The new Doctor Who season is starting off with maximum silliness, and an emphasis on fantasy over science fiction.
One nice benefit of Doctor Who moving to Disney+ (at least in the US) and being available for streaming first, even in the UK, is that the episodes now drop for me on Friday evenings, a much better time than the Sunday evenings of the Chibnall era. So I was able to watch the first two new episodes last night: Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord.
Space Babies is pretty silly and aims for maximum cuteness, but still seems recognizably sci-fi. Although like the Christmas special episode: The Church on Ruby Road, The Devi’s Chord is decidedly more on the fantasy side. I was warned about the turn toward fantasy from some of the interviews by the showrunner Russell T. Davies, so it wasn’t as jarring as the Christmas special.
Of course, Doctor Who has always been a show that included a lot of fantasy. I recently discovered that there’s a Classic Doctor Who Britbox channel that cycles through many of the classic episodes, mostly Tom Baker and later. Often the classic show had ghost stories and others with a supernatural feel. But usually there was at least a quick technobabble explanation about why it wasn’t outright supernatural. I didn’t catch any explanations like this in the Christmas episode or The Devil’s Chord.
Of course, the viewer can always infer that these are aliens, transdimensional beings, or whatever. But Davies seems to have decided he isn’t going to bother helping with it. I fully understand Doctor Who has never been a show that takes itself too seriously. (Actually when the producers do make the mistake of taking it too seriously is when the ratings fall.) But it has historically at least paid some lip service to a rational view of reality. As a long time science fiction fan, I’m not wild about it abandoning that stance.
Many will argue that the distinctions between fantasy and science fiction have always been artificial anyway, and I do have some sympathy with that argument. Ostensibly science fiction is a genre of stories where the sense of wonder is based on science, real or speculative. But writers have always pushed that to where the technology is essentially magic with metal machines rather than talismans, or with technobabble rather than spells, leading people like Orson Scott Card to argue that the difference is really just aesthetic.
In a recent brief NY Times post, John Hodgman makes an interesting case in arguing for Star Wars being fantasy, that science fiction is typically forward looking while fantasy is more grounded in nostalgia. (I was alerted to this post from a response Kristen Patterson made to it, which also makes interesting points in opposition.)
Hodgman’s distinction is interesting. It does seem to capture a lot of the differences, since sci-fi often takes place in the future to some degree, and fantasy typically in the past. In that sense, Star Wars’ opening, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” does heavily tilt it toward fantasy. Compare to Star Trek which is about our own future that we succeed in building. Although it’s not hard to think of counter examples, such as the Shannara books, which are clearly fantasy despite taking place in a post-apocalyptic future; admittedly this is because it avails itself of nostalgic medieval imagery.
Another distinction people have mentioned in conversation is that sci-fi is when the magic is more evenly distributed, not just among a chosen few. There is some fantasy where you can go down to a corner magic store and buy spells (D&D), but it’s not as common in as it is in sci-fi, where access to high tech weapons or spaceships is typically more of an economic constraint.
Where does that leave a time traveling show like Doctor Who? It’s noteworthy that the Doctor travels in a machine. You could argue that the TARDIS is essentially magic, but it’s magic surrounded by techobabble with metal and equipment consoles. But it’s also a show where many of the stories take place in the past, often with a nostalgic atmosphere.
Anyway, the fantasy orientation in The Devil’s Chord didn’t bother me as much as I feared it might, probably because it’s pretty well done. Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor is definitely growing on me. And Jinkx Monsoon’s performance as the villain Maestro seems very well done. Although the song and dance number at the end threw me out of the story. But I have to admit I enjoyed the episode more than I felt I should have.
That said, we’ve had three silly episodes in a row now. I don’t mind occasional silliness, but there comes a point where a show isn’t taking itself with any seriousness at all. Thankfully the previews for next week’s episode looks like a Dalek one on the planet Skaro, which is one of the darkest settings for Doctor Who, so hopefully with the initial character development done, things are about to get more balanced out.
Have you seen the new episodes? If so, what did you think? Watching anything else interesting right now?
SelfAwarePatterns 
I have not watched any episode of Dr who.
Am I watching anything interesting, not at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I remember, you’re not big on TV shows in general due to the time commitment. And Doctor Who’s hundreds of past episodes can be a major obstacle. Although they’re trying to start somewhat fresh with the new audience. But probably not worth it if you don’t already have access to one of its distribution channels.
LikeLike
Apart from time constraints, I am generally no fun of TV. Series especially so. I prefer movies. 2- 3 hrs and we are done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Starwars’ Force === magic.
On Doctor Who… I happened upon an audio presentation of an early episode (1966) “The War Machines”. WOTAN was a computer that became sentient. It developed the belief that humans were inferior.
Damn! I thought, how prescient.
Not much of a fan though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Midichlorians! (Don’t hit me.)
That Doctor Who classics channel I found doesn’t seem to get into the 1960s episodes. I wouldn’t mind watching those. But it looks like you have to actually subscribe to Britbox to get them. I might have to do that for a month or two, both for that and Blake’s 7.
