Before we meet Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth – and first ever female – Doctor, we have to make a tearful farewell to Peter Capaldi’s current version. The actor will put in his final appearance as the Time Lord in this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, “Twice Upon A Time,” which will see him team up with the First Doctor (played by Harry Potter‘s David Bradley).
In the latest issue of Empire magazine, Capaldi teased that he’s very pleased with how he bowed out of the show as it was just as “moving” and “emotional” as he could have hoped for.
“I couldn’t have wanted for a more moving and emotional end to my time as Doctor Who,” he said, adding that it was a “strange” scene to shoot, “but in a way you’ve been practicing all your life to collapse on the floor of the TARDIS. Or whatever happens! And we had a whole day to do it, which was nice.”
There are two interesting things to note here. For one, it could be telling that it took “a whole day” to film his final work on Doctor Who. The length suggests that he’ll have an extended death scene. This wouldn’t be surprising, either, as both David Tennant and Matt Smith had protracted goodbyes before they finally let rip with the regeneration energy in their last episodes.
Secondly, Capaldi might have just revealed how he’ll end the show – collapsed on the floor of the TARDIS. Previously, the modern Doctors have all died standing up, presumably because it’s more of a heroic pose. In the classic show, however, the Doctors would typically fall to the ground. Seeing as Capaldi’s era is full of nods to the Doctor Who of yesteryear, it makes sense that his incarnation would bow out in a traditional way.
One way or another, we’ll get to see how it plays out when Doctor Who returns on Christmas Day.