Throughout Doctor Who’s original run (1963-89) and even into its still-running 2005 revival, the television series has heavily implied that the Doctor and his granddaughter, Susan, were running from stagnation, fleeing a stale society of “ancient, dusty senators” whose accumulation of knowledge has rendered the need for exploration and adventure largely extinct. The natural assumption, and the one showrunners and writers have focused on, is that he was running away from something. We’ve known that the First Doctor (then played by William Hartnell but portrayed by David Bradley in “Twice Upon a Time”) stole an obsolete TARDIS for some reason and went on the run from his fellow Time Lords. Since the earliest days of Doctor Who, running away has been a, well, running theme. Be kind.’ Watch Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor regenerate But it also brought back the First Doctor (“the original, you might say”) and offered a new twist on the character’s iconic origins. “Twice Upon a Time” wrapped up Peter Capaldi’s tenure as the Doctor in glorious fashion and introduced his successor, Jodie Whittaker, as the first female incarnation and 13th overall of the Time Lord. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set.Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email We may be just scratching the surface here … And never mind your "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey", it's what this era of Doctor Who should be remembered for too. That last point is something Moffat doesn't get enough praise for – his Who too often (wrongly) dismissed as a cold, intellectual alternative to Russell T Davies' big, warm, colourful version.īut it's the pathos, the poignancy, the heart, so evident in this episode's final scenes that 'Twice Upon a Time' will chiefly be remembered for. There's time paradoxes, plenty of gags, and, most importantly, a whole lot of heart. ![]() 'Twice Upon a Time' isn't perfect, but in terms of its tone and its spirit, it is pretty much a perfect summation of Moffat's era. Moffat has acknowledged in interviews that everyone will be watching this episode "for the last two minutes" and he's sort of right, so it's just as well that it delivers when it matters the most. ![]() To quote the man himself, there were a few false starts, but he got there in the end, and we'll certainly miss him now he's gone.Ĭapaldi's performance in his final scene is a powerhouse, and by the time this Doctor finally bows out, your heart's shattered like glass. First there was the tetchy Time Lord, then the ageing alien hipster, but he leaves us the perfect, quintessential Doctor – funny, charming, strange, wonderful. ![]() He experimented a little, giving us at least three distinct versions of the same character. Now, with the race to the climax properly underway, 'Twice Upon a Time' doesn't let up – the Lethbridge-Stewart reveal is followed in swift succession by the "human miracle" of Christmas 1914, the first Doctor's departure, and then the twelfth Doctor's companions rallying around, urging him to keep on keeping on.Īnd if you weren't already getting choked up, the episode's last six or so minutes are essentially devoted to one gigantic Capaldi monologue – and if there's one thing we've learnt from his time on the series, it's that, boy, can that man deliver a speech.Ĭapaldi didn't nail his Doctor straight away. Moffat also takes a few moments amidst all the earlier explosions and sci-fi silliness to allow the character of the Captain to breathe, which ensures that you care about him even before that first emotional sucker-punch revealing his true identity. First, there's Bill's quasi-return – one last chance to enjoy Pearl Mackie's winning performance, with Moffat's script nailing the difficult task of bringing the character back without undoing her original exit. You're left hungry for more – for a story where Bradley's first Doctor is more than a distraction from the main event.īecause it's actually the other events that our current Time Lord finds himself wrapped up in, besides meeting his past self, that give him enough hope to carry on. Bradley puts his own stamp on the first Doctor, while remaining enough like his predecessor William Hartnell to soothe the Whovian hardcore. His performance really is spot on – a little spiky, pompous, yet warm and humane. But it's disappointing not to dig a little deeper – a chance for self-reflection wasted, especially since David Bradley is so perfectly cast. 'Twice Upon a Time' milks a good few laughs from their bantering and bickering about everything from the ambience of the TARDIS to wearing (sonic) sunglasses indoors.
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