[English] Decade with DW

Start of the Journey

I still clearly remember that night in the summer of 2014, on the balcony. In the pinned post, I saw an episode of Doctor Who that I had never seen before. An old man with particularly thick eyebrows and Clara came out of the TARDIS. I thought it was another TV series starring Jenna Coleman (at that time, I hadn’t seen the eyebrows in “The Day of the Doctor” or the regeneration in “The Time of the Doctor”). Later, I realized it was the just-premiered S08E01.

The first time I learned about Doctor Who was because it was one of the many sci-fi series that the teacher played in class. Later, with his help, I found resources to follow the series.

Back to the Beginning

Rewatched this S08E01 episode on the night of its ten-year premiere, every line of dialogue is so familiar, like an old friend recounting the stories he told me when we first met. I know every word he will say, every joke, and every expression on his face.

Sometimes, I even get a sense of déjà vu, making me feel like I remember the emotions from ten years ago. For example, when Clara was ‘abandoned’ by the Doctor in the restaurant basement, a feeling of unfamiliarity and despair suddenly surged in my heart, as if I shared the same emotion with my past self… Although it’s the same episode, the personal experience of “so the feelings are the same” is truly very wonderful.

P.S. In this episode, what Mrs. Vastra said, “Well then, here we go again,” was something Brigadier once said when the Third Doctor regenerated into the Fourth Doctor. Having such long-term memories and tributes is one of the very important reasons why I like DW, because I am also someone who doesn’t like endings, just like tearing out the last page of a book.

This episode really well portrays the Doctor’s confusion and vulnerability after his regeneration. He is a person full of energy, but also feels fear and loneliness. When translating the dinosaur’s roar, he might really be expressing his own fear. Under such a metaphor, the Doctor’s assurance of the dinosaur’s safety is so fragile, making him feel so guilty. This is somewhat similar to the situation with the Tenth Doctor during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but the difference is that the Twelfth Doctor ultimately did not save the dinosaur, whereas the Tenth Doctor saved the Pompeii merchant.

You will be home again!

Clara is somewhat distant from the newly regenerated 12 but is very worried about him. She is not yet ready to accept that the Doctor has suddenly turned into a completely unfamiliar appearance, to the point of using a very aggressive tone with Madam Vastra. However, she eventually starts to accept 12 after the final call from 11, but 12’s quest for his own identity has just begun.

How dare you!

How does it feel?

At first, I was very eager for the Doctor’s travels. Being a Doctor or a Companion is the coolest job in the universe. I think almost every Whovian has fantasized about what it would be like to travel with the Doctor, and it is this curiosity that drives our love for DW.

As I grew up, I gradually understood the emotions of the characters in the series and the values of the Doctor, such curiosity and responsibility, “Never cruel, never cowardly; never give up, never give in.” I have always liked this phrase very much and hope that everyone can stick to their beliefs.

Of course, as a character with an extremely long lifespan, the only Time Lord, possessing such powerful abilities and wisdom, how to restrain one’s behavior, I think this proposition was fully explored in the three episodes where Clara left.

Face the Raven, Heaven Sent, and Hell Bent as a whole for the season finale, tell the story of what choices the Doctor will make after losing a loved one, even to the point of abandoning his principles for revenge and choosing to alter time. However, in the end, he still cannot prevent things from happening. Perhaps it is the same for everyone; when faced with extreme situations, people often subconsciously deny and try to reverse the situation. But here, even though the Doctor can manipulate time, he still cannot let Clara escape her fate.

I heard that there is also writing on the back of this painting saying “I’m in 12”, but the Doctor couldn’t bear to turn it over…

If the education at school is the transmission of knowledge, then I believe DW definitely holds a place in my values. Curiosity and adventurous spirit, how to face difficulties, and the exploration of human nature. The discussion on these values and propositions has led Doctor Who to have a significant impact on me, making me want to personally see the world, and often ask myself: What would The Doctor do? Perhaps I can get a very good answer.

Words

There are really many lines in DW that I like, some of which are very famous. Here are some that I particularly like:

One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.
I burned up a sun just to say goodbye.
Never cruel, never cowardly; never give up, never give in.
Goodness is not goodness that seeks advantage. Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest pit without hope, without witness, without reward. Virtue is only virtue in extremis.
It all just disappears doesn’t it? Everything you are, gone in a moment like breath on a mirror. Any moment now, he’s a coming, (Clara: Who’s coming?) The Doctor. (Clara: But you are, you are the doctor.) And I always will be. But times change and so must I. We all change, when you think about it. We are all different people all through our lives and that’s okay, that’s good, you’ve got to keep moving so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this, not one day, I swear. I will always remember when The Doctor was me.

Recommend some videos:

Bilibili - Are You The One
- This song is amazing, perfectly fitting the image of the Doctor. I fell in love with this song through this mashup, and the editing is also very well done.
YouTube - The First Question - 50th Anniversary Trailer
- The 50th anniversary mashup, a video from 12 years ago, but still not outdated, especially the selection and coordination of lines, as well as the choice of music, are all very well done.
YouTube - The First Question - 60th Anniversary Edition
- A 60th-anniversary mashup, a remastered version of the previous video from ten years ago, is also very exciting.
- This video has not been uploaded to Bilibili yet, so I contacted the author and obtained permission to repost it.
- Bilibili repost: Bilibili - The First Question - 60th Anniversary Edition

Epilogue

This article briefly talks about the story with DW, but there are more delicate emotions that are hard to express in words. Many episodes are really worth watching repeatedly, and my favorite episode is still Heaven Sent.

However, I really hope that the next season of DW can put more effort into the plot. The last episode of S14/New Version S1 is a bit hard to endure… Related discussions are welcome to visit [DW] 幽默RTD, 幽默S14E08 to watch.

Every Doctor’s regeneration is not just a process of the Doctor seeking a new identity, but also a process for the audience to accept the new Doctor. The first episode of 12 slowly expresses this process through the emotional changes of the companion. In fact, the audience’s acceptance of the new Doctor is also a process of accepting a new self, which in reality represents whether we are willing to bravely start a new stage of life, and whether we are willing to give up things we previously had, even if those things are good and cherished by us.

Just like this sentence: So long as you remember all the people that you used to be As long as we remember those beautiful moments on the road of life, we haven’t wasted that time. How could I have imagined what I would be like ten years ago, but as long as I remember the emotions brought by DW (or the bad plot from CC) over the past ten years, it’s enough.

The Doctors

What will the next decade be like for me and DW? Nobody knows, but I will always look forward to the next episode of Doctor Who!

If you are also a Whovian, feel free to share your stories with DW or your favorite lines/episodes in the comments!

Start of the Journey

Back to the Beginning

How does it feel?

Words

Epilogue

Credits