[Authors' Note: This was written before 07x04 aired. Neither of us have seen it yet. Perks of full-time jobs and grad school!]
September has arrived, and with it, a new season of Doctor Who. And it’s been great to have our beloved show back on the screen. We’ve liked these past three episodes. Really. They’ve been solid works of television. We’ve laughed at the funny lines, and enjoyed these last few moment of Amy and Rory. But we’re so used to Doctor Who being the the fandom of our hearts, to making us react viscerally, to sparking the type of passion that we always associate with our favorite stories. And that’s simply not there when we watch these episodes.
The big issue is, well, that the big issues aren’t there. That is to say, they’re beneath the surface. Seriousness is lurking behind the funny facade of each of these stories. But it’s either ignored, or treated quickly and dismissively, so that we can get back to saving the universe and do a good bit more running. And that’s not what our favorite show is supposed to be. We love Who so much precisely because it takes time away from the action to treat seriously and deeply with very real, emotional issues. It may not happen every single episode, but it is part of the new show’s legacy, and so far, this season has not shown signs of carrying on that legacy.
