Doctor Who: The Mirror Images of Moffat's Era | Video Essay
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2018
- Steven Moffat's tenure saw him run the show with two Doctors for three series. Whilst this may appear a coincidence, there are interesting parallels that can be drawn between both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's first, second and third seasons.
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All footage used in this video is for education purposes only.
Strangely, I thought Capaldi’s last series was his best. His dynamic with Bill was more like ‘old who’ and was a refreshing change from the previous companions.
I agree, I wasn't keen at all on his previous seasons at the time but his final season grabbed me from the start and had me tuning in every week for the first time in about 4 years.
Series 10 is the best series of the revival for a number of reasons
Capaldi finally "became the Doctor" in series 10. Clara was never really a companion, she just seemed like the worst parts of Amy Pond distilled. Bill (mostly) worked much better. Missy was also much better in series 10, when she was given a personality and an arc. The final two-parter is among the best Moffat ever did.
His dynamic with Clara became very weird. It was like an obsessive affair without consummation and I’m really glad she finally left.
10 was good! But 9 is my top series
Moffat is like the old saying, "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" Because my God, he was like RTD when compared to Chibs.
100%
I know thats what ive been saying
I really enjoyed Moffats era until series 9, that i think is good overall, but series 5-7 for me thats pure gold.
He's always been good.
better than RTD
I loved Capaldi’s last series. I really liked Bill and 12. They had a great chemistry. I wanted a second series of those two together.
I agree with Matt Smith's run but not Capaldi's, he mellowed out into a wonderful balance of his two personas, rather than watered down.
TRUTH
FAX NO PRINTER
@renideo : Too bad that Chibnall didn't read what you wrote (or didn't understand) !...
The biggest anger I feel is Murray Gold leaving - Series 5, 6, and 7 had the best music in the world
Dont you forget series 1,2,3,4,8,9 and 10
So true.
Too loud and bombastic at times. But when he was good, he was really good...
Oh yes season. 6 7 iconic fucking only song is I am the doctor it's so slagginf fucking overused all you fucking hear os fucking DODOD DOO DODO FUCOING DOOOOO
• 72 years ago Do-do do-do d-do-do do-do do-do d-dooo
Eleven looked young but occasionally reminded us he was hiding a side of himself that was old and weary. He seemed cheerful and fun but in times of distress he could become very dark.
Twelve looked old but had both the petulance and the hidden bleeding heart of a teenager. He seemed brooding and ruthlessly pragmatic, but he always had mercy for the bad guys.
Twelve is the culmination of the entire reboot series up to that point. The Doctor had finally come to grips with his past in the Time War. He realized that hiding from mistakes prevents you from learning about them. He didn't have to be afraid of his age or his more alien qualities anymore, so long as he remembered deep down what was important.
I think this is the reason why i don't enjoy Jodie as the doctor, I don't know if its the writing or the acting but she just feels like a completely different person
@@millynocito7958 This is the problem with stories that go on forever. Arc closure technically isn't ever really closure.
@@travishimebaugh8381 Personally I think the doctor falls would have been a perfect place to end doctor who completely. He knew he was going to die but did it anyway to give those kids some more time and he could have regenerated but didn't want to.We also see missy die after trying to be good for once so it would be a nice bittersweet ending with no loose ends.
@@millynocito7958 u right bro
He was literally never afraid of his age or alien qualities lmao.
I see your point about Eleven becoming watered down by Series 7, however.... A Town Called Mercy. Absolute masterpiece to be honest. That moment when the Doctor almost shoots the guy? Gave me absolute chills. Completely underrated episode.
I love that episode as well
The intensity of Matt's angry, scolding and completely self aware Doctor is my absolute favourite. He knows how dangerous he is, the Colonel runaway gag was honestly one of my favourite things ever... Guy gave off a real dangerous vibe.
honestly i think the river arc - and the way it connects across times - is some of moffats best writing.
I loved Bill's personality in series 10. She was an unpretentious, genuinely curious student, and she was the first companion in ages who didn't feel like she revolved her life around the doctor: instead he was just this friendly, eccentric mentor she liked to visit. She just didn't really fit the more serious storylines in series 10
Capaldi was by far the best part of s8-10
He was the only decent part of that run.
Yeah, I'd have rather had more seasons of Capaldi. :(
I disagree about series 6. The River reveal seemed like it meant *everything* back then, and I still regard series 6 as one of my favorites.
I agree, Im surprised people didn't like season 6 I thought it was great
I think s6 suffered by being split in two. The first half built to a nice crescendo with A Good Man Goes To War; the second half felt like a different series, and while it had some individually interesting episodes, it just didn't have the same energy, and the series arc wasn't strong enough to tie everything together properly.
@@jammin023 that's actually interesting, I'm gonna be entirely honest I had no idea it was split in two. I watched the first 6 seasons when they were on Netflix (which is funny bc the final episode was the Christmas special and I had no idea why they were "ending" the show with that random episode after the huge finale), season 7 was the first one I bought and watched as it came out. Which definitely means my perspective is changed, bc I grew up on season 6 as a new fan vs was much more aware of the community and Doctor who history while watching the other seasons.
