Review - Doctor Who: The Twelfth (2014-2017) and Thirteenth (2018-2022) Doctor Eras

          Hey guys, Chuck here. When the BBC revived the beloved sci-fi series Doctor Who in 2005, it took the world by storm, with the Tenth Doctor era and Eleventh Doctor era both cementing the show's success. Unfortunately, we now come to a pair of divisive eras of modern Doctor Who, those of the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, and the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whitaker. 

       Now I, personally, have no issues with either of these two versions of the Doctor. However, I do see the criticisms lobbied against them. And some of this can be owed to several factors, including the writing from the showrunners of these two versions of the Doctor. The Twelfth Doctor era was under returning showrunner Steven Moffat, whilst the Thirteenth Doctor era was under new showrunner Chris Chibnall. Now, while the writing for the Twelfth Doctor felt consistent with what we'd gotten previously, the writing for the Thirteenth Doctor is where things got extremely divisive, with many deeming the writing as "woke," without ever being able to define what they mean. However, I have been able to see what they were talking about. However, one plot line that made many, myself included, upset was the Timeless Child plot line. What I'm referring to is a very bizarre decision to make the Doctor a special cosmic being known as the Timeless Child, who was capable of infinite regenerations. Now, of the Timeless Child was kept as a separate character, many would have been okay with the concept, but to retcon DECADES of storytelling to make the Doctor the Timeless Child was absolute lunacy, and a decision that Russell T. Davies is THANKFULLY undoing. 

        On top of that, the biggest issue for me with these eras, moreso with the Thirteenth Doctor era, was consistency with airing and availability. For a majority of the time I was able to watch Doctor Who, it was on the cable network BBC America, and I knew exactly when it would air, and when to tune in. Unfortunately, the consistency of airing, combined with the prolonged gaps between production, led to these two eras of Doctor Who being less readily available for me to watch and enjoy. Fortunately, returning showrunner Russell T. Davies has clarified that this will no longer be the case going forward. 

        Another bit of beef I had in the Thirteenth Doctor era was the discontinuing of the annual Christmas specials, which were always a highlight to me. I was glad that Steven Moffat, through both the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor eras, kept the Christmas specials going, with three of my favorite Doctor Who Christmas specials coming from these two eras. Unfortunately, Chibnall opted to drop them outright, which made many fans upset. 

         Okay, so enemies this time around are all familiar. Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons, Judoon, Sontarans, and the Master. Michelle Gomez takes on the role of Missy, a female regeneration of the Master, during the Twelfth Doctor era, and Sacha Dhawan takes on the role during the Thirteenth Doctor era. And while Missy was fun and charming at times, thanks to brilliant acting by Michelle Gomez, I didn't much care for Sacha Dhawan's version of the Master, feeling he was a bit too much of a douchebag, especially by comparison to John Simm's version of the Master. Oh, and we got the return of the Time Lords. Eh.

        Another bit to note is the Companions. For the Twelfth Doctor, Jenna Coleman returned as Clara Oswald, sticking around for two seasons. During his final season, the Twelfth Doctor was joined by Bill Potts, played by Pearl Mackie, and Nardole, played by Matt Lucas. The Thirteenth Doctor had one mainstay Companion in the form of Yasmin "Yaz" Khan, played by Mandip Gill, and the two would initially travel with Graham O'Brien, played by Bradley Walsh, and Graham's grandson Ryan Sinclair, played by Tosin Cole. After two seasons, both Graham and Ryan would depart, and the Doctor and Yaz would be joined by Dan Lewis, played by John Bishop. I, honestly, think that the Thirteenth Doctor has the most playful connection with her Companions, and the interactions she had with them was a lot of fun. And, yes, there were hints of a romantic attraction between the Doctor and Yaz, which I had no problem with whatsoever. Oh, and Captain Jack Harkness comes back. Sweet. 

        Overall, these two eras were a bit of a mixed bag for Doctor Who fans, and the negative responses definitely outweighed the positive ones. I definitely have my thoughts on both. For me, these were an attempt at something different from what fans of modern Doctor Who were used to, and attempting to harken back to the classic era of Doctor Who. Ultimately, not two of the best runs of modern Doctor Who, but they have their highlights. I'm not the biggest fan of the Twelfth Doctor or the Thirteenth Doctor, but I do enjoy watching some of the episodes with their respective versions of the Doctor. 

       Alright guys, that's gonna do for now when it comes to Doctor Who. I'm going to get back into the franchise in November with my review of the fiftieth anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, as well as the upcoming sixtieth anniversary special with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor. Anyway guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I will be back tomorrow with my review of the movie Now You See Me.