Summary
One of the beautiful things aboutDoctor Whois that every version of the titular character is unique, with each actor approaching the role in a different way. Ncuti Gatwa is no different in that regard, and partway through his second season in the iconic position, he has certainly settled into the role as fans have become clear about what he’s going to provide.
Gatwa brings a youthful energy toDoctor Who, and his charismatic personality has been allowed to shine. He has proven to be popular with Whovians, but there is one significant issue people have with his performances, and that’s whyDoctor Whonow must showcase a new side of the character.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Version Is Very Emotional
He Has Delivered Some Raw Performances At Times
Emotions are expected inDoctor Who, as the situations the characters find themselves in can often be life or death. Every Doctor has had a moment where they’ve shed a tear or dealt with sadness and worry, but Gatwa is taking that to the next level. He’s the most emotional Time Lord in the show’s history, and while it’s great that the series is embracing male emotion in this way, it has now gone overboard. The Doctor has cried in every episode this season, and that was a problem in the last season, too.
There’s no questioning thatGatwa’s performances are beautiful, as he flexes his acting muscles and showcases excellent range. However, the constant tears are starting to annoy fans to the point where they have become a running joke within the online discourse, and that’s not a good thing, especially for such high-emotional scenes.
Doctor Who Has Relied Upon The Tears Too Often
They Are No Longer Having The Desired Impact
The Doctor might not have weapons or superpowers, but he’s the ultimate hero and thepersonification of cool withinDoctor Who. Other characters are always in awe of him, and that’s because of his brilliance. The Time Lord’s intelligence and trusty sonic screwdriver can typically get people out of any situation. That is why the character generally has been very confident to the point of being arrogant. That’s not a criticism that can be leveled at Gatwa’s version, and while that’s not a bad thing, he has gone too far the other way.
Tears and moments of sadness can bepowerful inDoctor Who.They often remind people that the Time Lord is vulnerable, and is someone who has flaws like anyone else. Those scenes are imperative in grounding the show in reality and allowing audiences to connect with someone a million worlds apart. However, Gatwa’s overreliance on emotion and tears has meant they have stopped having any real impact. Audiences are expecting them with each episode. Therefore, when they happen, nobody is surprised. It’s something that people just witness and then move on from without being impacted themselves, which is a flaw of the show now. The fact that the episodes are less than an hour also means the emotions don’t get the time to breathe, so cramming so many in will always be tricky for the showrunners.
Doctor Who Fans Want A Fresh Approach After ‘The Well’
People Want To See Him Be More Confident
Heading into the second season, fans were willing to give Gatwa the chance to showcase a different side to his Doctor, one that wasn’t so emotional all of the time. However, after the third episode, ‘The Well,’ fans have now had enough. Ultimately, the Doctor should be the most confident character in the show, being the one who has the answers to almost everything. While seeing him question his intelligence and have moments of vulnerability is important, at the moment, Gatwa’s version doesn’t push the idea of him being the ultimate hero in this universe. He should be someone who instills belief in others, yet in every episode, he’s hit with a moment of pure terror when faced with danger, and that’s not what people have come to expect from the Time Lord.
‘The Well’ provided him with a perfect momentto provide a classic rousing speech when he stood and directly spoke to the mysterious monster. However, rather than telling the creature what he was going to do, Gatwa cried and then figured it out after. It loses the impact of both the tears and then solving the problem, and after so many episodes of a similar problem,Doctor Whomust address things. Toning down the number of tears he sheds will mean that those moments are worth their weight in gold, all while giving Gatwa the opportunity to show a different side to the character. People want a confident Time Lord who believes in his convictions, and that’s going to be important for Gatwa’s version if he’s going to carry on being the lead role ofDoctor Whoin the long term.
