Editorial: We need more Lyanna Mormonts from Game of Thrones

I’m a big fan of Doctor Who, but I have to admit that I wasn’t over the moon excited about the new Doctor. I blame Lyanna Mormont.

July 16 was a big day for pop culture fans as Jodie Whittaker was announced as the new Doctor on Doctor Who while fans celebrated the return of Game of Thrones.

I think it’s great that the BBC decided to do something different with the role of the Doctor, but I’m just not sure that making the Doctor a woman was the answer.

WAIT! Hear me out!

I understand that gender doesn’t mean anything to Time Lords, and I envy that they come from a society where gender equality has been figured out. I think it’s an interesting decision. I don’t think it’s a bad decision, and no, I’m not going to boycott the show as a result.

None of that.

My issue with the new Doctor is that we have seen so many amazing women on Doctor Who, but instead of creating another awesome female role, like Rose Tyler, Missy, or River Song, the showrunners filled the Doctor’s shoes with a woman. It feels forced, like it’s checking off a box. Why not have the Doctor step aside and have a new person entirely running the TARDIS?

I think this feeling can be blamed on that kid from Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones’ Lyanna Mormont had one speech in the season premiere and I was hooked. Every time she comes on screen and utters a sentence, I’m enthralled. I know I’m not alone in saying that I could watch an entire spinoff series about Lyanna Mormont. She’s a badass, and I want to know everything about her.

Why can’t we have more female roles like Lyanna Mormont? Why are we putting women in male roles instead of creating more dynamic female characters in order to build a more diverse universe?

It’s not that I don’t like the idea of a female Doctor, it’s that I would much rather see a whole new character who can interact with the Doctor in the Doctor Who universe. There’s also the totally plausible idea that the Doctor gets himself in trouble, a la Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor and the Pandorica, where the Doctor is trapped and the new female kick-ass character can spend an entire season tracking him down and rescuing him. That kind of writing turns the table on the traditional concept of a woman who needs to be rescued and instead sees the woman rescuing the man, which lends itself well to the Doctor Who universe.

I’m eager to see what Jodie Whittaker does with the role, but deep down I’m nervous because the Doctor regenerates from time to time, as fans know, and it makes me wonder how long she’ll be about. Given the history of the role she’ll have to be gone at some point, or, worse yet, failing numbers in the ratings could leave the show cancelled after her performance, which would not be good optics for the show.

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I urge everyone to keep an open mind until we see Whittaker in action as the new Doctor, but at the same time I’d really like to see the development of more characters like the Lyanna Mormonts of the world. Simply put, we need more awesome female characters.

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