The Tenth Doctor: his reach is global, his tower secure; his cause is noble, his power is pure...

[kalichan]

Title: his reach is global, his tower secure; his cause is noble, his power is pure...
Author: kalichan
Character: The Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Doctor Who
Spoilers: Through… "Planet of the Dead"

TENI'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old, and I'm the man who's gonna save your

Comments

[selenak]

Very good essay (and thanks for reccing Patterns, btw!). I have a tiny, tiny nitpick, which is just me being anal:

but while Nine flirted right back at Jack, Ten is oddly more reserved with him. Callously deserting him on a spacestation in “Parting of the Ways”,

This makes it sound as if it was Ten who deserted Jack. He was in fact still Nine when he did that. Which isn't to say Ten is not responsible for said action - he is, being the Doctor, to state the obvious - but the Doctor was still Nine when getting the hell away from Jack; he only regenerated after the TARDIS was already in flight, and well after, given we get a transition cut from Rose being put on the floor unconscious to Rose waking up some time later. Which is why when I read people complaining that Nine would never have reacted to Jack the way Ten does initially in Utopia, I'm tempted to say "...err, except when he did?"

[kalichan]

No, you're totally right about Nine. He swanned off and left him. My sentence makes it sound like I think there's a link between Ten's reserve and the callous desertion of Jack, but that is sheer bad writing on my part. Nine was just as callous, and in fact, responsible, as you say.

I tend to excuse Nine a little more -- he was a bit busy at the time, what with saving Rose, and regenerating; I suppose I blame him less for leaving, than Ten for, you know, not going back, and then.. lying to Rose about it.

Patterns rocks; thanks for writing it. I really love fics that link New Who and Classic Who together; they are some of my favorites.

[selenak]

I suppose I blame him less for leaving, than Ten for, you know, not going back

Well, considering TARDIS!Rose had just wiped out the Daleks, there was no reason for leaving the station at all other then immediately responding to Jack's new status and wanting to keep same from Rose. Rose had just been saved (on the station); the Daleks are gone. He could have regenerated then and there if it had just been about finding a danger-free place to do that. Also, we have the Doctor saying in reply to Jack's "how long did you know?" "ever since I ran away from you". I.e. he knew immediately.

In conclusion: Nine made the conscious and deliberate decision to leave Jack behind and to keep the consequences of her action from Rose; Ten stuck with said decision.

*brought to you by the 'the Doctor so is a runner and occasional bastard in all his incarnations' brigade* *veg*

Icon: I can't tell you how much I squeed during that scene in The Next Doctor and how I hoped someone would make a good icon out of it. Several people did, and this one is

[kalichan]

In conclusion: Nine made the conscious and deliberate decision to leave Jack behind and to keep the consequences of her action from Rose; Ten stuck with said decision.

Q.E.D. You are completely correct. Man, that Doctor, what a cold bastard he can be sometimes. I think it's so funny that people bitch about How The Doctor Is Not Being An Arbiter Of All That Is Good And Right With The World, when I'm like, "er... have you watched the show? NOT A NICE GUY, much of the time." From Hartnell to present.

The Next Doctor: I think my squee went super sonic at that moment. I may have deafened some puppies nearby.

[selenak]

I think it's so funny that people bitch about How The Doctor Is Not Being An Arbiter Of All That Is Good And Right With The World, when I'm like, "er... have you watched the show? NOT A NICE GUY, much of the time." From Hartnell to present.

Absolutely. He can be, but that's not some kind of default option. Also, being a hero and saving people wasn't something there from the get go but something he developed over time, starting after Barbara did some bitchslapping and inspiration back in ye One days. I remember some Planet of the Dead reviews complaining that the Doctor should have let Lady Christina remain arrested instead of aiding her escape and being generally amused and approving of her because she was a thief (without needing to be one by poverty, that is) and an aristocratic thrill seeker. Honestly, what do they think One was pre Barbara-and-Ian? I loved that Ten 'fessed up to stealing the TARDIS in nostalgia.

[kalichan]

P.S. Adore your icon.