Doctor Who completely rewrote the Second Doctor's regeneration, in the most incredible way. The official launch of “Whoniverse” was accompanied by an edited and recolored version of “The Daleks,” a classic story by William Hartnell. This time, it was the turn of the 1969 epic “War Games”, the final story of Second Doctor Patrick Troughton.
The colorization is absolutely incredible. The editing is a little more debatable; “The War Games” was originally ten episodes long, so a 90-minute cut was always going to be difficult. Still, the most notable thing of all is regeneration – applied by the Time Lords. This version has been intelligently edited, making it something completely new.
Modern doctor who is involved in regeneration
The regeneration sequence begins when the Time Lords put the Doctor on trial. They believe in a policy of non-interference, but the Doctor does nothing but interfere. For this crime, he will be exiled to Earth in the 20th century. Because he is known on Earth and is at risk, he will be forcibly regenerated.
“The War Games” initially shows the Doctor a series of different faces, each of which he discards. Originally, they were just random faces with no further meaning (although one of Virgin's New Adventures revealed that the dystopian “Hell” timeline was created by the Doctor choosing one of them). Now, however, they are very familiar faces – from modern society Doctor Who was. The Doctor rejects the faces and forms of Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker.
It's a clever nod (and the editing is wise to remove the moment when the doctor complains that a proposed form is “too fat”). Interestingly, the Doctor rejects Whittaker for being too young, before insisting that Smith – the most Troughtonesque Doctor, complete with bow tie – will not do at all. It seems like a subtle dig at the part of the fanbase that didn't like the idea of a female doctor and would have done it in the opposite order.
The second doctor gets a proper regeneration sequence
The Second Doctor's regeneration takes place in the TARDIS, when he is on his way to Earth. The edition reworks classic Troughton scenes into the story, with more Jon Pertwee scenes taken from “Inferno” but intelligently adapted; in fact, it was taken from a popular fan edit, making it a nice acknowledgment of the fandom itself. The regeneration effects are modern – there's the signature golden glow of regeneration since 2005 – but there are still references to classic Who.
The regeneration is accompanied by a series of flashbacks as the Second Doctor's life flashes before his eyes. It’s reminiscent of Peter Davison’s regeneration in 1984’s “The Caves of Androzani.” generally seen as one of the best and most exciting of the original series. But this is bittersweet; Troughton remembers lines in which his companion Zoe says she will never forget him. His memories were erased when the Time Lords sent the Doctor's companions back to their own times, meaning this memory must have broken the Doctor's heart. It's a powerful moment, which shows how much the Doctor cares about his friends.
The TARDIS arrives on Earth
The TARDIS is shown descending towards Earth, a very modern scene reminiscent of the opening of “Rose”. Eagle-eyed viewers will also notice a series of meteorites following the TARDIS to Earth; these contain fragments of the Nestene Consciousness and its Autons, and are set to Pertwee's first story, “Spearhead from Space”. It's a charming little nod to continuity.
The TARDIS' sensors appear to be experiencing a failure as the ship lands. The date shown on the console changes between 1970 and 1980 – a hilarious nod to a major continuity problem in the Earth stories that followed. They were originally supposed to be set in the near future (1980), but dialogue would later establish them as being set in the release date (1970). The so-called UNIT dating problem is basically irreconcilable (although that didn't stop showrunner Chris Chibnall from giving it a try in the Whittaker era). It's great to see this recognized so openly, wonderful fan service.
Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor Gets (Slightly) Better First Words
The edition gives Pertwee's Third Doctor new first words. They're not that good; “Where am I,he asks as the TARDIS materializes. Still, they're an improvement, given that his original first words were even less impressive. “Spearhead From Space” begins with the Third Doctor in the hospital looking for his shoes, as he has a spare TARDIS key inside one of them. So this is better than “Shoe. I need to find my shoes.
In short, the edition of “The War Games” is an impressive reworking of a classic Doctor Who history. Opinions differ on whether all the changes work, but the recoloring and editing has been done with the greatest love and will hopefully introduce a new generation of viewers to the Troughton era. The regeneration changes in particular are a wonderful Christmas gift from Doctor Who.