The thing that sort of crystalized The Doctor in my head was listening to an audio book on writing where it discussed the need for the protagonist to change over the course of a story then it backtracked to say that this isn't universally true. There are central characters whose purpose is to bring change to other characters. That's The Doctor. His companions and the people he meets should change. Changes (other than in the specifics of his quirks) aren't nearly as important for a 900+ year old alien. It's not really a question of who the Doctor 'will become' it's who he is. And I think Ten drifted away from that which was why, by the end, we kept hitting the same note that The Doctor will be alone... because that is the Doctor. And that is his story. And no companion will ever stay. But that can only be restated in so many ways before it's just the reiteration of the same idea over and over again. I think it helps to go back to showing that what's important are the ways that he changes the people around him.
(And I think poor Donna may have been sacrificed to the Doctor who can't change problem because it ceased to be about her journey and her change in favor of reiterating yet again that the Doctor cannot change. Not really). So as a companion, she got hit with the same stick.
And I'm still irked over Donna's fate. Can you tell?
There are central characters whose purpose is to bring change to other characters. That's The Doctor. *nods* Someone wrote a longer post than mine about this a few months ago, and it's stuck in my head ever since, because suddenly it all made sense.
But that can only be restated in so many ways before it's just the reiteration of the same idea over and over again. I think it helps to go back to showing that what's important are the ways that he changes the people around him. *nods*
(And I think poor Donna may have been sacrificed to the Doctor who can't change problem because it ceased to be about her journey and her change in favor of reiterating yet again that the Doctor cannot change. Not really). So as a companion, she got hit with the same stick. Yes, there is some truth in that. Also, the problem with Donna and Rose was 'forever'. Once someone says that you *have* to break things to take it back.
And I'm still irked over Donna's fate. Can you tell? You're not alone...
ETA: It just occurred to me that thanks to regeneration the Doctor *does* change, but it's a different sort of change. (Not sure where I'm going with that, I just wanted to write it down. *g*)
(And I think poor Donna may have been sacrificed to the Doctor who can't change problem because it ceased to be about her journey and her change in favor of reiterating yet again that the Doctor cannot change. Not really). So as a companion, she got hit with the same stick.
And I'm still irked over Donna's fate. Can you tell?
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*nods* Someone wrote a longer post than mine about this a few months ago, and it's stuck in my head ever since, because suddenly it all made sense.
But that can only be restated in so many ways before it's just the reiteration of the same idea over and over again. I think it helps to go back to showing that what's important are the ways that he changes the people around him.
*nods*
(And I think poor Donna may have been sacrificed to the Doctor who can't change problem because it ceased to be about her journey and her change in favor of reiterating yet again that the Doctor cannot change. Not really). So as a companion, she got hit with the same stick.
Yes, there is some truth in that. Also, the problem with Donna and Rose was 'forever'. Once someone says that you *have* to break things to take it back.
And I'm still irked over Donna's fate. Can you tell?
You're not alone...
ETA: It just occurred to me that thanks to regeneration the Doctor *does* change, but it's a different sort of change. (Not sure where I'm going with that, I just wanted to write it down. *g*)
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He's the thing you drop into a situation to change it, not to change him.
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