Getting into Dr. Who

I’ve been a geek for thirty plus years, and in all that time, I have a confession to make:

I’ve never been able to get into Dr. Who.

It pains me to admit that, since apparently Dr. Who is full of awesome. But when I was growing up, he had that big scarf and a British accent, and it just seemed too strange. And even since the reboot, I’ve had a hard time getting into the show.

Denisa and I tried, of course. Twice. We watched the first two episodes of the reboot, and then the first couple of the one with the latest Doctor, but each time, Denisa thought they were too bizarre, and I wasn’t blown off my feet enough to care to persist in watching them.

And yet all my friends kept ooh’ing and ah’ing all about how great they were, and I guess in the end, I’m just a sucker for peer pressure. I determined I’d give the Doctor one last shot. And I wanted to have him get as fair of a shot as possible, so I did what I usually do in these situations:

I researched.

I poked around on the interwebs for the best way to get hooked on Dr. Who. The best introduction to the show. And the internet did not disappoint me. Many articles admitted the show had a steep learning curve, and that some episodes were much better than others. And then there was this post over on Tor.com that specifically spoke to my problem. I read it, talked Denisa into giving the show one more shot, and we tried it.

Loved the episode. Started the series from the reboot again, and while there have been some bumps, we’re enjoying the show, and I think we might stick it out this time.

But the effort it’s taken me to get into the series has got me thinking. Why is the show so successful? I think it’s because it’s incredibly deep. There’s lots of meat to chew on, if that makes sense. But because it’s so deep, it requires more than many viewers are willing to give at first. Yes, once you understand the characters and the conflicts and setting a bit better, it all makes sense. But getting to the point where you “get it” can be a rocky road. (And one without marshmallows or peanuts.) It’s almost like a geek badge of honor. A hazing ritual. Make it past it, and you can be embraced by other geeks with open arms.

In any case, since I’ve made it past the test now, do I win something?