The biggest problem I had with the Jodie era was the companions.
Doctor Who has a rich history of the Doctor/Companion interactions following traditional gender roles. The Doctor is a powerful man who can bend time and space to his will, and his companion is an empathetic woman who can keep him grounded and retain his humanity. While there have been exceptions, this is the default formula.
When Jodie started, this all got turned upside-down. How should a woman Doctor act? Do they maintain the same character archetype (as they did with the Master/Missy), or do they make the character more feminine? What effect should that have on her relationship with her companions? Should the companion continue to be the traditional feminine role? Headstrong and masculine, but powerless? Wise and sage, like an advisor? This is a difficult plan for even the most accomplished writer.
Chris Chibnall was apparently not up to the task. Instead, he threw all of the options in at once. At best, it felt crowded and disjointed. But more often, it felt like they were focus-group testing. And by the end, it seemed clear that Kaz was the most popular with test audiences.
The biggest problem I had with the Jodie era was the companions.
Doctor Who has a rich history of the Doctor/Companion interactions following traditional gender roles. The Doctor is a powerful man who can bend time and space to his will, and his companion is an empathetic woman who can keep him grounded and retain his humanity. While there have been exceptions, this is the default formula.
When Jodie started, this all got turned upside-down. How should a woman Doctor act? Do they maintain the same character archetype (as they did with the Master/Missy), or do they make the character more feminine? What effect should that have on her relationship with her companions? Should the companion continue to be the traditional feminine role? Headstrong and masculine, but powerless? Wise and sage, like an advisor? This is a difficult plan for even the most accomplished writer.
Chris Chibnall was apparently not up to the task. Instead, he threw all of the options in at once. At best, it felt crowded and disjointed. But more often, it felt like they were focus-group testing. And by the end, it seemed clear that Kaz was the most popular with test audiences.