Who Goes There, Day 31 – Bonus

Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most…Time Lord.

And here it is!  The last entry for the 30 Day Doctor Who Challenge.  Except this is a bonus 31st entry, because I like tormenting myself.  What shall I be talking about today?  No clue.

Yeah, this is gonna be one of those rambles.  I’m not sure what I have left to say about the Doctor.  I have talked about my favorite incarnation, companion, episode,  TARDIS design, and so much more!  I don’t know what more could be said, but I do know there is always more.  I guess that’s what I love about Doctor Who.  It’s the little show that could that’s still coulding.  It’s been around for over 50 years, and that’s awesome.

Like I wrote back in February, its long history is what got me interested.  I didn’t realize until I started writing about Doctor Who that I seem to be drawn to forms of entertainment with impressive histories from which a wealth of stories can be drawn.  All I have to do is look a the stacks of wrestling DVDs and boxes of comics to understand that, but the Doctor made me realize it.  The offspring of wrestlers who made their names in the ’80s can meet in the ring today and pick up the story from where their fathers left off three decades ago.  A character who appeared in a random story in the 1940s can make a triumphant return in a major way in comics today.  And weird tongue-looking aliens with suction cups all over them that only appeared in a 1975 episode can somehow play a large role in a 2013 50th anniversary special.  Fascinating.

But that’s not the only reason I love Doctor Who.  The history brought me to the table, but the sense of adventure kept me there.  Yes, the modern era is very guilty of following a set formula, but the imagination is almost always entertaining.  Microscopic predators camouflaged as shadows, little baby fat-aliens born from weight loss pills, a weapon that requires pulling various planets and moons from all of time and space to be used.  It’s just fun!  Of course, the good Doctor faces his fair share heart(s)breaks, but the fun’s always there.  There’s always something to see and do.

But, none of it would be possible without an enthralling lead.  I’ve only seen the modern Doctors, but the OGs must’ve been something else to carry the show through all its woes.  Not taking away from the stories at all (since you definitely need those, too), but I don’t think the show would’ve lasted this long without the titular character.  Over 50 years and there are still things that we don’t know about him.  He’s the smartest, most egotistical man in any room, and yet his capacity for caring and forgiveness seems endless.  Don’t get me wrong, the Doctor can be a vengeful son of a gun, but he is a being of love and adventure.   The ultimate traveler on the ultimate journey.

So, I guess that’s what I’m writing about for the bonus entry.  ‘Til we meet again, readers.  After a month of writing about Doctor Who, I’m pretty much done with it.  Until I get series 9 on DVD.  I’m sure I’ll write something else then.

Who Goes There, Day 30 – Favorite Guest Star

I’d watch anything with this man in it.

Well, things happened, so this post is going up super late.  It’s still the 30th on the west coast, though, so I’m still good, right?  Right.

I don’t think I’ve talked about it on this blog, but I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A lot.  It might actually be my favorite live-action show.  I remember watching re-runs with my mom and just loving every character, story, and bits of dialogue.  So, imagine my surprise when I get to “School Reunion” during my Who binge, and none other than Anthony Stewart Head shows up as the antagonist.  I squealed.  As though I were a little girl.

“School Reunion” is already an awesome episode since it features the return of Sarah Jane Smith and K-9, which I thought was cool as hell.  Sure, I haven’t watched Classic Who, but I always appreciate stuff like that.  But yeah, freaking Giles as the villain of a Doctor Who episode.  Of course he’s my favorite guest star!

Who Goes There, Day 29 – Favorite Writer

Your tears sustain him.

Russell T. Davies almost won this one.  In fact, I had a pic of Davies ready to go for today.  But, I decided to check something, and he wrote “Love and Monsters.”  With a black spot like that on his record, I’m going with current show-runner Steven Moffat for favorite writer.  This time, at least.

He wrote some great episodes for Nine and Ten, and he’s the mastermind behind my favorite season of the show.  Plus, he writes for Sherlock, and that is magnificent.

Who Goes There, Day 28 – Favorite Actress

No one does wide-eyed anger/shock quite like her.

This was a difficult one for me since I don’t know many of the actresses from Doctor Who outside of it.  Sure, I’d seen quite a few of the actors, but only one or two of the actresses in guess spots here and there.  So, I’m going with the one I’ve seen at least two times outside of Doctor Who (I know that’s weak)–Karen Gillan.

Gillan’s one of the funniest people on the show.  If it weren’t for Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, she might actually be the funniest.  Plus, she handles the tragedy just as well as she handles the comedy.  All the stuff she went through involving her pregnancy, cloning, and losing the people closest to her in one way or another (Amy Pond had it rough) was made even more heartbreaking by Gillan’s excellent expressions.  I’m not sure if you need an emotional face to be a great thespian, but Gillan is able to look happier, angrier, and sadder than almost anyone else on the show.  And her dedication in “The Girl Who Waited” was impressive.  The woman is great at her craft, and she’s only getting better.

Also, she’s gorgeous.  Had to throw that in.

Who Goes There, Day 27 – Favorite Actor

You had me at, “Hello.”

So, the next couple entries are for favorite actor and actress.  That struck me as a bit odd since you’d assume those would’ve already been covered on previous days, but I guess it’s not so.  My favorite actor who appeared regularly is John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness.

See, finally watching Doctor Who at this point was particularly interesting for me since I’m seeing this people after I’ve been a fan of some of them for a while–pretty much the opposite of everyone else.  So, when John Barrowman finally showed up, I was ecstatic.  I love the man on Arrow.  Papa Merlyn wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if someone else were playing the character.  I have a feeling it’s the same with Cap’n Jack.  Barrowman pulls off the universally attractive/attracted badass magnificently.  I sincerely hate that he isn’t in the show all that much.  Anytime he’s on screen, though, is gold.  The man’s charisma is just ridiculous.

Here’s to you, John Barrowman.  May you continue to woo the universe one being and/or thing a time.

Who Goes There, Day 26 – Favorite Gadget

What else would it have been?

Of course my favorite gadget is the sonic screwdriver.  Granted, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it used as a screwdriver, but it’s still awesome.  Does pretty much everything.  Except it’s useless on old tech, so it does pretty much everything future-y.

I know I’m probably cheating by not picking a single design for the sonic screwdriver as my favorite gadget, but eh.  I think they’re all pretty neat.

Who Goes There, Day 25 – Favorite Couple

The Doctor is weirded out by his mom and dad making out.

This is another one that begins and ends with the Ponds.  Yes, I love Madame Vastra and Jenny, the Doctor and River, and Cap’n Jack and all of time and space, but the Ponds take it.  They were just meant to be.  You think Amy’s gonna leave Rory for the Doctor at first, but you realize it was never gonna happen.  Granted, that’s probably because Eleven immediately went to Rory to bring him along, but still.

I was so happy when they got married.  It was made even better that the wedding happened after the universe ended.  Not even the end of everything could stop these two from being together.  That’s why the whole possible divorce thing in “Asylum of the Daleks” was just way too out of left field.  Like, come on, guys.  Don’t even waste our time like that.  And when they finally left in “The Angels Take Manhattan”…. My heart.

So yeah.  The Ponds are the best couple in Doctor Who.  The Last Centurion and the Girl Who Waited.  I love ’em.

Who Goes There, Day 24 – Favorite Friendship

This Three’s Company re-boot is gonna be awesome!

Okay, so Strax is already one of my favorite characters.  He’s a usually antagonistic Sontaran, but he’s befriended the Doctor and even came to his aid in “A Good Man Goes to War.”  The Doctor thought he died there, but Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint saved him.  Thus, this oddly friendly Sontaran went to be the butler for a Silurian detective and her human wife in 19th century London.  Best odd trio ever.

I love these three together.  They’re prime examples of the weirdness of Doctor Who working beautifully.  Strax’s attempts at being decent are hilarious, I love that Vastra might be the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, and Jenny’s a badass in her own right.  I thought about the Doctor and Winston Churchill being a great friendship in the franchise, but they don’t come close to the Paternoster Gang.

Who Goes There, Day 23 – Favorite Catchphrase

Ya damn right they are.

If any of you have read all of these Doctor Who posts, then you probably called this.  It’s so simple.  “   (Insert word or phrase here)    is/are cool.”  Bow ties are cool.  Fezzes are cool.  Glasses are cool.  Everything is cool!

Yeah, I’m not sure if I have much to say about this one.  It’s the only one I use now whenever I talk.  Even though I want to use “pudding-brain” more.

In short, the Eleventh Doctor’s catchphrase is cool.

Who Goes There, Day 22 – Favorite TARDIS interior

Love what you’ve done with the place.

Ah, the TARDIS.  The other main character of the franchise.  And yes, it most definitely is a character (just watch “The Doctor’s Wife”).  I love this thing.  Even after only being a fan of the show for not even two months, the TARDIS is engraved in my mind as one of the great science fiction vessels.  And, like the Doctor himself, the TARDIS has changed its interior design quite a bit.  My favorite look so far is from series 8, the Twelfth Doctor’s first series.

Sure, the design for Nine and Ten will always hold a special place for me; Eleven’s first interior was fun, if a bit too Pee-wee’s Playhouse; and this is technically the same design from the second half of Eleven’s last series.  So, why specifically from Twelve’s run?  The books.  I love seeing all the books strewn about the place.  It actually looks like the Doctor’s home.  That’s it.  Plus, the darker lighting fits Twelve much better than it did Eleven.

Guess I’ll find out next month if it changed in series 9.