@@sparksparklez River did what she needed to do as his wife. Their relationship is one hell of a creation
I liked the whole Silence story arc, mostly because of the concept of the Silence themselves, how creepy they were and the whole "you can only remember them when you see them" bit was brilliant; making them the next best Nuwho villains, second only to the Weeping Angels (in Blink).
Really? I always had the exact opposite opinion on 12's run, that it got better as it progressed and I was not a fan of series 8
I agree, to be honest. I really couldn't take to Clara as a character - through no fault of Jenna Coleman, I feel. The tone for Capaldi's Doctor never quite gelled for me until the 2016 Xmas special when he seemed to finally be The Doctor he was 'offscreen' at events (such as the Doctor Who Experience appearances) on screen too.
I agree.
Same. Wasn’t the biggest fan of 12 in Series 8, but then his acting really showed off in Series 9, and by Series 10 he was amazing
i feel moffat didn't plan for capaldi as he did as much for smith. with smiths run from start to end it felt connected. capaldi's didn't
Definitely. Capaldi really holds together the 12th Doctor as the writing was all over the place.
Honestly series 10 is my joint favourite series of the revival with series 5. It’s a series I could watch over and over and I’d never lose my love for every minute of it
Personally I think Capaldi’s Doctor got progressively better from 8 - 10 but that’s just my opinion
U right tho
Yh ur right
yeah I agree. I never really feel in love with Capaldi's doctor until the end of series 8 which to me makes that series easily the worst one. I love 9 and 10 though and to me it's pretty tough to pick which one is better personally.
No matyer what anyone says the best moment of series 9 and in doctor who history in genwral is Capaldi doing the Anti War Speech in The Zygon Inversion. That speech is just pure art. Made more poignant considering the fact that the Paris attacks happend literally the week after that episode.
Yeah, in every season of Doctor Who ever made you'll have the Doctor do or say something great. That's part of why it's lasted so long :)
Doesn't make up for the mediocre episode it came in
@@tTaseric i feel it saves the episode. It is so powerful and emotive. Well written and well acted and you can see exactly how good of an actor Capaldi is in that scene. You can see those years of acting shine through. The emption and passion in which he says that speech is something real. And considering what happened a week aftwr that episode that whole scene is needed now more than evwr in this world and is the most relevant speech ever on Doctor Who.
And the entirety of heaven sent
That speech is so over-rated. Overly-poetic fluff, nothing more.
Oh my god this video is so young, so innocent, has no idea of the horror that awaits.
I think Smith's run is my favorite, and I prefer Moffat despite his faults
Agreed 100%!!
I have a special place in my heart for Eccleston and Tenet. I really loved the first 4 series but I am watching it all over again because I convinced my girl to finally watch and I really LOVE Smith's Doctor now. He was such a badass. I want us to go back to that storytelling and writing. I feel the show started to shove social issues starting in series 10. Please don't get me wrong I love the social issues being talked about. I love how in the Whoniverse people can be who they want to be without fear but instead of making it flow in the writing it's beat into our heads. I just felt turned off by it. It's just not a fluid anymore, it's like a hammer. And I'm a gay man yelling at the TV, OK WE GET IT SHE'S GAY, THAT'S RACIST, THAT'S SEXIST.
It's become the story instead of a part. If any of that makes any sense of course. I did start rambling.
No matter how we feel about any of the seasons I think we can all agree...MURRAY GOLD WROTE SOME BANGERS
I Loved Capaldi
Gotta throw my two cents in here. The best season of NuWho has to be season 4. Donna and the doctor's dynamic was perfect. There was a string of like 8 episodes that were winners one after another.
I agree with you completely for Smith's run, 5 was the best for sure. Regarding Capaldi, however, the show got better and better each season. 10 was his consistently best season. I think that's because Moffat stopped trying to shoehorn an overarching mystery.
Yeah Missy was a good arc. You find out who's in the box well before the end and she gets used a few times before culminating in the finale (though I do think the final episode itself was a tad weak once they reach the farm)
ρlague series 9 and 10 were awful
i say series 1 is best. there are no bad episodes really. while season 4 had unicorn and the wasp.
Koba there are no bad episodes but it does feel very dated and there aren't many wow episodes
ρlague Oh thank god, series 4 is my fav of nuwho as well. Donna is my favourite companion and I loved her dynamic with Ten.
and just as an observation,we've had a whole year of the new Doctor with new companions,and they have not once asked who she is,where she's from how can the TARDIS even exist are there more TARDIS's out there,who are her people,they know absolutely nothing about her,and have no interest in asking
Dear god can we please go back to when they didn't ask
Heaven Sent is the best episode of Revived Doctor Who.
World Enough and Time is up there as well and Blink is the obvious choice.
Eh, World Enough and Time is fine but I wouldn't even say it's a top 20 of New Who. Blink is pretty overrated as well. Good episode but not even close to being the best of New Who.
'Hell Bent,' is Crap.
The day of the doctor is my mine
Midnight?
@@ma1ist orphan 55?
11 is my favourite and season 6 is the best one imo. I actually really enjoy the river song twist and the question.
Same here, I thought it was amazing 👌🏼
yeah theres only two episodes that i dont like in that season: Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song, everything thing else was a lot of fun especially the two-parter opening
11 is in my opinion the best Doctor but Season 5 is my favourite. I do love season 6 tho.
