[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Beyond his knowledge and abilities and life span, he also frequently ends up in a position where he has power over people's lives, and his judgement decides their fate - if they get to live or die, if they get a second chance, if they deserve any mercy. And in these moments I always end up thinking of Gandalf's famous lines ("many that live deserve death, etc"), and sometimes I think that the Doctor's judgement is too harsh.

You usually get one chance to repent/make amends with the Doctor; forfeit that, and you're screwed - nicely illustrated in series 8's Flatlines, which has the Doctor tell the 2-dimensional aliens invading 3-dimensional space:

Originally Posted by The Doctor

I tried to talk. I want you to remember that. I tried to reach out, I tried to understand you, but I think that you understand us perfectly. And I think you just don't care. And I don't know whether you are here to invade, infiltrate or just replace us. I don't suppose it really matters now. You are monsters. That is the role you seem determined to play. So it seems I must play mine.The man that stops the monsters.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

It's not like the Doctor lacks compassion; on the contrary, I feel like each time he has to make one of these judgments he condemns himself for having to carry them out. But I also think that lately (middle of series 3) he's more authoritative and less flexible in that role. I suppose constantly having the weight of the stupid little humans and the entire universe on your shoulders does that to you.

That's the one series of New Who I haven't watched yet (David Tennant with Martha Jones/Freema Agyeman, right?), but based on what I know that's a good observation. He's going to acquire a new companion soon who'll do her damnedest to humanize him a little more.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

(To contrast with Gandalf - he was not the only Istar, though he did remain the last truly faithful one. But even so he always knew that there are powers beyond him who will not allow the end of the world to happen. The Doctor doesn't have that luxury.)

Correct.

Zigûr, thanks for your quotes from Classic Who (which, among other things, serve to show me how much I have to catch up with)! I think your post touches on one great difference between those nineteenth/twentieth century narratives you mentioned above and their contemporary retellings: whether it be Tolkien's work, Classic Who, Sherlock Holmes or Star Trek, the difference between heroes and villains is mostly clear (maybe actually a bit less in Tolkien that the others?), whereas in their modern versions we meet questionable heroes and villains who are often heroes gone horribly wrong. In the words of our own Hookbill: "What if there are no heroes but only villains who win?" - A lot less uplifiting, but closer to our ow experience, I'd say.

Originally Posted by Zigûr

although the New Series would often like to sell us on the idea that the Doctor is a "warrior" but personally I consider this a misinterpretation of the original character on the part of the modern writers

Agreed. At most I think he works like a martial artist using the enemy's strength to deflect their attacks.