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From Genesis of the Daleks to The End of Time, Doctor Who has plenty of controversies to its name.
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00:00Doctor Who has one of the most passionate and enduring fanbases in the world.
00:05Like the Master and the Daleks, this fandom just never seems to die.
00:09And with the excitement surrounding Russell T Davies' return in 2023, it only looks set to grow.
00:16But like any other fandom, Whovians do have those issues that they just can't seem to agree on.
00:22Now, the vast majority of Doctor Who storylines are well-liked and don't really cause much of a
00:28stir amongst fans. But there are certain episodes or even certain scenes, characters or storylines
00:35that aren't quite so lucky. So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with WhoCulture, here with
00:4110 Doctor Who controversies that divide fans.
00:44Number 10. Was the end of time a satisfying send-off for the 10th Doctor?
00:50With David Tennant dominating the news cycle as of late, now seems like the perfect time to revisit
00:57a topic that has seen much debate in the years since he left the show.
01:02Was his final story, the end of time, actually any good? Or was it a total hot mess that didn't
01:09give, arguably, the best Doctor of all time the send-off he deserved?
01:14You'll often find people saying that the end of time has a bunch of terrific moments peppered
01:19throughout. Like the four knocks, the Rassilon confrontation, and the Doctor's
01:23Time Lords Live Too Long speech, but that the master plotline is far too silly. The Doctor's
01:29farewell tour is self-indulgent and drags on way too long, and that sub-villain Joshua
01:34Naismith is a complete waste of screen time. Elsewhere, some find that the 10th Doctor's
01:39final line, I don't want to go, veers heavily into cringe territory, while for others it instantly
01:45triggers the waterworks.
01:49In general, it's the story's emotional beats that people praise the most, from the
01:53Doctor's realisation that Wilf is trapped in the radiation booth, to Jeffrey Noble lending
01:58the Doctor some money for a lottery ticket. Thanks to Bernard Cribbins and David Tennant's
02:02incredible performances, there's a massive beating heart, or hearts, at the centre of
02:08the end of time, that does paper over some of the cracks. But, coming off the Waters of
02:13Marr's thrilling, complex storyline, it's hard not to wish that Tenn's conclusion was
02:18a bit more engaging in the narrative department.
02:21Now, for me personally, I think I have to agree that the storyline element of that episode
02:27wasn't the strongest. It's not a storyline that sticks in my mind that I can always remember.
02:33But, I do think that the emotion was definitely there, and I don't think I have a problem with
02:40the farewell tour, as it's put here, because, particularly for the fourth series and for
02:45David Tennant's Doctor, those companions are such an important part of the storylines
02:51that we've seen, so I almost feel like it wouldn't have been right for him to have not
02:55said goodbye to them. I do think that there is one character in that line-up of farewells
03:00that just wasn't quite right, seemed a little out of place, which was the great-granddaughter
03:06of Joan Redfern.
03:12Although Adrick is usually at the bottom of the pile when it comes to ranking the companions,
03:18his death in 1982's Earthshock was one of the most, well, shocking moments in the show,
03:25so much so that the end credits rolled in complete and utter silence for the first time in Doctor
03:31Who history. But rather unexpectedly, Adrick found himself back in the news when Series
03:3712 was on the air in early 2020, with fans debating whether or not his death could have
03:43actually been prevented by the fifth Doctor.
03:46This debate was sparked by the episode Praxeas, where the thirteenth Doctor uses her TARDIS
03:51to rescue Jake Willis, who has decided to manually pilot a small spaceship after its autopilot fails.
03:57Right before this spaceship explodes, the TARDIS captures Jake like a net, shielding him from
04:03the explosion and saving his life. Many fans then pointed out the similarities between Jake's
04:08situation and Adrick's, with the eSpace stowaway also trapped on a doomed spaceship that's
04:13about to blow him sky-high. In this case though, the fifth Doctor does nothing, instead watching
04:19on in disbelief as his companion dies.
04:21So why couldn't the fifth Doctor have used the same trick that the thirteenth Doctor did?
