Watched until Season 3. Spoiler Alert.

My dear Martha. 

Season 3 was interesting. Though there were episodes which were disappointing, (the whole Daleks in Manhatten/Evolution of the Daleks? nah uh didn’t feel that). What I loved about Season 3 was the race issues that were referenced, and it was right there in The Shakespearean Code: When Martha asks the Doctor if she is going to be sold into slavery “not exactly white, am I?” or when Shakespeare gets into his whole dark princess spiel. And they were everywhere. When she is dissed in the Family of Blood (also, I really did wish the Doctor had fallen in love with her when he was human, I mean, can’t I get a shining knight in armour falling in love with a WoC? Ever?). But it didn’t just stop with her. In Manhatten when the Daleks were probing humans for intelligence, it was a black man they clearly probed and said “low intelligence” (go probe a white man, c’mon!) whereas in that same episode, the only human-pig who seemed to retain intelligence was a white man. 

And then there was the talk of “low intelligence of tribesman who only have spears”  in the episode of Family of Blood. I know that’s what the mindset was at that time, and so I appreciated that put in, but I wondered how many viewers it stuck as forcibly as it did me. I suppose because colonialism studies are still a relatively recent, fresh thing with me, and after all, it was my people who were colonized (and still are).…. 

Perhaps I am nitpicking on tiny things. But we all know how media shapes our larger conscious and vice versa, and sometimes . . … . 

Though it did my heart good to see that the leader(?) of the raggedy group of people in Hoover town was a black man. And in the same vein, I also did wonder about relations between whites and blacks in Hoover Towns. Let’s be honest, racism was well and alive in America during that time, and it’s hard for me to imagine that colorism didn’t affect relations within those camps, or poverty levels. I understand that everyone was broke, but when it came to suspicions of looting, thieving etc, when it came to rationing etc., I can very clearly imagine black PoC having the shorter end of the stick.

Also, unf, I’d go have a drink with Detective Inspector Schipton (did I get his name/spelling right?). 

I liked how Martha ended her time with the Doctor. Her saying, “I am not second best”. That was so very reminiscent of Mickey; both PoC characters, both always trying to prove themselves, both coming to realize that they were all what they were needed to be, and more. It was awesome to see a WoC smart and kicking ass, (Martha’s family, btw, were awesome. Her mother really did remind me of mine). It was awesome to see her standing her ground. And if I start comparing her and Rose, I do think that she made the smarter choice. Why hanker after a man who probably is never going to return your affections? And also, I did appreciate that a) at the end of the day, her decision was hers. Unlike Rose, Martha’s agency wasn’t taken from her.  Rose was forced into a parallel world, in a lot of ways,  Rose’s fate was forced on her, Martha chose hers. And there is a world of difference between the two. Also b) Martha (I think) was smart about her decision of staying back. Rose seemed to think that adventure was only in the outer space, when that isn’t true. Martha recognized that no matter how much she enjoyed her time frolicking through time and universe, adventures still existed with ordinary people and ordinary things. And yes, that sound so very cliched,  but I just… . 

I just loved Martha, and everything about her and her character okay? Okay. 

As always, feedback is very welcome. Asks for the shorter ones, submissions for the longer ones =). And if you are new and looking for the older posts, go explore here and come talk to me =D