In Russell T. Davies’ Doctor Who, the Doctor Is Only One Half of the Story
Photo Courtesy of Disney+
Sometimes, it turns out that you actually can go home again after all. Former showrunner Russell T. Davies, who left Doctor Who back in 2009 after successfully relaunching the franchise for the modern era, has come home again, to a show that looks quite a bit different than the last time he held its reins. Now firmly established in a new streaming home on Disney+ and broadcasting simultaneously to much of the world, the show has rarely looked more expensive or well-made. Led by the first queer Black man to play the Doctor in Ncuti Gatwa, it’s obvious that the show—and Davies himself—has clear ideas about where this franchise should go in its sixth decade. But the most welcome aspect of its former showrunners’ return is Doctor Who’s decision to kick off a new era by going back to the basics of what has made the modern version of the show so successful: the characters at its center.
“The Church on Ruby Road” is the first proper adventure for Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, and he doesn’t disappoint. Boasting a megawatt smile and seriously magnetic charm, he’s mesmerizing from his first moments onscreen. Fresh off of Fourteen’s still-in-progress self-actualization journey in Donna Noble’s backyard, his Doctor is a version of the infamous Time Lord who seems more centered, confident, curious, and fun than any incarnation we’ve seen on our screens in some time. He goes to the club! He’s learning to understand the language of luck! He’s got high-tech arts and crafts projects happening back in the TARDIS! But, and perhaps most significantly, he’s not necessarily the most important part of the story this show is telling.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone who loves Doctor Who loves the character of the Doctor. A humanoid, two-hearted alien who travels time and space in a blue police box, the character’s omnipresent wonder and unabashed joy in the universe’s ability to change and adapt are deeply infectious, offering a timely and often necessary reminder that hope is a choice, good is an active verb, and amazing things are always possible if we keep (and have) faith in each other. The Doctor has been through more than his (and her) fair share of trauma and loss, but has never allowed it to make him cruel or cowardly, deciding instead to travel hopefully and be kind.
But at this point in his very long existence, the Doctor is also ancient, a near-immortal creature who has seen and done (almost) everything. This is what makes the role of his various companions so important—not just to provide an audience window into the workings of the show and its various adventures, but to help the Doctor himself see and experience the universe in a new or unexpected way. This may be a show that has aliens, time travel, and frequently nonsensical mystery box plots, but those things have never been the point of the story it’s telling, and Doctor Who has always been at its best and most compelling when its outlandish science fiction twists are grounded in relatable characters and all too human emotional stakes. Davies’ first season in charge of the TARDIS ended with Christopher Eccleston’s Nine facing off with his oldest and most dangerous adversary, but the episode’s true impact came from the growth and strength displayed by companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), in her determination to get back to and fight beside her Doctor.