A retrospective look at the Doctor Who television program, in which we dig deep into the philosophical underpinnings of the show and draw overarching conclusions, some of them controversial, about the Whoniverse and the people in it.
Conversations among Who fans have indicated a divide between those who believe that The Day of the Doctor was intended to rewrite history and those who believe it simply clarified history. In other words, some say that, according to the current television canon, Gallifrey was saved from destruction by the 11th Doctor. Others say Gallifrey … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #009: Time War: Was Gallifrey Always Saved?" The post Fast Return Switch #009: Time War: Was Gallifrey Always Saved? appeared first on Dave Ringo.
Don’t let the title of this episode fool you. It’s not about the Doctor’s relationships with people who are considerably younger. Actually, it’s about the Doctor’s age. How good of a handle do we have on that aspect of the Doctor’s life? Is there any way to know for certain how long the Doctor has … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #008: Age Gap" The post Fast Return Switch #008: Age Gap appeared first on Dave Ringo.
Some fans of William Hartnell’s portrayal of the First Doctor were rubbed the wrong way when they saw the David Bradley version spouting sexist nonsense during the 2017 Christmas Special, Twice Upon a Time. In this episode of Fast Return Switch, I try to apply a little balm on that bruise and offer some observations … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #007: The Sexist First Doctor" The post Fast Return Switch #007: The Sexist First Doctor appeared first on Dave Ringo.
In my follow-up to last month’s podcast, in which I discussed the nature of time travel in Doctor Who, I delve a bit deeper into the concept of the preservation of free will and of independent causes in a universe in which time travel is possible. Let me take your brain for a spin. The post Fast Return Switch #006: Time Paradoxes and How Doctor Who Explains Them appeared first on Dave Ringo.
Occasionally in Doctor Who, we witness scenarios that suggest that perhaps all events in history are predetermined, that everything that happens is destined to happen. In this episode of the podcast, we look at the question of free will. Does the Doctor live in a deterministic universe, or do time travelers have free will to … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #005: Time is Not a River" The post Fast Return Switch #005: Time is Not a River appeared first on Dave Ringo.
In this episode of the podcast, I deal with the so-called UNIT dating controversy, which suggests that we, and everyone in the Doctor’s universe, have no idea when Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart headed the organization. Were all the records destroyed and people’s memories erased? Did something timey-wimey happen? Of course not. Hopefully, we can put this issue … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #004: What UNIT Dating Controversy?" The post Fast Return Switch #004: What UNIT Dating Controversy? appeared first on Dave Ringo.
In the third installment of the podcast, I turn to the concept of identity, specifically as it refers to the Doctor’s character in the program. Having assumed so many different forms, and having various personalities, how is it possible to identify the Doctor? What would we classify as the Doctor’s “self”? Is this self a … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #003: Is the Doctor a Mind or a Body?" The post Fast Return Switch #003: Is the Doctor a Mind or a Body? appeared first on Dave Ringo.
Picking up from where we left off last time, this episode of the Fast Return Switch podcast addresses the issue of contradictions within a given canon of Doctor Who. How are we to keep them sorted in our heads? Should we bother to harmonize them in our heads, and if so, how might we go … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #002: Putting a Monocle on the Canonical" The post Fast Return Switch #002: Putting a Monocle on the Canonical appeared first on Dave Ringo.
In this inaugural episode of the podcast, we will look at the issue of “canon” in Doctor Who. No, that does not mean The Highlanders. Canon is the list of stories that are to be recognized as authoritative. Does it exist? If so, what is it, exactly? Transcript Roar of the Canons Back in … Continue reading "Fast Return Switch #001: Roar of the Canons" The post Fast Return Switch #001: Roar of the Canons appeared first on Dave Ringo.
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