Doctor Who TV: Five Past Faces the Doctor Should Regenerate Into
Although unlikely, let’s look at some past faces the Doctor has met that might stick out in his memory.
Go back to November 23, 2013. We’re sitting and watching the fiftieth anniversary, with Matt Smith as Eleven talking about how he’d be the great curator. All of the sudden, we hear a voice that even people who have never heard Classic Who in their lives stop and turn their heads. It’s like we know that we’re about to see a legend (and of course, Classic Who fans are already freaking out).
"VOICE: “You know, I really think you might.”"
We see Tom Baker. Older. Much Older. But still, it’s impossibly true that we’re seeing Tom Baker, and again, you don’t have to ever watch Classic Doctor Who to know that you’re seeing history in the making.
"Eleven: “I never forget a face.”Tom Baker/Four: “I know you don’t. And in years to come, you might find yourself revisiting a few. But…just the old favorites…eh?”"
For me, this line threw me for a loop. What did it mean? Were we gonna start degenerating after Capaldi? Tom Baker, as lovely as he is and how wonderful his Doctor would still probably be, was far too old to be running around the universe. And yes, for a quick second I went is David Tennant coming back!?
But then Capaldi came back, and from the beginning of Twelve’s story, we were revisiting things. The clock androids from Madame de Pompadour, the orange jumpsuit, the mentions of bow ties and scarfs. Twelve makes a remarkable number of mentions to the past, without ever really mentioning the past.
Of course, he, himself is a mention of the past. We see that in Series nine as he finally remembers the face. Why his body must have chosen that face. His body chose that face to remind him that he’s a good man.
Here are 5 other people throughout the rebooted series that have reminded the Doctor he is a good man, and would be faces to use…if it worked like that, and not a thousand behind the scenes contracts.
Credit: BBC
5. Georgia Moffett/Jenny
The lesson the Doctor would learn with this face: Family
In the article that I wrote, there were many things I left out. The most important one being: why should the Doctor revisit Jenny’s face. I’ve always wanted Georgia Moffett to come back and at least finish up her storyline, but I never explained how it could be possible.
With the idea that revisiting some old faces, especially favourite ones, would his own daughter be one to revisit, to remember family? In the episode The Doctor’s Daughter, Ten admits to Donna that he’s had a family, but can’t deal with the pain. We’ve also seen both Eleven and Twelve talk about things in their past with a simple “I don’t remember” answer when asked about. Eleven did it with his age in the 50th, and Twelve just did in Thin Ice with how many people he’s killed.
It’s not enough to want to find someone who reminds the viewers of David Tennant, as the BBC has said. Maybe to bring back the Doctor we’ve known and loved, we need to bring back Ten. He’s the exact opposite of everything Capaldi has done to create twelve.
Credit: BBC
4. Rupert Graves/Riddell
What would the Doctor remember: Archaeology = River?
It is my general motto that Doctor Who and Sherlock should not ever cross, ever. Ever. Unless it’s the Christmas episode where Eleven makes fun of him, that’s as far as that train should ever go. However, Moffat did this to himself when Rupert Graves guest starred on Dinosaurs on Spaceship.
He plays Riddell, an archaeologist friend of the Doctor, who helps the crew out when they become stuck on an odd spaceship, along with Nefertiti, Egyptian goddess. Filled with talking robots, different environments, and of course, dinosaurs, the episode is a quirky favourite for many Eleven fans.
I know the general thought is that he didn’t stick out very much in the episode, but, really, did Capaldi either? Capaldi’s episode was mostly about the children, and the kindness to the family only came into the family at the very end. The ever-important thing to think of is Can this person be the Doctor?
Rupert Graves was wonderful on Sherlock, and did a great job with it. But despite rumours that Sherlock S5 is happening, I’ve heard it was wrapped up pretty nicely at the end. This not only would give the Doctor fine memories of Amy and Rory, it’s also a spectacular episode showing who the eleventh Doctor really is.
This not only would give the Doctor fine memories of Amy and Rory and River, but it also shows that the Doctor had friends outside of his companions. Maybe he needs reminding that he can’t control everything they do.
