The Power of the Doctor review

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

All photos copyright BBC

Every Doctor’s regeneration story should be epic and exciting and ram home to the audience why this Doctor was so great and will be missed. None have failed so far but sadly the 13th Doctor’s final outing turned out to be epic I’ll admit but an epic mess.

I’ve been very critical of this era because it is such a horrible lesson in PC, story writing and non engaging stories. Some message stories literally slap you in the face with the issue like the one about the dangers of plastic (Praxeus) and the other one aabout not looking after the planet (Orphan 55). There is no subtlety at all with the story declaring the message without the need for the Doctor to preach. Click here to see what I thought of The Timeless Children https://timewarriors.co.uk/2020/12/07/how-the-timeless-children-completely-screws-doctor-who/

It actually pains me to say that as a lifelong Who fan, this has been a disaster. This Doctor has no personality of her own to make her distinctive against her former selves. She has been surrounded by dreary companions like Ryan who had no character development or reason to be. Graham was loveable only because he is Bradley Walsh but to be fair, his fear of cancer returning and dealing with the death of his wife the night he met the Doctor was a plot device used when necessary rather than being confronted head on. Those would have made for some powerful scenes. Indeed Graham and Ryan’s departure had all the emotion of a wet mop across the face. This showed just how much the chemistry simply wasn’t there in the writing. Yaz is simply stalkerish at times and Dan only emphasized that John Bishop is simply not an actor. But does the Doctor /Yaz love twist mean no matter what form the Doctor takes women will always be his/her preference?

But none of this is the actors’0 fault. It is all down to showrunner Chris Chibnall and his complete disregard of the past. Three companions in the Tardis has never worked; ask Susan, Nyssa and Adric. Making the Doctor an immortal being and the template for every Time Lord that has ever existed is ludicrous to say the least. It robs the drama as the Doctor can never die. All the other regenerations especially the Matt Smith one lose their heart as regeneration is inevitable no matter what. The 11th Doctor thought this was the end of his life but knowing the Timeless Children negates that completely. The introduction of Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor was a good thing and she made more of an impact that Jodie’s version. During the Flux, so many loose ends and confusion reigned after the final episode (Peggy disappears completely and never mentioned after Village of the Angels and Sontarans can now eat food which is impossible because of their clone makeup) plus every Dalek and Cyberman are destroyed by the Flux in the final Sontaran trap until they’re not wiped out after all. The Power of the Doctor felt like an animal in need of being put down out of mercy. Sacha Dhawan’s Master is so manic that he fails to walk the line between subtlety and evil charm that Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley did so well. It is pure pantomime.

I think also so many defeated enemies are back for the finale despite death including the Master killed on Gallifrey along with the Cyber Lords (a stupid idea if ever I saw one) and the Lone Cyberman Ashad. It is all explained that the Master planned well ahead in case of defeat but this is limp and unconvincing. Besides Time in human form told the Doctor at the end of Flux he was coming back with the obvious Dalek and Cybermen. Dramatic foreshadowing beomes spoiler alert for both the audience and the Doctor. But like most of the Chibnall era, nothing makes sense. The Daleks and Cybermen were wiped out in the Flux and I mean totally until of course they were back for the following story Eve of the Daleks. Chibnall is famous for his teenage criticism of the show with Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford on Points of View back in the classic era day and it has become a symbol for practice what you preach by some very clever editors on YouTube. Everything he bashed he has done only in a less etertaining way; give me Delta and the Bannermen any day.

With ratings dwindling it is clear from the start this is a clesr out story, a reset to bring back David Tennant. Dan is gone within five minutes. Yaz and the Doctor are called to UNIT where Kate Stewart has recruited Ace and Tegan, both former companions of the Doctor’s to work for her. Ace was the seventh Doctor’s mainstay while Tegan appeared in all but one of the fifth Doctor’s stories. They are indeed a welcome sight as this makes sense. Who else would be better to fight the darkness than those who have stood by the Doctor’s side?

