Reflecting on the Doctor
Posted on: May 8, 2017
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“Run for your life.”
Hello sweetie, I did it! I made it through another A to Z Challenge – I was worried about it when it came to the actual blogging, but I sometimes wrote in advance and maneuvered around my work schedule.
For those who haven’t been stopping by this past month at my nerdy lil corner of the internet, I decided to stitch some quotes from Doctor Who, specifically fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
Unlike last year, I only stitched a single alphabet for the challenge. It was extremely intense last year being my first attempt and I decided to be a bit less ambitious with the stitching for this second participation.
“Sorry, that’s The Lion King…”
Sharing each quote to represent the letter of the day, I not only stitched the corresponding words – I shared some of my personal thoughts and knowledge about the character who spoke it and the episode when it was mentioned.
While I shared my thoughts and stitching, I was rewatching Doctor Who for the umpteenth time, and I actually started watching the new episodes that premiered this April.
If you haven’t read through the challenge posts, then you may not know the facts about my interest in Doctor Who – so here are the basics:
- Nine is my Doctor! Never start a marathon without watching the first series of the “new” Who. It’s fantastic!
- Martha Jones is my favorite companion of Ten! She was not a “rebound” companion; she stood fierce and strong and walked the Earth to spread the word, the idea of the Doctor.
- River Song grew on me like a fungus, but not! I didn’t particularly care for her in the beginning, but learning the truth about her made me love the sassy know-it-all!
- Captain Jack Harkness and Torchwood are the main reasons behind me even watching the Doctor! I was really interested in the spin-off, which caused me to start watching the series… and I never looked back.
- The Ponds are the best power couple! The last centurion and the girl who waited are simply amazing together – and I admit wholeheartedly that I cried when they left, but they chose each other. And I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry, but one couldn’t stay with the Doctor without the other.
- And… are you my mummy?
“Am I people? Do I even look like people?”
Spoilers! I am going to miss Peter Capaldi’s Doctor so much – I loved him from the beginning, but I’ve been a fan of his since watching The Thick of It and his several cameos in Doctor Who and Torchwood.
However, I am open for the next regeneration – I’m always ready for the next Doctor as long as the series continues to RUN!
For me, this challenge had different difficulties compared to last year’s SUPER challenge.
“Oh, the pointing again! They’re screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?”
I will be completely honest – I waited til the last minute to decide to even participate in this year’s challenge.
I had so many ideas for the challenge after last year’s intense yet fun filled month of superheroes, but I simply put everything on the back burner.
I had no problem stitching the actual alphabet, which I finished before the month was half way through. It was the process of essentially rewatching specific episodes to edit screenshots that took a good chunk of time.
I also took the time to write posts in advance when given the opportunity to work around my third-shift schedule. It was certainly less intense compared to last year, but the challenge always has its moments of suspense when it comes to time management.
“Laser screwdriver. Who’d have sonic?”
Again, I made the mistake of waiting too long to decide whether or not to participate – I had so many possible topics last year, and I’ve had so many more ideas since participating in this year’s challenge.
I’ll definitely be taking another hiatus from the blog, but I was only gone for a year (give or take a few weeks) so that’s a plus! Don’t blink!
Through the challenge, I met some amazing bloggers. I checked out far more blogs than last year, which was something of an achievement for me – I’ve definitely added some more blogs to my reader!
“I don’t care!”
Will I do the challenge next year? I’m not sure.
Not that I don’t love the challenge because it really brings out the hardcore fangirl crafter from within, but after last year’s first experience I simply put my ideas on the subject of the challenge in the back of my mind. Who’s to say that I don’t turn around and do the exact same thing this year? Not that this challenge was poorly executed or unfinished, but I had such enthusiasm and passion that was diverted to other projects throughout the year.
So… unlike last year there is no concrete decision on next year’s challenge, but I will say that it will be in my thoughts, swimming in my brain waiting to strike when inspiration arises.
Come along, Nerdy Girl!
Z is for prisoner Zero
Posted on: April 30, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
Z is for “prisoner Zero”
“prisoner Zero” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This quote is from the first episode of the fifth series “The Eleventh Hour,” which tells the first full story of the eleventh Doctor and debuts the new companion Amy Pond.
