Many actors over the decades have portrayed the various regenerations of the Doctor, protagonist of the legendary sci-fi series Doctor Who. However, out of all the many Doctors in the series’ history, few are as beloved by fans of the show as the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant.
After the regeneration of Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor at the end of the revived series’ first season, Tennant received his first full episode as the Doctor in “The Christmas Invasion” — the first of what would be many Christmas specials in the years to come. And while the episode may not be a masterpiece on the same level as later Tenth Doctor adventures like “Blink,” “Midnight,” or “The Waters of Mars,” it’s still a fun, memorable story that does a wonderful job establishing the character of Tennant’s Doctor. So in honor of both the holiday season and Tennant’s triumphant return to Doctor Who for its upcoming 60th anniversary, it’s time to look back at “The Christmas Invasion” and analyze why it’s such a perfect introduction for the Tenth Doctor.
Horror for the Holidays
“The Christmas Invasion” is a somewhat unorthodox debut for the series’ new star, as the Tenth Doctor is absent from the bulk of the episode. Falling ill after his regeneration, the Doctor spends much of the story unconscious. Instead, the focus falls on the Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). Just as she did in the revived series’ first episode, Rose serves as the lens through which the audience views the new Doctor. She reacts to the newly regenerated Doctor with confusion, doubt, and fear, unsure whether this new Doctor is truly the same man she’d grown to love traveling with. In this way, Rose reflects the skepticism that viewers at the time surely felt over Tennant’s replacement of Eccleston.
However, the decision to put the Doctor out of action doesn’t just benefit the episode from a metatextual perspective. With the Doctor unable to fulfill his usual duties as Earth’s defender, the warmongering aliens known as the Sycorax are able to launch their invasion of Earth unopposed. Hypnotizing a third of the world’s population, the Sycorax hold over two billion lives for ransom as they demand humanity’s surrender. Not only do these events lend the episode an air of palpable dread, they’re also significant for publicly revealing the existence of aliens to the world — a major event within the series’ continuity.
Throughout the episode, the tension ramps up higher and higher as the Sycorax become poised to conquer the planet. Rose watches helplessly as the invaders threaten humanity, desperately begging the Doctor to wake up. It’s a chilling look at what happens when Earth is in danger and the Doctor isn’t there to save the day. The danger comes to a head as Rose is taken captive by the Sycorax along with her family and allies. With our heroes powerless to fight back, all seems to be lost for humanity. Until, that is, a familiar face steps out of the TARDIS. All the tension in the episode is defused once the fully recovered Tenth Doctor effortlessly takes control of the situation, casually rambling on as he foils the Sycorax’s schemes with perfect ease.
The Doctor then challenges the Sycorax leader to a duel for the fate of Earth, defeating the seemingly invincible invaders with a swashbuckling swordfight. In this one scene, Tennant establishes that he’s a very different sort of Doctor than his predecessor. While Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor was certainly not without his upbeat, fun-loving side, he was also prone to being brooding, bitter, and short-tempered. By contrast, the Tenth Doctor quickly proves to be a whimsical, eccentric, and talkative fellow. In a single scene, he asks the Sycorax to wait patiently as he talks to his companions, complains that his new regeneration isn’t ginger, and even quotes The Lion King while attempting to make an inspiring speech.
New Face, Same Doctor
This regeneration is immediately established to be far more humorous in personality than the previous Doctor, but certainly no less competent. However, at the end of his duel with the Sycorax leader, the cracks in the Tenth Doctor’s bubbly facade begin to show. When the Sycorax leader attempts to stab the Doctor in the back after losing the duel, the Doctor casually retaliates by knocking him off the ship. “No second chances. I’m that sort of a man,” he coldly declares as his foe falls to his death.
Soon after, when the Sycorax ship flees Earth, the Doctor is appalled to see Prime Minister Harriet Jones order an attack on the ship, destroying it before it can escape. In an instant, the Doctor goes from treating Jones as a trusted friend to calling her a murderer and a monster with brutal vitriol. He even threatens to destroy Jones’ administration if she continues to oppose him. And with only six words — “Don’t you think she looks tired?” — he stokes the flames of paranoia, starting a narrative that Jones is in poor health and unfit for office.
Underneath his cheerful, comedic exterior, the Tenth Doctor quickly proves to have a ruthless, calculating side as well. And despite his benevolent intentions, he’s also capable of being proud and self-righteous, reacting cruelly to those who question his judgment — a motif that becomes increasingly prominent in later seasons. Still, the Doctor remains a hero in the end, and the episode concludes with him enjoying a warm and happy Christmas dinner with Rose and her family. Despite his new face, he’s still the same Doctor, and he still loves his companions dearly.
While it may seem at first to just be a standard Doctor Who episode with seasonal trappings, “The Christmas Invasion” is so much more. By placing the Doctor out of commission for most of the episode, it eases the impact of the regeneration and builds up suspense, making the Doctor’s eventual return hit even harder. And more importantly, the episode’s finale tells the audience everything they need to know about the Tenth Doctor. It establishes both his dorky, adventurous personality and the darker side lurking underneath. But ultimately, the viewer is left reassured that despite the new look, this is still the same strange, compassionate, brilliant Doctor they know and love. And when all those factors come together, the result is the perfect introductory episode to one of the series’ most iconic Doctors.