"Something is coming" for Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who approaches regeneration
"You can see the change in the Doctor and change in the dynamic and you just know there’s something big around the corner."
Upcoming Doctor Who special Legend of the Sea Devils has been marketed as a fun, standalone action-adventure – but with the next episode set to mark the regeneration of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, there may be more at stake than first appears.
Certainly, the series’ lead cast have noted that the looming presence of Whittaker’s exit is felt in the episode, ahead of the actor’s final appearance in the show this autumn in a special centenary episode.
"You know there’s something big about to happen," series star John Bishop said in a new BBC interview about Legend of the Sea Devils.
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"You can see the change in the Doctor and change in the dynamic and you just know there’s something big around the corner."
"We definitely get a sense that something is coming because there always is something coming when the Doctor is around!" agreed co-star Mandip Gill, who noted that the episode also leaves the romantic tension between her character Yaz and the Doctor unresolved before heading into the regeneration episode.
"Things have not been resolved by the end of the episode and I think that can be said for the relationship between Yaz and the Doctor – but also the Doctor’s history and future."
Whittaker herself was more circumspect, noting that with such a long gap between Legend of the Sea Devils and her regeneration, they hadn’t been able to go too hard on ominous teases for her exit.
"It’s interesting because time wise, it’s such a long time off [before they air],” she told the BBC.
"What's great about the standalone episodes are that if you do watch it now and then you watch another episode in autumn, you don’t need to rewatch it to understand what's happening in the next one. They are great standalone individual stories, that obviously marry all of my seasons together, build on relationships and things like that.
"But they are also these individual set pieces that can be dipped into and watched without the context of the rest of the show, which I think is really important. It shouldn’t exclude viewers and or make you feel like you need to go back and do homework to watch something!"
Still, series boss Chris Chibnall makes clear that this may be the last chance for fun and games before things get serious for the Doctor – so fans should probably expect a nod towards Whittaker’s future by the end of the episode.
"It’s a big standalone bank holiday action romp for all the family," he said. "A rollicking, swashbuckling adventure for the Doctor, Dan and Yaz with big monsters, big pirate ships, the sword fights, lots of fun, loads of action, lots of lovely jokes and a great, fun tone – before we go into the big epic battle for survival with Jodie's final episode."
Read more about Doctor Who:
- Jodie Whittaker on "revisiting" the Doctor after wrapping Doctor Who
- Jodie Whittaker to star in new Doctor Who audio drama spin-off
- Steven Moffat "can confidently say" he’s done with Doctor Who
- Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils air time and episode length confirmed
- Doctor Who’s next episode had a "mad, accelerated" production
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 17th April. All 13 series of Doctor Who are available to watch now on Prime Video – sign up for a Prime Video free trial.
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Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
