Doctor Who Thought
Jul. 10th, 2008 02:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteSo I have been pondering the Valeyard...
As long time fans recall, the Valeyard was an antagonist during the "Trial of a TimeLord" story at the end of the Colin Baker (Six) Era. At the end of that story, it was revealed that the Valeyard is in fact some sort of shadow Doctor, a distillation of his evil side that emerged somehow between his 12th and final lives. It's the kind of idea that I think Whovians have always loved, at once rather silly and rather intriguing. And it's the kind of thing that Whovians have been pondering for years, especially after Nine gave way to Ten and we wondered, "what will happen after Twelve?" I'm sure, in fact, that Rusty must have been thinking the same thing, given how many other old ideas he's brought back.
Suppose, however, that we have been wrong all along. And that the Valeyard isn't out Doctor. Suppose it's 10-A (the half-human copy left in Rose's world). Imagine that an embittered 10-A somehow gets his hands on the right technology to travel both home and back in time and assumes the role of the Valeyard, knowing he could seek revenge on the other Doctor, knowing what mistakes to avoid. He could even manipulate the Master into thinking that he's that shadow self and not a separate version of the Doctor, which would of course also leave seeds of doubt in Six about his destiny.
This would allow the show to bring back Ten-A as a bad guy if they wanted, to have another actor play him, and to use a villain that we might never otherwise see. And it doesn't require using up anymore regenerations. Unless you want to suggest that Ten-A DOES regenerate after all and that he becomes that Valeyard only after represses his "self-loathing" for so long. Of course, this wouldn't explain how the Valeyard survived the Time War, but then if he knows the future and has dimension-leaping tech, he could just get out of the way and wait it out and strike against himself at a better time.
So, just a thought, but maybe a way to make something really interesting from the messy ending Ten-A got.
As long time fans recall, the Valeyard was an antagonist during the "Trial of a TimeLord" story at the end of the Colin Baker (Six) Era. At the end of that story, it was revealed that the Valeyard is in fact some sort of shadow Doctor, a distillation of his evil side that emerged somehow between his 12th and final lives. It's the kind of idea that I think Whovians have always loved, at once rather silly and rather intriguing. And it's the kind of thing that Whovians have been pondering for years, especially after Nine gave way to Ten and we wondered, "what will happen after Twelve?" I'm sure, in fact, that Rusty must have been thinking the same thing, given how many other old ideas he's brought back.
Suppose, however, that we have been wrong all along. And that the Valeyard isn't out Doctor. Suppose it's 10-A (the half-human copy left in Rose's world). Imagine that an embittered 10-A somehow gets his hands on the right technology to travel both home and back in time and assumes the role of the Valeyard, knowing he could seek revenge on the other Doctor, knowing what mistakes to avoid. He could even manipulate the Master into thinking that he's that shadow self and not a separate version of the Doctor, which would of course also leave seeds of doubt in Six about his destiny.
This would allow the show to bring back Ten-A as a bad guy if they wanted, to have another actor play him, and to use a villain that we might never otherwise see. And it doesn't require using up anymore regenerations. Unless you want to suggest that Ten-A DOES regenerate after all and that he becomes that Valeyard only after represses his "self-loathing" for so long. Of course, this wouldn't explain how the Valeyard survived the Time War, but then if he knows the future and has dimension-leaping tech, he could just get out of the way and wait it out and strike against himself at a better time.
So, just a thought, but maybe a way to make something really interesting from the messy ending Ten-A got.
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(no subject)
Date: Jul. 10th, 2008 06:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 10th, 2008 06:24 pm (UTC)Look, references back are fine, and I'd never suggest that the show shouldn't work with its many years of show--it can produce great work, such as "School Reunion"...but in four years, we've had the Daleks at the season finale three times (plus a pair of disastrous episodes in season three), the Cybermen in season two and it sounds like they're back again for the Christmas special...
That's one reason I'm glad Steven "Vashta Nerada, Weeping Angels, clockwork androids in France" Moffat is taking the reins. It's great to use history...but bad to be constrained by it.
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Date: Jul. 10th, 2008 10:04 pm (UTC)