[Potential SPOILER for the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special ahead.]
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A “special appearance” in this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special may have already been revealed. Doctor Who returned to our screens last week with ‘The Pilot,’ the first episode of season 10. The season premiere attracted mostly positive reviews, with many praising the arrival of Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts, and noting that she really did bring a breath of fresh air to the show. In fact, the opening of Doctor Who season 10 was so good that it made Peter Capaldi’s decision to leave the TARDIS seem very regrettable indeed. However, he will regenerate at the end of season 10, in rather confusing circumstances.
Capaldi himself has revealed that he’s already filmed his ‘death scene,’ as he put it, which suggests the twelfth Doctor would therefore regenerate at the end of the season; but the original announcement of Capaldi’s departure said he would leave after the Christmas special at the end of 2017. It seems as though that might still be the case, since a new rumor has come to light surrounding the return of the very first Time Lord.
The Mirror is reporting that David Bradley will once again play the first Doctor (originally played by William Hartnell) in the 2017 Christmas special, alongside Capaldi as 12. Bradley previously took on the role in 2013, opposite Matt Smith as the 11th Time Lord. Sources say the first and twelfth Doctors will join forces in Capaldi’s last mission, when the pair must save Gallifrey by moving it to another dimension.
How this will all fit together, remains to be seen. If the Doctor does ‘die’ at the end of season ten, then how does he manage to work with the first Doctor in the Christmas special? Or is Capaldi giving us all a red herring, and though he’s filmed his death, it won’t take place until the end of Christmas? It would appear at least one of his comments is correct, though; this regeneration really isn’t going to be straightforward. And what of the new Doctor (rumored to be Kris Marshall)? When will he appear?
The Mirror hints that Capaldi’s appearance in ‘The Day of the Doctor,’ actually signaled the start of his regeneration, and viewers will come to realize that during the Christmas special. With that in mind, and the assistance 12 needs from 1, there is a possibility that we could see more Time Lords return as Capaldi prepares to depart for good.
There is also the strong possibility that when Capaldi goes, Mackie will be leaving Doctor Who with him. Though she made a strong debut, and earned rave reviews, Mackie’s character was already rumored to only be serving one season as the companion, before season ten even came to air. If that is the case, then incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall will start his run with an entirely clean slate.
Doctor Who continues next Saturday, April 22nd with ‘Smile’ @9pm on BBC1 and BBC America.
Source: The Mirror
