The clip sees Capaldi's Doctor offering wise words for his next incarnation, saying, 'Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind. Doctor… I let you go.'
- Dec 26, 2017
AceShowbiz - The moment is finally here! Ahead of "Doctor Who" special Christmas episode, the long-running British series treats fans to a clip of the upcoming episode, featuring a scene where current Time Lord Peter Capaldi regenerates as Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor.
Shared via the show's social media accounts, the video sees Capaldi giving wise words for his next incarnation. "Never be cruel, never be cowardly and never, ever eat pears!" he says. "Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise."
"Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Oh! And you mustn't tell anyone your name. No one would understand it anyway," he adds. But there is an exception. "If their hearts are in the right place" and if "the stars are too," children can hear the name. "Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind. Doctor… I let you go," Capaldi's Doctor concludes his last words.
Orange-ish light later shines through his body, before Whittaker, the first female Doctor in the show's history, appears. "Oh, brilliant" was her first words. But the TARDIS goes out of control not too long after her appearance. Whittaker's 13th Doctor is thrown outside the time-travel device, but fans will only find out what will happen to her next season.
BBC announced Whittaker as the next incarnation of Time Lord back in July. While the gender-flipping of the character has been done before to both Masters and the companions, it marks the first time for the show to have a Time Lady instead of Time Lord since it debuted in 1963.
The decision to cast an actress to be the next Doctor sparked outrage among fans. In response to the criticism, BBC released an official statement which read, "Since the first Doctor regenerated back in 1966, the concept of the Doctor as a constantly evolving being has been central to the programme. The continual input of fresh ideas and new voices across the cast and the writing and production teams has been key to the longevity of the series." The network added, "It has been established in the show that Time Lords can switch gender."
The "Doctor Who" special Christmas episode airs on December 25 at 9 P.M. on BBC America.
