With only three episodes to go for the current 11th season of Doctor Who (plus the New Year’s Day special), I thought it was about time to let everyone know what I think of 13. It always takes a little getting used to a new incarnation of The Doctor and this time around was no different. But the real question is what difference it has made that The Doctor is female. And the answer is… none.

For most of us, it was a welcome surprise all those months ago when it was revealed that the 13th Doctor would be female. (Did you see some of those reaction videos of young girls literally jumping for joy?!) Sure, there were plenty of trolls who had a problem with it. But what was their argument? Oh no, it’s a woman in a role that’s always been a man! Judging on that basis, before you’ve even seen 13 in action, is basically a load of BS. Not only that, but it shook things up a bit to announce three new companions covering a range of gender, age and race. Honestly, Doctor Who ratings weren’t going to hurt if they lost a bunch of trolls by being progressive.

Now that we’re into Jodie Whitaker’s run as The Doctor, what do I think? I think she’s absolutely brilliant and giving Matt Smith a run for my favorite Doctor! Seriously, 13 is adventurous, exuberant, friendly, a tinkerer and completely engaging. She’s a great mix of some past Doctor personalities yet makes it all her own. And the writers have done a great job of not tailoring her narrative to being female – the plots, the reactions of those around her, her own reactions to situations… pretty much none of it would be different if it was a man in the role. (There have been a couple of instances where it’s been questioned that a woman is in charge and the responses have been damned satisfying.)

So yes, 13 is a worthy successor to all the Doctors that have come before. The show remains exciting, engaging and fun. Plus, they’ve stepped back into teaching mode at times, but instead of a lot of science it’s history. Not only was there a brilliantly written episode involving Rosa Parks, there was one set at the time of India’s separation, which is a piece of history that many American viewers wouldn’t have known much about. It’s all been a very satisfying way to spend an hour on Sunday evenings and I look forward to at least another season or two with 13.