A Guide for the the Doctor New-Comers

So recently I've been nerd-ing out everywhere.  Okay so not recently, BUT, I have been talking a lot of Who with friends lately.  Now, many of my friends do watch the show, but I keep coming across people I know would love it but fear it's epic cannon.  I mean, not counting the 20-something seasons of the original run of the show, we are 8 seasons deep.  That's a lot of binge watching.  I mean, for me, its a normal amount, but for the average layperson who doesn't crave watching hours of TV, it seems like it requires too much dedication to try.  So I've come up with my own list of Who episodes that include ALL the "new" Doctors (with the exception of the War Doctor but don't worry about that).  The sole purpose of this list is to whet your whistle with the whoniverse.  Every season has an over arching plot line that is more complicated than you'd think they could do with a limited number of episodes, so you'll have to go back and re-watch, but the idea of this list is just to get you hooked.

Blink- Season 3

A 10th Doctor (David Tennent) classic.  The reason I tell everybody to start with this episode is because it's very doctor light.  You learn about the Doctor through the eyes of Sally Sparrow (Carey Muligan) and her misadventures with the Weeping Angels.  This episode is also Time Travel light, so if your not into the timey-wimey explanation of things, this one is for you.

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances- Season 1

The 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) is not one of the most beloved, but whatever, he carried the weight of restarting a legendary series and I love him.  This is a two-part story and its worth watching back to back, but leave the lights on because it may scare this piss out of you.  This story is completely unrelated to the over-arch of season 1 so you can watch spoiler free.  These two episodes feel more like a movie than a tv show, with limited time travel and the introduction of the fabulous John Barrowman as Capatin Jack it is way way way worth the watch.

Vincent and the Doctor- Season 5

Matt Smith, aka, the 11th Doctor is a charming, childish and yet ancient man who carries the weight of his 900 some-odd years with a wink, a smile and a bow tie.  This episode is early in Matt's run and does contain some elements of the series over-arching plot, but I think its worth the potential spoiler.  The goofiness, kindness and pain of this doctor can all be seen beautifully in this episode.  And let me not forget to mention the brilliant performance of Tony Curran as Vincent Van Gogh.

The Mummy on the Orient Express- Season 8

Now, while I have been LOVING Peter Capaldi as the cantankerous 12th Doctor, I didn't enjoy series 8 overall.  The plots were all WAY to wrapped up in the Doctor's companion Clara (Jenna Louise Coleman) and I didn't feel we were giving the proper chance to really "meet" this new Doctor.  We just got a lot of Clara being cheeky and cute.  Because that's pretty much all she does.  Complaints aside, The Mummy on the Orient Express is a FUN episode that has way more of this new Doctor in it than most of the other episodes.  

The Unicorn and the Wasp- Season 4

I had to throw this in because it is probably my second favorite episode of Doctor Who (my first one being Midnight).  This episode showcases something none of the others listed do.  Humor.  Sure, there is inherent humor in this "meant for kids" show, but this episode is laugh out loud funny.  With my favorite companion Donna Noble (the hilarious Catherine Tate) bumbling about the 1920s with Agatha Christie (Fenella Woolgar).  There is one scene in particular that I will call "The Doctor Detox" that I can watch on loop without it ever losing its charm.

Please let me know what you think of the list, and feel free to comment on any Who Starter Pack episodes you feel should have been included.

Some 50th Anniversary Pondering

As I am home feeling rather unwell on this Saturday night, and I can't bear to sit through the endless amount of commercials during In The Flesh (which I will post about tomorrow), I've been sitting and thinking about 50 Year Anniversary episode of Doctor Who.  Okay, it's not as sad as it sounds, I'm not literally sitting around thinking about Who, but while I was in the shower a thought occurred to me.  How can the 10th Doctor meet the 11th?  But then... some questions that I've always had about Rose could possibly be answered.  Wait I'm getting ahead of myself, lets start from the beginning of my thought process.

Okay, so my initial thought when I heard that Tennant would be reprising his role as the 10th Doctor was that we would be seeing his alternate version, human self.  You know, the one the grew out of his severed hand when Donna Noble touched?  Meta-Crisis Doctor.  The Doctor who got to grow old with Rose.  But, having seen pictures like the one above, it doesn't seem that is the case.  So, it stands to reason that when the 11th Doctor and Clara leave his time rip, they get off at the wrong time and end up face to face with his former self.  Well okay, it wouldn't be the first time... the 10th Doctor and the 5th Doctor ran into each other once:

But, in this short special, the 10th Doctor remembers this moment and knows how to fix the situation.  If the Doctor is meeting his former self in the 50th anniversary, than when he goes from 10 to 11, he would know things like a) his new regeneration is not a girl and b) he is once again not ginger.  He would probably also know how to avoid death and we would have more seasons with Tennant but that's neither here nor there.  But this situation would explained something that has always irked me.

It has always annoyed me that Rose knew that something bad was going to happen to Donna.  In the episode "Turn Left", Rose saves Donna from a Time Beetle that has rewritten the course of history.  At the end of the episode, the alternate version of Donna must sacrifice herself.  Now, throughout the season, people keep apologizing to Donna and basically telling her she is going to die.  Even River hints to Donna about her sad future, but of course River would know as she comes from the Doctor's future.  In "Turn Left," Donna is relieved, thinking that her alternate self's death is what everybody is talking about, to which Rose replies "I'm sorry."  HOW DOES SHE KNOW?!  Could it be that 11 spills the beans?  Or more likely Clara... or maybe she sees something in the time vortex?  It could finally make this plot point make sense...  Okay, yes it's highly unlikely, but I would like to think this irksome plot point would finally make sense.

I've also been discussing at length the role of John Hurt with fans.  People keep throwing around that he will be the new regeneration, but I think that is way off base.  While he is billed as The Doctor, I personally do not believe this to be a regeneration, but more of a physicalization of a  symbol.  Like in the episode "Amy's Choice," Toby Jones played a pysicalized version of all the bad inside of the Doctor... I think Hurt is playing who the Doctor was before he chose his new name.  This version obviously did something so bad that it took form in the Doctor's subconscious.  Also, whatever he did is NOT his destruction of  Gallifrey because that's not a secret.  The 11th Doctor specifically said that whatever Hurt did was a secret and everybody knows the Doctor destroyed Gallifrey to end the Time War... but what could be worse than killing your own people?

Anyway, I hope this post makes sense as I feel like crap and may be writing delusional nonsense, but I would love to hear from you.  Comments are much appreciated and I love hearing theories.