This is a day we all knew was coming eventually; Matt Smith has resigned his role as The Doctor on "Doctor Who." The fact is that Matt Smith has had this role longer than any other Doctor since the reboot. In his time on the show, "Doctor Who," has become an international sensation and it is all his fault that I can now buy a "Bowties are cool," tshirt in Hot Topic. Smith's Doctor has been charismatic, playful, adventurous and endearing. He's shown us a new side of The Doctor that while still very serious, also kisses whimsey right in the mouth.
The thing that is amusing me most right now is listening to the cries of all the fans who have adopted this fandom in probably the last two years. "Matt Smith is leaving? How can this be? It is the end of the world!!" But it isn't. Death and rebirth are at the heart of the show. One of the inevitable truths of "Doctor Who," is that The Doctor dies. The Doctor dies and then regenerates. He has a new face, a new voice, a different personality. But he is still The Doctor. Sure, everyone remembers their first Doctor. They have favorite things about the way each actor takes on this magnificent character. But at the end of it, Doctor Who fans have to know in their heart that no Doctor is forever. This is the great and the terrible that is this show.
I am thankful for the performance that Matt Smith has given. His Doctor is eternally delightful and will always hold a special place in my heart but I will not grieve for The Doctor in the same way I grieved for Amy and Rory. (There were some ugly, ugly tears during "The Angels Take Manhattan.") The Doctor isn't really dying. He's being reborn. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.
