Why 13 Is Not An Unlucky Number

I don't usually do these kinds of articles, but with Jodie Whittaker's tenure as the Doctor rapidly approaching, I think it's important for me to address the elephant in the room and share my current thoughts about the so-called Oncoming Storm.

One only needs to look back on my Twelfth Doctor era reviews to see that I was not very fond of the first feminine Master: from conception to execution it seemed like she was only there as a gimmick, without any genuine insight into the character. Even her redemption arc seemed to exist simply because no one had really done it before.
And I will admit, in 2014 I hated the idea of gender-bending Time Lords. And I still find it very silly. Why would order-loving aliens bother with such anarchy? Could you imagine any of the old duffers from The Deadly Assassin turning into women, or a male Romana? Why would regeneration switch your genitalia around anyway?

But in retrospect, my problems with Missy were far more rooted in my overall pet peeves with Steven Moffat's writing style, the clash of following up one of the most dramatic Master stories of all time with a campy, irreverent take on the role and the confused tone of the Twelfth Doctor era in general,

What ultimately turned my head was that in spite of the silliness of it all, this is a fresh concept. A female Doctor will undoubtedly inspire a wholly different kind of show(which Chibnall is pushing with the introduction of more companions than we've had since the Fifth Doctor era) with new dynamics and spirit, and I'm very excited for that after the staleness of recent years. Whether the scripts match this creativity remains to be seen.

Now onto Jodie Whittaker herself. I know very little of her as an actress: apparently she was in Broadchurch, which I haven't seen, and not extremely popular there. I don't know... all I can say is that in the very short introduction clip, she did wow me. It's weird saying this since it was only a few seconds long, but there's something pure and ethereal about her physicality that fits the Doctor. I feel like we might see a more kindhearted Doctor after the savage Hartnell callback that was the Twelfth Doctor, and I'm very open to this gentler approach.

I'm also a (lonely) fan of her costume. There's some subtle callbacks to her predecessors: the Matt Smith-esque suspenders, the stylish David Tennant overcoat, the colorful, daring attitude of Colin Baker and the childish-looking trousers that make me think of Patrick Troughton. It tells me that this new Doctor will be looking at the world through her own lenses, kinda like Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter(a fantastic character).

So yeah, those are my thoughts. I am still not a supporter of genderbending, but for the sake of a good story, I'll let it slide, and this IS shaping up to be a fine story.
Plus, after all, we have the blessings of Sydney Newman and Tom Baker. Allons-y!