I have to say, it’s a very unpopular opinion that series 8 is the best Capaldi series... I personally think it’s pretty awful despite my love of Capaldi... I personally think Smiths series get worse each time whereas Capaldi’s get better
Me too. I didn't like grumpy Doctor. Series 9 Doctor worked better in that regard as the edge was taken off, though I like him best in 10. And the less said about forests and moons the better. Orient Express was great though.
Agreed, though I preferred Capaldi’s early characterisation. I’ve always preferred a darker Doctor to a silly one, and I loved how intense and alien 12 was, especially after how sick I was getting of 11’s endless, soppy whimsy.
I personally think 8 is not only the best Capaldi season, but also the second best season of Moffat's run. You had some really awful episodes like Kill The Moon, In the Forrest of the Night and Death in Heaven but you also had some pretty amazing episodes like Mummy on the Orient Express, Time Heist and Flatline. The only amazing episode in season 9 and 10 is Heaven Sent.
Nope. There are no episodes of Capaldi's era that will ever appear on the best episodes of Doctor Who
@@deusexmachina9776 the amount of love Mummy On The Orient Express gets say otherwise
Series 10 is the only one out of the whole era I happily watch right the way through. If anything I feel he'd got the hang of it by then. More realistic and likeable characters, the best Doctor/companion dynamic, and less of the constant teasing with underwhelming - or no - payoff. With the previous ones I only revisit individual episodes, some of which are really good, I'm not denying that. It depends what you're looking for, of course.
I loved the finale of series 10. Honestly my favourite 2 parter ending.
Same here. While I'll watch say Time Heist and Mummy on the Orient Express, I won't watch all of series 8. But series 10 is one where every episode is enjoyable to me.
"Realistic" : Bill, a lesbian that constantly has to remind us at every given second that she is indeed not straight is definitely realistic and totally not annoying and just taking the piss.
Other than that she's alright.
@@ojigbo "More realistic". I.e. a comparative, not an absolute.
@@ojigbo as a lesbian myself, bill is entirely realistic, believe you me
Okay, here are my thoughts:
Season 8 started shaky but middle picked up and ended dope. If found seasons 9 and 10 legit enjoyable and brilliant. Plus those finales are some of the best performances I've ever seen on Who. I hated that over time that I started to say, "Fine, Moffat. You win this one".
I know my opinions might not be favorable to everyone, but it's also the part of modern who my gf fell in love with the most (though we're still Amy Pond fangirls).
totally agree
Don't Tell me Doctor Falls wasn't awesome.
Cuz it was.
It was awesome. But the name was used wrong since the real fall was Time of the Doctor (The Fall of the Eleventh)
@@darthraver yes, and the doctor falls was the fall of the 12th
@@darthraver No, Time of the Doctor was a moment of triumph whereas in 'The Doctor Falls' the Doctor fails completely. It's his darkest hour, he's fallen in more ways that just being killed. His companion is turned into a Cyberman (and he's unable to do anything about it), he fails to stop the Cybermen from being created and Missy turns her back on him.
"Hopefully fresh bold and exiting direction" be careful what you wish for.
I stand by series 9. My absolute favorite.
I think there is no problem with characterization whatsoever. Each doctor represent 'a lifetime' as they often say when they are about to regenerate into the next one. Assuming his personality changes drastically after every regeneration, why not accepting he changes with what happens to him aswell? 11th Doctor starts as a smiling young looking man and ends up being probably the darkest incarnation of the Doctor, giving up saving the Earth after losing Amy and Rory (this evolution makes him my fav doctor btw). 12th Doctor starts as a grumpy old man and it's all about him learning how to deal with humans in his way and accepting not everything about them is stupid. You're calling problem what I call character development and progression. Sorry, but I definetly disagree with you on that point.
And well, series 5 and 6 were both brilliant (5 better than 6 tho); 7 definetly lacked some work, but was interesting and provided us a 11th doctor development like no other. Series 9 contains the best DW chapter in the whole series imo (heaven sent), and the general plotline is interesting (the hybrid, although its ending it's not very clear) with good character development (Clara and the Doctor do change). Series 8 on the other hand is exactly the opposite; the plotline is about Clara and his routine in the school. She meets Danny Pink (a terrible character), and none of them progress or do anything. They just moan about each other. You call series 8 the best of Capaldi while I think it's the worst series of the new era.
Heaven Sent is by far the best Capaldi episode
Change My Mind
I like Hell Bent more. Heaven Sent is a masterpiece but Hell Bent is criminally underrated.