04:27Seems like a fair question at face value, but many of those riled up Adrick supporters missed
04:33that the fifth Doctor's TARDIS console was badly damaged by a Cyberman, which prevented
04:38him from flying to his friend's rescue. And still, some fans think that this is a rather
04:44flimsy excuse, because the TARDIS has a mind of its own and therefore should have been able
04:48to function still. While others hilariously just think that the Doctor didn't like Adrick,
04:54and so couldn't be bothered to save him. I mean, it's rather cold, but maybe understandable.
04:59Now, to be honest, I don't really have much knowledge of the classic era of Who, so I don't
05:04really feel comfortable making a personal opinion on that situation. But, our very own Sean Ferrick
05:10does indeed have some very strong opinions about Adrick, so I would suggest checking out
05:16the video where the classic companions are ranked from best to worst, which will be linked in
05:21the description below if you want to hear his side of the story.
05:24Number 8, In the Forest of the Night
05:27Series 8's In the Forest of the Night has always been a controversial episode, but I don't
05:34think you realise just how much it split the fandom in two. In 2016, this 12th Doctor story
05:41was voted the most divisive Doctor Who episode ever in a Radio Times poll, beating out fellow
05:4712th Doctor stories Sleep No More and Kill the Moon, as well as the 6th Doctor serial Vengeance
05:53on Varos. Now that's quite a feat, so what earned In the Forest of the Night this not-so-coveted
05:59title?
06:00On the positive side, this Series 8 adventure was praised for its creative premise. The
06:05people of Earth wake up to discover that the planet has been completely covered by large
06:09forests, and its lighter, more fairytale tone, a refreshing contrast from the darker episodes
06:16of the series. Detractors labelled it aimless, threatless, and felt that there were a few too
06:21many silly moments, forcing then-showrunner Steven Moffat to jump to its defence, calling it
06:27beautifully and elegantly written. Now, it's pretty rare for the showrunners to jump in on
06:33the debate, which just goes to show how divisive this episode actually was. Maybe if there was
06:39a less plodding script and a few more standout moments, such as the deleted Doctor's speech
06:46about the untempered schism, it might have been one that was slightly more positive than polarising.
06:52Now, this episode isn't particularly memorable for me personally, but I do remember Series
06:588 feeling quite dark in tone, and so it was quite refreshing to just have this episode of
07:04lighter tones to it. But I do think that you're always going to have that divide where there
07:08are some fans who really like the darker, more intricate episodes, and some fans who just
07:14want to watch them stand alone and forget about it after it's finished. And so you're always
07:20going to have that divide, so it's very important to find that balance in the middle, which I think
07:25this episode was aiming to try and do.
07:28Number 7. The Sasha Dewan Master Ignores Missy's Redemption Arc
07:32Though few people actually expected Missy slash the Master to be gone for good after soaking up a
07:38laser screwdriver blast in the Series 10 finale, it was nonetheless a surprise when the character returned
07:45in Series 12 Spyfall. And not because fans expected the character to be dead, but more the fact that
07:51this new incarnation of the Master seemed to be a step backwards after the arc that Missy had been on
07:58through her run in the series. While Dewan's portrayal of the character received a lot of praise from fans
08:03and critics alike, there was a subset of Whovians who were displeased and confused as to why this new
08:10master had regressed back into a moustache-twirling villain after the Missy arc had shifted the Doctor's
08:16oldest foe more towards the light. Missy's decision to become a do-gooder cost her her life, so why undo
08:23such a
08:23powerful character moment for the more bog-standard villain antics we've had for the last 50-odd years?
08:29Now, credit where credit's due, Sasha Dewan has been one of the highlights of the Chibnall era,
08:34and it looks like that streak is going to continue in the Centenary Special, but I can understand the confusion.
08:40Big Finish's The Lumiat has explored this gap between Missy in Series 10 and The Master in Series 12,
08:48but there are a lot of fans who don't have access to the Big Finish audio dramas, and so it
08:55probably would
08:56have been better if they'd explored this in the actual TV series, so that the confusion could have been cleared
09:02up.
09:02Now, I have just done a little bit of research into the Lumiat, and the premise does sound very, very
09:08interesting,
09:09where Missy has her own version of the Valiard. So, whereas the Doctor has this version of themselves that's pure
09:16evil,
09:17Missy has the Lumiat, which is pure good, which I think is extremely interesting.