You can’t see me, na-na, na-na, boo-boo
That particular episode also introduces the words “silence will fall,” which becomes a critical plot thread throughout the lifetime of the eleventh incarnation.
The Doctor meets a young girl Amelia Pond, after crashing the Tardis in her garden, who has a crack in her bedroom wall that becomes a recurring image throughout the fifth series.
The crack is emitting a message “Prisoner Zero has escaped.” However, the Doctor is interrupted in learning all he can about this unknown prisoner who used the crack to escape and he promises Amelia to return in five minutes. And of course, the Tardis doesn’t comply with this quick five-minute trip.
The Doctor actually returns in the morning twelve years later.
You’re Amelia Pond!?!
This episode was a great introduction to both the eleventh Doctor and his new companion Amy Pond.
Because of his disappearance for twelve years, Amy is no longer a little girl who will simply follow his every lead and the Doctor is still new to this regeneration.
But he’s the Doctor and he will defend this planet from here until the very end.
Look me in the eye and say that to my face
However, the Doctor saves the day only to disappear.
He returns two years after the events of that day dealing with Prisoner Zero.
Fourteen years since he promised to take little Amelia Pond on a trip.
Amy Pond becomes his new companion and known to Whovians as “the girl who waited,” but she leaves behind a very conspicuous white wedding gown hanging in her closet as the Tardis disappears from her garden.
All of time and space… let’s do it!
She turns out to be a little bit of a runaway bride, running from her life choices and life style to travel time and space with her imaginary best friend.
I’ve always loved that about Amy Pond – she’s the first face the Doctor sees with his new regeneration and she wants to run just as much as him.
She wants to see the stars and the past and the future, and her “raggedy man” is going to give her all those adventures and more.
Y is for You are not alone
Posted on: April 29, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
Y is for “You are not alone”
“You are not alone” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This is the message from the Face of Boe. These were his final words to the tenth Doctor before his death.
This quote is from the episode “Gridlock” where the Doctor takes Martha Jones to New Earth.
Sonic in the face!
What I love about this episode (other than the big reveal of the Face’s words) is that Martha really confronts the Doctor for the first time.
She’d met him (her first adventure) and the two had traveled to the past and met William Shakespeare (her second adventure), and she’d heard his comments about Rose, but she hadn’t said anything.
She won’t be a “rebound companion,” which is what I feel she’s usually thought of by those who really loved Rose and hated to see her go. She’s her own person, and she won’t have the Doctor take her on “recycled” trips through time and space to relive his “glory” days with Rose.
Possible kidnapping needs to be the #1 warning to becoming a companion
Yes, Martha finds the Doctor attractive (and come on, mixed signals with the kiss when dealing with the Judoon), but she really wants to know him – his story and his motivations.
She actually refuses to move until the Doctor tells her the truth – what the Face of Boe meant by his seemingly cryptic words.
He’s dying…
Later, these words are referenced when Martha and the Doctor travel to the end of the universe in an attempt throw Captain Jack Harkness.
The Doctor and his companions meet Professor Yana – Yana as in an acronym for “you are not alone.” Professor Yana is actually the Master, who used the same technology (a watch) to contain his Time Lord essence and memories rendering him seemingly human.
This quote ends up being ultimately bittersweet for the Doctor because it is the Master, his oldest friend and enemy, who is the only other Time Lord to have survived the Great Time War.
X is for i think you call me seXy
Posted on: April 28, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
X is for “i think you call me seXy”
“i think you call me seXy” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
fangirl stitches made a bit of a stretch for this letter, but let’s be honest folks that the letter x would be damn near impossible for several fandoms and their quotes.
That’s ood
This line is from the amazing episode “The Doctor’s Wife” in which we see the Tardis in human form.
In the beginning of the episode, the Doctor receives a message from an old Time Lord friend, which brings Rory, Amy, and him to another universe where they meet an alien who eats Tardises.
I love this episode because it is so revealing when it comes to the Doctor and his relationship with the Tardis. In his mind, he stole her – his blue box. But she always believed that she stole him to see all of time and space.
I know you, Doctor
This episode also has one of my all-time favorite quotes from Doctor Who, which is “No, but I always took you where you needed to go.”
