I think that one of the ... problems may be the wrong word - issues? I've had with Eleven is that I was able to get a handle on him initially only in relation to Ten; because he is, as you say a reaction against the heightened emotional states that Ten frequently displayed. And that feels like a cheat to me - because I want to know Eleven AS Eleven, and not just because of the things he isn't - if that makes sense? You know, this is fascinating, because I had pretty much the opposite reaction. Throughout The Eleventh Hour Eleven is trying to find his feet, and there are a few echoes of Ten, but then towards the end ("To hell with the raggedy, time to put on a show!") Eleven just snaps into being, perfect in every detail and utterly himself. There were a few glimpses (talking about the Timelords in ep2, his reaction to the Daleks in ep3 and his reluctance to interact with River in ep4) that hinted at the past, but it was rather oblique, something that was part of him (like lingering aftereffects), but something he dealt with over the course of those episodes and then went away. To me he stands very much on his own (or rather, he is far closer to the classic Doctors) - like the RTD era was his time of getting over the trauma of the war, and how he's well again. If it wasn't because I loved continuity I'd happily have forgotten all about Ten(*), since - to me - Eleven is so well defined on his own. I've discussed this with promethia, trying to work out what it is, because Eleven just is. Actually, I think I'm seeing it from the other side now - that is, seeing Ten through the lens of Eleven. That is - Ten's brokenness and meltdown is what leads to Eleven.
OK, I have no idea if I'm making any sense outside of my own head anymore. ETA: I think what I'm trying to say is that Ten was such a mass of contradictions, so prone to go over the edge one way or another ("You need someone to stop you") - like an unstable element, and fascinating because of that. Eleven grew out of that (the unstable element decayed into a stable one), and he feels so much more solid. (I've said this before, but Eleven makes me feel safe. Ten, bless his cotton socks, really didn't.) I can't pin Ten down. But I know where I am with Eleven.
But then, Moffat clearly sees the Doctor through a different filter to the one we were used to, and I suspect he wants to keep him (the Doctor) a little more distanced from the audience - Eleven is certainly more secretive and repressed than Ten was. Not sure about repressed. Well, that depends what you mean - I think Eleven is in many ways far more aware of him himself, and represses far less, than Ten did. OTOH he's more reserved, definitely.
(*)well I love Ten, and do definitely NOT want to forget him! But for the purposes of the point I'm making...
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Thank you! :)
I think that one of the ... problems may be the wrong word - issues? I've had with Eleven is that I was able to get a handle on him initially only in relation to Ten; because he is, as you say a reaction against the heightened emotional states that Ten frequently displayed.
And that feels like a cheat to me - because I want to know Eleven AS Eleven, and not just because of the things he isn't - if that makes sense?
You know, this is fascinating, because I had pretty much the opposite reaction. Throughout The Eleventh Hour Eleven is trying to find his feet, and there are a few echoes of Ten, but then towards the end ("To hell with the raggedy, time to put on a show!") Eleven just snaps into being, perfect in every detail and utterly himself. There were a few glimpses (talking about the Timelords in ep2, his reaction to the Daleks in ep3 and his reluctance to interact with River in ep4) that hinted at the past, but it was rather oblique, something that was part of him (like lingering aftereffects), but something he dealt with over the course of those episodes and then went away. To me he stands very much on his own (or rather, he is far closer to the classic Doctors) - like the RTD era was his time of getting over the trauma of the war, and how he's well again. If it wasn't because I loved continuity I'd happily have forgotten all about Ten(*), since - to me - Eleven is so well defined on his own. I've discussed this with promethia, trying to work out what it is, because Eleven just is. Actually, I think I'm seeing it from the other side now - that is, seeing Ten through the lens of Eleven. That is - Ten's brokenness and meltdown is what leads to Eleven.
OK, I have no idea if I'm making any sense outside of my own head anymore. ETA: I think what I'm trying to say is that Ten was such a mass of contradictions, so prone to go over the edge one way or another ("You need someone to stop you") - like an unstable element, and fascinating because of that. Eleven grew out of that (the unstable element decayed into a stable one), and he feels so much more solid. (I've said this before, but Eleven makes me feel safe. Ten, bless his cotton socks, really didn't.) I can't pin Ten down. But I know where I am with Eleven.
But then, Moffat clearly sees the Doctor through a different filter to the one we were used to, and I suspect he wants to keep him (the Doctor) a little more distanced from the audience - Eleven is certainly more secretive and repressed than Ten was.
Not sure about repressed. Well, that depends what you mean - I think Eleven is in many ways far more aware of him himself, and represses far less, than Ten did. OTOH he's more reserved, definitely.
(*)well I love Ten, and do definitely NOT want to forget him! But for the purposes of the point I'm making...