Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver Review – Pondering 8 Moves Neil Gaiman Made
4. Marginalizing The Rejects
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This is the second episode in a row weve heard mention of rejects. In the Crimson Horror the Doctor ends up on the reject pile after being submerged in the parasites venom. He is only saved after being accepted by Ada. In Nightmare in Silver the platoon is made up of a bunch of army rejects that were sent to Hedgewicks World simply to get them out of the way. Theyre screw-ups, used to being treated with contempt. Yet they are incredibly brave as they fight the cybermen, proving their worth despite their label. Tellingly, the cyber-Doctor describes the Doctors past regenerations as the ten rejects. Was the Doctor engineered by the Time Lords? Is every regeneration an upgrade? If so, what is he destined to become? Did he leave Gallifrey in an attempt to escape this fate?