Thinking Out Loud: The Foreman Paradox

Here's a little Doctor Who fan-theory that I posted on my personal Facebook a couple of years ago.

The character of Susan Foreman causes a lot of friction with fans, as the First Doctor claimed that she was his granddaughter, so is she a Time Lady, human or something else?

If we take the novel Lungbarrow as true (which of course we do), then we know that the Time Lord Houses do not reproduce sexually, they are "woven on genetic looms", rendering every member of that House a 'cousin', eschewing what humans would consider a familial structure of parents and offspring. We also know that not every Gallifreyian is a Time Lord/Lady, as it is a rank attained through the Time Lord Academy, however, most members of the Time Lord Houses are assumed to be put through this education and eventual transformation. The Doctor famously only graduated by a slim margin on his fourth attempt. It is only after their first regeneration that a Time Lord attains the physical state of that rank, as the First Doctor only had one heart, but the Second Doctor had two.

Given her apparent age, and deference to the Doctor, we can assume that Susan has not regenerated, and given that the Doctor placed her in an educational institution, she has either not yet entered the Academy, or was in the process of studying and had not yet graduated. It is possible that Susan is a human the Doctor has "borrowed" and is educating, as he would later attempt again with Ace, but Susan's grasp of 4th dimensional mathematics does imply that she is from Gallifrey.

So where does the grand-parental relationship come into it? Well, for that one, let's turn to the Translation circuits that can be found in the TARDIS and other TTCs (Time Travel Capsules). We know from the Timewyrm series of novels and the Marvel comics (and the new show, I guess, but who cares?) that particularly obscure, ancient or alien languages don't translate well. This may also by why the Doctor, especially the 3rd and 4th, tend to write in English, rather than High or Low Gallifreyian. Here on Earth, we can struggle to translate languages with different constructions; Japanese is particularly difficult to translate into English, for example, because it is so subjective, with the same word having vastly different meanings in different contexts.

Where am I going with this? Well, let's look at Japanese again for a moment; there are more than a few terms of endearment for non-family that use familial terms, aren't there? "Big Brother", "Big Sister" and so on, is how we translate them, but it is the context that matters in the mouths of the Japanese speaker. Well, we know that even Low Gallifreyian is a very complex language (Ace struggles to learn to read it in the New Adventures), and it deals with a malleable 4th dimension, so it is not unreasonable to assume that context, especially for nouns, is important.

I put it to you that "Grandfather" is a mis-translation of Gallifreyian into English, likely of a term of familial endearment made from a younger "cousin" to an elder one in a family structure totally alien to our own. A better translation would likely be "Respected and Learned elder member of this House" (possibly used ironically in the case of the Doctor), which doesn't have an equivalent in English, as our familial language is based on groups assembled for the generation of children. Oh, yeah, children don't exist on Gallifrey, the inhabitants are loomed as young adults. So when Susan calls the Doctor "grandfather", that is the TARDIS translation circuits doing their best to put her actual words into something the humans around her can understand.

Miniatures Finished: Dominating the table

I'm back on the Doctor Who miniatures train, mostly just out of a desire to do something with the collection I already have, which has kind of languished as a "side-side-side" project for a long time. Also, I briefly worked at the most famous FLGS in Melbourne (yes, that one), and picked up a box of the Warlord Games Who minis, The Dominators.

Although it's generally considered a sub-par story, The Dominators at least have an interesting look, though I had to take some liberties with painting them to make them pop on the table. On the right is The Director, an obscure Time Lord character from the Cubicle 7 Doctor Who RPG, a converted Reaper Miniature.

Miniatures Finished: Who's Doctor Who?

In an attempt to keep my painting on theme, I decided that I really needed to paint the last of my current batch of Doctor Who characters. I need to get the rest of the classic Doctors I'm missing and a few more companions so that I can start running some games with these.

Grimjack: Not strictly a "Doctor Who" figure, but I couldn't find a 6th for this post. Also not a character I'm huge on, but I've actually had requests for him in games since I started doing this, oddly enough. Minifigs

Absolom Daak: A character originating in the comics, Daak is the universe's greatest Dalek hunter, part machine and all violence. It's actually a tad odd for the series, but once I saw that I could actually buy him as a miniature, I had to have one. Minifigs

The 4th Doctor: I've had this miniature since 2013, but have put off painting it because the scarf was too intimidating. One evening, I just sat down with a sharp brush and a lot of colours and got it done. I'm not sure of the make as I bought it second hand, but I suspect Harlequin or even Games Workshop.

