Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

The willow is too close to the house.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

After roe, women are no longer free.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Because of wow. / Still Not Ginger!

Still Not Ginger!

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The BBC has announced the 13th Doctor:

From The Guardian:

Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who’s new head writer and executive producer, said: “After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we’re excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

“I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for the Doctor simply blew us all away.

“Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The 13th Doctor is on her way.”

Whittaker said: “I’m beyond excited to begin this epic journey – with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet. It’s more than an honour to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait.”

At this moment, if you’re attuned to these things, you can feel the millions of gamergaters, men’s rights activists, and these gorilla mindset schmos crying out in despair. Or tweeting about it…

At the risk of crossing the meme streams:

Reader Interactions

144Comments

  2. 2.

    cain

    So awesome to see a female doctor!

    In other news – we have another conversion from Republican to Democrat. A pretty good read if I don’t say so myself.

  4. 4.

    Karen

    It is about time, ha, thought they should have done this years ago. Every time there was a change kept hoping it would bring a woman, especially since I didn’t like the last time lord.

  5. 5.

    Villago Delenda Est

    The broflakes are out on the twitter machine in force, as if they crave being mocked incessantly by their betters.

  6. 6.

    Brachiator

    First they stole Star Wars from the fanboys and gave us Rey. They forced Wonder Woman down their throats. And now, the Doctor is a woman.

    Hell to the yes!!! What’s that sound I hear?

    “I felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of insecure whiny ass titty baby fanboys suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.”

    I await the inevitable David Brooks op Ed piece, and whining from Douthat.

  7. 7.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Karen: I like Capaldi as an actor. I have not liked him as the Doctor. I do not know what the problem is. Whether he just can’t nail the character as it is being written for him or he’s being directed badly or a combination of the two. His first season was painful to watch. I forced myself through the second. I haven’t watched his third and final one yet, though from what I’ve read it was much better than the first two. I’ll likely binge watch it before the Christmas special.

  8. 8.

    SFAW

    I think it would have been good humour if the New Doctor were Brianna Wu.

    Now THAT would be crossing the streams, Adam.

  10. 10.

    germy

    @cain: If trumpism turns out to be a very temporary aberration, can reaganism please exit stage right with it? Can the pendulum please swing back to some semblance of a progressive era? I’ve lived my entire adult life in the shadow of supply-side economics and I’d like to spend my final years in a more sane country (without having to move to Canada or Brazil).

  12. 12.

    Eljai

    Jodie Whittaker was in Broadchurch, which also starred David Tennant, who was a previous Dr. Who. Whaddya know!

  14. 14.

    Hunter Gathers

    At this moment, if you’re attuned to these things, you can feel the millions of gamergaters, men’s rights activists, and these gorilla mindset schmos crying out in despair.

    They should despair of the Oncoming Storm.

  17. 17.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    I actually teared up watching that Jodie Whittaker intro. I became a Whovian late in life with the 9th doctor. THIS LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

  20. 20.

    Tom Levenson

    If one were a complete Dr. Who novice (I think I’ve seen parts of one or two Peter Baker episodes, and that’s it), should one just start watching w. Dr. 13? Or should I dive in somewhere prior. If so, where? David Tennant? Somebody else?

  22. 22.

    cain

    @germy:
    At least the guy admits that supply side economics was bullshit. I’m surprised that he believed in it in the first place. Even when I was 18 years old I thought it was bullshit.

  25. 25.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Tom Levenson: Start with the reboot starring Eccleston who was the 9th Doctor. You can watch all of the 9th, 10th, and 11th on Amazon Prime. I’m not sure about Capaldi’s 13th yet. Eccleston was only in the role for a year/one season, but it makes sense to start there before David Tenant takes over.

  26. 26.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @Tom Levenson:

    9th Doctor works well, Tom. We meet Rose Tyler, the favorite companion of many viewers. It is also very contemporary, so no super dated fashion and cultural gaps. Rose follows along with the 10th Doctor. It all flows nicely.

  28. 28.

    sdhays

    In case you want to take pleasure in Ann Coulter being upset (as I do), there’s this.

