Former Doctor Who actor Arthur Darvill believes that Jodie Whittaker’s second season as the Doctor will be better than her first. Whittaker dominated headlines in 2017 when she became the first woman cast in the iconic Doctor role. Although many deemed the casting controversial, the BBC revealed Whittaker in her official costume as the Doctor several months later.
Despite the naysayers, Whittaker’s first season as the Doctor premiered in 2018, when the first episode broke records as the most-watched of the series in its modern history. Whittaker seized the role and made it her own, with Doctor Who season 11 offering up some of the most discussed episodes of the series, including “Rosa,” which had the Doctor meeting Rosa Parks, and “Demons of the Punjab,” which tackled the difficult history of India’s partition. The series also brought back the classic series trend of multiple companions in the TARDIS.
Some fans, though, are still hesitant to embrace Whittaker’s performance as the Doctor based on her first season in the role. In an interview with What’s On TV, Darvill, who portrayed Rory Williams during Matt Smith’s tenure as the Doctor, assured fans that Whittaker’s second season would be even better. He said:
What’s unclear, though, is when the next season of Doctor Who will finally air. It’s been nearly a year since the last episode, a New Year’s Day special, and word of when fans can expect season 12 has been non-existent, save for an announcement from the BBC that it would not air until 2020. That’s a long wait, particularly given there have been no announcements about a potential special episode on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, as has been custom in years past. However, the BBC recently posted a Doctor Who teaser on social media, suggesting fans might have some kind of answer soon.
“I think Jodie is amazing. I’m really looking forward to what they do next year. I always think the second series of anyone in that role is the one where they bloom. You’ve had the year of ‘Will they like it? won’t they like it?’ and then the second year is great. We saw that with David, Matt and Peter, the second series is the one where they have fun.”
In the meantime, Whovians can heed Darvill’s words. The Doctor is one of the trickiest roles to master, especially because it’s a character that has been played multiple people throughout the show’s long run. Whittaker has her first season under her belt, and she likely jumps into the role again for season 12 with more confidence and swagger. A woman in a role previously held only by men, though, will still rub some fans the wrong way, but many will argue that Whittaker has breathed new life into the series. To quote former Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker, Whittaker is “Change, my dears, and not a moment too soon.”
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Source: What’s On TV