The show is definitely wacky in a way that’s not for everyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I watched a few of the Baker versions back in the 80’s, I recall enjoying those.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Baker is definitely my favorite, at least for the old series. But you have to make a lot of allowances for the low budgets back then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Midichlorians, yeah. And Harry Potter manipulates dark matter, or the multiverse. I feel sorry for the world that gets sucked dry through Potter magic.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Being of a certain age, my preferences lie towards the old docs, in the rebooted series I think the last guy I liked was Christopher Eccleston. As to SF vs fantasy, its a bit like porn – hard to describe but we know it when we see it. And what is science we can’t explain (like FTL travel) but magic? If its something that ultimately the universe cannot allow, then its the waving of an imaginal wand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been okay with all the Doctors so far in the reboot, although some took a while to grow on me. The Tenant and Smith stories seemed to hit a high the series has struggled to get back to. While I liked both Capaldi and Whittaker, the show during both their runs made that mistake I mentioned in the post of taking itself too seriously. Hopefully the stretch of silly episodes is meant to be a reset.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed the movie, American Fiction, which was recommended to me. I had to seek it out to watch it—I think it was on Paramount or something like that—and because it was recommended I actually subscribed for the free trial just to watch it. Totally worth it.
On Netflix I just watched Peanut Butter Falcon, which I never would have watched from the description of it (it seems like precisely the kind of movie I wouldn’t like—schmaltzy), but a reference to Huck Finn caught my eye and I decided to give it a go. The acting was wonderful and really made it work in a quietly funny sort of way. Great sense of place too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the recommendations! I had heard the name of the movie American Fiction but had no idea what it was about. Interesting. And I hadn’t heard at all about Peanut Butter Falcon. I see what you mean about the description. Definitely not one I would consider without a recommendation.
On a similar track, today I got into Vinland Saga, an anime I would never have considered without its universal acclaim. Although it’s a pretty grim tale compared to yours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Shia’s second-most good acting part. PBF, Worth the time.
LikeLike
Gatwa was rather good in “Sex Education”. I think I’ll stick to that. I have little time for silliness and have found Dr Who incurably dull in recent years. I enjoyed your discussion of the nature of sci fi however.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. If you like Gatwa or the 2005-2009 Doctor Who seasons, it might be worth your time to sample one or two of the new episodes. There seems to be a determined effort for a reset. But there’s no mistaking that they are silly at this point.
LikeLike
I watched the last Christmas episode just yesterday, and was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I’m definitely intending to watch the other new episodes.
I think the difference between Sci Fi and fantasy is really more about the ethos of the writing than the actual world, technology, or time period it’s set in. Sci Fi uses the imagination to pose philosophical questions. Fantasy is more or less escapism (in the best sense). Doctor Who moves back and forth between the two, and is often both.
On a related note, I recently heard the suggestion that the myth making impulse has moved to science fiction. Where monsters used to live near the edges of the world, they now must live in space, “the final frontier”. And rather than looking to the past to get the stories that tell us who we are, we now look to the future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good points. Although Lord of the Rings does delve into theological flavored philosophy at many points, with a Song of Ice and Fire often offering counter philosophy. And a good amount of sci-fi is basically escapism. Granted, it usually feels shallow if it’s completely devoid of those philosophical questions.
It seems like the whole sci-fi/fantasy genre to some degree exists on a continuum between philosophical speculation and escapism. Consider the fact that space travel is rarely portrayed as something sui generis, but as traveling over a much vaster ocean, with a lot of nostalgic naval and colonial forms carried over.
I do agree Doctor Who veers toward both ends of the continuum.
On the mythological point, it is interesting that one of the earliest stories labeled science fiction is Johannes Kepler’s Somnium, a story I suspect Kepler, an early staunch Copernican, wrote to dramatize the heliocentric view of reality, a sort of mythology to act as a counter to all the mythology that affirmed the old view of reality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you have any particular examples for Lord of the Rings? I can’t think of any where it’s posing philosophical/theological questions, but it does have a strong philosophy/theology as a kind of background ethos.
I hadn’t heard of Somnium, I’ll have to give it a read. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s been decades since I last read the books, but what comes to mind is Gandalf’s discussion of Gollum, pondering whether he can be saved “before he dies”. And Gollum’s overall struggle, inviting us to wonder how we would have fared in his place. Or Gandalf and the elves’ attitude that Frodo could only be the ringbearer of his own free will. There’s also the limitations of Sauron’s strategy because he can’t comprehend the idea of someone else destroying power.
Granted, it’s all within the framework of a traditional Christian outlook, which is inherently more nostalgic than something like The Dark Knight’s exploration of the prisoner’s dilemma.
I’ve never actually read Somnium, just about it. I’m not sure how well it would read by today’s standards.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m enjoying the new season of Doctor Who so far, but I would be happier if they sprinkled in just a bit more science. Tell me Maestro quantum tunneled into our reality, or that the goblin ship sails on currents of dark energy. I’m not even asking for good science here. I just want something that sounds vaguely science-like.
But Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are awesome in the lead roles, and I hope we get more Jinkx Monsoon as Maestro. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a Doctor Who villain so much since John Simm played the Master.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with you on wanting science at least acknowledged, even if it’s just the vaguest trappings. But I fear we’re in the minority, at least judging by most reactions on social media. More people were upset about the episodes for political reasons than the fantasy turn. At least the latest episode felt sci-fi.
I’m kind of bummed that we’re already three episodes in however. There are only eight this season.
LikeLike
Only eight? That’s hardly a season at all!
LikeLike
I know. And all the producers seem to have agreed that eight is enough. I was good when the episode count went down to 10-12, because it jettisoned the filler episodes, but eight is barely a series. (It’s a little better if the eight are long episodes, but “Boom” was like 40 minutes.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess some of the Marvel and Star Wars series are only eight episodes. I’m just used to Doctor Who being longer. And I remember some of the “filler” episodes of Doctor Who being really interesting, as if the writers treated them as a chance to get experimental.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And it’s eight after two years of only the occasional special. Although I guess the three specials in November / December are really part of the same season from a production standpoint.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess that’s true. So that’s eleven episodes total. I still feel a little bit cheated, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person