Post by blaidddrwg on Sept 18, 2014 21:53:51 GMT -6
So it's been about a month since Peter Capaldi replaced Matt Smith as the twelfth reincarnation of the Doctor. Four episodes in, and Capaldi's made a pretty good imprint into the Doctor Who canon, but I was interested to ask you all what you think of him. I've heard many mixed reviews, dating back to the first announcement of him joining the show, and now that he's put in about four weeks worth of show time, the reviews are still pretty unsure of what to think. I've heard people say he captures the Doctor magnificently, plus, given the fact Capaldi's no stranger to television, he adds some of his own acting prowess to the Doctor to make him into a totally new person. Others still don't approve of him, most probably still disheartened at the departure of our beloved Matt Smith, mainly believing he's too old and doesn't capture the Eleventh Doctor's youthful spirit and flirtatiousness with Clara. If you ask me, I happen to love Capaldi, and I have ever since I found out he was going to be the Twelfth. Most forget that David Tennant and Matt Smith are actually a couple of the youngest actors to ever play the Doctor, even Christopher Eccleston was pretty young compared to the likes of Patrick Troughton (46), Jon Pertwee (50), and William Hartnell (55) who were all well over 40 when they started playing the Doctor. Capaldi himself is in his mid-fifties. It's important to remember the Doctor has no control over his appearance during regeneration - not every regeneration can make him look youthful like he's been in the past decade or so. But that doesn't matter, because though the Doctor may look older now, his personality is still the same; quirky, snarky, and sympathetic to the human race. That part has remained constant throughout the series. Not to mention, many people miss the relationship between the Doctor and Clara for some reason, though even when Matt Smith was on-board, in my opinion, the relationship still wasn't that great. Sure, Clara obviously had some feelings for the Doctor, but as Steven Moffat has taken more and more control over the show, the Doctor has become more and more demeaning of poor Clara. Unfortunately, that bit hasn't changed with Capaldi, who still makes unnecessary remarks to Clara for no reason, but that's really just Moffat being the misogynist he is. Yet what I will say about the new season is that there seems to be new writers aboard besides just Moffat, given the fact that in the very first episode alone, we get so much more information about Clara's personality as well as some vital information about some new characters, like her fellow teacher Danny Pink. And even though Capaldi has to put up with Moffat's horrible tendency to demean his female characters in his shows, Capaldi's own charm somewhat makes up for it when the sexism dies down for a bit. Perhaps it will help discouragers of Peter Capaldi to gain a little more respect for him if they saw his portrayal of the Doctor in two lights - one as him being the Doctor that Moffat writes, picking on everybody for no reason and acting cold and socially handicapped to the world, and the other as the Doctor Capaldi is trying to invent, one of ingenious insight with a determination to become "good" again, a Doctor on a quest for morality and redemption from his past.
With that being said, what do you all think of Peter Capaldi? Do you think he's living up to the hype? Or is he missing the mark?
With that being said, what do you all think of Peter Capaldi? Do you think he's living up to the hype? Or is he missing the mark?