If Flux was Chris Chibnall’s magnus opus, then The Power of the Doctor is his masterpiece. Not only is it the perfect end for his Doctor, it is the perfect celebration of 60 years of the show – fully one year and one month ahead of time.
This story was actually positioned as a celebration of the BBC’s 100th Anniversary, rather than Doctor Who’s, with Chibnall being asked to make it on top of the 8 episodes that he had planned for his third & final series as showrunner. However, it has everything that you’d expect to have in an anniversary special: multiple Doctors, multiple companions, multiple monsters and The Master, plus a tonne of Time Lord stuff. This post will go live 11 days before the debut of The Star Beast, the actual 60th Anniversary episode, but from what I’ve seen of that story and it’s three bedfellows, I can’t see them coming close to this one as a celebration of the last 60 years. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s how it feels now.
There were several moments throughout Power of the Doctor that had me in tears as I was watching, and a couple that had me cheering out loud. Starting with the tearjerking moments, the first was the Guardians of the Edge scene. It seems that other people were well aware that previous Doctors were reappearing in this story, but it was a total, delightful surprise to me. As the 1st Doctor appeared and then merged into the others, I kept it together until Paul McGann arrived, then I welled up. Quite why McGann I don’t know: McCoy has always been my Doctor and Colin is the one I’d like to see brought back the most to see his obvious talents in the role re-appreciated, but there you have it. 8th Doctor means tears to me.
What I really love about this scene is that Chibnall makes no excuses or apologies for having the Doctors Who appear as they currently are, or offer any explanation as to why they are older. Compared with Moffat, who had to invent a whole new character to explain why Tom Baker was involved, it’s a brave bit of writing from a guy who gets constantly slated for over explaining everything. But if there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Chibnall’s writing over the years it’s how subtle he is; where as Rusty & The Moff will let you know IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS how you should be feeling (with help from Murray Gold), then Chibbers much prefers to allow you to draw your own conclusions. If his stories seem to lack heart or meaning, it’s probably because you’re not used to looking for it and so are missing it.
The second lot of tears came when Tegan met the 5th Doctor again. As soon as I knew that Ace & Tegan were coming back then I was deliriously excited: if McCoy was my Doctor, then Ace was my companion; to have her in the position to be able to say the goodbye to the 7th Doctor that she never got to do was another stunning move on Chibnall’s part that really got me in the feels. But there’s just something special about the relationship Janet Fielding & Peter Davison have offscreen, which totally spilled over onto screen. Between “Adric” and “Brave Heart” I was already a mess, but when they both started “I missed you” and the line between actor & characters disappeared, then that was me done.
The companions also prompted another bout of tears, right at the end. It’s such a Graham idea to have a support group, or the WI of companions, and as we went round the room I doubt anyone could have predicted that William Russell would have popped up next. But pop up he did, as did my next set of tears. Such a wonderful moment, taking us right back to the start of the show. The Power of the Doctor is the friends she makes along the way, and so to put them all together to support each other is just so touching. Well done Chibnall for crossing the divides from 1963 to now. Superb.
The moments of cheer are plentiful, from the return of Ashad to the bullet train opener, to the Master Doctor’s cross regenerational outfit, to Tegan going back into the TARDIS, to Jamie Magnus Stone’s direction, to Segun Akinola’s score, to Sacha Dhawan’s performance…. There’s so, so many. The two biggest for me though were The Master dancing to Rasputin & the Cyberman and Dalek looking at each other, and the Fugitive Doctor appearing. As I said when I talked about Flux, I’m not too big a fan of this character, but when she walked round that corner, girlbossed the situation & laid everyone flat; well reader, I punched the air. Of course she had to be there, of course it had to be a cameo, and of course it was perfect.
But at the end of the day, the main theme of this story is Goodbye, so it’s no surprise the biggest moments come at the end. “Goodbye” runs through this story like a stick of Blackpool rock; it’s there right at the start as Dan leaves in a short,sudden scene that is oh-so-Classic-series; as Tegan & Ace both make their peace with their respective Doctors and move on from the goodbyes they had; until it’s the Doctor & Yaz’s turn. I love their goodbye; with their love left unrequited, they say their goodbye to each other in the best way possible: with a mint choc chip ice cream on top of the TARDIS. It’s low key, it’s intimate and it’s subtle. It’s perfect for these two. They both leave on the best of terms, with Yaz being left with the support group to know that she’s safe.
The last goodbye, of course, is the Doctor herself to us. The 13th Doctor is one of joy and hope – she sees the colour and wonder in the universe. She has no other purpose in life that to travel and see new things; if they then need putting right then so be it, but that’s not her mission. As she walks out the TARDIS onto Durdle Door and smells the blossomiest blossom, sees that last sunset, she is looking forward to the future with joy and hope. There’s no “I don’t want to go” or any reluctance to regenerate, just optimism at what’s coming next. “Tag, you’re it”. It’s the perfect end to this Doctor’s time in the TARDIS, it fits her character and the style of this era to a tee. Perfect.
As an end to the 13th Doctor & Chris Chibnall era its hard to see how this story could be bettered. Add the fact that it’s a love letter to Fandom, a celebration of 60 years of TV history, then this episode is endlessly watchable and enjoyable. It’s the Five Doctors of our time.
COMING TOMORROW: “They’re coming. They’re coming for you, but listen, your life could depend on this...”
Skies Full of Diamonds 