by I’m new to Doctor Who. I stumbled upon it one sleepless night and was lucky to have the Weeping Angels episode as my introduction. I didn’t know who anyone was or the back story, but it didn’t matter, the episode was that strong. It was also a two-parter so I was essentially forced to come back for more. I got caught up via Wikipedia and a BBC America Doctor Who marathon and I’ve been watching the show religiously ever since.
You always love your first best. New versions of anything, even when they are genuinely better, take time to accept, and love. (I’ll never forget how on Echo, the online service I run, people complained about changes even when it fixed a problem.) I’ve just read that Matt Smith, who plays the doctor, is leaving the series. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, the Doctor character, who is an alien, regenerates from time to time. When this happens the part is taken over by a different actor.
Matt Smith was my first Doctor. He’s also phenomenally great in the part. He has managed to put together this complicated but irresistible mix of charms and flaws and mystery that is going to be hard to replace. You know him and you don’t, and because Matt Smith has made the character and what you do know about him so deeply lovable this creates an endless need for intimacy. I just don’t know what I’m going to do without him. Will we also lose all the characters associated with him? The most amazing and wonderful River Song? I still haven’t recovered from the loss of Amy and Rory. Please, I’m begging you, don’t take away River Song too. And what about Strax??
The only thing that gives me hope is my response to the older episodes I’ve caught with David Tennant, the actor who played Doctor Who before Matt Smith. I love Tennant’s Doctor Who as well. Not as much, but that could be because of that “first” thing I mentioned, and because I haven’t seen as many episodes with Tennant. But what are the odds that they’ll find three actors in a row as capable of taking on this part as Smith and Tennant? Maybe this is an essential element of the show, that you will never completely know or have the Doctor, and he will always invariably break your heart? Wait a minute. Oh god. What have I signed up for? I will have to go through this again and again. If I’m lucky.
Anyway, damn you Matt Smith. You better be great in a lot of movies to make up for this, young man. Jesus, I just realized that means there is only one more episode with Matt Smith. Sobbing.
A few shots on one of the piers along the Hudson. The first is of a child’s party, and the second is of sun bathers who were just to the right of the party.
Welcome to the club! My first Doctor was Peter Davison. I always thought I wouldn’t like the doctors who followed, but then I did. I wasn’t won over by the doctors who followed Davison (he wore a cricket outfit with a stalk of celery on the lapel!) until Christopher Eccleston, the first of what I would call the modern Doctors. A little more edgy than the others. I was convinced I would not like Tennant but fell for him immediately. Then I knew I would NOT like Matt Smith because he was too young and everything. And was smitten. He is going to be a tough act to follow. There are more Whovians out there than you’d think, because we tend to be quieter than the mainstream sci-fi fans, maybe.
This is what I’m hoping for, to fall in love again, but, but, but … I love Matt Smith!! I am not ready to let go!! We will have to share when the time comes,