"Where there's tears, there's hope." That beautiful line from the Doctor will just have to sustain fans until the Christmas special. Right now, viewers are surely still wondering what the Doctor Who Season 10 ending means for the future of the show. Whether he wants to take on another new face or not, the Doctor is about to regenerate, and that jaw-dropping ending revealed he's going to get the ultimate pep talk. From himself. Yes, that man who came wandering out of a snowstorm at the episode's end was really the Doctor — the first Doctor.
The late William Hartnell originated the role of the Doctor onscreen in 1963, but sadly passed away in 1975. However, David Bradley portrayed Hartnell in the 2013 biopic An Adventure in Space and Time, and this Christmas, he will step into the Doctor's shoes for real. From the sound of things, he'll be on hand to give his future self a reason to go on living in the 2017 Christmas special.
It's been a rough year for the 12th Doctor. He went blind, saw his companion, Bill, turned into a Cyberman, and seemingly lost his fight to bring The Master/Missy over to the side of angels (although Missy had a change of heart he sadly never got to witness). Add in the loss of Clara in the previous season, and the other 2,000 or so years of living he's done so far, and it's easy to understand why the Doctor isn't ready to jump into another incarnation right away. He's going to need a Christmas miracle to change his mind, and the universe — well, the TARDIS — just served one up.
Having the Doctor reunite with his original self is a stroke of brilliance. The Christmas special will be both Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat's big farewell. There's no better way to end both men's iconic runs than with a story that takes the show's hero back to the beginning again. Whatever happens after the first and the 12th Doctor's meeting will mark a fresh beginning for the character and the show.
The finale was full of endings for everyone except the Doctor. Season 10 wrapped up Bill's journey beautifully by reuniting her with Heather from the season's first episode, and giving her a second chance at life. Meanwhile, Nardole found a new purpose protecting children from the Cybermen, and Missy/The Master destroyed each other. Everyone's stories came to a close, except for the Doctor's. It's worth remembering he's been fighting off regenerating for several episodes now. He needs a reason to hope again, and hopefully he can find one when he spends Christmas with his younger, more innocent self.
This year's Doctor Who holiday special is sure to be one for the ages, it's just too bad it's still so far away.
