Doctor Who Reflections: Why Twelve is not Ten
Since last week’s episode and the twelfth doctor resurecting Ashildr, making her immortal, some people started to make parallels with David Tennant’s Time Lord Victorious attitude in Waters of Mars.
While I think it’s true the doctor is starting to make some mistakes and meddle with time travel rules, I also think there are some distinctions to made.
Ten became Time Lord Victorious out of frustration for not being allowed to do things his way and pushed to carelessness because he thought he was the last of the Time Lords. He knew the enormous consequences of his actions but did it anyway. He felt intitled to do as he liked. He thought he was right.
Twelve was caught in a moment of emotion because he coulnd’t bare the loss of an innocent. He didn’t think he was right, but that it was the right thing to do. He gave Ashildr another repairing kit in order to compensate with the problems of immortality. And he was aware of losing control, knowing that his actions will have consequences. He actually prepares himself to show him the errors of his actions. Twelve is a more responsible man, less convinced of always being right.
But some mention the speach with the fisher King as an example of Tim Lord Victorious moment. But here Twelve is ready to break the rules in order to have for the world to have a future, rather than no future. Also, it is obvious the doctor had already understood he was meant to be part of the events and that he was in a bootstrap paradox.
Ten’s actions show a man who was so convinced to be good that he would bend reality to his will. Twelve’s actions show more altruism and care. And another aspect of his personality is that it’s the thought of losing Clara that pushes him to the edge. It is a slightly more selfish reason, wanting to save one person, yes. But it is fare more noble an emotion than survivor’s arrogance.
But it’s no mystery that Twelve will be punished in some way, as Ten was. Twelve is after all, a very emotional incarnation, tempered only by his logic. Simply, I think Twelve’s actions come from a better place than Ten’s.
