The Bi-Regeneration Game: an article by GF Willmetts (Doctor Who).
The concept of two Doctors co-existing in the same reality draws parallels to the characters Claira and Jenny, the Doctor’s daughter, who are also navigating time and space. With a multitude of time travelers resolving the universe’s issues, it’s inevitable that some will cross paths. Claira’s unique situation, being fragmented across time, raises the intriguing possibility of her encountering herself.
Observing the time vortex and actors portraying these characters from our perspective introduces a dilemma. If Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal of the Doctor isn’t well-received, there’s a contingency to bring back David Tennant and merge their narratives through a combined regeneration. However, this dual existence raises questions about how to classify their regeneration numbers. Tennant’s second portrayal is labeled as the 14th regeneration since Hartnell, but this overlooks the War Doctor, suggesting Tennant should be the 15th. This numbering dilemma extends to Gatwa’s Doctor, pondering whether he should be considered the 15th or 16th regeneration and if an ‘a’ suffix is appropriate. Moreover, if Gatwa’s Doctor is successful, which I hope he is globally, the existence of two Time Lords both known as ‘The Doctor’ creates a complex scenario, especially with potential bi-regenerations leading to even more iterations.
This situation mirrors the Spider-Man comics, where readers followed Peter Parker’s clone, Ben Parker, for years without realizing it. This concept, known as bi-regeneration, has been explored in other media as well.
In ‘Farscape’ (1999-2003), John Crichton co-existed with his clone, leading to divergent adventures when the crew split. Tragically, the clone who developed a relationship with Aeryn Sun was killed, making it difficult for her to accept the original Crichton, as they didn’t share the same experiences. This storyline emphasizes that being clones doesn’t equate to being identical.
Time Lords are believed to possess some level of extra-sensory perception. This was demonstrated when the Doctor erased Donna Noble’s memories. It stands to reason that if a merger between the Tennant and Gatwa Doctors were to occur, they might be able to share memories, further complicating their narratives.
The concept of bi-regeneration, inadvertently triggered by the Toymaker, is not a typical occurrence but rather a rumored possibility among Time Lords. It’s believed that interference with the regeneration process could lead to this phenomenon, which is akin to having twins or clones living independently. Unless this is also a time anomaly that allows for a merging back into a single individual, we may now be facing the prospect of two Doctors co-existing and developing diverging histories, becoming more distinct as individuals the longer they are apart.
This scenario opens up a myriad of possibilities. For example, one of the Doctors could be completely annihilated, much like the War Chief in ‘The War Games’, without causing uproar among fans since another Doctor would still exist. Furthermore, who’s to say that the Tennant Doctor couldn’t regenerate into the Gatwa Doctor, or vice versa, before undergoing another regeneration? The more I ponder this, the more possibilities emerge. The Tennant Doctor is perplexed by his choice to take on a previous incarnation’s appearance, suggesting that there may be more complexities at play. We also have to consider instances like the Master maintaining a similar appearance across several regenerations, or Romana, who experimented with different looks within the TARDIS before settling on her second appearance.
If the two Doctors continue to co-exist and intersect occasionally, it paves the way for another female regeneration and the possibility of an Asian or Oriental Doctor. However, introducing an alien-looking Doctor with, for instance, green or blue skin, raises questions about their acceptability on certain planets, like Earth, where they would stand out. It seems that pink skin is a common trait across the galaxy. An intriguing test of this dynamic would be if the Gatwa Doctor were to visit significant historical periods, such as 1955 or the time of Rosa Parks, and how he navigates the challenges posed by human racism. Would scriptwriter Russell T. Davies dare to explore this avenue?
It remains somewhat perplexing how recent regenerations of the Doctor have conveniently come with a change of clothes. For instance, actor David Tennant in actress Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor attire, albeit briefly, suggests there might be more to this phenomenon. Considering writer Russell T. Davies is overseeing the entire 60-year mythology of ‘Doctor Who’, it’s possible we might see new interpretations or revivals of past elements. One such unexplained element is the ‘watcher’ transition between the Tom Baker Doctor and the Davison Doctor – a ghostly figure of the future Doctor, not yet fully formed or possessing a distinct personality.
