Summary
- The current fan theory that Doctor Who is a television show would be a huge risk due to the show's long history.
- The episode 'Lux' featured a meta moment mocking the fan theory, dividing opinions among fans.
- Doctor Who should focus on being a great sci-fi show without needing a fourth-wall breaking moment.
Doctor Who has a huge fan base, which leads to new theories and ideas being suggested all the time. People always think they have the next best idea for the science fiction series, and while some of them are interesting and entertaining, that doesn't mean they will ever see the light of day.
However, theories are sometimes created due to what's happening in Doctor Who. The show is notorious for leaving small clues and hints as to what will happen in the future, and many fans have latched onto that recently until the 'Lux' episode was released. It tackled a major fan theory head-on and proved that this shouldn't happen.
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What Is The Doctor Who Fan Theory?
This Is An Interesting Idea That Would Be A Huge Risk
The current prevailing theory that many Whovians are running with is that it will be revealed that the Doctor is living within a television show. It would essentially show that he isn't a real Time Lord, and the adventures he goes on aren't seen as real to people. Instead, it would be a television show, as it is in reality, that people watch and someone creates. The idea is it would be a meta moment where Doctor Who would become a show within a show, which was an idea that Marvel Studios used for WandaVision. It's a concept that is extremely meta and is all about fourth-wall breaking and winking to the audiences, and when executed right, it can be very clever. Fans believe there have been glimpses of that within Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who run, where it will eventually be revealed this season that the Doctor is just a character of a show.
It's an idea that is interesting, simply due to how outside-the-box it would be for a series that has lasted this long. However, given that Doctor Who has been around since 1963 and has never explored this angle, it would be a massive risk for them to take. Audiences enjoy this as a science fiction show, and potentially tweaking that would ruin the sci-fi element, as it wouldn't feel like that anymore. But Doctor Who is a show that has thrived on taking risks, and they have often paid off over the years, which is why people are refusing to rule this idea out.
'Lux' Featured A Meta Television Idea
It Mocked Doctor Who Fans And Split Audience Opinion
There was much to like about 'Lux' as an episode, from the brilliant set design, the cast's fantastic costumes, and the villain himself, Mr. Ring-a-Ding. However, the meta moment of the Doctor and Belinda Chandra being dragged into the movie itself allowed the fan theory to play out. This part of the episode had a lot to unpack, such as them initially starting out as cartoon characters, which was a lot of fun. However, they eventually ended up in the home of three Doctor Who fans, who all claimed that it was a television show. They explained it all to the Time Lord, revealing that he wasn't real and was just a character they watched. Ultimately, that didn't become the reality as the Doctor and Belinda pulled themselves out of the frame and went back to reality, taking Doctor Who back to being a regular sci-fi show.
This scene divided fans, with some finding it to be clever and entertaining, giving a glimpse of what this could mean for the show full-time if it went down this road. However, others hated the idea of the Doctor being a character within a show, not a Time Lord. They also didn't appreciate how the fans were presented, essentially being seen as losers who didn't have any other friends due to how obsessed they were with the show. There were a lot of jokes at Doctor Who's expense, such as Belinda sarcastically claiming that 'Blink' "sounds like an absolute epic," despite being a legitimate fan favorite. One of the characters also spoke about online leaks and how people think the show is going to end, and for many, it took them out of the science fiction journey. While it worked in this aspect because they were fighting a character based in a cinema and was all about light, it's hard to imagine that being Doctor Who's long-term reality.
Doctor Who Should Focus On Being A Great Science Fiction Show
Not Every Series Needs A Fourth-Wall Breaking Moment
Some fans enjoyed this scene, but the overwhelming majority found it all to be too silly and far-fetched. Taking the Doctor out of that environment where he is normally in control and trying to make him seem like any other character isn't what people want to see, and it isn't what makes him feel special. The Doctor is supposed to be larger than life, an alien from a different planet who wants to defend Earth. Bringing him screeching back down to reality as just a television character would feel flat and anticlimactic. It also feels like it's too big of a change to be made for a show that has existed this long as a simple sci-fi series. Doctor Who has built up a legion of fans over the years, and that's due to how the show is now, hence why changes aren't needed.
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