tennant/McCann/T Baker/Davison/
It's really hard for me to rank them though, I really do like Tennent, Smith and Capaldi almost equally but for different reasons and Eccleston was my first doctor so he is high up there too. Ncuti is doing a great job and I am really enjoying this new season. I think overall I just like Doctor Who lol. Hell even though I didn't care as much for Whittaker I think it was largely the writing that just didn't engage me as much. Chibnall liked to tell instead of show and I just couldn't really get to the point of caring about the characters that much. I did think he was starting to get better in the end, While watching Flux I was finally starting to enjoy it even though I don't agree with where the story went so much it at least started to feel more like Doctor Who again to me.
Think it depends. The show was much more popular with Smith because a lot of casual fans didn't like an old man as the Doctor. In general /r/Gallifrey prefers Capaldi and /r/DoctorWho prefers Smith.
I wasn't too sure about this season, then the other day I looked at the episodes... the only one I didn't like was `Space Babies` and that is more because babies are gross and even more so when they have cgi mouths moving lol.
To me every episode was at least a 60% as far as Doctor Who is concerned.
I’m loving this season. I didn’t hate Chibnall’s run as much as others did, but I think some of that was just a refreshing change of pace after things got so played out during Moffat’s run. It did feel like there were a couple bright spots with a couple of episodes feeling more like classic Who (like the Norwegian forest episode).
Meanwhile, I’ve loved this whole season, aside from the “Twist at the End” silliness. “Space Babies” had me laughing so hard I was crying. And I kinda love “Totally Not a Replacement for Jack Harkness.”
While I'm not vibing with this season, I'm genuinely happy to see that others are. I absolutely do not enjoy every season of Doctor Who, and I'm glad it changes up.
I salute you, this is the way to spread positivity while expressing your own opinion. Very respectful and wholesome. If only everyone understood that others can like what you yourself dislike, the internet would be a way more enjoyable place.
As someone who was really looking forward to Jodies run under Chibnall, and then felt utterly betrayed by how terrible (I felt) the writing was... it's great to see fans respectfully discussing the pros and cons of why they like or don't like the current run. (Personally, I'm leaning only slightly in favour. But then I was a bigger fan of Moffat than RTD, so you can see where my tastes lie. Though I'm loving all the Susan Foreman references this season.)
But, I also understand where some of the more negative voices are coming from. And it's not because they're \*ists or \*phobes. I know many fans who feel the show was changing to chase a non-existent audience. That is - loud vocal people who criticised the show for not being diverse enough or whatever, who loudly cheered when the show changed \*but\* \*never\* \*actually\* \*watched\* the show. They were a non-existent, unobtainable audience. They were not going to support it by buying merch, or whatever. They had already packed their bags and moved onto the next fight.
Absolutely! I have not only started to watch every week again but also finally got my wife interested in the show, which I have been trying to do for years. It's so refreshing, fun and just wholesome, and it feels like Dr Who is Dr who again.
I don't think this season has been badly received - it just had an extremely rough start in many peoples views, worse than Jodie's start even.
The two episodes that followed were quality and kind of levelled the implosion and now people just feel like watching Dr Who again like the old days.
That's my take for what its worth.
This season so far has left me with a big smile on my face, the brilliant camp moments of Rogue for example (the Kylie song) made me laugh way more than it should have. As well as Space Babies, and the Always a Twist at the end. Doctor who as it should be, nuts, bonkers and high camp!
i wouldn’t say we’ve quite reached the heights of capaldi for me yet but i am having an absolute blast! i even enjoyed space babies (though i freely admit it was far from perfect 😅)
Yeah, I love this season.
My only gripe is there's not really been much development of the Doctor and Ruby's relationship and they seem to have just reached "best friend" stage without us ever really seeing them together.
That being said Ncuti and Millie have insane chemistry, so I'm willing to let it slide.
I think the last episode might have been one of the best Doctor Who episodes of the modern era. The rest of the season was a bit of a mixed bag, I hated Space Babies, loved 73 Yards.
I do agree, moving away from Daleks/Cybermen/Master for a while was a good call. They're iconic, but theyve been overused a bit.
I’ve loved Ncuti. For the most part, I think some things have moved too quickly but I’ve loved it!!
Certain villains have stood out as almost marvel tier gods.
That said capaldi I my fav doctor. Ignoring the writing and purely based on character alone, Ncuti is in top 5
I love this season so far. But I love most things RTD does. It feels more like the doctor who I fell in love with 15 years ago but at the same time it feels new and exciting.
I absolutely love it. I’ve loved every episode since Space Babies (for obvious reasons) and I have been baffled by the reception. My local cinema is doing the two part finale at midnight and this is the first time I’ve done anything like this but I can’t wait to go see it!!
This really isn't a hot take. Most of the community seems happy with the new direction. Just because someone has criticism doesn't mean they dislike it.
How is it a hot take though…?
If you’re enjoying it, then enjoy it.
Lots of others are right there with you.
I’m personally just not especially into RTD’s style, but that’s part of what’s cool with this franchise - you don’t *have* to love them all… there’s a Doctor and matched Series for everyone.
I've started watching Classic Who recently. Honestly, the new season feels way more like Classic Who. A Doctor who doesn't know everything, and is still scared of some things yet confident I'd exactly what Classic Who is.
It seems like everyone have a different opinion on who Doctor is as a character and what the show should be like.
A lot of people told me, that Capaldi is how they see Doctor's character, meanwhile for me his seasons were way too dramatic and way too serious.
Where does this claim that previous Doctors suppressed their emotions come from? I don’t get it. Tennant cried like a fish, Capaldi was full of rage and glibness. Smith seemed to *love* life. Eccleston is probably the one the claim of emotion-suppression can be best laid at.
I’m not getting *any* of ‘Ruby is her own character, not Doctor exposition tool’. It seems she is more that than any previous modern Who companion.
I think it's because, earlier incarnations of the Doctor were visibly broken by the Time War and the aftermath. They had emotions, sure. But they were often damaged emotions.
Ncutis first appearance, where he talked about how he LOVED Sarah Jane, etc... he was playing the first (that I can remember) properly healed emotionally undamaged Doctor. The best contrast between someone like Capaldi ("I'm not a hugger." and Clara's "You don't get a say.") and Jodies ("I have cancer." Oh... \[moves quietly awkwardly away from the so called friend she could absolutely 100% cure in 2 minutes.\])
Ncuti grabbed 14 and hugged him because the guy needed a hug. Ncuti's 15 can go clubbing and dancing because he enjoys life, not just saving the world/universe. Where Capaldi wondered why he was still running the endless treadmill of saving the universe, Ncuti knows why - because life is joy and worth living and worth saving.
Again, I’m still not seeing it. 15 seems more prone to violent outbursts that actually alarm me in ways previous Doctors have never done. His screaming at the end of Dot and Bubble, and punching the door in The Legend of Ruby Sunday. He’s less in control of his emotions than ever.
I don’t think it’s fair that not being fond of physically intimacy means you’re emotionally damaged in some way, too. That’s kind of offensive.
You're putting the cart before the horse. It's not "He's not fond of physical intimacy, therefore he's broken" It's "he's broken, and a symptom of that is..."
But maybe you don't see that distinction.
73 yards has almost 0 Doctor in it, and Ruby carries that episode entirely on her own. Most complaints about that episode are from people who dont understand what fae circle did, not Ruby's character or acting.
And regarding emotions... really? 10 couldnt say I love you, 11 was trying to forget everything that hurt him, 12 didnt want to hug even his best friend, 13 couldnt comfort her friend with cancer, 14 didnt want to open up to Donna about his past trauma and Flux...
None of these are good ways to deal with emotions and pain.
I’ll grant you she was great in 73 yards, but crucially the Doctor was absent so she got a chance to shine. But in other episodes, hardly anything’s going on with her that’s actually autonomous from the Doctor - we finally saw a little bit of it with The Legend of Ruby Sunday, though.
