I’m not sure how it’s rewriting the Doctor’s whole past just because he reacted to being discriminated against due to his skin colour for the first time in his memory? Many people are managing to watch these episodes without declaring they’re ignoring history because of tiny personal nitpicks.

 

I really enjoyed that and thought it was very well done. In recent years you could have expected the Doctor or Ruby to go on a five minute rant explaining what racism is and why it’s wrong but they way it was delivered here was pretty subtle in comparison and worked really well. Knowing its audience don’t need a lecture but appreciate the message all the same.

 

What I’m loving is that Doctor Who is FUN to watch again. There’s still room for improvement but I’m finding the episodes both interesting and entertaining. Chibnall’s era bored me no end so I’m glad to few properly back on board.

Overnight figures for Dot and Bubble are 2.12m.

I’m not sure how it’s rewriting the Doctor’s whole past just because he reacted to being discriminated against due to his skin colour for the first time in his memory?

That's not exactly what I said though is it?. The Doctor HAS been discriminated against before for several reasons but his surprise and seeming lack of recollection of this and many other well established character traits marks a significant change in how the character is being portrayed now, and something no previous regeneration has been dealt with.

That's not exactly what I said though is it?. The Doctor HAS been discriminated against before for several reasons but his surprise and seeming lack of recollection of this and many other well established character traits marks a significant change in how the character is being portrayed now, and something no previous regeneration has been dealt with.

 

This is still nitpicking though. What in the scene made it look like he’d never been discriminated against? This was just a new discrimination that he hadn’t before faced. I maintain you’re making this into a bigger issue than it is, if it’s an issue at all. I’m sure most fans won’t see it as one.

Overnight figures for Dot and Bubble are 2.12m.

 

And second for the evening, behind The Wheel

Edited June 2, 20241 yr by ElectroBoy

This is still nitpicking though. What in the scene made it look like he’d never been discriminated against? This was just a new discrimination that he hadn’t before faced. I maintain you’re making this into a bigger issue than it is, if it’s an issue at all. I’m sure most fans won’t see it as one.

If you say so. I know people paid a lot of money to proof read scripts for continuity and it can break immersion if the writer's are not careful.

Wasn't me that made that claim.

He's been discriminated for his race before, if he didn't expect it for his skin colour, well...

I wasn't making it a big deal, it was one of a number of elements I thought weakly written and I was asked to clarify.

Some will, some won't. Depends on your expectations.

He's been discriminated for his race before, if he didn't expect it for his skin colour, well...

What the fuck did I just read?

 

So you're saying genius writing to you would be black people expecting racism and curtailing their pain, horror and disbelief purely because similar prejudices have been portrayed in the past?

No, that's not at all what Severin said.

 

The doctor is the same person, who just happens to be black now in this regeneration... so Severin is merely saying that this character has experienced discrimination before (and given he also knows pretty much the whole history of time!) would be more than aware that black people are discriminated against.

 

 

 

I don't actually have a strong view either way - I can see why they felt the need to write the ending in the way they did, because it is basically aimed at a new audience (and one that you can't expect to know the ins and outs of the entire history of the show) and I liked that it tackled the inevitable racism that the revelation of a black doctor faced in some circles... and, for me, I'm happy to go along with that because it's a more important message right now than it would be to stick within the history of the show. But I can also see why some older fans who know a lot more about the history may see things differently.

Thank you Dandy* for explaining it in more clarity than I managed, you've clearly understood my point.

 

Personally, I think the Doctor's reaction and response is exactly the sort of storyline and scene they should have done years ago with Ryan, or Mickey or Martha. It's a companion type response as they're the audience surrogate.

Hmmm, still not quite buying the objection. Of course the Doctor would be aware of the racism faced by black people. But he has also not been black in his living memory. He might actually be the first time he’s ever been on the receiving end of such discrimination. If he’d not reacted just because he should be ‘used to it’, it definitely wouldn’t have sat right with me.

Hmmm, still not quite buying the objection. Of course the Doctor would be aware of the racism faced by black people. But he has also not been black in his living memory. He might actually be the first time he’s ever been on the receiving end of such discrimination. If he’d not reacted just because he should be ‘used to it’, it definitely wouldn’t have sat right with me.

This is how I see it too, this is the first time (that he knows of) that he's been on the receiving end of discrimination of this kind, so it'd be more baffling if he hadn't reacted with confusion, and anger. Knowing something could happen, or having seen it happen to others, doesn't make it less terrible if it happens to you I imagine. Not to mention how the Doctor wasn't just feeling the way he did because of the racism he was subjected to, but because the racism was totally blinding the Finetime residents perspective, meaning they refused to have their lives saved by a black person, and the Doctor couldn't do a thing to change their minds. That's what I like about this episode, there's so many layers to think about what happened.