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leikeliscomet · 2 months

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No, Ncuti Gatwa's Casting Isn't Regressive

Chapter 2 - Strong (White) Female Character

There are many women in Who loved by fans of all genders. In Classic Who, the female leads were the companion to the Doctor and played the role of audience surrogate. They asked questions, got in trouble and got rescued. But over time, this role would develop and gain more significance. Classic Who female representation is usually brushed off as one-dimensional compared to the girl-bosses of Nuwho, but still some representations shined through. Characters such as Sarah Jane Smith and Ace McShane are considered great female representation for the time they were created and archetypes for modern female leads in Who we see today. When the show was revived in 2005, this would be the beginning of a new type of female lead in the companion role. Women would save the day and even the Doctor. They’d gain supernatural abilities, defend galaxies, fly TARDISes, fight Time Wars and save the universe. Doctor Who makes the message (or at least tries to) that us girlies are not just the sidekicks but key parts of the journey too. Most fans agree the show has plenty of strong female leads, even if there are still critiques to be made about agency and sexualisation.

But all that glitters isn’t gold. Whilst it can be agreed women shouldn’t be limited to the role of companion, there are many demographics of women yet to be included in the companion role even if it is the bare minimum, Using intersectionality as a framework for Doctor Who’s female representation, there’s still a long way to go. There are only three women of colour who are companions in the main show. There are only two female companions of colour from them that are canonically queer. Only two are Black. Only one is South Asian. There is only one doctor who is a Black woman and she is not in the main lineup. There are no East Asian, Latina or Indigenous main female companions. There are no trans or disabled women as companions. There are no female companions that are dark-skinned women (close to Ryan or Fugitive Doctor’s complexion). When fans ask for more female representation I’ve questioned many times what or who they imagine. Even when we look at the female lead progress of the show a pattern merges; the first companion of Classic Who, the first companion of Nuwho, the first female master, the first Time Ladies and the first female leader of UNIT are all white women. Most companions of the show both classic and new are white women. So when Jodie Whittaker was cast as Thirteen I wasn’t quite sure how to feel. It was a huge moment as the Doctor themselves had never been played by a woman before. Girls across the fandom shared their excitement and joy, sharing group photos of blonde cosplayers excited for Thirteen’s era. And yet, I felt like something was missing. Whittaker got tribute videos from fans who looked up to her and was continuously asked about the importance of representation on screen, whilst Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole sat quietly beside her. I thought the first South Asian Muslim companion and first full-time Black male companion were just as big achievements as casting Whittaker for Thirteen and still do. But the show and fandom didn’t seem to think so. Some women of colour tried to express this disappointment back in 2017, but were met with ‘wait your turn’ or ‘at least you have Bill and Martha’. Don’t worry! You’ll get your POC Doctor one day!

7 years on, this progressive irony has yet to be addressed by the greater fandom. I’m not asking for Doctor Who to treat every marginalised group as a list to tick off and I don’t expect it to perfectly represent my experiences to the letter, but I do expect an allegedly progressive show and fandom to practice what they preach at the absolute bare minimum. If white marginalised genders can recognise how the companion role, despite growing to become more fulfilling and meaningful, is still the side character to a role historically played by a cishet white man, and that playing the lead themselves is, essentially, the greatest form of representation to have in the show… it begs three questions:

1. Why are Black fans then expected to settle for that ‘lesser’ companion role?��

2. Why do we not deserve to have the ‘greatest form’ of representation as the lead?

3. Why is casting a Black man as the lead in a show that has only had three Black male leads, two Black male companions and only one that travelled full-time a step back, but a white woman in a show where most female leads are white women already a step forward?

