Ncuti Gatwa’s next multi-Doctor story faces a unique problem

Doctor Who has a long-running history of multi-Doctor stories, but Ncuti Gatwa’s version of ​​the Time Lord has a special consideration to make when embarking on this specific type of adventure. Many of the actors who played the Doctor have teamed up with other versions of the show’s protagonist, and while there’s often a time-wammy explanation for why it’s possible, it’s generally accepted as innocuous to the Doctor’s timeline. however, Gatwa’s iteration of the alien time traveler doesn’t have the same narrative freedomAnd it all comes down to something that happened at the end of Doctor WhoSpecial 60th Anniversary.

After bursting onto the scene as a result of Doctor WhoThe two-generation twist, Gatwa was the latest face of the franchise. The baton was not passed to the Fifteenth Doctor from Gatva in the show’s traditional manner, as showrunner Russell H. Davies allowed David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor to stay as an autonomous being. While it was an exciting revelation at the time, it raised many questions about the future of the show. That said, the Doctor’s past is also affected as a result of Davies’ writing choices.

Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor cannot interact with Whittaker’s Doctor or earlier without affecting Tennant’s Fourteenth

Fourteen & Fifteen share the same origin (despite now being separate beings)

When a Doctor interacts with an earlier iteration of the character, the later versions don’t remember the encounter from the perspective of their younger selves until after it’s all over. It’s a confusing narrative quirk, but it’s a compromise that must be accepted to allow these moments to happen. generally speaking, These stories don’t tend to negatively impact the Doctor’s timeline in every direction. with Doctor WhoThe Disney era, which makes huge changes to the timeline a much more likely occurrence – such as the gravity / Mavati change – future multi-Doctor stories could carry much greater risks.

Although fourteen and fifteen are now independent of one another, they share a life until the moment of bi-generation in “The Giggle.” Going back a little further, both men were once Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. So, if she were to meet her end due to an intervention gone wrong by a future Doctor such as Gutva, then David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor would certainly also disappear from existence like Gutva’s. This would also be true of any Doctor who preceded Whittaker. so too, Fourteen would gain memories of a non-fatal encounter between Fifteen and a previous Doctor.

Fourteen & Fifteen’s shared fate opens the door for Tennant’s return

The Fourteenth Doctor’s retirement may be forced to end

Davies said that David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor is happily retired from saving the universe and is focusing on a more traditional existence with Donna and The Noble. However, from a narrative perspective, It would really benefit Fourteen to assist in future multi-Doctor adventures. Giving Fifteen a helping hand during these situations would reduce the risk of the previous Doctor dying, which would wipe out everyone after them – including Fourteen and Fifteen.

For example, Gatwa’s doctor could have a chance encounter with Matt Smith’s Eleventh, and the pair could fight a deadly opponent together. Although Gatwa could technically die without also causing the loss of fourteenThe death of eleven during the fight would result in twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen being scrubbed from existence. So, Gatwa can recruit Tennant to assist. If fourteen were to decline, Gotwa’s doctor would only have to point out that they would suffer the same fate if eleven fell in battle. Three doctors are better than two, and fourteen would understand that.

Fourteen and Fifteen can interact with pre-Hartnell Doctors without affecting each other’s memories

Chris Chibnall’s Timeless Child storyline offers many exceptions to the rule

As discussed, the oldest Doctor Doctor during a team-up episode could not gain memories of the encounter until after their younger self. Otherwise, it would be a little too paradoxical for the doctor to remember doing what they did centuries before, as they were also doing it. So, Fourteen and Fifteen would both get the memory dump if the other engaged in a multi-Doctor story with a younger version of the character. Interestingly, former showrunner Chris Chibnall’s Timeless Child twist offers a way for fourteen and fifteen to have multi-Doctor stories Without influencing the other’s memories.

Chibnall’s divisive addition to the show’s canon brought the presence of countless other regenerations that came before William Hartnell’s first Doctor. Hartnell’s Time Lord is special because of being the first Doctor after Division wiped the character’s mind of all previous exploits. So, if Gatva were to interact with Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor, for example, her recollection of the adventure would not survive the eventual transition into the First Doctor. Therefore, Gotwa would not remember it either.

This would not only mean Fifteen’s only account of the story coming from his own firsthand perceptions, but Fourteen would have no memory of the events, unless he was physically present To see them themselves. Of course, there remains the risk of the junior doctor dying as a result of the team-up, which would be catastrophic. If this happened, every Doctor since then, including William Hartnell and every subsequent version, would disappear from the Doctor Who Timeline.