    Coulter claimed she was upset over the alleged seat change because she took the time to “investigate” Delta’s aircraft and meticulously chose her “pre-booked seat.” She pointed fingers at the female passenger in the above photo, claiming that she had “waltz[ed] at the last min” and took her seat.

    “But at least @Delta was nice @ it,” Coulter continued, “summarily snatching my ticket from my hand & ordering me to move w/o explanation, compensation or apology.”

    Am I a bad person to regret that Ann didn’t get the “friendly skies” treatment?

  29. 29.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    So if this is the 13th doctor does that mean the end is nigh for Doctor Who as a franchise?

  30. 30.

    scav

    Apparently, I’ve a low bar, loved all the doctors and very much Capaldi, but then I am sooo enjoying the outbreak of economic anxiety in a certain vocal cohort. Odd thing is, I can’t think of a starter doctor (they’re all just different facets), although I can think of better starter episodes.

  32. 32.

    Karen

    @Adam L Silverman: I couldn’t manage the whole first season, and I have been watching Dr Who since it was on late Saturday nights in the 70’s. PBS in SF area started from beginning and every Saturday night played a number in the series with the goal of catching up to BBC. It took me a little time to warm up to Matt Smith, but couldn’t with Capaldi.

  34. 34.

    Suffragette City

    I saw on twitter JJ MacNab has a link to a speech Roger Stone gave at a Cliven Bundy fundraiser in Las Vegas last night. It’s to the point where I’ll read a news story or see a quote from some political figure and get a knot of fear in my stomach to accompany my anger.

  35. 35.

    artem1s

    Yea! Looking forward to whatever failed boycott the butthurt fanboys come up with.

  36. 36.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @sdhays: surprise to me in all that was that it looked from the pictures like she flies coach. I guess hate-filled book-like objects aren’t selling as well as they used to, and the money college Republicans make from bake-sales to invite her for a spite-fest only pays for economy plus

  39. 39.

    kindness

    I like Dr. Who but I’m not any kind of regular so I don’t much care. But mocking those whining about it is the awesome!

    Now if we were to be speaking of Game of Thrones…..

  41. 41.

    Brachiator

    @Tom Levenson:

    .Or should I dive in somewhere prior. ..

    I am also a relatively new Who watcher. There are all kinds of suggestions about where to jump in, but I am a minimalist. I would say watch the episode “Blink”. I would watch a random pure Tennant episode. I would watch the first Matt Smith episode, “The 11th Hour. ” Then, if your interest is piqued, two Capaldi episodes, Hell Bent and Heaven Sent.

  42. 42.

    Karen

    @Tom Levenson: last time there was a doctor change there was a marathon of shows, I don’t remember just how far back they went but I remember watching for hours. check to see if they are going to do that again, I know that they went back to the ninth doctor, Eccleston

  44. 44.

    cain

    @West of the Rockies (been a while):

    The comments are pretty fascinating as well. It’s amazing how articulate some of the commenters are when trolls try to gas light the discussion. Makes me proud to be in this party. Watching my (our?) two senators from Oregon passionately attacking GOP polices every damn day is just awesome.

  45. 45.

    MomSense

    Doctor Who showrunners, please keep Bill as the Doctor’s companion for at least a little while. She may be my favorite companion so far and I’d really like to see her character develop.

  49. 49.

    Baud

    @cain:

    In other news – we have another conversion from Republican to Democrat. A pretty good read if I don’t say so myself.

    Welcome to the scrum!

  51. 51.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @cain:

    I’m a bit south of you here in red NorCal. My ex is from Brookings, and I’d move to Oregon happily. My daughter is a junior in high school and wants to be a Duck.

    Yes, the comments in the column were revealing.

  52. 52.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Karen: Eccleston’s run was a bit rough at times, but if you don’t watch it there is a lot of stuff that happens during Tenant’s run that won’t make sense.

  53. 53.

    AnneWith

    @Adam L Silverman: I thought Capaldi himself was okay, but that Clara dragged him down. I didn’t fall in love with him until “The Husbands of River Song”, when he absolutely positively won my heart. This past season has been an absolute joy–it’s one of my top three favorite seasons (4 & 6 are my others).

