DOCTOR WHO: THE PILOT (S10E01)

​This weekend brings us the premiere of DOCTOR WHO’s 10th Season/Series (when measured from the show’s 2005 resurrection), and the beginning of the end of Peter Capaldi’s reign as the mighty Doctor. ​

Personally, while I’d agree that Capaldi and Moffat took a surprisingly long time to find and finesse this iteration of the character, I think both ultimately did so very well.  I suspect there’s still more than enough milage available through Capaldi’s exploration of the role to justify his not moving on when incoming show runner Chris Chibnall takes the helm.  

Alas, this is not to be.  Capaldi’s impulse to depart DOCTOR WHO is wholly understandable; playing the Doctor is a tough gig no matter how much one loves doing so. It’s a gig which is time consuming, physically demanding, and unquestionably distracts from other projects an actor would like to pursue. 

Scripted by Steven Moffat and directed by Lawrence Gough, S10’s first adventure, The Pilot, incorporates Matt Lucas’ previously introduced ‘Nardole’ into the mix in what is purported to be a reasonably  regular ‘companion’ function. 

​Pearl Mackie joins the cast as ‘Bill,’ also a companion, and I’d imagine the size of her role -  and its ultimate consequence - will quickly eclipse Nardole.  In fact, early word indicates The Pilot very much focuses on her character. 

Pilot director Gough also brought us this brief introduction to Bill, issued online nearly one year ago(?!?!?)

​To where does Season 10 lead?  

I tend not to address online speculation, as it tends to be riddled with rampant illogic or often desperate fan service.  But I recently stumbled across this theory which...actually kinda works...makes sense at face value...and feels agreeably Moffaty. If this conjecture  is, somehow, in the ballpark of where S10 ends up, such intent could make tremendous sense given the storytelling proclivities of the Capaldi era on the whole, and sertve as  both a touching love letter to the franchise, and fitting, send-off for Capaldi.  

As one comment on this video notes: it'll be interesting to see how Moffat & Co. fold in CapaldiDoc's presumably mandatory appearance in the Day of the Doctor timeline.  They could, conceivably, sidestep it entirely and assert that the given moment we saw represented in DotD is the crux of that adventure, and is, consequently, unworthy of follow-up.  Or, perhaps more Name of the Doctor shenanigans could be afoot?  

Here are a few promo images from the S10 premiere episode.  Uninspired as usual, but...what can one do?   

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