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Jan 21, 2014 10:23

Captain Grumpy, or, as he's come to be known, The War Doctor.



Ah, the War Doctor. <3 I know that Ten is definitely My Doctor, but the War Doctor is definitely challenging it for the spot. I know the really fun fact when "The Name of the Doctor" first came out, I had a lot of fun speculating, while waiting for "Day of the Doctor" to come out, what this regeneration did to get un-regenerationed, as I put it. I mostly wrote him as sort of the Valeyard (a callback to the old series what with the Dark Doctor that was trying to steal more lives, from what I can understand. Although considering the events of "Time of the Doctor", is the Valeyard still going to happen and he'll just happen in a different way, or is that future going to be averted altogether?) who took over a planet and tried to be a sort of benevolent ruler and failed, leading Clara to turn on him (and join up with Martha, who has to fight him), as well as come across the recently regenerated and kind of crazy Master (drum-free and just sort of driven mad because...well, without the drums, he's scared, really) and try to take him in and rehabilitate him and make him better. The Master sort of becoming a twisted sort of Morality Pet to the Doctor because he has someone to care for. It definitely seems to be a running theme in my writing -- fallen heroes, mostly via Break The Cutie or something similar, as well as Well-Intentioned Extremist, and in the end, being alone in their quest except for someone who stays with them mostly thanks to love and loyalty, and not mind control. It seems to be a formula that I have for a lot of the villains I write -- I know that it was the case for Obi-Wan/Terminus in "Before the Dawn", as well as the villains in the prequel section of my Astrid Grayson series (original fiction), and for the main villain in my new original fiction project. *Sighs* I really need to shake up my formula a bit. It's really just the same story again and again. I guess I just go with that formula, really, because it allows for some interesting character development with my villains. I think the reason I haven't broken from that formula is because I doubt I could ever write a purely "ruthless and diabolical" villain or just a monster to be defeated (as fangirlblog said that Gavar Khai should have been in Ascension , just because he cared about his daughter instead of just being a monster. I prefer complex monsters because they tell more interesting stories, really. That and just reducing your villains to archetypes for the hero to defeat isn't interesting. YMMV, of course). I'd never be truly happy with that. Still, I guess I could give it a try...

But I digress (majorly). The story I'd sort of dreamed up for the John Hurt Doctor (as I was calling him because at the time I had no idea where he fit in) was definitely Jossed by the "Night of the Doctor" minisode that came out -- that and some supplementary information that yes, this was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and I got really excited about that because Moffat hadn't gone back to the Time War in a while. Which I think was kind of a big mistake in terms of character development and whatnot. Just sort of seeing what happened. I'm not saying that the Doctor should have been dwelling on it 24/7 -- even Nine and Ten had time for lightness and fun in between it all, so it wasn't all tragedy * -- but going Angst What Angst isn't the solution. Balance is the key. And I think Moffat sort of pretending the Time War never happened with Eleven -- well, not always, but most of the time -- wasn't really the solution. So I was definitely happy to see them going back to the Time War because it felt like, besides that whole character development thing, a gigantic loose end that needed to be tied up.

And Moffat really handled the matter of the Time War in that minisode really well. There was the matter of seeing Paul McGann again, which was a delight; he's been one of my favorites since I watched the TV Movie (which isn't really that bad. Seriously, it's not. It's a tad cheesy, but it's still enjoyable). And sort of getting some closure regarding what happened to the Eighth Doctor even though I was left heartbroken by what happened to him. And I liked the bit of symbolism that they had in terms of the Eighth Doctor dying. The Eighth Doctor wanted to be a warrior because that was what the Time War really needed. And the reciting of his companions' names (Big Finish companions too, so, very good on Moffat for making them canon! **) was also a lovely touch, which, besides being some good fanservice for Big Finish fans (I remember just seeing them rejoice on Tumblr and whatnot was really touching), seemed very, for lack of a better word, human. Like he was remembering all the people he had traveled with and who he'd cared about before ultimately dying. And the symbolism...well, it definitely seems in that moment like everything the Doctor was died in that moment, and the War Doctor was born. The first words of that regeneration, "Doctor no more" are very appropriate at any rate. I was also struck in that moment by how dark the minisode was. There were moments of humor, yes, such as Eight snarking at the Sisterhood of Karn, but otherwise, it was very dark, and really showed how bad the Time War was -- and that was really just a snippet of it all. So yeah, "Night of the Doctor" definitely got me psyched.

As for seeing the War Doctor himself...I'll be honest, when I first saw him in "Name of the Doctor" and "Night of the Doctor", I was terrified by him, but by "Day of the Doctor", I just really felt bad for him. I know, for example, his Despair Event Horizon and going out into the desert with the Moment, was definitely a very effective scene in the episode, especially with John Hurt's voiceover for the scene, when he just communicates how much he's just given up. He's seen enough of the war. Pure and simply, he's finished. He's seen so much agony and hardship and downright misery that he's ready to do whatever it takes to end it all. And then, of course, the Moment senses it and decides to change everything up.

