David Tennant returns as the Doctor in beautiful new short

Of all the new Doctor Who content we’ve been gifted during the lockdown, the latest one might have just taken the number one spot, thanks in no small part to the return David Tennant, aka the Tenth Doctor. His take of the Doctor has always been my favorite. And now, a new mini-episode — “The Secret of Novice Hame” written by former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies — takes us back to his days in the Tardis as we catch up with a familiar character: Novice Hame.

In the short beautifully animated story, Novice Hame (voiced by Anna Hope), a cat-nurse and member of the Sisters of Plentitude, lies on her deathbed as visitors come to wish her their final farewell. But she’s waiting for one person in particular: the Doctor. Hame encountered David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor in Season 2’s “New Earth.” And now, he pays her a final visit:

Based on the short scene, it appears many, many years have passed since the last time Hame and the Doctor were together, and she’s unclear if the Doctor who’s come to see her is the same one she remembers:

"I have heard so many stories about him over the years – his hundreds of faces and forms. The men and women and animals who have taken that name. And yet the one who comes for me is so familiar. This one is mine."

Woah, woah, woah…did she say animals?

Yes, that’s right. Fans are still wrapping their heads around the idea of our “first” female Doctor, and now we learn that animals might be a part of the mix, too?

I actually love that, though. Can you imagine the Doctor regenerating into a tiger? Or a kangaroo?

As shocking as this revelation is, I’m not surprised given the what we learned in the season 12 finale, “The Timeless Children.” There, we found out that the Doctors we’ve seen over the years aren’t the only Doctors to exist, so who knows what sorts of regenerations have taken place?

Anyway, back to the short, David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor shows up to be with the Novice Hame in her final moments, when she hopes to share a huge secret.

"Well, this is a bit of a fuss, isn’t it? Someone ill? I’m on something of a final journey myself, and everything’s about to change so I’m just saying goodbye."

We don’t learn what the secret is, but the beauty is in the mystery.

And we’re still wondering if the next regeneration of the Doctor will be a goldfish or something.

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h/t Radio Times