I just recently found time to sit down and watch the much-anticipated season finale of Doctor Who. Man, did it deliver! It presented an entertaining show that left me with several questions after I was done watching. That type of thought-provoking entertainment is what I love – and there is a serious lack of it in my opinion.
So, the big question is: Who is John Hurt’s incarnation of the Doctor? Is he the twelfth Doctor? Is he the actual ninth Doctor who ended the Time War and regenerated into Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor? Wouldn’t that make Matt Smith the actual twelfth Doctor? Is he really the first Doctor who regenerated into William Hartnell’s Doctor? Wow! It’s all too much to ponder. But I, along with every other Whovian, will ponder it nonetheless.
I can’t tell you what I think this means for the Doctor Who Universe because I haven’t drawn a conclusion. I can, however, express what I hope is in the works. I hope John Hurt is the Doctor who ended the Time War – the true ninth Doctor in between Paul McGann and Chris Eccleston. I feel this would make the most interesting story and certainly shake up the Doctor Who Universe. It also fits with the evidence we were given in the Season Seven Finale.
John Hurt’s Doctor said something to the effect of, “What I did was in the name of peace and sanity.”
Matt Smith’s Doctor replied, “But not in the name of the Doctor.”
Ending a war could be done in the name of peace and sanity, definitely. Furthermore, ending a war via double genocide would not be something the Doctor would do. Therefore, perhaps Hurt’s Doctor revoked the chosen name (broke the promise) to end the Time War by the most devastating means possible (perhaps which he thought was necessary).
However, with the announcement of Matt Smith’s leaving the show, this has changed some perspectives as to who John Hurt’s character could be. Could he simply just be the next Doctor? I don’t think this is the case – at least I certainly hope not. I have high expectations for the 50th anniversary episode, and another by the books regeneration would certainly disappoint.
I urge everyone to comment and tell me your thoughts! We certainly have a long way to go until the 50th anniversary episode, and speculation is all we have to hold us over.
This is what I love about Doctor Who. The writers give us things the fans love to think about.
While on one hand, the 50th anniversary episode can’t get here soon enough for me, I also love the downtime to discuss and speculate.
When I first watched the episode, I got the impression that John Hurt was the “last” doctor, the one that was “buried” in the tomb and possibly the one responsible for the state of Trenzalore.
Of course, the more I think about it, the more I’m leaning toward the “true ninth doctor” theory. I remember right, one of the phrases used now and then in relation to Trenzalore is the “Fall of the Eleventh.” If Hurt is the true 9th Doctor, then Tennat is the true Eleventh, and we know he will be coming back for the 50th.