After only two short seasons, Ncuti Gatwa’s time as Doctor Who has come to a (rather disappointing) end.
Note: this post contains spoilers for this past weekend’s Doctor Who season finale.
In the final moments of “The Reality War,” the Fifteenth Doctor (Gatwa) sacrificed his current form to save the life of a child, and in classic Doctor Who fashion, the Time Lord’s regeneration process ended with him getting a (sort of) new face.
It’s not exactly clear how or why, but the Doctor regenerated into a form that looks a lot like Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), the human companion to the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).
“The Reality War” strongly implies that the Sixteenth Doctor might have transformed into a Rose Tyler facsimile for emotional reasons.
Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure as Doctor Who has ended, albeit with some disappointment, after just two brief seasons.
Note: there are spoilers for the Doctor Who season finale from this past weekend in this post.
The Time Lord’s regeneration process concluded with him receiving a (sort of) new face in typical Doctor Who fashion after the Fifteenth Doctor (Gatwa) gave up his current form to save the life of a child in the closing moments of “The Reality War.”. The Doctor’s regeneration process is unclear, but it resembles the human companion of the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), Rose Tyler (Billie Piper).
The titular character has regenerated into a body played by a series veteran for the second time in recent Doctor Who history. Previously, following the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Tennant returned to become the Fourteenth Doctor. It is strongly suggested in “The Reality War” that the Sixteenth Doctor may have changed into a Rose Tyler impersonator out of emotion. Notably, however, the credits of the episode do not identify her new persona.
She has “always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there,” Piper said in a statement regarding her Who reveal. “It’s a privilege and a hoot to welcome [Piper] back to the Tardis, but exactly how, why, and who is a story yet to be told,” showrunner Russell T. Davies continued. “”.
Gatwa thanked the Who fandom and “everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor” in a statement of his own. “”.
At some point, Gatwa said, “you know when you get cast, you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.”. Words cannot express the feelings of being chosen to play the Doctor or of being accepted into this enduring role that has been adored by people all over the world for more than 60 years. “”.
Following Gatwa’s statement on The Graham Norton Show last fall that he was planning to start filming a third season as The Doctor, the casting announcement was a little unexpected. Gatwa’s remarks seemed to indicate at the time that the BBC planned to continue the adventures of the Fifteenth Doctor for some time to come. Oddly enough, though, Gatwa’s remarks were changed to exclude any reference to a third season when his interview finally appeared on television. The network appears to have made the decision to change course rather abruptly and concentrate on appealing to the nostalgia of Who fans by reviving an old character.
The BBC isn’t letting the Doctor Who franchise sit dormant for long, but it’s unclear when the show will return and reveal the Doctor’s most recent appearance. Additionally, the network unveiled a new teaser for the spinoff series The War Between the Land and the Sea, which stars Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Alexander Devrient as a group of individuals attempting to avert a confrontation with creatures known as the Sea Devils.
There isn’t a set release date for The War Between the Land and the Sea yet, but it should be out later this year.
