For months now, ever since the gut-wrenching, tear-jerking conclusion to Doctor Who Series 4, we Whovians have held our breaths in wait over one question: how much longer will David Tennant play the Doctor? That question was answered yesterday... and is all over the net now (such as this article). Doctor Ten will last through the 2009 specials before handing the keys to the TARDIS and his sonic screwdriver to Doctor Eleven... whoever it may be.
I have to admit I cried when I learned of this, but it wasn't a surprise. I will miss him terribly, as he is the Doctor who has made the biggest impact on my life. The sadness is mixed with the realization that the show does not revolve around David but the Doctor himself and what a unique character he is for being, essentially, flexible, existing in different physical facets for different eras. David knows it is time to leave before "I wear out my welcome" and I admire that greatly. He's an actor who wants to further his career by dabbling in new things... and must recognize that if he stayed in the Doctor's shoes for much longer, it might become stale... cliched and unable to find peace with the heart-breaking events of the last four series. The story moves on around the Doctor. And I think David will be watching with great interest as he passes off the screwdriver.
This points to several good possibilities, despite the fact that it will be really strange to have the show without his wonderfully familiar face. But I have been thinking on this for a few hours:
1. Russell T Davies gets to decide how Doctor Ten leaves the show before he himself leaves. Which means the regeneration - which will be hard to stomach - will be in good hands.
2. The loathed River Song might not have an opportunity to reemerge as Ten's future spouse. The might mean that her connection might be to Eleven... if at all.
3. I am hoping that when the Doctor regenerates, it will be with the peace that his struggles as Ten are over, and he starts over fresh.
As a writer, I am always looking for the positive in a scenario like this. Things must end this way. But good can still blossom out of it, and protestations maybe proven useless. We won't know how it ends... until it ends. The possibilities are endless in this universe, and that continues to make me grateful for it!
Ta!
I'm just looking forward immensely to seeing what other performances he has in him. Now I don't have to be so annoyed that I didn't get to see his Hamlet or Berowne, because hopefully he'll do some more Shakespeare. Would have loved to see him do Love's Labour's Lost - such a weird play, one that's never entirely made sense to me.
ReplyDeleteHe's supposed to appear as the British physicist Eddington on the BBC sometime soon, with Andy Serkis as Einstein. Should be very much worth watching.
I really admire him for continuing to challenge himself, and frankly I just feel very happy for him, though of course all the Whovians will miss him.
Hm... come to think of it, my usage of "Ta!" is probably wrong. For some reason I was thinking it was "goodbye" as opposed to the Yorkshire term for "Thanks!" Oops!
ReplyDeleteMeh. We don't judge. :) Perhaps you're just expanding the lexicon.
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