Comparing the Doctors...
I'm interested in comparing the Doctors of Doctor Who. Now, I know nothing of the previous Doctors (aside from 2 eps of Four) so really I'm interested in contrasting and comparing Nine and Ten, because I was just commenting to voldything's recent post on Nine, and I said something along the lines of while I love Tennant and wouldn't trade him for the world, Nine still owns my heart. And that Tennant had enough similarities to Eccleston's Doctor that it wasn't too much of a departure, but enough uniqueness to be his own Doctor, and... I just. I really want to explore that. So you guys get to come and gab with me, okay? Okay.
Oh, and on a side note, I did indeed go on vaca this weekend, to a little riverfront motel up in New Roads (which is only 40 minutes away, so not that MUCh of a roadtrip, but still... fishing!) and I took lots of pictures... mostly of ducks, but anyway. I'll share them later, including the video I took of a bunch of little tiny baby ducklings and their very first foray into the water! EEE! My own little nature film! (The camera work is crap, dudes, a director I am not.)
Anywho, yes.
I think it'll be easiest to compare them first. They share two major things in common, and I'm pretty sure they share this with probably every doctor ever. Cause I know Tom Baker had these too.
1. Well. There's of course the manic grin, yes?
No matter how dire the circumstance, be it Dalek's, world war three, certain death, or landing on the moon, the Doctor will still always, always find a reason to be delighted about something. Usually it's humanity's own stupidity, but still. LOL.
2. Then there is their ability to go from being doofy and funny to downright heartwrenchingly heartbreaking.
The Doctor shifts moods fast enough to give me whiplash. So utterly and completely serious one moment and then "ANYWAY, ONTO THE NEXT ADVENTURE SHALL WE?" It's just like, I was just about to burst into tears, Doc, why'd you go and ruin it? But at the same time, just when you want to get annoyed at how quickly he shifted gears on you, you're giggling madly again because the Doctor is Love and you are HELPLESS.
The contrasting is a little bit more difficult though because... it's just a bit subtler.
Nine was a little easier to anger than ten is, I think. A little more... I don't know. A little more ready with a quick insult. Not that Ten isn't as well, esp in season 3, but Nine just had a... you know what? I want to call it a "rougher edge." And so I will. I mean, Nine called Rose a stupid ape in season one (father's day). I can't imagine Ten ever doing that.
Ten has this bit he does where he babbles incessantly and says things like "Wait, no, yes... no... WAIT! YES!" And it's utterly delightful and one of my favorite things about him, but Nine didn't do that so much. Nine was usually pretty "and this is what I'm going to do" whereas Ten thinks about it a bit more. Or perhaps they went through the same back and forth process, because the Doctor is more finely in tune to the was and will be and could be and should be than anyone else ever so they know all the possibilities out of one single act and that there is ying and yang to every action, etc... but perhaps Ten's is just more vocal.
Nine had more chemistry with Rose. And maybe that's just my thing with being resistant to change, but I thought that Eccleston and Billie had more chemistry. There was more "I'm in love with you" in the eyes and actions with those two than with Tennant. Not that Tennant didn't make me cry in Doomsday, and not that Tennant didn't do the Doctor well in series 2, but maybe I was still just too attached to Nine to be able to see him and Rose together. I'm pretty sure my big huge love didn't come for Tennant until 3, when Rose was out of the picture. Not that I in any way want Rose to STAY out, cause god, do I want her back. But yeah.
Ten seems to be a bit more of a Man with a Plan than Nine was. Nine gave off the impression of always flying by the seat of his pants, and Ten's got that, but when the shit hits the fan Ten seems to have more of a surefire Thing to Do, whereas Nine was more kind of "Well. *shrugs.* Let's see how this works!"
Anyway, yes. I'm not sure I'm expressing this clearly, but... for me, as a writer, there is a definate difference between writing Ten and writing Nine. Ten seems to be a little lighter than Nine, which is weird because he's more emo than Nine ever was, but it's a... I don't know. Ten just seems lighter, softer, more tender... which I'm sure is Tennant's eyes, because his eyes are very soft and kind, whereas Eccleston is just very... he's just very rough around the edges, weathered, rode hard and put up wet (oh, yummy), etc.
Plus, I know that everyone thinks Tennant is sexier than Eccleston, but I disagree. Which is to say, yes, Tennant is very sexy, but Eccleston is who gets my engine revvin' if you know what I mean. And that's because Tennant reminds me a bit of a puppy, and Ecclestion is a full blown dog who's very fun and adorable, yes, but will also bite your balls off. A bit like my first dog when I was growing up, Spooky. He was a German Sheppard, midnight black with eyes that glowed yellow in the dark, and the sweetest thing in the world to me and my family, but if a stranger came to the door? He went batshit. Eccleston is like that, wiry and muscled and taught and ready for action, whereas Tennant is like my last dog Buddy, a little miniature schnauzer, all play play play, and yes, he'll nip at you and draw blood if you hurt his master (oooh, Master, but no, later) but mostly, he's play. (But maybe this impression comes more from the fact that Tennant is the skinniest motherfucker EVER).
Does that make any sense to anyone but me? The point is, Nine and Ten are different, and I'm unsure how to define that. Anyone else want to give it a try?
