Doctor Who season ten is very nearly upon us. This season will be the last time we’ll see Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, since he will regenerate in the Christmas 2017 special. It’s also the last season for showrunner Steven Moffat, before he steps down to be replaced by Doctor Who writer and Broadchurch showrunner, Chris Chibnall.
Joining the Doctor in the TARDIS for season 10 is Nardole (Matt Lucas) and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie). Though Nardole has shared adventures with the Doctor before, this will be his first time as a fully-fledged companion, and for Bill, this is her first alien adventure of any kind. Maybe it’s the imminent departure of the showrunner and its lead, but the latest Doctor Who season ten trailer released online, has an air of finality to it.
Both in terms of the explosive action as well as the more poignant looks and dialogue from the Doctor himself, the new Doctor Who season ten trailer (see above) points to the end for the Doctor. Maybe he knows his time is drawing to a close?
Away from the Doctor, it looks like light relief will come in the form of both companions. Nardole is a naturally funny character anyway, and audiences enjoy his presence, but what of Bill? There’s no doubt that Doctor Who and the BBC are trying to break new ground here; Bill is the first openly gay companion, but that doesn’t seem to be endearing her to fans. The Doctor Who season ten trailers paint her character as highly irritating, which is a shame, since her representation of LGBTQ characters on screen should be a positive thing - but that’s not so easy if the character’s personality is insufferable.
The tagline for the trailer is “A time for heroes,” something that seems particularly poignant in today’s society. It remains to be seen if we’ll see any of the worlds present day’s problems reflected in the storylines, but themes of discrimination, oppression, and war, are all something Doctor Who has dealt with before, and very well, too. Most fans will recall the Doctor’s impassioned speech on war from season nine.
Doctor Who season 10 will see the return of the original Cybermen, as well as Missy, the Doctor’s nemesis. Capaldi describes the Doctor as ‘more alien’ this season, and hopefully, it will give Capaldi a chance to really go out on a high. In a show that’s suffered from budget cuts and poor writing, he has perhaps been made the scapegoat. Let’s hope he gets the send-off that he deserves.
Doctor Who season 10 premieres on BBC1 and BBC America on April 15th.
Source: BBC
