Time
for the iconic Doctor Who Christmas episode. An episode that not only brings us
a new regeneration but also has the first Doctor and the 12th Doctor together
for most of the episode
And
I liked a lot of these dynamics - I love how Doctor #1 is clearly not as
reliant on the tech and toys that Doctor #12 is (yet is still effective despite
that) and how much the Doctor has grown and changed to become the creature he
has
I
am more leery with Doctor #1 being not just a crotchety old man but talking
down to Doctor #12 because of it. I mean, Time Lords must be used to people
being so many centuries older than them while looking younger. I even imagine
meeting a future/past incarnation of yourself may be not entirely out of the
realm of possibility (how many times have the Doctor done it after all?).
Doctor
#1’s sexism - yes it was played for heavy humour, yes it was a nod to the fact
the first season of old Who was waaaay back in 1963 and like any show that old
there are Problems. And Doctor #12’s utter cringing embarrassment in the face
of it was kind of amusing: but we’re still seeing a species of aliens that has
somehow adopted human sexism despite a) being ancient enough and wise enough to
know better and b) coming from a species to whole, if gender as a concept is
even relevant, will be waaay different from what we can conceive of)
We
start going back 709 episodes ago (and am I the only one geekily thrilled by
that number? And am I further the only one living in horror of the fact I
haven’t watched half of these and now I need to watch them all! MUST WATCH THEM
ALL) with a really really good mash up of original footage and modern actors
playing the role of Doctor #1 and Polly and Ben.
Way
back then, Doctor #1 is also resisting the urge to regenerate, same as Doctor
#12 - and both of them end up together in Antarctica.
Doctor
#12 recognises his old sense and the whole regeneration denial thing but is
then completely lost in the joyous nostalgia of his younger self still calling
a Tardis a “ship” (and not recognising sonic technology). In a moment of slight
hypocrisy, Doctor #12 is horrified that doctor #1 may die and change history so
11 incarnations of the Doctor didn’t exist
This
is another major theme of this episode wove subtly through it: The Doctor
matters. He is important.
But
before they can get into this they’re joined by a British soldier from World
War 1. Through Time Shenanigans he has been transported from his deadly yet
moving stand off in a crater facing off against a German soldier, neither
wanting to fight, neither wanting to communicate - he has now been dumped in
the middle of a multi-doctor argument and invited onto the Tardis: Doctor #12’s
Tardis (as he says: Always remember where you parked! And oh how the Doctor
needed to learn that lesson!)
Doctor
#1 is not amused by how the Tardis has been redecorated. Nor about regenerating
without a little more youth.
The
Captain is also quite upset by Doctor #12 referring to World War “One”. oops,
spoilers.
Doctor
#1 is also not entirely on board with how Doctor #12 refers to the Earth: It Is
Protected (Doctor #1: It is? By who?!)
They
are captured by the alien species behind the time shenanigans and pulled on
board their ship - The Chamber of the Dead which has advanced time travel
technology and people made of glass (again interesting look at how the Doctors
operate: Doctor #12 waving around his Sonic Screwdriver while Doctor #1
examines the glass being closely and sees it’s asymmetrical: a computer
generated construct would not be). Doctor #1 is also very very disturbed to
hear that he’s referred to as “The Doctor of War”.
The
people of the Chamber of the Dead want him them to hand over the Captain in the
ship and in exchange they will let him speak to “her”