Perhaps tomorrow I will compare and contrast Rose and Martha. But I don't know if I can make a whole post of it. Mostly to me, Martha is more intelligent than Rose, but Rose is more passionate and compassionate. Rose was more of a fully rounded character whereas Martha doesn't really seem to exist for more than the purpose of being the Doctor's foil.. which sucks, cause I've come to realize I sort of love Martha and wish she were written more fully.
Oh, and on a side note, I did indeed go on vaca this weekend, to a little riverfront motel up in New Roads (which is only 40 minutes away, so not that MUCh of a roadtrip, but still... fishing!) and I took lots of pictures... mostly of ducks, but anyway. I'll share them later, including the video I took of a bunch of little tiny baby ducklings and their very first foray into the water! EEE! My own little nature film! (The camera work is crap, dudes, a director I am not.)
Anywho, yes.
I think it'll be easiest to compare them first. They share two major things in common, and I'm pretty sure they share this with probably every doctor ever. Cause I know Tom Baker had these too.
1. Well. There's of course the manic grin, yes?
No matter how dire the circumstance, be it Dalek's, world war three, certain death, or landing on the moon, the Doctor will still always, always find a reason to be delighted about something. Usually it's humanity's own stupidity, but still. LOL.
2. Then there is their ability to go from being doofy and funny to downright heartwrenchingly heartbreaking.
The Doctor shifts moods fast enough to give me whiplash. So utterly and completely serious one moment and then "ANYWAY, ONTO THE NEXT ADVENTURE SHALL WE?" It's just like, I was just about to burst into tears, Doc, why'd you go and ruin it? But at the same time, just when you want to get annoyed at how quickly he shifted gears on you, you're giggling madly again because the Doctor is Love and you are HELPLESS.
The contrasting is a little bit more difficult though because... it's just a bit subtler.
Nine was a little easier to anger than ten is, I think. A little more... I don't know. A little more ready with a quick insult. Not that Ten isn't as well, esp in season 3, but Nine just had a... you know what? I want to call it a "rougher edge." And so I will. I mean, Nine called Rose a stupid ape in season one (father's day). I can't imagine Ten ever doing that.
Ten has this bit he does where he babbles incessantly and says things like "Wait, no, yes... no... WAIT! YES!" And it's utterly delightful and one of my favorite things about him, but Nine didn't do that so much. Nine was usually pretty "and this is what I'm going to do" whereas Ten thinks about it a bit more. Or perhaps they went through the same back and forth process, because the Doctor is more finely in tune to the was and will be and could be and should be than anyone else ever so they know all the possibilities out of one single act and that there is ying and yang to every action, etc... but perhaps Ten's is just more vocal.
Nine had more chemistry with Rose. And maybe that's just my thing with being resistant to change, but I thought that Eccleston and Billie had more chemistry. There was more "I'm in love with you" in the eyes and actions with those two than with Tennant. Not that Tennant didn't make me cry in Doomsday, and not that Tennant didn't do the Doctor well in series 2, but maybe I was still just too attached to Nine to be able to see him and Rose together. I'm pretty sure my big huge love didn't come for Tennant until 3, when Rose was out of the picture. Not that I in any way want Rose to STAY out, cause god, do I want her back. But yeah.
Ten seems to be a bit more of a Man with a Plan than Nine was. Nine gave off the impression of always flying by the seat of his pants, and Ten's got that, but when the shit hits the fan Ten seems to have more of a surefire Thing to Do, whereas Nine was more kind of "Well. *shrugs.* Let's see how this works!"
Anyway, yes. I'm not sure I'm expressing this clearly, but... for me, as a writer, there is a definate difference between writing Ten and writing Nine. Ten seems to be a little lighter than Nine, which is weird because he's more emo than Nine ever was, but it's a... I don't know. Ten just seems lighter, softer, more tender... which I'm sure is Tennant's eyes, because his eyes are very soft and kind, whereas Eccleston is just very... he's just very rough around the edges, weathered, rode hard and put up wet (oh, yummy), etc.
Plus, I know that everyone thinks Tennant is sexier than Eccleston, but I disagree. Which is to say, yes, Tennant is very sexy, but Eccleston is who gets my engine revvin' if you know what I mean. And that's because Tennant reminds me a bit of a puppy, and Ecclestion is a full blown dog who's very fun and adorable, yes, but will also bite your balls off. A bit like my first dog when I was growing up, Spooky. He was a German Sheppard, midnight black with eyes that glowed yellow in the dark, and the sweetest thing in the world to me and my family, but if a stranger came to the door? He went batshit. Eccleston is like that, wiry and muscled and taught and ready for action, whereas Tennant is like my last dog Buddy, a little miniature schnauzer, all play play play, and yes, he'll nip at you and draw blood if you hurt his master (oooh, Master, but no, later) but mostly, he's play. (But maybe this impression comes more from the fact that Tennant is the skinniest motherfucker EVER).
Does that make any sense to anyone but me? The point is, Nine and Ten are different, and I'm unsure how to define that. Anyone else want to give it a try?
Perhaps tomorrow I will compare and contrast Rose and Martha. But I don't know if I can make a whole post of it. Mostly to me, Martha is more intelligent than Rose, but Rose is more passionate and compassionate. Rose was more of a fully rounded character whereas Martha doesn't really seem to exist for more than the purpose of being the Doctor's foil.. which sucks, cause I've come to realize I sort of love Martha and wish she were written more fully.