3 of Doctor Who's Biggest Controversies That Still Divide Fans
Doctor Who has one of the most loyal fandoms. Millions of fans have stuck around through the years and the controversies surrounding the BBC show.
The fans seem to enjoy anything the creators offer. However, as with any fandom, there are some things that Whovians can't agree on.
Here are the three biggest controversies that divide Doctor Who fandom.
Probably the biggest issue that fans argue about is the appearance of the Daleks once or sometimes even several times during a season.
There is even a fan theory that some sort of contract between the Dalek creators and the BBC requires the Daleks to appear in every season.
Some fans believe that the more screen time the Daleks get, the less terrifying they seem. With the Daleks, finales are often predictable and disappointing. However, other Whovians say that villains who return regularly are canon, and that repeatability sets limits that force writers to be creative and find new sides to the old enemy.
Another big issue for discussion is The Timeless Child, a truth about the Doctor revealed in the season 12 finale.
The finale showed viewers that the Doctor is not a Time Lord, but a member of a mysterious race from a parallel universe. The Time Lords discovered that the child had the ability to regenerate indefinitely, and isolated the gene that gave them the ability to regenerate. This takes the Doctor to a new level and ruins some of the established storylines.
This revelation gave the writers infinite possibilities for the Doctor's future regenerations without having to explain anything, which to some fans looks like lazy writing.
On the other hand, it allows the writers to explore the Doctor's past, which includes the mysterious Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor that many fans have come to love. Who knows what else the Doctor's past holds?
Another big controversial topic is the Doctor's romantic involvement with his human companions.
The classic series established an unspoken rule that the Doctor was not attracted to anyone.
This asexuality trope was broken by the 1996 TV movie, which showed Paul McGann's Doctor clearly involved with his companion Grace Holloway.
The 2005 revival took the romantic angle to a new level. Rose seemed to change the way the Doctor saw his companions. This shift angered some fans and excited others to see new, unexpected sides to the Doctor and his relationship with his companions.