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Popular Culture Review
Amy, to exclaim: “This is not how we roll, and you know it. What’s
happened to you. Doctor? When did killing someone become an option?”
{Doctor Who “Town Called Mercy”). Her admonition makes the Doctor
lower his weapon, despite his anger, as if he were realizing that Amy is
indeed right. With only two episodes following this dramatic scene prior
to the winter hiatus, it is still uncertain whether the Doctor has come to
his senses, or if this violent and vengeful side has become part of his
character.
With eight episodes left, the show has the opportunity to change,
or at least vary, its depiction of Americans in the remainder of the
season. It will speak volumes if showrunners choose to portray more
positive American characters, and it will, in turn, be interesting to see
how American audiences respond. Dr. Marc Edward DiPaolo argued that
While the British may well always have their problems with the
United States and its foreign policy, it seems reasonable to
predict that the Obama White House will not only improve the
image of America in the press abroad but also in the portrayal of
Americans in Doctor Who. (981-82)
While a few upstanding American characters have appeared since
President Obama took office, his re-election may perhaps cause a more
positive and less militaristic image of Americans to make its way into the
show in the seasons to come. Reactions to recent tragedies may also
impact the world’s view of Americans’ insensitivity to violence, and one
could muse that, in upcoming American episodes, the showrunners will
tone-down the portrayal of violence as a cultural export of the United
States and instead return the Doctor to his more pacifist-self.
These changes in the characters of Doctor Who reflect the
changes in the series as a whole. Starting with a small budget and low
expectations, the new series focused on British audiences, hoping to gain
enough popularity at home to warrant a second season. The success of
the show was immense and unexpected. As its viewership grew, the
show’s target audience changed, and thus the types of characters
represented have changed. Since returning in 2005, the Doctor himself
has undergone two regenerations, meaning that the Doctor has been three
very different versions of himself As change is a main theme of the
show, it is no surprise that the Doctor’s attitudes have evolved over the
course of the series, however, what is somewhat shocking is the drastic