'Doctor Who' Woke Backlash Response Comes as Critics Score Season 2 Debut 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – ryan
Doctor Who
returned to screens with a brand-new season today, with Ncuti Gatwa bringing his vibrant Doctor back for more time-traveling adventures with a new companion in tow in the form of Belinda Chandra, played by actress Varada Sethu. Ahead of the series’ return, Sethu spoke to Radio Times about the way the series has been called out for being “woke,” and to her that means they are doing something right.
Season 2 of the series…or Season 15 to most people… has been made notable for having the first TARDIS team-up of two people of color. Sethu addressed this, saying:
“Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people.’ There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke (references) or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that. Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”
Related
‘Doctor Who’ Could Undergo a Major Shake-Up Following Season 15 on Disney+
Some might say it would change things for the better.
The first episode of Doctor Who’s new season has managed to live up to the “woke” backlash it was expected to receive, as while critics have given it a perfect 100%, audiences have been much more mixed, at 52%.
Doctor Who’s Reviews Show How Divided the World Is
Doctor Who has been wowing critics with its return, and the perfect Tomatometer score is a clear indicator that, to them, the show is doing something right. Among the reviews of the season opener, Ben Dowell of The Times said, “It is a fun, fast-paced hour of TV, laced with trademark Davies wit and the joyous surprises you expect from a man who still clearly longs for that blue box to come and sweep him far, far away.” Hoai-Tran Bui of Inverse noted, “Where the show seemed to be uncertain of its audience and tone in the previous season, Season 2 charges confidently ahead, experimenting with form and social commentary in bold, exciting new ways.”
However, audiences have been a lot less positive about the series. While there were those happy to forgive some niggles here and there, others were brutal in their annihilation of the show. One unnamed user wrote:
“Total destruction of The Doctor’s character and horrible new cast with very clear intention of disregarding fans’ criticism and clear political bias, with the story being fabricated as a political tool rather than a fun, interesting story that everyone can enjoy. The critics are either bribes or blind because it also has the worst and cheapest special effects, even if they were pitched against the 2000s.”
Another user, William H, leveled their criticism at Gatwa, saying, “If the audience loved Ncuti Gatwa half as much as he clearly loves himself then the ratings for the current show would be sky high but they don’t and they’re not.” This was added to with other comments of “idiotic” writing, and some saying they simply won’t watch the show even as “diehard” fans.
Naturally, online opinions and reviews don’t pay the bills. If Doctor Who performs as it should in viewership terms, then the BBC and their new partners at Disney will not be interested in what anyone has to say on a review-aggregating website.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes/Radio Times
Doctor Who
- Release Date
-
December 25, 2023
- Network
-
BBC
- Directors
-
Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie
- Writers
-
Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat
- Franchise(s)
-
Doctor Who
Cast
-
Ncuti Gatwa
Commander Millington
-
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
- Creator(s)
-
Donald Wilson, Sydney Newman
Doctor Who
returned to screens with a brand-new season today, with Ncuti Gatwa bringing his vibrant Doctor back for more time-traveling adventures with a new companion in tow in the form of Belinda Chandra, played by actress Varada Sethu. Ahead of the series’ return, Sethu spoke to Radio Times about the way the series has been called out for being “woke,” and to her that means they are doing something right.
Season 2 of the series…or Season 15 to most people… has been made notable for having the first TARDIS team-up of two people of color. Sethu addressed this, saying:
“Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people.’ There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke (references) or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that. Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”
Related
‘Doctor Who’ Could Undergo a Major Shake-Up Following Season 15 on Disney+
Some might say it would change things for the better.
The first episode of Doctor Who’s new season has managed to live up to the “woke” backlash it was expected to receive, as while critics have given it a perfect 100%, audiences have been much more mixed, at 52%.
Doctor Who’s Reviews Show How Divided the World Is
Doctor Who has been wowing critics with its return, and the perfect Tomatometer score is a clear indicator that, to them, the show is doing something right. Among the reviews of the season opener, Ben Dowell of The Times said, “It is a fun, fast-paced hour of TV, laced with trademark Davies wit and the joyous surprises you expect from a man who still clearly longs for that blue box to come and sweep him far, far away.” Hoai-Tran Bui of Inverse noted, “Where the show seemed to be uncertain of its audience and tone in the previous season, Season 2 charges confidently ahead, experimenting with form and social commentary in bold, exciting new ways.”
However, audiences have been a lot less positive about the series. While there were those happy to forgive some niggles here and there, others were brutal in their annihilation of the show. One unnamed user wrote:
“Total destruction of The Doctor’s character and horrible new cast with very clear intention of disregarding fans’ criticism and clear political bias, with the story being fabricated as a political tool rather than a fun, interesting story that everyone can enjoy. The critics are either bribes or blind because it also has the worst and cheapest special effects, even if they were pitched against the 2000s.”
Another user, William H, leveled their criticism at Gatwa, saying, “If the audience loved Ncuti Gatwa half as much as he clearly loves himself then the ratings for the current show would be sky high but they don’t and they’re not.” This was added to with other comments of “idiotic” writing, and some saying they simply won’t watch the show even as “diehard” fans.
Naturally, online opinions and reviews don’t pay the bills. If Doctor Who performs as it should in viewership terms, then the BBC and their new partners at Disney will not be interested in what anyone has to say on a review-aggregating website.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes/Radio Times
Doctor Who
- Release Date
-
December 25, 2023
- Network
-
BBC
- Directors
-
Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie
- Writers
-
Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat
- Franchise(s)
-
Doctor Who
Cast
-
Ncuti Gatwa
Commander Millington
-
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
- Creator(s)
-
Donald Wilson, Sydney Newman