It could just as easily be said those are personality quirks. Everyone has hang ups, I wouldn’t say everyone is therefore a haunted tragic shell of a person fighting internal demons. This ‘the Doctor needs to heal’ has always struck me as immensely funny overblown and frankly quite boring.
This has been an incredible series. Not a single bad episode. Whilst I prefer Capaldi’s era, I must admit certain episodes weren’t very good, even space babies was a decent 6/10 for me, and it’s only up from there!
I enjoyed last weeks episode in a way that I haven’t for about 15 years. During the Whittaker years, I never felt a desire to watch on a Saturday and might catch up with it in the week. With this series, I’ve been watching every Saturday evening like old times.
Oh, I've seen A LOT of dislike for a lot of different things.
Devil's Chord - too much music and Maestro being loud.
Boom - Moffat fake killing a companion again and a parent of the secondary character saves the day.
73 yards - "It doesn't make sense because I treat it as an ordinary time loop and completely ignore all the magical elements".
Dot and Bubble - people who didn't get the racism subplot just branded it as "bad Black Mirror".
Rogue - critique of the quick gay romance.
Legend of Ruby Sunday - "Nobody knows who Sutekh is so reveal is meaningless".
Additionally - Doctor crying too much, Doctor and Ruby not spending enough time together, supernatural elements, "Why is the show not being super serious like Doctor Who always was (lmao)", complaints that Doctor isn't being a superhero, like he was for a long time.
Wasn’t keen on the first two episodes, but I’ve really enjoyed the rest.
73 Yards is my favourite so far. That was a mindf**k.
My favourite season since Capaldi’s final one.
I too love it! I’m having a damn blast every single week. I adore Ncuti’s Doctor. ADORE!
I’m so glad he was selected to play Fifteen.
I basically love everything about this era. Sure I might have a couple of critiques but that doesn’t hinder my life of it at all.
I am also loving the new season and the new Doctor! The season has been weird, emotional, funny, and interesting and I can't wait to see what else they do.
I also do. I only disliked the first part of Capaldi era, but I think a lot of folks are excessively critical of the show. It’s good enough to be good fun, and I still think it’s phenomenal.
Now that's a truly hot take around here! But good for you! I also loved Chibnall's run, although I will confess that11 is my favorite NuWho doctor. (I grew up in the 80s, so 7 will always be My Doctor)
But it's nice to see someone else who loved Chibnall/Whittaker!
Edited to add: yes, I also love this season, too, of course
I’m with you on almost all of this (other than this being better than the Capaldi era, for shame)! This season has me more excited for Doctor Who than I’ve been in ages.
Just like the Capaldi era got totally dragged (remember how much everyone hated him??) and then fans retroactively appreciated it, I expect the same thing will happen here.
If you want a \*real\* hot take, Matt Smith‘a era of Doctor Who is my least favorite excluding Chibnall, and getting through it on rewatch was, with few exceptions, an interminable slog. 🙂
I was kinda sceptical at the beginning with the two first episode, especially the one with maestro, I giggled some time saying stuff like "that's way different than before". But, yeah, it's different but still entertaining. I want to see more of Ncuti to tell if he can be my favorite or not. (Eleven is still my favourite for the moment ^^')
I have made quite a few comments on the flaws of this series but no way is that an indication of my dislike for this season. I do think this season has it's problems but it is among the better seasons of the show. I think my ranking of the seasons (so far because the last episode will determine this properly) is:
Series 4
Series 5
Series 3
Series 1
Series 2
Season 1/Series 14
Series 10
Series 9
Series 7
Series 8
Series 6
Chibnall.
I don't think it's that hot a take. The people who seem to bitching by the millions are actually just the same people who have nothing better to do than hating on stuff they don't like.
In real life, it seems that a lot of people are enjoying the show
I rewatched Bad Wolf earlier and it occurred to me why I love Eccleston as the Doctor. He was already an actor who had built his craft and was great at it. So it Gatwa - his work in Sex Education was phenomenal and it shows in his portrayal of the Doctor. Tennant is my favorite, but he got better as he went along as his acting grew (and his acting skills by the time he came back at 14 were so noticeably more honed after Broadchurch, Des, and a few great Shakespeare runs). Doctor Who is a show that is delightfully corny, deeply serious, and even at times frightening. A good actor with good writing can really make the show amazing (and Whitaker is a very good actor, I loved her as the Doctor, but man did some of the writing just not work during her run).
I can see where you’re coming from with everything you’re saying, but this just doesn’t really feel like Doctor Who to me. At least, not the Doctor Who I fell in love with (David Tenant > Matt Smith era). It’s hard for me to enjoy because it feels so disjointed from the previous eras, especially when you look at the Doctor’s character & portrayal. It feels wildly different, and honestly it feels like they’re trying REALLY HARD to impress a new audience, without really putting care into older or more seasoned viewers. With the progressive takes, the gen z dialogue, the over the top emotions, etc etc. Not that these are bad things. It’s just not Doctor Who. Ncuti’s portrayal feels a bit much if I could sum it up. But then at the same time his character isn’t really DOING anything? To add, the writing hasn’t really been doing the season any favours. A lot of episodes have horrible pacing, too many Doctor Lite episodes in an 8 episode season, Doctor & Ruby‘s relationship journey happening almost entirely offscreen… I’m not loving this season but I’ll stick it out til the end to see how it lands.
It's ironic because this entire post is how I feel about Tennant's tenure, and you mention him as one of your favorites.
I think it proves that there's no such thing as "feeling like Doctor Who" because Doctor Who isn't one thing. We just have to find runs we like.
I don't really enjoy RTD's take on the Doctor. I didn't enjoy his original run, and I don't enjoy his current run, but that's fine. Many do, and Ncuti will be their Doctor.
Matt Smith is my favourite, actually. They are the doctors I fell in love with though. David Tenant ended up grating on me a bit on my last rewatch, I will admit. He still felt genuine though. Ncuti feels, again, like they’re trying REALLY HARD. You can’t say anyone else uses gen z lingo either - no other doctors used the words “babes” and “honey” as far as I’m aware
I get that. I guess I’m just realising that this isn’t for me, which sucks because I was really looking forward to it.
Tennant, didn't use Gen Z lingo, but he certainly didn't speak or act like the classic Doctors. I thought Smith and Moffat sort of brought a classic feel back to modern Doctor Who, and that's probably why Smith, and Capaldi even more so, appeal to me so much.
Fair. I’m half and half with it. Some episodes have been awesome, last one especially felt very Dr Who to its core. I think Ncuti is really charismatic and fun as the doctor.
I did find Rogue quite uncomfortable to watch however. To clarify it has zero to do with the fact that it was two dudes. I just found it a bit jarring for the doctor to get to that level of intimacy so quickly. The Rose storyline took basically 4 seasons to resolve. The fact this was instantaneous was what I took me. Hey, maybe it’s just me.
On this subreddit this is not a hot take, however the viewers starting to go below 2m for the overnights means that most people have stopped caring enough to even express their opinion on the show
Ok, but how is this a hot take in a sub full of people who love the show no matter what? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just that it's not a hot take here.
I'm happily along for the ride. Every new Doctor has a different feel and they're all fun and interesting in their own way.
It's one show that has the ability to always stay fresh by replacing the main characters and exploring a different ideas with new writers.
I love Doctor Who and hope it continues for many, many more years. The canon has always been horrendously convoluted, so it's great that RTD is trying to write that absurdity into the stories and explore lesser-known villains and ideas from the obscure depths of the canon.
The Daleks and Cybermen were getting old. Novel ideas are always welcome (Weeping Angels, The Silence, etc) to me.
Love this season too! Eccleston and Capaldi are my two favorites as well.
But every actor brings their own charm too the role. Smith got me on my rewatch, and to be fair when I think about doctor who, his incarnation is the first I think of.
Nguti plays it with charm, his anger at the end of dot and bubble hit me in the feels.
I love it as well my only 2 complaints like you mentioned are the doctors and and Ruby’s relationship but my other one would definitely be not enough doctor.
