Warning: This article contains spoilers for Jodie Whittaker's final episode of Doctor Who, "The Power of the Doctor."
Jodie Whittaker's tenure on Doctor Who came to a very surprising end when she stepped out of the TARDIS to take her final bow as the Thirteenth Doctor.
Whittaker made her final appearance as the Time Lord in the Doctor Who special "The Power of the Doctor." The 90-minute episode featured plenty of twists and turns, but none quite as surprising as the curveball that came during its regeneration scene. The BBC has already shared a video of the episode's closing moments, which can be watched below:
SPOILERS 🚨 Watch the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor... 🔥 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/7m4WzWow0q
— Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor 🔥 (@bbcdoctorwho) October 23, 2022
"That's the only sad thing. I want to know what happens next. 'Right, then. Doctor whoever I'm about to be – tag, you're it,'" Whittaker's character declares as she signs off before unexpectedly regenerating into returning Time Lord David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor on the long-running sci-fi series between 2005 and 2010.
Fans presumably expected the Doctor to regenerate into Ncuti Gatwa after it was announced earlier this year that he would be replacing Whittaker and becoming the Fourteenth Doctor. Deadline reports that Gatwa's first episode will air in 2023, but Tennant will be starring alongside Catherine Tate's Donna Noble for three special episodes in November next year.
"If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we've got plenty more surprises on the way!" showrunner Russell T. Davies said in a statement. "The path to Ncuti's Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why?"
Davies said he's giving fans a year to speculate before "all hell lets loose." The intervening time gives people a chance to catch up on the modern era of the British sci-fi show with IGN's guide on how to stream every episode of Doctor Who, including those starring Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/doctor-who-jodie-whittakers-run-ends-with-unexpected-twist