Relieved

Pic from "The Christmas Invasion", David's first episode as the Doctor.

Watched the series 5 premiere of Doctor Who tonight. I am grateful to the lovely person that uploaded it to You Tube. It is ridiculous that there is a 2 week delay between the UK and US air dates. Frankly, this premiere has been so hyped on the web for months, there is no way that I could have waited that long and remained on Twitter.

In any event, I am relieved. I don't hate Matt Smith, and I don't hate Doctor Who. I was so afraid that it would be unwatchable, given how much I adore David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor. I wanted to at least be able to enjoy it as I had with Christopher Eccleston in the role. I did enjoy it and will look forward to more episodes, just as I did before DT.

My relief is two-fold. Of course I wanted to like the show, in general. But I don't love it, and thus will never have to go through the emotional rollercoaster that I experienced with Tennant's series. His last episodes and regeneration were like an actual death for me, with all of the anguish of losing a real person. I have never experienced such a reaction to an actor, much less a fictional character, the way I have with David Tennant. It is something that I never want to go through ever again. I can simply say that I like Doctor Who, and that I am looking forward to the remainder of the series. *whew!*

Now that the new series is underway, I am hoping that all of the angst, the mourning, the uncertainty, will fade away. David will always be MY Doctor, but I can also enjoy whatever he will present in the future, hopefully without the same level of obsession.

No spoilers about the first episode, at least not until it has aired in the US. Overall, it was good. Not great, but good, and that is good enough for me.