Doctor Who Blog

The Name of the Doctor is…...

.....the Valeyard! Or at least that was one of the names given in the episode. What did you all think of the season finale, The Name of the Doctor?  How many of you guessed that ending? How many of you guessed that beginning? Let us know your thoughts. Don’t stop for the next six months - because next up is the 50th Anniversary special! Or maybe we should call it the 2nd part of the 50th Anniversary special….

34 Comments...

Omg. That was THE best cliffhanger in a long LOOOOOOONG time. And the best Steve Moffat episode during his time as showrunner.

Introducing JOHN HURT as The Doctor! 

Can’t wait to finally see Matt Smith go..!

Tonight I am a happy camper.

Posted by steve  on  05/19  at  12:08 AM

Matt Smith has already been confirmed to be on to film season 8, so apparently, he’s not going anywhere. John Hurt will be playing “one aspect of the doctor”

Posted by kristi  on  05/19  at  09:19 AM

MATT SMITH IS THE BEST I DON’T WANT HIM TO LEAVE!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Mattsmithisawesome  on  05/19  at  09:50 AM

I didn’t know what to expect from the episode. My concern was that the Doctor would be given a seemingly common name and that Clara would feel indebted to start referring to him as this. However, I think she’ll continue to refer to him as “the Doctor”.

It will be interesting to see three aspects of the Doctor on screen, and no less one Doctor whom we’ve really not been introduced to! It makes me wonder though, is this a hint that *When* Matt Smith leaves the role, that John Hurt could resume the role, or are they going to do a timey-wimey-thing to explain another actor?

Of course, I am ecstatic to think that the Tenth Doctor will be back on screen in November. I’m going to start watching my DVDs in the lead-up, hoping he’ll say some of my favourite sayings in the episode.  Be still, my beating heart….

Posted by Rachel  on  05/19  at  03:07 PM

I never expected them to actually reveal the name - the title of the episode should have been “IN the Name of the Doctor” as that was the key. Great cliffhanger, and of course one that will leave us guessing. Are there now 12 Doctors? Is this the Valeyard? Who knows? But it’ll be fun guessing.

Posted by Alex  on  05/19  at  07:20 PM

I think that John Hurt’s Doctor is what the doctor saw as his worst fear in the hotel place. He said of course it’s you. And Al’s the cloister bell went off which could be from the paradox. What do all think?

Posted by Maddy  on  05/19  at  11:22 PM

Oh no…..Matt Smith is still going to be here after the 50th?  Then why is DoctorWhoTV.com informing us that the BBC is casting for the role of the 12th Doctor? 

Please regenerate Matt Smith at the end of the 50th anniversary special!!!

And please regenerate Steve Moffat into Phillip Hincliffe.

Posted by steve  on  05/20  at  04:20 AM

So I guessed that Clara was a Meme. Which I feel was kinda close to the truth. I have an idea about John Hurt being The Other. For those of you who don’t know it goes back to the classic who. You can find the Other mentioned in Lungbarrow, which is a book about the house the doctor is from. I was a little upset that they put Clara as going all the way back to the first episode of Doctor Who. Moffat has done a lot of things we are just suppose to accept. For instance when Amy remembers him and brings him back. She would only remember him as she knew him so all the adventures he had before her would have been voided out because she isn’t aware of them at this point in their history. So the fact Clara basically has changed the Doctor Who as I know and love, (both the classic and the reboot) has upset me. However i did notice something that I haven’t seen anyone comment on about the episode. Moffat saw how everyone trying to figure out who clara is had every one talking and has given us another mystery about her. I was wondering if any one else saw it. River Song mentions she was connected to Clara by a mental link and it was still working even though she went into the Doctors time stream. So how was it working? the Doctor asks River and she says Spoilers. We know that the Doctor gives back the leaf to Clara how’d he get it? Perhaps Its the original leaf?  Over all the episode was fantastic. However I feel that Moffat has kind of smacked the classic who writers in the face a bit. He has turned Clara into a bit of a Goddess that has shaped the doctors life. In essence she is what she’s always been the doctors nanny.

Posted by stephy  on  05/20  at  05:02 PM

@stephy

I wouldn’t say Nanny as much as a Spirit Guide: similar but different than The Watcher. 

