Love, Joy, Feminism
If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I am a big Doctor Who fan! Ever since I binged on the first few seasons of the reboot shortly after starting grad school, I have been an avid and loyal fan. (In fact, I recently got a BritBox subscription so that I can go back and watch more of the earlier seasons of Doctor Who.)
So! It’s Doctor Who season again, and you get an open thread!
First, a few things that don’t require spoilers. This is the second season of Jodi Whitaker as the Doctor. This is the first time a woman has played the Doctor—and it is glorious. The first Jodi Whitaker season included two of the best episodes of Doctor Who ever—Rosa (about Rosa Parks) and Demons of the Punjab (about the partition).
The Doctor—Jodi Whitaker—is traveling with three companions: Graham, a retired bus driver; Ryan, a young black man who works in a warehouse; and Yaz, a young Pakistani woman in training to become a police officer. I love the diversity of the group and the dynamics between them. The Doctor calls them her fam.
Jodi Whitaker’s energy is a treat. If you haven’t taken the time to watch the most recent seasons of Doctor Who, you should.
Now for the spoilers!
Last Sunday’s episode?
It was. Shall we say.
Something else.
In Sunday’s episode, the Doctor ran into Ruth, a black woman hiding under a secret identity, played by Jo Martin. And Ruth, it came out at the end of the episode … is actually the Doctor.
Say what?!
Doctor Who fans will know that the Doctor regenerates with a new body from time to time, and that given that the Doctor travels in space and time, it’s not that extraordinary for the Doctor to run into him—er, her—self. But usually, when this happens, one version of the Doctor remembers the other—because he—er, she—once was the other.
This time, though, neither remembers the other. What’s going on?! The credits confirm that this isn’t a gag—Jo Martin is the Doctor. But how? Can the Doctor forget her past identities? (Yes that’s right, I’m deciding the pronoun issue by going with the current iteration. And you can’t stop me.) Where does Jo Martin fix? Some fans are speculating that she came between the second and third Doctors. Others suggest she was actually the first Doctor.
Who knows!
I’ve heard that some parts of Whovian fandom are melting down over how the Jo Martin reveal will affect Doctor Who canon. I’m not! For me, Doctor Who’s canon is flexible. It can be played with and changed, and that’s absolutely fine with me. Can you imagine a show that started in the early 1960s being forced to abide by every detail ever laid out there? The show would have to wear a straight jacket, and it still couldn’t succeed!
Are you excited? I’m excited! And guess what? I’m not alone! Lots of people are excited!
WE HAVE A BLACK DR WHO.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE HAVE A BLACK, FEMALE DR WHO!!! https://t.co/hHsZMbrUWo
— CHAOTIC ENERGY out 3rd April! (@StephanieYeboah) January 26, 2020
The show runners shave confirmed that we will be seeing more of Jo Martin’s Doctor, though they haven’t said exactly when. Personally, I’d be up for a spinoff! After all, whyever not?! I’m staying tuned!
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