The 13th Doctor arrived with a bang.
We love her new outfit, her companions and her enthusiasm.
Did we miss anything? Probably.
Tell us in the comments below!
Her Sense of Style!
When the 13th Doctor first appeared on our screens, it was in the 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi’s, destroyed clothing. After a quick shopping trip, though, she found her perfect outfit and made it a mix of classic Doctor Who and the new series. Her choice? A long grey trench coat, blue shirt with a rainbow stripe across the middle, blue trousers, yellow suspenders, and brown boots. Simple and practical yet classy.
She even has an ear cuff with two hands clasped together connected to a cluster of stars. Whittaker says the outfit was inspired by an old photo of a young woman wearing suspenders, trousers and a tee-shirt walking with purpose, and was open to interpretation. It was neither male nor female. Her jacket colors were chosen with the inside of dark blue meaning space, and the grey outside symbolizing the sky she fell through on the episode “The Doctor Falls” in her grand entrance.
Her Companions!
Yaz, Ryan, and Graham are fresh, new companions and perfect for the 13th Doctor. It’s understandable that after the suicide of her best friend the Master she needs loyal friends by her side that are always willing to invite her round for tea. She learns from them, and they learn from her, making her more human and them more willing to accept the wonder of the universe. Yaz is strong, compassionate, and full of ambition to advance in the police force. Ryan is understanding, curious, and unique, and his background of difficult family makes him accepting of the new Doctor almost instantly. Graham, although he may be older, is never short of witty comebacks, intelligent and has some of the most heart ever seen in a companion. Together, they make one hell of a Team TARDIS.
Her New Console Room!
Fresh, new and exciting, just like the Doctor, her console room emits a warm golden glow. It feels like home, with new arching structures that curve over the steampunk console. We don’t see the console room until her second episode, a first for Who, but the reveal pays off. A psychedelic floor lights up orange, with crystal-like structures keeping the time rotary safe from harm. With loads of buttons and switches to press, even if she doesn’t know precisely what they all do, it fits the new time lady. And of course, the round things are prominent on the walls with a white glow.
Her Love for the TARDIS!
It’s been known before that the Doctor has a particular fondness for his time travel machine, often admiring it instead of his human companions. The 13th Doctor feels this as well when she first sees it on Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 2 “The Ghost Monument,” she says ‘come to daddy! I mean, mummy!’ She even calls it her beautiful Ghost Monument. If you’re going to insult the TARDIS in front of the 13th Doctor, you’d be better off giving yourself up to the DALEKS. It’s always there for her in her times of need. In a way, it is her most loyal companion.
Her Inner History Nerd!
We’ve known the Doctor is enthusiastic about human history and always wanting to learn more, but with 13 this feels like another level. Her respect for Rosa Parks and awe about how humans advance through the centuries is like a child learning it all over again. One of the most powerful scenes from her is when on Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 3 “Rosa” when she’s forced to watch as Rosa gets kicked off the bus and arrested for not giving up her seat. She had to take the extra seats on the bus with her companions to fix time in place when it would have been changed, but it breaks her to be a part of the horrible day in history.
Her Secret Identity!
Banksy or not a Banksy? A famous street artist with several artworks around LA, the Doctor teases Graham on Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 3 “Rosa,” that she could very well be Banksy. The Doctor essentially vandalizes a hotel room wall with a ‘special pen’ whose ink vanishes when needed, to write down information about Rosa Parks’ fated bus trip route. A white supremacist alien from Stormcage was trying to change history so that Rosa never refused to give up her seat, and thus, civil rights movements never took place. Graham calls the Doctor out on the vandalism, saying ‘she’s not Banksy!’ ‘Or am I?’ the Doctor teases. Regarding the sonic pen, she quips ‘Banksy doesn’t have one of those! Or have I?’
Her Accent!
Jodie Whittaker is from Huddersfield, and showcases this with her unique accent! Huddersfield is a small town east of Manchester. In the past, Doctors like David Tennant were told to hide their natural accents. This only defines her Doctor more and shows some love for Huddersfield, UK. It also makes it more adorable when she says things like ‘kerblam man’ or ‘Ed Sheeran.’ Tell us we’re wrong, we dare you.
Her Nose Scrunch!
It seems to be a defining feature of her Doctor when she’s confused about something, excited or bored; her nose contorts into an adorable scrunch. Numerous cat memes are comparing the 13th Doctor to grumpy kittens, which does describe her personality well when she’s pissed at the universe. Could be akin to the 11th Doctor’s bowties or 12’s magician’s coat. Every Doctor has a feature that makes them unique, and 13 is no exception.
Tim Shaw?
