Doctor Who Season Six in Review – Can we go back to having fun now?

Okay, the dust has settled, the TARDIS has stopped making that WHIRR-CHUNK noise, and River Song and the Doctor are apparently hitched. So I’ve been considering the most recent season of Doctor Who, and I have a few thoughts that I’d like to share. First off – Can River Song go away now? She’s gone from an interesting and mysterious character to a sort of creepy MILF, and not in that fun Stiffler’s Mom way.

Alex Kingston is a talented actress, but hearing “Hello Sweetie” is beginning to remind me of my time as an altar boy. This season, with episodes like “The Girl Who Waited” and “The Wedding of River Song”, feels like the cast of Doctor Who desperately wanted to prove that THEY. CAN. ACT. “I emote! Feel as my character feels! My Hamlet was the toast of RADA!” and so on. I don’t think that they recognize that a show with murderous rolling salt shakers isn’t going to ever win anyone a BAFTA award.

Unfortunately, the result gets us away from what makes Doctor Who great – namely, hot chicks in tight fitting clothing and really unlikely monsters. Who doesn’t remember seeing Amy Pond for the first time as a naughty policewoman? I know I do. Hell, I still remember the companion Leela, whose primary character traits were a leather bikini and a willingness to stab first, stab later and then stab some more. Episodes would have been over a lot more quickly had the Doctor just stepped back and let Leela handle things. I also remember Daleks, rubber sea monsters and lots and lots of running. I miss those things.

According to show runner Stephen Moffat, the next season will get back to the more swashbuckling stories next season. That’s a good thing. Give me the TARDIS towing the Earth through space. Give me Captain Jack Harkness and an improbably concealed compact laser deluxe. Give me explosions and daring rescues. Let’s make the Doctor fun again.