Another thing I liked about the War Doctor is that he's not all the way angsty. I liked the fact that he was still fundamentally the Doctor, with his snark, his nobility, and fundamentally, his kind, gentle spirit. I liked how he sort of affectionately took the piss out of certain aspects of New Who, such as the younger, prettier Doctors (although Paul McGann was kind of the first, so...yeah, I think it's older than people think), the catchphrases, the way they held their sonic screwdrivers (which I confess I didn't even notice. This is one reason I wear glasses, apparently), the frequent kissing, the quirks, etc. It was really fun seeing him interact with the Doctors, and even took a turn into the heartbreaking with the stuff like talking about Gallifrey and its destruction. Not to mention his talking with Clara, and, long after they manage to resolve the whole Zygon conflict, the War Doctor discussing how wonderful Ten and Eleven are, and how they've been making other people's lives better -- a strange moment of sort of getting meta too, because that was what I loved about them. Just trying to help people and save people and make them better no matter who they were -- it was one of those things that made me love the show; its compassion. I think it's just a very heartwarming outlook to have considering that not every form of media really has that. Some do, but most just seem content with the whole "good guys good, bad guys bad and need to be punished". Which isn't how I roll. Somehow, it just doesn't appeal to me much. Doctor Who has pretty much changed me a lot, and mostly for the better.

And I think it's who the Doctor is as a character. There's definitely a darkness in him, but overall, he is a genuinely good, kind man who will do whatever it takes to save the universe. And the scene with Clara where he's discussing the matter of all the good that his future selves have wrought -- it helps thanks to John Hurt's performance, yes, because he is a fantastic actor, but it's also the simple, honest matter of...well, the reason the Moment brought him here in the first place was to show him what would happen to him if he pressed that button. And yet when he sees his future selves -- yeah, he may be bewildered by their appearance and their quirks and whatnot (sort of imagine seeing future versions of you, really, and wondering, "Jesus, is that how I'm going to be in the future? Do I really sound like that? Do I dress like that, act like that?" Etc. etc. It's really sort of my headcanon in terms of how certain regenerations would react at seeing one another, and why some of them might bicker so much), but fundamentally, he's proud of who they are. He even says -- and I think it's heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time -- that they are, basically, greater men than him, and that he is lesser in comparison to them. Which is heartwarming because it's such a show of humility and affection for his future selves, and yet heartbreaking because he really doesn't realize how great he really is. There's definitely something heartbreaking about a good person who really doesn't know how good they really are. He's noble, compassionate, kind -- and yes, there is the matter of the war, but even then, he was trying to end it. And he really was doing what he could. It's something that most would portray as a black and white situation, but Moffat, like Davies before him, portrayed it in shades of gray. It really took the Moment, as well as Clara, to present an alternative to what War did. And seeing War's joy in that scene is wonderful, it really is. That and bidding his farewells to the others was lovely, as well as his regeneration scene, because he's at peace again, for the first time in a very long while. He is the Doctor again, and though Ten and War don't really remember it, it's still lovely. And a sign of character development for the Doctor as a whole -- he's finally made peace with himself. He's managed to set right what once went wrong, and he's made peace with himself, even if Ten, and Nine, after the War Doctor's regeneration, and pre-Day of the Doctor Eleven, don't get to remember it (which is heartbreaking, really, but I guess it is kind of a Foregone Conclusion). And War's regeneration, while sad, was heartwarming in the sense that he was the Doctor again, and even funny with his comment about "I hope the ears are a bit less conspicuous this time" (which really makes Nine's comment about the ears in "Rose" all the funnier. And it's one of those details that's a lovely bookend, mostly in terms of Where It All Began). It was a lovely sendoff to, honestly, one of my favorite incarnations of all time. (Yeah, Nine and Ten? You're getting serious competition. XD)

Honestly, in terms of why I love War, it's because of his kindness and his fundamentally gentle nature (scenes like him speaking with Clara, for example. I loved the interactions between War and Clara), his badassery (him shooting "No More" into the wall, before blasting his TARDIS through it and steamrolling the Daleks. That was amazing), how Moffat portrayed his personal anguish during the war, his interactions with the other characters, ranging from funny (such as some of his interactions with Ten and Eleven. You can tell Moffat had a lot of fun writing them. :) to heartbreaking (some of his interactions with Ten and Eleven, such as the matter of discussing the destruction of Gallifrey, as well as the scene where he's making the decision as whether or not to press the button and the other doctors place a hand on the button with him (sort of like Donna placing a hand near the Doctor's when they're about to pull the lever in "The Fires of Pompeii", I just realized) just so he won't have to make the decision alone. And then, of course, Clara suggests the alternative, and it's a beautiful thing. And then there's the matter of his interactions with the Moment, which range from funny to heartbreaking, and sometimes both. I think the reason that this character worked was Moffat setting up a figure we would ordinarily hate and/or fear (I know I did the latter in the episodes leading up to "Day of the Doctor") and ultimately making him not just a sympathetic but even likable character. Showing not just his reasons for doing what he did, or being about to, but showing that he was fundamentally the Doctor, in the end, and giving him not just a chance of redemption, but a sendoff that's a very fitting end for his character. I love this character, and I'm definitely glad that Moffat went the way he did with him. And if Moffat ever decides to do a series detailing the War Doctor during the war...well, no complaints from me!

* Which I think I should do more often in my works. I have too much angst in them -- I think it also comes with the personality as well because I'm kind of a moody person. And how I happen to be feeling at the moment -- and I really just need to stop that.

** Also a bit of strangely Hilarious in Hindsight considering how, in one post where I was sort of dissecting that Nilbog article and admitting the ridiculousness of canon contradicting the EU and going, "That's like saying New Who contradicts Big Finish!" And then come 2013, Big Finish is canonized. I think that's the best amusement I can get out of this. XD

all the feelings, doctor who, meme responses

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