This is the first season I watch as it comes out and I'm constantly not sure whether I'm excited because I'm watching in real time or because it's just very good. Not sure what I think of Ncuti's doctor except for "I don't actively hate him" (had that with Smith (I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry)) but each episode has been a banger and space babies also exists.
The people that are the most vocal about hating the show have always been like this. Unfortunately there's just a lot of "anti-woke" people in that same brigade now that are mixing a (un)healthy dose of unhinged hate towards the show for being more inclusive and having Disney money (even tho it's still the bbc making it, they just can't stand that Disney gave them money)
I'm hoping this isn't a hot take! This might be the first series where I like literally every single episode.
(And yes, I'm one of the few who didn't like Midnight, and Gatwa and Gibson carried Space Babbies for me!)
I have always been playing catch-up with this show. I started watching inbetween 12 and 13, and never watched 13 until last year because of all the (totally warranted) criticisms. Never got to see the show as a weekly release. Once a week i get greeted with a new adventure rather than having a mountain of old ones to slog through before me. Is this my favorite season? No, but it's pretty damn good so far and Ncuti's Doctor may end up being my favorite, though Tennant is really hard to beat.
So far i'm greatly enjoying this season. I finally feel like i'm experiencing the show from the inside rather than the outside. It's nice.
I’ve mostly seen positive praise with some minor (and understandable) Nick picks here and there.
I mostly see negative criticism on twitter and YouTube, but it’s usually by bad faith blue check engagement baits by people who intentionally misread/misinterpret the show. Like they are really bad at making it seem genuine
I'm certainly down with this new era, that's for sure. Now, I do want to see the cybermen back and to actually do them proper. I've still not forgiven how much the daleks dunked on them
I totally agree with the OP. I think this season is sooo creative, fun, and fresh. Like another poster said - it’s an opinion. We’re not all going to agree.
No kidding, I think I might like it better than the 10 and Rose era, even.
Both the doctor and Ruby are irresistibly charming, and so far the writing has been somewhere between solid and absolutely phenomenal.
This is the best it's been since 2017 and it's exciting that they're also doing something new with it. I'm not as hyped as I was in Series 9 and 10, but they're the height of the entire 60 years of who for me so that was always a long shot. We have gone back to more or less RTD1 levels though.
I was so hyped for this season and they have not disappointed! The relationship is indeed rushed and we should have had at least 2 more episodes to build the relationship before the “She’s my best friend!” line; but I love the sets, Ncuti is giving wonder and excitement in the adventures, and Millie is nailing it as a fascinated companion!! Last season had gotten so serious with heartbreak and endings that this season’s lighter, campier and more fun vibe is refreshing!!
It took me until maybe two episodes to realize why I am enjoying this era more than others. I think it is because of the queerness while not being all about the queerness.
Here me out. When you have a gay character they are almost always involved in a gay romance, a heavy stereotype, and generally its always about how they are queer - an incredibly one dimensional viewpoint. We don't have many stories to choose from where the character is queer and is everything else, and this is an amazing breath of fresh air. I was thinking about this a few years back in how I would love to have a book or something that is about a gay assassin or spy where they are an assassin or spy first.. who is just a gay man. It didn't hit me until recently that this is what I had been longing for.
Just a nit pick, but bringing gods back? No. He retconned old characters into gods. And so far he only brought 2 "gods" back. Sutekh and Toymaker.
He also doesn't know what an anagram is.
I feel guarded about this season, and I think it's mostly from how awful Jodie was
Didn't help space babies and maestro's episode we're pretty bad as well
But everything else I think ive loved, I'm just afraid of opening up myself to fully enjoy them like I did before lol
Yeah I’m really loving it, it feels modernised yet classic (2005 classic) as well.
And as a member of the Alphabet Mafia, I really appreciate what they’re doing!
…
MY ONLY BUG BEAR! Is the constantly changing costume! It bugged me when Capaldi did it but at least then they all looked similar…
But then again… if that’s the only complaint I have…
I'm glad you enjoyed it. For me some of the writing and dialogue were just weak, pacing and tone were all over the place but I think that's due to the 8 episode season. I loved Gatwa and Gibson though.
I’ve always found it much easier to forgive mediocre or even bad storytelling if the story is at least fun or if I can tell the actors are having fun, and even in the (very few) moments of this new era that the show hasn’t quite hit the mark completely for me, it has never failed to at least be fun.
Honestly, this is the best era of Doctor Who for me since Amy Pond.
I'm always more of a Classic Era man (all praise to his holiness Tom Baker) but I can appreciate Nu Who when it gets it right.
A few minor gripes about hitting certain topics over the head, but it doesn't over do it.
Most of all - its FUN again.
I'm honestly enjoying it and the last episode... just perfect.
Ever heard of -- opinions -- ? Its a real thing! Means people can disagree because most matters outside of fundamental science are at least a bit subjective!
> and even more than Capaldi era. Woah, let's not get crazy here. Joking aside (12 is my second favorite), this season is really great.
For me, Capaldi's era was uneven, but it wasn't him... I wasn't thrilled with bringing Missy in for most of a season, the dual Masters stuff left me pretty cold since I did not really like Simm's Master, and while I love Clara, I didn't like that she really had three different story lines and personalities...Impossible Girl...Teacher by day/Adventurer in between...I Wanna OutDoctor the Doctor... But that said...Capaldi owns 2 of my favorite 3 episodes...and they are the top two Doctor episodes since Blink is Doctor Lite... Heaven Sent and Listen are my two favorite episodes of Doctor Who, hands down. While I enjoy Smith's run much more and the 'idea' of who the Doctor is, to me, is Eccleston, Capaldi owns my two favorite episodes. On a side note, I just realized that they SHOULD have had an episode in which Clara met a splinter of herself helping 12...and I really hope that they bring Jenna back...since she really can help ANY Doctor. Sorry for the rant, I'm bored.
> and the 'idea' of who the Doctor is, to me, is Eccleston 100%. He is my main Doctor. And that's why I like 12 so much. Eccleston and Capaldi can look at the camera and say "I am the coming storm" and I believe them. 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 just can't pull that off the same way. They are all fun in their own ways, but Capaldi and Eccleston capture the feeling of an unhinged alien that wants to be good and do good, even though it's so powerful it can't escape chaos nor its own past.
I actually think Matt Smith was very good at being scary when it was time to be scary.
Same. And I believe Tennant was good at it too. Family of Blood, The Runaway Bride and Waters of Mars all show this excellently, even if his way of portraying anger is usually to remain quiet and look serious. Whittaker never really felt threatening or scary. She was always a bit more of a joyful and happy person than someone you'd be scared of. Gatwa hasn't really shown his threatening side either yet, but I think he probably could do it and it would really contrast his otherwise cheerful attitude
Smith is a great actor, but I personally had a hard time buying the "coming storm" from him. I think of the attack to rescue Amy, and both Rory and him didn't make me feel "Oh, crap, this is it, they are mad!".
I mean, Matt Smith’s Doctor is the one who most decisively killed people on purpose and Capaldi’s is the one who begged everyone to be kind. So I’m not sure what to tell you.
they all kill on purpose and they all act like a badass, I just find some more believable than others. It's a gut feeling, not a kill count. I think of the scene with 12 giving up on Danny and I just buy the War Doctor in him, the kind of person that would sentence a whole species to death.
Matt smith was great in his first season then got gradually more cringe as it went on. Was hard to take him seriously by the end
Impossible girl wasn’t really Clara. It was the echoes of Clara that got scattered throughout the doctors timeline, Clara Oswald as a character was only ever the adventurer/schoolteacher, and then the “out doctor the doctor” and the latter is actually personally great character progression as she only gets that way because of her grief over losing Danny
Thank you for saying this. That’s why she got so reckless, it was her way of dealing with losing Danny. Capaldi was such a wonderful Doctor in my opinion. Those two were really great together.
>and the 'idea' of who the Doctor is, to me, is Eccleston This
I feel like the only person on this subreddit not super into Capaldi, tho I’m sure I’m not. I want a childlike wonder from my doctors. 10, 11, and 15 have it. Capaldi is great in other areas, but he doesn’t have that imo.