    The worst episode this season has at the very least been okay. The best episodes have been outstanding. I am very sorry to see Capaldi go, but I am looking forward to Whittaker.

    (It must be said, however, that one of the worst Who episodes ever–New or Classic–is a Capaldi episode: “Kill the Moon”. ::shudder::)

  55. 55.

    RepubAnon

    My favorite Doctor is – Rowan Atkinson, even if it was only a Comic Relief short (it’s on YouTube, watch it if you need a quick laugh). Watching the Doctor played as Blackadder was epic… and that skit ended with a woman playing the Doctor as well.

  56. 56.

    Adam L Silverman

    @MomSense: She’s gone. In the final episode of the last season/Capaldi season 3. They did a variant on the Clara Oswald dead, but not dead traveling the universe thing.

  58. 58.

    cain

    @West of the Rockies (been a while):

    It is interesting when someone goes through that conversion. It’s like the tension is gone and they are no longer in a moral wasteland. Cole went through something similar I recall. You can tell Bob is really happy where he is at and has a new vigor. It is very much like how someone converts to a new religion as well. Of course, eventually, it wears off and some cynicism comes back (as it should). For now, he can enjoy his high, and hopefully can help raise money for Democrats in Illinois and the national campaign and squeeze out the GOP.

  59. 59.

    Onkel Fritze

    I really don’t care anymore about the Doctor. At first I thought that I just didn’t like Matt Smith but the real problem is that the show has gone to shit ever since Moffat took over. He comes up with a bunch of interesting concepts, e.g. the Doctor and his wife living in reverse timelimes (plus her being the daughter of whatstheirnames companions); but he never takes these ideas to any conclusions that remotely make sense or are in any way satisfying. Plus his constant reliance on gimmicks: Ooh, the most scary things in the universe are the things underneath children’s beds, even the Doctor is scared! Ooh, the Doctor is going to die this time for realz, I swear!….or maybe not!

    Dropped the show this year, can’t imagine myself going back no matter who plays the new Doctor.

  62. 62.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Hunter Gathers:

    Never followed that closely. Cultural osmosis. The most I ever watched of Who was during the Tennant run

  63. 63.

    Brachiator

    A real life tangent. from a Guardian story. I was looking for a Doctor Who story, and ran into this. Somehow, it kinda fits for me.

    Iran was in shock on Sunday after the mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman in history to win the Fields medal, maths’ Nobel prize, died of cancer aged 40.

    Her death on Saturday in a hospital in California dominated front pages in Tehran, with a number of newspapers breaking with tradition and publishing photos of her without a head covering – a rare tribute that showed her prominence overrode rules requiring all Iranian women to be covered in public. Mirzakhani died after breast cancer spread to her bone marrow.

    When the Stanford University professor won the Fields medal in 2014, state-run newspapers had digitally retouched her photograph to put a scarf over her head while others published a sketch showing only her face.

  66. 66.

    Brachiator

    @Onkel Fritze:

    .At first I thought that I just didn’t like Matt Smith but the real problem is that the show has gone to shit ever since Moffat took over. ..

    I disagree, but this stuff is too inside baseball for the casual or new fan. Besides, there’s a new show runner, so why slap Moffat around?

  67. 67.

    sdhays

    @Onkel Fritze: I have to agree that I started noticing that the shows that Moffat himself wrote were the ones that I was more likely to find insipid and downright lazy in their sentimentality – there was a Christmas special that I found particularly jarring. It’s good that he’s moving on.

  68. 68.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brachiator: They’re incredibly proud of their historic inheritance as a great culture/civilization, as well as achievements by their citizens and those of Iranian descent. It is one of the major problems when formulating strategy and policy for dealing with Iran: too few people are willing to either recognize and/or take this into account. They fail to acknowledge that while some of Iran’s push for nuclear energy development, both for power generation and for weapons breakout was to ensure sovereignty. Protect their own ability to generate energy in a world of uncertain petroleum prices where their regional archenemy and competitor (Saudi Arabia) set oil prices via control of OPEC and their ability to deter Saudi, US, and other’s aggression by having the strategic ambiguity over a nuclear weapon program and capability. The other significant portion of this is to prove to the world that despite US led sanctions, despite international isolation, Iran can still live up to its historic legacy and inheritance.

