Introducing 13!

Introducing the 13th Doctor!!! Jodie Whittaker. 😱

Now don’t get me wrong, I have no issue that The Doctor can regenerate into a female form… it’s just the timing of it. I mean, we’ve literally just had the Master appear as Missy… and Michelle Gomez has been (in my opinion) the best Master ever. So it’s that cross-over that has me questioning the timing. Maybe it could have been held off to the 14th.

Regardless, I’m looking forward to the story of the Doctor continuing. I didn’t want Capaldi to go, I think he’s really hit his stride over the last little bit.

I’m sorry for all the crap Jodie Whittaker is about to get from all the people who don’t think the Doctor should ever be a woman… but we’ve had precedent now in a few Time Lords changing gender through regeneration.

I guess my favourite response I’ve read so far to those who say “Doctor Who has always been and should always be a man.” Was: “I’m pretty sure Doctor Who is a fictional alien being who magically changes form upon its death, so it can be whatever the writers want it to be.”

Sometimes we take our fiction to heart. We saw similar backlash when Kate Mulgrew became the first woman to take the Captain’s chair as the major character of a Star Trek series, and she was bloody brilliant. We saw the BS when the Ghostbusters reboot was an all-female team. And we’re already seeing a proverbial shitstorm brewing around the new Star Trek TV show that will feature major roles for African American and Asian female characters.

Interestingly, in all the above examples, the crap was delivered before the shows/roles actually had a viewing. People were screaming boycott purely based on the gender of the characters… but I personally feel in every instance encountered so far, that the ladies did outstanding jobs with the roles.

So, welcome Jodie Whittaker to the Whovian universe. Please take care of the sci-fi character who’s been part of my TV viewing life for the best part of its entirety. I’m hoping you have a long and illustrious time as The Doctor and I look forward to seeing what you make of her!

PS: I’m already liking her outfit!
PPS: Joanna Lumley has already introduced us to a female Doctor in the Comic Relief skit “Doctor Who: The Curse of the Fatal Death”. 🤣