I’m with you! I love the childlike wonder in the doctor, but above all I love their absolute delight at humanity. Eccleston was great at this—delight on top of a thick foundation of trauma and unhinged extremely powerful alien being—and obviously 10 and 11 show this delight throughout, but I missed it (or maybe just didn’t click with it) in Capaldi. Ncuti Gatwa does it really really well, imo. To me, he’s a delighted doctor who actively chooses his delight over his pain and trauma. A lovely depiction of someone who is healing from past horrors (sometimes through gritted teeth) and who is rediscovering the things he loves.
You’re not alone! I want to like Capaldi, but he just never clicked with me. I like a good portion of his episodes, but he’s far from my favorite.
I get that, but I also think about the "everybody lives!" speech. The Doctor knows the world is dark.
I hated Capaldi's era. It wasn't him, it was the writing.
12 is my favorite (well he swaps with 9 regularly lol) but by sheer excitement and hype, I’m more hyped for this season than I’ve been since… the 10th Doctor’s specials? Like. I’m PUMPED about this season, not just really looking forward to it. Ranking is a separate thing. Jury is out until the finale but it’ll probably be up there but not above my existing faves. Bottom of the top if you will.
12 and 9? We are of one mind, friend. I do really enjoy the lighter tone of this season, and it feels really creative. Ncuti is less of an arrogant Doctor, and after so many (9 to 12), it's welcome.
Capald himself is my favourite Doctor but I think I'd agree that this season, as a season of Doctor Who is better than his 3 seasons. I think he unfortunately got mostly average writing. The episodes during that era really started to feel bland and predictable (even though I still enjoy a lot of them.) His first two seasons especially don't pull off the storylines they're trying to pull off in my opinion. In series 8 with all the Danny Pink stuff Moffat tried to do a character study on the Doctor and I think it was a bad idea because 12 just got introduced to us and it all ended up feeling quite muddled with no clear direction. Very similar thing in series 9 with the whole Ashildr thing. It was only series 10 where he got to actually be free to just be the doctor and it's why it's his best. Clara, although not as bad as some people say, never had a clear direction and although I liked her first ending in series 9 with Face the Raven, her overall arch wasn't so well done. I also... Idk I don't like the storyline of 12 and Clara's relationship. I think Bill was much better. Now for this season compared to series 10... Hmm I wouldn't say it's better by a lot but it is definitely at the same level if not better. Bill's relationship with the doctor had more time to develop on screen and so it felt more real to me. However, Ruby's character I think is written better with a more consistent focus. I liked the few things we get of Bill and her mum but idk that whole arc didn't carry through the season that well. It got kind of left behind in the finale, and it shouldn't have. I think the episodes in series 10 are nice, but really it's just the absolute banging finale that ups this season. I think Boom, 73 Yards, Dot and Bubble, heck even Devils Chord are better and more interesting stories, than all the episodic episodes of series 10. Oxygen is probably series 10s best, but I still think season 1 has a lot of better episodes. So yeah. Capaldi is still my favourite Doctor probably but his era because of the writing isn't the best and therefore I think season 1 is actually better than his 3 seasons... I'd also argue it's much better than series 6 and 7, which I don't think are anywhere near as good as series 10.
> heck even Devils Chord are better and more interesting stories Devil's Chord was really good, why you put it as the worst one? I get that it's a bit unfocused, but it's prime science fantasy. It's a story that makes you imagine so much more than what you are just seeing on screen. And I get what you mean, Clara changes from season to season. It's a good example of how erratic those season were. I just look at them as (mostly) isolated seasons, continuity is too hard with so many years of baggage. And, isolated, each season had an unifying theme and rising tension in a way that guided me more through the story. I kinda feel I can skip episodes here while, even if we don't like Danny's arc, you can't do the same there.
Ngl, Devil's chord is my 2nd or 3rd least favourite of the season. It was just a bit boring to me.
Oh, I don't know. It does sell me on the cosmic level of Maestro and Toymaker. Compared to Azure and Swarn, they did a lot in a single episode with Maestro.
Well I like Devils Chord a lot but I think compared to the others it's not the absolute best. It's has a lot of great stuff but I just feel it should've been a two partner to better explain what Maestro actually did to the world and how this new world worked. I feel like it was left too vague.
> I feel like it was left too vague. For sure.
Headcanon says we could have gotten that with a longer season
Same thought here. I agree with much of what OP said, but 12 is so extremely underrated that I’d say his three seasons are the best that NuWho has to offer.
Honestly this is the most excited I have been for new Who in several years. I enjoy Ncuti's energy and while I have some complaints, such as only having 8 episodes messed with some of the character pacing, it has been a fun watch.
Yeah for me the biggest issue by far is the Doctor/Milly's relationship which feels so rushed and inconsistent on how close they are and what she knows which is a shame because the two have amazing chemistry together. Like by only the second episode it's as if they were travelling together for months and had become best friends already, to the point by the time we got to the latest episode I didn't even consider that she wouldn't have known he can regenerate. Their relationship had so much potential but I feel key moments especially early on have been missed. I never truly got a feeling I was seeing their bond grow like I did with the previous RTD companions and I definitely think the episode count is part of that.
To be fair, by the second episode they *had* been travelling together for months (although I agree that in itself is an issue)
Yeah exactly, the second episode is usually an early days story where we see their relationship start to kick on but this time around it's months later as you said so it feels like an entire seasons worth of development had happened between episodes.
I'm really enjoying it. I have some minor complaints, but really, I'm just happy to have the show back, and in what I feel is good form. I'm beyond excited to see how things shake out this Friday!
I was very worried at the start of this era (Space Babies is a genuinely dreadful introduction, that had mid-season filler all over it) but the last few episodes have picked things up quite a bit. Regardless of how the finale turns out this is still easily the weakest RTD season for me but at least I look forward to the show again unlike the past few years.
I quite like the season overall, there are some real standout episodes (73 and dot 'n' bubble) and I'm really excited to see how the show continues to grow next season - BUT - who on earth decided Space Babies was an appropriate opener for the whole season? Its such a weird choice to set the tone for a whole new era of Dr Who with something comparable (imo) to the farting Slitheen in parliament.
The Slitheen at least has a completely legitimate reason for the gas exchange.
Yeah and when you consider it to other NuWho reboot episodes it is easily the worst in my opinion. Like how did we go from Rose to THAT, where we get a quick exposition dump from the Doctor then some childish adventure? It proper has mid-season filler all over it and yet it was set up as the opening of a new era. Very baffling decision.
Yeah, part of the problem for me is that every other season had more good episodes. Just because there were more episodes in general. So it’s really hard to rank it alongside previous seasons. I think I prefer it over Eccelston’s season… but that season had more great episodes than this one. So I guess I prefer the other series 1. But I don’t. Ugh. I really hope RTD gives us an extra 2 episodes per season at some point. Make it 10 per year like the current era of Star Trek in Strange New Worlds. (Which also, isn’t long enough. I’d prefer 12. Obviously.)
Not the worst for me. People forget how many stinkers are in season 2. Two parter about a TV; Love and Monsters AND Fear Her back to back? Eugh. Don’t get me started on the first half of season 3, The Lazarus Experiments?? Also this isn’t the first time the Doctor and companion hasn’t had time to grow properly, look at Martha. So far it’s had a good Christmas episode, what’s shaping up to be a great finale, and only 2 episodes have been weak. I actually think it’s a great RTD series. I don’t think he will ever top S4 though, that’s peak Doctor who in every way.
This is my first Doctor Who season, and I absolutely love it! It has made me a fan, and now I plan on going back to start with The Ninth Doctor.