09:22But, like I said, if you don't have access to Big Finish, then that is going to be very confusing
09:27to the audience.
09:29Number six, are the Daleks overused?
09:33Now, there's a Doctor Who urban legend that the Daleks are contractually obligated to appear at least once every season.
09:42Now, supposedly, this is due to an agreement between the Daleks creator Terry Nation's estate and the BBC.
09:48Whether or not there is any shred of truth to that remains to be seen, but the Daleks do indeed
09:53rear their heads on a consistent yearly basis.
09:56Even when they don't have an episode to themselves, they can't resist a cameo, which has got fans asking the
10:02question of whether or not they're overused,
10:05and whether it would be best if they were rested for a while.
10:08On one side of the argument, the Pepper Potts have been used in some new and interesting ways over the
10:14course of their 59 year long shift,
10:16from introducing their creator Davros in 1975's Genesis of the Daleks, to Series 11's body controlling reconnaissance scout.
10:25Plus, they're the bloody Daleks, they're one of the most iconic parts of Doctor Who and have been since the
10:30very beginning.
10:31But on the other hand, it's no longer exciting or surprising when Scarrow's finest wheel onto our screens.
10:37And they've also been outstripped by other villains in terms of power and scare factor, bringing their status as the
10:44Doctor's greatest enemy into question.
10:46Personally, I don't think they're overused. Maybe a little bit at the beginning, during kind of Series 1 to 4?
10:54Slightly, maybe a little bit, they seem to be the big bad at the series finale pretty much every season.
11:00But, I also agree that they are so iconic and such a big part of Doctor Who that without them
11:05it just wouldn't be the same.
11:07Number 5, The Sixth Doctor.
11:09As many polls and rankings will demonstrate, Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor is one of the least popular incarnations in the
11:17show.
11:17Digital Spy and Radio Times have both got him at the bottom of their fan voted lists, and even some
11:24of our own rankings do the same.
11:26And it's a similar story with episode polls too, with Baker's debut serial, The Twin Dilemma, being voted televised Who's
11:33worse outing,
11:34not once, not twice, but three separate times by Doctor Who magazine readers.
11:40With hardcore Whovians though, it's a slightly different story.
11:44Sure, it's not like he suddenly shoots to the top of people's lists, but there's no question that love for
11:49Baker's Doctor has increased in recent times,
11:52thanks to his successful run of big Finnish audio dramas.
11:56Indeed, many will agree that The Sixth Doctor works far better on audio,
11:59which is something that our very own Tom Housen noted in 2020, stating,
12:04Big Finnish enhances The Sixth Doctor.
12:07Colin's incarnation is simply a joy, and it's understandable why you'd wish to travel with him.
12:12Colin Baker even got to do an audio story that was written by the king of modern Who, Russell T
12:18Davies,
12:19which instantly upped his Doctor's cool factor.
12:22But all this is to say is that your opinion of The Sixth Doctor is widely dependent on whether or
12:28not you are an audio listener.
12:30His TV era was categorised by its brash tone, violent content and frequent behind-the-scenes drama,
12:37and it was this ill-fated mid-80s run that doomed him to the bottom of those fan polls, likely
12:43for a good long while.
12:44However, he is much more likeable over at Big Finnish, making his entire era a tale of two halves,
12:51and one of the most divisive runs a Doctor has ever had.
12:55Now again, I'm not particularly knowledgeable of the classic era of Who,
13:00so I don't have a strong opinion either way of The Sixth Doctor,
13:04but I have listened to some of the audio adventures that do include him,
13:09particularly The Diary of River Song, and I do think that he sounds very fun and exciting,
13:15so I do agree that the audio dramas have worked in his favour.
13:19Number four, should the Doctor become romantically entangled with their companions?
13:24No hanky-panky in the TARDIS was basically an unwritten rule of the classic era of Doctor Who,
13:30and according to some accounts, it was actually a firm rule.
13:34But regardless as to which version of events is true, the point is clear efforts were made to not have
13:41the Doctor be romantically involved with, well, anyone.
