Wow...
I was aware of the rumours that Paul McGann would return as the Eighth Doctor in a minisode showing his regeneration, but I never quite believed it would actually happen. The scene that fans have been hoping to see for eight years has finally come about, as the Doctor crashes on Karn and uses the elixir to regenerate into the War Doctor.
It was great to see Paul McGann playing the Doctor on screen again for the first time since 1996. He is still the romantic, Victorian adventure, with a brilliant new costume that looks like a battle ready version of the original 1996 look. It's a frustrating reminder of what we were deprived of, thanks to the decision not to make a TV series in the late 90s.
It is largely thanks to Big Finish Audios that Paul has been able to keep playing the Doctor, so it was fitting to hear the Eighth Doctor referring to his companions from the audio plays on screen. For a certain kind of fan, this screen reference will canonise the audios. It's a delightful bit of fan service that you could only get away with in the anniversary year.
The main reason this exists is to confirm that John Hurt's "War Doctor" is a genuine incarnation of the Doctor, and not a fake or parallel universe version of the character. It would be strange for the production team to go to the trouble of filming a regeneration for a fake Doctor, but then again, it could all be part of a great deception. It will certainly be interesting to find out the truth.
This kind of thing of makes you wish for much more. Perhaps they could delay Peter Capaldi's entrance and do a series of Paul McGann adventures instead? Seriously though, this is a great present for the fans and makes the anniversary special seem more promising.
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