Doctor Who

Oh my friends, this has been a long time in coming.

"Long time" is relative, as is Time And Relative Dimensions In Space... (TARDIS).

Now, if you have not watched Doctor Who, you will most likely have no concept of the cult following that occurs once you have watched Doctor Who.

Not everyone is disposed to become wild star-gazing dreamers and simultaneous defenders of earth...but if you find that the elements of adventure, danger and possibility captivate you, you are meant for this show.

There is no real way to explain or describe Doctor Who. This can be frustrating for the person who is inexperienced in its wildness (that would be me, as I began to watch). Moreover, the Doctor, and therefore, the whole of the show, is not interested in revealing or explaining much either. At least, not initially. Therefore, if you embark on this journey, you need to keep in mind that Doctor Who engages one in a slow revelation. However, this is not to say that the unveiling of the story does not include numerous sudden and swift enlightenments! To the contrary, it is the many smaller pieces of knowledge and experience that begin to fit together into a masterful tapestry that soon opens your eyes to all of the nuances and creativity that hold Doctor Who above all other shows.

It is not only the experience as far as the travel or the adventures that the characters take on that captures the viewer and requires his or her utmost attention; it is in fact, the characters themselves that are the reason one cannot stop watching. The slow-coming-to-know experience that takes place is not about the story, per se, but about the man. Well, about the Doctor. It is about the Doctor, who sees time and space as relative, and whose experience and knowledge is (forgive me) in a way ever ancient and ever new. The show is about this Doctor, and his life, and his love, and his sacrifice, and all of those whose lives are changed dramatically by friendship with him.

Now, I should be clear, I cannot help but watch Doctor Who with a lens of Catholicity, as I am imbibed with theological doctrine on a daily basis (comes with the job). Therefore, I am sure that I find many elements of the character and the story to mimic or reflect certain elements or aspects of the faith, while they are surely not explicitly meant for that purpose. You have a character who is in many ways above and beyond the natural world that we know, and yet, who desires and loves to be with and among people (humans). Moreover, the character believes in a certain inherent goodness in humanity and often struggles to convince people that they are better than they know themselves to be. This, while of course implicit and hidden, still seems rather Christian to me. However, I am not trying to argue for any secret Christian mission in Doctor Who, but simply pointing to an element that I found to be obvious.

On the whole, I have rarely felt that I am best friends and intimate companions with a character in general, much less a character in a television show. I can understand that level of attachment to a character in literature, because one's imagination holds so much power in the development and experience of the story. However, this show has managed to capture that same spark of freedom where the imagination is free to explore the story while experiencing the story coming to life in front of him or her.

Ah! I love it!

Please, please go watch. Begin at season one, that is very important. And do not make a judgement call on your affection or appreciation for the show until you have watched at least four episodes, as it does take some time to adjust. Ideally, watch into season two. At that point, you should be completely lost to it. If you are not, then no worries. Enjoy something else.

David Tennant, if you ever read this, THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart.