REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 10 Episode Thirteen 'Twice Upon A Time'

 REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 10 Episode Thirteen 'Twice Upon A Time'

As we prepare to say goodbye to another Doctor next year, here are my thoughts on the previous regeneration story 'Twice Upon A Time', originally published at the time of broadcast in 2017.

There were plenty of nice little moments I enjoyed in this story - the Clara (Jenna Coleman) cameo, Rusty's appearance, the hug between the First Doctor (David Bradley) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) - but for a regeneration story it felt strangely like a low-key affair. Not a great deal happens in the story besides the First and Twelfth Doctors meeting, and there's no antagonist as such, with Testimony's (Nikki Amuka-Bird) motivations purely being to catalogue various beings' times of death and preserve their memories. It reminded me a little of when you would find an epilogue chapter in a book, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' iconic '19 Years Later' - but stretched out over an hour. It never feels dull though, so it does at least manage to engage the audience with its inconsequential narrative.

I think that's largely down to the excellent cast. Peter Capaldi is amazing in his final moments, David Bradley captures the First Doctor perfectly and Mark Gatiss's Captain Lethbridge-Stewart is arguably the best role he has ever had in the series. Jodie Whittaker however completely steals the show. As soon as she appeared on-screen she was instantly the Doctor, in her mannerisms and the way she spoke her first words. If that's how strong her performance is going to be in Series 11, and if all she needs are the words 'Oh,  brilliant' to sell us on her incarnation then we are in for a real treat (NB: A year later, and Jodie Whittaker certainly proved herself in the role).

As for Pearl Mackie as Bill, she gives a good performance but her inclusion felt a bit forced to me. She could easily have just had a small cameo like Clara and Nardole, as she doesn't do much to impact the plot. Her presence largely serves to offer an outside modern perspective on the First Doctor, and to reflect on how in spite of the differences in personality he is essentially the same as 'her' Doctor. There isn't really anything for Bill to participate in during the narrative, and it is unsurprising that she originally wasn't featured in Twice Upon A Time. 

It's made even more odd by the fact that the First Doctor isn't similarly offered a familiar face by Testimony. It would have been such an easy way to bring back Carole Anne Ford as Susan Foreman, and yet Steven Moffat somehow manages to miss this golden opportunity. I would even go as far as to argue that Susan's inclusion would have been more relevant to the plot than Bill's, as her presence would mean something to both incarnations of the Doctor, whereas Bill Potts is only relevant to Peter Capaldi's twelfth incarnation. There's more dramatic weight with Susan, due to the promise the Doctor gave that he would return, which on screen was never properly fulfilled (unless you count The Five Doctors, but the story never really dealt with the character-driven potential of family members reuniting after many years there). You've got to wonder if there was ever a draft where Susan featured, as you would assume the thought must at the very least have crossed Steven Moffat's mind.

Overall, Twice Upon A Time is a good if fairly forgettable regeneration story. It's an adventure that contains some great moments and a scene-stealing performance from incoming Doctor Jodie Whittaker, but unfortunately feels a little under-whelming coming off the back of the excellent World Enough And Time/The Doctor Falls. For a regeneration story the stakes have never been lower, and it's a shame that the Series 10 finale did not remain Peter Capaldi's regeneration story as originally planned. Peter Capaldi's time in the TARDIS could have ended with a modern Caves Of Androzani-style regeneration spectacle, but instead it concludes with a more modest approach than traditionally expected.

What are your thoughts on Twice Upon A Time? Let me know in the comments.