In many ways, this idiotic showrunner has magically laced the classic and New shows into a seamless whole.

Posted by steve  on  05/20  at  05:34 PM

Time War McGann Valeyard pre-Hartnell real 9th showrunner!

Posted by John  on  05/20  at  09:38 PM

“....kind of smacked the classic who writers in the face….” How so? Did you ask the original creators? I doubt very much that any original creators feel slapped in the face. It feels like people want to slap Moffat in the face because he’s made television that asks the viewer to pay attention - and as soon as you state this you get no end of “no that’s not it at all” then “bring back Davies, Tennant and Piper
” - Moffat and Matt Smith have made Who a very enjoyable experience - getting tired of people wanting the show to be “dumbed” down.

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/21  at  04:32 PM

@ Craig Moorhouse:  dumbed down?  No, we want the series to be smartened up!  To return to the sharp, exquisite story-telling of early “New-WHO”... The show that gave us such skin-crawlers as THE EMPTY CHILD, TOOTH AND CLAW, MIDNIGHT and THE UNQUIET DEAD; thought-provoking epics like THE IMPOSSIBLE PLANET and TURN LEFT; and heart-wrenching sci-fi dramas like FATHER’S DAY, THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE and THE FIRES OF POMPEII; and scream out loud gems like DALEK and BLINK.

In short, we want quality and coherence back in the show.

Steve

Posted by steve  on  05/21  at  05:43 PM

Say, if you added “Silence in the Library” / “Forest of the Dead” you would of mentioned every episode that Steven Moffat wrote during the Davies years. Blink, The Empty Child, The Girl in the Fireplace - you guessed it - written by Moffat. Blink is one of the most brilliantly written television scifi ever written - Steven Moffat is one of the best screen and television writers ever.
Are you sure that you aren’t asking for Who to be dumbed down?

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/21  at  06:28 PM

First of all Mr. Moorhouse:  “you would of mentioned every episode…” is not proper English.  “you would *have* mentioned every episode…”  is the way to write that turn of phrase. 

Secondly: yes I forgot to mention SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY.  As contributing writer to the show, Steven Moffat was —hands down— :the best writer ever to come along. 

As show runner, however, he has done the show no favors and has taken Doctor Who into sickening fan-wank territory.

The only good 2 episodes (IMO) he wrote were THE ELEVENTH HOUR and THE DOCTOR, THE WIDOW AND THE WARDROBE.

Basically every story now features people saying “Doctor who? Doctor who? ohhh Doctor Who! Doctor who? Doctor Who!”

Who freaking cares?  That is WAAAAY too much navel gazing.  Tell a damn story already! 

Steve

Posted by steve  on  05/21  at  06:52 PM

First off Mr. what ever your name is - no one wins an debate with grammar - I will admit that I didn’t use proper grammar - but it was in fact proper English but even if you where able to properly point out my error in grammar instead of wrongly trying to point out errors in language people would still think that you where being silly.
Secondly - you have forgotten almost every episode that Steven Moffat has written since becoming the show runner - the “Who” bar has been raised considerably higher since the days of pandering to fan-boys ” oh, who do you think would win in a fight between the Daleks and the Cybermen?” - all that needed to be written is ” the Daleks would win - the end - duh” instead of devoting said question to a two hour waste of time that you will never get back. Not only did we have that waste of time but you get Billie Piper being written out of the show by sending her to an alternative universe and she can’t come back to this one or it will tear a hole in both universes - that would of been acceptable - but Billie Piper comes back every season after this banishment from the Who universe.
Who; under Moffat, has been setting viewing records for the Space Channel here in Canada - that doesn’t necessarily make it a better show - that fact that the show has become more thoughtful and intelligent, more complex - has a more coherent connection to what the original show was makes it much better than it was. The fact that the show doesn’t pander to folks who wish to look at meme pics of kittens doing cute things at the same time as watching Who - makes it a much better show.
P.S. I made several grammatical mistakes in this post - maybe you can pick up some brownie points by pick them all out - scads of points to be made on punctuation as well.

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/21  at  07:37 PM

the name’s Steve Mr Moorhouse. It’s right there at the end of my post. 

