Spoilers, Sweetie...

Yikes!!

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post! Time has certainly gotten away from me this week. I have been thinking about posting, I really have. I've spent the last few days in a Doctor Who-induced frenzy between baking an awesome 50th Anniversary cake and the special episode airing on Saturday! It was so much fun! What do you guys think of this cake I made?

Neat huh?? I love how it turned out! As you can see "The Day Of The Doctor" was a huge deal for Yeti and I. It was hard to really focus on much else. I know I've missed out on a week of posts about what I'm thankful for but I think today's post needs to focus on the Doctor. Becoming a Whovian was one of the best and worst decisions I've ever made. It’s very much like my relationship with my husband.By that I mean I always knew it was there, never thought in my wildest dreams that I would like it and now I don’t know how I went so long without it! And here's why - 

I can't say I've been a "Whovian" since the beginning. Hell, I haven't even been one for the past five years. But it certainly feels like I have been ever since Yeti introduced me to it less than a year ago. That's the thing about the Doctor. You don't have watch it from the very beginning (meaning William Hartnell) to get ALL of it. Once you know the basics and you understand who the Doctor is and what he does, you can jump right into his world at any given moment. I can watch that video up there and know exactly whats happening because even though he is portrayed by different people, his mission remains the same. Let me tell you my story about being immersed in his incredible journey through all of time and space. 

Back before my husband and I were married, he went on this crazy kick of re-watching all the recent Doctor Who episodes, beginning with the 9th Doctor and onward through 11. He had always watched it as a child but wanted to catch up with the new series. I thought it was the silliest thing. He would often ask “Well didn't your parents watch it? They were Trekkies after all. I bet you they watched Doctor Who.” Every time I would vehemently deny it. Because they didn't. They hardly even knew what it was when I would ask. 

Despite my harsh criticisms of the stupid looking Daleks, I tried not to discourage his enthusiasm. I even went so far as to make him a T.A.R.D.I.S.  birthday cake even before I cared enough to know what a T.A.R.D.I. S. was. That year I got him a Doctor Who book written by Douglas Adams, a Sonic Screwdriver keychain, something called a 500 Year Diary and a Fob Watch. What the hell were these things? I had no real idea, but I knew my husband would love them. I later learned after giving him those gifts that I had actually got him the Master’s Fob Watch (Oops!). A few weeks after his birthday we made a deal with each other. Since he didn’t understand why I went to the gym all the time and I didn’t understand his obsession with the Doctor, we decided that for every episode of Doctor Who that I watched, he would agree to go to the gym with me. That way we both get to do something we enjoy while spending more time together. Was I skeptical about this plan at first? Of course I was. My husband at the gym? Me watching Doctor Who? Yeah. Right.That’ll happen. This resulted in me watching a ton of Doctor Who and totally forgetting that the gym exists. That's how it all started.

We began my Whovian journey with Christopher Eccleston. At the end of the very first episode, I realized I didn't hate it. I wasn't crazy about it either. But it certainly was interesting. I was engrossed in the first few episodes but I could never let my husband actually know that. “It was alright”, I would say when he asked what I thought. I remember being concerned that Rose just decided to up and leave her mom and boyfriend behind. I remember being pleasantly surprised by an appearance by Simon Pegg as the Editor. I remember my first encounter with a Dalek and thinking that yes it actually IS that stupid looking. “Why are all these people afraid of that thing?" I would ask. Then I found out they could fly. And shoot lasers. And were virtually bullet proof. Yet I still couldn't understand why they looked so silly. Why would anyone do that to such a supposedly harsh and terrible being? My husband patiently answered all of my silly questions. I even found myself asking questions while we WEREN'T watching Doctor Who. What was happening to me? I couldn't believe I was taking an interest in this. Then Christopher Eccleston left us and in came David Tennant.

Then it all went downhill from there, in the best way possible of course.

David Tennant. The 10th Doctor. I've seen some amazing acting jobs in my lifetime but David truly BECAME the Doctor in a way that made him so enjoyable to watch on so many levels. Maybe it was his crazy hair or his snazzy suits or his uncanny ability to pull the feels right out of you through a television screen! There is a story that's been passed around the Doctor Who fandom about a young David in primary school being asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His response was "An actor so I can play the Doctor", which is precisely what he did. He is the ultimate example of turning your dreams into reality. I'd say it took less than 3 months for Fred and I to get all the way through his run in those iconic red high tops and in that short span of time I cried more times for a fictional character than I ever have in my entire life. I learned to fear the stupid looking Daleks and the Cybermen because of what they were capable of. Especially when they were paired together! I watched an incredible bond and love grow between the Doctor and Rose Tyler, then watched them get ripped apart. Literally. I developed an intense hatred for Martha Jones (the companion following her) because of this.Who did she think she was anyway? Coming in and trying to take Rose's place. Horrible, I say! I remember being completely and utterly amazed by 10's compassion towards the villainous Master, even after he tried to destroy him just so he wouldn't be the last Time Lord left in the universe. I realized just how important every single person in the world is, no matter how insignificant they may feel thanks to the sassy Donna Noble (played the incomparable Catherine Tate). My heart broke for her in the end, it really did! Then when I was just about on the mend, we came to the regeneration of David Tennant. I still can't listen to "Vale Decem" without getting misty eyed. Who would've thought that 5 little words could open up the flood gates? "I don't want to go!" We didn't want you to go either, David. But all good things must come to an end, right?

Enter Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. Now i'm not gonna lie. It took me a bit to warm up to a new Doctor AND a new companion at the same time. But Matt's charm and sometimes goofy demeanor won me over eventually. It's hard to hate a man who makes you believe that eating fish fingers and custard is really delicious. He's often been described as "an uncoordinated house-cat who acts like he meant to do that after falling off a piece of furniture". I think that pretty much sums it up. The only negative thing about his run as the Doctor is that he has to spend 2.5 seasons dealing with Amy Pond and her husband Rory Williams. They're just awful! Now Matt may look young but he certainly knows how to make you believe that he really is over 1000 years old.  He also has this amazing capability to go from calm and collected to intense and in your face in what feels like an instant. The speech in the above video clip is actually from the "Rings of Akhetan" which is one of my favorite Matt episodes. His ability to deliver meaningful monologues with such a passion is one of the reasons why he won me over! The onscreen chemistry with he shares with Alex Kingston, who plays Professor River Song,  is only rivaled by that of Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) and David Tennant. I feel like the only thing that has made his run as the Doctor better is the introduction of Clara Oswin Oswald. The Ponds never really looked out for the Doctor, but Clara does. Of course I can't tell you why in case you haven't seen the episode dealing with it but she really does blow Amy and Rory out of the water. 

Unfortunately, Matt's run is coming to an end in less than a month. This will be my first "live" regeneration since i'm all caught up with episodes now. I'm not exactly sure how i'm going to deal with it. Matt hasn't hit me as emotionally as David did but I've certainly gotten used to him in the role. I'm sad about it and really excited at the same time.I'm looking forward to what Peter Capaldi brings to the table! It's been a while since there's been a older Doctor. I mean, seriously, we just got this quick glimpse of the 12th Doctor in the 50th Anniversary:

And I can already feel that this guy means business!! Look at those eyes! I have to agree with one of the comments I read about this scene which was  "OMG The Daleks just shit their pants!" I'm pretty sure if they could, they would. It's going to be amazing!!

I guess since this is technically still part of my "Grateful" month of posts, the only way I can close this out is to say that I am extremely grateful for the Doctor. Happy 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who! Cheers to many many more years of adventures!!