Doctor Who is a TV show about the doctor, an alien who
travels time and space. In this episode, he and Donna Noble land on the planet
where the Ood are bred in the year 4126. The Ood are a race modified by man to
act as perfect slaves, and are now revolting.
This episode helps us to see slavery in a new perspective. One
of the things clearly depicted is the difference between what the Ood really
are and what humans stubbornly think of them. The Ood are advertised as
creatures coming from a far off planet with only one purpose: to serve. But
this is only the result of a trade secret: the Ood’s external brain is cut off
and replaced with a speaking device. Multiple times during the shows, comments
are made on the fact that some people know this and don't care, and the rest
simply don't ask: they prefer to live the lives of ignorance that the empire
suggests.
This situation is very similar to the situation of
sweatshops in our world today. This is even mentioned in the episode: the
doctor makes Donna realize this by asking her who made her clothes. At first it
would seem that the purpose of humans is to expand their power by any means
necessary; but by the end, the Doctor shifts that purpose to caring about other
people and races and essentially fighting for shalom.
In the end of the episode, the Ood decide to redeem the life
of the CEO of the Ood factory by transforming him into an Ood instead of
killing him. I find that in this way they show a kingdom way of life by showing
mercy while still obtaining their own safety.
How effective is showing the plight of alien creatures in
making us realize how bad the situation of slavery is on our planet?
More importantly, what are some what we can help fight
slavery today, which is much more rampant than we like to think ?
Thanks for sharing, I've never seen Doctor Who (yet) and I did not realize that the show demonstrated issues like this. I think an episode like this is an important step toward redemption - in this case, redemption in the issue of slavery. Creating a situation of slavery in a far off planet helps us to consider it in a new angle. We can see the injustice being done, and it brings a new light to the way things are right now. It calls us to wake up and realize the ways that we might be allowing or indirectly supporting slavery. I like how you mention that through the episode, the Doctor "shifts" the purpose of human beings. It is like an awakening of the imagination, imagining a different way of living that reaches for shalom.
ReplyDeleteWe just finished season four over the weekend! Excellent summary and good observation, Daniel. One of the amazing things sci-fi can do is detach us enough from our own reality to see it anew. Dr. Who is a great show that constantly does this, always portraying human beings as amazingly complex and wonderful creatures with extraordinary power to do both good and evil. Good stuff!
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