While it is awesome to have them back and see what hs happend to them since they left the Tardis, it is damaging to the Jodie Doctor also. She should be the main focus of this episode and while Chibnall is trying to introduce elements for the 60th anniversary, this may be a misstep.

There is no sense to the Master’s plan and while Rasputin is visually great, it only adds to the confusion, What was the two time zones about? How is there any empire left Cyber or Dalek from the Flux? Why does he want them to destroy each other once he forces the Doctor to regenerate into him? How is that even possible and retain the Master persona? How is Yaz able to fly the Tardis so perfectly she saves a falling Ace from certain death? How did Graham suddenly pop up under a volcano? In reality, Tegan would have thrown away the toy Cyberman the Doctor has sent to her because it is a painful reminder of the death of Adric. She would know the Doctor would never send her something so horrible and painful.

All these Easter Eggs take away from Jodie Whittaker’s final performance. She should be the focus of the story yet I was touched more by Tegan and Ace interacting with their respective Doctors and finding peace at last. I was equally delighted by the appearance of Doctors five to eight as guardians stopping the 13th from entering where Time Lords go when they regenerate. This was a beautiful and special scene especially when the Doctors bitch at number 8 over robes.

Ashad’s Cyber invasion was brilliant as Russian Dolls but the fact the new UNIT building has only sealed them in rather than defeating them is lazy. When we finally get everyone into the Tardis for the climax, it is lovely but again I’m confused as to how the Cyber planet can help stop the volcanic eruptions when ten minutes ago the Daleks and Cybermen were all out trying to wipe each other out? Who the hell is keeping score here? If Vinder came to find the Qurunx why does he clear off without it? He is simply a handy plot device to help Yaz trap the Master.

The multi Doctor costume is silly at best and highlights how stupid the Master’s plan to be the Doctor really is. What is he hoping to achieve out of it given he has murdered his entire civilisation in the Timeless Children? He is now the last of the Time Lords. Why? What? What? What? What shit am I watching?

I have to say this is quite a touching moment and the actual regeneration speech is beautiful in its simplicity. Tag you’re it is wonderful.

Mortally wounded, the Doctor passes out surrounded by family both present and past. When she wakes Yaz is still piloting the Tardis effortlesly (how? Is she River Song?) Everyone has been dropped off home but there is no way any of them would just leave on Yaz’s say so especially Graham. Tegan has seen regeneration first hand and knows how fragile the Doctor will be after it (Castrovalva) so she would be going nowhere. So Yaz and the Doctor spend one last moment watching Earth while eating ice cream before Yaz is bundled off back to Earth. This is a clear out moment as many companions have been there to help the Doctor change from one body to another. This is shown when Graham has sought out other companions and invited them to tell stories about their time with the Doctor including the first Doctor’s companion Ian Chesterton. This is a bittersweet moment because while I welcome the companions appearing, it is the ones that are missing that bring a tear to the eye. Sarah Jane, Harry Sullivan, Victoria, The Sarah Jane gang and K9, Benton, Mike Yates, Martha, Mickey and Jack Harkness to name a few. Some have passed in real ;ife but their spirits in the Who universe are alive and well.

Overall this story is a wipe the slate clean exercise. Bringing old chaaracters and Doctor s back enforce only dilutes the Jodie era reminding us that such radical change only brought the show to its worst ratings knees in history. The 13th Doctor is almost a background character while all the rest get to fight the good fight. Ace and Tegan are awesome in their battles against their respective foes; not so much the current cast although Yaz holding the Master at gunpoint is well done.

As tje 13th Doctor regenerates in a truly beautiful shot, all I could think was what a wasted opportunity and that Chris Chibnall is not a showrunner. Hence the return of the tenth/fourteenth Doctor to save the series before Ncuti Gatwa takes over.

But ultimately like the rest of his era Chibnall left a confusing mess that did not serve the Doctor well when she should have bloomed.