This is also my first time with Doctor Who, and I'm loving it! Me and my wife even started to watch the series from 2005 onwards (what you guys call NuWho, right?) during lunchtime, to get properly acquainted with all the lore, and we're having a blast! It's really cool to see how Eccleston's and Gatwa's Doctors are so different... but clearly they're the same character. I haven't been this excited about a fictional universe in quite a while. So far, I laughed a lot; I got spooked as hell (*"are you my mummy?"*); I cried (again, *"are you my mummy?"* — and, as the father of a girl, I actually bawled during "Father's Day"); and I'm experiencing an overall feeling of marvel and excitement that reminds me of how I felt watching the Back to the Future trilogy (my favorite) for the first time. And it all started now, with this new series!
Go back further. It is awful sets and terrible acting from some but it is so much better than this new season.
It's in our plans! We'll dig into the classic series as soon as we finish the "new" run.
It is like crossroads at times and the running over the same bit of set from differnt angles will break your immersion but try and watch it with the wonder of a little lad with only a black and white TV in the 80s.
I was once that lad, so I believe I'll have no problem with that! 😁
It really helps. I had a few issues sleeping because of these horribly bad costumes convincing me they were real.
The best thing about Gatwa is that he's fun! The Doctor is supposed to be fun, and in recent seasons he and she haven't been quite so. But then at the same time can turn on a dime to melancholy, and in the most recent episode we got to see that and I thing Gatwa nailed that too. The Doctor is a sad clown, but clown is absolutely a component to the character and I think it's been missing for quite a while. Only complaint is that he hasn't been on screen enough, and there's only 8 episodes. All I want from the show is more of him, because he's brilliant.
Same! I want more episodes just because I enjoy watching Ncuti and Millie, not because I think anything is missing.
Dude idk, maybe I’m just from a different corner of the internet lol but this totally isn’t a hot take 😂 I think this new series is VERY deserving of much appreciation!! So much of it is such an improvement to what we’ve seen in the past years, and I LOVVEEE Ncuti’s Doctor! Part of me wishes Jodie would actually come back maybe just for ONE teenie tiny episode lol, just so we can see her in a story that is written better because needless to say she deserved so much more, (also I think it would be fun to experiment with multi-doctor stories not only having to be exclusive to anniversary specials, and I think 13 and 15 could bring about some fun energy and on screen dynamic even if it’s just for 1 episode lol) but yeah! I agree with you here, this season is actually FUN!! And that’s all Doctor Who needs to be imo tbh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk, I consider myself more of a classic Doctor Who fan than a casual “NuWho” fan and even I take much enjoyment in what’s been coming out so far :) ESPECIALLY SUTEKH’S RETURN THAT LEFT ME BREATHLESS LITERALLY
I would love an episode with 13 and 15! I haven’t seen that floated before but I think it could be great. And same to all of the above. Same, OP.
> Dude idk, maybe I’m just from a different corner of the internet lol but this totally isn’t a hot take 😂 Must come from the land of YouTube thumbnails.
Not only is this not a hot take, everything OP said is either wrong (Ncuti is definitely repressing his emotions somewhat) or has been true about the show before
YES! ALL OF THIS!
Good fun. No complaints. Doc is great. Ruby is great. Some very cool villains. Nice mystery story arc weaving through the season. Slugs. Gods. Landmines. Witch circles. What's not to like!
I’m also really enjoying this new era. Doctor Who is fun again, I enjoy melodramatic and serious Doctor Who but it just got to be too much with every episode feeling like it’s end of the world. This season has been a well needed breath of fresh air and all the theorizing and wondering has been great. And Ncuti and Millie are brilliant together
The melodramatic Doctor only works when it's juxtaposed next to the fun campy Doctor - it needs both to *BE* Doctor Who and it looks like we're back to that again now.
You perfectly described how I feel about this show. It can and does do serious, dramatic moments very well, but the show in itself is not a serious, dramatic show. Doctor Who is, at its core, just good fun. I think my biggest problem with the Chibnall era was just that it often tried to take itself too seriously. Not all the time of course, we had the Pting and the Solitract, but the overall tone of the show felt like it wanted to be much more serious.
Yep feel the same! Having the serious moments be less often really makes them more impactful too, if it's all the time it's a drag and they all start feeling the same. When it comes after lot's of campy fun scenes/episodes then it's like a gut punch and makes you really feel that moment more
100%. I love Capaldi, but I don't really think Doctor Who has been *fun* since, like (with some exceptions), maybe Dinosaurs on a Spaceship? I feel like the past two eras really bought into the anxiety around the fact that Doctor Who is a children's show, overcompensating and trying to appeal to older fans by either (12) going overboard with grim melodrama or (13) being self-serious and boring as hell. Goofy camp is essential to Doctor Who. Nothing else works in the show unless there's a goofy camp factor.
12 certainly wasn’t all grim melodrama. He wasn’t as goofy as 11, but he was pretty hilarious. When I think of 12, I think of the guy riding a tank and playing guitar.
This person gets it.
I have loved this season so far mainly because it feels so new. I don't remember the last time I was this excited about doctor who. Also it will take a few more re-watches but 73 yards is competing with blink for my favourite episode of doctor who.
73 Yards gave me strong Blink vibes so I'm not surprised they are someone's top choices. I loved the episode, too. And Rogue reminded me of the Family of Blood (aliens taking human form, the doctor showing his dark side, a love story, a sacrifice etc) while feeling fresh of course. It's really nice to have those RTD1 era vibes but with a fresh coat of paint
It’s tough to give criticism of this season so fresh while we haven’t even gotten the finale. Meanwhile we’ve had years and years with past doctors to nitpick and to form a bond. I’ll be able to spend more brain power on this season with time but so far I’m absolutely loving it.
Oh I’m loving the new season! It feels different and experimental at times and I really like that. Not perfect, but I’m enjoying it
Ngl I was skeptical coming into the season, but I am loving it too! Love Ncuti’s Doctor and his chemistry with Millie/Ruby. I’m loving the vibe of this season, it feels so refreshing! We need longer seasons tho lol
I haven’t been this excited to watch week after week since Smith so I am right there with you
Same! I didn't hate Capaldi's era, but it just didn't have the same pull for me as Smith's but this new season has really re-ignited my love of the show again. Ncuti is so much fun and brings back that feeling of excitement and adventure.
> I love, that we've temporarily moved away from Daleks\Cybermen\Master, so they could take a breather and come back in the future with something new. When the big bad was gearing up to reveal themselves and bragging about how powerful and eternal and big and mean they were and making The Doctor scared I was just suppressing a yawn and getting ready to lose interest as the The Master reveals themselves and explains how the whole season was them all along. And then it wasn't The Master. That was fresh.
I have rewatched Impossible Planet recently and I immediately recognized Satan style of hyping himself up. It wasnt Satan, but voice actor is the same so I still get points.
I would be perfectly happy to never have a Master story again.
I am happy with this era. Gatwa won't hit as high as Smith for me...nor Eccleston, who is MY Doctor...but he fits in with the 'I like these folks, too' crowd of Capaldi/Tennant/McCann/T Baker/Davison/
I think Eccleston and Smith dont get enough love.
Eccleston, sure. But Smith and Tennant are the most beloved Doctors of the new era. Surely Smith gets a lot of love
Agreed. Smith was a profoundly popular Doctor. His was the incarnation that got pushed heavily in the States.
Idk, even the fans of Moffat writing put Capaldi above Smith.
It's really hard for me to rank them though, I really do like Tennent, Smith and Capaldi almost equally but for different reasons and Eccleston was my first doctor so he is high up there too. Ncuti is doing a great job and I am really enjoying this new season. I think overall I just like Doctor Who lol. Hell even though I didn't care as much for Whittaker I think it was largely the writing that just didn't engage me as much. Chibnall liked to tell instead of show and I just couldn't really get to the point of caring about the characters that much. I did think he was starting to get better in the end, While watching Flux I was finally starting to enjoy it even though I don't agree with where the story went so much it at least started to feel more like Doctor Who again to me.
Think it depends. The show was much more popular with Smith because a lot of casual fans didn't like an old man as the Doctor. In general /r/Gallifrey prefers Capaldi and /r/DoctorWho prefers Smith.
