4. The Anti-Religious Agenda
But who
is the Doctor? As long as the show has been on telly, viewers have only ever really been told that he's a mysterious Time Lord who heralds from the planet Gallifrey (and they weren't even told that much for a while!). There are some, though, who have taken it upon themselves to delve even deeper into the character's ominous mythology to reach the conclusion that he's actually a living embodiment of God himself. At least, that's what the writers
want us to believe. This was most heavily discussed during Russell T Davies' era as showrunner, in which the Tenth Doctor in particular was conveyed as a God-like figure (he even rose into the air sandwiched between two angels in one episode) who the human race lay all of their unequivocal faith unto. Russell responded to the speculation in his 2008 book,
The Writer's Tale, in which he stated: "Dumbos think that Im turning the Doctor into God when clearly Im saying that God doesnt exist, that we mythologise real people, events or aspirations into deities and pay the price for it." Even the Tenth Doctor himself started to think that he was God at one point, and you won't need reminding how
that ended... So, is the Doctor a modern Messiah, or he just a
very naughty Time Lord? You decide.