Even when we finally got our ‘POC Doctor’ by Jo Martin, she was another side character. Fugitive’s role was to add to the Timeless Child Mystery and once that was completed, she was a get-out-jail-free hologram in the last series of the Whittaker era. Our first form of Black representation as the lead was still a supporting role. Women of colour in the fandom, Black women especially, had to wait our turn yet again. Ncuti Gatwa is a man and I am not, so I know there are limits on the extent I’ll relate to Fifteen in the same way there were limits for Thirteen. But looking at representation statistically, Black men in Doctor Who are not outnumbering white women, so this idea of a ‘stepback’ is just disingenuous and incredibly antiblack. Many fans shared their ideal doctor castings for after Gatwa and even in place of him. Minus the occasional Lydia West and T’Nia Miller cosign, most of these castings were white women; Olivia Coleman, Gillian Anderson, Tilda Swinton, Phoebe-Waller Bridge etc. Apart from the need to replace our first Black male doctor before his era even began being wild in itself, I thought about who is the idea of female representation in Doctor Who. Gatwa is dark-skinned, but the ‘replacements’ minus T’Nia Miller were not. I want to believe the ‘but he’s a man’ backlash and ‘oh but we only meant white men!’ rebuttals came from a genuine place of hurt from certain parts of Thirteen’s stanbase. However, the continued dismissal of Black fans of all genders who rightfully critique Chibnall’s neglect of the Fugitive, the surprise that conservative white men still rejected Ncuti Gatwa ‘even though he’s a man’ when manhood has never saved Black men from antiblack racism and the treatment of the show’s first Black female companion, Martha Jones, that is still yet to be addressed by allegedly misogyny-concerned fans has me very, very pessimistic. If Ncuti Gatwa was a woman would this response be different? Only time will tell and if we get a dark-skin Black woman in the main lineup one day, we’ll see if this support comes through for real. I’m going to wait and see what Fifteen can provide for the show and wait for my ‘perfect fit’ casting to arrive just as other fans who are Black women have done since day. I hope that white marginalised genders waiting with us ask not why they have to wait, but why is this the first time that they have ever had to.

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#white feminism #strong female characters #fugitive doctor #the fugitive doctor #female representation #fifteenth doctor #ncuti gatwa #doctor who #nuwho #new who #black representation #doctor who analysis #fandom analysis #doctor who fandom #fandom antiblackness #fandom racism #fandom history

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denimbex1986 · 6 months

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'At the end of The Star Beast, David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor is faced with an impossible decision: save millions or save Donna Noble. With the Meep – all hail! – set to launch its master plan, it appeared that the Time Lord would have to make a major sacrifice.

But that’s not quite how it all went down. Instead, The Star Beast signed off with several twists and turns, plus a cryptic teaser for what might come next. Below, we’ll run through all of your burning questions from the end of the first 60th Anniversary Special, including how you-know-who seemingly returned from the dead. Caution: Donna Noble is descending.

How is Donna still alive?

First, a history lesson. Back in 2009’s episode Journey’s End, Donna comes into contact with some of the Doctor’s regeneration energy, essentially making her half-Time Lord. However, the Doctor decides she will not be able to survive with having that much power, so wipes her memories. He warns that if Donna were to ever remember the Doctor, she would die.

Despite that ultimatum, Catherine Tate’s formidable companion managed to get out of The Star Beast (relatively) unscathed.

How so? After Donna leaves her family behind to help the Doctor stop the Meep’s dagger drive from destroying London, Fourteen realizes that he needs the power – and mind – of Donna’s dormant Time Lord energy to help save the day.

By recounting their past adventures, the Doctor ‘activates’ Doctor-Donna – who immediately remembers and leaps into action, stopping the launch by vindicating the cyberline (among other technobabble) and reversing the ignition.

After the best 55 seconds of her life, Donna seemingly collapses and dies. But it’s revealed that some of her power transferred to her child, Rose.

“The meta-crisis passed down, a shared inheritance,” the Doctor explains.

How did Rose save the day?

When Donna transformed into Doctor-Donna once more, half – give or take, the show doesn’t exactly quantify it – of the Time Lord power ends up with Rose. If Donna is ‘binary’, Rose is ‘non-binary’ – and is able to contain the remaining power.

Using that ability, Rose works her magic on the outside, shutting down the Meep’s control over the UNIT soldiers.

It’s also revealed that Rose has always had that “light” (i.e. the Time Lord’s powers) shining out of her. It’s manifested in multiple ways: the shed where she creates her figures resembles the TARDIS, and the figures themselves are all connected to Donna and the Doctor’s adventures – including the Ood. As Fourteen and Donna explain, the Doctor is male and female, but Rose is neither. In her words, she’s “more”.

To solve the meta-crisis, Donna and Rose (hilariously) just “let it go”.

“It’s a shame you’re not a woman anymore, ‘cos she would have understood,” Donna jokes.

Who is the Meep’s boss?

Upon its defeat, the Meep (Miriam Margoyles) is set to be imprisoned for its crimes. But it leaves the Doctor with a parting warning: that the “boss” would be keen to hear about a creature with two hearts.

In the Doctor Who comics, the Meep doesn’t have a direct superior. Logic would dictate, then, that Neil Patrick Harris’ Toymaker (set to appear in a future special) will be linked to the Meep in some way. If not, it could serve as merely breadcrumbs for a future foe of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor to face. Either way, Russell T Davies has dropped a hint that will be poured over endlessly by the Whoniverse. Fourteen may hate it, but it’s cryptic for a reason.

What happened to the TARDIS?