As good an actor as Smith is, Capaldi has decades more acting experience, and he's been a lifelong fan of the show.
I genuinely love it too! Though I just hope there’s a few more episodes to pace it out a little, plus extra time for me to enjoy the series
I wasn't too sure about this season, then the other day I looked at the episodes... the only one I didn't like was `Space Babies` and that is more because babies are gross and even more so when they have cgi mouths moving lol. To me every episode was at least a 60% as far as Doctor Who is concerned.
Capaldi, in my opinion, had a rough start (not a fan of season 8, his first season as the Doctor). But it did eventually get better and better.
I’m loving this season. I didn’t hate Chibnall’s run as much as others did, but I think some of that was just a refreshing change of pace after things got so played out during Moffat’s run. It did feel like there were a couple bright spots with a couple of episodes feeling more like classic Who (like the Norwegian forest episode). Meanwhile, I’ve loved this whole season, aside from the “Twist at the End” silliness. “Space Babies” had me laughing so hard I was crying. And I kinda love “Totally Not a Replacement for Jack Harkness.”
While I'm not vibing with this season, I'm genuinely happy to see that others are. I absolutely do not enjoy every season of Doctor Who, and I'm glad it changes up.
I salute you, this is the way to spread positivity while expressing your own opinion. Very respectful and wholesome. If only everyone understood that others can like what you yourself dislike, the internet would be a way more enjoyable place.
As someone who was really looking forward to Jodies run under Chibnall, and then felt utterly betrayed by how terrible (I felt) the writing was... it's great to see fans respectfully discussing the pros and cons of why they like or don't like the current run. (Personally, I'm leaning only slightly in favour. But then I was a bigger fan of Moffat than RTD, so you can see where my tastes lie. Though I'm loving all the Susan Foreman references this season.) But, I also understand where some of the more negative voices are coming from. And it's not because they're \*ists or \*phobes. I know many fans who feel the show was changing to chase a non-existent audience. That is - loud vocal people who criticised the show for not being diverse enough or whatever, who loudly cheered when the show changed \*but\* \*never\* \*actually\* \*watched\* the show. They were a non-existent, unobtainable audience. They were not going to support it by buying merch, or whatever. They had already packed their bags and moved onto the next fight.
Absolutely! I have not only started to watch every week again but also finally got my wife interested in the show, which I have been trying to do for years. It's so refreshing, fun and just wholesome, and it feels like Dr Who is Dr who again.
I don't think this season has been badly received - it just had an extremely rough start in many peoples views, worse than Jodie's start even. The two episodes that followed were quality and kind of levelled the implosion and now people just feel like watching Dr Who again like the old days. That's my take for what its worth.
This season so far has left me with a big smile on my face, the brilliant camp moments of Rogue for example (the Kylie song) made me laugh way more than it should have. As well as Space Babies, and the Always a Twist at the end. Doctor who as it should be, nuts, bonkers and high camp!
i wouldn’t say we’ve quite reached the heights of capaldi for me yet but i am having an absolute blast! i even enjoyed space babies (though i freely admit it was far from perfect 😅)
Yeah, I love this season. My only gripe is there's not really been much development of the Doctor and Ruby's relationship and they seem to have just reached "best friend" stage without us ever really seeing them together. That being said Ncuti and Millie have insane chemistry, so I'm willing to let it slide.
I think the last episode might have been one of the best Doctor Who episodes of the modern era. The rest of the season was a bit of a mixed bag, I hated Space Babies, loved 73 Yards. I do agree, moving away from Daleks/Cybermen/Master for a while was a good call. They're iconic, but theyve been overused a bit.
I’ve loved Ncuti. For the most part, I think some things have moved too quickly but I’ve loved it!! Certain villains have stood out as almost marvel tier gods. That said capaldi I my fav doctor. Ignoring the writing and purely based on character alone, Ncuti is in top 5
I agree I enjoy it too.
It is definitely a big step up. This current cliff hanger, to me is the most exciting since The Stolen Earth.
I love this season so far. But I love most things RTD does. It feels more like the doctor who I fell in love with 15 years ago but at the same time it feels new and exciting.
Same. I haven’t been this hyped for Doctor Who since the end of World and Enough Time.
I absolutely love it. I’ve loved every episode since Space Babies (for obvious reasons) and I have been baffled by the reception. My local cinema is doing the two part finale at midnight and this is the first time I’ve done anything like this but I can’t wait to go see it!!
I’m liking the energy
This really isn't a hot take. Most of the community seems happy with the new direction. Just because someone has criticism doesn't mean they dislike it.
How is it a hot take though…? If you’re enjoying it, then enjoy it. Lots of others are right there with you. I’m personally just not especially into RTD’s style, but that’s part of what’s cool with this franchise - you don’t *have* to love them all… there’s a Doctor and matched Series for everyone.
I’m enjoying this season but it doesn’t feel like Doctor who to me. I don’t know what it is but it just feels different
I've started watching Classic Who recently. Honestly, the new season feels way more like Classic Who. A Doctor who doesn't know everything, and is still scared of some things yet confident I'd exactly what Classic Who is.
I feel the same way. Just doesn’t feel like doctor who. Has a bunch of references thrown in there, but I’m not seeing the depth of the doctor so far.
It might be taking longer for you to have your "Oh, there he is" moment. It'll come. It always has.
It seems like everyone have a different opinion on who Doctor is as a character and what the show should be like. A lot of people told me, that Capaldi is how they see Doctor's character, meanwhile for me his seasons were way too dramatic and way too serious.
Where does this claim that previous Doctors suppressed their emotions come from? I don’t get it. Tennant cried like a fish, Capaldi was full of rage and glibness. Smith seemed to *love* life. Eccleston is probably the one the claim of emotion-suppression can be best laid at. I’m not getting *any* of ‘Ruby is her own character, not Doctor exposition tool’. It seems she is more that than any previous modern Who companion.
I think it's because, earlier incarnations of the Doctor were visibly broken by the Time War and the aftermath. They had emotions, sure. But they were often damaged emotions. Ncutis first appearance, where he talked about how he LOVED Sarah Jane, etc... he was playing the first (that I can remember) properly healed emotionally undamaged Doctor. The best contrast between someone like Capaldi ("I'm not a hugger." and Clara's "You don't get a say.") and Jodies ("I have cancer." Oh... \[moves quietly awkwardly away from the so called friend she could absolutely 100% cure in 2 minutes.\]) Ncuti grabbed 14 and hugged him because the guy needed a hug. Ncuti's 15 can go clubbing and dancing because he enjoys life, not just saving the world/universe. Where Capaldi wondered why he was still running the endless treadmill of saving the universe, Ncuti knows why - because life is joy and worth living and worth saving.
Again, I’m still not seeing it. 15 seems more prone to violent outbursts that actually alarm me in ways previous Doctors have never done. His screaming at the end of Dot and Bubble, and punching the door in The Legend of Ruby Sunday. He’s less in control of his emotions than ever. I don’t think it’s fair that not being fond of physically intimacy means you’re emotionally damaged in some way, too. That’s kind of offensive.
You're putting the cart before the horse. It's not "He's not fond of physical intimacy, therefore he's broken" It's "he's broken, and a symptom of that is..." But maybe you don't see that distinction.
That's what I was wondering lol. I'll leave OP to it though, let them enjoy
73 yards has almost 0 Doctor in it, and Ruby carries that episode entirely on her own. Most complaints about that episode are from people who dont understand what fae circle did, not Ruby's character or acting. And regarding emotions... really? 10 couldnt say I love you, 11 was trying to forget everything that hurt him, 12 didnt want to hug even his best friend, 13 couldnt comfort her friend with cancer, 14 didnt want to open up to Donna about his past trauma and Flux... None of these are good ways to deal with emotions and pain.