  71. 71.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @Emma:

    That was a very Whovian delivery, Emma. It made me smile. Yes, indeed, two hearts — I’d forgotten.

  72. 72.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Onkel Fritze: There is. I quoted him in the post up top.

    Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who’s new head writer and executive producer, said: “After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we’re excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

    “I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for the Doctor simply blew us all away.

  73. 73.

    Gelfling 545

    @Adam L Silverman: One of f my problems with Capaldi was I just kept seeing him as the ditzy stone merchant in pre-volcano Pompey with the 10th Doctor. I couldn’t get past it. Also, while one expects the Doctor to be a bit fey, s/he isn’t supposed to be (imho) stark ravers.

  75. 75.

    germy

    Gabe Ortíz‏Verified account @TUSK81 2h2 hours ago

    We once had a president who gave up his beloved peanut farm to avoid any conflict of interest & at 92 is still building houses for the poor.

  77. 77.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @scav: Some same-sex flirtation/romance would be interesting and even make sense. If you’ve been a heterosexual male for twelve lifetimes, would you at once find males attractive upon becoming female?

    I wouldn’t want it to just be nonsense hetero-male porn fantasy stuff though.

  79. 79.

    Brachiator

    @Onkel Fritze:

    Umm…because he completely ruined one of the best shows ever?

    Actually, he helped make it better. And he prepared the way for a female Doctor.

    Also, “classic” Who sucks. I’m partially kidding.

  82. 82.

    Brachiator

    @Onkel Fritze:

    Oh well. It can only go up from Moffat. Still, once I’m out, I’m out for good. .

    Don’t let the door to the TARDIS hit you in ass on your way out.

  83. 83.

    scav

    @West of the Rockies (been a while): Oh no, what is actually going on could be all sorts of interesting, especially as the doctors dancesteps have always been so mysterious (and call-backs to /re-works of to classic episodes and themes can be a whole other playground for inspiration). But leaving the low-hanging tease out for the disgruntled economically anxious BOYcotters is pure icing.

  84. 84.

    Gravenstone

    @Brachiator: I never got into Who as a kid and had largely ignored the reboot. But BBCA was incessant in their teasing of the 11th Doctor so I watched “The Eleventh Hour” with interest and was immediately hooked. The next few episodes were rather weaker, but the damage was done. I have since largely back filled on Tennant, but no Eccleston. I’ll be curious to see where Whittaker (and Chibnall) take things whenever the new season premieres.

  85. 85.

    Brachiator

    @Adam L Silverman:

    .They’re incredibly proud of their historic inheritance as a great culture/civilization, as well as achievements by their citizens and those of Iranian descent.

    .Yes, you can see it in this outpouring of respect. Her husband is not Iranian and some members of the parliament want to change the law so that the mathematician’s daughter can have Iranian citizenship.

  86. 86.

    Brachiator

    @Gravenstone:

    .I never got into Who as a kid and had largely ignored the reboot. But BBCA was incessant in their teasing of the 11th Doctor so I watched “The Eleventh Hour” with interest and was immediately hooked.

    Yep. Pretty much the same with me.

  87. 87.

    gene108

    I don’t know. Seems strange Time Lords can change gender.

    Never brought up before.

    Seems like they are just making this up as they go.

  88. 88.

    Citizen_X

    I liked Capaldi because he was kind of a cranky asshole, which I thought of as a bit of a callback to William Hartnell, the 1st Doctor. I especially liked that, at first, he didn’t like kids at all.

  92. 92.

    Onkel Fritze

    @scav: Constant repetition certainly doesn’t make for an interesting show either (unless it’s called ‘The Walking Dead’), but what I found so extremly frustrating about Moffat is exactly that he did have a lot of very interesting ideas but in the end they never amounted to anything. River Song, Clara Oswald – they just all fizzeled out and just didn’t make any sense. It was this constant teasing of great things to come with no rewards.

  93. 93.

    Bruuuuce

    Awe. Some. I understand that some small-souled broflakes are crying that their hero is destroyed. To them I say, feel free to go weep in the corner and suck on your little…thumbs.

