Peter Capaldi: just what the doctor ordered

I didn’t expect to love Peter Capaldi. In fact, I didn’t even expect to like him. When I watched a BBC special introducing him as the 12th Doctor (or 13th, if one counts the War Doctor), I was flabbergasted. I inched closer to my TV to get a better look at the thin, wiry man with gray hair, awkwardly waving with both hands and adjusting his jacket, an impish grin on his face. He couldn’t be the next Doctor. He was just so old.

Fifty-five years old at the time he was cast, Capaldi ties for the most elderly Doctor with William Hartnell, the First Doctor ever. But whereas Hartnell had the luxury of being a fresh face in a new show, Capaldi is No. 12 in the list of beloved actors who have played the lead role in the show’s more than 50-year history. Capaldi’s job has been made even tougher by the fact that he is following 30-something actors David Tennant and Matt Smith.

I knew as soon as I saw Capaldi that “Doctor Who” would now be taking a new direction. The show’s writers often match appearances with personality traits: Christopher Eccleston’s somber face lent itself well to the role of the Ninth Doctor, who was always clad in his signature leather jacket, and Matt Smith’s charmingly big ears and goofy smile underscored his quirky qualities as the 11th.

Capaldi’s age alone told me that the show was destined to grow a shade darker; we would not be seeing him eat fish fingers and custard any time soon. But I wondered, then, exactly what we would be seeing.

I got my answer in late August, when I miraculously found the time to watch the Season 8 premiere. I was at once entranced by Capaldi’s bewildering interpretation of the Doctor: He is a man riddled by demons and confused about his own identity. The initial shock of Capaldi’s age wears off as soon as he makes a self-deprecating joke about it, and then we were off.

The first episode left me hopeful for the future, and in the following weeks, I have not been disappointed. Capaldi has effortlessly continued the show’s tradition of fluctuating between lightheartedness and profundity, humor and seriousness. His version of the Doctor asks big questions — “Can there be a good Dalek?”, “Am I a good man?”, “Am I ever really alone?” — but intersperses them with little ones (my personal favorite: “How can Robin Hood be real?!)

At his core, the 12th Doctor seems plagued with inner turmoil, but he has his funny moments as well (case and point: He wins a sword fight using only a spoon in one episode). What sets him apart from previous Doctors is his more grim outlook on life; he contrasts sharply with Matt Smith’s cool bowties and signature Fez.

The more episodes I have watched, the more Capaldi has intrigued me with his tortured and capricious personality. His dour expression and adorable Scottish accent certainly haven’t hurt either.

Despite my initial reservations, Capaldi has quickly wormed his way into my heart, and I look forward to more adventures to come with this stern-faced enigma of a man.