At the time of writing this, we're a little over a week out from the launch of season 11 of Doctor Who, which is October 7th, and I could not be any more excited than I am now. I've been a fan of Doctor Who since middle school and I'm not ashamed to admit I've had several posters and T.A.R.D.I.S. themed pieces of art hanging in my bedroom on more than few occasions.
From the time I found it on Netflix, I've absolutely been in love with the show and all the wonderful characters that populate it. I've adored watching all the new adventures, the new interviews that come with the various casts of the show, the new stories, and the general excitement of every new season. Admittedly, I've liked some more than others, but Doctor Who is definitely a bright spot in my life.
One thing that always stuck out to me was how much I adored the companions the Doctor picked up along his adventures. Especially when I was younger, I found myself often attaching myself to these characters and likening my own "adventure" of watching the show to what they experienced while following the Doctor. I always associated myself with the person who was constantly learning and exploring, but usually not really taking the initiative to find the adventures myself.
I was always the person along for the ride, never the one who was really in control of it.
Now, that's not to say that's necessarily a bad thing. The companions certainly all had their bright (and dark) moments, and I think I eventually fell in love with most of them, even if it was sometimes a rocky introduction.
The Doctor was a sort of ideal, though. An exciting alien who traveled through space and time, who had immense struggles but still looked out for humankind, who was a hero even when he couldn't see it himself. I was never really the hero of the story.
Then Jodie Whittaker was announced as the next Doctor and my first thought was about how excited I would've been in middle school to hear that. I'm definitely excited about it now but I think, especially when I was younger, I would've really attached to the character simply based on the fact she's the first woman to play the Doctor. I was never a very loud person and I struggled a lot with taking control and learning how to lead as I got older.
While I eventually reached some leadership positions, it never felt like a natural place for me to be and I think having someone to look up to like The Doctor would've really helped me. While that might seem like a stretch, I once justified an awful haircut in ninth grade because it was sort of similar (not really) to a haircut Clara Oswald has in an episode of Doctor Who, so really anything is possible.
The character of the Doctor was where I learned that it was alright to enjoy the really nerdy and absurd things, even if no one else did. I think seeing that character portrayed as a woman when I was younger would've affected me even more deeply than it did already.
No matter how long it took, I am so incredibly excited to see Jodie Whittaker step into the T.A.R.D.I.S. along with the rest of the new crew. I can't wait for all the amazing adventures, heartfelt moments, and wonderful characters Doctor Who has to offer this season. I'm more than ready to embrace this new journey.