    This opens all sorts of new possibilities for illuminating the human condition and new storylines and such. Imagine if someone mansplains the Doctor? :-)

  94. 94.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brachiator: There may be ulterior motives to that. The Iranian government has played fast and loose regarding citizenship of Iranians, those of Iranian descent, in other countries. Especially the US. When it is convenient to them they claim they recognize no citizenship for Iranians except Iranian. They’ve used this excuse to scarf up or detain or prevent Iranian Americans who have gone to Iran, either back as they are immigrants to the US or their children/grandchildren, to visit family from leaving.

    By granting the daughter Iranian citizenship they may be setting the conditions to hang on to her if she ever decides to go to Iran to visit relatives.

  97. 97.

    Adam L Silverman

    @gene108: Has happened several times. A Gallifreyan general went from female to male and now back to female. The Master’s most recent regeneration was wonderfully done by Michelle Gomez as Missy/The Mistress.

  98. 98.

    Karen

    @Mnemosyne: After Rose Tyler she was my favorite; not that all the companions haven’t been great just have had favorites. So if the Doctor is now female, will she get a male companion?

  99. 99.

    Geoduck

    Maybe she’ll wear a ginger wig?

    If anyone is looking for a old-school DW episode to watch, I’d recommend the Tom Baker episode The City of Death, if only because it is often regarded as one of the best of the series. Plus Douglas Adams helped make it.

  100. 100.

    Frankensteinbeck

    I haven’t watched Dr. Who since the 4th doctor, but yes, I’m enjoying the squealing butt-hurt. It also made me realize that a 40ish woman Bond rescuing and seducing helpless 20ish men would be pretty awesome. I’d enjoy seeing how the audience’s double standard plays out with an exact reversal of early Bond films.

    @germy:

    Can the pendulum please swing back to some semblance of a progressive era?

    We’ve just moved from a conservative era to a highly polarized period. Democrats got way more liberal under Obama, and it’s only continuing, partly as the GOP’s insanity shoves just how badly we need liberalism in everyone’s faces. If we can take back power – and right now they’re having to cheat to hold onto it – you are going to see America’s laws get way, way more liberal, fast. The period while Republicans fight tooth and claw to blow up everything so we can’t salvage it sucks, though. McCain’s attempt to destroy Medicaid reminds me strongly of the tax amendment in California.

    @scav:

    the outbreak of economic anxiety

    This phrasing is pure, stealable, internet-winning gold.

  101. 101.

    Ladyraxterinok

    @Villago Delenda Est: @Brachiator: I think your favorite doctor is the actor playing the doctor when you first started watching. So for me, Dr Who is either the 3rd, Jon Pertwee, or the 4th, Tom Baker. And since I started at the end of Pertwee’s reign, for me Tom Baker is the ‘real’ Dr Who.

  102. 102.

    Karen

    @Adam L Silverman: I liked Eccleston, though it may have had a lot to do with his interaction with Billie Piper; she was my all time favorite companion, then River Song (Alex Kingston)
    But then I watched all of the Torchwood episodes.

  103. 103.

    WaterGirl

    @Tom Levenson: I was about to ask that myself when I saw your question. Interesting that both replies say the 9th doctor is the place to start!

  106. 106.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Karen: I liked Eccleston as well. No knock on him or how he approached the role. And from what he’s allowed to leak as to why he left after only one season, a class act all around. I think the rough patches were everyone – show runner, episode writers, directors, etc – trying to find their footing for the reboot.

  108. 108.

    WaterGirl

    @Tom Levenson: I just checked Tivo and it looks like BBC America is currently airing season 8, and the first episode of season 9 starts this Monday, July 17.

    I politely asked Tivo to record all Doctor Who episodes starting with Season 9.

    edit: oh, no! Looks like after episodes 1-7 of season 9, they go back to season 2. :-( oh well it’s a start.

