Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as the Doctor forgot something very important about the TARDIS, butDoctor Who’s upcoming return can fix that. The Doctor’s TARDIS has been a huge part of the story since the beginning ofDoctor Who’s classic era. Becauseevery actor to play the Doctorhas traveled in the famous blue box, the show wouldn’t be the same without its presence. Its representation through the sci-fi show’s decades-long history has changed slightly as the saga has progressed, but one huge piece of suggested lore was finally canonized whenDoctor Whowas revived in 2005.
Despite it seeming like a soft reboot,Doctor Who’s Disney erakept all existing canon intact. So, returning showrunnerRussell T. Davies could use all the lore he had already introduced during his first spell in charge, as well as stuff introduced by his predecessors. While he did make full use of this by essentially revealingDoctor Whoseason 14 was a stealth sequel to a Tom Baker story, Davies also neglected or forgot about certain aspects of the show’s sprawling universe. Specifically, he mishandled the TARDIS.
Doctor Who Season 14 Failed To Portray The TARDIS As A Sentient Being
The TARDIS' agency was removed for Ncuti Gatwa’s first run as the Doctor
Doctor Whofirst teased ages ago that the TARDIS was alive and capable of making its own independent decisions. It didn’t become part of the official canon until the revival era, but it then went on to be addressed as fact several times within the show’s universe. The biggest example is when the TARDIS' consciousness is temporarily transferred into a human body inDoctor Whoseason 6, episode 4, “The Doctor’s Wife,” as Suranne Jones plays the TARDIS and speaks directly with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. Sadly,Doctor Whoseason 14 ignored this quirk.
Susan Twist’s Doctor Who Season 14 Role Explained: Who She Was Really Playing
Susan Twist’s Doctor Who character permeates Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as the Fifteenth Doctor, but her true identity is only revealed very late.
Instead, Davies chose to write a huge twist that brought back Sutekh for the first time in decades. The storyline wouldn’t have been possible without the TARDIS, asDoctor Who’s the One Who Waitshitched a ride on the TARDIS while remaining dormant and hidden for centuries. Other than the odd groan, the TARDIS suffered no ill effects from this Sutekh plot. As a sentient being, the space and time machine should have been able to report something being wrong to the Doctor. Instead,the TARDIS was treated like a piece of soulless machineryrather than a complex lifeform.
RTD’s TARDIS Change Made Sense After Jodie Whittaker’s Era
Davies hasn’t really referenced the TARDIS' status as a living being since he took control of the show back from Chris Chibnall. The showrunner’s return coincided with the departure of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, who had just started to fly solo again after leaving her companions behind as her regeneration cycle kicked in. So, as Doctors can often do,David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor started alone.
Although the TARDIS was still canonically alive during this time, it makes sense why Davies resisted drawing attention to that fact.
If it had immediately seemed like Fourteen had the TARDIS to keep him company, it would have reduced the impact of the storyline that had him unconsciously seeking out Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) inDoctor Who’s 60th-anniversary specials. Similarly,Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor also started without a companion, as he didn’t meet Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) until the 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” So, although the TARDIS was still canonically alive during this time, it makes sense why Davies resisted drawing attention to that fact. Unfortunately, continuing to avoid the matter hurt season 14.
Doctor Who Season 15 Is The Perfect Chance To Make The TARDIS A Proper Character Again
Davies is doing another TARDIS storyline in Gatwa’s second season
Sutekh being revealed as a long-term stowaway aboard the TARDISat theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14was met with mixed reviews. While it was praised for bringing back such a deep-cut villain out of nowhere, using the TARDIS to frame his return wasn’t that big of a hit. Regardless, Sutekh-related issues with the TARDIS formed a plot that quietly permeated season 14, andthe Doctor’s ship seems to be experiencing more problemsin the upcoming run of episodes. So,Davies can redeem the TARDIS' recent storyline whenDoctor Whoreturns.
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When I was watching the thrilling finale of Doctor Who season 14, I kept thinking about a similar MCU story, and how much better the latter was.
Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra orders the Doctor to take her home in the season 15 trailer, which Gatwa’s character struggles to do. Instead, he suggests they take the “long way round.” The implication is that the TARDIS is either disobeying his commands or is unable, for whatever reason, to operate as it would usually do. The former would be preferable, asit would give Davies a much better opportunity to re-characterize the TARDISafterDoctor Whoseason 14 stripped the ship of its infamous agency.
