It's that time again when I search for articles on Matt. Here is what I discovered:
FAREWELL TO MATT SMITH/ ELEVENTH DOCTOR
Do you have what it takes to be the Doctor? Apparently, it's all in the looks. Read here
TIME OF THE DOCTOR
Doctor Who Magazine reveals there will be nudity in Time of the Doctor. Read here
Orla Brady's interview with Den of Geek about Time of the Doctor. Read here
Steven Moffat talks about a new female character and how this farewell will differ from David's. Read here
In an interview with SFX, Moffat was pretty matter-of-fact on the topic Tennant's "I don't want to go" regeneration scene saying, "The Doctor doesn’t die. He really doesn’t. He just gets a new body. He escapes death, he evades death, so that’s a triumphant ending rather than a sad ending."
'I was trying to think about it from the point of view of what it would be like if someone told you, “When you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll still be alive, but you won’t be the same. You will like different things, you will sound different, you will look different, and have a different temperament.” That would be utterly terrifying.That would feel not like death, but something quite mortifying – you would be horrified by the idea of just being rewritten like that. I think that’s what contemplating regeneration must be like for the Doctor. So there’s an element of that, but because it was played that way the last time we wouldn’t play it the same way this time – that would just be wrong
Read here
STEVEN MOFFAT AND PETER CAPALDI
Jenna Coleman says the show will move in a new direction with Peter Capaldi. Read here
Steven Moffat on moving on with Peter Capaldi. Read here
Steven Moffat on Series 8. Read here
An in depth look at Steven Moffat. Read here
PERSONAL MUSINGS
With the recent death of Nelson Mandela, Paul Walker and Peter O'Toole, I began to ponder why these deaths matter to us. Mandela's death is so much more significant and poignant than anything I can say other than he was our generation's Gandhi. The man may not have been a saint, but he was a beacon of hope and a symbol of strength. I could honestly write an essay on why his death matters.
It is not as easy to explain why the death of a fictional character or actor matters to us. The best way I can explain it is we choose these people. We choose to let the Doctor into our homes every week. We choose to pay money to go to the cinema to see our favourite stars. We choose to buy the blurays and merchandise. Although it may not always be a conscious choice, we are actively seeking these people out and trying to create a connection with them.
The choices are often sentimental. We buy into these characters and/or actors, because something resonates with us. Sometimes it can be as simple as gazing into a mirror. We see our own actions and hear our own words reflected back upon us and that gives us a moment to pause. Since the words or gestures are not coming from our mouth or body, it offers a glimpse into how we must sound or look to others and to ourselves. The introspections offer clarity, catharsis and hope.
Sometimes these characters inspire and drive us into things we never dare dreamed. We can indulge in our fantasies, but also create blueprints for our future. In some cases, these fictional characters and worlds influence what we do with our lives like those who pursued science and engineering due to Star Trek.
They are our heroes, teachers, and/or imaginary lovers. They express things within ourselves that we fail to say aloud. They evoke our greatest desires, dreams, hope, fears, sorrows, and everything in between. They rekindle our childlike wonder and youth and yet allow us to grow wise at the same time. They take us on adventures and tell us stories about our lives and universe. They influence the clothes we wear, the way we style our hair, the way we speak, and our perspectives of the world.
If it is an actor we take special interest in, we choose to stay up and watch them being interviewed on late night talk shows or wake up early to see them on breakfast shows. We seek out information about these people and take the time to learn as much as we can about them. We can spend anywhere between minutes to hours to days to years just thinking about these people. It's no wonder why there is a sense of loss when they leave. There is a small, yet genuine, moment of mourning or grief when that character dies or is simply off the air. There is a longer grief period when the actual actor dies depending on how much we have invested in that person.
So how do we say goodbye? I don't really know. We all need to process it in our own ways. In the case of some fans, they put it best to music and video.
