After watching last night's season finale of Doctor Who, coyly titled The Name of the Doctor, there can be no doubt that Steven Moffat is the most amazing writer working in television. In case that sounds like hyperbole, it seems appropriate to point out that I used to think he was the best writer in television, but the past couple of seasons on Doctor Who have forced me to adjust my view somewhat.
What makes Steven Moffat so amazing, at least as far as his recent work for Doctor Who, is that he has so many great ideas. Unfortunately, he also has a great many awful ideas. Moreover, because he has no apparent ability or desire to discern between the great and terrible, both end up on screen.
Last night offered the same mix of really great moments and things that made me groan. Thankfully, the episode started off with one of the former, a love letter to the show's 50 year history, before veering into silliness involving a spatio-temporal psychic conference call. Perhaps no other element of Steven Moffat's tenure as the show's head writer embodies his Jekyll and Hyde nature as the character of River Song, and her return displayed both sides of the coin. Having a character whose meetings with the Doctor are out of order was a perfect idea for Doctor Who, and her appearance in The Name of the Doctor fits very well conceptually. However, the romantic angle with her and the Doctor has been so overplayed that most of their scenes come across like a demented take on the manic-pixie-dream-girl scenario and undercut what should be key dramatic moments.
Likewise, Moffat's other supporting characters have quickly worn out their welcome. When Madame Vastra and her partner Jennie were introduced, the characters felt novel, but their subsequent appearances have just been bland. On the plus side, though, they're not as annoying as Strax. A Sontaran medic who owes an immense debt to the Doctor was a great idea - for a single appearance. I was tired of him after last year's Christmas episode, and neither of the two subsequent experiences has endeared him to me any further. There was a time when recurring characters were something to look forward to, but we're a long way from Jack Harkness, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart or even Sabalom Glitz.
Underlying all this, though, are a pair of abiding truths that I believe are applicable to all fans of Doctor Who - at least those of my generation. We're as hopeful as we are masochistic. As often as we're disappointed by the show, we keep watching in the hope that things will get better. The advantage of a program built on constant change is that that's never a false hope. For all my frustrations about last night's episode, it would be churlish of me to deny that I'm looking forward to the next one. Somehow, even after all the years where it seemed like Doctor Who would never return to television, the six months between now and the special episode to mark the show's 50th birthday seem exceptionally long.
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