I love Doctor Who. I love the Doctor. If he was real I would want to hop into the TARDIS and go have wild adventures with him. I have always wanted to have a time machine, since I was a little girl.
But if he were to show up on my doorstep with his silly grin and his wonderfully ridiculous time machine, I would say no. That’s because the Doctor is scary.
In my opinion, he is genuinely a “good guy.” He’s wonderful. And he’s terrible.
Most of the companions he travels with don’t see this. They only see him in his role of fun-loving guy, protector of the universe, and pinnacle of hotness. Many fans don’t see this – and I’m thinking particularly about fans who get excited about romances between the Doctor and his companions. But be careful, women. Look before you leap.
So here come spoilers for “Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.” This is where you want to stop reading if you haven’t seen it. Really, truly, stop reading. It will destroy the surprise.
Catastrophe hits the TARDIS. She explodes and dies, with the Doctor, his companion Clara, and three men from a salvage ship. The future leaks through, including horrific time zombies. Three men die. This is seriously not good.
But the Doctor, who is our hero and protector, manages to save the day. He saves the life of Clara, the TARDIS, and the three men from the salvage ship. It’s fabulous. There’s kissing and hugging. You hear the standard “Doctor Who magic is working” music and you just can’t help being happy because he’s done it again, yes, done it again.
This is a wonderful, magical moment. The Doctor is a hero. He is a good guy. I love him to pieces.
And . . . something else.
Okay, if you are still reading so far and have ignored my spoiler warnings, this is where I spill the beans.
How does he do it?
By burning letters into the skin of Clara’s hand.
The magic music starts when he understands that this is what he has done / is going to do.
“Oh, Clara, oh!” He laughs. “You are beautiful!” He touches her face tenderly. “Beautiful, fragile human skin.” He kisses her hand. “Parchment.” Then he burns letters onto a device and throws it into the past, where she catches it and saves the day.
That’s what I mean.
Kristin Ann King 