We are all fans. Call us geeks. Call us fanboys/fangirls. Call us what you want…it doesn’t change the fact that we are invested in our characters. We choose to spend our time surrounded by these characters, people, etc. And, that’s OK.  But, guess what, there are things we can learn from those characters! Don’t believe me? Keep reading!

I imagine that those who write for television have the pleasure of creating scenes that foreshadow. These writers craft scenes that cleverly hide clues that, if the show survives, will one day deliver a reward – a payoff – in a future story. This technique makes it possible for viewers to watch an already seen episode in an entirely new light once the clue’s revelation occurs. Programs such as LOST, Haven, and Doctor Who are excellent examples. Yet, what lessons can be learned that we can use?  The Doctor Who lessons, for me, are some that I apply to my writing on a regular basis. Want an example? Keep reading!

 

Doctor Who: Lessons At The End

As River Song would say: SPOILERS!

If you are new to Doctor Who and have not yet watched Season Four with Katherine Tate as Donna Noble, read no further.

Spoilers.

Your Song Is Ending

 

He will knock four times.

Your song is ending.

 

David Tennant’s exit as the Tenth Doctor was first foreshadowed in the 2008 episode, Planet of the Ood, when he and current companion, Donna Noble, saved the Ood from slavery.

At the time I assumed it was Donna’s exit as she was only scheduled for one season; however, this wasn’t the case as the same comment was mentioned again in 2009’s Planet of the Dead. This time additional information was given: He will knock four times.

This was a mystery and it seemed as if the universe was attempting to warn the Tenth Doctor. History had yet to unfold but the Doctor knew Viewers familiar with The Doctor – and specifically with David Tennant’s portrayal of the Tenth Doctor – realized he knew change was coming for him.

Change Comes for Us

Isn’t that the same for us all? Regardless of religion, we are each here for a brief time in the overall scheme. When we look back, do we see that there were moments when foreshadowing was much more visible than at other times?

But, on the other hand, can there be times when things are not clear at all? These are the times when the future is most uncertain that we must cling to the best of ourselves and simply carry forward.

All Things Must End

The Tenth Doctor’s time ended (his regular tenure) with the episode The End of Time Part II, airing on January 01, 2010. Fans discovered that this song is ending was only ½ of the message. We discovered the truth as we sadly – tearfully – watched a dying Tenth Doctor painfully walk closer to the TARDIS. As he walked by Ood Sigma, the Ood said, “This song is ending…but the story never ends.”

The Tenth Doctor entered the Tardis and regenerated.

What lesson can we learn from this?

Maybe the best lesson actually comes from the Tenth Doctor’s successor, his Eleventh self, the Eleventh Doctor. In the final moments before his own regeneration into the Twelfth Doctor, he said:

 

 We all change.

When you think about it, we’re all different people all through our lives, and that’s okay, that’s good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all people that you used to be.

I will not forget one line of this.

Not one day.

I swear.

I will always remember when the Doctor was me.