10 Simple Fixes For Doctor Who's Future
4. Cut Down On The Crying
The Fifteenth Doctor is more in touch with his emotions than any of his predecessors. But is there such a thing as being too emotional?
A crying Doctor definitely has impact. Look at the scene in Boom where Ruby gets shot – it's made all the more gut-wrenching by the fact that we can see and hear the Doctor's hearts shatter into tiny pieces.
However, when it doesn't work – and when it happens constantly – it undermines the character of the Doctor. Imagine if, during the big cliffhanger in The Time of Angels, the Eleventh Doctor froze up like the Fifteenth Doctor does at the end of The Legend of Ruby Sunday. The Eleventh Doctor has a big hero moment, delivering a speech to the Angels, while the Fifteenth Doctor stands aghast and does nothing as Sutekh brings his gift of death to all of humanity.
That's not the Doctor. The Doctor would snap out of his shock, his fear, and defiantly warn Sutekh not to cross him, declaring that he's going to save everyone in the universe!
Nobody is saying that the Doctor shouldn't cry or be more emotional. This trait of the Fifteenth Doctor has lots of storytelling potential, and when it works (like in Boom), it enhances the scene. But when it happens at the wrong time and in basically every episode, it loses its impact. This is something that needs to be balanced a little better in Season 2, and beyond.