I’m sorry, Cienna, I don’t agree.
Let me be clear: seasons 5 & 6, of which Doctor Eleven is Lord, are great. I love Steven Moffat’s story-telling… the first two episodes of season 6 took me to a creepy place I haven’t been since another Moffat episode, “Blink”. And Amy Pond is fan-frakking-tastic… I love her as much as I loved Rose Tyler, for entirely different reasons. (And I love Rory as much as I loved Micky.)
But oh, Matt Smith. I’ve been trying, I really have. I want to love him! And I don’t hate him… sometimes I even like him (like when he announces whatever new apparel he’s wearing as “cool”). But I actually find his youth irritating. And his mannerisms. And his hipster haircut.
David Tennant won me over in one episode (his first, “The Christmas Invasion”). He was simultaneously funny, erratic, brilliant, sympathetic, and so entirely badass. Matt Smith’s badassery feels borrowed… which, in the context of the story, it is: borrowed from his previous incarnations… so maybe that’s fine. But it doesn’t make me feel safe. I disagree with the linked article’s premise that he was written as Superman, or that it never felt they were in danger. Yes, David Tennant, despite being the youngest Doctor before Smith, exuded a confidence that made me certain he was going to get it done, whatever it was. But additionally he felt so smart, so quick on his feet in a way I still haven’t gotten from Smith. And The Doctor’s tip into megalomania in “The Waters of Mars” was brilliantly acted by Tennant. I don’t think Smith would have pulled that off… he feels like he’s wearing his dad’s clothes, playing at being The Doctor.
“he feels like he’s wearing his dad’s clothes, playing at being The Doctor.”
Yup. Every time I watch these kids I feel like they are doing the high school drama version of Dr Who. I do enjoy it (mainly because of the ultra faboo River Song), but I feel them acting the whole time. Smith I am kind of neutral about, but Amy, arrrrrrgh. I feel like she rotates through about three faces. *scared gulpy face* *saucy I’m hot face* and *whee, this is fun!* I thought Eccleston was really interesting and fab, but only until I saw Tennant/Rose. Loved them (while Billie still had full range of motion in her face).
I confess that I’m too enthralled with the magnificent Alex Kingston to notice much else. When she’s not around, and I actually see Matt Smith, he’s pretty good. Eccleston’s still my favorite, but I can’t pretend that’s anything other than a subjective preference.