'Cause we're young and we're reckless we'll take this way too far...
A few years ago, I finally sat down and started watching Doctor Who. I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not; I started at the 2005 version because the older seasons just didn't interest me. It could be the overwhelming idea of there being almost ten white British dudes preceding Christopher Eccleston's Nine, but I figured if I enjoyed the current seasons enough, I could go back (all in good time, if you'll pardon the pun).
As anyone who's become invested in Doctor Who will tell you, it's hard letting go. While I only watched season “one” in anticipation of the incarnation of glorious David Tennant, it took me a few episodes to really let Eccleston go. Despite only being there for one short 13-episode season, he was a wonderful character to transition into this world with and it was hard to turn my back on him just because Tennant had finally arrived.
That said, the partnership between Billie Piper's Rose Tyler and Ten is nothing short of wonderful and eased any misgivings I had. Some of the best storylines transpired during Tennant's three seasons (including my all-time favourite episode, Blink) and I was pretty certain that he was and would remain my favourite. My Doctor.
Which is why it surprised shocked me when I absolutely fell in love with Matt Smith's Eleven. Not just his bow-ties and love for fezzes and overuse of the word "cool", but for his child-like demeanour, his bad-ass ferocity and his attachment to one Amelia Pond.
It wasn't until after The Angels Take Manhattan that I realised it wasn't (just) Eleven I'd fallen for. I fell for The Trio; Rory, Amy, and her raggedy Doctor. Because after the Ponds left, he wasn't the same. And the show wasn't the same. So, while I battled on through the rest of season seven, I stopped watching when Smith left.
It had nothing to do with Peter Capaldi and his fabulous Scottish accent or his magnificent eyebrows. It was that I didn't feel like the chemistry and energy the three of them had together was ever replaced. Their adventures as a trio (or, rather, one married couple and a madman) had as much to do with them and the evolution of their relationships as the places and times they were going. I’m sure that was intentional - I’m sure you were meant to feel his disconnect after losing them - but there was just no spark with sweet Clara “It’s smaller on the outside.” Oswald.
I'll take some responsibility for this - I love ensemble shows. When done well, they're diverse, they provide a plethora of opportunities in terms of storylines, character growth, and arcs. So perhaps it was the fact that three appealed to me more than two. Perhaps it was the fact that losing Rory countless times didn't make losing him the last time any easier. Perhaps it was the fact that I was too broken after seeing this to fully recover:
Thank you for ripping out my heart, highandrandom.
I'm still confused as to how I could delve into a series purely for one Doctor and come out the other side in favour of another - it boggles my mind. But the times I was most affected by, most emotional about, and most invested in Doctor Who was when it was the three of them against the world. And I miss it. I miss them. I miss their adventures.
And, honestly, I miss Rory. Rory Williams; one companion to rule them all. So, let's finish on a brighter note: The Evolution Of Doctor Who’s Rory Williams to 15 Reasons Rory Williams From “Doctor Who” Is Actually Prince Charming.
As anyone who's become invested in Doctor Who will tell you, it's hard letting go. While I only watched season “one” in anticipation of the incarnation of glorious David Tennant, it took me a few episodes to really let Eccleston go. Despite only being there for one short 13-episode season, he was a wonderful character to transition into this world with and it was hard to turn my back on him just because Tennant had finally arrived.
That said, the partnership between Billie Piper's Rose Tyler and Ten is nothing short of wonderful and eased any misgivings I had. Some of the best storylines transpired during Tennant's three seasons (including my all-time favourite episode, Blink) and I was pretty certain that he was and would remain my favourite. My Doctor.
Which is why it surprised shocked me when I absolutely fell in love with Matt Smith's Eleven. Not just his bow-ties and love for fezzes and overuse of the word "cool", but for his child-like demeanour, his bad-ass ferocity and his attachment to one Amelia Pond.
It wasn't until after The Angels Take Manhattan that I realised it wasn't (just) Eleven I'd fallen for. I fell for The Trio; Rory, Amy, and her raggedy Doctor. Because after the Ponds left, he wasn't the same. And the show wasn't the same. So, while I battled on through the rest of season seven, I stopped watching when Smith left.
It had nothing to do with Peter Capaldi and his fabulous Scottish accent or his magnificent eyebrows. It was that I didn't feel like the chemistry and energy the three of them had together was ever replaced. Their adventures as a trio (or, rather, one married couple and a madman) had as much to do with them and the evolution of their relationships as the places and times they were going. I’m sure that was intentional - I’m sure you were meant to feel his disconnect after losing them - but there was just no spark with sweet Clara “It’s smaller on the outside.” Oswald.
I'll take some responsibility for this - I love ensemble shows. When done well, they're diverse, they provide a plethora of opportunities in terms of storylines, character growth, and arcs. So perhaps it was the fact that three appealed to me more than two. Perhaps it was the fact that losing Rory countless times didn't make losing him the last time any easier. Perhaps it was the fact that I was too broken after seeing this to fully recover:
Click to viewThank you for ripping out my heart, highandrandom.
I'm still confused as to how I could delve into a series purely for one Doctor and come out the other side in favour of another - it boggles my mind. But the times I was most affected by, most emotional about, and most invested in Doctor Who was when it was the three of them against the world. And I miss it. I miss them. I miss their adventures.
And, honestly, I miss Rory. Rory Williams; one companion to rule them all. So, let's finish on a brighter note: The Evolution Of Doctor Who’s Rory Williams to 15 Reasons Rory Williams From “Doctor Who” Is Actually Prince Charming.