  109. 109.

    pamelabrown53

    @Adam L Silverman: @7.
    I also think Peter Capaldi is a wonderful actor. He also had the physical attributes that I liked for Dr. Who: wild eyes and angular features much like David Tennant. Those attributes made them harder to blend in on their time travels…which was a plus. Maybe the scripts aren’t as strong? Maybe Capaldi was a little too long in tooth because we want the possibility of romance with the assistant.
    Which brings me to the new, female Dr. Who: I’m over the moon that they’ve chosen a woman but I think the woman should not look so average. I think she should be unusual looking so that it’s harder for her to do her stuff.

  111. 111.

    Brachiator

    @gene108:

    .Seems like they are just making this up as they go.

    The whole idea of regeneration was made up to explain why they were continuing with a new doctor.

    And there’s a bit of serendipity. The title Doctor is gender neutral. Had they called the show Mister Who, there might have been a problem.

  112. 112.

    Cookie monster

    I thought it was pretty likely we’d get a female ductile, with all the foreshadowing in the last season – Missy, the discussions about sexism with Bill etc.

    It seems I’m very much in the minority in enjoying Capaldi’s Doctor, but never fully warming up to Matt Smith’s.

    I knew that already tho, by preferring Eccleston to Tennant…

    The only thing I’m cranky about is that we don’t get the episodes starting next Saturday.

  114. 114.

    gene108

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Has happened several times. A Gallifreyan general went from female to male and now back to female. The Master’s most recent regeneration was wonderfully done by Michelle Gomez as Missy/The Mistress.

    Haven ‘t kept up with the reboot they did 10 years ago much at all.

    Did faithfully watch much of the original Dr. Who on PBS, when it aired, when I was a kid.

    Just never got into the reboot.

  116. 116.

    WaterGirl

    Just figured out that the BBC America promo that talked about the last season of Doctor Who was likely referring to the final season of the current Doctor Who and not referring to the entire series.

  117. 117.

    Karen

    @gene108: I remember that for a short time Elvira was opposite Dr Who; then she was switched to either new time slot or different night.

  118. 118.

    Johannes

    I have loved Capaldi’s Doctor, though some of the scripts in his first season were a bit weak. Still, once they heat the seasonfanale two parter of season 8, he’s been my Doctor, even though I’ve been a fan since teeth and curls (Tom Baker was in the part.),

    Season 10 (just ended) is a great jumping on point; its first ep isn’t called “The Pilot” for nothing.

  119. 119.

    Chris

    @cain:

    In other news – we have another conversion from Republican to Democrat. A pretty good read if I don’t say so myself.

    From the article:

    My family’s involvement in the GOP goes all the way back to the mid-1850s and the start of the GOP in Illinois.
    …
    My Mother’s family helped organize the GOP in Illinois. They were opposed to one human being owning another human being as chattel. They found slavery morally repugnant and were zealots in advocating its demise. My family has been GOP blue-blood.
    …
    That is how far back my roots run in the GOP.

    Hoooo boy. Yes, it is definitely way past time for you to get out of Dodge. This is one case where your party actually did leave you (well, your family).

  120. 120.

    Cookie monster

    @Karen: I’ve got access to pretty much all the reboot period episodes… Want new ones!

    Sigh. Yes, in some ways I am still three.

  121. 121.

    Cookie monster

    @Johannes: Total agreement on the earlier Capaldi scripts being on the weaker side. Loved the most recent season.

  125. 125.

    Edmund dantes

    @AnneWith: and the two responsible for that mess were responsible for the worst episodes in this last series. The stupid Monk trilogy which just insanely ignores Dr. Who tropes for convenience and ignores how stuff actually works. Moffat n I forget the other guys name are horrible when they want to make a point but can’t write themselves out of the ending without insanely (even for Dr who) contrived things.

    Why the sonic can’t suddenly handle a lock simply because it’s a combo lock is horribly bad writing and I won’t even get into the insane clean room/biohazard performance by the scientists.

  126. 126.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @Cookie monster: After that exchange in the finale along the lines of “Is the future female?” “We can only hope”, I sort of figured it was a greater than 50% chance the next Doctor would be a woman.

    Moffat has had his flaws as showrunner, but overall I’ve greatly enjoyed his run. Looking forward to what Chibnall does with it.

  127. 127.

    Edmund dantes

    @Cookie monster: Capaldi has been one of my favorites followed by Tennant and Ecclestone.

