Doctor Who’s “Can You Hear Me?” gave us some truly spooky episode goodness while reminding us of a universal truth: all those who travel with the Doctor eventually leave the Doctor. And I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for that. Nope. Not one bit.
The End is Near
You could feel it in the air in “Can You Hear Me?” The end is near. Not just for the season. I’m talking about the end for some of our companions. Each one comes to a point where they realize how much they’ve traveled, what they’ve gained, and what they’ve lost with the Doctor. For some, looking at you Ryan, it seems like they’re about to leave. For others like Yasmin, they’re still ok with the Doctor dropping them off whenever they want.
And yes, Ryan is right. You don’t end up being the same person who left your friends and family. You’ll be a different person. A grown ass person with experiences that many have and never will feel again. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong or something to be avoided because it’s new and scary. If anything, I’d embrace it and keep going until I’m ready to hang up my coat and go back to a boring ol’ life.
Keeping that all in mind, I think Ryan is the first one to go home. He sees how his traveling has affected his friend Tibo and he’s not sure if he wants to be that kind of person or friend that just pops in every couple of months or something. Yasmin, there’s a possibility that she might go. She has her career to think about and I think her sister matters, even if she’s a pain in the ass. Slight possibility considering she loves traveling with the Doctor.
The one I’m not sure about is Graham. He lost his wife and only has Ryan to really care for. If Ryan is gone, what does that mean for Graham and will he continue traveling with the Doctor, knowing that Ryan is settling down and creating a life for himself back on Earth? He loves traveling with the Doctor just as much as Ryan and Yaz does but his family settling down might be the thing that changes it all.
Fact of the matter is, I don’t like that change is coming for Doctor Who. Like everyone else, change means loss and I’ve come to know and love these humans. Please don’t make me have to fathom them leaving. Please? Just for a little bit longer let me live in ignorance and not like every companion who comes into the Doctors life eventually has to go away as well.
Goddess Was a Woman of Color
I always like when shows like Doctor Who surprise us or go against our ingrained expectations. We’re so used to seeing things one way, that when they aren’t, we’re thrown off for a hot second. Some recover really quickly and love the changes that are being brought forth. While others nit pick and get angry at changes that don’t reflect them or their way of life.
Having a goddess of color was that moment of surprise. Delightful for me because I’m not ignorant enough to believe that Gods only come in one color scheme and probably really maddening for those who still think Jesus has lily white skin. Clare-Hope Ashitey, who played the goddess Rakaya, was brilliant as the nightmare consuming goddess and it’s a shame she’s evil because I’d like to see more of her.
What I wouldn’t want to see ever again is her partner in crime. Too basic and somehow infinitely weird with those fingers that popped off easy as pie. Which, thank you Doctor Who for making everyone who has experienced a wet finger in their ear and almost came out of their skin because of it. Now we’ve got to worry about nightmare fingers.
*shivers in discomfort*
Things We Can’t Stop Thinking About
- Those damn fingers.
- The fact that Doctor Who went to Aleppo, knowing what that place is like now and how it’s been destroyed. Maybe it’s Doctor Who’s way of humanizing the place and showing its beauty? Maybe.
- Those monsters that were created in the mind of the young Aleppo woman…HORRIFYING!!! The long nails and the big ol’ teeth. That’s a big nope for me, sir.
- I always love how Doctor Who starts with three COMPLETELY out of this world concepts that would never fit together and then somehow it all fits. I’m looking at you fingers, monsters, and a trap for a God.
- Rebel Yasmin is a surprise but it makes sense. Gotta start somewhere and I’m glad she ended up owing that cop 50p.
- On a more serious note, that scene with Yaz made us cry. There was something so touching about the cop and what she said to her all those years ago. She needed that in that moment.
Doctor Who airs Sundays at 8/7c on BBC America.
