Hold onto your TARDIS, Whovians, because the era of Twelve not only has a face, but a brand new get-up to usher in the latest iteration of the man behind BBC’s iconic sci-fi series, Doctor Who. Seems as though Peter Capaldi's Doctor is a punk all-grown-up, if the no-frills attitude of his attire has a say on the matter. Gone are the momentary glances into the man with the stern-eyes and ill-colored kidneys, and in his place is a seriously refined and bowtie-free Doc.
Following the release of the first image of Capaldi on the set, we’ve been given an even more insightful look into just who the Twelfth iteration of the renegade Time Lord will be. At last, the man has manifested himself across the wibbly-wobbly constraints of time.
In an image released by the BBC Monday, Capaldi has revealed his Doctor-defining garb to consist of “a dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a white shirt as well as black Doc Marten shoes.” The look was created especially for Capaldi by Doctor Who costume designer Howard Burden, with input from the actor as well, which is tradition.
The BCC also released a few obligatory statements on the look, complete with a nice little quotable blurb from Peter Capaldi on the Doctor’s new rags. “He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics,” Capaldi explained, noting the lack of, well, pretty much anything stand-outish. “No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.” Current showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat added: “New Doctor, new era, and of course new clothes. Monsters of the universe, the vacation is over - Capaldi is suited and booted and coming to get you!” Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One also had something to say about the frock: "Peter Capaldi's Doctor is officially recorded in history today with the unveiling of his new costume. It's sharp, smart and stylish - The Twelfth Time Lord means business."
But given that this is such a change-up from Matt Smith’s gangly, bow-tied and be-fezzed purple Doctor come before, we’re having a hard time processing our emotions on this look. It’s very different! So we, naturally, experienced a few questions upon seeing this very new and starkly dressed Doctor. Such as…
1. Anyone else getting a bit of a The Silence vibe from his finger placement?
2. And that stance: it’s very, what's the word, windswept?
3. No, really, the pose itself is sort of perplexing, right?
4. We love the red lining: do you love the red lining?
5. No bowtie! Are bowties no longer cool? (Trick question they will always be cool.)
6. So much blue: is it to match the TARDIS?
7. Doc Martens are a new thing: is the Doctor an aged-up gutter punk now?
8. How happy is River Song going to be now that the fez is gone?
9. Anyone else getting a grandpa sweater vibe from that jacket? (In a good way. Promise.)
10. There’s something sort of Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor) about it, minus the frills, of course, isn’t there?
11. A Crombie coat is an interesting choice, considering the variety of folks known to sport them — skinheads, the KGB, the Royal Family — which leaves plenty of room for interpretation as to whom this Doctor will really be, doesn’t it?
12. Does the lining match the kidneys?
Maybe we’re just being hypercritical and nervous because we’re still not over Matt Smith leaving, but there’s a lot of room for interpretation as far as Capaldi’s costume goes. Personally I’m hoping for a bit edgier, angrier, punkish Doctor, as the Crombie and Doc Martens might seem to suggest. Season eight of Doctor Who, already in production, is set to air in mid-2014.
