Christology of Who: More On "The Doctor Dances"

A look at a few of the spiritual themes in Doctor Who, episode “The Doctor Dances” by Steven Moffat

For an earlier discussion of these episodes and a synopsis, go here.

There is a very moving, deeply moving moment in “The Doctor Dances.” 

Thing is, I completely missed it first go around, because I didn’t have a clue yet as to how ridiculously momentous that moment was.

After watching the following few years with David Tennant, and I got to understand what was happening.

 

The moment is after the nanogenes start to learn, and the Doctor makes a plea to the universe:

THE DOCTOR
Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one. 

He is indeed given “this one,” and the nanogenes do their work. And not only is the boy healed, but everyone is healed.

THE DOCTOR
Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once. Everybody lives!

There’s the moment, the deep deep moment: the joy of the Doctor is unbounded, he has reason to dance – everybody lives!

That is so momentous because it is so rare.

Yes, the Doctor saves the day, time after time. But it almost always comes at a heavy price.

In the end, the majority of humanity is all right; but along the way, many are lost.

This is one source of the Doctor’s deep sadness – the weight of those that weren’t saved in the process of saving those that are.

Doing right has a cost; conquering evil has a cost.

Letters of Note has a letter on its site written by an American OSS officer to his son. One of the many remarkable things is that the letter is written on Adolf Hitler’s stationary. (You can see the letter here.)

After the fall of Hitler, the author got his hands on some stationary, and sent this letter: 

Dear Dennis,

The man who might have written on this card once controlled Europe — three short years ago when you were born. Today he is dead, his memory despised, his country in ruins. He had a thirst for power, a low opinion of man as an individual, and a fear of intellectual honesty. He was a force for evil in the world. His passing, his defeat — a boon to mankind. But thousands died that it might be so. The price for ridding society of bad is always high.

Love, Daddy

The Doctor has a right to dance – he has been given a great gift. For once, just once! everybody lives!

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Next up:  Boomtown