To say fans were in shock is an
understatement. How does one comprehend what has happened?
The best way to explain a Whovian's
emotions at this dark and strange hour would be through the Kubler-Ross model,
a very reliable device that is best known as the five stages of grief.
Denial
Whenever something bad happens,
whether it's the death of a loved one or the loss of something important, most
people go into denial. It can't be,
you say. This. Is. Not. Happening. Say it
ain't so. Sometimes there are signs that this bad thing was going to happen
no matter what. We just didn't see the signs. Or worse, we ignore them and only
see what we want to see.
I did see a sign that the
Eleventh Doctor's days were numbered. A few weeks ago I attended a Doctor Who
convention at DePaul University, a day-long event where in addition to meeting
with other Whovians from all over the city--and beyond--there were panels about
the show and screenings of classic and contemporary Doctor Who episodes. Right
after this, I spoke with a friend and fellow Whovian who didn't make it to the
event. She told me that she read a story in a trade magazine that Matt Smith
was not returning for the eighth season. "He hasn't signed on yet,"
she said. "That's nonsense," I replied. "He's coming back. He's
at the top of his game." She did not react. "He is coming back."
Fans will deny that they did not
see this coming. Hate it break to you, but it was coming. We just refused to
see the signs. When the BBC officially renewed the show in May, they did not
mention Smith at all.
"We're
delightful to confirm a new series of Doctor Who has been commissioned and the
show's lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat, has revealed he's
already plotting a brand new run of adventures for the Doctor."
--BBC
release, May 18, 2013
The key words in this statement
are the following that should have had Whovians in a tizzy that Smith was, to
quote Tom Haverford, "donzo" with being the Doctor. Brand new and Doctor. Just omit "and" in the previous sentence, and what
do you get?
Anger
How
could you?!
is a reaction you may have said or thought. Some fans see Smith as the Doctor, not an actor delivering a
superb performance in a television series. When the recently departed Jean
Stapleton (R.I.P.) would walk down the street, people often called her Edith
Bunker, before she politely told them her name was Jean. (It was reported that
she received condolence letters addressed to Edith when her on-screen husband,
Carroll O'Conner, a.k.a. Archie, died in 2001.)
The Doctor is so iconic that it's
tough to simply walk away from it. Tom Baker, Peter Davidson, Colin Baker,
Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, and David Tennant are
still recognized, critiqued, and lauded for their Doctor tenures. It's almost
like being President. Bill Clinton is often in the headlines for his philanthropic
endeavors, oratory skills, and charitable works, visits overseas (whether for
the U.N. or his self-named Foundation), but you still recognize him as once
being the President of the United States.
Smith could become a Hollywood
A-lister, become his generation's Laurence Olivier, win Oscars, become a bad
boy turned reformed beloved star (a la Robert Downey Jr.), become the star of a
hugely successfully franchise, or simply appear in Ryan Gosling's movie and
never to be seen again, but he will always be remembered and recognized for
Doctor Who. He will always have people hate him for either leaving the show
after only four years or for not meeting expectations that some fans had when
he succeeded Tennant. Like anyone else, some people are always going to be
angry at you and me. But being angry is exhausting and life is too short to be
angry over things we cannot control or change.
And c'mon! How can you be angry
at this guy?!
It's not every day you get Dustin Hoffman to get you to kiss a complete stranger. And he's super bashful and adorable about it.
Bargaining
It is tough to bargain with a big
star on staying on a show after a certain amount of time. Smith already has
three full series (or seasons) of adventures (plus Christmas specials, video
game appearances, and a couple of shorts for the BBC's Red Nose Day telethons) under
his belt, not to mention he will still be the Doctor for the already-historic
50th anniversary special. Actors leave shows all the time before they wrap up
for good (or get cancelled). Steve Carell left "The Office", as it
began to suffer creatively and in the ratings, opting to becoming a movie star
full-time. Shelley Long left "Cheers" just as the show was reaching
its peak to try her hand at a career in Hollywood. And every year, several
members of "Saturday Night Live" leave that show after mostly-lengthy
tenures to venture into other projects and callings. Smith seems to be doing
the same thing.
Depression
I did not go through bargaining
(probably because I don't have Moffat or Smith's cell phone numbers) or anger
(because I learned long ago that it is useless to be angry at these that are
out of my control), but I was in denial and depressed. I was introduced to
Doctor Who on a rainy day, when I was at home, bedridden. I couldn't sleep, so
I began watching TV. BBC America was not airing any episodes of
"Absolutely Fabulous" that morning, but they did have a rerun of
"The Eleventh Hour", which premiered a couple of days before. I knew
people who watched Doctor Who, but I myself didn't think I would be into it.
After watching "The Eleventh
Hour", I went to BBC America On Demand and watched several more episodes
(all David Tennant ones). When Whovians ask one another who their Doctor is,
they often choose the one they saw the first time they ever seen an episode of Doctor Who or which one they like the
most or grew up with. Tennant is an extraordinary Doctor, possibly one of the
Top 3 greatest, but my answer is the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. Part of the reason
is that as I was suffering from a terrible cold and unable to move without experiencing
a great deal of pain, his performance as the funny man with the blue box made
me feel better, or at least made me forget that I was sick as a dog.
His lively personality, youthful
demeanor (which occasionally leads him to act like a child) infused with his
centuries-old wisdom, and vanity and stubbornness (not to mention how
manipulative he could be) are some of the things that appealed to me. But the
big personality trait that had me sold on him was his general awkwardness. I
have never defeated armies of Daleks and Cybermen or jumped into my own
timeline to try to save the woman who was born to save me, but I have done a
terrible job at dancing at a party, reacted oddly when in various romantic
situations, and worn questionable hats, thinking they made me look cool. Like
Liz Lemon and myself, this Doctor was often in social scenarios that he did not
understand, and acted appropriately in them. (Best example of his awkwardness:
when he became temporary roommates with Craig (James Corden) in "The
Lodger" and "Closing Time") Side note: Now my dream of having a
"Doctor Who" series where Smith is the Doctor and Corden is his
companion will never happen :(.
Acceptance
Unlike David Tennant, the 30-year
old actor seems to have Hollywood on his mind, plus he's only thirty. He was born in the same decade
as me, which means he's a young guy (or in the eyes of snotty kids born after
the death of Kurt Cobain, we are the exact opposite of fun's "We Are
Young".)
This is the perfect time for a
male actor to develop a fine acting resume. He's no longer stuck playing
youthful roles (unlike some American actors who are stuck playing high school
or college-age kids on TV) but can still appeal to the teens and
twenty-somethings at the multiplex or TV. Hopefully his agent will get him some
more iconic and outstanding roles along the best and brightest talents
stateside and in his native United Kingdom.
He's appearing in How To Catch A Monster, which co-stars
Eva Mendes, Christina Hendricks, and Saoirse Ronan. He seems to be ready to
venture outside the Tardis for good and try out new things. We know he can
tackle serious dramatic fare (see the BBC films The Ruby in the Smoke and the outstanding Christopher and His Kind) as well as comedy (his overall playful
demeanor on "Doctor Who", in addition to his talk show appearances).
I like Matt Smith. I would love it if he not only became the "next big thing" but he develops a rich career in movies and beyond. There are probably writers typing away at their computers roles and dialogue specifically for him right now. He's got the talent, the looks, and the mix of down-to-earth charisma and stylish confidence to become a leading man.
Plus, now we can figure out who
is going to be the Twelfth Doctor. Who on Earth is going to occupy the Tardis
and join Clara Oswald (Jenna Louise-Coleman, assuming she's still with us for
Series Eight) on this brand new run of adventures? #
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| Will there finally be a female Doctor? |
