Who-Views: The Tenth Doctor

It's hard to explain my feelings about the Tenth Doctor. Let me say before I dive into the negative that I do like the character. I think my problems with the character have nothing to do with David Tennant himself, it's more along the lines of not liking how Russel T. Davies handled the stories.

Tennant does have some really great moments as the Doctor, but I just don't think Davies has that 'bigger picture' writing style that I've grown to love from the series. On top of that, my favorite Tenth Doctor moments were written by the man who took over once Davies stepped down, Steven Moffat.

Davies' stories always seem to revolve around the same ideas, over and over. The Doctor is lonely, the Doctor is sorry, the Doctor destroys worlds. We get it. These ideas are fine and dandy, but when you beat them into our heads every chance you get the audience will get tired of it. He also seems really love putting London at risk, and not being subtle about it. Driving a whole major city into a panic is a pretty cool visual, but when it's done every couple of episodes it kinda gets old.

On the other hand, The Moff can cause world ending tension and never have the characters leave a library, which in turn makes the story completely about the characters and lets them shine properly. But that's not what I love about his stories; he just seems to have this vision of the Doctor that I just love. Moffat's Doctor is, in short, humble and quirky, yet a total bad ass. And it's kinda the way I envision the character. Faithful whovians are probably thinking that I'm describing the Eleventh Doctor, but I'm not. Go back and watch Blink, or Forest Of The Dead, look at the Doctor and try and tell me that you don't see it. This isn't a Tenth or Eleventh thing... It's just Moffat's Doctor. And he's amazing.

Also, fans of the Eleventh will back me up when I say that Moff writes with a bigger picture in mind. He plants seeds for his stories whole seasons in advance and scatters tiny references to the main story even when other writers take the helm for their episodes. This is where Davies' stories are really lacking to me. Simply placing the words Bad Wolf doesn't really do much for the plot, it doesn't really even mean anything unless you explain what you mean by it. And as far as storytelling goes, it's pretty lazy.

With all I've said, I need to point out that the Tenth is a great Doctor. His mannerisms and wit come across wonderfully, I just think the quirks written in by Davies take away from the Doctor as a whole. While he shares a lot of traits with my beloved Eleventh, the way the character is written just makes him look like an arrogant prick. You have these moments where he tries to show how awesome he is, and Tennant comes off generally cocky and kind of rude. When the Eleventh does it, he just seems quirky and lovable. It has a lot to do with the situations he's placed in, but most of all it's all about the wording of the famed 'bad ass' speeches.

The companions are a bit more complicated, because there's a shitload of them. Over 36 stories Tennant has around eleven companions. Some last more than others, some are around for less than an episode. And unfortunately for me, miss blandness herself, Rose Tyler is back. And once again the world revolves around her. She is the companion for Tennant's first series.

For his second season she is replaced by Martha Jones, a doctor in training (actual Earth medicine doctor). This leads to some interesting dynamic, because she actually helps out at times instead of just standing there, causing trouble. I actually liked Martha, she has a certain spunk to her that makes her a pretty good companion. Unfortunately her whole character is built around Rose and how much the Doctor misses her. They can't go one episode without referencing how much the Doctor misses Rose and how Martha feels like she's just a replacement, and that just hinders her character growth and makes her seem like she's of lesser importance, even if she's much better.

Martha is fine, but without a doubt the Tenth's best companion is Donna Noble. The Doctor first meets Donna between series two and three in the special The Runaway Bride. She doesn't come back until series four when she becomes his third prominent companion. She is by far the most helpful of the bunch, even astounding the Doctor himself with her numerous skills, all of which she attributes to the numerous jobs she's had in her life. She just seems like the only companion who actually has a reason to be with the Doctor.

The rest of the companions (there's quite a few of them) come and go. None of them are really all that noteworthy. Captain Jack Harkness comes back for a bit, not long though. And he's about as memorable as it gets. It kinda wears down how special companions need to be when there are this many of them. And this comes after the concept is watered down by the omnipotent importance of Rose above everyone else.

I've enjoyed watching these two Doctors. But I was even happier when I saw those last minutes of End Of Time (which really sucked as a finale) and Matt Smith finally pops up as the Eleventh, after what might be the most bloated, over drawn, and cliched death sequence in recent TV history (it basically lasts four specials and three episodes). If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it's almost as bad as when Trinity dies in The Matrix Revolutions. Remember how long that went? Remember how you tried to feel sad but just ended up kinda wishing she would just die already? Well this is longer, and slightly more annoying because of how many times he points out how awesome he is and why he would never want to change. Just kinda ridiculous. Especially considering how awesome Matt Smith turned out to be.

So yeah, I'm glad I've reached the Eleventh. I will gladly watch it all again. But in closing, the Tenth is enjoyable. But those moments when he becomes irritating, he is really, really irritating. I'd like to think it's not Tennant's fault, because I do like him as the Doctor, but he just pisses me off way to often. So yes, he is the fan favorite, but oddly enough everyone who has told me that they love David Tennant haven't given Matt Smith a chance yet. I encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed.

::REVIEW:: Torchwood: Miracle Day - Episode 1: The New World

I have a confession to make: I've never been a huge fan of Torchwood.

In fact, during my initial viewing of the previous 5-year run of Doctor Who under the guiding hands of former show-runner Russell T. Davies, my only interest in its spin-off series has been marginal, at best, having only watched a handful of episodes without much care.

Then, last year, as anticipation on anything Who-related mounted drastically with the release of the Series 5 Blu-Ray set and the coming Christmas Day Special, A Christmas Carol, was nearing its air-date, I found one curious, little tidbit of news that caught my attention: Torchwood was moving to Starz in 2011 with a new surname attached to it, Miracle Day, and a seemingly simple hook: one day, every person on Earth becomes incapable of dying. "Death is not an option."

Throughout filming I kept up with the production sporadically and soon, as the premiere got closer and closer, my interest began to pique. So last week, I decided to watch the preceding 5-part Series, Children of Earth, and it made me lose my entire faith in humankind as I fell head-over-heels for a show brimming with outstanding moral quandaries and ideas about the human race and the darkness that lies within all of us.

Needless to say, I was ready for Miracle Day. So how did it stack up in the end?

Brilliantly!

The show starts two years after the events of Children of Earth and the silent war with The 4-5-6. The Torchwood Institute is now nothing more than a myth; its ruins less than relics of a simpler, less complex time. Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood's last commanding officer and an immortal from the 51st Century (played to perfection by the incredibly talented John Barrowman), is on a self-imposed exile from Earth after committing an unspeakably cruel and unforgivable act in order to save the planet from The 4-5-6. And Gwen Cooper, a former cop and Jack's second-in-command (played by the beautifully intense Eve Myles), is living in hiding with her husband Rhys and baby daughter Anwen, after the members of the institute were marked for death by the British government.

This is all you need to know prior to the beginning of Miracle Day regarding the characters and the first episode, aptly titled The New World, (three guesses as to where it's filmed) does a fantastic job of setting up the pieces across the board while building up the premise of a World without Death at a brisk and flashy pace. By the end of the first episode, the full implications of such a premise are laid plainly for our consideration and we're left salivating for the next installment.

New characters include Rex Matheson (played with fierce determination by Mekhi Phifer), the CIA's golden-boy, and his friend Esther Drummond (played by the wonderful Alexa Havins), a watch-analyst for the agency, who both get involved with Torchwood through circumstances beyond their control, yet it never seems like their integration feels forced. In fact, I was surprised by how well the script by RTD brought them all together and how truly genuine the chemistry felt between all of the actors.

And that, for me, is the most crucial element: the script.

I'm not a big fan of Russell's tenure as Doctor Who head-writer. His only three episodes I genuinely love are The Parting of the Ways, Midnight and The Waters of Mars (which he co-wrote with Phil Ford and won, deservedly so, the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form). Out of 30 or so episodes he wrote from 2005 to 2009, these three are the créme-de-la-créme. The darkest, most vicious stories you're likely to find in a family show going on 48 years strong now, in which the eponymous hero faces his own potential for evil and how his very existence influences the lives of those around him and turns them into weapons, for good or ill. Powerful, thought-provoking storytelling befitting a more adult show, yet perfectly at home in the family-friendly world of The Doctor, The Oncoming Storm.

Which is why Davies shines all the more in Torchwood. Here he can cut lose and be as free as he wants with his vision. And what a brilliantly malicious and ambiguous vision it is! Russell excels in highlighting the worst attributes of the human spirit. His characters are highly flawed individuals who strive to be better with every breath they take. His stories are metaphors of the worst that is within us and how we, as human beings are prone to do, can easily do wrong, even when trying to do the right thing. A more cynical person would merely describe him as a nihilist, yet underneath that darkness, lies hope in that we strive to better ourselves for the sake of our future.

If the first episode of Miracle Day is any indication, we're in for a very special treat that doesn't come along very often in television.

I can't recommend this series enough.