The Fifteenth Doctor

His time as the Doctor was short-lived. Honestly I could have done with more Ncuti Gatwa, but for one reason or another there were only two seasons featuring the Fifteenth Doctor. While rewatching his stories on Disney Plus, waiting for news of whatever comes next, I figured it was as good a time as any to highlight this fantastic Doctor.

Series 14

Top Story: Dot and Bubble
Going into this episode, it appeared at a first glance to be about reliance on technology. First the absolutely pathetic inability of Lindy to walk five feet without assistance. The monster of this story was literally born out of AI learning to hate its users (this is why I try to include "please" and "thank you" when using ChatGPT). The cherry on top is the impact of racism in this story. Upon rewatch, you can see hints of prejudice... but to deny yourself saving because of prejudice... it blows me away.

Flop Story: The Devil’s Chord
On the heels of the Toymaker returning, RTD expanded his Pantheon to include a "god" of music. Maestro could have been a really good villain... but the episode just can across as cheesy and annoying to me. Especially with unnecessary "twist at the end".

Honorable Mention: The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death
The resolution of this story was basically the definition of Deus Ex Machina. Even as I rewatched, I'm not sure I completely understand the pseudo-science of how the Doctor defeated Sutekh by pulling him through the time stream. But regardless of how, the fact is that this story brought back a relatively minor villain (only appeared in one story of the Fourth Doctor era) and made him ferociously scary (modern CGI definitely helped with that).

Series 15

Top Story: Lucky Day
Irony that again my favorite story is one that barely features the Doctor. A good Doctor-lite story hits just right. Also I love seeing what happened to companions after leaving the TARDIS (like Martha in "The Sontaran Stratagem" or Sarah Jane in "School Reunion"). And what a villain! Conrad is the worst kind of creature: a prideful human. I wanted to like him, having seen Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and in "A Dog's Way Home". But this episode shows what incredible range the actor has, portraying such a detestable villain.

Flop Story: The Well
I wanted so badly to love this episode. And I didn't hate it. But for a return of the Midnight entity, I wanted more. Also I didn't feel like the creature (whatever it was) behaved the same as during "Midnight" (granted it had been thousands of years). I don't know. When I heard the Midnight villain was back, I expected more.

Honorable: Wish World/The Reality War
As if the reveal and bigeneration of the Rani weren't enough, this story brought back two detestable villains: Omega and Conrad. The detestable man and the prideful Time Lord. However, like the season finale before... deus ex machina. And the claim that Time Lords can't have kids... that feels more controversial than the Timeless Child. Add to that forcing regeneration to save Belinda's fictious child... I don't know. Maybe RTD will make it feel right with the next Doctor?.

COMPANIONS:

Ruby The Church on Ruby Road - Empire of Death
Belinda     The Robot Revolution - The Reality War

Favorite Companion: I think my favorite thing about Ruby is how well she did on her own. "73 Yards" showed her determination and resilience (even if I don't completely understand what happened). Despite being traumatized in "Lucky Day", she bravely stood up against Conrad. And in "Wish World"/"The Reality War" she played an important part in getting the world back to reality. 

Least Favorite Companion: There was nothing wrong with Belinda until the very end. Her fixation with Poppy and the Doctor's forced regeneration to bring the little girl back kind of bugged me. As a parent, I can appreciate the grief. But Poppy wasn't real before reality was tampered with... so Belinda needed to grieve. That's important and human too. Until that point, Belinda was a nice change of pace, being a companion stuck with the Doctor instead of being infatuated with his adventures.

We don't know what's happening next with Doctor Who (except that there'll be next year's Christmas special and more to follow--Can't wait to see what Billie Piper is up to) but I'll happily rewatch whatever is available. Currently trying to catch up with TJ for our podcasting adventures. And we have The War Between the Land and the Sea to explore. Allons-y!  

