What should the next Doctor look like?

No, no. No making River the doctor, because that would spoil one of the funnier bits of of having a female doctor, IE: The scene where the River/Doctor relationship just sails straight onwards with absolutely no change or commentary from either one of them.

Making Medicus bitch about how he's not sexist is pretty much an achievement you unlock on this forum.

I do think it's odd when people suggest people who've already been on the show as the next Doctor—yes, they're British and beloved, but they're already a different character. (Donna!Doctor is particularly mind screwy to me, since she was already the Doctor, in a manner of speaking.)

It's pretty much a bi-weekly fixture of the Doctor Who thread.

And are we still going to have more River next season? Isn't her arc pretty much wrapped up? Pretty please?

It's not over. Not yet.

If you think the change from male to female is intrisically greater than the change from, say, 5 to 6, then you buy into some notions so gender essentialist that I really don't want to argue with you about it.

The more I think through my thoughts the more I lose track of them.

edited 24th Jan '12 5:22:54 PM by Tasther

He's the Doctor. He could be anywhere in time and space.

Oops, I forgot that everyone on TV Tropes took philosophy classes at university. My bad.

It's not over. Not yet.

So should the next Doctor be older or younger? The general trend with few exceptions seem to go younger and younger with each passing incarnation but after falling in love with number 2 I wouldn't mind seeings cranky old doctor.

I also don't see what the big deal is whether or not the Doctor were to change sex during regeneration, I think you, Medicus, protest too much.

edited 24th Jan '12 5:29:52 PM by MousaThe14

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Alright, so a few minutes on Google shows that gender essentialism is the idea that men and women are born different and that there are exclusively "male" and "female" traits, and that it's sexist, natch and ties into the idea that men are superior to women.

Which is, of course, the logical conclusion to draw when someone says they don't want a long-standing male fictional character to become a woman just because there's no reason they can't.

I wouldn't so much if every time I said it the forum came down on me and called me sexist. It's ridiculous.

edited 24th Jan '12 5:36:11 PM by Medicus

It's not over. Not yet.

You can harbor sexist notions without realizing it, dontchaknow.

Also, the Doctor is very different from Batman or any other fictional character in that he comes from a race that is known to be capable of changing species. Pretending changing sex is somehow beyond that is just... wow.

It's not over. Not yet.

Really? You're going to go that route? God, it's like Ukonkivi never left... Just forget about it.

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Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

Okay then.

edited 24th Jan '12 6:30:01 PM by Medicus

It's not over. Not yet.

I guess I should've figured it would've gotten thumped, but I'm sad now because I really thought the second part was a good part that people should know about and read because it's important :c

oh well, tv tropes has a history of allowing people to be really offensive and gross and then not letting anyone call them out on it because they're "personally attacking" them

edited 24th Jan '12 7:07:13 PM by Sporkaganza

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

...well, my point was that you seem to be expecting there would have to be some difference in the Doctor's personality based on having a male or female body. Which is basically gender essentialism with added pseudo-science.*

*

Sorry about the "degree in philosophy". I have a tendency to assume everyone knows things I know even when they're objectively fairly obscure.

If that's not the criticism, at its most/a more basic level, then I'm not getting it. What you seem to be saying that changing from male to female is a greater change than from, for example, 5 saving Peri's life to 6 trying to strangle her. Which... is where my last post was.

He's the Doctor. He could be anywhere in time and space.

I'd like to see an older doctor that acts a bit younger.

I'd like to see an older Doctor just because the trend of Doctors getting younger has to stop sometime. Not that I would swap Matt Smith for anyone.

I swear, the female Doctor discussion wouldn't be half so wearying if a) it didn't immediately devolve into "I'M NOT SEXIST" whether anyone said that or not and b) it didn't come up every time anyone ever mentioned a woman who could play the Doctor, thereby stifling all conversation about whether particular women would be good for the role.

Helen Mirren would be an awesome Doctor!

You can't get much younger than Matt Smith without casting a teenager.

Maybe a 40-something that acts like a teenager.

Fresh-eyed movie blog

The Doctor regenerates into a woman; the Master comes back then does the same. Shippers go mad.

He's the Doctor. He could be anywhere in time and space.

I don't know if I could cope with the in-universe slash-yness that would cause. 'Cause you know it would happen.

I just want a completely different performance to anything that's come around before. I find Matt Smith and David Tennant a little too close for my liking, and while I realise that they're different personas their proximity makes me worry.

It shouldn't be too hard to do that.

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I concur. They are fairly similar, a dramatic change would be good.

edited 25th Jan '12 10:39:06 AM by HopelessSituationWarrior

"Weird doors open. People fall into things."

For what it's worth, I'm personally still hoping for a Black Doctor, after all those Paterson Joseph rumours put it in my mind before Matt Smith was cast.

It'd also amuse me if the Doctor regenerates into someone of a different race, and his main comment on his appearance is complaining about still not being ginger.

The owner of this account is temporarily unavailable. Please leave your number and call again later.

Of course, he can't be ginger until he's Merlin.

/Obscure continuity reference to Battlefield.

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I would totally go for an Indian doctor. Anyone know any great British Indian actors?

Dev Patel? I'm partially kidding.

"Weird doors open. People fall into things."