Doctor Who: 7 Key Themes That Defined The Matt Smith Era

4. Religion and Faith

"Doctor Who" has always had a tenuous relationship with organized religion, with the Doctor himself largely championing a humanist worldview and perpetuating a habit of dethroning would-be deities on a semi-regular basis. It's an undercurrent that has been downplayed as much as possible, and it's easy to see why. Offering any sort of critical observation on religion or even faith can stir up a mess of trouble, especially on a program aimed largely at children. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped the writers from slipping in the occasional charge against organized religion or exploring the conception of faith as a dangerous notion. The Church of the Silence is built entirely around the belief that the Doctor will €“ at some point €“ speak a secret so black and unrighteous (i.e. his name) that the very utterance of that secret will undo the very fabric of creation. In their sacred quest to bring down the Doctor, the Silence a) kidnap a child, b) manipulate human history for thousands of years, and c) essentially nuke the Universe by blowing up the Doctor's TARDIS. The Silence become so convinced of the Doctor's malevolence that they fail to see it in themselves, often to universe-shattering results. And yeah, the idea of a militarized space church seems pretty silly, even for "Doctor Who," but then you remember that this exists. On the other hand, faith itself is presented as a double-edged sword. Take little Amelia Pond, sitting in a garden in the vain belief that the mysterious Raggedy Man will hold true to his promise and return to her. By the time he finally does return, she's a grown woman and is, understandably, just a wee bit jaded. The entire fifth series is built around the idea that Amy's adventure with the Doctor is the only thing that can undo the damage he's done, and it's that long-lost faith that saves the Doctor and restores him to the primary universe in "The Big Bang."