The upcoming Doctor Who centenary special is set to write out Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor following a four-year stint – and her co-star Sacha Dhawan has admitted to feeling “really emotional” upon watching her final scenes.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Dhawan – who returns in the special as the Doctor’s old nemesis the Master – described Whittaker’s final story, The Power of the Doctor, as “epic” and “iconic”.
“It really feels like a celebration of our time,” Dhawan said. “I say that because it celebrates Doctor Who, but on a bigger scale, you know, we’re still going through a pandemic, so much has happened, we need to pause to just celebrate how far we’ve come, and Doctor Who is a really clear representation of that.
“It’s a real beacon of hope and we really need that right now, especially on our screens. Everything [in real life] is so dark.”
Recalling his experience watching the episode at a recent press screening, he added: “Having some distance from it, I felt really emotional, because I needed to see light and seeing that celebration was really emotional for me. I realised that as people right now we’re all quite vulnerable… and we need the Doctor!”
It’s no spoiler to say that The Power of the Doctor culminates in Whittaker’s Doctor regenerating, with Dhawan revealing he was “so sad” to see her incarnation depart.
“It’s sad, but [the episode] is a celebration of what she represents. And what we didn’t expect when she first became the Doctor was what we as a world were going to go through.
“Now I realise how important Doctor Who is, coming out the other end of it.”
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The Power of the Doctor will deliver “Easter eggs and kisses to the past” according to Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.
Alongside the Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen – including Ashad (Patrick O’Kane), also known as the Lone Cyberman – will also appear, while returning to help the Doctor, Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan (John Bishop) in an epic battle for survival will be two companions from classic Doctor Who – Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Sophie Aldred (Ace).
Two more familiar faces will also appear in the special: Vinder (Jacob Anderson) and Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) will both be back, having last appeared in Doctor Who’s last full season in late 2021.
Read more about Doctor Who:
- Jodie Whittaker says “rage” over Doctor Who casting was “terrifying”
- Doctor Who “would not exist” outside of the BBC, says Chris Chibnall
- Billie Piper: ‘I’ll treasure my time on Doctor Who for rest of my life’
- Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker says Ncuti Gatwa will be “extraordinary”
- Doctor Who showrunner promises “very different” regeneration scene
Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor will air at 7:30pm on Sunday, 23rd October on BBC One. The series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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