The new Who

It's time to commit to some opinions about the new Dr Who, although I haven't quite made up my mind. Also, we don't get terrific reception on Prime, so I haven't had a proper look at him yet. But he seems young and angular and awkward enough to be geeky and still be attractive. Kind of perfect for a very young Doctor.

He is, however, quite cranky. He is often wrong (tonight he made an error in leaving Amy alone in the dark) and he was critical of River Song when in the end she saved the day. He lies as well, when it suits him, and is brutally honest when that suits him. He loses his temper and shouts a lot. But we've only seen four episodes (sadly missing the first one about the stone angels) so he could grow on me.

However, I've decided I don't like Amy. Or perhaps I don't like what the writers are choosing to do with her character, because on the whole she's the usual perky help mate the Doctor usually requires.

However, whoever is in charge of Dr Who REALLY doesn't like matrimony or any sort of committed relationship. Rose's relationship with her boyfriend was completely despised by both Rose and the script; Donna's putative marriage was a fraud; and this Amy person has taken off with the Doctor on the eve of her wedding. Furthermore tonight she tried to jump the Doctor's bones, which wasn't only wrong because I don't approve of it, but was also wrong because the Doctor's relationship with his companion is always based on love - usually deep affection and respect, sometimes (as with Rose) romantic love, sometimes merely affectionate irritation - but always some sort of care. What Amy was proposing was the opposite of love - sex for sex's sake is a complete affront to love, and to the affection that Amy and the Doctor have already shown to each other. Of course the Doctor declined (basically protesting he was far too old for her "I'm 907!"). He had to. Dr Who is first and foremost a family show. Meaningless sex between two main characters would be completely contrary to the spirit of the thing.

But why include it at all? And why have a girl about to get married propose such a thing?

The creators of this show really hate matrimony.