Doctor Who Season 10: 6 Big Questions We're Asking After 'The Pilot'
1. When Exactly Will The Doctor Regenerate?
The series ten trailer included a final tantalising shot of the Doctor’s arm glowing with regeneration energy. Coupled with the reveal of the original Cybermen from the very first regeneration story the signs are that series ten will at the very least foreshadow the latest Doctor’s departure.
The coming soon trailer at the end of The Pilot upped the ante by showing the Twelfth Doctor in the classic pose, stood arms outstretched in the throes of a regeneration. Does this mean the Doctor will regenerate early?
Speculation is mounting that the new Doctor has already been cast, with My Family actor, Kris Marshall hotly tipped for the role. To add to the intrigue, Peter Capaldi confirmed on The Graham Norton Show that whilst he is coming back for one last hurrah at Christmas, he has already filmed his ‘death’ scene.
With Chibnall taking over for series eleven, Moffat won’t be writing the new Doctor’s first scene, let alone his debut story. So what are we to make of the rumours? The simplest explanation - that the Doctor does indeed regenerate and the Christmas special is a flashback story, doesn’t really cut the mustard. It would leave viewers deeply unsatisfied with the special and steal Capaldi’s thunder.
We are more likely looking at a fake or an aborted regeneration. It wouldn’t be the first time. Russell T Davies pulled off a similar stunt in The Stolen Earth and we’ve even had an episode starring a Doctor who never was (David Morrisey’s Jackson Lake in The Next Doctor).
What questions did The Pilot leave you with? Let us know down in the comments.