Posted 12 March 2015 - 01:29 PM
The wife and I are re-watching DW Series 8 on BluRay, a couple of eps at a time. We are up to TIME HEIST and I finally realized something I didn't really notice or connect before.
Twelve to start out is cold, calculating, and any semblances of heartfelt, and human niceties or normal interaction with humans (Clara included) the way we might have seen from Ten and Eleven are completely gone, right?
Well I've noticed that Moffat kind of did a shrewd thing with the eps as a result, whether this was communicated to all the writers or not - but it’s more clear on a re-watch.
Each ep has a character or two who acts to Clara (and others) with the heartfelt heroic human stuff that is missing from the veneer of Twelve as he starts out. All the Ten & Eleven stuff is given to other humans AROUND him instead.
DEEP BREATH – This one is easy, it’s the Paternoster Gang and then Eleven himself calling from Trenzalore.
INTO THE DALEK – Journey Blue
ROBOTS OF SHERWOOD – Robin Hood
LISTEN – Orson Pink (and to an extent, Clara herself)
TIME HEIST – Saibra and Psi
THE CARETAKER – Danny Pink
KILL THE MOON – This one is interesting and is the turning point in the series for this feature…as it SEEMS as if Captain Lundvist is the hero, heartfelt human…but in the end it’s ACTUALLY the Doctor as he realizes what the moon is.
MUMMY ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS – This is the most visible ep where Twelve’s humanity-bone is growing and he’s being affected by the previous people in that role, as in this ep it’s him who’s the humanistic hero, full out, fighting for everyone else, and even tries to sacrifice himself to stop the mummy.
FLATLINE – Rigsy and the Doctor
IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT – The Doctor proves himself to be a BETTER guardian to humans than either Danny OR Clara on their field trip.
DARK WATER / DEATH IN HEAVEN – The Doctor and Clara share the hero/heartfelt/Human saviour duties in this, with a previous hero, Danny Pink making the final sacrifice.
LAST CHRISTMAS – All the Doctor all the time, from beginning to end. Even Santa Claus in the end, who comes from the Doctor's subconscious, is heroic.
So the progression set up her to me is that someone ALWAYS has the hero/humanity button on, it’s just split amongst other people for the first half of the season. Almost as a teaching system for a newly regenerated/New Regeneration cycle Doctor - that he slowly comes around and sees and then very gently (almost deceptively) adds it to his character in dribs and drabs.
I think you’ll agree that the Twelve we see in DEEP BREATH & INTO THE DALEK is a completely different individual from the one we see in LAST CHRISTMAS.
And I think the above notion is the reason/script way for that.
In hindsight it’s absolutely genius, and I applaud Moffat's Series 8 as a result. Probably some of his finest work as showrunner. He let the writers do what they do best, and he made no attempt to make the companion some huge mystery...instead he chose an RTD-like soft mystery of Missy and Paradise for an over-arcing Series plot. If I didn't love Series 5 so unabashedly, I might say Series 8 is Moffat's finest.
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora
"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon