Doctor Who is one of the most beloved television series in the world with a cult following unlike any other. When the series was rebooted people lauded showrunner Russell T. Davies for his exciting and inventive ways of bringing Who to a new generation. He was replaced by Steven Moffat, a formidable writer, whose time as showrunner brought mixed reviews from fans. However with Capaldi’s Doctor leaving, Moffat found that the perfect time to exit from the series putting new showrunner Chris Chibnall in charge. Would he be as controversial as Moffat or reunite the fan base with a return to Davies’ style?
The main story of series 11 revolves around the regeneration of the Doctor to their newest incarnation. The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whitaker) searches the universe for her TARDIS while trying to remember who she is she stumbles upon a group of interconnected humans: Graham (Bradley Walsh), a sweet older man, and his wife Grace (Sharon D. Clarke), her grandson Ryan (Tosin Cole) and his old classmate Yaz (Mandip Gill). After an event that changes their lives forever, these companions choose to follow the Doctor on her adventures to protect space and time while struggling with their own personal problems.
When one of the biggest changes in Doctor Who history was announced where the titular character would be female for the first time, it was exciting as Whitaker’s Doctor looked fantastic in the promotional material. However, things became bleak when the showrunner and Whitaker went on to explain how this season of Doctor Who would be less about her and more about the ensemble as a whole. The staple of this series has always been the whimsical tone brought on by following the Doctor’s season arcs as they come in-and-out of the lives of their companions so how could this be achieved with a more ensemble feel?
Unfortunately, this aspect of the show falls flat as this season is full of terrible missteps in its story, characters and overall tone. The season’s storylines are absolutely atrocious and dull as the unimaginative episodic arcs feel like educational after-school specials that seem to be more focused on being serious political commentary than enjoyable sci-fi adventures. The choice to bring in fresh writers as opposed to veteran writers who know the universe shows as these standalone episodes are forgettable and nowhere near the tone expected from the series.
The issues with the stories in turn affect the characters as the ensemble feel results in both some positives and negatives. The positives are that the companions have much more to work with and allows them to provide some pretty great depth to the supporting cast. In particular, the two biggest surprises of the season are Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole who provide some of the best companions of new Who. However, the third companion Yaz feels like a checklist quota character whose storyline goes nowhere throughout the series. This is also seen in the most disappointing character of the season: the Doctor herself.
The Doctor has no season story arc and instead changes her behavior and tone episode-to-episode in order to fit whatever moral dilemma is presented. The issues with her character are further seen in the inability to have her own personality as this Doctor feels like a bad impression of the Doctors before her, most notably David Tennant and Matt Smith. There is not much wrong with Jodie Whitaker’s portrayal because in her better episodes she excels in having the charisma and wit needed for this role, but a lot of her character is a caricature thanks to the writing behind it.
This season of Doctor Who is a step back for this beloved sci-fi series. The story focuses on historical narratives and topical themes trying to make the show educational, but the change to a more episodic format gives the cast nothing to work with in very bland, boring and drawn out stories that never truly grasp the essence of this franchise. From its shallow characters to its lack of cohesive storytelling, this season tries to make a message that is more wibbly wobbly than time itself making us think is this Doctor Who or Doctor huh?
Score: 5/10
What did you think of Doctor Who? Was Jodie Whitaker’s Doctor a surprise, disappointed or as expected? Let me know in the comments!
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