"He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe. And... he's wonderful." Tim Latimer Paul Cornell's Family two-parter was a masterpiece; a study of chasm-like contrasts explored in Doctor Who, such as the differences between kindness and mercilessness, war and peace, and what it means to be human or alien. And the centrepiece of John Smith coming to terms with his alien side, is the quote from Timothy about who he really is. Again, stark contrasts are presented side by side, as the Doctor is described with elegant majesty, but though the similes present him as a terrifying creature, they could be interpreted alternately. The "fire" enforces a passion about him, as does "the heart of the sun", and the idea of him living in the centre of time, watching the universe, suggests a godliness to the Doctor. It's perhaps no surprise that Time Lords are constantly referred to by their fieriness, given that the Gallifreyan skies glow orange. It's the final words though that everyone remembers: the Doctor is wonderful, despite how dangerous he might appear. It's such a simple end to a perfect quotation.
