🎵 Doc-tor's Back, alright! 🎵 (Tune of Everybody by Backstreetboys)
The 14th Doctor has
been revealed and I believe this is the best choice for a franchise that has
been slipping. David Tennant will return as the 14th Doctor for
three special episodes that will be aired in November 2023. He will not be the
only one returning to the franchise, Catherine Tate was also revealed to be
reprising her role as Donna. In my opinion she is the best companion to the Doctor.
I liked the relationship of Rose and
the 10th Doctor, but the dynamic of
Donna and the Doctor was the best. One of the best scenes was when the Doctor
was asking Donna to be his travel companion.
Doctor: “I just want a mate.”
Donna: "You just want to MATE!?"
The Doctor: “A mate! I want *a* mate!”
Donna: “You’re not matin’ with me, sunshine!”
Not only will David Tennant and
Catherine Tate will be coming back for the 60th anniversary, but Russell
T. Davies will return as a writer for this special. For those that do not know
him he was the head writer for series 1 – 4 of Doctor Who. Some of the
best episodes of the series were written by him. With this combination
returning I am excited for this special.
The 10th
Doctor was my favorite Doctor, and second favorite would be the 11th,
played by Matt Smith. I am not the only person who believes this. In the figure
above we see that David Tennant viewership increased as he played as the Doctor.
When Matt Smith replaced Tennant viewership dropped but increased as his time went
on. After Matt Smith the 13th Doctor played by Peter Capaldi
viewership dropped and when Jodie Whittaker became the first female Doctor as
the 14th doctor there was a huge spike of viewership at the beginning,
but drastically dropped to an all-time low.
After seeing these analytics and observing how low the viewership became it was wise of the executives to bring back the highest grossing actor to play the doctor to save the franchise, as well as one of the best companions.
After all the drama with Rose and Martha, Donna(Tate) was a breath of fresh air. Gone was the moping and the franchise returned to it's tradition of exploring time and space---with a good friendship in the background.
Here are 4 of the best moments that prove that Donna and the Doctor are the best.
1. Partners in Crime
The first episode of season 4 finds Donna looking for the Doctor. But the best moment is the moment when the Doctor and Donna meet---separated by glass. What follows is the best conversation ever! Except that, because of the intervening glass and their desire not to be caught by Ms. Foster, it's completely silent. The lip-reading and the gestures are absolutely hilarious and worth rewatching a couple of times just for the shock in Tennant's face.
2. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
Often touted as the first time we meet Dr. River Song, people forget about Tate's magnificent performance here. She has moments when she thinks she is losing her mind, moments when she has everything she ever wanted (kids, husband, home), and moments when she is in the middle of losing it. Donna is one of the few companions allowed to grow as evidenced by...
3. The Runaway Bride.
The Donna we meet in her first appearance with the Doctor(a Christmas Special) is a completely different one from the one in season 4. She's flighty, only concerned with her perfect fiance creating the perfect life, and very much concerned with ticking all the boxes set by society. Her world is thrown very much upside-down but, after a few shocks, she handles it like a champ. Though she refuses his invitation to join him as a companion, she still shows a lot of growth at the end of the special---willing to look a bit further than societal expectations for her happily ever after.
4. Partners in Crime
Ok, so I cheated. But that moment captured in the meme above is quite a good one. Donna proves herself to be just as strong-willed as the Doctor. "You're not mating with me, sunshine." The fact that it is preceded by her unloading of pounds of luggage is just as fun. She really is wanting to know more, broaden her horizons, and leave the dead-end life she has living with her nitpicky mother and grandfather. But not at the expense of who she really is and what she really feels.
The only question I have is this: How is Donna going to remember who the Doctor is?
No comments:
Post a Comment