Doctor Who?

It has been several months since I've posted anything, but not for lack of trying.  Several topics have passed through my mind and possibly those will show up in the future.  And since it's my blog I can write about what I want to write about.  Today's topic is something close to me that unfortunately few people in my life understand.  

The genre of sci-fi and fantasy is fascinating to me not because of the high-tech weaponry or the magic or the aliens or the mutant powers.  The appeal is featured in the way it shows concepts of humanity we deal with everyday.  Let me choose a common example I think most readers will be familiar with - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

This is a poster I found for the 1931 movie starring Frederic March.  And I'll be honest this image is used without permission.  The calm collected outward man versus the inner angry beast.  The two sides of human nature explored in a fantastical way.  But think about it, we all know at least one guy, the one who is kind, and stable until you push his last button and then stand back because he explodes in a fury of rage and anger you never thought lived inside the outwardly meek individual.

At this point I could carry on about a variety of sci-fi or fantasy realms I personally enjoy from Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles if Narnis, the Lorien Legacies, or any comic book.  But I'm going to focus for just a bit on one of the most unique heroes I've encountered... The Doctor.  (For anyone who might be a fan of the series ... If you have not yet seen last week's premiere of Deep Breath what lies ahead may be considered "Spoilers, sweetie."

BBC's Doctor Who first aired on November 23, 1963 and is the longest running science fiction show.  Let me clarify a few things about The Doctor. He travels through time and space in a blue police box.  This was meant to be a family show wherein episodes set in the future taught about science and episodes in the past taught about history.

 His last name is not Who.  In fact for almost 51 years the characters name has never been revealed.  He is simply referred to as "The Doctor."  In the series 7 finale entitled The Name of the Doctor (2013) he describes it this way "My name, my real name, that is not the point.  The name I chose is the Doctor.  The name you choose it's like, it's like a promise you make."

He believes himself to be the healer, the fixer, the make it all better guy.  He uses a sonic screwdriver (not a weapon) and his intellect and wit to save the day.  Show runner Steven Moffat described the character of the doctor in this manner:

“When they made this particular hero, they didn’t give him a gun, they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an x-wing fighter, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help. And the didn’t give him a superpower or pointy ears or a heat ray, they gave him an extra heart. They gave him two hearts. And that’s an extraordinary thing; there will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like the doctor.”

The Doctor generally travels with at least one companion, meant to represent the "human" point of view as he whirls them through time and space on his travels.  They are the average joe.  They could be any one of us.  The Doctor will indeed try to fix everything.  Amy Pond and Rory Williams are two of my favorite companions.  There was a period of time when they hadn't seen the doctor for months, during which their marriage disintegrated.  An enemy of the Doctor know as the Daleks captured the Doctor, Amy, and Rory and takes them to the Parliment of the Daleks.  So here the three stand surrounded by hundreds of Daleks.  The Doctor is silent looking around the room.

Rory: What's he doing?
Amy: He's chosen the most defendable area in the room, counted all the Daleks, counted all the exits, and now he's calculating the exact distance we're standing apart and starting to worry. Oo! And look at him frowning now. “Something's wrong with Amy and Rory and who's gonna fix it?" And he straightens his bow tie.

Arthur Darvill (Rory), Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor), and Karen Gillian (Amy) with the Daleks.

Engulfed by his enemies, the Doctor was equally if not more so, concerned with fixing Amy and Rory's relationship, and indeed he does.  We've all known couples we want to help fix their brokenness.  Often we've needed the perspective of others to help fix our own relationships.  How much easier it is to see clearly when common situations become fantastical!  We can relate to the emotions and feelings because we've been there.

When the original actor William Hartnell became too ill to carry on in the lead role of the Doctor, it was decided that the Doctor could regenerate.  Taking on a new face and a slightly different personality the Doctor continued to save and heal the hurts of the galaxies until 1989 when the show was canceled.  A made for TV movie followed in the 1990s and then in 2005 the series began anew. Thirteen men have portrayed the Doctor (14 if you count the non-canon Peter Cushing movies).

William Hartnell as the First incarnation of the Doctor.

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.

In the series eight premiere last Saturday we got our first proper look at the Twelfth Docotor (Peter Capaldi).  His new face cause problems for his companion Clara.  She can't get a grasp on the man she knew as the Eleventh Doctor changing face and demeanor as the Twelfth.  But isn't that the point of our own journeys?  We change, and grow and become different people.  We try on new "faces".  Hoping, longing to "fit in."  The key is, don't ever forget who you were in the process of becoming who you are.  I have several friends who abandoned the things I adored about them to become something less.  It's sad really they no longer see their own beauty, and what is left is just a mask.  Clara refuses to see the man she knows because his face is different.  But inside he is still the Doctor.

In his previous incarnation as the Eleventh Doctor he phones Clara from the past and asks her to help his new self  find his way.

The Doctor: Well?
Clara: Well what?
The Doctor: He asked you a question. Will you help me?
Clara: You shouldn't have been listening.
The Doctor: I wasn't, I didn't need to. That was me talking. You can't see me, can you? You look at me and you can't see. Do you have any idea what that's like? I'm not on the phone, I'm right here. Standing in front of you. Please just... just see me.

Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and Jenna Louise Coleman as Clara.

Don't we all just want to be seen for who we are?  Not our age, or height, or gender, not our choices, not our past and not our potential.  Just who we are.  Just see me.   

I hope you enjoyed this and got something out of it.  It's a long one and I pray no one got bored.  I would like to point out that I own none of these images   and would remove them if the owners wish me to do so.  Thanks for the trip and my God bless you on your journey.