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Old 05-12-2015, 02:45 AM   #3
Hookbill the Goomba
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla
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Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Hookbill the Goomba is lost in the dark paths of Moria.
Pipe This is my jam

I'm actually working on a paper to present at Oxonmoot on this very subject, but I have left it on my external harddrive at home (currently on holiday in Finland).

The Melkur is something I discussed in the paper, but there are lots and lots of parallels, intentional and otherwise. Trying to remember some of them off the top of my head but I may forget some as there were a lot.

One of the main things I focussed on was the Doctor as "Space Gandalf", which is what he calls himself in one of the mini-episodes from series 7. It's a very interesting parallel as they are both wise beyond human capabilities, a little eccentric and silly at times, and possess abilities that seem magical. They also have the whole 'coming-back-from-the-dead' thing. Not just in the Doctor's general ability to regenerate, but one might also make a comparison between Gandalf's restoration and the Doctor receiving a new cycle from the Time Lords on the grounds that his job is not yet done.
A criticism the Doctor receives often from his own people is that he seems oddly interested in the planet Earth and its humans. They regard this as ridiculous, a stupid thing for such a high and mighty Time Lord to be getting involved with. I can see this paralleled in Gandalf's affinity for Hobbits and pipe weed, etc. which Saruman criticises him for.
They act as advisors to their friends, obstencillay there to simply aid and guide people, though they often go beyond this remit. The Time Lords set themselves up as passive, sworn only to watch and never interfere, much like the Valar, but they do occasionally meddle by sending envoys. For the Time Lords this often comes in the form of the Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA), who will in tern snatch the Doctor up for covert missions. They eventually exiled the Doctor to earth as punishment for his meddling, accepting that there was evil in the universe and he had a part to play in combating it. The Valar, similarly, send their envoys in the form of the Istari, rather than interfering directly.

The relationship between Gandalf and Saruman has some mirrors with the Doctor and the Master. The Master was a Time Lord who was once the Doctor's closest friend (some have suggested former lover, brother, or just very close friend, it is left ambiguous). The Master tends to be regarded as slightly cleverer and the Doctor even sometimes asks for his help. They were once friends and then something happened that made them enemies. Now the Master has a mind of metal and a desire for conquest, to be the master of other wills.
He also possesses much better technology than the Doctor. A running joke has always been that the Doctor's rackety old Type-40 TARDIS is a piece of junk compared to the Master's Type-90 (which is usually just the Doctor's TARDIS set painted black ). While the Master relies on his superior apparatus, the Doctor is something of a wanderer, a vagabond, and - in his Second incarnation especially - a cosmic hobo. Much like Gandalf and how he is viewed, the Doctor is the underdog all too often when compared to his rival. The Master, like Saruman, is able to raise armies, build bigger engines of war, and does it all from a more secure seat of power.

Coming back to the Doctor as a wanderer, one who goes from place to place, helping out where he can. This seems very much like Gandalf. He never stops, he never stays, he never waits to be thanked, he just fights the good fight and moves on. He is offered kingships and leadership roles, and never takes them. The Doctor is offered the position of Lord President of the High Council of Time Lords, but runs away from such responsibilities. (Though he is still technically President Elect and will use the title when he needs to). Gandalf could have taken the keys to Orthank, could have taken the rods of the Five Wizards, and the crowns of seven kings, but he choses not to. He is no king and has no desire to be so. He even turns down the power of the Ring itself.

There are other little bits and pieces across the realms of time and space. The First Doctor has a very significant Ring, which is precious to him. The Seventh Doctor was played by Sylvester McCoy, who also played Radagast. And others I am forgetting right now!
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