(A quick
preface before we begin: a big part of this review and a big USP for
this series is that the new companion, Antonia Perkins, is trans.
Your humble blogger here is cis and I just want to put that out there
so readers know specifically where I'm coming from in reviewing this
character and how she is written. Antonia identifies as female and
she/her pronouns are used to describe her in the series' website
copy. Any language mistakes contained in this post are most likely
mine, are not mean as any form of disrespect and will be corrected
accordingly when pointed out.)
SPOILERS:
specific details of plot and how the story resolves are absent from
this review but its impossible to discuss Antonia without some plot
stuff, mainly things that happen in the first half of the episode.
Doctor
Who: The Twelfth Doctor Adventures
episode
one: The Lost Sailor
written
by Janine Rivers
starring
Paul Cabria as the Doctor
and
Michelle Coats as Antonia
Its
been a long time since I dipped my toe into the world of unofficial
fan produced Doctor Who content (official fan produced content
encompassing rather a lot including the TV series itself these days)
and I'm old enough to remember the days of “not Doctor Who, honest
guv” audio series like The Stranger, The Professor & Ace and
The Wanderer. This series, being completely free and thus not for
profit in any way, gets to call itself Doctor Who and use all the
bells and whistles from the show it wants.
For
one thing there's the Twelfth Doctor, played with uncanny precision
of impersonation by Paul Cabria. I know its traditional in these
circumstances to say you were fooled but I really do mean it is
uncanny how similar the voice is. This isn't the audio equivalent of
Richard Hurndall in a wig, this isn't even just a really good
soundalike performance like Tim Treloar's Big Finish Third Doctor,
this is a spot on impression of Capaldi's every verbal mannerism. The
performance is helped by the writing, including the Doctor affirming
respect for Antonia's gender identity in a speech very reminiscent of
his assurance to Bill that she's safe in the TARDIS and always will
be in The Pilot.
I
guess now is about as good a time as any to address Antonia Perkins.
How well or how sensitively her identity is handled is definitely
better left to other writers with more stake in the issue than my cis
ass but what I will say is that her treatment is interesting.
For
one thing she does have to explain what being trans means to the
Doctor which takes a moment but the Doctor does get it very quickly,
reiterating that the Time Lords don't really have much of a concept
of gender. On the other hand, by the time the subject comes up the
pair are in 1985 and how this change will effect Antonia's personal
safety flat out does not occur to the Doctor. Whilst I'm trying to
comment as little as possible on Antonia's more trans-specific issues
and experiences I have to say, as someone of an age with Antonia who
resides elsewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum there is a certain very
immediate terror to the idea of finding myself back in Thatcher's
Britain. Its an idea that has enough broad resonance for people
across the spectrum and even the densest of straight allies that it
can have the maximum impact on the broadest cross section of the
audience whilst still being very specifically tied to her particular
identity.
Antonia's
other unique selling point is that she's an aspiring writer lacking
inspiration. Several early segments of the story have her narrating
her work in progress and giving up in frustration. Again, this is a
trait with broad appeal as I think everyone who has ever tried to
write anything can relate. Other than that her main claim to fame
amongst modern companions is that she has a decent relationship with
both her parents which I'm glad of because, oh boy, could we do with
the plague of bad parental figures Doctor Who has been dropping in
since RTD not continuing with the first (albeit unofficial) trans
companion. That isn't to say such a storyline would be without merit
just that I think its something that can be done without especially
so hot on the heals of Moira and Bill's relationship.
A
queer character having two accepting parents is a subversion of
expectations in itself and I'm glad to see it for once.
A
large part of the early story, the getting to know you phase, is
spent with the Doctor directing Antonia by phone as she searches for
the TARDIS. The two talk about a lot of things, the Doctor slowly
letting her in on just what a weird situation he's dragging her into
and bonding over both shared and different experiences. One of the
similar experiences they bond over, in fact, is the idea of choosing
one's own name. As with many a modern companion introduction the
story starts off with her and is moderated mainly from her point of
view and, let's face it, that's a format that works.
I
am absolutely on board with seeing where these two travel next.
Details
The
series will be twelve episodes long, each running about the length of
a typical modern TV episode and will be released weekly on Saturdays
from the series' website here. Download is free and the series is not
for profit and unaffiliated with the BBC.
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