How Doctor Who got it's mojo back

I make no qualms about my apathy for Doctor Who over the past few years during Stephen Moffat’s reign as showrunner. I was more or less onboard for season six and seven, despite its convoluted storytelling, yet it was with 2013’s terrible swan song for Matt Smith ‘The Time of The Doctor’ that really pushed me over the edge. I immediately began to show destain for the majority of season eight and nine and even came to realise that I’d not really loved any of the show since the end of season five.

It was a shame. I’m a big New Who fan and still believe that there’s no show quite like it. Yet the writing just stalled for me and I never quite clicked with it again (The odd episode aside).

I didn’t expect that to change much at all this season. Despite trying to remain optimistic I was ready and waiting for season ten to be another collection of meh as I waited patiently for a new showrunner.

Yet, somehow, somewhen they knocked it pretty much out of the park.

For the first time since season five, seven years ago, I cried watching Doctor Who. The final two-parter was a triumph. Apart from an obvious reveal, some wasted Bill and silliness here and there, ‘World Enough and Time’ and ‘The Doctor Falls’ were fantastic. The concept of the ship and the time difference was smart, interesting and low-key compared to previous finales. The characterisation of Missy was fascinating, the cinematography was beautiful, the music stunning. Even Moffat reduced his insufferable tendencies to tell a deft, engaging story.

However, the real stars were the performers as Capaldi, Gomez, Mackie and even Lucas were all at the top of their game. The only weak note was, surprisingly, John Simm’s returning Master who didn’t really do much but give Missy closure to her arc.

All the emotional beats felt earned, delicate even, as The Doctor yet again faced the prospect of a regeneration (perhaps albeit in the usual defiant way). Bill, having been turned into a Cyberman and rescued by her immortal puddle girlfriend Heather got the emotional closure she deserved (despite perhaps too much damn suffering) and even got a kiss.

This where I think my love for series ten comes from. Whereas previously I never, ever warmed to Clara, in part due to her writing and unfortunately in part due to a bit of Jenna Coleman’s valiant yet grating performance. This series gave us a character who was, once again, a normal woman. She wasn’t special, she wasn’t a fairytale, she was ordinary, like Rose, Martha and Donna before her.

Of course, she could match The Doctor in every single way and it was her anguished cries over The Doctor’s body that made me shed a tear for this show for the first time in seven years. This is down, primarily, to Pearl Mackie yet I must give credit to Stephen Moffat for creating a character who wasn’t just a trope but rather a sweet, kind individual who just wanted to love and be loved.

Her character was normal, remained normal and only by showing the brilliance she already had inside her did she do great things. Her moment at the end of the episode as she went to travel the universe as a new being with her new girlfriend was one of beautiful poignancy and if this is the last time we get to see her, which I sincerely hope it isn’t, it will be at least respectful to her character.

We’re also left to say goodbye to Nardol too, as he stays behind with the group of humans who needed his protection. As the storyline goes, it’s fair to say it’s unresolved. The colony ship is still stuck in a black hole, the Cybermen are still building an army and Nardol and the rest are still in danger, yet maybe like Captain Jack back in series one, that’s a story to be told another day.

I must say, the character of Nardol could’ve easily been a mess, an annoying sidekick that constantly grates. Yet Matt Lucas managed to turn him into a fun comic foil for The Doctor and Bill and, come to the finale, a genuine source of warmth, emotion and depth. I don’t particularly want to see him stick around forever but it would be quite nice to see the character get a happy ending.

Ultimately it was these characters that gave the show it’s mojo back this series. After a dour and difficult start in series 8, Capaldi has pretty much set the new standard for people playing The Doctor. Every line delivery felt right, every moment a blessing that he got to play him. His speech near the end of the episode, as he tries to convince Missy and The Master to stay is superbly performed and there’s no doubt that he was meant to play this role.

His charisma and passion in this season, mixed with the wonderful Bill and the endearing Nardol made the scripts pop more than they had previously.
The earlier episodes in the season were standard fare but were bolstered by these fantastic characters and the season shone through to the end because Moffat and the cast and crew had confidence in these characters as real people.

There were some less than great times. Mark Gatiss gave us the fairly boring Empress of Mars and The Eaters of Light was fairly ubiquitous. Also maybe the treatment of The Doctor’s blindness didn’t quite work in the way it was meant to. Yet, in perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for me, the series frankly shone.

It was only 6 months ago that I dumped all the scorn I could on the ghastly Christmas special ‘The Return of Dr Mysterio’ and now look at me, I’m singing the praises of a show I’d stopped caring about three and a half years ago.

And honestly, I couldn’t be happier. I grew up with Doctor Who, Eccleston is the Doctor I first met and ever since I’ve marvelled at how every single actor playing him could be just as brilliant. It’s a shame, perhaps, that just as I’m falling in love with Capaldi as the Timelord that he’s just one episode away from leaving the role. Yet, I’m confident that whoever the new person may be (and I really want it to be a woman) they will do just as fantastic a job.

The funny thing is, for all the years I spent angry at the show I always knew that it would eventually get back in my good books. Luckily for me, it was sooner rather than later.

Ancillary thoughts:

.It was fun to see Simm back as The Master but he literally did nothing. The final was wonderful but he was on the edges for almost the whole thing and he only served to give Missy purpose for murdering her.

.Hooray for a finale that wasn’t set on Earth and didn’t feature the end of time, the universe or see the return of Gallifrey.

.Damn those Cybermen be creepy.

.I’m so excited for a 12 and 1 adventure at Christmas

.The only episodes I didn’t enjoy this season were, as I said the Gatiss one and the Scottish one. All the rest felt fresh BECAUSE of Capaldi and Bill

.Also, how the hell is Murray Gold STILL this good??