This new Doctor may be a bit more rough around the edges than we've been used to with recent Doctors, but one thing that hasn't changed at all is his passion: For exploring the universe, for protecting the innocent, or for standing up for his friends. He had no qualms about wrestling with Half-Face Man in his open escape pod when the slightest miscalculation in his movements could have sent him plunging to his death instead of Half-Face Man; he risks that chance because it's the only way to save Clara, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax from the clockwork droids. Likewise in Into The Dalek, we see him insist to Rusty that there is goodness and beauty in the universe, and he speaks with the passion of one who truly understands the subject. The Doctor has always possessed a fair amount of enthusiasm for the universe around him, but his latest incarnation takes it to a whole new level. Perhaps his close brush with true death (he would have died for real in The Time of the Doctor if the Time Lords hadn't given him an extra regeneration cycle) has inspired him to be even more appreciative of his surroundings. It will be interesting to see in subsequent episodes how the Doctor shares this passion with the other people he encounters and how any future companions are influenced by this part of his personality.
Paula Luther hails from Pennsylvania and has been an avid Whovian since 2008. She enjoys writing (obviously), reading, dancing, video editing, and building websites. She has also self-published two books on Amazon, "Bart the Bard" and "Android Mae and Other Stories".
