What does the new series buzz mean to me? That is an excellent question. What comes to mind as I write this article is a combined feeling of tedium and excitement. On one hand, it’s a new season of Doctor Who! There’s everything to be excited about. Not only that, but we have a new Doctor as well; Peter Capaldi has entered the Tardis! We know he’s got the acting chops, we know he’s got the Whovian cred, and we know he was probably born to play this part. So yay.

But, and here’s the rub, it’s what they do with the man born to play the Doctor that really counts. And what have the teasers shown us? What has Steven Moffat said on where the show is going?

“Into darkness,” apparently.

We see the phrase ‘dark and gritty’ used to describe a lot in pop culture these days. In a million years, would you ever guess that Doctor Who would follow this trend though? Don’t get me wrong; the show has always had it’s darker moments, especially in New Who, and they usually work quite well. One of my favorite episodes to this day is Series 1’s ‘Dalek’(2005), in which the Doctor angrily tortures a chained, defenseless creature. ‘Dark’ on its own is not inherently a bad thing when it comes to story. But as the prevailing tone of this particular program? Furthermore, why is the show seemingly taking this more somber route? Is it truly to serve the story, or merely an attempt to seem ‘hip’ and edgy?

I fear the latter may be true, since we last left the Doctor on a mostly positive note. Not only did the Doctor manage to attempt the impossible and change his personal history, saving his own people rather than slaughtering them, but he was given confirmation that he succeeded in this attempt and fought tirelessly to ensure their security. I heard many complain after the Day of the Doctor aired, saying that by allowing the Doctor to save Gallifrey then he loses his darkness. While this is a legitimate concern, I liked to argue that this is not true in the slightest. The Doctor still went to war, committing other sins, and every sinister deed he acted out afterwards still happened; the context is just a little different. His darkness is still there, his hearts are just a little lighter.

Which brings us back to my original objection. Capaldi can still be intense and thrilling without being that ‘dark’. He shouldn’t be questioning whether or not he’s a good man, since it wasn’t that long ago(for us at least) where he showed us that he still managed to be one “on the day it wasn’t possible to get it right.” The matter should be moot. Nevertheless, being one who’s thought heavily on regeneration, I know each new incarnation is a completely new assortment of personality, quirks and character traits. Having gone past the limits of a natural Time Lord lifespan, all bets are off. Having a wickedness testimonial from the Daleks(and Davros apparently?!) doesn’t hurt the intrigue either.

I want to go over what I liked, because I’m really not dreading this season; cautiously optimistic is the right word for it I think. There’s an assortment of new creatures and contraptions that look like a lot of fun. The cinematography, at least from what we’ve been shown so far, is absolutely stunning. But what I think I’m most excited for is what they’re doing with Clara.

I heard Steven Moffat compare the Eleventh Doctor’s introduction to that of the Third Doctor; both Doctor’s with no carry over companions or cast members of any kind. It took a lot for both to establish themselves as the Doctor on their own. When the Fourth Doctor first graced screens, it was so drastic of a change that it was nice to have Sarah Jane and the Brigadier there to look at this new person and say “Yes, this is the Doctor.” Clara is serving in this role for a new era, helping to ease a modern audience into a new Doctor. I enjoyed Clara when she was first introduced as a mysterious woman appearing throughout time, but when she was brought on as a companion I found her bland and underwritten. As Series 7 progressed, though, I observed a steady incline in her character, which culminated in her preventing the Doctor from making the biggest mistake of his life a second and third time. I think Clara’s next task, aiding new Doctor’s and new audiences alike, is the perfect next step for her character, and I am nothing but enthusiastic to see where it goes.

In all honesty, I don’t think Series 8 will be bad. It would take a lot for me to think any Doctor Who series will be bad. Like most series’, there will no doubt be good episodes and bad episodes, but a great story. What does the new series buzz mean to me? It means one of my favorite television shows is still on the air for another year, and that is something to be celebrated.