The revelation that the Doctor is not purely Gallifreyan, but rather a prototype orphan from elsewhere, whose biology was adopted by the Gallifreyans to extend their own lives and gain other qualities (likely related to temporal energy), adds another layer of complexity. The Time Lords, perhaps learning from their own mistakes, limited themselves from interfering with history. There are certain pivotal events they must not disrupt, as such interference could radically alter reality. An example is their attempt to send the Doctor back in time to prevent the Daleks’ creation. The Doctor hesitated, recognizing that despite their malevolence, the Daleks’ actions unintentionally forged alliances among other species. His compromise was to introduce a flaw in the Daleks, ensuring their victories would be temporary, at least until the Time War.
This points out that, although the Time Lords were displeased when the Hartnell Doctor and Susan fled Gallifrey, in many ways, he was fulfilling his role in history. This rationale presumably applies to other Time Lords like the Monk, the War Chief, the Master, Romana, and the Rani, suggesting that the Time Lords struggle to control their more villainous members. The Doctor’s recurring victories over these adversaries keep his timeline consistent with known events, demonstrating a form of minimal interference.
The question arises: Are the Time Lords aware of their own demise, especially since it has occurred twice now? Time travelers are said to be blind to their own futures, a safeguard against altering their own timelines. This raises intriguing questions about how this temporal blindness interacts with written records or other observers. However, as shown when the Smith Doctor learned of his impending death, knowing the future doesn’t always dictate the outcome.
The Time Lords have occasionally taken Gallifrey to another dimension for preservation and returned, indicating an understanding of how to navigate and survive specific circumstances. Why they haven’t repaired Gallifrey after the Time War, or if they’ve utilized similar tactics during the war, remains unclear. Their dealings with temporal mechanics suggest a lack of fear of death, knowing it’s not necessarily permanent.
This brings us back to the unique situation of two Doctors co-existing simultaneously. While we may primarily follow one, the possibility of occasional specials featuring the other keeps the Whoniverse dynamic and unpredictable.
Finally, understanding that the Time Lords adapted the Doctor’s regenerative abilities and twin hearts for their own extended lifespans raises questions about the limits of this technology. With a usual cap of 13 regenerations, it’s intriguing to consider how much further this ability could be extended.
In this regard, the Master is nearly as exceptional as the Doctor. He has been granted extended lives and possesses the ability to regenerate and transfer his personality into a non-Gallifreyan body, as seen with Tremas, until he was, presumably, given a clone body of his own. The Master has also demonstrated the ability to take over a variety of other species’ bodies, including humans, indicating his distinctiveness among Time Lords. This raises the question of whether other Time Lords, including rogues like the Monk and the Rani, have ever had the desire or knowledge to achieve such longevity.
Given his past connection with a younger Doctor, including periodic regenerations and memory loss at the Gallifreyan academy, it seems they share more commonalities than just being opposites. For instance, the Master once extended his consciousness across a planet’s population, suggesting he might also be capable of bi-regeneration. However, whether his ego would allow him to exist as more than one entity remains debatable, but it is a possibility worth considering. Especially noteworthy is the Master’s transformation into Missy, which was followed by the Doctor’s own female incarnation. The Time Lords’ efforts to preserve the Master’s existence could imply a desire to incorporate his unique physiology into their gene pool, especially before the Time War. Nonetheless, they likely hope that his malevolent traits are not an inherent part of his abilities.
It seems unlikely that the Doctor would possess a similar capability for body transition as the Master. Being the original, he/she doesn’t require such measures. As evidenced by bi-regeneration, the Doctor already has alternative means of survival.
Regeneration has taken on new significance in the series, representing a new era of possibilities. Whether the transformation is smooth or tumultuous, the Doctor has the potential to endure indefinitely.
GF Willmetts
16 December 2023