During a discussion between the Doctor and the Tardis, the topic of reliability comes up after a bit of snarking at each other while rebuilding a Tardis console.
He claims she’s not very reliable, which she replies back with a snarking “And you have!” This discussion ends with those words – “where you needed to go” – and it gets me every time. It’s true – the Tardis is an equal partner in saving and protecting, caring for others across time and space.
“Hello”
I also love that she references all of his companions as strays.
This episode is definitely up there when it comes to my favorites.
It’s another standalone that has no references to some overhanging plot for the series, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a starting point to begin at. I think future Whovians would need a bit more Tardis behavior from previous episodes to fully appreciate this monumental episode.
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
W is for “wibbley Wobbley timey wimey”
“wibbley Wobbley timey wimey” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This line is another quote from the fabulous episode “Blink.” The Doctor is describing time to Sally Sparrow as he communicates through movies that she owns.
Time – it’s a big ball of stuff
These words are actually describing stuff or what time is made of. It’s a really great part of the dialogue that is directed at the non-companion Sally Sparrow.
I cannot keep from talking about this particular episode – it is just that good! And we Whovians always mention it when speaking to non-Who fans that are thinking of joining the ranks of this particular fandom.
The phrase “timey wimey” is mentioned in the 50th anniversary special, which sets the war doctor off on another lecture about his impending mid-life crisis – Time Lord style.
They’re sonic screwdrivers… for God’s sake!
V is for Vote saxon
Posted on: April 26, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
V is for “Vote saxon”
“Vote saxon” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This quote was seen in the background throughout the third series much like the first series’ big “bad wolf.” Subtly appearing whenever the Doctor and Martha Jones were adventuring in “present” time, this phrase was seemingly meaningless until the penultimate episode of the season.
That was a rough ride
Now, I could go into the nitty-gritty of this particular storyline, but then what would I write about when it comes to the grand phrase for one of the upcoming letters.
Awww to hell with it, anyone reading these lovely letters for the month most likely already know! And if you don’t, then – spoilers!
The quote is from the episode “The Sound of the Drums,” which begins immediately after the previous episode “Utopia.” In that previous episode, we were reintroduced to one of the Doctor’s friend and opponent the Master during an adventure to the end of the universe.
Angry face
This marked the first re-appearance of the Master since the 1996 TV movie.
Saxon is the alias that the Master took after disappearing with the Tardis from the end of the universe.
He fabricated a past as Harold Saxon to gain political support, dealing with the setback of only being able to travel to the 2000s by the Doctor’s last-minute interference when stealing the Tardis.
The Master targets not only the Doctor, but his companion Martha and her family. I always loved Martha’s fierce protectiveness and dedication to her family, lashing out at the Doctor when the Master manipulates and kidnaps her father, mother, and sister.
I will turn this car around!
Again, I have to reiterate how much I love Martha Jones!
She gets a lot of criticism not only from fans, but from the Doctor himself.
Rose was a fan-favorite at the time and the Doctor was separated from Rose unintentionally and unwillingly.
Ten compares the two ladies throughout Martha’s run as his companion, and she stands as her own person fierce and determined.
She’s an intelligent, quick-thinking woman who is becoming a doctor. She makes certain that the Doctor hears her, and she has the strength to stand alone against impossible odds.
I’ll be back!
“The Sound of Drums” ends with the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness, who had tracked down the Doctor with his amputated hand from “The Christmas Invasion,” defeated and captured by the Master.
Martha escapes from the Master’s clutches, but at the cost of her family’s safety and the Doctor’s help. She begins her mission to spread the word of the Doctor in the year that never was.
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
U is for “i’ve never met anyone Unimportant”
“i’ve never met anyone Unimportant” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This isn’t an exact quote, but it is a nice little paraphrase to fit the alphabet. The actual quote from the 2010 Christmas special is “… I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.” With a little creative licensing, fangirl stitches made it work in favor of the alphabet.
Mind if I drop in
This quote is from one of my favorite Christmas specials, “A Christmas Carol.”
It’s the first Christmas special with Eleven, and it spins a classic holiday story.
I love this classic Christmas story – countless adaptations through the years that I have watched and loved.