Death's Head: Did you know that cult Marvel character Death's Head appeared regularly in the 1990s Doctor Who comics? Well now you do. I'm not sure what scenario I'll be using him in, but he may also appear in some Sci-Fi skirmish games as a Bounty Hunter/Mercenary. Heroclix

Doctor Who: From the 1960s "Dalek" films, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, this version of the character is a human inventor, rather than a Time Lord. This was another case of me deciding to buy a figure when I found out it existed. Minifigs 

Romana 1: A lucky find at a swap meet, this first Romana incarnation is an excellent addition to my small collection of companions. Though only useful for 4th Doctor games, I really like the character, so it will probably see some use. Unknown manufacture, I suspect Games Workshop.

Miniatures Finished: I'm not saying it was aliens...

I actually don't usually aim for these to be "themed", but this one kind of fell into my lap and I couldn't help myself.

Predators: With the intention of using them in a range of games, I finally scored these going cheap at PAX Melbourne one year, then forgot to paint them for ages. A little big, really more 35mm scale, they still look the business. Prodos.
 

Krypto: So many "hardcore" DC fans hate this character so much, how could I not paint him? More of my games need a dog with heat vision. Heroclix. 

Omega: The variety of available Doctor Who miniatures being as varied in quality as they are, when I saw this Pathfinder miniature, I knew it was perfect for this godlike antagonist of the Doctor. Given that Omega is a though projection of his own will, the fact that this model is a little different from how he looks in the programme isn't really an issue for me. Reaper. 

Ming the Merciless: I've had Ming half-done for a while now, but I finally pulled my finger out and finished him off after re-watching Flash Gordon. Sadly the matte varnish came out a little glossy, but once I get some more of the brand I like, I should be able to fix that. Wargames Supply Dump. 

Doctor Who - Undeath of the Daleks (AAR)

Recently I've been painting up some more Doctor Who miniatures (expect to see them posted properly in a couple of years, what with the back-log and all) and playing some Mars Code Aurora, so naturally, I combined the two in this little game I played with my friend Andrew at my local club. It's just a little "blow each other up to learn the rules" kind of game. but hopefully it makes for a fun read, at least.

Undeath of the Daleks

As twin suns rise on a frontier world on the very edges of human space, a strange silence is broken by one of the most feared cries in the galaxy; "EXTERMINATE!" The Daleks have arrived to conquer another world, woe betide the poor human settlers.

Something is off, however, the settlement already seems devoid of life. Perhaps it was abandoned or some kind of space plague wiped out the population?

An advanced party of Daleks lands and begins to explore the settlement.

Suddenly, in the distance, something stirs.

A phalanx of shambling corpses surrounding a rusted and staggering mech of outdated manufacture make their way down the street. It seems the plague has indeed come to this world, or rather The Plague, an unstoppable wave of undeath unleashed by the hubris of The Corporation!

But the Daleks hold no fear of death, only a hatred of all that is different, so they open fire, slaying some of the zombies almost as soon as they've been spotted.

As usual, the monomania of the Daleks works against them, and soon they find themselves outflanked by the staggering former humans.

In short order, the lighter Scout Dalek is surrounded and torn apart, screaming in agony.

Dalek forces move up to form a firing line and unleash deadly bolts of energy into their foes.

Despite cries of "EXTERMINATE!" and ceaseless blasting, the Daleks are slowly getting picked off by their inferior foes.

When the lumbering bulk of the enemy mech staggers into range, the twisted mind of the Daleks forms something of a Master Plan...

By concentrating their fire on the mech, the Daleks bring it down, stopping whatever force was keeping the zombies animated. For now, the Daleks are the only inhuman monsters in control of this world, but for how long?

Miniatures Finished - 01/01/2020

I rushed through some miniatures at the end of 2019 to make sure I didn't finish in the black. I even managed a few superheroes in that lot, which was a nice change from the 40K and Seven Years War Commissions.

Frobisher: Whilst my need to get more Doctors and Companions tends to fall on the back-burner rather quickly, this shape-shifting alien from Doctor Who Comics with a habit of looking like a penguin was too hard to resist getting done. Eureka Miniatures. 

Psi-Judge Anderson: Found Anderson in the bottom of a box of loose miniatures and decided she was worth a coat of paint after watching Dredd again. Having her stepping over the Aquilla was just my fun nod to the shared iconography of British science fiction. Heroclix. 

