Apparently, despite what she said in last year's Christmas special, Donna will be back as the new companion for the Doctor next season. (News at Outpost Gallifrey.) As the past two companions have had crushes on the Doctor, will it happen again? (I do find this trend a bit disturbing, even if it might be believable. Wandering bachelor who likes to pick up young women and take them to exotic places. Doesn't he sound a bit creepy?) The Doctor has had plenty of cute companions on board the Tardis (my favorites have included Nyssa and Sarah Jane Smith; Peri was physically attractive but annoying!). The classic series made the Doctor a celibate for the most part (despite hints at something with fellow Time Lord Romana)--I think RTD has tried to add too much drama in aping Joss Whedon.
And then there are the paradoxes... if the Time Lords really can see into the future, would they not know that they were doomed to destruction? How is determinism reconcilable with free will in the Who universe? Why struggle against the inevitable? Or seek to destroy the Daleks before the Time War, if those attempts will fail? How does one distinguish between possible timelines and actual timelines? What makes one timeline more "real" than another? If there is only one reality, and everything else is only a possibility, then what is the nature of the law that an established timeline cannot be violated (and hence the Doctor cannot go "back" in time to save people from dying)? It would see that one timeline would just be replaced by a new one, and this would be occuring over and over again. What exactly is problematic about that? "You're destroying the future." "Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect?" etc. etc.
Then again, it is a show about time travel, which is impossible, so incoherence is bound to arise.I haven't seen the season finale yet, but my guess is that I will be among those who were disappointed. I think they blew an opportunity to explore the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, as well as resurrect the Time Lords. Maybe they will still make a "Two Doctors" episode with Paul McGann. Now, RTD will no longer be in control, so perhaps there reason to hope that things will improve. Still, at this point I look forward to watching Spooks more than Doctor Who--despite its political leanings, Spooks rarely isn't entertaining. (Next season is supposedly Rupert Penry-Jones's last.)
KTEH (Channel 54) is broadcasting episodes of the new Doctor Who in the Bay Area. A cheap alternative to getting the Sci-Fi channel.
Edit: I saw the second part of the season finale, but not the first yet. Having seen about half of the episodes of season 3, I don't know if it is really worth my time any more to continue watching the new Who. It's been too disappointing.
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