Doctor Who’s ‘Deep Breath’: The 2,000-Year-Old Time Lord Grows Up

Daily Beast ^ | August 7, 2014 | Nico Hines

[C19fan]

It’s time to ditch the woolly scarves, bow ties, and comic sexual tension, Doctor Who is back and he’s not messing around. Peter Capaldi took his bow at the London premiere of the new season on Thursday and his incarnation of the Time Lord is the darkest yet.

Deep Breath, the feature-length first episode, sees the Doctor and his sidekick, Clara, struggling to come to terms with his tough new image. “Where did he get that face?” she wonders, mourning the boyish charm of Matt Smith, Capaldi’s predecessor.

[C19fan]

The new Doctor is getting rave reviews and Mr. Capaldi has already signed up for a 2nd season.

[MNDude]

Finally, a heading with the words “Doctor Who” that is really about Doctor Who!

[wally_bert]

I’m looking forward to it. I think he will do well.

[Prospero]

[Jack Hydrazine]

How can he be getting rave reviews when the first episode does not air until 23AUG2014?

[C19fan]

There was a premiere of the first episode in Britain.

[apillar]

Good, as someone who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s watching Dr. Who reruns on PBS it will be nice to see a throwback to the Doctors of old. I was seriously concerned at the direction they were going that the next Doctor would be a teenager who looked like he came straight from a “boy band” (and I only half jest, because their were rumors that Rupert Grint - Ron Weasly from the Harry Potter movies - was being seriously considered for the role). The first few Doctors were more like old, slightly grouchy college professors. They could come across as stuffy, pompous know-it-alls and would NEVER be considered as best buds or possible romantic interests by their companions (like the last couple Doctors.) BUT when they did show some compassion or a softer side, it actually meant something because you realized that the “stuffy old man” really did care about his companions and enjoy their company

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Here’s hoping that he doesn’t accidentally get Monty Python’s ship from their farewell tour. It’s called the Retardis.

[The Louiswu]

I got back into Dr. Who because of David Tennant, I loved Matt Smith and the arc of that story line and I am looking forward to Mr. Capaldi’s take on the Doctor.

[Vaquero]

PING even though I am not a ‘Dr.’ fan....I am however a ‘Who’ fan. ‘Wont get fooled again’.

[kevkrom]

One of the beauties of Doctor Who was the decision they made when they decided Hartnell had to be replaced to not find someone very similar, but someone very dissimilar, and then build the “regeneration” story mechanism around the fact that each incarnation retains the memories and core beliefs, but can express a very different personality.

From a production standpoint, this allows them the flexibility of never being too tied to a single actor - from a fan view, we get to appreciate each actor in the role for what he brings to the part, without having to directly compare him to the others who have done so. Each Doctor is different while still being the same. Brilliant.

I’m looking forward to Capaldi’s Doctor - we’ve had the youth movement and a bit of silliness and levity for a while, and a return to a more serious Doctor will suit me fine. (Maybe I’m just getting old, but I fully sympathized with Hurt’s views on his “successor” Doctors, even though I have enjoyed Tennant and Smith in their own right.)

[DJ MacWoW]

38 Days
41%

Support It Or Lose It

[Vaquero]

[null and void]

Still, the trajectory that as he gets older he looks younger was an interesting counterpoint.

Compare to the end scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey...

[cripplecreek]

I like the fun doctor but a serious doctor looks good too.

[wally_bert]

100% agreed.

[The_Reader_David]

There was a one-off theatrical showing of the season premier at a red-carpet event in Cardiff last week, so those in attendance, including some UK media critics, have a basis for rave reviews.

[cripplecreek]

I’ve been watching Peter Capaldi on the 3 Musketeers series on BBC America.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Did you meet the new doc?

Same as the old doc.

[BenLurkin]

No more queer characters?