New Who, Same Crush

This is my third attempt at this Doctor Who-related post and I'm really hoping that it works out OK.

Anyone who is the right kind of nerd knows that Matt Smith began his tenure as the 11th Doctor a few weeks ago. Well, nerds who are torrenters do. Law-abiding nerds are still waiting for the April 17th BBC America premiere. Being the more impatient sort, I and some friends were good to go the night of the BBC One premiere.

There were some serious concerns about the new Doctor: he is very young (well, 28 now but that's still younger than me), he is mostly forehead and chin, and well, he's not David Tennant. But this (obvs) isn't the first time a Doctor has been replaced, and I'm sure it won't be the last, so I swallowed my trepidation and tried not to make any(more) snap judgements.

The first episode, The Eleventh Hour, was a bit frenetic, so I couldn't really decide how I felt about Smith's Doctor. There was much vaulting of hedges, a reasonably entertaining bit with the Doctor trying (and rejecting various foodstuffs), and the introduction of the new companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Side note: I was VERY concerned that I was going to hate the new companion. Not because I have an undying loyalty to any of the past companions, but because in every teaser I saw she had this wide-eyed look of surprise that drove me mad. I did not want her to be the baffled, constantly needing-to-be-rescued companion. Also, with any luck, there will be no romantic overtones at all. The Rose Tyler thing was fine, but Martha Jones was painfully awful (no offense to Freema Agyeman). I think I liked Donna so much because there was definitely a matey vibe to the whole thing that was very refreshing after three seasons of shmoopishness. But this isn't about the companions.

After watching the second episode, The Beast Below, I was in love...again. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very fond of Tennant and his zany hairdo, and Eccleston's jug handle ears, but Smith has firmly established himself as a crush-worthy Doctor. Yes, he looks like he was half-sculpted from Silly Putty, but he's the bloody Doctor. The Doctor is the crush, not the actor. I think Steve Buscemi (again, no offense) could pop out of the TARDIS and I would still be ready to jaunt across space and time. It's the idea of being with this "very old and very kind" Time Lord that makes me all happy in my pants, not necessarily wanting to shag Tennant or Smith. Not that I wouldn't shag Tennant. I think it's the hair. And while I'm not fond of Smith's little bow tie, I'd happily rip it off and proceed to blow his Gallifreyan(?) mind.

I apologize for all the parenthetical asides but it felt right.