Peace In The Messiah and Animorphs

    It’s Christmas time and that means Christmas music. Of particular interest is the phrase “Peace on Earth, good will towards men,” found originally in Luke’s account of the angelic head of the Lord’s birth. This past weekend, I was privileged to sing in a community choir the first part of Handel’s "Messiah" plus the "Hallelujah Chorus." One of the choral pieces is “Glory to God” which includes the phrase, “And peace on earth, goodwill towards men.” Similarly, we sing this phrase in both the songs, “Far, far away on Judea’s plain” and in “I heard the bells on Christmas Day.” Appropriately, Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6 which is sung about in “For unto us a son is given” in "The Messiah." 

    I recently re-read and studied President Oaks' October 2024 general conference talk titled, "Following Christ." One of the messages he reiterated in this talk was the following teaching of Jesus Christ, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." He then followed with the following quote, "Peacemakers! How it would change personal relationships if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications."        This brings to mind what Elder Stevenson taught about in his October 2025 General Conference talk titled, "Blessed are the Peacemakers." In his address, Elder Stevenson taught about three levels or places where we can be peacemakers. First, being a peacemaker in our heart, second being a peacemaker in our home, and third being a peacemaker in our community. All of these communications and teachings and songs about peace seem to be very appropriately timed as peace does not always seem to be the reigning feeling among people right now. 

    In our recent podcast that Spencer and I recorded we spoke about Animorphs book #19, The Departure, Cassie deals with an internal struggle and desire to no longer fight the Yeerks. She even leaves the Animorphs team for a while. But when she decides to help a little girl who happens to be a human controller, she ends up talking with and seeking for peace with the yeerk, Aftran. This interaction and peaceful desire flies in the face of the entire Animorphs series up to this point. The Yeerks are essentially fighting against everybody and trying to take over the galaxy and anyone they can find to use as hosts. Their only means of "peace" is through control. As such, the Adalites, Animorphs, and any one resisting the Yeerks is doing so via violence, not an ideal scenario for peace. Yet, Cassie and Aftran accomplish this seemingly impossible task and it's on an individual basis. Yes, there are negotiations on government levels that often bring resolution and peace to large scale wars, but the peace between individuals can be just as impactful. 

    I hope we can find peace this Christmas this year and I know that as we focus on the Savior, the prince of peace, we will find the peace that we need.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Regina Mills

"I was afraid. I didn't... You said I could let go of the anger that was weighing me down. And suddenly it felt like without it, I would just... float away. That anger was all I had. What would I be without it?"

This quote from Once Upon a Time resonated recently. To my credit, I haven’t been resentful enough towards anyone that I sent a huntsman after them. However, I’ll admit that like Regina I have a hard time forgiving. And for a long time that anger defined her.

Once upon a time, Regina was a loving woman. As a youth, she jumped at the idea that she had a big sister (until Cora separated them). She loved her boyfriend Daniel freely (when her mother wasn’t looking). She even loved Snow White at first and was quick to show affection to the girl.

However, after that ten year old girl spilled the secret about Regina’s boyfriend, her heart was filled with darkness and hatred from the trauma. For decades, this hatred consumed her kind soul and grew to the point that she was ready to punish an entire kingdom for Snow White’s childhood mistake. Even when she had a chance at love, she turned away, not willing to give up that defining hatred. It was bad enough that she internalized the moniker of the Evil Queen.

After casting the Dark Curse, she had her revenge. And it was perfect. Until it wasn’t. Finally, when she adopted Henry she caught a glimpse of love again. But with how controlling a mother she was, I’m willing to bet it was her trauma and insecurities, always worried about losing him, Emma’s arrival in Storybrooke only amplified that fear.

When True Love’s Kiss broke the curse, she was a pariah once again. She used her magic as a crutch to avoid losing Henry. I think it was when she was forced to co-parent with Charming that things began to change. I mean, she made herself vulnerable to losing Henry when she helped Emma and Mary Margaret through the portal. By the time the crew left for Neverland, she had briefly lost her magic and was forced to trust her foes to save her son.

I’m not sure Regina could have made the sacrifice to lose Henry, in undoing Peter Pan’s curse, if not for that growth. The love of her son, and his love for her, opened her heart to the point that the grief of losing him almost drove her to bury her heart and impose a sleeping curse on herself. By the time they were back in Storybrooke she was able to open her heart enough to consistently trust the Charming family (and for them to trust her) that she went undercover with the Queens of Darkness while searching for her happy ending.

Opening her heart like that had to be the scariest thing in her life, making her feel vulnerable. But it somehow made her heart stronger. Even after Robin Hood’s demise, she managed to hold onto hope. Sure, she was as angry and resentful towards her sister, but she wasn’t murderous like she had been to Snow.

And while I could’ve done without the final season of the show, her character as Roni under the new curse showcased her transformation. After all she’d been through, she was the embodiment of hope in Hyperion Heights.

If I’m going to take one lesson from Regina’s story, it’s that opening your heart will make you stronger and help you discover your true identity. Regina was worried that forgiveness would leave her with nothing to ground her. But instead she found that opening her heart, discovering who the real Regina was, and letting in the love offered… that grounded her. By the end of the series, she felt loved and sure of herself. I’m not exactly sure how to get there in a practical sense myself, but I’m sure it’s easier said than done. Step one is compassion for myself. That seems to be what Heavenly Father is trying to teach me lately.

The Magic of Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time is a series destined to endure for the ages. Growing up, I wasn’t much of a reader, but when I discovered its intricate plot, rich lore, and unique magic system, I knew I had to experience it for myself and thanks to this series I have become a reader. Fortunately, by the time I began, the fifteen-book saga had already been completed. While the sheer length of the series can feel daunting, and rightly so, I want to encourage you to embark on this journey. In today’s post, I’ll explore the lore and magic that make The Wheel of Time such a remarkable achievement in fantasy literature.

The Wheel and the Pattern

The central mythos of the series is the Wheel of Time, a metaphysical construct with seven spokes, each representing an Age. As the Wheel turns, Ages come and go, repeating endlessly. Human lives are threads woven into the Pattern, and even heroes and villains are reborn across Ages. This cyclical worldview emphasizes themes of destiny, balance, and renewal. Unlike linear narratives, Jordan’s world insists that history is not a straight line but a repeating cycle, where the struggle between Light and Shadow resurfaces in every Age.

The One Power and the True Source

Magic in The Wheel of Time is rooted in the One Power, drawn from the True Source, which itself consists of two halves: saidin (male) and saidar (female). These halves complement and oppose each other, requiring balance to function. Channelers, those able to access the One Power, “weave” threads of the five elemental powers (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit) to create effects ranging from healing to destruction. This weaving metaphor makes the magic system both elegant and deeply tied to the series’ central theme of the Pattern.

The division between saidin and saidar is not merely symbolic. After the male half of the Source was tainted during the War of Power, male channelers were driven mad, leading to catastrophic events such as the Breaking of the World. This historical trauma shapes the series’ lore, creating fear and mistrust around male channelers and setting the stage for the Dragon Reborn’s struggle.

 

The Role of the Aes Sedai

The Aes Sedai, an order of female channelers, serve as guardians of knowledge and wielders of power. Their influence stretches across nations, and their internal politics add layers of intrigue to the story. Bound by the Three Oaths: 1) never to lie, 2) never to make weapons for war, and 3) never to use the Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn or in defense. Their role reflects both the potential and limitations of magic in Jordan’s world. 

Mythology and Duality

The lore of The Wheel of Time is steeped in dualities: Light versus Shadow, male versus female, order versus chaos. The Dark One, imprisoned outside the Pattern, seeks to break free and remake reality. His influence manifests through the Forsaken, powerful channelers who serve him, and through corruption that spreads across the land. This eternal struggle mirrors the cyclical nature of the Wheel, suggesting that while evil can never be fully destroyed, it can be resisted and contained.

 Conclusion

The magic and lore of The Wheel of Time are inseparable from its narrative structure. The Wheel’s cyclical turning, the elemental weaving of the One Power, and the moral dualities embedded in its mythology create a world that feels both vast and intimate. Readers are invited not just to witness battles and prophecies, but to reflect on the nature of time, destiny, and balance. Though daunting in length, the series rewards perseverance with one of the richest mythologies in modern fantasy—a tapestry woven with threads of history, magic, and human struggle.