Has Jodie Whittaker “ruined” the show or made it better?

On 14 July 2017, Doctor Who drastically changed when Jodie Whittaker was announced as the Thirteenth Doctor. Ever since, with her two seasons at the time of writing, this era of the show has been incredibly diverse with Doctor Who fans. Some have valid criticisms which is normal with any show but some have ridiculous reasons for disliking it which has come to the point where those people attack fans of the current era for liking it online. Even people who haven’t actually watched it call it ‘political’ and ‘woke’ because the Doctor is now a woman and issues like racism, mental health and climate change are tackled. On top of that, there has been this massive revelation at the end of the last season which a lot of people claim has ruined the show which I will talk about later.

Why there can be a female Doctor

I’ve never had a problem with a woman being cast as the Doctor because it is confirmed in the show that Time Lords, the Doctor’s species, can switch genders. In the 2011 episode, The Doctor’s Wife, Matt Smith’s Doctor was talking about how a fellow Time Lord had a specific tattoo: “See that snake? The mark of the Corsair. Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl.” In fact, in the 2015 episode, Hell Bent, there was a scene where a male Time Lord regenerated into a female Time Lord. So, in terms of the show, it can happen. And now, thanks to the recent series, a new, unknown incarnation was introduced with Jo Martin being cast as the first person of colour and second woman as the Doctor.

What I think about Jodie

I think Jodie Whittaker was a perfect choice as the Doctor. She’s a brilliant actress after seeing her in Broadchurch which also starred past Doctor, David Tennant and written by current Doctor Who showrunner, Chris Chibnall. Her Doctor has a fun and bubbly personality which is nice to see from a Doctor especially during the times of the pandemic.

Right from her first episode, she instantly captured my attention and I wanted to know more about this new incarnation. Even though her first season has no personal arcs for her character, Series 11 felt very much like a season straight from 60s Doctor Who in the way that all 10 episodes are very standalone and self-contained. Because Jodie’s Doctor had 3 companions travelling with her at once in series 11 and 12, it felt like a bunch of friends exploring the universe.

Favourite 13^th Doctor Moments

In the series 11 episode, The Witchfinders, the Doctor is tied up ready to be tried as a witch by King James I, played by Alan Cumming. The episode is the first time the Doctor’s gender has been a challenge for her and the speech the Doctor gives to King James about the secrets of existence.

In the first part of the 3-part series 12 finale, the 13^th Doctor comes face to face with old enemies the Cybermen while being present on the night Mary Shelley writes Frankenstein and the Doctor has to make a dangerous choice, sacrifice Percy Shelley or give the Cybermen their powerful weapon which will grant them the power to rebuild armies of Cybermen. Whittaker gives an amazing performance and speech about changing history and it’s the first time her Doctor gets angry, particular in this finale, “If he dies now, who knows what damage that will have on future history? Words matter! One death, one ripple, and history will change in a blink. The future will not be the world you know. The world you came from, the world you were created in won't exist, so neither will you. It's not just his life at stake. It's yours. You want to sacrifice yourself for this? You want me to sacrifice you? You want to call it? Do it now. All of you. (silence) Yeah. Cos sometimes this team structure isn't flat. It's mountainous, with me at the summit in the stratosphere, alone, left to choose. Save the poet, save the universe. Watch people burn now or tomorrow. Sometimes, even I can't win.”

The “Controversial” Series Arc

Which I think is brilliant writing, the Doctor is told about her past she didn’t even know about and is revealed that she is the reason why Time Lords are the way they are with regeneration abilities and she isn’t even from Gallifrey and she had an entire other life before her “first incarnation”. The reason why I think this is great for the series is because it's put the “Who” back in Doctor Who, a new mystery to solve about the Doctor which she doesn’t even know about. So, the audience is going to be going on this journey with the Doctor throughout her time of discovery of herself. It also shows the 13^th Doctor in a completely new situation, it knocks her back so much and her bubbly personalities vanishes, leaves her broken by the end of the season. Revelations like this keeps the show fresh and new. Of course, not everyone liked this. This story detail has apparently according to some fans, “killed Doctor Who” or “ruined the lore” which I don’t see how, it’s simply an addition to it.

Another Favourite Moment

Also, I just want to acknowledge my favourite scene from the episode, after she found out this revelation from frenemy and fellow Time Lord, the Master, now played by Sacha Dhawan, the two have a brilliant conversation while getting really furious at each other. The Master is mad because the way he is, is because of the Doctor but since he won’t reveal more at the Doctor’s request, the Doctor shouts at him and pushes him to the ground in anger.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m really excited for Jodie’s next season which unfortunately would be her last with a few specials after. I would have loved for her to stay for at least another two seasons but of course actors have to move on and I respect her decision to leave. She is up there with David Tennant as one of my favourites.