Eleventh Doctor: a tricky one to pin down...?

[templeremus]

*Post contains extremely vague, non-specific spoilers, of a character- and not plot-related kind*
I was musing today about what it is that makes series 5 (or 1, or Fnarg, or whatever you want to call it) so different to other post-2005 Who; and, in particular, why Matt was such a surprise as the Doctor.
And I think it's because, to me, Matt is just

Comments

[manatees]

I totally agree. Eleven feels much more alien than Nine and Ten - hence him totally not getting it when Amy came onto him! I'm enjoying the alien-ness, it makes it much more exciting.

[naika7]

"hence him totally not getting it when Amy came onto him!"

That's true...Rose and 10 spoke in sexy/emotional/cryptic language all the time and 10 was very much aware of what she was saying..and 11 is totally oblivious..But at the same time he's very direct about how he feels about Amy, he expresses his protectiveness very keenly and even mocks her fiancee. Love this mixture of emotions ))

[k425]

Oh, I think he got it, I just don't think he wanted it.

Nine was a father figure, Ten was a love interest, Eleven is a teacher, an academic, the most professorial we've had for a while.

[manatees]

You're right on Eleven being very professorial - I'd love to know how much of the Doctor that Matt wrote about having adventures with Einstein we're seeing in the current series. I so want to read those stories!

[leelakin]

Yessss, him being so much more alien is definitely part of the appeal. I feel like there are much more shades to his character than with the previous New Who Doctors. It's difficult to predict for him how he will react to something. I think it goes along with the theme that Moffat tries to make everything (about the story arcs as well) more complicated and more-than-meets-the-eye.

[jamarish]

I agree too, I've been trying to think about what's his style, I mean, Nine and Ten were both very different and each of them had a mostly defined personality, but with Eleven I'm not really sure how I would describe him. He is very alien, you never know what he's going to do next... and I love it. Each time I'm about to watch a new episode I think Moffat, Matt or Karen are going to do something bad that will make me enjoy the season less, but so far they've only improved it one episode at a time!!
So no, I don't think your mind is on the fritz, and I also look truly forward to each new episode, those 40 minutes of Who each week are just heaven!

[naika7]

He is very alien, you never know what he's going to do next

Yeah, like I didn't expect him to be pressing his forehead against Amy all the time, to be holding her hands and kissing her forehead...he seems like a very impulsive, passionate doctor who like to touch a lot )))

[jamarish]

I didn't expect him to do those kind of things either, he seems to be very affectionate when it comes to Amy, which is understandable, she's lovely :)

[gwaithgweneth]

Oh yes, I love that about him. He's very alien, which is a welcome change after the tenth Doctor, who always felt a bit too human too me. (Not that I don't like the tenth Doctor, he was great, it's just...nice to have a change). I haven't felt this excited about Doctor Who since...ever, possibly, and I'm actually rather obsessed with it.

The one thing I can think to label Smith with, and it definitely doesn't feel like it even comes close to a proper description, is the "teachery/paternal one". Which works for me.

[eruvandeaini]

I love that he's a mix of paternal and wise and also naive and innocent. Which you're right, is tricky to pin down.