Doctor Who Season 11 Review

New Season, New Beginnings Before the new season of Doctor Who even premiered this October, fans knew the show was going to undergo some major changes: Steven Moffat, king of casual foot-in-mouth misogyny and season-long arcs as holey as a block of Swiss cheese, was stepping down as showrunner. He was to be replaced by new showrunner/writer Chris Chibnall. The new Doctor would have not one companion but three, a diverse trio of companions. This would herald a welcome switch from the usual single lady-companion-with-romantic-chemistry we’ve seen so frequently in the new Who episodes. And of course, last but not least: Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor. It only took thirteen tries, but hey, it has finally happened. So this season has been marked by change, mostly for the good, though some to the detriment of the overall package. That said, the show’s also gotten back to doing what it does best — but with a new flair. Season 11 started with “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” which introduced the Thirteenth Doctor and her to-be companions Ryan, Graham and Yasmin in the midst of a pretty standard Who setup. We got mysterious alien technology, human targets and an easily detestable alien warrior-assassin named Tzim-Sha. It was an average start to the season, mostly forgettable but for Whittaker’s performance. A new Doctor’s first episode always invites the most attention. Chibnall’s writing can’t really match the drama or excitement of Russell T. Davies’ (think, for example, o…