Can We Really Get a Female, Gay POC Doctor Who?

[divider type=”space_thin”]Last week marked the season finale of Doctor Who, the penultimate episode for Peter Capaldi in his role as the Twelfth Doctor and possibly the last episode for Pearl Mackie as companion Bill Potts. It’s an exciting and bittersweet time for a Doctor Who fan: An ending, yes, for one Doctor, but also a beginning for another. As usual, speculation about who will step into the Time Lord’s shoes has abounded, but the BBC has yet to announce its next Doctor. Internet Whovians have been calling for something new in the TARDIS—namely a Doctor who’s not a straight, white male. Easy enough, right? After all, the show made a big step with the inclusion of Bill as the Doctor’s black, gay companion. And while I do think that, in an ideal world, a more diverse Doctor would be great for the show, I have to say that it’s not an ideal world, and I’m not sure the writers behind the show are up to it. Season 10 has been rough; there were a few stand-out stand-alone episodes (“Smile,” “Thin Ice”) but many more episodes with plot holes and poorly explained resolutions. “Extremis,” which began a mini-arc involving world-dominating alien Monks, was both inventive and interesting but watching the next two episodes felt like watching a balloon deflate. Still, despite the season’s flaws, Capaldi has been reliably good in his portrayal of the Doctor, and Mackie especially has been an absolute pleasure to watch. Witty and empathetic without being precious, Bill is a good match …