Putting the Girl in the Box (spoilers for up to 6x10 of New Who)

[freyja]

I think I've figured out something else that really bugs me about The Girl Who Waited, besides Eleven's pathological compulsion to protect this ideal of a fairytale existence for Amy and Rory (really, that speaks volumes to his psychology right there, doesn't it?). But there's something else, something that I've finally recognized as pervasive in

Comments

[atalantapendrag]

This trend in New Who has been really bothering me as well; Amy being reduced to a literal broodmare was so triggery that I crawled into the Classic series, which is at least a little less insistent on cutting strong women down to size. I was never especially a River fan, but I loved Amy in S5, and this season is making me heartsick tbh.

Oh, and don't forget Lucy Saxon, who could have been a magnificent consort but was constantly infantilized, even by people supposedly on her side. "Not very bright", indeed! But I have all sorts of headcanon forming for her, and some of it might wind up in fic.

[freyja]

Ahhh, Lucy. I knew I was forgetting something. I really loved Lucy Saxon, but only when she was an active consort, as you say. When she started becoming an abuse victim and eventually just wrote the Master off as someone who was manipulating her, it ironically took away her agency, at least for me. It brought up all sorts of questions like "Well, why was she with him in the first place if she didn't agree with him? Was she stupid? Weak? What?"

[atalantapendrag]

I'm trying to force a Master/Lucy series out past my writers' block; one short piece so far. The D/s overtones are there all right, but she's not submitting to just anyone... my Lucy is very much a girl who grew up reading the exploits of Zeus and Apollo, someone who was fascinated by the visions of nuns with rather more conjugal than usual images of Brides of Christ.

...and that has almost nothing to do with your post, sorry.

[freyja]

Pfft, that's fine. I am always up for discussing Lucy and the Master, trust me.

She does seem like the type to idolize a vengeful god. The Doctor would never have been edgy enough for her. Too much regret.

[atraphoenix]

I think this is something that has been bothering a lot of people for a long time, but you've managed to articulate the problem in a way that other people haven't. And Amy's current story arc is pushing things from bad to worse. I genuinely love Doctor Who, but I'm not sure I can stomach much more of this.