13:45But all that changed with the 1996 TV movie, where all of a sudden Paul McGann's eighth Doctor was snogging
13:52companion Grace Holloway.
13:53Now granted, this was more of an American take on the character, portraying him as a dashing Hollywood hero,
13:59rather than the awkward weird uncle of the main series.
14:02But even when the show returned to British waters with the 2005 revival, that romantic angle didn't go away.
14:10In fact, it actually became more prevalent, with the ninth Doctor and Rose growing closer and closer throughout their time
14:16together,
14:16before capping off series one with a kiss.
14:19Things kicked up a gear when the snogaholic tenth Doctor entered the scene,
14:23with he and Rose pretty much becoming an item by the end of series two,
14:26and even declaring their love for each other, or well, almost in the Doctor's case, on the beach at Bad
14:32Wolf Bay.
14:33The modern show's decision to make the Doctor a romantic character has been criticised and appreciated in equal measure.
14:40To some, the Doctor is an asexual being, which is more or less what we got throughout the entire classic
14:45series.
14:45To others, giving the Doctor a love interest makes them more relatable, and adds an interesting dynamic to their relationship
14:52with their companions.
14:53Either approach can work, which has been demonstrated throughout the decades of the show.
14:58It just entirely depends on what the showrunner at the time wants to do with their version of the character.
15:04We all know that I love River Song, and I do really love that story arc of River and the
15:10Doctor,
15:10but I do think that in terms of a romantic relationship for the Doctor, it needs to be very specific.
15:17In the case of River Song, this character is kind of 50% the point of her,
15:22is to be this mysterious, ambiguous love interest of the Doctor, but she isn't a companion that is there all
15:29the time.
15:29In the case of it being, say, Rose and the Doctor, it was good because it was new.
15:33As we've said, it hadn't been done before, and so it was a new approach to the Doctor Who story.
15:40But, it then became a little bit repetitive as the series went on, when you've still got Martha then pining
15:46after the Doctor,
15:47and even now you've still got, you know, you have Yaz and things like that.
15:51So I think that if it's a specific character whose purpose is to be this ambiguous love interest, it works.
15:58Because I'm always going to defend River Song.
16:00But if it becomes too much of the main drive of the story, it takes away from what Doctor Who
16:07is actually about,
16:08which is about adventure and friendship more than anything else.
16:14From her shock debut in Series 7's Asylum of the Daleks,
16:19it was clear that Clara Oswald was going to be a companion the likes of which we had never seen
16:24before.
16:24Over the coming months, that certainly proved to be true,
16:28with the name of the Doctor revealing that she was born to save the Doctor,
16:31having splintered herself along his timeline to save him from various threats throughout his life.
16:37Continuing this theme of being a Doctor-like character,
16:39Series 8 even saw Clara on occasion fill in for the Time Lord,
16:43most notably in Flatline when he was unable to leave his TARDIS.
16:47And this continued emphasis on the character led to accusations that she was being overused,
16:53with detractors even coining the phrase Clara Who.
16:56Now it is somewhat understandable that these fans felt that Clara was overshadowing the Doctor,
17:01but also overshadowing the show's previous companions.
17:05At the same time though, plenty of viewers found Jenna Coleman's bubbly performance hard to dislike,
17:10and Steven Moffat did garner some props for trying something new,
17:14actively avoiding the same old companion role we'd seen a million times before.
17:19The Clara controversy reached its peak in the Series 9 finale Hellbent,
17:23which was criticised for undoing her death in Face the Raven,
17:27as well as doubling down on her desire to be like the Doctor,
17:31with the episode actually giving her a TARDIS of her own.
17:34Now I'm not personally a massive fan of Clara,
17:37I found her to be a little bit dull in comparison to previous companions.
17:42I did like her original story arc being splintered throughout the Doctor's timeline,
17:48but I think it started to take a very different turn following that.
17:52But I'm not one who likes change very much,
17:55and so I think once the notion of the companion changing slightly
17:59kind of put my nose out of joint slightly,
18:01and maybe that's something that I need to get over more than the show itself.
18:06Number two, should the fourth Doctor have destroyed the Daleks?
18:11There are few moments in Doctor Who history as pivotal as 1975's Genesis of the Daleks.
