Yeah, so far, the new era is just... All right? It's not boring or batshit insane (at least, not yet) unlike the Chibnall era was, but I'm not really liking it so far.
14 just being another 10 and getting the privilege of having three(ish) on screen incarnations (10, Meta Crisis and Doctor Donna (and arguably Rose kind of)), being included in every single spin-off imaginable and being forced into side stories with 13 already kind of annoyed me a bit on Tennant during Jodie's era, but these specials really did not help that matter. The three episodes being a direct continuity, but otherwise nearly completely unrelated, is just such a missed opportunity to have done something special with Tennant being back with an actual reason. The online theory of The Celestial Toymaker messing about with everything just because makes a ton more sense than whatever Davies ended up cooking up. So he got his old face because he's tired of running and just needs a rest? Okay, cool...
But we got this exact same story already with 11 and the Ponds. And we got the same story beats once again with 12 in The Pilot of Series 10 and when he regenerated with the big speech where he said he just wanted a rest and left it up to 13 who started and ended super optimistic despite all odds. Than there's the other moments that had me like
.
The sonic screwdriver being even more OP than ever before is just... Why?! The big finale of the one actual tragic ending where there was no way of fixing it was fixed was fixed by, and I quote: "
Just let it go.". The Toymaker somehow being made a fair player who would never cheat, when in the original serial (and the two Big Finish stories) that's literally his entire schtick to the point where the Doctor has to cheat his way out of beating him? The bigeneration was a terribly executed and, even worse explained, idea that makes no sense even within the story. Literally everyone is surprised by it, even the Toymaker can't seem to make sense of it as he loudly shows his confusion as it happens, but apparently it's his fault according to the Doctors. But... Why? How did he cause this? Why now of all times did this happen? And if 15 has all the memories of 14 but has the therapy out of order, what happens with 14, does he merge with 15? Does he die? What happens with his TARDIS?
I genuinely think it's Chibnall levels bad of planning and execution by dropping some huge lore (yes, yes, I know Who and lore is all wibbly wobbly) implicating element and not really doing much with it other than just dropping it in there. I get Chibnall dropped the show like a hot potato once he was done leaving nothing to hand over directly, but the way Davies handled it wasn't that great either. Everything felt very much like Davies wanting to have his cake and eating it to. I genuinely think just skipping from 13 straight into 15 would've worked better, though it would've missed the huge hype cycle of Tennant returning and probably would've meant no episodes this year, so, yeah...
And the new Christmas episode? It was fun, I'm really unsure I like seeing the Doctor go clubbing, but it was an all right episode (as most Christmas episodes are just all right). Ncuti seemed to have the time of his life, but doesn't really seem distinct
yet, but time will tell. But Millie was a bit... Off? Half the time she seemed to be really unsure and seemed kind of half clueless for a lot of it, and I really mean the actor, not the character. The episode just kind of ended very weird though. So the one big Goblin was defeated and all of them just faded into obscurity? The old neighbour goes from hating on the TARDIS to seemingly just completely accepting it and breaking the fourth wall, because..? It's all just a bit... Meh, I suppose.
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