A freaky alien covered with teeth won from his conquests tried to invade Earth the day the 13th Doctor regenerated. Very rude of him. After some help from her new companions, the Doctor felt like herself again and was able to defeat him off a precariously high construction machine. Before he got pushed off the ledge, she taunted him and called him Tim Shaw, because let’s be real, his alien name sounded a lot like it. When he returned in her finale episode, Tim Shaw would get cursed with his nickname until the end of the universe.
Her Brief Friendship with a Universe Frog!
On Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 9 “It Takes You Away,” the Doctor makes an all too brief friendship with a conscious universe in the shape of a frog. Long story short, an alternate universe breached a small house in Norway, and loved ones who were supposed to have died were alive and well on the other side. The Doctor made friends with the consciousness, which was a frog that talked with Graces’ voice and convinced it to let her go back to her friends in the real world. The alternate universe was just lonely, as nothing from our universe could touch theirs without having adverse side effects and being sent back. She gives an incredible speech in this episode.
Her Sense of Humor!
All Doctors in Doctor Who have a very British and sarcastic sense of humor, and Whittaker is no different. Her quips intense and dangerous situations make her a joy to watch, such as “can we have the lights and siren on?” or “I eat danger for breakfast. I don’t; I eat cereal. Or croissants.” Regarding Jack Robinson on Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 4, she quips, “Is he Ed Sheeran? Everyone talks about Ed Sheeran about now, don’t they?”. It relaxes her companions so they can think rationally, which will ultimately give someone an idea of how to get out of the said situation. It is most likely a trap.
Her Compassion!
The 13th Doctor has a renewed sense of compassion. A stand-out scene on her first episode is when she’s about to build her own sonic and discovers someone that Tim Shaw murdered. She apologizes that any of this is happening, that Ryan, Yaz, Grace, and Graham are wrapped up in this and promises to find them a way out. This rarely occurred with the 12th Doctor. Usually it was his human companion who showed others compassion, like Clara Oswald with the situation cards she created for him. These cards included phrases for him to fill in the blanks, “I’m deeply sorry for the death of your friend/family member/pet.” Clearly, his practicing paid off.
Her Actress: Jodie Whittaker!
When it came to finding an actress to take control of the role of the main protagonist for Doctor Who, we needed a strong voice. We needed someone who could stand up with actors like David Tennant and Matt Smith without being pushed aside because she was a woman. Jodie has been the ideal choice, her enthusiasm, her respect for all living beings, her compassion, and her humor make her a force to be reckoned with. We saw her emotional streak as the mother in Broadchurch; she can pack a hell of a punch into a scene with facial expressions only, no sound needed. This is the kind of actor we need for the Doctor, the silent warrior who drifts through the universe, helping people when they most need it.
Her Respect for Rosa Parks!
The Doctor has always been a huge fan of historical figures such as Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare, even giving them ideas or hints for stories that they would eventually catapult into their own inventions. When the Doctor meets Rosa Parks, she not only pays for Rosa to mend her coat but is devastated when she has to let history take its course. Because the alien from Stormcage so desperately wants to change the important moment when she gets thrown off the bus. She’s forced not only to let it happen, but to be a part of it, and it kills her just sitting there. A heartbreaking line of dialog comes from Graham, ‘No, I don’t want to be a part of this.’ The Doctor always fights for injustice across the universe, but for once, the tables turned, and she was forced to cause it.
Swiss Army Sonic! (Without the Knife)
Narrowed out of Sheffield steel, Jodie’s sonic is made in a unique circumstance. When she got thrown out of her TARDIS on Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 12, “The Doctor Falls,” she landed without a sonic in her coat. It had gotten destroyed on the ship orbiting the black hole that she just escaped. She builds her own sonic from scratch, taking up metalwork and spoons, then mixing them to create something unique. It’s silver and glows orange on the inside, just like her TARDIS console. It is one of the first times we’ve seen a Doctor build their own sonic. Usually, the TARDIS provides the new Doctor with one to match their personality.
She’s Easy to Cosplay!
Hundreds of fans have flocked to Hot Topic to get the Her Universe cosplay that Jodie Whittaker premiered at SDCC 2017 by walking the Her Universe catwalk. It’s very affordable, with the jacket being the most expensive item to purchase. Once the jacket is acquired, all that’s needed is the rainbow-striped shirt and blue pants, which can be found at Hot Topic or Box Lunch for less than one hundred dollars combined. More advanced cosplayers can hunt for fun pieces like her brown hiking boots or the stars and clasped hands ear cuff. It’s a very popular cosplay, and easily recognized in a big crowd. Handy for conventions.
It’s The Kerblam Man!