    Capaldi has suffered under moffat, but the man can deliver. Some of the speeches he has given? Epic.

    My two favorite are the War speech from the Zorgon invasion episodes and the “I’m kind” speech to Missy and Master from Capaldi’s finale (not the Christmas specials).

    And to answer others. Moffat’s problem is a horrible inability to stick his landings. Great story ideas, sometimes great execution (not always), but guaranteed to almost never stick a landing. Plus ignores DR Who’s internal logic way too often to make a story work.

    Go back and look at the original rules for weeping angels in the amazing “blink”. None of the weeping angels episodes after that initial one make any sense at all given the “rules”

  128. 128.

    sixthdoctor

    Love the choice, she’s great in Broadchurch (for the record, despite the username, fave docs so far are 4 and 12).

    I would like to see 13 going to the wardrobe for a new outfit, picking up Mel’s Time and the Rani shirt and saying “What the hell?”

  129. 129.

    Fair Economist

    @Ladyraxterinok:

    I think your favorite doctor is the actor playing the doctor when you first started watching. So for me, Dr Who is either the 3rd, Jon Pertwee, or the 4th, Tom Baker.

    Yes, indeed. The first Dr. Who I saw was Baker (although Davidson had already taken the role in the UK; the US reruns were several years behind). And, per the rule, although I also like Pertwee and Davidson, Baker’s my favorite. Although I scarcely watch TV anymore so I’ve seen very little of the revived series, I’ve seen some episodes with both Eccleston and Tennant and I thought they were both great as well.

    Although, with a female Dr. Who, I may have to start watching again. I’m excited to see what they do with this. She sounds like a great choice.

  130. 130.

    Tony J

    If you’re looking for a good intro to Doctor Who you really have to start with Eccleston’s PTSD stricken Nine. First Doctor of the reboot Era, its designed to introduce the concept and important elements of the backstory very quickly for a new audience while carrying enough trauma from the then mysterious Time War to satisfy old-school fans. It really sets the scene for everything that comes after. The Doctor’s love for humanity, his longing for companionship, his convenient obsession with the young women of early 21st century Britain, it’s all there.

    And after that you’ve got the Tennant smiling hero with a swelling ego version, Smith’s cranky old man in a young body version, and Capaldi’s aging rock-star with no time for your shit version. They’ve all got ups and downs, like any show, but the central concept holds together – the Doctor is here to help, and he’s going to help you good and hard.

    Very much looking forward to what a female Doctor brings to the role. A reunion with the obviously not really dead because come on, she’s, like, super-smart and so on Missy would make me very happy.

  131. 131.

    J R in WV

    @Brachiator:

    That is pretty respectful. If I were the daughter, I wouldn’t mind having my mother’s citizenship, as long as I could keep my birthright citizenship. No telling what great talents her descendants will have, after all…..

    I’m not a mathematician, by any means, but I did make Bs and Cs in Calculus and Discrete Structures… When I finished my required 13 hours of Calc, I had worked my butt off, spent more hours in the Math Lab with tutors than in class. But at the end of calc 3, we were doing orbital computations, like the fine math ladies in the early NASA film, the name of which I forget.

    And then I quit, to go on to the next skill my degree required…

  132. 132.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @Tony J: Gomez has said she has no plans to return, but (spoilers, sweetie!) there’s no way they kill the character permanently. The Master survived worse problems in the past, including things he shouldn’t have been able to regenerate from. The character is too iconic to kill off. I’ll be interested to see if they keep the antihero Gomez’ version was evolving into or move the character back into villainy, though.

    (Spoilers end here.)

    I agree that Eccleston is the best starting place for the modern show. Of course, that gives you ten series to get through, though. If you want to see the Moffat era, watch “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” and then jump to “The Eleventh Hour”. The last series is also a decent jumping-in point; the first episode is called “The Pilot” for a good reason. On the other hand, the later episodes in series 10 have quite a few callbacks to earlier events that may not make sense to newcomers.

    In any case, it sounds like the first series with Whittaker’s Doctor won’t actually air until the latter half of next year, so I definitely agree that, if possible, newcomers should start with Eccleston and catch up. (Whittaker will make her first appearance as the Doctor within the series’ canon in this year’s Christmas special, but it’ll be only a minute or so, apparently.)

