On New Friends and Favouritism
So the Moff has finally released some info about season 7 and the Doctor's new companion! :) She's going to be played by Jenna-Louise Coleman (anyone seen her in anything? I haven't yet) and comes in during the Christmas special. Also (POSSIBLE SPOILERS HERE) Amy and Rory leave then, as we knew, there WILL be fatalities, and there are going to be Angels.
Can I just say, as much as I adore Amy and Rory, I am SO STOKED about the new companion?
Part of the beauty of Doctor Who, IMO, is its character's transience. The fact that nobody stays long, that every Doctor and every companion has their time, makes us love them all the more, because we don't know how long they will last. Also, if you DON'T like a character, you can rest easy knowing that eventually someone new will come along.
I think a lot of people don't appreciate the beauty of that, because they are more accustomed to the standard format where you have the same main cast for a single run for a couple years, and then the series ends forever. They're a bit spoiled because they are used to having a consistent single cast.
With Doctor Who, the players change, but the show goes on, and I LOVE it. And it's not like this is a new thing; this show has been around for almost 50 years now. Without the shifting between actors and characters, it would have ended long ago. And just think of the rich narrative history it has as a result. The malleable cast is one of Doctor Who's strongest points.
Of course there are long-gone characters I wish we could see more of (Donna, Ten, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane, Canton Everett Delaware III, Sally Sparrow, Wilf, Eight, Jackie, Mickey, Jack, and any number of Classic Who companions) but to throw a tantrum because a new Doctor or a new companion comes along and GASP THE HORROR THEY ARE DIFFERENT is just silly and childish, and I've no patience for it, so I try to ignore it and go out of my way to avoid all the blatant "OTP, MY Doctor, Best Companion EVAR" bullshit. Why would you want to sulk and sink into resentful favoritism when it's just going to make you bitter and unhappy in the long run? Jealousy and possessiveness were some of both Rose and Martha's worst traits - whenever they started on that vein I was so disappointed and irritated, because they were better than that and I hated seeing them sink so low when they were normally so great.
What's more, with Doctor Who, there is always potential for a return, even if it's decades later and just for a guest appearance. It comes down to the willingness of the showrunners, but moreover, the actors. Sometimes, they don't want to return. Like Karen Gillan - she said when she leaves she wants it to be permanent so that the emotional impact of the departure stays poignant.
They all leave eventually, and no amount of fannish flailing and hissy fits is going to change that. So please, just enjoy them while they last, learn to look forward to meeting new friends, remember your old favorites fondly, and have fun with the show! They are all wonderful and flawed in their own ways, and I love them all.
Can I just say, as much as I adore Amy and Rory, I am SO STOKED about the new companion?
Part of the beauty of Doctor Who, IMO, is its character's transience. The fact that nobody stays long, that every Doctor and every companion has their time, makes us love them all the more, because we don't know how long they will last. Also, if you DON'T like a character, you can rest easy knowing that eventually someone new will come along.
I think a lot of people don't appreciate the beauty of that, because they are more accustomed to the standard format where you have the same main cast for a single run for a couple years, and then the series ends forever. They're a bit spoiled because they are used to having a consistent single cast.
With Doctor Who, the players change, but the show goes on, and I LOVE it. And it's not like this is a new thing; this show has been around for almost 50 years now. Without the shifting between actors and characters, it would have ended long ago. And just think of the rich narrative history it has as a result. The malleable cast is one of Doctor Who's strongest points.
Of course there are long-gone characters I wish we could see more of (Donna, Ten, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane, Canton Everett Delaware III, Sally Sparrow, Wilf, Eight, Jackie, Mickey, Jack, and any number of Classic Who companions) but to throw a tantrum because a new Doctor or a new companion comes along and GASP THE HORROR THEY ARE DIFFERENT is just silly and childish, and I've no patience for it, so I try to ignore it and go out of my way to avoid all the blatant "OTP, MY Doctor, Best Companion EVAR" bullshit. Why would you want to sulk and sink into resentful favoritism when it's just going to make you bitter and unhappy in the long run? Jealousy and possessiveness were some of both Rose and Martha's worst traits - whenever they started on that vein I was so disappointed and irritated, because they were better than that and I hated seeing them sink so low when they were normally so great.
What's more, with Doctor Who, there is always potential for a return, even if it's decades later and just for a guest appearance. It comes down to the willingness of the showrunners, but moreover, the actors. Sometimes, they don't want to return. Like Karen Gillan - she said when she leaves she wants it to be permanent so that the emotional impact of the departure stays poignant.
They all leave eventually, and no amount of fannish flailing and hissy fits is going to change that. So please, just enjoy them while they last, learn to look forward to meeting new friends, remember your old favorites fondly, and have fun with the show! They are all wonderful and flawed in their own ways, and I love them all.