The Doctor loves getting gifts from people, and who wouldn’t! But this gift is slightly more deadly, with bubble wrapping that explodes on detonation. It’s unknown whether or not the package the Kerblam man delivered to the 13th Doctor on Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 7, “Kerblam,” contained these explosives. Still, she got a fez instead ordered by her 11th self. Her adorable exclamation of “Ahh! It’s the Kerblam Man!’ and Graham’s “You’re just making sounds now!” is one of the best parts of the story. Throughout the episode, they discover a conspiracy in the Kerblam factories where a cleaner was trying to blow up packages as they delivered to customers, as the workers weren’t getting treated fairly. Ryan starts to pop the bubble wrap at the beginning, but nothing happens. Still, best not. You never know, just like with other Doctor Who monsters like the Weeping Angels.
Her Enthusiasm!
Jodie Whittaker’s enthusiasm jumps through the screen with her portrayal of the Doctor. She’s new, excited and interested in the universe and her new companions. She wants to learn everything she can, and launches into situations full steam ahead, with or without a plan. This sometimes lands her in traps or gets her into trouble, but her companions love her for it, and it keeps them on their toes. She’s like a child discovering the universe anew, very similar to the 10th Doctor in his first series. She’s genuinely excited about little things, like Yaz potentially letting her keep the siren on, or a gift from the Kerblam man. Her wonder stepping into the TARDIS was like her properly seeing it for the first time, and it was magical.
Brilliant!
This seems to be her catchphrase. Every Doctor has a catchphrase used repeatedly in different situations. Some examples would be David Tennant’s “Allonsy,” Matt Smith’s “Geronimo,” and Christopher Eccleston’s “Fantastic.” It’s not clear whether Peter Capaldi had a catchphrase, but its theorized by fans to be “shut up.” When the 13th Doctor is excited about something, be it meeting Rosa Parks, seeing her new TARDIS or regenerating into a woman, she utters the word “brilliant!” It was even her first spoken words on screen when she realized she had regenerated into a woman, with “Oh, brilliant!”
Her Speeches!
Every Doctor has a defining speech that makes their character iconic. For Eccleston, it’s the “have a fantastic life” speech to Rose when he’s telling her to hide the TARDIS away on Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 13 The Parting of the Ways. 10 has his ‘I’m the Doctor’ speech on Doctor Who Season 4 Christmas Special “Voyage of the Damned.” 11’s iconic speech is the Stonehenge monologue, and 12’s is the anti-war speech on Doctor Who Season 9 Episode 8, “The Zygon Inversion.” 13 hasn’t had a truly iconic speech yet, but that’s due to the writing and her finding herself. Instead, she has a bunch of tiny speeches, which are iconic moments in themselves. Favorites include “you didn’t expect to fall in love” speech from Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 7, “Kerblam”, “we can evolve while still staying true to who we are” on Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 1, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” and “you are the maddest, most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced, and I haven’t even scratched the surface” from Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 9, “It Takes You Away.”
Her Quick Thinking!
Let’s be real; the Doctor hardly ever has a plan. When she does, it’s a plan in progress. The 13th Doctor is quick on her feet, thinking of a plan to save Carl from the train in a mere quick climb up a construction tower. She doesn’t have a plan on the ground, but she does when they get to the top with by encouragement from Yaz. She comes up with a plan to get her TARDIS back almost the instant they land on the Ghost Monument planet, works out the conspiracy theory at the Kerblam factories and stops it in the same few minutes, and convinces a conscious universe to let her go back to the real world. It’s definitely a Ravenclaw if we’ve ever seen one.
How Good She looks in Capaldi’s Outfit!
It’s always weird seeing a new Doctor in the previous Doctor’s clothing. Tennant looked strange in Eccleston’s leather jacket, and Smith looked odd in Tennant’s suit. It didn’t suit either of them; they hadn’t found who they were yet in terms of fashion or mentally. But Jodie is a different case, some cosplays have gotten created of her in Peter Capaldi’s destroyed outfit from Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 12, “The Doctor Falls.” She wears it for half of her first episode because she doesn’t have time to change outfits with an alien invasion plot. It shows the trauma she went through, that she’s still processing it, and when she does change, she comes into her own.
She’s A Hero to Young Girls And Women Everywhere!
For many years, a male got cast as the Doctor. These were all amazing actors, but the show was created by a woman, Verity Lambert. Russel T Davis and Julie Gardener were in charge of most of David Tennant’s era, but Steven Moffat took the helm for the 11th and 12th Doctors. The female role of the show was usually the companion, the one singing the doctor’s praises and asking questions. Over time, companions stood up for themselves and became stronger, more well-rounded characters (Sarah Jane Smith, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler to name a few). But they were still in the background. Jodie Whittaker has officially broken the mold (though perhaps after a push from Michelle Gomez as the first female Master) and shows young girls everywhere that they can be the Doctor — even if they aren’t a guy. The Doctor isn’t male or female. The Doctor is an alien, and anyone can be the Doctor.