Fire: When working on another project, I found a couple of spare Fire figures and wanted to try some wet-blending for something else I was working on. Now I need to get an Ice, I guess. Heroclix.

Spiders-Man: Been working on some "Spider-Verse" stuff when I have the chance, and just couldn't pass up a superhero composed of spiders. Pity the miniature isn't all that nice for such an interesting character. Heroclix. 

Annihilation Bug: You can tell how many loose minis I have kicking around the place when I mention that this one was another random find. Almost got a game in with the Annihilation Wave last year, but had to switch up last minute. Dungeons and Dragons Miniature. 

Trickster: I must have painted several Tricksters over the years, but never had one I was happy with. This time, I finally managed to get the yellow down and not have the blue bleed. Heroclix.

Miniatures Finished: String and Sticky-back Plastic

I was preparing for a demonstration game at the Australian Plastic Model Expo, looking at a Doctor Who scenario, but I changed last minute to Empire of the Dead. Still, I got some stuff painted for eventual Doctor Who games.

Tetraps, from Mark of the Rani, a terrible story, but these were on sale and I have a soft spot for dodgy looking monsters. Warlord.

 

 Rutans, seen only in the story Horror of Fang Rock, but referenced repeatedly as the enemies of the Sontarans. Games Workshop. 

Obligatory Doctor Who Fancasting Post

As a fan of Doctor Who, I tend to asked now and then how I would cast the programme, especially the lead role. Whilst that's not as interesting to me as discussing how I would like to see the programme ran, I do have some thoughts. I'm a tad reluctant to share them, as I typically don't consider the post-2004 "New Who" as being part of my headcanon, and haven't watched any in a few years. I have heard that Jodie Whittaker is good in the role, and I keep meaning to try it out, but never quite seem to get to it. I have no objection to The Doctor being a woman, it works well with the nature of the Time Lords as I see them, but I felt Whittaker was a little bland and too conventionally attractive for the role. The best incarnations of The Doctor have been 'interesting' looking, and rarely attractive, with Paul McGann being the exception. Similarly, I don't care what race The Doctor is, so long as the character works and the writing is good.

That said, I do think if The Doctor is going to be in a non-male or POC incarnation, then it should mean something. Now, I acknowledge that the previous sentence is something someone may couch their bigotry in, but such is not my intention. One of the reasons The Doctor works so well as an older, white (especially British) gentleman, is the internalised deference that many in the Global North will have to such a person. The Doctor gets away with his bluster much of the time because he looks like the kind of person who would have authority. Now, if you make The Doctor someone outside of this group, then many historical periods and totalitarian regimes will probably not accept the bluster and The Doctor will get pushback. Of course, race and gender don't have to have anything to do with this, The 2nd Doctor got that kind of thing all the time. It needn't be every episode or story, but if The Doctor is a woman, then they/she should probably have to fight a little harder to be taken seriously in say, the Victorian era, think Leela in The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

To get a couple more things out of the way, I would have suggested Sach Dhawan as a good casting, but he's played The Master in the most recent season. I hear he's pretty good in the role, but after seeing him in the second season of Iron Fist, I was thinking he's make a good, if particularly intense Doctor. Imagine a 7th style Doctor with the refinement of the 3rd. He's polite, well-spoken and knows which is the fish fork, but he will burn the world down if he has to to win. I guess that's a Master-esque Doctor in a way, right? Anyway, he's not on this list only because I don't think it would work, even with a Superior Spider-man style body-swap story on the cards.

Finally, if I'm making a fantasy take on how I'd run Doctor Who, then the actor playing The Doctor is only part of it. If we're asking The Miracle Question, then everything since Scream of the Shalka is rendered non-canon, we move back to weekly, half-hour episodes over a full broadcast season and the team is Producer and Head Writer/Script Editor, so no more of one person setting the tone for an entire run. Yes, I'm dreaming, but why not? I want Doctor Who to be more like the Doctor Who I enjoy, not what is popular, so that's what I'm aiming for here. I'm still leaning to white, cis-men from the UK, because that's what I've liked in the past and it's just kind of how I think of the series. I'll admit that it's a bias, but one I think I can park when need be. While I've got you, The Doctor's clothing should always be anachronistic, which New Who has never really done, so I'd like to see that changed as well. So I hope you'll take the following at face value, as it is intended, and enjoy where my head has gone with this concept.


Olivia Colman

Probably getting a little "too famous" for the role of The Doctor (an issue with this list, I'll admit, but it is really hard to find obscure British actors who suit the role), when I first heard that an actor from Broadchurch was taking on the role of The Doctor, I had thought it would be Colman. Aside from her familial connection to the series, Colman has a huge depth of range as an actor and I can see her taking the post-regeneration madness concept that torpedoed Colin Baker's run before it started and actually running with it. An unknowable alien intelligence that is mostly beneficent, but can turn at any moment into a monster; and you're traveling with it. I see Colman's Doctor embodying the "blank space in history" that they tried with Eccleston, arriving to a crisis, resolving it and moving on without a backwards glance.


Sean Pertwee/David Bradley/Whoever is still alive

Ok, so hear me out on this one, why do we only ever have one incarnation of The Doctor on TV at a time? I'm not saying that multi-Doctor stories should be more common and less special, but why not have one story a season just not feature the current Doctor? Instead of the "Doctor-lite" episodes, just have 1st (Bradley), 3rd (Pertwee) or even 7 or 8 do a story to give the main cast a rest. Also maybe 9, but we'll get to him later. And to be clear, I do mean do a past Doctor story, not just put them in a new story. Have 3 driving and being an all-action-man, have 7 manipulate the enemy into their own demise, that kind of thing. As well as celebrating the legacy of the programme, this kind of approach would enable new fans to get a "taste" of previous eras without having to wade through the morass of the poorer episodes or online fan communities. Probably should have mentioned this above, but this is basically how I would run the series, given the chance.


Brian Blessed

No, I swear this isn't a meme, I actually think Brian Blessed would be a great Doctor, let me explain. First of all, don't think of his previous Doctor Who appearance, or even Flash Gordon, check him out in King Lear. Blessed has an underrated subtlety that rarely gets used and I think would work masterfully for The Doctor. Think John Fallstaff, especially in The Chimes at Midnight, yes he can be bombastic and blustery, but when the bravado slips, there is a wounded man inside who can't quite deal with what he has lost. A world-weary incarnation who keeps fighting because it is all that he knows, rather than a calling; a sad Doctor who can explode when pushed and needs his companions around to keep going some days. Also, Blessed's health has declined of late, which means he may not be able to return to the stage in major roles, so why not let him round out an astonishingly great career with an iconic role?


Tom Hollander

Do you know this actor? Chances are you've seen him in quite a few films and series, but may never have known his name. Seriously, check out this guy's IMDB page sometime, he has a hell of a lot of credits to his name. In various cable television programmes, such as The Night Manager and Taboo, Hollander plays creepy, sexual-predator types, but always with a smack of mad genius about him. I can see Hollander being a good take on The Doctor as a scientist, fixing problems with his knowledge and expertise, rewiring control panels and mixing batches of chemical smoke to cover his escape. Hell, go all out and have him teach a little chemistry, biology and/or physics during the episode to the companion, and thereby the kids watching, that'd be neat. A scatterbrained genius dragged around by the companion and not as prone to the big speeches so much as he likes a big reveal to show off how smart he is.  "And that, my dear Davros, is why you don't mix acids and bases!"


Richard E Grant

Look, in my head-canon, Scream of the Shalka is official and Richard E Grant is the real 9th Doctor, so I may as well discuss it. Grant's version is a fascinating take on the character and not what you'd expect from his brief appearance in The Curse of Fatal Death, he is haunted, reluctant and clearly working for the Celestial Intervention Agency after some kind of incident, which I assume was the death of Grandfather Paradox in the 8th Doctor novels. To keep himself sane, and to punish himself a little, The Doctor has built a robot version of The Master, played by Derek Jacobi, to pick at all his ideas and suggest selfishness. Doesn't that just sound like an awesome premise for a series? Utterly unique and utterly Doctor Who at the same time, I can't believe no one has tried it again since 2005. Seriously, check out Scream of the Shalka if you get the chance, it's more clever than good, but it's really bloody clever.


Essie Davis

Do people outside of Australia know Essie Davis? I know Miss Fischer's Murder Mysteries is huge in China and there is a local remake that's pretty damn good, but how well is she really known? Of course, being a little obscure is kind of perfect for an actor playing The Doctor, so why not? Now, the eye of the beholder and all that, but I'd say Davis does violate my "no attractive actors" rule, except that she is very interesting to look at, especially when she plays the part of Phryne Fischer. Now, The Doctor as a 1920s flapper does sound tempting, but I'm thinking something a little more out-there with this one. Keep the "smartest person in any room" aspect of the 3rd Doctor and dress Davis up like a Governess; The Doctor as Miss Marple. Smart as a whip and a bit matronly, a great take for a female incarnation and still echoing what has come before.

Guy Pearce

Another entry in the "do non-Aussies know about this" category, in-between big Hollywood roles, Guy Pearce plays a burnout small claims lawyer who solves mysteries on Australian television. It hasn't come through the backlog yet, but I wanted Pearce to play Doctor Strange before he was cast in Iron Man 3 and I think he would have owned the role, he could easily deliver all the classic "Wands of Watoomb" stuff with a straight face. And that's kind of where I see him as The Doctor, a more flippant and silly incarnation like Tom Baker, maybe even bordering into camp. Probably a little too famous for the role right now, but I think that perception may be changing, and if it does I think Pearce could fill the scarf well.

David Suchet

Whenever I mention Suchet near Doctor Who, people make a lot of Hercule Poirot assumptions, but that's really not where I'm going with this. I once saw a documentary where Suchet followed the travels of the Apostle St John in which he demonstrated himself a masterful storyteller. Quiet, pensive and possessing a taciturn intelligence, Suchet has a brilliant energy to bring to the role of The Doctor. I'm picturing the thoughtfulness of 5 with the keen intellect of 2, not quite the 7th Chess-master persona, but certainly an incarnation that is already ahead of you and is only letting you think you're winning. Tweed jacket and a bamboo cane feel like a must.

Miniatures Finished: Lords of Time

I've had a few minis sitting partly painted on my work table for quite a while, but have recently managed to finish them up. Mostly as an exercise in clearing space for minis that I need to finish to complete entire teams. Unless I've had an event to prepare for, I've tended to have a "scattergun" approach to my Superheroes, a habit which I'm finally getting out of.

The (1st) Doctor: I'm not super happy with the model, it's a little tall and the Sonic Screwdriver doesn't fit this incarnation of the character, but I'm aiming to have all eight Doctors done first for a game I want to run. Ironclad Miniatures 

Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart: Can't do any Doctor Who gaming without one of the best companions ever. When I can, I'll get some UNIT troopers so that I can do some fun mashup games like UNIT versus Skrulls. Crooked Dice. 

The (8th) Doctor: I enjoy the 1996 Doctor Who television film more than most, but the 8th Doctor really shines in the New Adventures Novels and Big Finish Audio Drama, both of which I'd recommend checking out. Crooked Dice. 
 

Manchester Black: I haven't read the comics, but the Superman Vs The Elite animated film is one of my favourite Superman films, so I had to have a Manchester Black. Heroclix. 

Immortus: To go with my Anachronauts and menace my Avengers, I kind of had to have the Master of Limbo. I also am developing some kind of "Stockholm Syndrome" when it comes to painting miniatures with terrible colour schemes. Watch out, my next army will be green and orange or something. Heroclix. 

Hawkman: Years back, I promised to take another swing at this miniature. I finally did. Much happier now. Heroclix. 

Miniatures Finished: Mixed Bag

Having freed myself of the need to do anything, my output seems to have become everything. 

 New and improved Ace (Crooked Dice), Billy Batson/Civilian (Clix) and The Incredible Hercules (Clix)! 

 Psycho Man (Clix), Sabbat the Necromagus (Mongoose) and Molten Man (Clix). I'm really happy with how the painting on these turned out, I tried some new techniques and they paid divedends. 

Dubloons Under a Voodoo Moon

Last Saturday, my club ran a huge multiplayer Pirates game as the finale to our "Pirates in September" series of events. I was lucky enough to be the Chieftain of the Native Island yet again, but, me being me, I had to turn my little island into the coast of Wakanda. Black Panther, The Phantom and even The Doctor and Ace were set loose across the tables for a day of high seas adventure. The pictures below are those that feature Wakanda and other supers characters, rather than the 300+ of the whole game.

 The coast of Wakanda, sadly not my terrain. 

 The Black Panther protects his land. 

 The Wakandan village. 

 Cannons with Vibranium shot, anyone? 

 The Phantom helps the Dutch steal the Stargate, my kind of game! 

 "See Wakanda and die? That doesn't sound good..." 

Thanks to everyone who played and get ready for more Supers nonsense in your pirate game next year!