The Shadow Proclamation states that any human who doesn’t view “The Day of the Doctor” is totally missing out.
As a celebration of 50 years of a show that is very dear to many, including myself, it succeeds tremendously, appealing to fans both new and old. Matt Smith, David Tennant, and the newcomer, John Hurt, cross timelines as three incarnations for the beloved 1,200-ish year old Timelord. The older versions are now, again, forced to relive the moment they chose to destroy their own species to end the Time War. It is the Doctor’s greatest regret. So much so that he willing forgot the incarnation that performed it, John Hurt, and struck the title of Doctor from him.
However, all is not as it seems and the truth will release the Doctor from the burden he’s been carrying for over 400 long years.
The Time War is an event often referenced but never shown. This anniversary episode finally shatters that precedent and displays the War Doctor, John Hurt, taking no prisoners in the midst of the hellish battle between the Timelords and Daleks. He steals a weapon of infinite power, known as ‘The Moment,” from a secret vault that he plans to use to end the war. The weapon is sentient and its intelligence takes the form of Rose Tyler in her Bad Wolf state.
The War Doctor has yet to meet the companion it copies, but Billie Piper delivers a mesmerizing performance nonetheless. She goes a bit ghost of Christmas future on the War Doctor and shows him what he will become if he destroys his people. Time vortexes appear and fandom squealing ensues as three versions of the same man join forces.
Smith, Tennant, and Hurt play alarmingly well off each other and none of them overpower the others. They know the special is all about the fans and not just a single Doctor stealing the show. They often have the same reactions and mannerisms, donning glasses to examine the vortex and exclaiming “Oh, lovely!” in unison when they realized they had done the same thing.
Hurt is consistently confused by the childishness of his future regenerations, but concedes that they are greater men than he by the end. Smith and Tennant distance themselves from adulthood and responsibility in memory of having used The Moment. It turned them into a kinder and gentler person.
As a result of this, Matt Smith’s Doctor has changed his mind after centuries of internal debate and suggests to his past selves that they change their personal history and save Gallifrey.
This means that they had always saved Gallifrey, but the Doctor wouldn’t have been aware of it until he reached his eleventh incarnation, due to timeline syncing issues and memory loss. Surprisingly, this all still makes sense within the canon… like it had been planned this way all along. The three Doctors gather up all their past selves at this point and even the future regeneration of Peter Capaldi, treating the fans to a chilling glimpse of his determined glare.
All the Doctors and all their TARDISes converge to lock their homeworld in stasis within a parallel dimension, just as their kind do with the Timelord paintings the Zygons were exploiting earlier in the episode. With the new knowledge that his home is still out there, Smith now knows his path. In a heartwarming scene depicting all the Doctors in a line looking up at Gallifrey with Hartnell watching over them, Smith states, “It’s taken me so many years, so many lifetimes. But at last I know where I’m going. Where I’ve always been going. Home. The long way around…”
Of course, you can’t have an anniversary as impressive as the 50th without a heaping helping of easter eggs. From the original opening sequence to Tom Baker’s scarf and to Tom Baker himself, there was plenty for the watchful eye to catch and geek out over. You may have noticed Totter’s Lane, Coal Hill School, the lovely round things of TARDISes past, the machine that goes “ding”, the very long running redecoration gag, Tennant not wanting to go, Amelia’s glasses, polarity reversals, horses named Arthur, Tom Baker, and much more. Did I mention Tom Baker?
“The Day of the Doctor” was a true love letter to the fans and I couldn’t have asked for more. Now we just have to focus on surviving the Christmas special and Matt Smith’s fateful departure on Trenzalore.
At least the Doctor has hope again, and if the age of Peter Capaldi says anything… it’s that he’s ready to return to a more mature form.
Thank you for being you, Doctor Who, and here’s to another 50 years!
