Mission Report by UNIT Agent Bill Filer to Trap One - Subject matter: The Power of the Doctor

I love this one. It came out right at one of those times where life had decided to continuously kick me in parts best left unmentioned. Things changed in my life right around then and left me able to enjoy things I hadn't in a long stretch of time and watching Jodie Whittaker's swansong just rekindled my love for Doctor Who in the best way possible. I love the way stories sometimes just gets intertwined with your life, stories becomes more than the sum of their parts.

This is roughly the same storytelling technique Chibnall used in Flux. It's a great big tapestry of scenes like puzzle pieces that you have to do some of the work yourself in piecing together.  It is filled with delightful scenes, moments, lines and cameos, almost to the point where the narrative becomes secondary in nature. Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding were so fantastic, they really portrayed their characters as having lived full lives after their individual travels, while remaining true to the core personality of their roles. If I were to write out all the positives I find in this story we would be here for a while. But I will say, seeing Ian in the companions' support group brought a tear to my eye.

"The Blossomiest Blossom" surely would get most Classic Who fans thinking of Jon Pertwee and the "Daisyest Daisy", but it is also a quote from a playwright called Dennis Potter. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer he used that phrase to describe how he saw the beauty in the little things knowing the end was near - what could be more apt for a regeneration scene? And Jodie's Doctor saying "Tag you're it!" before exploding in regeneration energy in what I think is the most visually stunning regeneration in Doctor Who history was sheer perfection for me. It was Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall passing the baton to a whole new era in the best way possible - with joyful expectation of the future, it might be the end but the moment had been prepared for.

End of report. Logged and filed at The Black Archive.

This is Chibnall throwing literally everything at the wall and somehow it mostly all sticks and works? I mean if Resolution was a sugar rush, then this really is a sugar rush; there's just so much going on and it edges dangerously close to too chaotic.

It is sad to say goodbye to Jodie, she's been an underrated Doctor and aha, she really goes through it in the episode, doesn't she? So many emotions and heavy moments, but she sells it all really well. I shall miss her.

Dhawan's Master is fantastic, Sacha is dedicating himself so much to the role and it really shows; he's super engaging and fun to watch, his batshit plan is exactly that - batshit - but who cares when he's dancing to Rasputin? Although... why was this not a complete bodyswap episode? Whittaker Master vs Dhawan Doctor, it would've been actually amazing to see and again, like prison break Revolution, it just seems like the obvious choice?

The Thijarians should've been in the regeneration scene, like come on, it was such a clear set-up. Oh well. Pity we never see how the Doctor regenerates into, but I guess the show had to end somewhere.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“THE POWER OF THE DOCTOR: A CELEBRATORY, CHAOTIC, AND EMOTIONAL FAREWELL”

Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Doctor comes to a close in The Power of the Doctor, a feature-length special marking the BBC’s centenary and the grand finale of the Chibnall era. With returning companions, classic foes, jaw-dropping cameos, and a regeneration to top it all off, this episode has the makings of a spectacular send-off. But does it live up to the occasion?

A HIGH-STAKES OPENING

From the outset, The Power of the Doctor sets an ambitious scope. The opening sequence aboard a bullet train in space is an exhilarating start, featuring the return of the CyberMasters – the Cybermen who can regenerate, introduced in The Timeless Children. Their eerie gold-and-silver designs make for an imposing sight as they lay siege to the train, which holds an important cargo: a child-sized energy source that becomes a key plot point later. The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan attempt a daring rescue, but things quickly spiral into chaos.

This sequence is an exciting reintroduction to the TARDIS team, though Dan’s sudden decision to leave after nearly getting shot feels abrupt. While it makes sense that he’d want to return to his normal life, the moment is so rushed that it robs his departure of any real emotional weight. It’s a shame, given how much he added to the dynamic in Flux.

Meanwhile, multiple other plotlines are set up across time and space – missing paintings at the National Gallery, global energy surges, and erupting volcanoes. At UNIT, Kate Stewart calls in ex-companions Tegan Jovanka and Ace to help investigate, while in 1916 Russia, the Master has disguised himself as Rasputin, secretly pulling the strings behind historical events. Chibnall’s decision to weave together multiple threats in different time periods creates a sense of urgency but also makes the story feel overly stuffed.

THE MASTER’S GRAND SCHEME

Sacha Dhawan’s Master is given centre stage in this special, and he revels in every second. From the moment he appears, disguised as a seismologist named Rasputin, he dominates the episode with his signature blend of menace and gleeful insanity. His plan is as grand as it is personal – he doesn’t just want to defeat the Doctor; he wants to become the Doctor. Using stolen Time Lord technology, he forces a regeneration upon the Doctor, taking her body and becoming “The Doctor of Everything.” It’s an outlandish yet fascinating concept, and Dhawan brilliantly embodies a twisted version of the Doctor, complete with a patchwork costume made from relics of past incarnations.