Another connection between these two Doctors is the costume evolution:
Series 5 & 8: to quote The Dream Lord "clothes designed by a first year fashion student" which to me meant "basic but memorable for starting a trend"
Series 6 & 9: More definitive costumes/second year fashion student design, the iconic Series 6 tweed jacket and bowtie sets along with Series 9 hoodies and velvet coats
Series 7 & 10: third year fashion student, alternative looks of purple or black velvet frock coats, and then their distinctive variants for the regeneration
Funny enough, I liked 10 the best of Capaldi Doctor. No, not because I think the 3-parter story was phenominal, or that Bill was the best companion ever. (Just my opinion, you can disagree with me all you like!) But My favorite Doctor Who series are the ones where the Doctor interacts with his companions in an intetesting way (Donna, series 4), or an entourage to interact with each other (The Ponds, 5, 6, 7.1). For me at least, Series 10 had both. In the first have Bill is basically the Doctors' pet student, with travel a sort of priveledge he allows for himself and his curious new friend. Eventually (spoilers!), Nardole joins up, and even Missy basically acts as the Doctor's foil a couple of times, making a crew of 4 in the fanale! Not to mention I just love the Mondasian Cybermen, and what was done with them! This is actually why I'm excited for series 11, because alongside a new Doctor (whom is hopefully written well), there's gonna be a crew of 4 for a whole series, not just an episode or two!
It might still be trash, but at least for now I can still dream.
Andrew LaPorte sorry about season 11. I think doctor who is finished for good
Exactly, I much prefer character dynamics than the characters themselves
Series 9 is my favourite series, that is where Moffat, 12 and Clara (my favourite Doctor and companion) were at their best. Best writing and best acting. Apart from Sleep No More, every episode was great, and the Hybrid arc actually works really well. The character development for 12 and Clara is what the Hybrid arc is actually all about.
Am I the only one who adores s9? The first 2 two partners and Face the raven + Heaven Sent are all Midnight level amazing to me
Nope, you're not. Series 9 is the highest rated Moffat series on the IMDb and it was the top rated New Who series in a Doctor Who TV poll with thousands voting. Lots of us out there also love Series 9. And for my money, Heaven Sent is the best Doctor Who episode in the show's 56 year history.
I actually really liked Steven Moffat. The fact that his stories came full circle made them satisfiying and significant, and although this wasn’t always done flawlessly, he had some pretty big ideas that were interesting and complex.
Matt Smith’s first season was great. We got to see Amy’s very human story and development as a character, and I thought his relationship with her allowed us to see interesting sides of both characters. Although the River storyline in season 6 may not have really answered many questions we had at the beginning of the season, the emotional impact on the whole TARDIS Team was interesting and exciting. The apparent friendship between Amy, Rory and The Doctor at the beginning of series 7 was nice to see, and in my opinion made those episodes easy to watch and enjoy. I know this is quite contribersial, but Clara was my favourite companion. Having said that, her character wasn’t all that consistent, changing dramatically between Oswin, Clara Oswin Oswald, Clara Oswald and series 8 Clara. On reflection, it also seems that series 7 Clara was a new version of Amy, in terms of her relationship with The Doctor.
I really enjoyed season 8, and Capaldi became my favourite Doctor. As you said, the series felt new and fresh, and it was great to see the relationship he had with Clara change as both characters did. Season 9 was, in my opinion, the best season of the modern era. Every episode was complex (for both character and plot), and both the writing and acting was on point for pretty much the entirety of the series. A stand out moment for me would definitely be The Doctor’s anti-war speech, at the end of the zygon inversion. Although the hybrid wasn’t addressed by the end of the series, the story itself was beautiful to watch. I did not like season 10. It felt like every idea wasn’t developed enough and moments that could have been brilliant were spoiled and porely done. Capaldi is a fabulous actor, and this was still the case for this season, but the story wasn’t deep or developed enough.
Anyway......congrats on making it to the end!
I feel Capaldi was a joy to watch even when the writing isn't quite there. He has lots of tiny moments that complete him... Such as how he introduced the TARDIS. He never seemed quite satisfied with introducing it to people in his first two seasons... Then, when he introduces it to Bill, he looks so satisfied with himself, like he has finally nailed it. Then it all goes over her head. It's little moments like that which really made those 3 seasons. Again, even when the writing wasn't always great.
personally I wish 12 got a fourth season
In response to 2:22, Clara's not a different character after Season 7. At least no more so than anyone else because, like Matt Smith's Doctor said before he regenerated, "When you think about it, we're all different people all through our lives". Seasons 8 and 9 just took off the mask that Clara was wearing in Season 7. She outright told the Doctor in The Snowmen that she wasn't as sweet as she pretended to be when she said "for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside...' Granted, Victorian Clara was the one who said that line but she's an extension of the real Clara. Her control freak tendencies actually saved Oswin's mind in Asylum of the Daleks because, like the Doctor said in Deep Breath "Never try and control a control freak". This pops up again when Clara uses what little control she has over Bonnie to force her to miss with the rocket launcher and contact the Doctor to tell him that she's still alive. It's a psychological defence mechanism that has been present since we met Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks and makes it almost impossible to brainwash Clara or force her to do something she doesn't want to do. Clara's the only person I've ever seen, both in fiction and in real life, who shows that being control freak can be a good thing. Danny's death damaged Clara's mental defences more than any villain ever could because he kept her grounded in Season 8, so she started going out of control after losing him.
I think the greatest tragedy of Doctor Who has always been the writing, the focus on which has varied hugely over the years. The highlights have been some of the best moments in British science fiction, but there's so much in between to slog through, I've jumped on and off the train a few times now. Special effects and the most charismatic lead in the world can't save a story that isn't worth telling, and if they remember that, they might yet win back the investment of their audience.
