Now that we’ve said goodbye to the 13th Doctor and reminisced about some favourite moments, it’s time for a more comprehensive retrospective. Join Deb, Erika, Liz, and Lynne as we discuss the Chibnall-Whittaker era as a whole. We talk about what we liked, what we didn’t as much, what held together, and we even learn a little bit about ourselves along the way!
How did you feel about the era as a whole? Drop us a tweet or let us know in the comments!
Happy things:
- Liz wrote a Big Finish play called Capture the Chronovore!
- Erika named her new Gamma World Total Party Kill characters after deep-dive Doctor Who references!
- Deb is thrilled to see Doctor Who back in the news again from a new logo to a new distributor, a new Doctor doing amazing promo!
- Lynne is profoundly grateful for the community support for her, Michael, and Caitlin as they plan for Cait’s end-of-life care.
^E
Hammer House of Podcast
“Transmission” from The Doctor early in the pandemic
Extra-special thanks to this week’s editor, Steven Schapansky of Castria!
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Comments on: "A Look Back at 13" (4)
I’m so glad to hear folks warming to this era of Who. I’ve spent the past three seasons avoiding online fandom aside from some favourite podcasts, so with the finale behind us I’m also feeling that general un-clenching and looking forward to some more relaxed takes.
Yes, I often wish they’d had/taken more time to shake out the dialogue and plots in this era. I’ve missed RTD and Moffat’s witty lines and cleverness and experimentation – but I also remember all the times when they too frustrated me. There’s been some real brilliance in Chibnall’s run, and some welcome moments of calm.
And of course, I love the joy and warmth of Jodie and her team, to the point that I think she might actually be my favourite Doctor yet. As a decades-long fan of the show, I’m grateful for her era and hopeful for the ones to come.
I’ve long thought that if 13 is (one of) the ’emotionally intelligent’ Doctors, then she should be one of those best skilled at recognising the difference between good and bad faith actors. The former would be worked with and encouraged, while the latter would be given ‘rope enough to hang themselves’ (meaning that Jack Robertson wouldn’t have survived Arachnids In The UK).
Or to look at it from a slightly different angle, she should have the wisdom to recognise if a situation needs to be intervened in or not, and probably be able to explain to her companions why. If necessary, use the handwave of alien point-of-view to justify it. This would go a long way to mitigating the complaint that she was ‘ineffectual’.
Must point out I was an occasional viewer of Dr Who over the years, but have really loved Jodie’s turn as the dr. I also liked the fact there were 3 companions for the dr to play with & bounce off. I love the cinematic look, and the music-absolutely brilliant. I think they all did exceptionally well considering the state of the world at the time. The humour running through the series also great. I’m concerned about the deal to go with disney – there’s a reason it’s one of the longest running TV shows – thankyou BBC :). I hope the deal proves me wrong and the show gains a whole new audience to love it as much as others do.
Weirdly what some of you don’t find in 13, is what I do find. I love the arcs. I love the stories. I love the gaps. It’s so gloriously funny, sad and weird.
Dr Who doesn’t live onscreen but in our imaginations. Whovians at best spend time filling and debating the gaps, creating fanfic, audio & novels.
Sometimes I feel ppl are lost in the weeds, and not looking at the wonder! Pting is crazy fun! Talking frogs and wooly rebellions. Losing companions for a few years, throwing bikes off a cliff, microwaving Daleks, Master dancing, Bond Adventures, gallifrey gone again, universal destruction, and a companion help group!
What a lot we have to discuss and imagine!