To me, this story is about redemption. From Scrooge to this adaptation’s Kazran Sardick, this story is about change and betterment even after long years of cruelty and harshness. It’s a story about the hope of transformation.
Nice shark
Sardick is changed by the Doctor, who travels through his past to prevent him from becoming the lonely old miser that he currently is.
Along this journey, the Doctor and Sardick meet Abigail, a young woman frozen as collateral for her family’s loan from Kazran’s father.
Because of this meeting, the Doctor’s help is not the only factor in Kazran’s ever-changing history. Abigail becomes a large part of Kazran’s life, but she herself is living on borrowed time.
You shall be visited by a ginger ghost
I love the little throwbacks to the original story including the obvious heartless selfish man who is seemingly beyond redemption.
Amy Pond is the specter of Christmas present, begging Sardick to help the crashing space liner where she and her husband Rory Williams are honeymooning.
Not only is this episode one of my favorite Christmas specials, it has beautifully melodies sung throughout the episode by Abigail (played by Katherine Jenkins).
“A Christmas Carol” is another great standalone episode – blending Doctor Who with classic Dickens and a bit of music. Remember, the (ninth) Doctor has actually encountered Charles Dickens, the author of the tale.
Oh, and let’s not forget the sky fish!
Here fishy fishy
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
T is for “Time and relative dimension in space”
“Time and relative dimension in space” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This isn’t the TARDIS you’re looking for
A Tardis or TARDIS or TT Capsule is the primary space-time vehicle used by Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey.
Allegedly, Susan, the original companion and the granddaughter of the Doctor, conceived the acronym.
However, some beings such as the Sisterhood of Karn knew the acronym without prompting from the Doctor or his companions.
I’m in your neighborhood mindin’ my biz
The twelfth Doctor once claimed to Osgood that he made up the term TARDIS from the initials, “Totally and Radically Driving in Space.”
Osgood mentioned that she had heard several variations of what TARDIS stood for.
The Tardis moves through space and time by disappearing there and reappearing here, materializing almost instantaneously from one moment and place to another.
The Doctor did demonstrate that his Tardis cloud fly through space like any other spacecraft, but it was not the recommended form of travel using a Tardis.
She’s a beauty
His Tardis is a phone box – the chameleon circuit broken and his arrival in 1963 never forgotten.
The Tardis is a complex machine, grown rather than constructed unlike conventional spaceships.
The Tardis has such a personality – embracing some companions better than others. She takes the Doctor where he “needs” to go rather than where he wants to go. The Doctor is a mad man with a box – it’s always him and that blue box in the end.
S is for i’m so so Sorry
Posted on: April 22, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
S is for “i’m so so Sorry”
“i’m so so Sorry” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
Ten was very apologetic, especially when something seemingly impossible to stop occurred.
He apologized because he believed that he could do nothing.
You’re so sorry, Doctor
Sometimes that was just the case, and other times he would rally and find a way to save the day.
Usually the Doctor apologizing meant something bad had happened or was about to happen – something unavoidable, something unthinkable.
The Doctor also apologized when those unmentionable acts were his own – unable to keep promises, doing harm to those people who could not be saved, and unable to do anything to help.
Ten even used the word “sorry” as an exclamation of sorts throughout his journey (or rather his song).
There’s actual a meme out there with an image of Ten with the words, “I’m not always sorry, but when I am, I’m so so sorry.” I couldn’t help but snort at that one!
R is for Run
Posted on: April 21, 2017
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A to Z Challenge – Doctor Who cross stitch
R is for “Run”
“Run” is from fangirl stitches’ doctor who themed alphabet quotes.
This is the first word that the Doctor utters in the first series of the “new” Who.
Running – so much running – is central to the Doctor. He runs from trouble; he runs towards danger; he runs from his companions; he runs towards his enemies.
Running… it’s the best!
The Doctor is always running. He runs to save the world, and he runs to see the universe.
All of time and space, the Doctor simply runs.
Being a companion of the Doctor requires some serious cardio workout in preparation for the role – I’m just sayin’!
The Doctor is like a shark – if he stops moving, then he will simply end. I don’t think the Doctor will ever stop running, but if he ever did that would be the end of Doctor Who.
Nerdy Girl Confession 