His unhinged dance to Boney M’s Rasputin is one of the most surreal and unforgettable moments of the episode. It’s absurd, yes, but it perfectly encapsulates this Master’s love for theatricality and mockery. Dhawan’s performance is one of the best things about The Power of the Doctor, as he balances genuine menace with dark humour.

That said, while the Master’s plan is intriguing, it raises several unanswered questions. How exactly does the forced regeneration work? Why does the Master need Dalek and Cybermen alliances when he ultimately doesn’t rely on them? And how does he so easily revert the Doctor’s body back to normal later on? Some of these elements feel underdeveloped, as though they exist more for spectacle than logic.

A CELEBRATION OF THE PAST

While The Power of the Doctor serves as Whittaker’s farewell, it’s also a love letter to the show’s long history, packed with returning characters and nostalgic references. Ace and Tegan slot naturally into the story, feeling like older, more seasoned versions of their classic-era selves. Ace’s emotional reunion with the Seventh Doctor and Tegan’s heartfelt moment with the Fifth Doctor are standouts, adding genuine emotional depth.

The surprise return of previous Doctors – David Bradley (standing in for William Hartnell’s First Doctor), Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann – is a massive highlight. Their appearances in the Guardians of the Edge sequence, a conceptual limbo where the Doctor’s past selves linger during regeneration, is a touching and creative way to honour the show’s legacy. Seeing McGann, in particular, get more screen time is a joy, as he effortlessly reminds us why fans have long clamoured for more of his Doctor.

There are also plenty of callbacks to classic episodes. The Master’s plan to force the Doctor’s regeneration echoes The War Games, where the Time Lords forcibly changed the Second Doctor’s appearance. The return of the CyberMasters and the concept of a planet being moved next to Earth reference The Tenth Planet, the very first Cyberman story. UNIT’s headquarters and the Master’s imprisonment feel reminiscent of the Third Doctor’s era, and the Cybermen’s assault on the building is similar to Army of Ghosts/Doomsday. These nods are fun for long-time fans but never derail the story entirely for casual viewers.

A VISUAL SPECTACLE

Visually, The Power of the Doctor is one of the most cinematic episodes of the Chibnall era. From UNIT’s high-tech HQ to the eerie, decayed Cyber planet and the neon-lit ruins of the Dalek lair, the production design is top-notch. The CGI is impressive, especially in large-scale sequences like the Cybermen’s invasion of UNIT and the space train battle.

The action is also well-directed, with plenty of dynamic set pieces. Ace parachuting off a UNIT tower, Yaz navigating a Dalek-infested base, and the Doctor’s final battle with the Master all stand out. Jamie Magnus Stone’s direction ensures the episode maintains an energetic pace, even when the plot feels convoluted.

AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL

Whittaker gives a strong final performance, blending her usual warmth and enthusiasm with a quiet sense of resignation. While she doesn’t get as many standout moments as some previous Doctors in their final stories, her final scene is beautifully handled. Her final words – “Tag, you’re it” – before regenerating on top of the TARDIS, watching the sunset, encapsulate the playful, adventurous spirit she brought to the role.

The episode’s last few scenes are particularly touching. The support group for former companions, featuring Jo Jones (Katy Manning), Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford), and very briefly Ian Chesterton (William Russell), is a lovely moment of closure, reinforcing the idea that no one who travels with the Doctor is ever truly alone. Seeing Ian, the last remaining cast member from An Unearthly Child, return for a brief line is a poignant tribute to the show’s history.

And, of course, the regeneration itself delivers one final shock – instead of Ncuti Gatwa, Whittaker regenerates into David Tennant. It’s a jaw-dropping moment, setting the stage for the 60th Anniversary specials and leaving us with a million questions. Why is the Doctor wearing Tennant’s face again? What’s going on with his teeth?

📝VERDICT: 9/10

The Power of the Doctor is a fittingly grand, chaotic, and heartfelt send-off to Jodie Whittaker’s era, packed with nostalgia, spectacle, and emotional farewells. While not every plot thread lands perfectly and some characters are underutilised, the sheer love for Doctor Who radiates throughout. Chibnall, for all his faults, delivers a celebration worthy of the Centenary, and Whittaker bows out with style.

It’s messy, it’s wild, and it’s occasionally nonsensical—but above all, it’s an absolute joy to watch. A proper Doctor Who spectacle.

The final story and what could have been the last ever episode of the revived series, Power of the Doctor delivers a lot of great moments, a plot that achieves the bare minimum of coherence and thought too many other Chibnall episodes lacked, and even a handful of memorable moments I think will stand out in franchise history. For once.

