2018 In Review - Who?

It’s been an odd time for geekiness. Traditionally at the forefront of pushing the boundary, of stories about tolerance and understanding, of inclusivity and embracing the outsider, there has been a somewhat toxic element grabbing the limelight recently. How prevalent that element is can be genuinely hard to judge as media reporting is not always necessarily reflective of the actual state of affairs in this social media-dominated time but it has impacted the conversation and not in a positive way.

This is the atmosphere in which Doctor Who has launched its first female incarnation of the Doctor (something that has felt like its been closer for a little while now ever since the introduction of the female incarnation of the Master, Missy). Where do I stand on this “debate”? There isn’t one. The Doctor, as a fictional character, can be a man, woman, fish or robot dog - that’s not the important question.* For me, as always, the important question with any regeneration is:- is the new person any good?**

The answer to the question is:- yes...with caveats.

When Jodie Whittaker was announced, I wasn’t particularly excited by the choice. I’d only seen her in two things which I discovered by looking her up on Wikipedia, of course and the fact that I’d completely forgotten that she was in both those things and had to look her up didn't bode well. Mind you, I was completely underwhelmed by Matt Smith’s announcement, having seen him in nothing, and he went on to give one of my favourite depictions of the Doctor so I was happy to wait and see.

I’ve enjoyed her performance - she’s makes for a fun, excitable Doctor - but I don’t think she’s been fully served by the scripts yet. She hasn’t really been given anything to show us the range of her Doctor yet so she’s not leapt up in the ranks yet. This isn’t unusual - I didn't really enjoy Peter Capaldi’s portrayal until his last series with Bill. There’s still time there.

Story-wise, it’s been a tricky series. They’ll all hit a median level of good quality but there have been no real highs and lows throughout the series for me. As such, most of the stories have started to blur into one. I definitely think that it was time for a change and the new look and feel, new composer and new/old theme music (first version I’ve liked since Tennant) are all positive steps as are the attempts to mix up the type of story they’re telling. It’s just not become a compelling must-see yet - I’ve often forgotten that it was on…

The standout of the series for me ( and I never thought I’d say it) - Bradley Walsh. I never would have thought that the bloke who presents The Chase would have the real dramatic chops to deliver some of the main emotional moments of the series but he’s absolutely smashed it.

For me, it’s a good start overall - nothing spectacular but solid. Here’s hoping that it can bring it a bit more of a must-see feel for the next series...

* I of course appreciate why it has been an important question and I realise that we live in a society where unfortunately this has been something that needed to be addressed. For me personally, though, the Doctor’s gender is not an issue.

** I also wanted to wait until the series as a whole was finished before delivering any verdicts. For me, I find it much easier to review something once I've actually seen it...