Defending the Sonic Sunglasses
Guest contributor Anton Badham makes a case for the ‘wearable technology.’
Amongst the many changes in Series 9 to story, format and characterisation, there was also changes to the Doctor’s appearance and while the tartan trousers scarcely received a murmur amongst fans, one piece of apparatus in particular did: the sonic shades. We saw them first in the trailers, but were given no indication of their importance. When it became clear from the opening story what they actually were, not everybody seemed too keen. Personally, I liked them and would like the share a few reasons for this.
Rebel Time Lord
The Eleventh Doctor liked to exclaim what was “cool” while rocking a geography teacher’s blazer and braces; He would often assure characters that bow ties/fezzes/stetsons can be defined in this way. The Twelfth Doctor needs no assurances. He is cool. When we were reintroduced to his character this year, it was atop a tank to sound of a guitar solo, wearing a hoodie and… shades. The character had never been cooler. Sonic shades are a key part of the look.
I feel that the statement made when Peter Capaldi’s costume was originally revealed about this incarnation being “100% rebel Time Lord” is right on the mark. The sonic shades are unconventional but so is he. After all, he’s broken the fourth wall and is the first incarnation with the audacity to steal Davros’ chair.
Hands-free
“Oh, that’s new” was Missy’s sarcastic reaction the Doctor’s decision to abandon the screwdriver. But this wasn’t the first time the Doctor went hands-free. He did so after the 1982 story The Visitation. There is a difference this time but the effect is almost the same: It helped to free up the story. While I recognise that since Series 8 the usage of the screwdriver has significantly decreased, I feel the shades served as a reminder to not overuse the technology and bring sonic usage back to the level of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker’s Doctors.
The practical application of the shades is less smooth to access, as the procedure for operating them is pressing on a control in the glass frame. It doesn’t quite have the magic wand effect that an easy hand-held remote would. It is mostly aesthetic until the Doctor genuinely needed them.
Iconography
The complaint I saw about the sonic shades is that sunglasses are not unique items like the very specific design of sonic screwdriver. It’s true that merchandisers associated with Doctor Who probably love the sonic screwdriver too. It’s one of the programme’s most marketable toys afterall. I can’t see them shifting a pair of sunglasses anywhere near as successfully (although I hear bottled water sells very well).
I can see this side of it but I also think associating an everyday item with Doctor Who can have its benefits. There has been successful examples of this and many we all recognise. I could pick up a packet a Jelly Babies or Jammie Dodgers anytime I want and have a piece of Doctor Who history in my hand. A police box was an every day sight near the time Doctor Who first started and now it is intrinsically linked with the show. Now I’m not saying shades could have this effect with the general public, but maybe to fans sunglasses can in some way now become an icon of this particular era of the show, however small that connection is.
A fresher perspective
From what I can tell of Doctor Who recently, Steven Moffat has been trying new things out. With change is progress. Clearly some things should remain the same. To remove the blue police box or the basic theme music would be a crime to the series, but the sonic screwdriver doesn’t quite hold that level of sanctity. It wasn’t introduced at the start of the show and wasn’t present from 1982 to 1989, so we knew the show could work without it. The changeover from the screwdriver to the glasses was just a small reminder that Steven Moffat’s philosophy as a show-runner is to take ownership of the show. Doctor Who can only really move forwards if it doesn’t have a fear of upsetting the status quo.
Steven Moffat has delved into the Doctor’s pre-series history, reversed the destruction of Gallifrey and much more besides. We should really be able to better bear the thought of changing something as small as the sonic screwdriver. The shades offered a fresher take on something familiar.
