Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor is set to be Jodie Whittaker's final outing as the 13th Doctor. Ahead of its premiere, the BBC has dropped a trailer for the special.
Doctor Who ran for 26 seasons beginning in 1963 and continuing on until 1989, when it was cancelled. It eventually returned for a new series in 2005. Part of the longevity of Doctor Who can be attributed to a special property of the main character known as the Doctor. Doctor Who's species is an alien race known as Time Lords, an ancient and powerful race of beings with complete control over the flow of time. The species can "regenerate" into a new body when their old one becomes too damaged or old to support their lives. This has resulted in 13 (and some additional background) incarnations of the Doctor.
Each incarnation marks a new era in Doctor Who, and now it's time for Whittaker's era as the Doctor to end. In a tweet which reads, "Her final battle. Her deadliest enemies," the BBC posted a trailer for Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor. The trailer opens with the Master (Sacha Dhawan) ominously stating, "Hello, Doctor. Welcome to the end of your existence." Then an odd mystery begins to unfurl: while the world's seismologists say the end of the world nears, fifteen of the world's most valuable paintings have simultaneously gone missing.
The rest of the Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor trailer promises an action-packed final outing for the Thirteenth Doctor as the Master says her very existence will be erased forever. Buildings explode and Doctor Who's companions seem to be in grave danger as a Dalek incursion of Earth begins. In one scene, a planet that might be Gallifrey or Skaro fires beams at Earth, seemingly threatening to destroy the planet.
The Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor trailer promises plenty of mystery, danger, and whimsy as is characteristic of Doctor Who. The mystery of the missing paintings seems key to the special's plot, but in what way, fans can only speculate. Paintings have been a theme in Doctor Who in the past. One of the series' most iconic episodes features the Doctor (Matt Smith) adventuring with Vincent Van Gogh and a painting where Gallifrey was hidden from the universe for some time.
There's doubtless many Doctor Who fan theories about what will go down in The Power of the Doctor. The series has always inspired fervent analysis; its fanbase is one of the most dedicated out there. This episode seems to promise a truly grand final outing for Whittaker, who will go down in history as the first actress to portray the Doctor.
Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor will air on October 23, 2022, on the BBC.
Source: BBC Doctor Who/Twitter