"This must be Thursday," said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. "I never could get the hang of Thursdays."Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I've just been reminded by a fellow fan that Thursday was the day that the Vogon Constructor Fleet destroyed the Earth in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- Sid
Yes, the new Doctor is gay. And Black. And Scottish (again). And Rwandan, which is new. And a Libra. He may or may not be left handed, the Internet was not informative in this area.
And, honestly?
So what.
Good grief, Jodie Whittaker was apparently an actual woman - an actual woman - when she became the 13th Doctor, and she met another incarnation of herself who was an actual Black woman (with really great taste in vests) and guess what, the universe didn't come to an end. (Well, thanks to Chris Chibnall it sort of did, but you know what I mean.)
If I were being charitable, I would say that the people who have expressed their outrage regarding the new Doctor's gayness/Blackness/Scottishness/etc.*(and the old Doctor's woman-ness, for that matter) just have too much time on their hands, but I suspect that the problem goes deeper than that.
But let's try to look at this rationally, as from within the Whoniverse - if you're a enough of a fan of the show to complain about it in the first place, you should be able to work within the framework of the Doctor's zeitgeist.
Remember in Hellbent, when the 12th Doctor shoots the General? Following their regeneration, the General has gone from being an older bald white man to a short-haired young black woman, who first comment is "Back to normal, am I? The only time I've been a man, that last body. Dear lord, how do you cope with all that ego?" This suggests that gender and race are known to be fluid through regeneration, although there may be some kind of bias, as demonstrated by the long run of white male Doctors (and female Generals, apparently).
If we accept this to be the standard for regeneration, and recognize that Time Lord society may have a commitment ritual not unlike marriage (as per the 10th Doctor commented on being rubbish at his own wedding) then at any given moment, a Time Lord must be prepared to have their life partner come home as a completely different gender and colour after being hit by a bus or some mass transit equivalent on the streets of the Citadel.
What happens then? I suppose there's a possibility that Gallifrey has legislated a policy of instantaneous post-generation divorce - that, following their rebirth, it's a clean slate in all ways. (Drastic way to clean up your crippling credit card debt, but possibly worth it.)
More logically, I suspect that the Time Lord in question kisses their reborn partner on the cheek, joins them in cursing bus drivers in general, and asks them what they want for dinner.
Because, if your entire species is genetically coded to become a new person on a regular basis, then you'd accept that a new face is only that, a new face, like wearing a different suit or dress, and ultimately makes no difference in who the person is. And as such, your love for them would be constant regardless of sex, colour, or Scottishness - although that last one might be a bit puzzling to the average Gallifreyan spouse.
I haven't watched any of the new season that's just started streaming on Disney+ (although I hope to get a start this weekend) but the impression that I get from trailers is that the new Doctor and Ruby Sunday are having fun, that's there's singing and dancing and a jukebox on the TARDIS.
And, honestly?
That's great. Fun is great.
The Doctor has been through so much, it's been a grim time for the (sort of) last Time Lord, let's open things up, let's wear some period costumes and show Ruby dinosaurs and the Beatles and go behind the scenes at Bridgerton, let's have some fun while we save the universe - it's about time.
- Sid
* I suspect that they're okay with the Scottish/Libra etc. part, which is at least someplace to start on the road to tolerance.
My department at work is doing some massive renovations to our space, so I've been temporarily relocated to an empty office in Accounting. Frankly, I was touched by the greeting that they extended, how kind is it for co-workers to do something so personal?
- Sid
I had to detour around the end of the world to get to work today - I hate it when that happens.
Apparently the apocalypse is being hosted in Vancouver for Season 2 of The Last of Us, which has been filming in various British Columbia locations since February 12th. Fans of Pedro Pascal, keep your eyes peeled.
- Sid
P.S. Confirmed that it's The Last of Us - the contact e-mail on the shooting notification that we received is for megaswordprod@gmail.com, which, according to Wikipedia, matches the working title being used by The Last of Us for Season 2.
Gandalf: I will not say "Do not weep", for not all tears are an evil.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
I'm saddened to announce that Jaq the Cat, aka Jaqen H'ghar, lost the fight and succumbed to stomach cancer early this morning. Under the circumstances, it's tempting to quote something from Game of Thrones, but I would rather leave a gentler farewell to our little friend:
Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it.
Pippin: What? Gandalf?... See what?
Gandalf: White shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: [smiling] Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: [softly] No... No it isn't.
Goodbye, Jaq. Rest in peace, and may there be open doors, chewy grass, cosy blankets and fresh tuna in that far green country.
- Sid
