[HEADING=1]Geronimo![/HEADING]
Dedicated to The Escapist TARDIS Crew [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Escapist-TARDIS-Crew].
Here be series 5 spoilers. You have been warned.
Matt Smith (from this point on called "11" for ease) is the 11th incarnation of the Doctor. After regenerating from David Tennant on New Years day. A hard act to follow. Matt Smith had his work cut out to impress many a Tennant fan. Including myself. That he was a worthy successor to arguably the best Doctor ever.[footnote] Actually proved as such as polls taken at the time of David Tennant's time put him as the best Doctor ever. Finally knocking off Tom Baker into 2nd place.[/footnote]
In this review I will talk about Matt Smith in general and talk about one of my favourite episodes from series 5; The Big Bang.
[HEADING=2]Character[/HEADING]
My main concern after watching 11s first full episode "The 11th Hour" was that Smith was trying just too hard to be Tennant. A thought shared by a lot of my fellow friends and Whovians. Maybe it was just his post-regeneration madness that every Doctor goes through? Luckily these thoughts were quickly dismissed in the later episodes as 11 established his character and relationship with his new companion; Amy Pond.
One of the features in "The Beast Below" and "Flesh and Stone" was that 11s Doctor gets very angry in stressful situations.[footnote]Not overly worrying in itself as each Doctor had moments like this themselves.[/footnote] But rather he takes out his anger at the companion of the moment (Amy and River respectively). Now I know this is more a writing point my Steven Moffat, but I have always felt that the Doctor should never shout (in angry tones) at his companion, he can do all the shouting he wants at his enemies, but taking out his frustration on his companion was not a good idea in my opinion. Obviously is evolves his character and makes him different to other Doctors. So I just hope Moffat doesn't make a habit of it. He was also easily agitated when people or objects did not do as he wished them to, and would resort to physical confrontation and somewhat reckless behaviour to achieve his goals. He is able to spin things to his point of view, and could find positive outlooks in negative situations.[footnote]"We're in a giant mouth? Yes, yes, yes but on the plus side: roomy!"[/footnote] He was somewhat more melodramatic in his brilliance, going so far as to prove Fermat's last theorem, faster-than-light travel and why electrons had mass, just to prove he could be trusted.
Much like his second incarnation, this incarnation showed a childlike recklessness, but always had a grander scheme behind his actions. Also similar to his second incarnation, 11 had a knack for acting smug, occasionally boasting about his feats, knowledge, and reputation.
Much like his fourth, sixth, and ninth incarnations, this Doctor was much more outwardly alien and wasn't as in touch with Humanity as his fifth, eighth and previous incarnation were. The eleventh incarnation believed that a Human's ability to feel pain and suffering defined their Humanity. He was unable to comfort an upset Vincent Van Gogh and found it difficult to act like an average Human when staying with Craig Owens.
Much of 11s character and style can be summed up in one of my favourite episodes:
[HEADING=2]The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang[/HEADING]
In finale episodes "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang", characters from the series communicate a message to him. Vincent van Gogh[footnote]Another awesome and emotional episode: "Vincent and the Doctor"[/footnote] paints a psychic message of the TARDIS exploding, which passes from Winston Churchill to Queen Elizabeth X, before reaching the Doctor via River Song. An alliance of the Doctor's greatest enemies seal him in the 'Pandorica', the perfect prison. When the TARDIS explodes, a new time line is created where the Earth is the only planet in a universe without stars. The Doctor is freed by a Nestine duplicate of Rory, ultimately using the Pandorica to resurrect the universe, seal the cracks, and undo their effects.
[HEADING=2]"But you're
not in the Pandorica?
Yes I am. Well I'm not
now but I was back then!"[/HEADING]
In the process, the Doctor tells Amy that her parents were taken by the crack in her wall, which is why she never had any. When he sacrifices himself to restart the universe, the Doctor tells Amy to think of her parents and they will come back, with no regard for surviving himself. As the Doctor know he will probably be erased from existence because of his own actions. Up until this point in the episode, the episode has been light hearted. With 11 showing familiar energy and eccentricness.[footnote]Not an actual word[/footnote] Jumping between times with River's Vortex Manipulator, speaking to his companions and generally running about a lot.not in the Pandorica?
Yes I am. Well I'm not
now but I was back then!"[/HEADING]
In conclusion: Welcome to the TARDIS Matt Smith. You are going to be awesome!
[HEADING=2]Fezes are cool![/HEADING][footnote]Bow ties are also cool[/footnote]
I plan to do a review of David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston once I have the time.[footnote]HA! Ironic statement[/footnote]
