Most iterations of a certain Time Lord get at least three seasons to shine on Doctor Who (with the exception of Christopher Eccleston). Well, in NuWho, anyway. That’s why Ncuti Gatwa‘s departure in Season 2 Episode 8, “The Reality War,” comes as a total shock. Sure, the rumor mill has been rumor-milling in recent months, with tabloids claiming the Fifteenth Doctor’s regeneration is nigh. However, I paid them no mind. It’s not official until the Doctor actually takes on a new face.
When Gatwa was announced as the Fifteenth Doctor a few years back, I was stoked. I love his work in Sex Education. Then, he was a Ken in 2023’s mega-hit Barbie. I knew he would infuse our titular Gallifreyan with vim and vigor, and boy, I like being right.
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Breaking Barriers on Doctor Who
Beyond his nuanced, compelling performance, Gatwa’s casting breaks barriers. He’s not the first Black Doctor (hello, Jo Martin); however, he’s the first Black male Doctor who’s also queer. That probably doesn’t matter to those sourpusses who decry Doctor Who for going “woke” and “checking off boxes,” but what do they know? It does matter. It matters to the young queer POC who finally see themselves in the Doctor, a reminder that anyone can be a hero. Anyone can be a two-hearted alien traveling through space and time in a big, blue police box.
Additionally, Gatwa’s interpretation of the Doctor incorporates his predecessors’ personalities while bringing his own flair to the table. Fifteen is unmistakably unique. He’s one in a billion supernovas, like the Vindicator device the Doctor constructs in Season 2.
Fifteen marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Doctor, having bi-generated from the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant). Fourteen eventually goes off to live a quiet life with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and her family. This Doctor addresses his trauma and pain head-on, something we’ve never truly seen our favorite Time Lord do.
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So, Fifteen embarks on his journey with a more emotionally healthy approach. Sure, the loss of Gallifrey and his people is still a sore spot, and he contends with his sterility in the finale with a pang of sadness.
The Fifteenth Doctor Wears His Two Hearts on His Sleeve
However, Fifteen stands out from the Doctors who came before him because he’s willing to be more open. He discusses how lonely it is being the last of the Time Lords (well, until the Rani makes herself known) with his companions, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu). The Doctor also wears his two hearts on his sleeve — he’s unafraid of shedding tears, a welcome antidote to toxic masculinity. He’s emotional and vulnerable.
On the flip side of that, Fifteen’s joy is contagious. He’s exuberant. His light shines so brightly, like Joy, the Star of Bethlehem. Fifteen doesn’t allow anyone to dim that light, either, existing in time and space as his most authentic self while acknowledging that this isn’t always easy to do. Not every place in the universe is warm and inviting for everyone.
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During his tenure, Gatwa’s Doctor also has a love interest. While this isn’t unusual for the Doctor, it’s a win for queer representation. It’s the first time we see a male Doctor pursue a relationship with another man. Rogue (Jonathan Groff) comes to the fore in Season 1’s “Rogue,” a Bridgerton-esque outing. He and the Doctor kiss before Rogue is sent to a Hell Dimension. Unfortunately, in Season 2’s “Wish World,” we learn that the Hell Dimension is sliding into a pit. In a transmission to the Doctor, Rogue tells him he misses and loves him.
This is heartbreaking. For starters, Gatwa and Groff boast excellent chemistry in that one episode alone. Secondly, we’ll never see this version of our eponymous Gallifreyan rescue Rogue if the latter is still alive. Regardless, Fifteen and Rogue’s love story is another example of Gatwa’s Time Lord smashing glass ceilings.
How to Save a Life
In addition to Fifteen’s infectious joyfulness and willingness to express vulnerability, he continues carrying the mantle of his predecessors. To the Doctor, every life is important. Fifteen has risked everything to save a life, from Ruby to Belinda. He even shifts all of time by one degree to retrieve Belinda’s daughter, Poppy (Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps). Fifteen is selfless to a tee. He’ll fall on his sword every time if it means someone else gets to live. (Just this once, everybody lives!)
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Of course, the Fifteenth Doctor isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He can exhibit fiery, unadulterated rage. In “The Interstellar Song Contest,” Gatwa gets his “Time Lord Victorious” moment. He tortures Kid (Freddie Fox), a Hellion hellbent on revenge who plans to kill billions of people and blame it on the Corporation. Naturally, this triggers the Doctor’s own traumas. Fifteen is darker here than we’ve ever seen him as he repeatedly inflicts pain on Kid. Gatwa is such a commanding screen presence and has a wonderful grasp of who Fifteen is, warts and all, as it were.
A Joyful Humanity
The Fifteenth Doctor’s complexities and layers perhaps make him the most human — and the most relatable — Doctor we’ve ever had. He feels fully real and lived in. Young and old. Energetic and world-weary. He encompasses all the colors and facets of the human experience. Yet he doesn’t allow the violence and apocalyptic madness to eat away at the joy he carries in his hearts. That joy is the crux of who Fifteen is.
So, farewell to the Fifteenth Doctor, the most joyful of them all. He changed faces with a smile and kicked fear to the curb. And to Ncuti Gatwa, you’ve left an indelible mark on the Whoniverse. You’ve become one of my favorite Doctors. I can’t wait to rewatch your adventures, and I hope someday we’ll see you piloting the TARDIS once again.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Doctor Who are now streaming on Disney+.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
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