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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 8377466" data-attributes="member: 22779">Yes, I guess it depends on where you set the bar.&nbsp; If we're talking alien as in &quot;totally not relatable or understandable by humans&quot; we're well into Mythos territory.&nbsp; But, that's a bar that no one can really achieve, so, frankly, it's a bit of a dead end.&nbsp; Even Groot, which people seem to agree ticks most of the boxes, is still very understandable.&nbsp; Me, I set the bar for alien as in, this being is obviously not human and is motivated by things that we generally wouldn't consider.&nbsp; The fact that the Doctor is immortal is a HUGE thing.&nbsp; Every time a new Companion shows up or leaves, it hammers home the fact that the Doctor is not human.&nbsp; The Doctor even comments so often about how difficult it is to relate to humans.&nbsp; &quot;How do you get about with those tiny little brains?&quot;&nbsp; The whole point of the Companions is to ground the Doctor so that the Doctor doesn't forget about the smaller picture.&nbsp; When the Doctor forgets things like compassion and whatnot, the Doctor becomes absolutely terrifying.&nbsp; Really, that's the point of the Master - a mirror for what the Doctor would be without companions.The comment from River Song comes to mind - &quot;When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can’t run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies. And nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever, for one moment accepts it.&quot;&nbsp; To me, this is quintessentially what an Elf should be like.&nbsp; That elf KNOWS that every one of people that are in the adventure will be dead and dust in an eyeblink.&nbsp; No wonder they describe Elves as aloof.&nbsp; It's very similar with Jadsia Dax.&nbsp; Sure, you might not immediately realize that she's an alien, but, so what?&nbsp; Imagine having a conversation with someone that can literally remember your great, great grandfather.&nbsp; The perspective shift of someone like that would be unbelievable.&nbsp; Even if DS9 didn't really play it up that hard, they do play it up a lot - so many characters show up that remember an older host - they know Dax, but, not Jadsia Dax.&nbsp; It's a huge opportunity and something that is very easy to lean into.But, yeah, I think we need to lay some ground rules here.&nbsp; Just how alien does something have to be to qualify for &quot;not a human in a funny mask&quot;?&nbsp; Can something look human and still be alien?&nbsp; I'd point to Cylons as a pretty darn good example of that.&nbsp; Imagine playing a character that literally cannot die.&nbsp; You just come back every time.&nbsp; It's a huge change.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 8377466, member: 22779"] Yes, I guess it depends on where you set the bar. If we're talking alien as in "totally not relatable or understandable by humans" we're well into Mythos territory. But, that's a bar that no one can really achieve, so, frankly, it's a bit of a dead end. Even Groot, which people seem to agree ticks most of the boxes, is still very understandable. Me, I set the bar for alien as in, this being is obviously not human and is motivated by things that we generally wouldn't consider. The fact that the Doctor is immortal is a HUGE thing. Every time a new Companion shows up or leaves, it hammers home the fact that the Doctor is not human. The Doctor even comments so often about how difficult it is to relate to humans. "How do you get about with those tiny little brains?" The whole point of the Companions is to ground the Doctor so that the Doctor doesn't forget about the smaller picture. When the Doctor forgets things like compassion and whatnot, the Doctor becomes absolutely terrifying. Really, that's the point of the Master - a mirror for what the Doctor would be without companions. The comment from River Song comes to mind - "When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can’t run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies. And nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever, for one moment accepts it." To me, this is quintessentially what an Elf should be like. That elf KNOWS that every one of people that are in the adventure will be dead and dust in an eyeblink. No wonder they describe Elves as aloof. It's very similar with Jadsia Dax. Sure, you might not immediately realize that she's an alien, but, so what? Imagine having a conversation with someone that can literally remember your great, great grandfather. The perspective shift of someone like that would be unbelievable. Even if DS9 didn't really play it up that hard, they do play it up a lot - so many characters show up that remember an older host - they know Dax, but, not Jadsia Dax. It's a huge opportunity and something that is very easy to lean into. But, yeah, I think we need to lay some ground rules here. Just how alien does something have to be to qualify for "not a human in a funny mask"? Can something look human and still be alien? I'd point to Cylons as a pretty darn good example of that. Imagine playing a character that literally cannot die. You just come back every time. It's a huge change. [/QUOTE]

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