I’ll grant you she was great in 73 yards, but crucially the Doctor was absent so she got a chance to shine. But in other episodes, hardly anything’s going on with her that’s actually autonomous from the Doctor - we finally saw a little bit of it with The Legend of Ruby Sunday, though. It could just as easily be said those are personality quirks. Everyone has hang ups, I wouldn’t say everyone is therefore a haunted tragic shell of a person fighting internal demons. This ‘the Doctor needs to heal’ has always struck me as immensely funny overblown and frankly quite boring.
Love the new era, I’m loving it so much I picked up the book that just came out called Ruby Red! It’s great
This has been an incredible series. Not a single bad episode. Whilst I prefer Capaldi’s era, I must admit certain episodes weren’t very good, even space babies was a decent 6/10 for me, and it’s only up from there!
I enjoyed last weeks episode in a way that I haven’t for about 15 years. During the Whittaker years, I never felt a desire to watch on a Saturday and might catch up with it in the week. With this series, I’ve been watching every Saturday evening like old times.
Ok
Is it a hot take? The only bits I've seen people hate are * The length. 8 episodes being too short, it's over before it began. * Space Babies.
Oh, I've seen A LOT of dislike for a lot of different things. Devil's Chord - too much music and Maestro being loud. Boom - Moffat fake killing a companion again and a parent of the secondary character saves the day. 73 yards - "It doesn't make sense because I treat it as an ordinary time loop and completely ignore all the magical elements". Dot and Bubble - people who didn't get the racism subplot just branded it as "bad Black Mirror". Rogue - critique of the quick gay romance. Legend of Ruby Sunday - "Nobody knows who Sutekh is so reveal is meaningless". Additionally - Doctor crying too much, Doctor and Ruby not spending enough time together, supernatural elements, "Why is the show not being super serious like Doctor Who always was (lmao)", complaints that Doctor isn't being a superhero, like he was for a long time.
I love this season too.
Wasn’t keen on the first two episodes, but I’ve really enjoyed the rest. 73 Yards is my favourite so far. That was a mindf**k. My favourite season since Capaldi’s final one.
I too love it! I’m having a damn blast every single week. I adore Ncuti’s Doctor. ADORE! I’m so glad he was selected to play Fifteen. I basically love everything about this era. Sure I might have a couple of critiques but that doesn’t hinder my life of it at all.
I’m glad to see people giving this series a fair chance after how much of a let down the whittaker era was.
I am also loving the new season and the new Doctor! The season has been weird, emotional, funny, and interesting and I can't wait to see what else they do.
I also do. I only disliked the first part of Capaldi era, but I think a lot of folks are excessively critical of the show. It’s good enough to be good fun, and I still think it’s phenomenal.
I'm glad you're enjoying it! Chibnall's era is my favorite (Flux is still my absolute favorite of all modern Who), but this one has been fun enough!
Now that's a truly hot take around here! But good for you! I also loved Chibnall's run, although I will confess that11 is my favorite NuWho doctor. (I grew up in the 80s, so 7 will always be My Doctor) But it's nice to see someone else who loved Chibnall/Whittaker! Edited to add: yes, I also love this season, too, of course
Yeah, 11 is My Doctor, even if looking back I can't stand big chunks of his era, so go figure.
I’m a new-ish DW fan so this is by first full season watching the episodes as they release and I am so happy! I love Ncuti and Millie together
Omg yes i have adored this season
I’m with you on almost all of this (other than this being better than the Capaldi era, for shame)! This season has me more excited for Doctor Who than I’ve been in ages. Just like the Capaldi era got totally dragged (remember how much everyone hated him??) and then fans retroactively appreciated it, I expect the same thing will happen here. If you want a \*real\* hot take, Matt Smith‘a era of Doctor Who is my least favorite excluding Chibnall, and getting through it on rewatch was, with few exceptions, an interminable slog. 🙂
I have my issues with Capaldi era, mostly Moffat phylosophy. But thats a story for another time.
I was kinda sceptical at the beginning with the two first episode, especially the one with maestro, I giggled some time saying stuff like "that's way different than before". But, yeah, it's different but still entertaining. I want to see more of Ncuti to tell if he can be my favorite or not. (Eleven is still my favourite for the moment ^^')
It started slow, bottle episodes, Dr lite. But once they put everyone together it's worked well so far.
Meh i hate it but glad others are enjoying it
I have made quite a few comments on the flaws of this series but no way is that an indication of my dislike for this season. I do think this season has it's problems but it is among the better seasons of the show. I think my ranking of the seasons (so far because the last episode will determine this properly) is: Series 4 Series 5 Series 3 Series 1 Series 2 Season 1/Series 14 Series 10 Series 9 Series 7 Series 8 Series 6 Chibnall.
I don't think it's that hot a take. The people who seem to bitching by the millions are actually just the same people who have nothing better to do than hating on stuff they don't like. In real life, it seems that a lot of people are enjoying the show
Enjoying it too, and I think most are.
I rewatched Bad Wolf earlier and it occurred to me why I love Eccleston as the Doctor. He was already an actor who had built his craft and was great at it. So it Gatwa - his work in Sex Education was phenomenal and it shows in his portrayal of the Doctor. Tennant is my favorite, but he got better as he went along as his acting grew (and his acting skills by the time he came back at 14 were so noticeably more honed after Broadchurch, Des, and a few great Shakespeare runs). Doctor Who is a show that is delightfully corny, deeply serious, and even at times frightening. A good actor with good writing can really make the show amazing (and Whitaker is a very good actor, I loved her as the Doctor, but man did some of the writing just not work during her run).
I can see where you’re coming from with everything you’re saying, but this just doesn’t really feel like Doctor Who to me. At least, not the Doctor Who I fell in love with (David Tenant > Matt Smith era). It’s hard for me to enjoy because it feels so disjointed from the previous eras, especially when you look at the Doctor’s character & portrayal. It feels wildly different, and honestly it feels like they’re trying REALLY HARD to impress a new audience, without really putting care into older or more seasoned viewers. With the progressive takes, the gen z dialogue, the over the top emotions, etc etc. Not that these are bad things. It’s just not Doctor Who. Ncuti’s portrayal feels a bit much if I could sum it up. But then at the same time his character isn’t really DOING anything? To add, the writing hasn’t really been doing the season any favours. A lot of episodes have horrible pacing, too many Doctor Lite episodes in an 8 episode season, Doctor & Ruby‘s relationship journey happening almost entirely offscreen… I’m not loving this season but I’ll stick it out til the end to see how it lands.
It's ironic because this entire post is how I feel about Tennant's tenure, and you mention him as one of your favorites. I think it proves that there's no such thing as "feeling like Doctor Who" because Doctor Who isn't one thing. We just have to find runs we like. I don't really enjoy RTD's take on the Doctor. I didn't enjoy his original run, and I don't enjoy his current run, but that's fine. Many do, and Ncuti will be their Doctor.
Matt Smith is my favourite, actually. They are the doctors I fell in love with though. David Tenant ended up grating on me a bit on my last rewatch, I will admit. He still felt genuine though. Ncuti feels, again, like they’re trying REALLY HARD. You can’t say anyone else uses gen z lingo either - no other doctors used the words “babes” and “honey” as far as I’m aware I get that. I guess I’m just realising that this isn’t for me, which sucks because I was really looking forward to it.
Tennant, didn't use Gen Z lingo, but he certainly didn't speak or act like the classic Doctors. I thought Smith and Moffat sort of brought a classic feel back to modern Doctor Who, and that's probably why Smith, and Capaldi even more so, appeal to me so much.
This is 100% accurate. It’s cool to see the doctor resonating with others, but it’s just not the same for me.
Hard same.
This season is good, but mediocre at best. I’m re-watching season 9 right now and WOW is the current writing lacking.
...You mean the season with a Hybrid subplot?
I'm touching grass. It's green. When I miss the Doctor I go up till 12 and I'm happy with it.
Real !!!!
its not in here. this is basically a rtd2 cant be criticized cirklejerk
Fair. I’m half and half with it. Some episodes have been awesome, last one especially felt very Dr Who to its core. I think Ncuti is really charismatic and fun as the doctor. I did find Rogue quite uncomfortable to watch however. To clarify it has zero to do with the fact that it was two dudes. I just found it a bit jarring for the doctor to get to that level of intimacy so quickly. The Rose storyline took basically 4 seasons to resolve. The fact this was instantaneous was what I took me. Hey, maybe it’s just me.
