This was going to be about the Christmas episode, but since that was a week ago and now slightly off topic, I shall now write about the new series. *Ahem* Okay, so Matt Smith is gone, and whilst that’s sad and quite frankly, he deserved a bigger send off, (Yeah I know it was a Christmas episode and it was never really going to be good.But still.) and we have a new Doctor, which means now is the time to make changes.
Okay, first thing’s first. I’ll be honest the seventh series felt a bit tired, a bit lack-luster for me. Most of the episodes felt a bit meh, though I did like the Journey to the Heart of the TARDIS. Anyway, I digress.
First off, one of the problems I’ve had with the show recently is the fact that the Doctor’s actions don’t have any consequences. For example, at the end of ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’, the Doctor blows up the ship with Solomon on it and it is never mentioned again, it is never seen to weigh on his mind at point and the companions never call him on it. Another example would be when Amy’s baby is kidnapped and we never see the Pond’s react to this, they just continue on with their adventures. This is very lazy and sloppy writing as it means the story loses tension, there’s no moral conflict the characters become less real.
Not again!!!
Secondly, please stop having every female character flirt with the Doctor. It’s annoying. Also it’s sexist. It’s sending out the message that the Doctor is such a brilliant bloke that almost every women has to throw herself at him and those who don’t, well, they’re clearly lesbians. It’s all rather immature, don’t you think? Hopefully, with an older actor playing the Doctor, it won’t happen as much. (I hope it means that the dynamic will change between him and Clara.)
Oh and another thing, please stop with the Doctor making sexist remarks. It goes against his character, the whole point of the Doctor is that he accepts people for who they are, regardless of sexuality, race, species or gender and that everyone is important in their own way. Also stop sexualising the female characters and for the love of God please don’t let the Doctor force himself on a women again. The episode I’m a referring to is ‘The Crimson Horror’ where the Doctor kisses Jenny, who he knows isn’t even interested in his gender and doesn’t even show remorse after she slaps him. It is very harmful for the kids who watch the show and look up to the Doctor because it normalizes sexism, which is bad for everyone. Also it’s giving boys the message that men are entitled to do what they like to women’s bodies without their consent which is contributing to rape culture.
On the subject of female characters, PLEASE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, give Clara more to do than just run around after the Doctor and ask him what they’re going to do next and for Pete’s sake give her a freaking personality. Have her actively take part in the story instead of just milling around in the background whilst everyone else (mostly the male characters, I’ve noticed) is running around trying to solve problems and save the day. A character’s personality is often revealed by her actions and having her do nothing; you are making it difficult to like and relate to her because there is nothing to relate to. Please just make her into a proper character with quirks and flaws, not one of the stock female characters that you love to use so much. Also, a word of advice, a strong female character doesn’t mean that the character has to carry around weapons and kick ass, it just means they have to be realistic. If you need help with this, just write a male character and switch pronouns. Yes, it’s that easy!
I miss the days when the Doctor chose his companions because they were smart.
Okay, so you’re probably wondering who the hell I think I am. I mean, I’m just some aspiring writer who’s also a blathering feminist (Blah, blah, blah feminism, blah, insert insulting feminist stereotype here) and I’ve never written for a TV show in my life. In fact, I haven’t written anything worthy of note, so who am I to criticize, right? Well, this may be true. I do read and write a lot, I know what makes a good story. Yes, it is a kid’s show, but if kids can handle the fact that cyber-men are human brains in metal suits, I am sure they can handle more complex plots, emotions and moral dilemmas. Also, whilst it’s true it’s just a TV show, kids get a lot of their principles from the people they look up to. They look up to the Doctor. Wouldn’t it be good to have a generation of men who respected women (not in a chivalrous, I’m going to wrap you up in cotton wool kind of way) and treated them as people and not sex objects? Wouldn’t it be good to challenge gender roles and show little girls that they can be valued to? Sexism is bad for both genders and if you don’t think that feminism matters, then you, my friend, are missing the big picture.
Don’t worry, I’m still a fan, I just want the show to be good. That’s all. I’m sorry this post got a lot more ranty than intended. Here’s a picture of a cat to make up for it. 🙂
See even this cat wants these changes. How can you deny that face?
Smelly Green Cat 