Despite being centered on an alien who was centuries old, Doctor Who always felt familiar as a show. However, ever since the BBC partnered with Disney to develop new seasons, Doctor Who has lost its way, and the heart that made the show so relatable is nowhere to be seen. The fault doesn’t lie in the hands of Ncuti Gatwaor either of his companions, who all proved their acting abilities at various points throughout the show. Instead, the problem seems to run a lot deeper — with the root cause being the restructuring of the show’s foundation.
The streamlined nature of shorter seasons, for instance, has forced Doctor Who to leave behind the quieter, individualistic stories that have no impact on the wider story arc. Every episode either separated Gatwa’s Doctor and his companion or saw the Doctor missing entirely. This is not to say the moments of distance aren’t important, but they do heighten the absence of time afforded to deepening the show’s relationships. The return of Jodie Whittaker only highlighted this issue, as she provided a moment of introspection that Gatwa’s Doctor just hasn’t been given the freedom to do. As Whittaker’s Doctor lamented her feelings for Yaz (Mandeep Gill), emotions that brewed over the course of her run, it was a moment that only emphasized how this type of character development has been lost now thatDoctor Who just doesn’t have the space to breathe anymore.
‘Doctor Who’ No Longer Has Filler Episodes
Doctor Who lost one of its most crucial episodic formats during Gatwa’s run — not episodes that are vital in tying together all the threads in a season finale, but episodes that have no significance to the bigger picture and only serve to offer more backstory on the current iteration of the Time Lord. Sometimes referred to as “filler episodes,” these singular stories often take place in one location and give a show the opportunity to take a break from the bigger-picture arc. The best versions of these stories on Doctor Who show the Doctor taking part in human traditions, such as “The Lodger,” which sees Matt Smith’s Doctor playing football, or “Midnight,” which highlights David Tennant’s Doctor as a regular tourist.
Often, these filler episodes also see the Doctor returning to Earth due to a technological flux forcing him to recalibrate the TARDIS in some capacity. These stories explore the companions’ lives outside of the Doctor. “The Caretaker” gives insight into Clara’s (Jenna Coleman) work at Coal Hill School, and “Boom Town” delves deeper into Rose (Billie Piper) and Mickey’s (Noel Clarke) strained relationship. Although the description of “filler” may suggest these episodes aren’t important, they are vital to the humanity and heart of Doctor Who. Even passing scenes of the Doctor walking down the street eating chips give the show genuine relatability. Now, shorter seasons equal the show feeling it has to race to pack all the relevant information in ahead of the finale.
Martha Jones Was the Gold Standard of Character Development in ‘Doctor Who’
At first glance, a scan through Gatwa’s run may present examples of filler episodes, but the most obvious comparison that these character-focused episodes are gone comes through looking at both Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). When Belinda was introduced, her desire to get home was refreshing, and she challenged the Doctor’s perspective. However, this longing never held true weight as we didn’t meet her parents until the final moments, after her whole narrative had been shifted.
In contrast, Martha also had one season as the Doctor’s main companion, but her home life was a central focus and a driving force for her character. Through this, her family was made integral to the plot, and was even given a whole episode to showcase their dynamic. “The Lazarus Experiment” could be considered a filler episode, but it also showcased more than one facet of Martha’s character. Once her family was put at the center of the danger in the Season 3 finale, the stakes felt tangible. In the show’s most recent season, however, Belinda suddenly becoming Poppy’s mother, with the plot seemingly retconning her reason for wanting to get back home in the process, is the antithesis of Martha’s character development. Even the appearance of Belinda’s mom at the climax of “The Reality War” is jarring, because the moment had no build-up.
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Jodie Whittaker’s Return Emphasized the Character Development Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Has Lacked
However, Whittaker’s return is what really emphasizes Disney’s uncertain position with Doctor Who. She bounced into the TARDIS and immediately declared her presence, with her signature dry humor and ability to explain complex processes with clarity and precision. However, it’s the quiet moment she shares with Gatwa’s Doctor, where she realizes she should tell Yaz she loves her, that steals the show. It has power because, despite all the viewer complaints about her run, Whittaker’s Doctor was given character development that Gatwa’s has been missing.
Whittaker’s run as the Doctor emphasized the Time Lord’s desire for family and community following the emotional toll of losing Bill (Pearl Mackie) and Clara during Peter Capaldi’s run. It was the reason she chose to travel with Yaz, Ryan (Tosin Cole), and Graham (Bradley Walsh), becoming an unorthodox family in the process. Even though the show was criticized during Whittaker’s run, it still centered the characters and prioritized authenticity. As a consequence, Whittaker’s return to the TARDIS felt much more narratively significant — and, comparatively, made the new Doctor’s worries feel trivial and underdeveloped.
Under Disney, Doctor Who too often separates the Doctor and his companion, or sees the Doctor completely absent. Therefore, important moments of character development and filler episodes are cut. Stories that merely serve to strengthen the Doctor’s relationship with his companion seem to be totally absent. The only true example of Gatwa getting a moment of breathing room came in “Joy to the World,” when he was forced to wait in the hotel with Anita (Steph De Whalley). The pair’s chemistry and magnetism were only clear because the Doctor was given time to pause, and further confirmed that the show’s shortened seasons suffer hugely from missing these moments.If Doctor Who truly wants to return to its peak, especially in the wake of a new regeneration, it needs to focus on the mundane as much as it focuses on the spectacle.
