Over the last few months, the Doctor Who fandom has learned more about next year’s 60th-anniversary celebrations than we have Jodie Whittaker’s incoming final episode. Ever since Ncuti Gatwa was officially cast as our next Doctor, not to mention David Tennant was confirmed to return as his incarnation of the Time Lord, earlier this year, news on the incoming special — released in conjunction with the BBC’s Centenary — has slipped into the background.
But with the Thirteenth Doctor’s demise due next month, we’re finally starting to find out more about the sure-to-be unmissable episode. Thanks to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, we, at last, know what the Centenary special is called. Ready? The official title is… “The Power of the Doctor.”
That’s a name that should satisfy fans as it echoes a bundle of previous episodes. For one, it recalls “The Power of the Daleks,” the first story of Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor in 1966. It likewise evokes “The Time of the Doctor,” the final episode of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor in 2013. On the other hand, Chris Chibnall’s era as showrunner has included a number of episodes with nostalgic titles — see “Revolution of the Daleks” and “Ascension of the Cybermen” — so some folks might have preferred something fresher.
Regardless of your thoughts on the title, “The Power of the Doctor” has a lot going for it. As the first-look trailer released after spring special “Legends of the Sea Devils” revealed, the Thirteenth Doctor finale will bring back not just Sacha Dhawan’s Master but also classic companions Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) for the first time since the 1980s.
Prepare to say goodbye to Thirteen when Doctor Who: “The Power of the Doctor” premieres sometime this October.