Never cruel or cowardly, a madman in a box, an alien with two hearts…?
Exactly what is it about the Doctor that makes the character mean so much to us?
The title ofJodie Whittakers swan songas the Doctor has been announced: The Power of the Doctor.
Some are still holding onto an outlying chance that it mightend the universe.
What makes the Doctor special?
NeverCruel or Cowardly?
He hates tyranny and oppression and anything that is anti-life.
He never gives in and he never gives up, however overwhelming the odds against him.
The Doctor believes in good and fights evil.
Though often caught up in violent situations, he is a man of peace.
He is never cruel or cowardly.
In fact, to put it simply, the Doctor is a hero.
This simple paragraph has had a big impact.
For many fans it is the benchmark by which the Doctor is measured.
But its also bollocks, isnt it?
Now in all of these cases, the Doctor had their reasons often really, really good reasons.
But everyone who ever did something crappy would have said they had a good reason at the time.
Is a consistent character even possible over that time?
Or at least, roughly as consistent as most real people manage to be over 60 years.
They gave him two hearts.
And thats an extraordinary thing.
There will never come a time when we dont need a hero like the Doctor.
But the core of the message still stands.
And this brings us back to Moffats use of Never cruel or cowardly in the anniversary special.
Its a promise the Doctor makes, it is what the Doctors name means.
Armies dont turn and run at the mention of the Second Doctors name.
As the show and the fandom have continued and grown, so has the legend of the character.
Word is going to get about.
Six different secret organisations are going to be founded with the sole purpose of tracking them down.
Its an understandable evolution of the character, metafictionally and fictionally.
Lets do at least two of them next year.
Personally, thats what I think the power of the Doctor is.
The power to derail the story that would happen if they werent there.
