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11/07/2024
Doctor Who, the perennially queer and minority friendly science fiction saga, which started over sixty years ago, kicked off its new look, new season on Saturday night, 11th May. With the Eurovision Song Contest Finale the same evening, there were millions of LGBTQIA+ people tuned to their TV sets that evening. In the second episode to drop, the drag sensation Jinkx Monsoon appeared as an elemental being composed of music. And what a performance. Out Magazine looked at the Whovian webosphere to find that Monsoon's characterisation of the "Maestro", is being hailed by many long time fans of the show as one of the all time great villains of the franchise. Bernardo Sim writes " It is instantly clear that our expectations are about to be blown out of the water, and indeed they are, with Monsoon delivering a thrilling, attention-grabbing, and lived-in performance as a terrifying but also irresistible villain. Every line is unleashed. Every choice is framed. Every scene is hijacked. Monsoon zig-zags, hee-haws, and shape-shifts through our screens as a pitch-perfect foe for Gatwa's saga as the Doctor. ... Unlike other villains from past seasons, Maestro isn't so entirely preoccupied with the Doctor. Quite the opposite, actually. Maestro doesn't even seem to be that scared of the Doctor — laughing right in his face, taunting him, and posing challenges that the Doctor is legitimately afraid of. On social media, longtime Doctor Who fans are already calling Maestro one of the all-time greatest antagonists in the franchise." We quite agree. Jinkx's outrageous yet malevolent villain is utterly superb, and helps set the scene for what promises to be a feast of a season. Doctor Who shows on BBC1 in the UK on Saturday Nights.