Charlie Jane gets to the heart of the dilemma of the writing of DOCTOR WHO:
by Charlie Jane Anders
This Saturday [Actually, it’s last Saturday now], we witness the end of Steven Moffat’s third season as Doctor Who showrunner. And what an ambitious run thus far: a single story, starting with the crack and leading up to the Doctor’s greatest mystery. You have to admire the boldness and cleverness of Moffat’s plan. There’s just one huge problem with all of it.
We’ve seen “The Name of the Doctor,” the episode that airs in a couple days (except for the last scene, which was left off for mega-spoiler reasons, I guess.) And… it’s not going to change anybody’s mind about Moffat’s Who. If you’ve been enjoying this season, you’ll probably enjoy “Name of the Doctor,” and if you’ve found the direction of the series a bit frustrating, then this episode, too, will frustrate you. The most surprising thing about “The Name of the Doctor” is how unsurprising it all feels — it’s exactly what you expect from Moffat, at this point.