Twice Upon a Time
- Episode aired Dec 25, 2017
- TV-PG
- 1h
The Twelfth Doctor, still refusing to change, goes on a last adventure with the First Doctor.The Twelfth Doctor, still refusing to change, goes on a last adventure with the First Doctor.The Twelfth Doctor, still refusing to change, goes on a last adventure with the First Doctor.
- The Doctor
- (archive footage)
- Polly
- (archive footage)
- Ben
- (archive footage)
- The Doctor
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
- German Soldier
- (uncredited)
- German Soldier
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen the First Doctor, played by David Bradley, discovers the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, he states that he thought he would regenerate into someone younger, at which point Capaldi insists "I AM younger!" While it is true that Capaldi is younger than Bradley, he is actually one year OLDER than William Hartnell was when he played the First Doctor in The Tenth Planet.
- GoofsThe First Doctor acts as if he is astonished that he will eventually regenerate into another person. Yet, by the time the First Doctor has reached this point in his life, he has already experienced the events of The Five Doctors (1983) and The Three Doctors: Episode One (1972) in which the First Doctor was made very much aware that he would eventually regenerate into several different people. However, it has been previously explained in The Day of the Doctor (2013) and The Doctor Falls (2017) that earlier incarnations cannot retain any memory their meetings with later incarnations.
- Quotes
Twelfth Doctor: Oh. There it is. Silly old universe. The more I save it, the more it needs saving. It's a treadmill.
[the TARDIS makes soft chirping noises to the Doctor]
Twelfth Doctor: Yes, yes I know. They'll get it all wrong without me.
[pauses]
Twelfth Doctor: Well... I suppose one more lifetime won't kill anyone. Well... except me.
[looks down at his hand, glowing with regeneration energy, then wearily looks back up at the TARDIS]
Twelfth Doctor: You wait a moment, Doctor. Let's get it right. I've got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first: Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never ever eat pears! Remember, hate is always foolish, but love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Oh. And you mustn't tell anyone your name.
[smiles to himself]
Twelfth Doctor: No one would understand it, anyway! Except...
[cries out suddenly in pain, crumples to the ground, gasps for breath]
Twelfth Doctor: Except... children. Children can hear it sometimes, if their hearts are in the right place, and the stars are too. Children can hear your name. But nobody else.
[slowly and painfully rises back up to his feet]
Twelfth Doctor: Nobody else. EVER.
[stands up, tall and proudly]
Twelfth Doctor: Laugh hard. Run fast. BE KIND.
[a pause, then softly]
Twelfth Doctor: Doctor, I let you go.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Cunk on Britain: Twentieth Century Shocks (2018)
Marking something of a watershed moment in the history of the series both classic and new, Twice Upon a Time not only marks the second time that another actor has portrayed William Hartnell's antiquated, irascible first Doctor, (Richard Hurdnall took on the mantle in the 20th Anniversary Special; The Five Doctors in 1983) but that a woman has inherited the role. While the story proves to be the second best of Capaldi's Christmas specials, with it being pipped to the post by 2014's Last Christmas, it still proves to be an emotional and engaging send-off for Capaldi if a somewhat flawed one.
To get down to its merits, Bradley is, of course, the ideal choice to play the original Doctor (he had played William Hartnell in the television bio-pic; An Adventure in Time and Space in 2013) who William Hartnell I suppose effectively brought to life. I say suppose as I can't say I was ever a fan of his pro-type so to speak. I just never warmed to the character greatly whose successor, the late great Patrick Troughton sublimely perfected as a total differentiation. Nevertheless, Bradley delivers a wonderful rendering of the role, choosing wisely not to attempt to impersonate Hartnell but channel the essence of the character. Peter Capaldi is quite simply awe-inspiring, giving one of his best performances in the role if not the best, and one that he certainly owes to the series not least of all himself. Like previous regeneration episodes, (even the dreadful The End O Time Parts One and Two) it is as reflective and emotional as it should be.
Pearl Mackie makes a return as the former companion, Bill Potts who had just recently made her departure from the TARDIS at the end of Series 10. It's not the first time companions have briefly reprised their roles, and it has proven to have become something of a trend that has been guilty of being contrived in the past. It's pulled off quite effectively here as it's woven into the plot. Mackie defies the naysayers who predicted she would be irritating and obnoxious as she comes into her own, and proves them wrong. Her quiet little moments with the Twelfth Doctor, who remains irresolute as she attempts to convince him that she is the genuine article are wonderfully realized through their nuanced performances.
Mark Gatiss makes a welcome guest cast member, although of course not for the first time (he played Prof. Charles Lazarus in 2007's; The Lazarus Experiment) as the rather a-typical World War One Captain who has the very British reserve, and stiff upper lip challenged by the extraordinary predicament he finds himself in.
The story itself while efficient enough is somewhat unremarkable given that it's not the most innovative of concepts, as it plainly borrows from the movie, Avatar. It's something of a potential pitfall with multi-doctor stories that require them to be brought together by a means that could come over as forced. It does however act as a neat conceit for Capaldi's Doctor to reflect on his era as it reaches its end. The main theme of the story is that of closure, and looking back on the past as a means to confront a future of uncertainty. It's hammered home in a myriad of ways that offer not only nostalgia which works considerably better than David Tennant's swansong, which suffered from Russell T. Davies self-indulgence.
With Rachel Talalay directing again, she seamlessly uses BBC archive footage from The Tenth Planet, which was William Hartnell's final story, and competently melds into the Christmas Special with its vintage black and white monochrome fading into colour beautifully. She also brilliantly brings the South Pole to life, and alien antagonists, The Testimony is given an eerily ethereal quality that compliments the more haunting tone of the episode. And with its plot dealing with the Doctor's refusal to regenerate and to preserve the man that he currently is, they offer a possible respite to his struggle before he reaches his catharsis. It elevates towards its pinnacle with Capaldi's passionate final speech, which after the dust settles and we are faced with the rather stunning features of Jodie Whittaker before the credits finally roll, we are left to muse about what the future has in store with Chris Chibnall taking over the reins from Steven Moffat. If anything, Twice Upon a Time makes for a successful bridge between both men's respective eras, and while not exactly perfect it's one that won't necessarily be forgotten too soon.
- The-Last-Prydonian
- Dec 25, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Filming locations
- Dragon International Film Studios, Llanilid, Brigend, Wales, UK(WW1 battlefield)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color