I found the build up to the big reveal in series 6 really dramatic and compelling, and river song seemed really interesting to me tbh
I thought series ten was one of the best series of New Who,and I really haven't felt that positively towards the show since series four when I was a kid repeatedly checking out those first four boxed sets at the local library.
Im sad to see you don't feel half so positively about it, but you also seemed really keen on series eight, which I really didn't care for, so I guess in the end we both have plenty of Doctor Who to enjoy.
I agree series 10 was by far my favourite of Moffat's era
@@jalaaldous3511 Yeah, I prefer series 10. Series 8 and 9 do manage to make Clara SO much better as a character though.
IMO Capaldi was one of the best doctors. I love his presentation of the Doctor and all his seasons were great, even the admittedly slightly worse series 10.
I think both Doctor’s needed a fourth season. Smith a final season with Clara and Capaldi two seasons with Bill, two seasons with a new companion.
Series 9, series 6 and series 4 are my top 3 favourite!
I think what I liked the most about Smith’s run was the portrayal of The Doctor as a very old man in a young man’s body. I feel like Capaldi’s run really hit the ground running from that perspective. But then we got whatever season 9 was and I think it ruined what could have been an incredibly emotional peak to the past 5 seasons of Moffat’s Doctor.
i thought he was very childlike and alien but capaldi definitely
Anyone noticed that he mirrored the clips?
copyright strikes are a bitch
It made me uneasy lol because Matt's haircut is wrong and the TARDIS looks strange
The silence was a really cool concept and I think that Moffat is really good at creating ideas and thinking up amazing monsters but falls short when it comes to fully developing him
12 is basically a redux of 1, which makes sense given that he’s the first of a new set of regenerations. He’s starting from the beginning more than previous regenerations. He goes back to being a grumpy old dickhead who slowly becomes a warmer, friendlier man who isn’t above affection and love. He’s got a great character arc. Is the writing always on point? Hell no, but Capaldi is bringing his chops to every episode. I adore 12.
Series 5 - Well rounded doctor in a series with a lot of promise
Series 6 - Clunky, mishandled storylines and the boiling down of the doctor
Series 7 - A cartoonish doctor with a lot of loose ends on the overall arc.
Series 8 - A cartoonish doctor in a series with a lot of promise.
Series 9 - Clunky, mishandled storylines, but a branching out of the doctor's character.
Series 10 - A lot of loose ends on the overall arc, but a well rounded doctor.
I Do Monologues how is the doctor cartoonish in series 8?
Cartoonishly angry. And Gallifrey is a pretty big loose end to the overall arc of the series'.
you can't simplify each season down to one sentence,
“Mirror images of Moffat’s era”
*Uses mirrored footage*
Oh I see
Ironic
I agree on everything you said, but, Series 7 just doesn't compare quality wise to Series 10. Series 7 just plain sucks man...
Zi X series 10 sucks even more
Series 7 doesn’t suck but it was pretty bland. Nothing too exciting or fresh. Series 10 took a different direction and was truly epic.
Downton 654 both sucked
I gotta say I'm a fangirl of the characters of Series 7, but ooooohhh boy I loved series 10. It was gorgeous and broke my gf and I.
The first half of Series 7 with Amy and Rory is alright.
The second half of Series 7 with Clara is a mess. Every episode ends with a deus ex machina.
I love moffat and am sad that Chris chibnal replaced him
Same
"Sad" is so weak to say how I feel !...
Yayy more Doctor Who videos!! Best thing to watch after school!
Thanks guys!
No problem Ropsana!
I can agree with you about 11s characterization in series 7 being degraded but not 12. His final series was the culmination of everything he had experienced up to that point. That was the end of his arc, and it was an absolutely fantastic culmination.
To me series 10 blows every other series of Doctor Who out of the water. It is the example.
Being critical in a purely cerebral manner (which you're mostly doing here in this video) leaves out a lot of how the show is supposed to feel. You know, those bits that pull at your emotions and remind you of other bits and then explain certain other ideas you had before. I see how the show reflects itself, and I agree for the most part, but the disappointments I hear a lot of reviewers make tend to leave out any and all discussion of the feel and the flow of the stories; meaning how each person watching gets to have their own experience with it, and that's quite a fascinating thing that all of the writers have been fairly consistent with, and quite good at.
The best critique we've really got, due to the nature of time travel and the reshaping of actual meanings and events, is that we can say, "this is how I think of this thus far, though that can change if they round out that bit of story with a later event or explanation."
Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey, right? One episode can change the meaning and feel of prior ones you've already settled an opinion on. I think that's the best aspect to this show altogether.
Good reviews, though. I like how you're thinking of many layers, I simply think you may have missed a couple of these things that I have always considered to be dominant factors. Maybe it doesn't really need to be said, in that case.
