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Was Capaldi's Doctor Who a douchebag to create a higher constrast with the female Doctor?

posted 6 years ago by kuku (3510)
7 replies | jump to latest

Just a theory.

With Capaldi, the Doctor became a full douchebag. Whit Mat Smith he was sometimes... annoying, but that's not such a big deal. However, with Capaldi he became a complete assh*le. I remember one scene when some soldier was doing guard duty and Capaldi just started to insult him/her (don't remember exactly). I was surprised that nobody told him "hey, assh*le, are you f****g stupid?".

But...

You know... Doctor Who is female now... and what a better method to "prove" what a bunch of assh*les men are that make Capaldi behave like one... and change to a far more empathic and kind character when he turns female. So, you see? the Doctor became a much better person when he became female!!! Do you see how bad are men? ^^

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

I adored Capaldi's Doctor!

He wasn't a douche, he was someone who didn't suffer fools gladly but who was also capable if great kindness, compassion, and wisdom. We have a lot in common, he and I.

[–] kuku (3510) 6 years ago

he was someone who didn't suffer fools

The problem with Capaldi is: it is him the one that judges who is right and who is a fool and he feels entirely entitled to abuse people when he doesn't judge them OK. So, from his (new) point of view, he was entitled to harass a poor guard on duty because he felt he was entitled and empowered.

Kindness is NOT being only kind with people you like, the same freedom of speech is NOT only allowing speeches you like.

The old Doctor cared about people, about the ones he liked AND the ones he didn't. That was the difference. He could be eccentric, he could be more or less rude depending of which Doctor, but he wasn't an abuser until Capaldi.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (957) 6 years ago

I liked the contrast between capaldi and smith. In robots of Sherwood clara wants to see if robin hood is real and capaldi laughs at her and goes out of his way to try to prove her wrong. Smiths doctor would have took her and explored together. While many people dont like kill the moon i loved how capaldi left clara to make the massive decision with him stating its not his planet, not his decision to make. Smith would have stayed and held her hand.

And that's the great thing with doctors. Each one can be different. Tennant and smith where generally nice and to have a darker doctor was good. The thing is he also starts to warm and the relationship is great between him and clara in series 9. Dont forget he is also an alien and will see things differently

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

The thing I like about Tennant's Doctor is that while he was funny and goofy and charming, he had a dark side too. You didn't see it often, but at the end of "The Family of Blood" and "The Waters of Mars" he stopped being silly, and we were forcibly reminded that he was an ancient and powerful alien after all. Capaldi's Doctor was sort of an extension of that personality - older and more battered and frankly crazier, less inclined to fit in with the humans but still determined to look after them.

I have a vague impression that Whittaker's Doctor will be more like Smith's, cuter and nicer and lacking hard edges, which probably won't land her in my Top Five Doctors, if true. Probably not, because this impression is based on a five-minute glimpse and a few pictures of a Chaplinesque costume. And BTW Chaplin had a dark side too, if you've ever seen any of his old short comedies.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (957) 6 years ago

I do wonder how they will portray 13. I found the first series with 12 a bit odd because it didn't seem like they knew what to do with Capaldi for a while. They wanted the doctor dark but sometimes they tried to do the opposite. In my opinion this was to keep the smith fans, the younger fans, but the balance just wasn't right. I feel the balance certainly became better in series 9 and 10.

I think they will end up doing something similar with 13 - a more warmer doctor but with a serious side. I'd love the next doctor if female to be older more mature and we get a kind of smart scientist kind of doctor. I've just last year started getting into big finish going thorough the main range (close to 100 now). I really enjoy Evelyn Smythe and someone like that as the doctor would be great

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

I also got the impression that the showrunners never knew quite what to do with Capaldi's doctor, which must have been doubly frustrating for Capaldi. Because he really is a terrific actor and they never gave his talent full range, and because he's a long-time fan of the show himself.

So if they take the next Doctor in a warmer, cuter, more Smith-like direction I won't be surprised, because it's clear that the people in charge aren't really ready for a Doctor with an easily visible dark side. Of course it's always got to be there somewhere, even under a cutesy surface like Eleven's. And yeah - I'm surprised they didn't cast older, for a female Doctor! A lot of people have problems with women who have commanding personalities or any kind of authority, less so with older women.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (957) 6 years ago

Although an older doctor might have been better at giving authority kind of a wiser doctor