The Ever Expanding Universe of Doctor Who
109
President Winters’ actions place the United States in a self-appointed
role as world ambassador, a parallel to the real-world idea of America as
a self-appointed world police. The evolution of the narrative syntagm
clearly indicates the showrunners’ opinions of such heads of state, for
President Winters is murdered on live television.
The next season introduces a Mark Zuckerberg-like character
dressed in a hoodie and with an American accent. We soon discover that
this wunderkind multi-millionaire genius has, in actuality, helped to
create the means of killing nearly everyone on Earth just for fun and
recognition. Armed with a serious superiority complex accompanied by a
hatred for those beneath him, Luke Rattigan is more callous than the
previous examples of Americans, for he laughs and relishes in his
success as millions of people suffer, stating that “Fifty-two deaths in the
same second, man, that is just so cool!” {Doctor Who “Sontaran
Stratagem”). Before the end of the story, however, the young tycoon
does redeem himself, for, after learning that he will not be receiving the
special treatment he was promised, he sacrifices himself to save the rest
of the planet. His change of heart, or better, the suggestion that he has a
heart at all, is illustrated by his absence of greed. Realizing he has no
possibility of improving his own personal situation, he puts his selfish
ambition aside and does what is right.
After one-and-a-half seasons without a single American
character. Season Six begins with one of the United States’ least likeable
presidents: Richard Nixon. Known throughout the world for being
“tricky,” the character of Nixon reinforces the idea that Americans are
untrustworthy and that their government is corrupt. Although the
president is not a central character in the two-part episode, the conclusion
does underline how