I agree RTD had some serious serious errors in judgement, particularly with his compulsion to bring Rose back every season.

But really…a whole parliament of DALEKS saying “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?”

And then the Doctor, himself, saying it “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?” while twirling around the console!

All together now: DALEKS and humans, let’s start dancing and singing “Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who.

DUde I’ve been watching the show since I was a kid and it’s my favourite show. But this puerile buffoonery under Moffat’s reign is too much.

Steve

Posted by steve  on  05/21  at  08:23 PM

Please to meet you Mr. What-ever-your-name-is.
Doctor Who is the question that the whole show is based on - he is the most powerful entity in the universe - of course his most powerful enemies would be driven mad by this question that; if answered, would mean the undoing of this person who has thwarted all their plans of eradicating ever-thing that isn’t, wasn’t or will be Dalek - knowledge is power. Of course the Doctor is going to amuse himself by utter the words - “Doctor Who?” it’s a thousand year old alien who has watched everyone he has ever cared about pass away - Saying “Doctor Who?” is an affirmation - it’s what keeps him going - it’s that one bit of information that he possess that keeps him in the game - it’s what keeps him from driving the Tardis into a supernova to commit Time Lord suicide. Haven’t you been paying attention to the show since you where a kid.
I’ve been watching the show since William Hartnell - and I’m not asking for a Scooby snack reward - all I ask is that for Moffat to keep on challenging with things like scenes where I get to see the first Doctor steal the Tardis - Rory the Roman putting absolute terror into a platoon of Cybermen - the Doctor driving an anti-grav. Triumph up a glass high rise to save a companion - a chance to hear the Cloister bells - to see the Eye of Harmony - Rory not being fazed by the fact that the Tardis is bigger on the inside ( ...but offers up the correct theory of why it is bigger on the inside) - ideas like the Teselecta….(my sincere thanks to Steven Moffat for this and so much more!)
Puerile buffoonery? - have you not been paying attention to the show? - the Tom Baker Doctor ( who was an awesome Doctor!!!) makes a android dog that looks like CCCP army surplus - The Judoon, soldiers of fortune that wear leather Roman centurion uniforms and have Rhinoceros heads - a Cat humanoid and a human giving birth to a litter of real kittens…... the show has always drawn from the most absurd buffoonery imaginable - that is why we watch - unless we are given episodes like “Fear Her”.

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/21  at  09:10 PM

Oh, hey since you intentionally decide to not use my name, Mr Moorhorse…, I shall reciprocate.

You can remain completely in love with Mr Smith but facts are facts: Just look at how the ratings have gotten lower and lower and lower.

Continually falling ratings must be a SURE indicator of the popularity of the lead actor and compelling story lines.  If they get any lower, Matt Smith will be averaging lower than Sylvester McCoy: geez…that’s when the BEEB pulled the plug on the show: a time when continuity-obsessed, navel-gazing fanwanks ran the show. 

Don’t you get it?  Nobody cares what his name is:  that is charm of the show. If you focus too hard on navel-gazing with “Doctor who?” you’re blocking out a much larger demographic.

Can’t you see the reason BLINK is so often touted by fans as the episode for beginners to watch is because it’s daring and different—and it doesn’t focus on “Doctor who???”

I offer you sampling of script passages from two different Moffat episodes and you tell me which one is better, smarter, more engaging and more accessible to a wider audience:

“Doctor who?”
“Oooh. Can you say that again?”
“Doctor *who*!”
“Do you know I never realized how much I love hearing that!”

VS

“Let me get my head around this: you’re reading aloud from a transcript of a conversation that you’re still having?”

Actually, you don’t have to tell me anything. It’s pretty obvious that BLINK’s script is better than TBOSJ. 

Oh well….I can only hope that after the ratings spike (triggered by the 50th anniversary special) on Nov 23rd, that the show pulls its head out of its a** and returns to the spellbinding stories that graced DW’s 3rd golden era (the Eccleston and Remnant years).

Btw, the 2nd golden era was the high gothic horror of Tom Baker’s first 3.5 seasons.  It was downhill from there (k9 and all) when the Whitehouse morality squad turned DW back into kiddie programming - as opposed to the large adult and college audience it was raking in prior to her intervention. 

