TV

Russell T. Davies Doesn’t Care For Any Doctor But 10th, And It’s Ugly

Russell T. Davies Doesn’t Care For Any Doctor But 10th, And It’s Ugly
Image credit: BBC One

Welcome to the David Tennant-verse.

Summary:

  • Doctor Who is a British science fiction series that premiered in 1963.
  • The 60th-anniversary celebrations seemed to focus on one particular incarnation of the Doctor.
  • Fans of other Doctors and their companions are now accusing showrunner Russell T. Davies of favoritism.

Ever since the third of three special Doctor Who 60th Anniversary episodes aired, the Internet has been going crazy over its finale. What was the happiest of endings for some fans turned out to be almost insulting for everyone else. And the more viewers discuss it, the more they see it as the biggest flaw in Russell T. Davies' return to the show.

It's no secret that it's impossible for lore to remain consistent in a show that's been around for over 60 years. What's more, each of the three showrunners of the Doctor Who revival has made his own changes to what was previously established as canon. This is why the bi-generational twist, while questionable, was still accepted as a concept.

The sheer disrespect for the other incarnations of the Doctor and their companions, as well as the total disregard of the 10th Doctor's own companion Martha Jones, is what really made viewers furious.

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Doctor Who's Worst Anniversary Episode

Depending on the era in which you joined the Doctor on his journey through time and space, you'll have more of a bias towards one of the incarnations. Having a favorite as a fan is harmless as long as you respect the opinions of others, but having a favorite as a showrunner is very dangerous.

The decision to bring back David Tennant as the 14th Doctor to give Donna Noble, his companion, the closure she deserved was met with cautious excitement. Her fate as a companion was one of the most heartbreaking in the entire series, and fans hoped that the show would do her justice.

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However, the happy ending that brought her and the 14th Doctor together was framed in a way that felt very unfair to other companions, as well as their fans. From Martha Jones, who traveled with the 10th Doctor and didn't even get an honorable mention, to Amy Pond and Rory Williams, who were in-laws to the 11th Doctor, they all deserved much better than to be erased in this way.

Not to mention the Doctor's wife, River Song, with whom the 12th Doctor settled on Dallirium for 25 years, he also had an actual blood family, long before the Nobles. However, neither his daughter Jenny nor his granddaughter Susan were significant enough to be mentioned in the episode.

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All in all, the finale felt like a big miss for a lot of fans. While Whovians were happy to see Ncuti Gatwa 's 15th Doctor and are ready to embark on the new adventure with him, it's clear that the horrors of the 60th anniversary will haunt those who watch Doctor Who for anyone other than the 10th Doctor for a long time to come.