  133. 133.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @(((CassandraLeo))): …and of course, if you just want to see standalone episodes to get a taste of the series, “Blink” is fantastic. “Heaven Sent” might also work; if you want the whole arc that it’s a part of (“Face the Raven”-“Heaven Sent”-“Hell Bent”) to make sense, you’ll need far more background, but the episode by itself should stand on its own and serve as a solid encapsulation of the series’ appeal. On the other hand, it will also spoil one of the more shocking moments of the series’ run if you see it first, so you should probably be aware of that going in.

  134. 134.

    Jado

    @Tom Levenson:

    Oh, god, PLEASE go back to watch the Christopher Eccelston doctor. He’s so “fantastic”!! He is the one that brought the doctor back, that set the stage for Tennant and Smith, and that started the themes they are still dealing with-the pain from the War, the rage, the regret, the riighteousness. He’s so awesome.

    Watch “the doctor dances”. It’s so great. “Just this once, nobody dies today!”

    Oh it’s sooooo cool.

  135. 135.

    Sasha

    I am so utterly disgusted and outraged at the announcement of who was cast as the new Doctor.

    *Clearly* it should have been Gillian Anderson!

  136. 136.

    WaterGirl

    @Jado: Trying to get this right… so the 9th doctor is not the 9th season. It looks like the 9th doctor is what Tivo calls Season 1 (2005). I guess they are ignoring the early episodes or at least considering the early episodes to be a different show.

    So there have been 4 doctors since it started again in 2005 – doctors 9-12 – and the upcoming doctor who will be doctor 13 is really the 5th doctor since the reboot in 2005. Complicated!

  137. 137.

    (((CassandraLeo)))

    @WaterGirl: She’ll actually be the sixth canonical incarnation introduced since 2005, counting John Hurt. To be fair, he’s not counted in the numbering; there was an in-universe reason later incarnations of the Doctor didn’t count him at first, and I think after the events of the 50th anniversary special, they didn’t retcon the numbering purely to keep people’s heads from exploding. Plus, if you count David Bradley, she’ll be technically the seventh new actor to portray the character canonically since 2005. But Bradley is playing the First Doctor. (Time travel is fun.)

    The usual fan procedure regarding the show, or at least the one TV Tropes uses, is that each year of Classic Who is called a season and each year of NuWho is called a series (alternately, you can still refer to seasons of NuWho if you add 26 to the series number, so the latest would be season 36), but TiVo probably doesn’t have a way to make that distinction. It may instead just count the 1962 show and the 2005 show as completely different shows that happen to share the same name.

  138. 138.

    tones

    @Adam L Silverman:
    because moffat tried to make the show into a soap opera, no fan of Doctor Who ever wanted Danny Pink or Clara’s dysfunctional relationship.
    Capaldi was the best one yet, but the stories and therefore the season were the worst.
    I blame Moffat, and now his legacy of destruction lives on.
    she may be great and the stories wonderful, but that would be change in and of itself.
    Capaldi could have been the new Jon Pertwee , the Doctor who is fed up, no nonsense and always quick with a quip or insult.
    The stories they gave him were all unicorns and singing children, and love stories.
    If we wanted that we would not be DW fans.
    They did to him what they did to Sylvester McCoy.

  139. 139.

    tones

    @Onkel Fritze: Sooo True, it is moffat that gets the blame here.
    Every story was the Danny and Clara show , with cameos by the Doctor.
    Singing children, blubbering love affairs, cutesy everything, and the stories were just one dimensional rubbish.
    In the olden days DW always had rather sophisticated multiple stories within stories in every episode.
    I felt they were dumbing it down for the Amercian audience, who only watch because it was not dumbed – down.

  141. 141.

    tones

    @pamelabrown53: that is just it, no DW fans have ever wanted there to be romance, that is just some bullsh!t Moffat contrived to try to be “edgy”.
    It was a load of crap and does the franchise no favors.

  142. 142.

    tones

    @Johannes: % doctors – that was when it was wonderful -before the need to shoe horn drama and romance into the franchise.

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