9 Adult Themes in the New Doctor Who – Is It Still a Kid’s Show?

By Mary Ogle / October 4, 2012

6. Vengeance / Self-Righteousness

Rigidity of thought and action is, unfortunately, a trap most of us fall into with alarming regularity. From an evolutionary survival point of view this is understandable but also increasingly problematic. We learn from experience €“ don€™t put your hand in the fire, don€™t walk out on thin ice €“ but this knowledge serves us only to a point. We have a tendency to believe that the first thing we are taught is the one and only answer and we find it difficult to explore other options in situations we deem similar. When we are absolutely certain that our cause and actions are justified we€™ve just blocked ourselves from being able to see any other path to a solution. In Doctor Who, this is explored quite thoroughly in the actions of the Doctor. He is usually merciful but not always. When traveling alone and not consistently exposed to the points of view of others, he has a tendency to become self-righteous, even vengeful, and abuse his power. In €œDinosaurs on a Spaceship€ the Doctor is quite casual about sending Solomon to his death. The writers have gone a long way in this episode in portraying Solomon as truly reprehensible and there€™s a scene that many thought went too far, especially in a family oriented show. Solomon turns to Nefertiti and tells her, in a very salacious way, that he will enjoy breaking her. Was that too much? Perhaps €“ but I€™ll leave you with this. Sexual violence against women and girls is prevalent in our society and it starts early. Every woman I know, every single one including myself, has at least one story, and usually multiple ones about dealing with sexual situations, harassment and/or predators from a very young age. Doctor Who is careful to show Nefertiti€™s confidence in her self-worth €“ she defends against and defeats Solomon herself €“ it is not the Doctor who ultimately saves her. The most important thing about Doctor Who€™s approach to portraying vengeance, in my opinion, is that when the Doctor does resort to violence, even when it can be argued that it was justified, there are consequences. You certainly don€™t get a sense that the Doctor, if he sleeps at all, sleeps well. When he does not choose a less destructive path he is obviously wracked with guilt and self-loathing. There sometimes may be no way to avoid a fight, but the Doctor is not usually complacent about that decision and it is not the place he usually turns to first. When he does not heed the voice of reason, his own or his companions, he and those around him are almost always impacted in a negative way. He€™s a force for good, usually, but moral decisions are not always black and white.