grassangel | I do meta on request (Reply)

Mimins on tumblr asked me:

would you please #critical fandom thought or #meta about the doctor vs crowley&az wrt individual humans? i feel like the doctor is much better about them. i also feel like they're much better about humanity but i am less sure on that mark.

I am Unsure if I can live up to those lofty tags categories, but I conceive of the difference between the two as thus:
Aziraphale & Crowley are what could've happened if the Doctor had run away from Gallifrey with the Master (with or without Susan). They've had one another - an equal, if not a friend at first, to share and commiserate their Earthly experiences with. Yeah, they might have the occasional human they have minor friendships or flings with, but they don't let themselves be truly known by those humans since they have an equal and opposite who innately knows what they are and who they don't have to go through the terrifying process of telling or showing who they really are. They aren't lonely enough to lower themselves to needing the friendship of humans for company, and the way that could broaden and extend their understanding of humanity, not when there's someone just like them who's enough of a bastard or has a big enough spark of goodness to be worth knowing.

So they know humans as a conglomerate, a generalisation based on their observations from afar. (And that objectivity is perfectly adequate for what they are - agents of Heaven and Hell on Earth - but the lack of subjectivity isn't appropriate if they want to live here and participate.)

Meanwhile, the Doctor didn't have anyone like that. He had the duty of care of Susan, who needed more than an old man for company, who needed to grow up without his heavy presence. Which he eventually realised (slash rationalised to himself as to why he left her behind). Leaving him only the company of humans, since his disagreement with Gallifrey was more or less mutual. And while humans are diverting and interesting and provide a such a lovely subjective point of view of the universe (one filled with wonder, which the Doctor particularly enjoys), being in such close proximity and developing a relationship means they get to know the Doctor back. The Doctor becomes known by their companions.

Which usually results in the Doctor being shouted at because their wonky morals show up and the companion lets them know that is not OK, and because they're friends they feel comfortable enough to do that.
So the Doctor is the way they are in part because they've had to rely on the company of 'lesser species', humans, for friendship and companionship. They've used them as a close up study and found humans aren't a monolith, they're individuals with different identities, though their morals generally line up with one another. (And when they don't, there is a reason as to why, e.g. Leela's kill or be killed mentality, Turlough being influenced by the Black Guardian, River being raised by the Silence to kill the Doctor.)

The companionship of humans works on other Time Lords as well - I'm still only on Gallifrey II, but Romana and Narvin have changed as a result of knowing Leela.

In closing: knowing humans closely, and in turn being known by them, allows immortal beings to understand humans and humanity better.

(I have been reading a few 'reunions with Warlock' fics, so I'm convinced that going back and being godparents to Warlock might help Aziraphale and Crowley's humanity problem, as would staying friends with the other (human) observers of the Apocalypse that wasn't.

ALSO, the Doctor needs a companion with wonky morals (i.e. an alien or from another time period) to er... realign her morals a bit. We've had a long run of the Doctor trying to be as good as their very good and virtuous companions, which feels likes it's heading toward disaster as they try to over correct themselves. So having the Doctor have to correct someone else's terrible morals might stabilise her back to 'generally good, but suffers from an incurable case of too much privilege' with a clearer understanding of 'those most affected understand it best'. (The latter message being something Chibnall and his writers are supposedly doing, but which I have not yet been convinced by their efforts they've communicated this message effectively.) (Which is probably why I loved series 10 so much. Yeah, Bill's still there for the Doctor to prove his goodness to, but later the story is about the Doctor teaching Missy to 'be good' and to recognise and listen to those she's hurt. None of which carried through to series 11 but– *shrug*))

#book!A&Z would take another 100 years or more to Get humans #(and hopefully it would be at least that long before the big humanity vs heaven & hell battle that was hinted at happened) #(of course before then there's probably humanity vs itself and then after there's a humanity & heaven & hell vs God) #show!A&Z that might happen in a few decades depending on if they keep in contact with everyone else #(and given the Topical nature of the show those other battles would likely occur during Adam's lifetime)