Anyway...!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I know I'm 2 years late but I like your comment. I agree. It depends a lot on the feelings you have while watching. I'm in the middle of S10 but for the moment I prefer S8 over S9 and S10. I don't know if the sum of its episodes is better than the sum of the other series' episodes and I don't think this is really what matters here. S8 made me feel a certain way. I was discovering a new Doctor who had great interactions and chemistry with his companion. I was intrigued by him, by his quest of identity, by his issue with soldiers and by his relationship with Clara. The whole series felt like a bubble with such a unique taste. Yeah you can argue that it doesn't possess the best episodes. I can hear that. But it felt very cohesive, unique and magical. For the moment I don't have this kind of mindset while watching Series 10. Sure it's good but I don't feel the same pull as with Series 8. I only talked about Capaldi's era because I'm in it but it can apply to other Series too :)
I loved series 6 but I agree that River could have been a bit more than she was, I would have loved to know more about her upbringing. And I think it was a bit weird how Amy and Rory got over the fact that they just lost their new born baby so quickly
I really do love 9, 10, 11 and 12s eras prime who. Can't wait for RTD to come back.
I think about this essay a lot, as well as the one where you talk about the fairytale aspect of 11's run, since Moffat is my favorite era :)
My favorite is definitely the 11th doctor, mainly since it had an overarching story and threat which made the doctor feel vulnerable, questioned the doctor morally and generally had the best doctor companion dynamic for me with the ponds. Clara was super interesting but by the near end in season 10, she became kind of just the doctors girl who clung onto his arm and stuff which I really don't like.
I actually think Season 10 was the best so far, I liked the Doctor's persona in Season 10, and I liked his dynamic with Bill
Interesting takes. I'd never even thought to compare them in that way. Good video.
i have to say i really enjoy a lot of moffat's failed buildups on rewatch. once i know there's no real resolution and am not burdoned with expectations i find myself loving all the little clues and mysteries he puts in. like i adore impossible astronaut/day of the moon knowing full well the doctor's death is resolved in the stupidest way possible. and i know death in heaven is disappointing but i still really love watching the great build up and dark intensity of dark water
2:25 in germany, they even got another Voice Actor for Clara, so you could even say that they aren't even the same person anymore
Wait really? I should check the german dub out i remember thinking the German smith was good
I hate season 8 XD
For me Capaldi is at its best on Sesson 10, which has very very little bad stuff in it. In season 10 there is nothing terrible like Kill the Moon, or The Power of Three... And that alon makes them so much better...
Power of 3 is Series 7 isn't it?
Matt Smith in Series 5, Peter Capaldi in Series 10. I feel like those were the strong points of Moffat's time in Doctor Who. However the other series were entertaining. They just weren't as powerful in my opinion. I am still very grateful for the amazing work these two actors delivered with the material they were given. Although they saw odd stuff they still kept their cool and were the Doctor.
I feel like the actual focus of series 9 was the relationship between Clara and the Doctor and how she was getting more reckless in her aspiration to be like him. And series 10, the Doctor had lost Clara, who he didn't remember, but was clearly shown to be aware of the hole in his life, and also spent his last night with River Song. At that point, he's tired. He's even older and has mellowed out. Why would he act the same as in series 8 or 9?
I'm very glad to see someone stand up for the Moffat era,it was during this time,the Doctor reached his greatest heights and was all too often referred to as a God,his power had become so powerful he really needed a companion to keep him grounded,and the showing Off,I did so love the showing off,Matt Smith did that All to well,and his rather spooky "Old Man" in a young persons body,act,he did so well,AND now having seen what the Doctor is like as a woman,he/she comes of as a wet rag,as Male Ego,was what made him seem so scary,he was always bluffing his way out of situations,so much so simply saying,he does not know what he's going to do next scared the crap out of the baddies,but now when the female Doctor tells the Baddy she has no idea what to do,they just laugh in her face
Ok, no. the reveal about River was awesome. It wasn't an explanation about River; it answered questions about Amy and Rory's baby. They had just had their child stolen away from them to be used for malicious unknown purposes. In this moment they were given huge answers about the future of the child they had lost, while in addition, this moment created even more questions about River's past to be answered later on. It also brilliantly changed the relationship between the Ponds and River and thus the dynamic of the group. The reveal was beautifully done with stellar acting from Matt Smith and the fact that this twist, as you said, wasn't necessary made it all the more unexpected and brilliant.
Excellent Video essay!
Series 9 was probably my favorite series of Nu Who by a long shot. I cannot wait until Sunday for Thirteen.
Moffat is in a state of flux. Talented writer and a complete hack at the same time.
I think Moffat excels at episodes, and fails at arcs. Good writer, bad show runner.
@@DrLipkin His arcs are brilliant. As long as you aren't someone who thinks an arc is "OMG it's that word again!" but actually looks for character development and interaction.
@@dutchman8887 I'll grant you that he'd good at character arcs. It's the story arcs I have a problem with. The Impossible Girl was weak. The Hybrid went nowhere. Even shorter arcs like the one with the Monks left a lot to be desired.
I am not the biggest fan of the whole Moffat's run and I strongly disagree with you on Clara being a better companion than Bill, but these parallels between the seasons are rather on point.
At least Clara had character. Bill's only feature was that she was a black lesbian.
SharpOB here here to that
I checked out on all clara's episodes. I only got engaged again when she left. Bill and the doctor had great chemistry. Peter shone for me in his final series.