Good night Mr Woodhorse….sorry I didn’t read your post very closely since you didn’t bother to use my name.  It is Woodhorse isn’t it?

Posted by steve  on  05/22  at  12:07 AM

Are you still yammering ” oh woe is me life is not worth living without RTD, Tennant and Piper ” Why don’t you get some sleep like normal humans. You address a post to me in reply to my post but you don’t bother to read what I’ve said? It doesn’t bother me in the slightest but - Who are you talking to than - maybe you think that you are having an imaginary discussion with David Tennant. You can throw a fit all you wish because I can’t be bothered to know what your name is but your replies aren’t really replies are they - just a bunch of jabber in an empty room - pretty silly. Equally silly - misguided fans that think that if they hold their collective breaths long enough then the “Who” powers that be will give them RTD, Tennant and Piper back - That non-sense would kill the show - RTD and Tennant left the show because their hearts weren’t in it any more and it seriously showed - all RTD could manage to do is half hearted story ideas where Tennant has to save the universe from bigger and bigger threats - childish non-sense that even my daughter has no use for. If Doctor Who hasn’t been worth your while since 1977 then why are you still here yammering away? Every episode of “Who” since RTD, Tennant and Piper left the show we get no end of ” I’m going to stop watching unless “Who” starts doing what “I” want it to do” and every episode it’s back to yammer yammer yammer - whine whine whine.
The fact remains - since the economic down turn - “Who” hasn’t had any where near the budget that RTD had - Moffat doesn’t need it - He’s a better writer - with Sherlock, Tin Tin, the Hobbit - Moffat is a writer in high demand across the globe for good reason - RTD can’t even pull off a non-nonsensical rehash of Torch Wood.
WoodHorse? Ouch - that hurt.

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/22  at  06:50 AM

Doctor Who News: “The Name of the Doctor was watched by 584,000 viewers on Canadian station SPACE last Saturday, becoming the most watched season finale in the series history in the country.”

Yeah, I’d say a few people are enjoying the current era of the series. wink

Posted by Matt G  on  05/22  at  08:32 AM

with you all the way Matt - good on you

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/22  at  10:32 AM

I love the back and forth of all the comment above, but I have to disagree with Steve about the episode of the Assylum of the Darleks, the Dr. Who? Dr Who?  “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?” “Doctor who?”  “Doctor who?”

Just made me laugh out loud and I think this was the point. The episode was far to dark and serious and it brought in that fabulous punch line at the end…now having said that, admittedly, I am a bit confused about the season finale…will someone please provide an understandable synopsis?  Thanks to all…Ann

Posted by Ann  on  05/22  at  07:38 PM

What exactly are you confused about in this episode Ann? - If I can’t help I’m sure some other Whovian can.
I have the feeling that the John Hurt Doctor is the Valeyard - he was the one Doctor incarnation that rejected the Doctor title. The Valeyard was supposed to be the 12 incarnation of the doctor but he could be a Doctor from an alternate timeline that made major sacrifices during the Time Wars - that scarred him and made him a dark character…...
Anyway, I could ramble on about this episode but if you gave me something specific to tackle I will do my best to help.

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/22  at  08:50 PM

I really don’t think that the Hurt Doctor has anything to do with the Time War, or the Valeyard, or anything the Great Intelligence mentions - because none of those things are secrets. Plus, the Doctor’s guilt about Time War has already been dealt with. Plus, the Time War is a Davies thing and Moffat likes to do his own thing.

Posted by John  on  05/22  at  11:16 PM

The Time War isn’t a Davies thing vrs. a Moffat thing - It’s part of the Who lore - Moffat had Clara reading the Time War reference book in the Tardis Library in “Journey to the Centre of the Tardis” - this suggests to me that the Time Wars is a part of the Doctor’s identity that Mr. Moffat is looking to explore - why is he the only TimeLord to survive the Time Wars? What hard decisions where made by the Doctor during the Time Wars?
The Valeyard is the only incarnation of the Doctor (that we know of) that has rejected the title “the Doctor” you may be right John but I’m thinking that there is a good possibility that John Hurt is the Valeyard.
“an amalgamation of the darker side of the Doctor’s nature”

Posted by Craig Moorhouse  on  05/23  at  07:27 AM

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