Credit: BBC
3. Anthony Head/Mr. Finch
The lesson the Doctor would learn: Remembering Sarah Jane and Evil is more than a face.
This would be almost too astounding for words. The universe is all about testing the Doctor to make sure that he’s a good man. In the episode with Anthony Head, Eilsabeth Sladen came back for a return of Sarah Jane Smith. So this face is attached with good memories, but at first glance, he’s someone who’s evil.
It would be an interesting test to watch the Doctor undertake — having the face of a villain. When he comes out of his regeneration with a reminder of Sarah Jane, but also a reminder of who he fought, it could be mayhem. In School Reuinion, he already admits that he’d been fighting the Krillotane for multiple years. With having the face of someone he’s fought, it might bring the doctor a huge dilemma. He looks like someone who’s evil. What does that make him? Why would he choose that face?
Whether or not the Doctor would realize it, he would have fond memories of her. Can you imagine an episode where the Doctor has to deal with the recounts of the day he met that face and saw Sarah Jane? He also might find that he learns evil is more than just a face.
Credit: BBC
2. Bernard Cribbins/Wilfred
What the Doctor Would Remember: Donna
In the twelve years since Doctor Who reboot aired, there was never a family who loved the Doctor quite as much as Donna’s. And Wilfred is no exception.
They even gave Wilfred his own episodes with the Doctor. Ten’s final two, The End of Time Pt. 1 and 2. Wilfred got to see the Doctor at his very weakest and most vulnerable and still thinks the Doctor is amazing. The Doctor feels the same about Wilfred, and starting with him saving Donna, even if it hurt, to saving Wilfred, this is a face that would stick out as much as any companion. Someone who loved the Doctor like a son, and felt that he could do no wrong, and urged him, in the end, to end the Master, so he wouldn’t lose the Doctor.
Here’s a (fairly long) exchange between the two in the last episode.
(from IMDB)
"The Doctor: I’d be proud.Wilfred Mott: Of what?The Doctor: If you were my dad.Wilfred Mott: Come on, don’t start. You were told that he would knock four times, and then you die. Well, that’s him, isn’t it? The Master, that noise in his head. The Master is going to kill you.The Doctor: Yeah.Wilfred Mott: Then kill him first.The Doctor: That’s how the Master started. It’s not like I’m an innocent. I’ve taken lives. And I got worse, I got clever. Manipulated people into taking their own. Sometimes I think a Timelord lives too long. I can’t. I just can’t.Wilfred Mott: If The Master dies, what happens to all the people?The Doctor: I don’t know.Wilfred Mott: Doctor, what happens?The Doctor: The template snaps.Wilfred Mott: Will they go back to being human, they’re alive and human? Then don’t you dare, sir, don’t you dare put him before them. Now you take this, that’s an order, Doctor. You take the gun, you take the gun and save your life. And please don’t die, you’re the most wonderful man on earth! I don’t want you to die!"
Credit: BBC
1. Arthur Darvill/Rory Williams
The lesson the Doctor would learn: Friendships Never Die
I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been on a Doctor-Who-11th-era kick lately or if I’m just crazy, but technically, Rory wasn’t the main companion. Would he even qualify as a companion? He went on adventures with them, but Amy was always the center of the Doctor’s world. Rory’s main mission was always the same: to protect Amy while the Doctor went off.
You can’t deny that Rory Williams was most likely one of the Doctor’s favorite faces. The shared a love for Amy, both willing to do whatever possible for someone they loved. Having the face of Rory would remind him of people who believed he was good. It would be a complete opposite of what we’ve seen from twelve, who has questioned whether or not he’s “good” since he came on.
I don’t think there’s anyone better the Doctor could be to remind him of kindness than Rory Williams.
Even if it’ll never happen because the strengths of bringing on Darvill are exactly the reasons — he was in the show too much, people would only see Rory, not the Doctor — if we’re thinking of faces to remind the Doctor who he is, at his core, it’s the reminder of Amy and Rory.
These are all characters that the Doctor could revisit. I highly doubt they’ll have someone from the older episodes come on again, but these are three people with three good reasons to remind the Doctor of who he is.