12th has the best doctor era in the entire show's history. It has depth, mystery, and a doctor who acts and feels like a combination of ALL the doctors before him
Excellent points! Thanks for the vid!
Some very interesting comments from you here, however, I do find myself disagreeing with most of what is said. That's totally fine though. Personally, S7 & S10 are the best series for each Doctor. But I find Capaldi's Doctor is a massively interesting character because 12 doesn't know who he truly is until the end of S8 and that development becomes VERY clear that by S10, 12 is a full and well-rounded character. Never a dull moment in the 12th Doctor's era, there is some bad and excellent but I find myself saying that 12 was the closest Doctor in New Who to the Classic era, and being the 4th Doctor in New Who, he's probably one of the best we've seen thus far...
To be honest I thought Capaldi was great, the writing let him down. Now I know people say that the writing let Jodie down, but really, when you look at her stupid slightly gaping mouthed expression at everything that happens, could you really see her saving the planet yet alone the universe. Now I could imagine Capaldi saving it because he embodied a strength of character & wisdom, you could believe in him.
The writing didn't let Capaldi down. He was given one of the best character arcs of any Doctor. On paper. The problem is that Capaldi's not as good an actor as people make him out to be. In Season 8, he played the Doctor as a sociopathic human who hid his inferiority complex by treating everybody around him like trash instead of a confused alien who didn't fully understand human beings for the simple reason that he's NOT a human being. If Season 8 Capaldi had understood the difference between being autistic and being sociopathic, his Doctor would have been better. To his credit, he learned from his mistakes in Season 9 - the scene where Clara tells him to use cards to remind himself to be nice is actually quite adorable and I would never have associated that word with Peter Capaldi in Season 8 - but a better actor wouldn't have made those mistakes. That's not the writers' fault. Give John Hurt those scripts and Seasons 8, 9 and 10 would be beloved.
I personally found series 9 to be Capaldi's strongest series.
Awwww, look how optimistic we were I remember those times of hope and joy but then series 11 and 12 came.
The Doctor Falls didn't leave a lasting impression for you?
I feel very different about about his final series. Especially Capaldi's, I wish Moffat had gotten his personality there sooner. I do think it was very intentional to make The Doctor different in their final series as reaction to the weight series 7a and 9 finales. I prefer them both at the end, but I generally like a more grounded Doctor.
Very fair assessments.
Moffat's run, in retrospect, was better than I gave it credit for. His take on the Doctor itself was just about perfect regardless of who was portraying them. My main issue with Moffat was his need to continuously reveal that this or that companion was somehow a "chosen one". This had already been done with the Bad Wolf arc and having Donna become Doctor Donna, so having Amy Pond become River Song's mother and having Clara become the Impossible Girl just felt redundant, and it kind of reduces the idea that anyone is capable of being heroic if each heroic companion is so because of either destiny or obtaining superpowers.
But all these examples are just a result of them getting on a journey with the doctor? It could be everyone? It's a result of the nature of time travel most of the time? I mean if we wouldn't get to know River before everyone knew who she was, it wouldn't feel like destiny fulfilling but an accident wouldn't it? And Clara becoming the Impossible Girl is the result of having the doctor in the future and not her destiny all along. So I don't really see your point. It just shows that joining the doctor on his trip through time will most likely lead to results beyond your imagination? I loved that element actually. It made the stakes higher and I thought everything could happen in this series. It was great fun and sometimes really tragic.
I distinctly remember that even before I knew who was the showrunner I’d get happy seeing that Moffat wrote an episode because I saw a pattern that episodes I liked were written by Moffat
Clara has to be my favorite companion mostly because of how she changed whenever The Doctor did.
With 11, there was this friendly-flirty relationship, she didn't really know who he was. With 12, there was a sort of father-daughter relationship which was my favorite one by far.
I don’t think you can beat the Eccleston era the story’s are brilliant and the episodes memorable, the same goes for Tennant I know his time inside and out but I find most of Smith and Capaldis eras very unmemorbale I don’t remember plots or villains as well as previous eras and the change from dark, scary who to more child friendly in Smiths era contributes to this. I am glad Moffat is gone I much preferred Davies but let’s hope our new duo can smash it and I want New Who to be better than ever.
You guys do the best videos I always love your stuff :) please keep it up your in depth analysis is incredible!
I would love to see you analyse each of the old eras too
I agree, the Eccleston and Tennant era were the best for me, maybe because I literally grew up in this era. But I just couldn't follow the series after Tennant left, it just seemed too childish and all of the mystery and drama surrounding the 9th and 10th Doctors just wasn't there
Season 1-4 was science fiction. Season 5-10 was a fairy tale.
Season 1-4 had a great amount of fun episodes and some really engaging finales. Season 5-10 was incredibly inconsistent in quality and Moffat always ruined a really good part one of a finale with the second part.
The monsters were more intimidating with the likes of the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Master being constant threats for the Doctor to face in Davies era. In Moffat's era they were mostly played around for jokes and lost all their fear factor.
I could go on.
Tennant's final episode is soap opera spectacle schlock. That was all of RTD's worse qualities wrapped into one.
So you like showrunners making their final episodes into self-congratulatory wankests instead of just moving the show forward.
"Again, the show is a drama first and a sci-fi show second"
You'd hate Classic Who.