18:18As the name suggests, this fourth Doctor serial tells the story of the Daleks' origins,
18:23but if Tom Baker's Mad-Eyed Time Lord had acted differently,
18:27it could also have told the story of their end.
18:29Just touch these two strands together and the Daleks are finished.
18:33Have I the right? muses the Doctor,
18:36his hands clutching the device that could end the tin cans forever.
18:39His hesitation is understandable.
18:41After all, genocide is a pretty big thing to have on your conscience,
18:45no matter how deserving the target species may be.
18:47But at the same time, Sarah Jane also makes a valid point,
18:51reminding the Doctor that he will cause untold amounts of suffering if he lets the Daleks live.
18:56And for many years, fans have been having this same debate.
19:00Was the Doctor's decision not to destroy the Daleks his greatest mistake,
19:04or was he right to not alter the future?
19:07From the atrocities of the Time War to their regular attempts to invade Earth,
19:11there's no doubt that the Daleks have done some pretty heinous stuff.
19:14But, as the Doctor notes, fear of the Daleks will prompt many worlds to become allies,
19:19united against a common enemy.
19:21And maybe that's worth all the pain they cause.
19:24I think that the dilemma the Doctor faces in this episode
19:27was a really important message for audiences about morality.
19:31And also, if the series 4 finale is anything to go by,
19:35even if you do attempt genocide in regards to the Daleks,
19:39they're gonna manage to survive somehow anyway.
19:41Number 1. The Timeless Child
19:43It's tough to think of a more controversial moment in Doctor Who history
19:48than the lore-shattering revelations in the series 12 finale The Timeless Children.
19:54This episode told us that the Doctor isn't actually a Time Lord,
19:57but a mysterious being from another universe,
20:00one with the power to regenerate infinitely.
20:03The DNA from this Timeless Child gave the Time Lords their ability to regenerate,
20:07meaning that the Doctor is the chosen one, a god, the foundation of Time Lord society.
20:13This reveal sent shockwaves through Who fandom,
20:16with many feeling that it was unnecessary, convoluted,
20:19and even disrespectful to the show's pre-established history.
20:22What was the point in Eleven's new regeneration cycle in the time of the Doctor?
20:27Do River's own regeneration powers even make sense now?
20:30To some, it was even boring and inconsequential,
20:33what the Doctor can regenerate infinitely.
20:36So?
20:37This was always going to be the way, in some way or another,
20:40for as long as the BBC wanted Doctor Who on the air.
20:44So, the Time Lords lied to the Doctor about their past.
20:47And?
20:48The Doctor has never got on with the Time Lords,
20:51that's part of the reason why they ran away in the first place.
20:54While discourse on the Timeless Child skews largely negative,
20:58there are those who appreciate how it opens up opportunities to explore the Doctor's past.
21:03There's also Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor,
21:05an important piece of the Timeless Child puzzle throughout series 12,
21:09who received a lot of praise for her commanding presence.
21:12All in all, the Timeless Child is still one of the most debated topics
21:15in Doctor Who's various online communities to this day.
21:19Chris Chibnall certainly took a bold swing here,
21:21but considering all the controversy,
21:24perhaps Doctor Who was a question best left unanswered.
21:27Now, at first, I'll be honest, I was very, very, very confused by the Timeless Child story arc.
21:33I didn't understand it, and I was one of those people that felt that it was disrespecting the previous 50
21:39years.
21:4060 years.
21:43But, I do think that there is potential for it,
21:46so long as we are given some more explanations.
21:50As long as those unanswered questions and those loose ends are tied,
21:55I think it has the potential to be a really, really interesting storyline,
21:59and a really good avenue for the show to go down.
22:03So long as it's explored fully and not left ambiguous.
22:07And that concludes our list.
22:09If your opinions are different, then do let us know in the comments below,
22:13but remember to be respectful of other people's opinions.
22:16And while you're there, don't forget to like, and subscribe, and tap that notification bell.
22:20Also, head over to Twitter and follow us there, at WhoCulture,
22:24and I can be found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
22:28I've been Ellie with WhoCulture, and in the words of Riversong herself,
22:33Goodbye, sweeties.
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