So this past year I have discovered somewhat of a new obsession.
You all know it as that crazy fandom that dresses up in ridiculously long scarves, bow ties, and 3D glasses, and is afraid of statues, shadows, short-term memory loss, and whisks.
I know it as Doctor Who.
My first encounters with this rather bizarre British show were few and far between. My good friend Jennifer would occasionally talk about it, and I would listen politely and ignore her suggestions to watch it. Once and awhile it would be on TV and Dad would stop flipping through the channels. He had watched the show in its early years and was intrigued by its continued success.
That brings us up to senior year. It had been a long, difficult year for me, and I hadn't been in touch with Jennifer in a while. We were just starting to reconnect, and I felt like watching her favorite show would be a good way to bridge the gap. This fact, combined with that of our newly upgraded Internet, gave me reason to watch the show.
To summarize: The Doctor (no name, just the Doctor) is an alien from the planet Gallifrey. In the new series, he is the last of his species (known as Time Lords) after a great war wiped them out. The Doctor has a vehicle called the Tardis which can travel through both space and time. He uses it to go on adventures, in which he meets all manner of alien life, including humans (specifically in the London area). Thirteen actors have played the Doctor, a fact that is accounted for in the show's mythos. When the Doctor is mortally injured, he can regenerate his cells, completely wiping his personality and appearance but not his memory, allowing the character of the Doctor to thrive for over 50 years of television history.
Now if that sounds lame, I totally understand.
But there's something about the show that makes it magical.
Maybe it's the cheesy special effects. Maybe it's the Doctor's clever one-liners. Maybe it's David Tennant's hair. Or maybe it's that on a deeper level, there's a Doctor in all of us.
The Ninth Doctor (the first of the 2005 rebooted series played by Christopher Eccleston) was fresh out of the Time War, during which he killed both the Time Lords and their enemies in an effort to save the universe from the destruction their fighting was causing. Wracked by guilt, the Ninth Doctor became a reluctant hero, fighting to protect the universe from making the same mistakes his people made. During this time he made friends who backed him up and brought him joy in a time of frustration and sadness.
For me, this could not have come at a better time. I had made some serious mistakes, and while they were behind me, I kept berating myself, telling myself I could have done better. I felt lost and alone, with very few close friends to back me up. But I found new friends, friends who accepted me and didn't care about my past. They taught me to let go and see what God had in store for my life.
The Tenth Doctor (my favorite played by David Tennant) was a much less brooding character. He was lighthearted, fun, heavily sarcastic, and generally quite adventurous. Ten, however, was a bit of a control freak. He interfered in events that he knew he shouldn't, tried to alter the fates of others, and even attempted to escape his own destiny. In this moments, he caused the damage he had hoped to avoid. He created the history he had been trying to prevent. Unlike previous Doctors, Ten was attached to his current form. His final words were "I don't want to go!"
I knew this feeling all too well. I had become too comfortable in my little Grandville bubble. I loved the life I had. It was the middle of summer, and I had a job, friends, and a social life. I had begun to second guess my decision to go to Trinity. Ten taught me that interfering with God's plan will only bring about more damage than good. I had to learn to let go, to allow God to take control of my life and lead me where I was meant to go.
The Eleventh Doctor (played by Matt Smith) was a quirky, clever, and occasionally clumsy character. He regularly wore a bow tie and occasionally a fez. Eleven loved adventure, travelling the cosmos mostly for entertainment. He never faced enemies with a plan, preferring to roll with the punches and ad-lib a solution to a problem, facing down his most deadly enemies (the Daleks) with a small cookie.
Though Ten is still my favorite, Eleven was my spirit Doctor this fall as I entered my first semester of college. I was unprepared, didn't know anyone, and within a month had ended up alone in a hospital with appendicitis. But not once did I second guess myself or think about turning back. Instead, I thought of every experience as an adventure and every problem as a temporary setback. Even my trip to the ER was fun, and I will always remember it fondly despite the excruciating pain I was in at the time. I feigned confidence all semester, and in truth, I felt more confident because of it. By simply refusing to see the bad in any situation, I had the best four months of my life.
It's funny how a silly show like Doctor Who can bring people together. Dad grew up on the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. I was raised on Tennant, having watched several of his episodes before really getting into the show. My brothers, despite their initial distaste at the show's premise, are now diehard Matt Smith fans. All of the friends I made this summer were avid Whovians. Even a good number of my college friends are fans. One of the reasons I initially decided to hang out with Sierra was because she had Tennant's sonic screwdriver (an essential tool in any Time Lord's arsenal) in a mug on her desk. I had the exact same screwdriver in a mug on my desk. I knew at that moment that we were going to be good friends.
So like any good Whovian, I'm promoting my show and attempting to explain why it's so good. Granted, I've probably done a terrible job of doing so, but that's to be expected with a show like this. You just have to trust me. Take a leap of faith.
So now I prepare to head back to school for my second semester. I'm excited to see where the newest Doctor, Peter Capaldi, will be taking us all this spring. Time for another adventure!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki1YGSghqns ALLONS-Y!!!
Song for tonight: I Am The Doctor, Matt Smith's theme from Doctor Who Series 5. I wake up to this every morning because it's instantly energizing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-QPDGhCtM
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