The Feminine Resilience of Doctor Who

[@yennikarual]

im excited for upcoming Who. even tho rtd is the principal writer for the 2023 specials, two of the three episodes are directed by women, which considering your thoughts in the conclusion, is a good sign. but also i’m anticipating possibly an entirely new direction for the ncuti gatwa series, i feel that ncuti is cognizant of the different intersections of identity that are (or aren’t) represented in film and TV and this influences the sort of shows or films he has been fortunate enough to choose to work on or audition for. like i can’t see him taking or embracing the kind of doctor you characterise in this video in the same way tennant, smith, and capaldi have (obvs their doctors are more than what you represent them as and you do recognise this). i’m optimistic.

[@milesmemory]

I completely agree!! He seems like someone who is relating to the doctor in a much more optimistic and holistic way already and I think while he’ll be fallible like every other iteration it’ll be less aggressive? Plus w someone like Yasmin Finney we’ll be seeing even more diverse depictions of womanhood which I trust this team to do!

[@TheWriteStuffWC]

Martha always deserved better!

[@DWaDDLJ]

There's a lot I don't agree with Martha's bit... *The Doctor only really compares her to Rose in one episode... * the Doctor may not have had any proper meaningful time with Martha's family... he is however so much more respectful towards them the little time he has with them... compare that with his constant demeaning of Jackie, Mickey and Sylvia (who he had very little interaction with as well) ... compare that to how he treats Francine even though she's distrustful of him... and the way he wud often shout at anyone wanting to use a gun... he hugs her... and takes the gun. *human nature/family of blood... The Doctor is likely to only know of his bad behaviour towards Martha... but this Doctor rarely apologised for things he did that were really bad to the people he did.. in the same episode hes called out by Jane for choosing this place on a whim... his reaction is to walk away, while seconds ago thinking she will happily accept his offer to travel as compensation for losing John Smith. *to say he never really cared what was happening to her is also not true or feeling intimidated by her agency and independence... cos the latter is the reason he's drawn to her.. he takes her to see Shakespeare due to his appreciation of her intelligence... the barrier between them both is is his trauma of losing Rose and getting close to someone again (are we also forgetting how horrid he was to Donna in Runaway Bride, literally saying that she's nothing special)... Martha allowed him to realise that he definitely needed someone (him finding her a job with UNIT was his way also thanking her). He feels responsible when Martha is kidnapped in Gridlock, or when she's hurtling to towards the Sun.. There's no point where he feels threatened by Martha (River yes cos she was someone he didn't know and well made to k*ll him). He's the one who keeps prolonging the "one trip"... Martha just didn't need him like Rose and Donna so their dynamic was always going to be different... she's the companion with the most agency... when she questions the Doctor he listens (Gridlock) *he also left other companions to deal with other things.. in the Sontaran two parter he gives Donna the task to deal with, he left Rose in Girl in the Fireplace despite not knowing if he was gonna go back or how he was gonna go back... also interestingly Martha is the only one who wasn't getting into pointless trouble like the others wud (rose in fathers day or empty child, Donna in runaway bride or pompeii, she didn't end up in much situation that required a lot of saving that she cudnt handle herself) ... so again I'd say there was more equal trust... rather than expectation or being threatened... *reason she's a b plot in series 4... is cos she literally wasn't supposed to be there... Martha was written as a one series companion... but RTD didn't want to let her go...and she was forced into plots and given something to do... she didn't talk about the hath... but in all fairness we didn't really get a conversation with the Doctor talking about his grief just a plot solution about guns and violence (tbh we also can't compare the deaths.. the hath's death was due to Martha's decision, but their emotional bond can't compare to Jenny, the Doctor just lost another person of his race, that also goes for the Master... him taking care of him is different from the equal friendship he had with Martha... he never talks about any of his companions like that in all fairness) *I think a lot of the time people take the lack of flirting or comic double act as a confirmation that he cares less about Martha ...I mean that goodbye speech he gives Donna is basically played for laughs... when she actually is forced to leave him... he says very few words to her (and technically he knows that she's not going to last long as the DoctorDonna yet is having banters with her a few scenes earlier, cos he's living in the denial of it all).... also Martha is the least companion who needs validation...even if she hoped for some response to her feelings for him... she didn't need him to validate her to feel special like Rose or Donna did... but he still praised a lot... and thanked her alot... something that even Yaz... who is supposed to be the love of Doctor's life didn't get much of... he literally lights up when he sees Martha....he tries to lure her into staying more... but also respects her decision and reason to leave... (while 13 tells Yaz to basically go 👀) I'm sorry for me that's not intimidation at all.. *could he have treated her better... absolutely... but it isn't as bad as people make it out to be... and their dynamic is very different... as is Donna's to Rose... the way Rose and Doctor become was presented as toxic... and then that impacted his relationship with Martha... and then that led him to just want a Best mate that led to the dynamic of Donna and 10... and he often talked about Martha to Donna... Martha was brilliant... a lot of hate she received from Fandom were mainly boiled down to two things.. racism... and also they saw her replacing Rose... they didn't like her flirting with 10... (we know 10 led her on)... Clara was hated cos some fans felt the show was too focused on her and River was hated cos she another love interest as well... and overly flirty... and some feel she was only written as a plot device...and here whole existence is just about the Doctor... Basically Martha rules

[@milesmemory]

I hear u on some of this stuff and not on others (which I guess is obvious cuz I made the video lol) but I honestly feel like we’ve come to the same conclusion through different means, Martha is really cool and didn’t need validation from the doctor! Just two things I wanna kinda correct, I was staying Martha was *still* the b plot girl after that was her role in S3 *as well as* S4 and when I said “threatened” I meant intellectually threatened not physically, he generally doesn’t have companions on a similar scientific or intellectual footing as him. I am rly starting to agree w u about Martha’s family tho looking back although he’s “closer” w other families that closeness allowed him to be more disrespectful to them, and I agree that like he needed that relationship w Martha to have that like buddy buddy vibe w Donna. Even tho u had some problems I’m rly glad u watched the vid and took the time to respond!!

[@DWaDDLJ]

@milesmemory oh I didn't have problems... I just disagree with some points... especially Martha 😄 your vid was brilliantly articulated even if I didn't agree... as such with the intellectual point as well... on one hand, yes, absolutely agree that he doesn't really travel with anyone at his level... though he's always fascinated by clever people... like Shakespeare... in fact, that is the episode where he is the most demeaning to her with no purpose... he seems quite annoyed that Martha is not keeping up with his own intellectual level... that he even compared her to Rose... who was anywhere near his intellectual level either... but it felt him needing to live in this dream world and how he wanted to remember her... in the same way he basically remembers the time Lords, which is why wilf was confused... 10 can be a d*ck at times.. but that's why I find him so fascinating 👀😄 Your vid was great.. I shud have mentioned that in my first comment... apologies 🥰