The end of a Doctor’s TARDIS residency is always a bittersweet affair. You know the drill – there’s probably been some kind of heroic sacrifice and a tearful farewell. Then comes the realisation that, once they’ve regenerated into their new body, the show will never be the same again.
And, after less than a year-and-a-half in the role, Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure feels like it’s ended too soon. Eighteen-and-a-bit episodes were barely enough to scrape the surface of this extremely likeable Time Lord. He never even got to face off against a Dalek, a Cyberman or the Master.
Even so, the 15th Doctor’s regeneration in “The Reality War”, Saturday’s Doctor Who season 2 finale, was the most exciting I can remember. Not only did Gatwa’s departure stay (more or less) under wraps until he started radiating that familiar regeneration glow. We also had no idea what – or more accurately who – was coming next. It’s a scenario I’ve longed for as long as I’ve been watching the show.
The trouble with regeneration, Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor once pointed out, is that “You never quite know what you’re going to get.” Alas, as viewers we’ve rarely been able to share that state of blissful ignorance.
Joy division
Historically, the identity of the next Doctor has been revealed long before the previous incumbent has handed in the keys to the TARDIS. Peter Capaldi’s arrival was such a big deal that the announcement was granted a live, one-off TV show on BBC One. The 12th Doctor even had a brief cameo in 50th anniversary special “The Day Of The Doctor”, a whole month before Matt Smith made his long-anticipated departure on Christmas Day.
Because we usually know what’s coming, regenerations tend to be a question of “how?” rather than “when?” That said, showrunners have occasionally been able to toy with audience expectations.
David Tennant hadn’t yet announced he was leaving the show when the Tenth Doctor started regenerating at the end of 2008’s “The Stolen Earth”. A week later, in “Journey’s End’, Russell T Davies indulged in some sly narrative sleight-of-(literal) hand by using the Doctor’s previously severed appendage to halt the process.
A few months later – after Tennant had confirmed he was off – Davies instigated another tease by calling the subsequent Christmas special “The Next Doctor”. We knew Tennant was sticking around for four more specials, but it didn’t stop various tabloids speculating that the episode’s co-star, David Morrissey, would be taking over in the TARDIS.
The opportunity to keep “The Reality War”’s bona fide regeneration under wraps required a unique set of circumstances. Most years, the practicalities of TV production ensure that keeping the next Doctor’s identity secret is a virtual impossibility. After all, with the show constantly on the radar of both the UK press and an extremely passionate fanbase, any whiff of cameras rolling is liable to find its way into the public domain.
This year was different, even though there were several hints that something major was about to happen. For starters “The Reality War” didn’t land on streaming platforms BBC iPlayer and Disney+ until it aired on terrestrial channel BBC One. Gatwa, meanwhile, had been extremely coy about his future on the show, fuelling rumours that he might be ready to hang up the sonic screwdriver. Most importantly, for the first time since the show’s triumphant 2005 return, there was still no confirmation of a new season. This remains the case, though Davies has been saying for months that a decision on the show’s future was always unlikely until the current run of episodes aired.
It’s a void the showrunner has filled in spectacular style, playing his cards to perfection. While “The Reality War” wasn’t my favourite episode of the season – I share many of the feelings expressed in GamesRadar+’s Doctor Who season 2 finale review – I found its final act utterly exhilarating. Indeed, I was on the edge of my seat as soon as it became clear that bringing toddler Poppy back to reality was going to require a blast of regeneration energy. The anticipation of that final moment, when Gatwa’s surprise successor would be revealed, was the icing on a timey-wimey cake.
Yes, rumours about Billie Piper’s return had been circulating online but – crucially – you had to go looking for them. Besides, even if you had an inkling the actor was coming back, we still have no idea if she’s the Doctor, a manifestation of Rose Tyler, the Bad Wolf or something else entirely. I feel genuinely sorry for fans who were saving the episode for catch-up and accidentally read spoiler-filled headlines announcing Piper’s return.
This regeneration was a reveal so massive that it rivalled the moment Luke Skywalker turned up in The Mandalorian. After watching “The Reality War” I can’t help wondering what it would have been like if David Tennant had unexpectedly regenerated into the then-unknown Matt Smith at the end of “The Next Doctor”. Or – in what would have been an even bigger shock – Peter Capaldi had surprised everyone by morphing into Jodie Whittaker halfway through his final season.
The arrival of a new Doctor is always exciting, but the Time Lord’s latest regeneration multiplied that feeling by a factor of… I dunno, let’s say 15.
Check out our rundown of all the easter eggs, cameos and references in Doctor Who season 2. You can also read our spoiler-filled Doctor Who season 2 reviews.
