More JE thoughts

[jedi_of_urth]

It hasn't even been a week yet, I'm allowed to still be dwelling on this.

Everyone seems to have their own opinion on Ten II, which makes sense considering it really threw a lot of us for a loop and didn't really have time with canon to get used to it. But for my sake I *have* to believe Ten II is 99% the same as the Doctor, has all the memories, feelings, desires, etc. because...because if he's not the same man then I'm mad at everyone, with him being so the end HURTS me, but I don't know who to be mad at (well, RTD), and I like that sort of conflicted feeling better than hating at the show.

But I've started having some weird thoughts about Ten II, like maybe the fact that he's able to take this step and be this man he wants to be, with Rose and family, and a real life is because his 'story' came full circle. The Doctor as we know him was born out of the end of the Time War, it doesn't matter if it was Eight or Nine who pressed the button, that's the event that made him the man we know, the man Rose has known, the man haunted by the loss of his people and his genocide of them and the Daleks.

But now, Ten II has finally done what Ten I never has, ended the Time War (for how long this time?) without losing part of himself in the process. The pre-series end to the Time War had tragic consequences, and the Doomsday end lost Rose and left him heartbroken anew. In the middle, Rose wiped them out, but the Doctor didn't get to 'end' the Time War himself that time. But now Ten II has pressed the button to do that again and...this time no one else died, he's still here, he was new life born out of the Time War rather than just destruction. Wiping out the Daleks, for once, didn't destroy his world.

Of course, this makes things even worse for Ten I, because stopping the Daleks really did destroy his world again, his own self lie that he wouldn't do it again, taking Donna and Rose away from him as part of what happened (he believed Rose would be happier with Ten II, and Ten II was a creation of ending the War this time).

A little cathartic-genocide, who would have thought, and the Doctor (Ten II version) is ready to settle down, build a life and a future with the woman he loves. And Ten I, who still wants that with all his hearts, doesn't believe he can, because he's still going round and round in the story.

Comments

[karenor.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere else today a point which is also relevant. D2, our human, happy with Rose version of the Doctor (I don't like the Ten II moinker that seems to be winning the popularity contests! Though I couldn't say why. Except I never like referring to the Doctor by number if it's not important to differentiate), never heard Davros's condemnation. He never had that moment of realization (as unfair as it is) that he hardens his companions and makes them killers.

I think that's particularly why the proper Doctor was so willing to give up Rose. Not just because he thought she deserved a 'normal' life with his duplicate, but because he didn't want to further damage her. And while his counterpart is possibly more damaged himself (hence Rose needing to fix him), he doesn't know this about himself (i mean, what Davros said) and since he'll never have a TARDIS or travelling companions or have the weight of the world on his shoulders, he won't do that to Rose.

If I had to pick a character to be mad at, though, I'd be mad at the proper Doctor. For thinking he knows what's best for everyone, and for basically denying himself happiness, for a shoddy reason at best. Though it's a little hard to be mad at someone who is so clearly devastated.

[jedi_of_urth]

While I'm sure that is an important point, that Ten II* didn't have that moment in Davros' dungeon, it struck me more the way he so easily pressed the button this time around. At the time I was actually kind of put off by it, how easy it was for Ten II to do it, after all we've seen of the Doctor but...somehow I also think it *did* kind of help him, no matter what Ten I says, he made a choice, he stopped the Daleks and the universe was just better for it, not the usual bitter victory he's gotten before.

I will certainly agree that I can see where Davros' speech influence Ten I's decision to leave Rose behind, even if I am angry at him for it (as hard as it is to be angry at him when he's so broken, somehow he's also the easiest one for me to want to smack some sense into, smacks and hugs for him).

*And I kind of like Ten I and Ten II simply because D2 to me makes him sound like a copy. I usually hate referring to the Doctor as anything but "the Doctor" but to me this seems a bit...fairer. It also makes me think of the Thing I and Thing II song.

[karenor.livejournal.com]

it struck me more the way he so easily pressed the button this time around. At the time I was actually kind of put off by it, how easy it was for Ten II to do it

Me too. My reaction was 'but...but...the Doctor wouldn't do that.'

Which is precisely why the had him do it. To illustrate that there was a difference between them (hence the whole needing to be fixed by Rose).

But it's true. SOMEone had to do it. And the world is, no doubt, a better place for him having killed them. Same as when Rose killed them all.

[rjrog77.livejournal.com]

Though it's a little hard to be mad at someone who is so clearly devastated.

Do what I’m doing, then: love the Doctor and be absolutely stormingly furious with RTD (which is where I think a lot of my feelings about not-him probably stem from).

[karenor.livejournal.com]

love the Doctor and be absolutely stormingly furious with RTD

I don't have the energy to be stormingly furious with anyone. And my feelings towards the creator(s) of the show don't transcend to the characters. We have to take canon as its own closed world. And within the character world... I still blame the Doctor for what went down, so it's hard to just love him right now.