Why Moffat Was Wrong To Spoil
Guest contributor Ryan Fleetwood on Moffat’s recent Series 9 preview.
First, a quick clarification, this article will NOT refer to any details that our showrunner gave in the recent Radio Times article. If you escaped the spoilers there, I am NOT about to spoil anything for you here.
The Radio Times this week published its regular bunch of showrunner teasers for the latest Doctor Who series, and by now I don’t think it’s much of a secret that within it were some pretty major spoilers. While I would have thought this to be quite clearly a bad thing, I have been astonished to find the reaction has not been as universally negative as one would expect. So here are my musings on the matter, hopefully to help those who do not understand the outrage to see why many reactions have been the way they have.
Did Moffat Really Spoil?
The short answer is yes, but there have been two reasons I have had heard as to why some believe he did not that I think should be addressed. The first is that Mr Moffat, who is known for his playing on words and misdirecting, was simply up to his usual tricks. While it may seem possible, it does not match up with confirmation from those who have already seen The Magician’s Apprentice, for example, that parts of that have indeed been spoilt. Further, it must be considered that he is writing not on a fan site or talking in a fan interview, but in a published television and radio magazine, bought mainly by the casual viewing audience. The casual audience are not invested enough to be puzzling their way through Moffatian riddles, what they read they will expect to be straightforward, and at the start of his 5th series I think our showrunner will be well aware of that.
The other argument that came up was that Mr Moffat quite literally does not give us any spoilery material. Sometimes this arose from some confusion, when the article on this site only (and in my opinion, rightly) provided choice quotes from the full Radio Times article, which was where the spoilers stayed as a result. However, a few have even claimed that the original article itself was not spoilery, and while it is certainly true that people have different ideas of what constitutes spoilers, one has to wonder how, when the piece includes revealing the nature of a cliffhanger, exactly this cannot be considered spoilery. How far would it instead have to have gone to be considered spoilers, short of releasing the full scripts? As far as I am concerned, it is hard to dispute the spoilery nature of what Mr Moffat told us, and to think it may not be what it seems is clutching at straws.
Should Moffat Have Spoiled?
As it seems difficult to deny that Moffat has indeed penned some pretty spoilery stuff, the big question is should he have? As far as I am concerned, the answer is no. Throughout the year the cast and crew have worked hard to give us Series 9, and having the episodes spoilt does not just ruin ones enjoyment when watching, but I feel puts their work to waste. For Mr Moffat to give away such big spoilers as he did is very disappointing. Perhaps it can be justified in terms of seeking publicity, and building hype. Personally, I think revealing cliffhangers and giving away plot points dulls speculation and removes mystery, stunting hype. The man himself has even spoken out in the past about his dislike of spoilers.
Another point I have sometimes seen made is that, whatever our thoughts on this, it is the fault of those who read the Radio Times for having things spoiled. After all, what do you expect when looking at these sort of things on the internet? To be quite blunt, I have no patience for such supercilious remarks. These teasers have been appearing in the Radio Times since the very first series of the revival in 2005, and neither showrunner has ever been as spoilery as this year. Thus, alongside the incumbent’s previously expressed dislike for spoilers, it is not at all unreasonable for anyone to have assumed this year’s teasers would be of the same ilk.
In Moffat We Trust?
Therefore, with all this, the final question is what Mr Moffat’s motives were. This is, of course, impossible to answer. It’s possible it was a wider form of misdirection, not in episode details but in terms of trends or arcs of series 9, though the collateral damage in this in the form of spoiling the episodes in question seems very great for just a bit of trolling. Confidence over the quality of Series 9? Possibly, but then it’s quite a strikingly silly display of bravado. Perhaps it is just part of some wider scheme or plan, but either way I cannot help but find it to be a grave error of judgement to spoil the details of any story in the way he did. For me, it would be little compensation to find out it was all a needless bit of Moffatery.
Some have optimism in this regard, and I don’t mean to rain on any parades, but I cannot see Mr Moffat as flawless or eternally planning. I think he can make mistakes, and I feel like this may be one of them. Some may defend him in all regards for everything I have discussed here, but to be honest I find that to be a level of devotion that is almost unnerving, when evidence points to the article he penned being very spoilery, whatever the motivation. There is still a great deal in Series 9 to anticipate, much that was not spoiled, and a lot to enjoy, even if it’s seeing how the spoilt stuff turns out, but I cannot help but feel the extent of the spoilers in the Radio Times did much more harm than good, and I don’t think that just because our showrunner did it that it means it was all fine to do. Steven Moffat is certainly not the Messiah. And on this occasion, I think he’s been a very naughty boy.
