Russell T Davies, who is set to return as Doctor Who showrunner in 2023, has revealed that he has seen Jodie Whittaker's final episode as the Thirteenth Doctor. Davies was integral to the modern relaunch of the BBC's long-running science fiction series, overseeing and writing much of its first four seasons between 2005 and 2010, with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant in the title role. However, in a surprise announcement last September, the BBC confirmed that Davies was returning to Doctor Who after a 13-year absence, taking over from current showrunner Chris Chibnall for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, as well as following seasons. Tennant and Catherine Tate will also return for the 60th anniversary, and Ncuti Gatwa has been cast as the Fourteenth Doctor.
However, ahead of Davies' return, there is still one more episode set to broadcast for Whittaker's Doctor. The currently untitled finale for the Thirteenth Doctor will coincide with the BBC's centenary celebrations and will see the character's regeneration, although whether this will be Gatwa or Tennant remains unclear. But while not much is currently known about the special, a trailer shown after "Legend of the Sea Devils" confirmed a number of story details. Most notably, the episode will see Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred reprise their companion roles as Tegan and Ace from the classic Doctor Who era, as well as the return of the Daleks, Cybermen and The Master (Sacha Dhawan).
It now seems that Davies has seen the final outing for the Thirteenth Doctor himself. Although he's not willing to give anything away, Davies has very high praise for the episode. When questioned on The One Show about the Doctor Who 60th anniversary next year, Davies played down any updates, saying he didn't want to "upstage" Whittaker's final episode. He then praised the actor's last appearance as "fantastic" and "gorgeous."
"Because what is coming up in October this year is Jodie Whittaker's farewell. So I feel like I'm upstaging it slightly ... And I just saw the finished version of that two days ago. It's a ninety-minute epic, it's fantastic, so that is gorgeous. With lots of surprises and I'm gonna [mimes locking his mouth shut]."
Davies' concern about upstaging Whittaker's final episode certainly makes sense. As well as the various casting announcements for the show's future, set photos from the Doctor Who 60th anniversary shoot in Bristol have been shared online, giving fans a glimpse at David Tennant's new look as the Doctor, as well as of Neil Patrick Harris' enigmatic villain. As such, more attention has been directed at Davies' upcoming anniversary celebration than at Whittaker's final episode. However, Davies' ardent admiration for the "epic" finale suggests that he wants fans to direct their enthusiasm more towards this next "fantastic" episode.
The Doctor Who showrunner's praise of the untitled centenary special is certainly a very exciting tease. The fact that the writer has seen "the finished version" of the episode suggests that more clips, trailers and images could be on the way now that the final edit is seemingly complete, especially given that it is due to release in October. Davies' additional promise that it contains "lots of surprises" will also no doubt fuel speculation over what (or who) else may feature. But with Whittaker's final Doctor Who episode now only three months away, viewers don't have to wait long to fully appreciate Davies' praise for the Thirteenth Doctor's finale.
Source: The One Show