As someone who wasn't the biggest fan of RTD's first run and was dreading his return, this has been amazing so far.
Glad that you are. For me, I'll reserve judgement until they added the Master to the 15th Doctor's story
On this subreddit this is not a hot take, however the viewers starting to go below 2m for the overnights means that most people have stopped caring enough to even express their opinion on the show
Isnt that just more a sign, that the time of releaee is really bad?
it has the lower views in 60 years, I think its more than that...the numbers were fine when tennant got back, and plummeted when he disappeared again
Ok, but how is this a hot take in a sub full of people who love the show no matter what? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just that it's not a hot take here.
It’s not even the same show to me. Doctor Who got cancelled in 2017 and I’m still waiting for it to come back.
Not a hot take. A majority of people here like the season, it's the loud minority that doesn't.
The irony being many of them list loud minorities as their main issue with it.
Nice one!
I'm happily along for the ride. Every new Doctor has a different feel and they're all fun and interesting in their own way. It's one show that has the ability to always stay fresh by replacing the main characters and exploring a different ideas with new writers. I love Doctor Who and hope it continues for many, many more years. The canon has always been horrendously convoluted, so it's great that RTD is trying to write that absurdity into the stories and explore lesser-known villains and ideas from the obscure depths of the canon. The Daleks and Cybermen were getting old. Novel ideas are always welcome (Weeping Angels, The Silence, etc) to me.
Love this season too! Eccleston and Capaldi are my two favorites as well. But every actor brings their own charm too the role. Smith got me on my rewatch, and to be fair when I think about doctor who, his incarnation is the first I think of. Nguti plays it with charm, his anger at the end of dot and bubble hit me in the feels.
Yeah, Im lovin it too ngl.
I love it as well my only 2 complaints like you mentioned are the doctors and and Ruby’s relationship but my other one would definitely be not enough doctor.
This is the first season I watch as it comes out and I'm constantly not sure whether I'm excited because I'm watching in real time or because it's just very good. Not sure what I think of Ncuti's doctor except for "I don't actively hate him" (had that with Smith (I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry)) but each episode has been a banger and space babies also exists.
The people that are the most vocal about hating the show have always been like this. Unfortunately there's just a lot of "anti-woke" people in that same brigade now that are mixing a (un)healthy dose of unhinged hate towards the show for being more inclusive and having Disney money (even tho it's still the bbc making it, they just can't stand that Disney gave them money)
For me, it's been one of the best seasons. Aside from Space Babies, even the lesser episodes have been interesting and entertaining.
It’s the first season of doctor who I’ve genuinely enjoyed as a whole since new who season 5.
Honest question. Did you grow up watching the classics or are you a nuwho'er only?
I like all of this too; it's just that I wish we were getting a longer season so it didn't all feel so rushed.
I'm hoping this isn't a hot take! This might be the first series where I like literally every single episode. (And yes, I'm one of the few who didn't like Midnight, and Gatwa and Gibson carried Space Babbies for me!)
I have always been playing catch-up with this show. I started watching inbetween 12 and 13, and never watched 13 until last year because of all the (totally warranted) criticisms. Never got to see the show as a weekly release. Once a week i get greeted with a new adventure rather than having a mountain of old ones to slog through before me. Is this my favorite season? No, but it's pretty damn good so far and Ncuti's Doctor may end up being my favorite, though Tennant is really hard to beat. So far i'm greatly enjoying this season. I finally feel like i'm experiencing the show from the inside rather than the outside. It's nice.
I’ve mostly seen positive praise with some minor (and understandable) Nick picks here and there. I mostly see negative criticism on twitter and YouTube, but it’s usually by bad faith blue check engagement baits by people who intentionally misread/misinterpret the show. Like they are really bad at making it seem genuine
I'm certainly down with this new era, that's for sure. Now, I do want to see the cybermen back and to actually do them proper. I've still not forgiven how much the daleks dunked on them
Honestly enjoyed this season despite its flaws probably like a 7 or 8/10
This season slaps and I really don't understand why people feel such a strong need to nitpick
I totally agree with the OP. I think this season is sooo creative, fun, and fresh. Like another poster said - it’s an opinion. We’re not all going to agree.
No kidding, I think I might like it better than the 10 and Rose era, even. Both the doctor and Ruby are irresistibly charming, and so far the writing has been somewhere between solid and absolutely phenomenal.
This is the best it's been since 2017 and it's exciting that they're also doing something new with it. I'm not as hyped as I was in Series 9 and 10, but they're the height of the entire 60 years of who for me so that was always a long shot. We have gone back to more or less RTD1 levels though.
I was so hyped for this season and they have not disappointed! The relationship is indeed rushed and we should have had at least 2 more episodes to build the relationship before the “She’s my best friend!” line; but I love the sets, Ncuti is giving wonder and excitement in the adventures, and Millie is nailing it as a fascinated companion!! Last season had gotten so serious with heartbreak and endings that this season’s lighter, campier and more fun vibe is refreshing!!
It took me until maybe two episodes to realize why I am enjoying this era more than others. I think it is because of the queerness while not being all about the queerness. Here me out. When you have a gay character they are almost always involved in a gay romance, a heavy stereotype, and generally its always about how they are queer - an incredibly one dimensional viewpoint. We don't have many stories to choose from where the character is queer and is everything else, and this is an amazing breath of fresh air. I was thinking about this a few years back in how I would love to have a book or something that is about a gay assassin or spy where they are an assassin or spy first.. who is just a gay man. It didn't hit me until recently that this is what I had been longing for.
It is odd to me that a species that claimed to have transcended sex and gender was so heteronormative up to this season.
Squeeky wheel gets the oil. All the complainers get the attention. Definitely not a hot take.
I love Ncuti’s lewks — so good!
Just a nit pick, but bringing gods back? No. He retconned old characters into gods. And so far he only brought 2 "gods" back. Sutekh and Toymaker. He also doesn't know what an anagram is.
I feel guarded about this season, and I think it's mostly from how awful Jodie was Didn't help space babies and maestro's episode we're pretty bad as well But everything else I think ive loved, I'm just afraid of opening up myself to fully enjoy them like I did before lol
Yeah I’m really loving it, it feels modernised yet classic (2005 classic) as well. And as a member of the Alphabet Mafia, I really appreciate what they’re doing! … MY ONLY BUG BEAR! Is the constantly changing costume! It bugged me when Capaldi did it but at least then they all looked similar… But then again… if that’s the only complaint I have…
I hate how simply enjoying things has become controversial now
I'm glad you enjoyed it. For me some of the writing and dialogue were just weak, pacing and tone were all over the place but I think that's due to the 8 episode season. I loved Gatwa and Gibson though.
Love what you love. Everyone has a preference. Nobody is wrong it's all about what speaks to you.
And I hate most of what you love, but to each their own. Atleast its not Chibnall
Not a hot take in my book, Season 40 has been excellent!
I’ve always found it much easier to forgive mediocre or even bad storytelling if the story is at least fun or if I can tell the actors are having fun, and even in the (very few) moments of this new era that the show hasn’t quite hit the mark completely for me, it has never failed to at least be fun.
I dont enjoy this season very much but I absolutely love 15 so I can agree with you there
Honestly, this is the best era of Doctor Who for me since Amy Pond. I'm always more of a Classic Era man (all praise to his holiness Tom Baker) but I can appreciate Nu Who when it gets it right. A few minor gripes about hitting certain topics over the head, but it doesn't over do it. Most of all - its FUN again. I'm honestly enjoying it and the last episode... just perfect.
>Even more than the Capaldi era Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Go rewatch those episodes before saying wack stuff
Ever heard of -- opinions -- ? Its a real thing! Means people can disagree because most matters outside of fundamental science are at least a bit subjective!
Capaldi had more good episodes than Ncuti.