The New Doctor

The choice of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor has been heralded with, largely, positive reviews and accolades from critics as well as the public.   Due to some travel, I’m only just now getting to see the first full episode featuring Capaldi.  Taking on the title role of Doctor Who has to be daunting, because you are both expected to be original and because you have to uphold the traditions of Britain’s iconic sci-fi series.

That said, I confess I had difficulty embracing Capaldi’s interpretation.  Part of that may be due to the fact that in the Series 8 premiere, the Doctor appears to have amnesia as well as some other disturbing stresses following his latest regeneration, making Capaldi’s portrayal even more frenetic than the usual introductions are.  Part of my tentativeness could also stem from the focus in “Deep Breath” on the Paternoster Gang, who aren’t amongst my favorite traveling companions.  Clara has grown on me, and it was refreshing to see that, for a change, the Doctor’s latest gal pal doesn’t go simply to pieces when regeneration inevitably occurs.   

Overall, Capaldi’s Doctor seems intense, a bit mean – not just dark, but mean and impatient.  Capaldi and the Doctor Who writers have said that this character is intentional, reflecting the easy path to take with the second oldest actor to ever portray the Doctor (doesn’t seem like this personality would work as well in trainers, does it?).  Catching up on the rest of the  season so far will take me a while, but for now, I’ll hold further judgment until seeing a bit more of Capaldi’s work in the role.

from Laura Flippin http://ift.tt/1nL8QAX Laura Flippin's latest blog post: