Doctor Who: Series Ten and Steven Moffat’s Legacy

With Series Ten being Steven Moffat’s swansong on Doctor Who, is it possible that he can top the brilliance that we saw in Series Nine?

In a way, it felt as though Series Nine was to be Steven Moffat’s farewell. A season that had the feel of past ones, and with quite a few nods to the history of Doctor Who, it felt as though Moffat was looking for the proper way to say goodbye to his fans. After the somewhat disappointing Series Eight, he certainly delivered.

Now that it is known that Moffat will be departing after this upcoming season, one has to wonder if that had been the plan. Did Moffat expect to depart after last season, and they just could not find a suitable replacement in time? Now, with this upcoming season being a transitional one, Moffat’s final year on Doctor Who may not have the same reaction that it would have had he left after last year.

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Transitional years are always difficult, as Series Eight helped illustrate. With the new Doctor, and a season that almost felt as though it was writtern for Matt Smith instead of Peter Capaldi, it may well have been the weakest one since Doctor Who returned to the airwaves. Series Ten may be another such year, with the new companion this year, and a new showrunner coming in for next year.

It seems like a disservice to Moffat to have him go out with such a season. While he is introducing Bill to the Whoniverse, and slowing incorporating Chris Chibnall into running the show, the feel of Doctor Who can and will likely be changed.

This is not to say that transitional seasons do not work. Series Five, with Moffat first coming on board as showrunner, and featuring the debuts of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, was brilliant. However, in terms of the number of potential pitfalls in such a season, it may be a disservice to Moffat’s legacy for him to depart this year instead of after Series Nine.

Next: Doctor Who: Protecting state secrets with code names

Typically, people are remembered for their last actions. With that being the case, hopefully Series Ten of Doctor Who will be a fitting end for Steven Moffat, reflecting positively on his legacy.