Look, some of this review might seem backhanded and maybe even a little bitter, but the reality is Chibnall's era had a lot of problems to it from the ground up, and they are hard to ignore in a story that both celebrates and ignores it. So many plotlines, like the Timeless Child and even stuff like the Time Lord Cybermen, are effectively abandoned (sure, the Cyber Lords are here but their ability to regenerate might as well just be trivia at this point), yet it largely all feels for the best. Instead of trying to tie up any of that nonsense, we instead get a story with some potential where the Master takes over the Doctor's body.

This alone could have been so fun. You could have had Sacha Dhawan acting like the Doctor while Jodie Whittaker gets to be the Master. But no, it's barely explored or used at all. The fact that Jodie takes a backseat in this episode a bit just so Sacha can dress up like the Doctor and still act like the Master is pretty... empty, the more distant I get from watching the finale. What was the point? It does not help that both Dhawan and Whittaker have been weak as the Master and the Doctor in my eyes. The Master feels way over the top while Jodie feels practically disengaged at all times. Is it not telling that this episode feels like a decent farewell to Jodie even though she's not in it for huge chunks of the story? I don't think that would sit right with any other Doctor, but because 13 is such a non-character it doesn't even feel like that (or the full abandonment of Chibnall lore) matters in the slightest.

And for those to whom it does matter, that Jodie is not around for much of this story, and nothing up until this point in her story really matters for this arc, this feels like a bit insulting to those who actually enjoyed the metanarrative of Chibnall's era, because that Timeless Child arc, the Division - all of that is completely ignored and likely to not be brought up again for a long, long time. So I have to imagine Chibnall fans must find this episode... frustrating, on some level.

So even something like this, with, I admit, many, many moments and cameos I enjoyed, I still think it was just okay. I loved the stuff with the other Doctor cameos, including the Fugitive Doctor. Jo Martin consistently shows off how much better she would have been in 13's shoes. In spite of my issues with Dhawan as the Master, I like him as a performer and got a good laugh out of his dance scene, and Ace was pretty amazing any time she was around. Even Graham was a welcome sight.

Everything else... it just felt like good riddance to what I am increasingly convinced is the worst ever era of Doctor Who. I really hope we get past the editing, music, casting, writing, and so much more that was endemic to the Whittiker era. Just about everything in it outside of a handful of episodes just drained me of so much enthusiasm for this franchise. Even something as cool as this, bringing back Classic Companions and Doctors, the Eighth Doctor in all his glory, and even the wild fun of the ending moments with Tennant, the best Chibnall could do with all of that was a story that was just okay.

This was the first episode I ever watched the day it was broadcasted (having just got caught up with New Who). I liked it, but as I hadn't watched Classic some of the references meant nothing to me. Now, this actually hits different. The story is still quite messy and it is one of the most nonsensical plans the Master has ever devised (which is saying something), but it is just so much fun. The nods to the Classic era are so well done, the characters are still as engaging as ever (Loved Ace being paired with Graham) and Dhawan's Master is one of the best (behind Missy for New Who imo). The last few scenes are beautifully written, the last conversation between Yaz and 13 is tear-jerking actually, I just wished her relationship would have been better developed across this era.

So yeah, great episode to end one of the most controversial periods of Doctor Who. As this is the last one, I'll say a few things about this era. I got to this part of my rewatch hoping that my negative views regarding 13 and her episode would change, and I can safely that they did! Mind you, there are some real stinkers here (Orphan 55, yes) but there were a few gems and some have even entered my top episodes of the whole show:

• The Haunting of Villa Diodati is, in my opinion, Jodie's (and 13's) best episode. The best showcase of how high her character could have gone with better direction and better scripts. I'm not going to beat around the bush, we got what we got, but she is a great Doctor and in some other episodes there are instances where you can see that, but there is no better example than in here.
• Demons of  the Punjab is what I believe her era should have put the focus on. More historicals, with heart and hope as the focus of the story. Learning about different cultures and conflicts that have shaped our world (as this show was originally intended to do, juggling sci-fi episodes with pure historicals).
• Honorary mentions: Village of the Angels, It Takes You Away, The Ghost Monument (yes, I love it), Fugitive of the Judoon.

Plus, I'm actually a big fan of the Fugitive Doctor and Division. The scenes in Flux where the focus was on this part of the Doctor's life were my favourite of the arc.

And I can somewhat get behind the idea surrounding the Timeless Child (it could have been better handled, let's hope RTD2 does something interesting with it).

So yeah, this era was great in some instances, not so great in others, but at least it gave us Doctor Who at a point where the show could have ended (funnily enough it is a recurring theme in this fandom)