Steven Moffat, the showrunner who took the reins of Doctor Who in its fifth series of the revived era, famously quipped about themes: “Nobody does themes. It’s a lie. Who have you heard say ‘I’ve thought of a good theme?’ They happen accidentally. You repeat yourself once too often and so it becomes a theme. We tell stories – that’s what people talk about, not themes.”
While Moffat might downplay thematic intent, the reality is that themes, whether deliberate or emergent, are often what elevates entertainment into art. For many viewers, a compelling narrative isn’t just about plot twists and explosions; it’s about how a story resonates with real human experiences and perhaps even subtly shifts perspectives. Think of shows like The Wire or Breaking Bad – their thematic depth is as crucial to their acclaim as their gripping plots. This isn’t to say pure entertainment is valueless, but when a show aims for something more, thematic coherence becomes vital.
Russell T. Davies’ tenure as Doctor Who showrunner was praised, in part, for its strong thematic undercurrents. Each season felt like it was “about” something, weaving character arcs and plotlines around central ideas. Season five, however, under Moffat’s guidance, felt different. While introducing a fresh Doctor in Matt Smith and a captivating companion in Amy Pond, some critics, including those at Overthinking It, felt the season lacked that thematic unity. It wasn’t that themes were absent, but rather that they felt scattered, underdeveloped, and ultimately disconnected from the characters’ journeys.
This article delves into the thematic landscape of Doctor Who Season 5, examining whether it lived up to the thematic richness of previous seasons or if it stumbled into a “thematic incoherence,” as some have argued.
Moffat’s Approach: Themes by Accident?
Despite Moffat’s seemingly anti-theme statement, Season 5 isn’t devoid of recurring motifs. As even io9’s Charlie Jane Anders noted, Moffat, consciously or not, revisits certain thematic and narrative elements throughout the season. Looking at the episode breakdown reveals a pattern of repetition:
- “The Eleventh Hour” (Moffat): Childhood vs. Adulthood; Identity & Disguise; Orphaned Children
- “The Beast Below” (Moffat): Memory & Forgetting; Orphaned Children; Stasis vs. Change
- “Victory of the Daleks” (Gatiss): Can Robots Love?; Identity & Disguise; How Far Do We Go to Win?; Memory & Forgetting
- “The Time of Angels”/“Flesh and Stone” (Moffat): Identity & Disguise; Memory & Forgetting; Images/Stories Becoming Real
- “The Vampires of Venice” (Whithouse): Identity & Disguise; Orphaned Children; Adulthood vs. Childhood; Societal Expectations vs. Individual Desire
- “Amy’s Choice” (Nye): Adulthood vs. Childhood; Societal Expectations vs. Individual Desire; Memory
- “The Hungry Earth”/“Cold Blood” (Chibnall): Societal Expectations vs. Individual Desire; Consequences of Fear and Prejudice
- “Vincent and the Doctor” (Curtis): The Power of Appreciation; The Real Becoming Images/Stories
- “The Lodger” (Roberts): Identity & Disguise; Change vs. Stasis
- “The Pandorica Opens”/“The Big Bang” (Moffat): Memory & Forgetting; Can Robots Love?; Images/Stories Becoming Real and vice-versa
This list highlights several recurring themes:
- Can Robots Love? (x 2)
- Childhood vs. Adulthood (x 3)
- Identity & Disguise (x 5)
- Images/Stories Becoming Real (x 3)
- Memory & Forgetting (x 5)
- Orphaned Children (x 3)
- Stasis vs. Change (x 2)
- Societal Expectations vs. Individual Desire (x 3)
While some of these themes have natural connections—like “Childhood vs. Adulthood” and “Stasis vs. Change”—the question arises: do they combine into a coherent seasonal statement, and more importantly, do they meaningfully impact the central characters, the Doctor and Amy?
The Disconnect: Themes Without Character Resonance
The core criticism of Season 5’s thematic approach lies in its disconnect from character development. Take “Identity & Disguise,” a theme heavily featured across multiple episodes. While perception filters, shapeshifters, and disguised robots populate the season, how does this thematic exploration reflect the Eleventh Doctor’s personal journey?
Karen Gillan as Amy Pond in Doctor Who Season 5: Critics debated if character development was overshadowed by thematic inconsistencies.
The Doctor regenerates, adopting a new guise, but this transformation is rarely, if ever, revisited thematically after the initial episode. His core identity remains largely unchanged throughout the season. He doesn’t grapple with an identity crisis, nor does the theme of disguise significantly alter his actions or decisions. His mentions of identity are often steeped in self-assured bravado, not introspection. Where is the thematic payoff for such a frequently visited concept in the Doctor’s personal arc?
Similarly, “Memory & Forgetting” plays a significant role in the plot, particularly with Amy’s fractured memories. Yet, while Amy’s memory lapses drive plot points, they don’t profoundly alter her character arc. The Amy who forgets her parents and the Amy who remembers them are, personality-wise, remarkably consistent. Her memory loss is more of a plot device than a catalyst for inner change or exploration of her sense of self. Again, the thematic weight feels external to the character’s internal journey.
This raises a fundamental question: what is the purpose of these recurring themes if they don’t deeply resonate with or shape the emotional landscape of the Doctor and Amy? Are they merely intellectual window dressing, interesting concepts explored in isolation within individual episodes, but failing to coalesce into a meaningful seasonal narrative?
Fairy Tales and Thematic Misdirection?
Some interpretations attempt to unify Season 5’s themes under the umbrella of “fairy tales.” References to fairy tale tropes do appear in episodes like “The Vampires of Venice” and the season finale. However, a closer examination reveals that only a fraction of the season’s episodes explicitly engage with fairy tale elements.
Even in the finale, while the concept of stories and remembering is central, the thematic statement on fairy tales feels somewhat superficial. Are we simply meant to appreciate them and acknowledge the importance of memory? While a pleasant sentiment, it hardly feels like a profound thematic revelation, especially for a show often lauded for its deeper explorations of humanity and existence. Furthermore, the fairy tale interpretation struggles to incorporate the other prominent themes like “robot love” or “stasis vs. change” into a cohesive whole.
Rewriting for Thematic Cohesion: A Missed Opportunity
Moffat’s approach, while producing enjoyable individual episodes, arguably missed an opportunity to craft a thematically resonant season. A more cohesive approach would have involved identifying core themes early on and ensuring they were deeply interwoven with the characters’ emotional arcs.
For instance, if “Identity” was to be a central theme, the season could have explored the Doctor’s post-regeneration identity struggles, Amy’s evolving sense of self as she travels with the Doctor, or even Rory’s anxieties about his place in Amy’s life and the Doctor’s world. Similarly, “Memory and Forgetting” could have been tied to the Doctor’s own long life and the weight of his past, or Amy’s journey of self-discovery as she confronts fragmented memories and forges her own identity separate from her childhood fantasies.
By failing to consistently connect these recurring themes to the characters’ inner lives, Season 5, while entertaining, risks feeling like a collection of loosely connected episodes rather than a thematically unified season. In a post-Sopranos television landscape, where thematic depth is increasingly valued, this lack of cohesion represents a missed opportunity to elevate Doctor Who Season 5 from enjoyable sci-fi adventure to truly impactful television art.