The TARDIS has a new look, complete with a pristine, clean white interior that pretty closely resembles the medical ship the Tsuranga. David Tennant’s Doctor is overjoyed by the change, racing up and down the platforms with childish delight (there’s now a coffee machine so we understand the excitement).

Out of universe, the TARDIS has been re-designed to launch a new era with Ncuti Gatwa, as well as the show getting a bump up in budget thanks to its worldwide streaming rights being snapped up by Disney Plus.

While it’s never been fully explained in-universe, it’s largely accepted that the TARDIS changes itself and molds itself on each new regeneration.

Why is the Doctor David Tennant again?

Donna has her own theory: that the Doctor’s face has returned to say goodbye to his loved ones. For now, however, the jury is still out on why Fourteen has Ten’s face again. Given the 60th anniversary teasers, it’s likely something to do with the Toymaker – especially as Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor is seemingly trapped somewhere. Expect that question to be on the Doctor’s mind a lot more in the coming specials.

What next for Donna and The Doctor?

Donna and the Doctor will return in two more specials: Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle. Not a great deal is known about the two episodes, but the 60th anniversary trailer offers up some clues.

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and the Toymaker are appearing in at least one of the next two specials, while the Doctor and Donna encounter something that causes the TARDIS to “run away”.

We imagine Donna and the Doctor’s initial destination – the retirement cottage for Bernard Cribbins’ Wilf – will be saved for the third special in December. Cribbins, who died in 2022 aged 93, filmed scenes for the 60th anniversary before his passing.

Then we’ve got the Fifteen-shaped elephant in the room: Ncuti Gatwa is coming, but we don’t know how or when the new Doctor will show up, only that he has his own Christmas special next month.'

#David Tennant #Catherine Tate #Donna Noble #Rose Noble #the Meep #Yasmin Finney #Miriam Margolyes #The Star Beast #Wild Blue Yonder #The Giggle #The Toymaker #Neil Patrick Harris #Wilfred Mott #Bernard Cribbins #Doctor Who #60th Anniversary #Kate Lethbridge-Stewart #Ncuti Gatwa #Russell T. Davies

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willfrominternet · 5 months

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Friends and relatives, I've finished "The Giggle" and now I've got thoughts about the future of Doctor Who, the Christmas special, the 15/Ruby relationship, and the next season in general:

We are indeed getting a fun Doctor. Baggage? Nah. Trauma? Nahhhh. This Doctor goes to the club. This Doctor's got a kick-ass sonic. This Doctor is fit and they know it. Ncuti Gatwa is going to FEAST.

I still think Ruby's going to begin as quite a conservative character who wants to break out of her shell, and throughout the season, the Doctor will help her through her past trauma of being abandoned as a baby and everything that's happened since.

However, the relationship between the Doctor and Ruby will be like besties, even more so than the Doctor and Donna. Since it's now canon that the Doctor sees Donna as their sister, they'll see Ruby as a true friend, and will most likely pop their head out of the TARDIS and go "Get in, loser, we're going shopping."

I see us getting a Tennant cameo as soon as the Christmas special, with the Doctor giving Ruby a lesson on choosing your family. Maybe Catherine Tate will make an appearance. This was one of the best things about the first RTD era: It brought back old faces time and again. With the return of Bonnie Langford to the main series, we should expect to see more familiar faces, even if they're not the old favorites. (Justice for Mel, though. And I think we're due for another Martha Jones story...)

Every era of Doctor Who has a theme, even if it's murky. I could argue that Matt Smith's era was all about futility, but it's harder to explain Peter Capaldi's or Jodie Whittaker's eras in less than three words. However, with Tennant's second run being all about settling down, I think Gatwa's era will be all about self-discovery and self-esteem. The Doctor's seemed like too tragic of a figure for too long. It's time for them to shine, and moreover, it's time for their colleagues to shine as well.

(And we heard Donna poo-poo the use of the word "companion" in "The Giggle". Does this mean a change to the lexicon of the show is coming? I like the term "colleague" better, since it puts the Doctor's co-traveler(s) on a level playing field.)

I see the next season(s) bringing the camp back to Doctor Who, but this time with Disney money. Hopefully the writing's up to par; even the most fantastic visual effects in the world and the most ridiculous storylines can't hang if the overall wordsmithing doesn't grab the audience. That's where Doctor Who has suffered the most over its last several years, and where it fell apart in the Classic Era. I pray Ncuti's era doesn't suffer from the same fate.

In any case, I have full faith that this new season of the show will reboot the franchise in a big way for a new generation, all while playing around with the show's messy and archaic lore in a big way.

Case in point: We're so fucking back.

#doctor who #dw #tv #television #the giggle

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