It is no secret that the Doctor likes humans, but it is unclear how much the Doctor is human. In the TV movie the Doctor claims to be half-human, but at other times he clearly doesn’t think that he is human. Of course, the TV movie Doctor’s human side can now be explained by the existence of a half human Doctor created at the end of the last season of Doctor Who. The question is: with time travel being so “Timey Wimey,” how can the Doctor be certain of his own ancestral lineage? And, what implications does him being human have on who the Doctor is?
The Doctor’s Human Side
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#1 by 1minion - August 30th, 2009 at 16:51
I’ve only seen the newest seasons and a few of the older episodes (but not the TV movie you’ve mentioned), so my response will be somewhat limited. The TV movie would have to take place in that alternate dimension Rose and company moved to in order for the Doctor to consider himself part human for that, right? Although that dimension had cybermen, nothing was written in to suggest that Gallifrey also existed. Unless the show takes place in an alternate alternate universe…
How much does the Doctor really know about the future? As near as I can figure based on what I’ve seen, he has a galactic size encyclopedia for a brain, knowing a lot about whatever present he’s in, be it in the past or future (from the companion’s perspective). But how much does that extend to his own personal future? He doesn’t behave like someone who’s got the inside track on upcoming events - not interpersonal ones at any rate - except those moments where you realize he knows he’s about to lose someone he cares about.
I presume the TARDIS has the ability to keep every possible probable outcome sorted, yes? Is it a stretch to assume the TARDIS cleverly arranges the present to facilitate this path towards the Doctor’s future without him being consciously aware of it? How else does it just happen to land in just the right place to fall into just the right spot for the Doctor to find when he’s down in the devil’s pit, for example?
Anyway, the Doctor can only be as certain of his ancestry as the writers are. Since the show evolved over forty years in fits and starts with writers inventing plots and histories on the fly, mostly with no rhyme, reason, or wiki to guide them on what’s been established for that character previously, it’s no real surprise that the Doctor’s existence is in some kind of historical flux, from the audience’s perspective at least. It probably makes some kind of sense to the Doctor, though.
The Doctor who continues to fly his TARDIS in our universe is not human, he only looks human. He’s made himself human to hide and although it seemed traumatic to give that up, he knew he had to. He couldn’t be human and still be the Doctor.
The half-human Doctor who’s now with Rose will have to reconcile himself with the fact that he’s only got one lifetime now to do everything he wants to do. No restarts, no regeneration. Live, age, die. He’ll have to be a lot more careful than he’s used to being. Take less risks. But, at least he’ll have the relief of knowing no aliens are out to get revenge on him for things he hasn’t even thought of doing yet.