C+Q - Twice Upon a Time (2017)
Twice Upon a Time is a very unique regeneration story in that the Doctor's fatal injury that makes the story necessary was inflicted before the episode began. He starts this adventure dying, so the story is less about the hows and more about the whys. My main issue with a story choosing to focus on the decision to regenerate rather than the regeneration itself is that 'why would the Doctor ever refuse to regenerate' is never given a satisfying answer. Modern regeneration stories have a lot of angst tied to them, with the Doctor grumbling about how they're so hard done by and 'oh god, I can't believe I'm being given the chance to cheat death which a majority of other people never get, I'm SUCH a victim'. After a while, it all starts to grate. He isn't going to die because Jodie Whittaker has already been cast, nor is there a reason for him to die because dying is a bad thing that he can easily prevent by Choosing Not To. As a result, any attempt to do a big introspective story that positions regeneration as a negative thing always seems like a waste of time. The only modern regeneration I like is the Eleventh Doctor's first one at the top of the clock tower in The Time of the Doctor where it's played as a triumphant moment, but even that was ruined when we had to have the sad angsty version in the TARDIS a few moments later. Why can't the Doctor just cheer the fuck up?
I was hoping this episode would fix this by pointing out that if the First Doctor had refused to regenerate the next twelve incarnations would never have happened, and similarly if the Twelfth Doctor refuses to regenerate the next twelve after him won't happen either. I assumed the message of the episode would be for the Doctor to just shut up and accept regeneration instead of moaning about something that isn't an issue. Instead, this obvious message was passed over in favour of a First Doctor appearance that doesn't add much to the themes of the story. At this point I'd like to clarify that I actually really like this episode and it might be one of my favourite regeneration stories. It's just that the ways in which it deviates from standard regeneration stories highlights a lot of things I don't like about them.
By making this episode more about the decision to change rather than how the change actually happened, we're able to have a much quieter adventure than the over-the-top bombast of The End of Time and The Time of the Doctor. There are no legions of Daleks and Cybermen attacking the Doctor. Reality isn't ending. The stakes are very small here and it's a refreshing change of pace. If you want to see the Twelfth Doctor have an epic final battle against his arch enemies, World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls is it. This is much quieter; in fact this episode doesn't even have a villain. There's Testimony, but as the Doctor points out, they don't have an evil plan. There are Daleks, but even they aren't evil in this one. There are no outside pressures on the Doctor as he makes his decision, and I love that. This is just a story about the character making a choice.
Unfortunately, while I did like this episode, there were a lot of moments in it that I felt were missed opportunities. Having a regeneration story with the First and Twelfth Doctors both refusing to regenerate is a killer premise but nothing is really done with it. For example, there's this subplot running throughout the episode about the First Doctor seeing who he will become and realising that who he will become is a person worth becoming, so he agrees to regenerate and allow the next 12 Doctors to exist. The thing is, at no point in the episode is it suggested that the Twelfth Doctor, also the first of his regeneration cycle, is also holding back the next 12 amazing Doctors. To fix this, I think the "See who you will become!" scene should have included a glimpse of the Thirteenth Doctor.
Just get Jodie Whittaker in her costume running away from whatever aliens are gathering dust in the closet of the Doctor Who prop department. That way, we could have had both Doctors facing the futures they would be preventing if they refuse to accept change, giving the audience higher yet still immensely personal stakes, acknowledging that yes, we know there will be a Doctor after this one much in the same way there were many Doctors after Hartnell, and most importantly it would've given the two Doctors something meatier to talk about than 'Boohoo, I'm sad I won't die'. Also, yes, it would have been a nice bit of fan service to see a future Doctor's presence play a role in a previous Doctor's story and there's nothing wrong with a good bit of fan service. If nothing else it would have furthered the theme of 'accepting changing because good things need to end for good things to start' from Capaldi's other Christmas specials.
Anyway: the First Doctor. David Bradley does an excellent job of recreating the character and he looks just enough like Hartnell for me to suspend my disbelief at times. The original TARDIS interior is recreated beautifully and I love all its little touches like the astral map from The Web Planet. Oh, and the moment of the First Doctor stepping out of the TARDIS to confront Testimony is instantly iconic. That funny old man, clutching his lapels, facing down a potential threat from another world is such an amazing visual.
Moffat delivered on all of the big multi-Doctor moments I wanted to see, which is especially nice given that being a multi-Doctor story isn't exactly Twice Upon a Time's highest priority; it's a regeneration story first and foremost. We got to see the First and Twelfth Doctors interacting a fair bit, we got the First Doctor in Twelve's TARDIS, we got the Twelfth Doctor in One's TARDIS, we got some nice scenes of the two Doctors talking about their current situation, and a lovely moment with the First Doctor and Bill. This episode delivered on everything I was looking forward to from the two Doctors meeting.
Rachel Talalay continues to my favourite Doctor Who director and it'd be a crime if Chris Chibnall hasn't asked her back for Series 11. Unfortunately, it seems like Murray Gold is already out the door as the show's composer, purely because the soundtrack for this episode could double as a Murray Gold greatest hits compilation. There were so many incredible themes packed in here: Breaking the Wall, Flavia's Song, Vale Decem, All the Strange Strange Creatures, I am the Doctor, Doomsday, Clara's Theme, and those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. What an amazing back catalogue of themes to draw from, what an amazing run dating all the way back to 2005, and what an amazing composer. I'd be happy to be proven wrong but whoever comes next will never beat Murray Gold. As far as I'm concerned he's the best in the business and his score for Twice Upon a Time is all the evidence that statement needs. I hope to god he comes back for the Chibnall era but if not he's definitely done his duty for Doctor Who. He wrote the score for a million childhoods and I can't wait to see what he does next.
Obviously this review would be lacking if it didn't take a moment to reflect on how good the Twelfth Doctor has been. I'm honestly struggling to think of a better casting decision than 'Peter Capaldi as Dr Who'. He's my favourite version and embodies everything I love about the character. I've already made the decision not to compare Jodie Whittaker or any future Doctor to Peter Capaldi in terms of quality because that would simply be unfair. I'm buzzing with excitement over the next Doctor and I'm ready to appreciate her on her own terms (god knows Jodie Whittaker's version of the character has received way too much scrutiny already). Realistically though, nobody will ever beat Capaldi for me and if the fine folks over at Big Finish aren't tripping over themselves to try and get him on audio yesterday, I don't know what that company is for.
Jodie Whittaker though. She's perfect. Usually for a new Doctor it takes a while for me to really accept them in the role, but the first picture of her in costume standing outside the TARDIS sold me instantly. It seems like she and Chibnall are going for a deliberately 1980s JNT aesthetic, right down to the paintjob of the police box. Usually when people (including me) think of an aesthetic that's inherently Doctor Whoy, they go to the 60s Hartnell stuff or the 70s Baker stuff, which means lots of waistcoats and bowties and cravats and dress coats. The amazing thing about Jodie Whittaker and her 80s aesthetic is that it harkens back to an era of Who that's hardly ever harkened back to, so rather than looking like someone in fancy dress as Dr Who, she looks as if she IS Dr Who, because only Dr Who would think to dress herself in Sylvester McCoy's suspenders/jumper/high-waisted trousers combo with Peter Davison's cream coat and the beautifully hideous colour mismatch of Colin Baker's look. She's just perfect, and her first scene at the end of Twice Upon a Time proves it. She's already the Doctor to me, and I can't wait to see what Chibnall does with her. The Steven Moffat era of Doctor Who has been my favourite stretch of any TV show ever and I look forward to reliving it countless times on DVD. For now though, here's to a new era!