The past couple of years have been rather uncertain when it comes to Doctor Who, to say the least. Between gaining Chris Chibnall as a new showrunner at the same time Jodie Whittaker took over as The Doctor and all the time it's taken off recently, it's been difficult for lucky number 13 to really establish her place in the pantheon of British time-travelers. (No, that doesn't include Loki, but there are certainly some similarities.)
Now, however, it seems as though things are finally gearing up for Whittaker's last and biggest season to premiere, and they've got a whole trailer to prove it. Granted, it's a teaser trailer, but frankly that's basically the style of Doctor Who anyway. When has this show ever not been intentionally vague and confusing? That's not a dig at it, of course. It's part of its charm. But those heading into the trailer hoping to find out what's actually going to happen this season will probably leave disappointed.
The Doctor Who trailer features Whittaker's 13th Doctor alongside her companion Yasmin Khan, a.k.a. "Yaz" (arguably the current Doctor Who series' biggest standout character played by Mandip Gill), and a newcomer simply known as Dan (played by British comedian John Bishop). While no specifics are given, there are plenty of flashes showing action and a bit of the funnies interspersed with the overt assertion that this will be The 13th Doctor's "biggest adventure yet."
While Whittaker's Doctor may not have had quite the same shot as many of the previous iterations, her run has already seen a number of milestones. Aside from Whittaker herself making history as the first female Doctor, the series also doubled down by introducing Jo Martin as the second woman to play the character as well as the first Person of Color in the role (at least in terms of those appearing in the main series). Meanwhile, Sacha Dhawan also became the first Person of Color to play The Doctor's nemesis, The Master. It certainly wouldn't be unwelcome to see characters like these in their own Doctor Who spinoffs.
So Whittaker's run has certainly already made its mark on the Doctor Who franchise, and it looks as though it may make some more before her time is up. Every incarnation of The Doctor has seen their ups and downs, and 13 has been no different. Perhaps the only real difference is how little time it seems fans have had to get to know her. It's an understandably difficult job to keep, so it's hard to fault her for deciding it's time to leave the role. But another season or 2 certainly would have been welcome.
Still, it looks like Chibnall and the rest of the Doctor Who family fully intend to keep going full throttle from this point, and that's always good to see. Whittaker has given countless little girls in the famously turbulent fandom the chance to finally see themselves in their favorite series, and that alone is more than enough to cement her as a true legend. Here's hoping she gets to finish out her story in style.
Doctor Who will return later in 2021.
Source: BBC/YouTube