I've been a Doctor Who fan since the late 80s and I love what Moffat brought to the show. Absolutely love it. And one thing I've learnt from being a fan of the show is that whatever each week, each series, each producer, each writer, each... I don't know... gender brings to Doctor Who, you've just got to go with it. Enjoy it. Lighten up. Peace x
"But none of it ends up leaving a lasting impression. Huge ideas never given the time to let it grow, like Moffat is cramming it all in rather than letting it breathe."
This honestly describes my biggest problem with Moffat. He comes up with some extraordinarily big ideas, but often rushes them to the conclusion and all that set up doesn't pay off in a satisfying way.
I agree completely with this video especially the "archetype" doctor in seasons 7 and 10
what if the reasoning for the "vanilla-ing" of the Doctors personality in the third series of both runs is due to him dying, like, he slowly dying the whole time and eventually just poofs into the next guy right? (im not an avid Whovian, ive watched maybe 10 episodes all together so pardon my lack of intelligence in the matter if im wrong)
So maybe Moffat intentionally slowly degraded their personality as they get older, theyre essentially melting down into their most basic parts, like, the transformation of the doctor is almost comparable to caterpillars in their metamorphosis, except they keep transforming into butterfly after butterfly instead of starting as a caterpillar, so maybe as they get closer to death their personalities change, because, if the 11th and 12th doctors timeline "rhyme" as you aay they do, maybe they both share this personality death when nearing rebirth
I loved the Moffat era. Smith is my fave doctor ever and capaldi is maybe 3rd fave. I love his fairy tale approach to things. Superb.
I think it's really sad we didn't get more Bill, I feel like Moffat couldn't decide exactly what he wanted to do with her (kinda like Clara at first) and she didn't quite have the chance to really come into her own like companions in the past
Nah.... I liked Bill. I really liked her and the 12th doctor's connection
I always preferred the Russel T Davies era, with the 9th and 10th Doctors. I'm not sure what it is, but I could never follow the series after David Tennant left, the era just after the 2005 reboot just worked for me, with the spin-offs of Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. After 2010, the programme just didn't feel right and even now, I just can't follow it.
I don't just think that it was because Ecalston and Tennant were great doctors. I think it was because the writing was really good. Seasons 1-4 had some truly great stories. Even the bad episodes had a sense of warmth to them. Moffat's stories were way too convoluted, characters became increasingly one dimensional, too much forced humour and the doctor acted completely out of character, often just for the sake of a joke. I stopped watching after season 6. I watched them all again, all the way up to season 11 and it was interesting and sad to see the show slowly drop in quality.
The 9th was my favorite followed by the 10th. I did enjoy Dr. Who for a while after that though, but the one episode where I just gave up on it was the Episode were they made the statue of liberty a weeping angel. It was so contrived and poorly written.
@@w-james9277 Sorry but a lot of that is nonsense. Moffat's stories are perfectly understandable you just need to think a bit. I'm an idiot and it's fine for me. Pretty much any problem you have can easily be googled and you'll see plenty of people who understood it. How anyone could possibly say Moffat's characters were one dimensional compared to RTD is baffling. Like it or not there's more depth in the relationship of Clara and 12 than there has ever been on Doctor Who before or since. Out of character to what? I'd say 10 is far more out of character to the Doctor despite still being a good one. 11 and 12 perfectly represent aspects of the Doctor.
If Moffat wrote utter crap like The Last of the Timelords or The End of Time part 1 you people would be so much harsher.
Sadly his talents have often been wasted on people far too easily seen in this comment section and online who would prefer to just see spectacle over any actual substance.
That is pretty much how Doctor Who is with every series.
I grew up with the Moffat era so yes nostalgia wins
I like how all the footage of the 11th doctor is literally mirrored
Disagree in that my favourites are seasons 6 & 9. I love the arc heavy plotting of 6 which was a lot more well thought out than RTD's make it up as you go along nonsense (I'm looking at you Bad Wolf.)
Thank you!!!
I know that this might be an unpopular opinion but the 11:th doctor is my favourite. (Sorry for my bad English)
11 is my favourite! :)
Full Fat Videos That’s nice!
Not unpopular at all, quite the opposite! Matt has a huge fanbase! (Not s sing as tenants though)
Controversial this may sound, but I personally found Series 9 to be the best season of Modern Era Doctor Who, and is certainly both Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi's best season overall. We see both Capaldi and Jenna Coleman at their best with Capaldi finally coming into his own as Twelve and it was this particular season that made him my personal favourite Doctor alongside Tom Baker. Clara was allowed to shine alongside Capaldi to create a perfect Doctor/companion duo, plus her exit in 'Face the Raven' was beautifully handled. This season also had a lot of great stories with plenty of twists and epic moments that stayed with me long after I had watched them with some being my personal favourites of all time like 'The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar' and obviously 'Heaven Sent'. Also, bringing back the two-parter format worked perfectly. While I personally found 'Hell Bent' deeply flawed, I didn't think it was the worst episode in Doctor Who history, plus 'Sleep No More' was just passable at best for me. In the end, this ranks alongside Series 4 and 5 as one of the strongest seasons we've had in Modern Who to date.