Doctor Who has a long-running history of multi-Doctor stories, but Ncuti Gatwa’s version of the Time Lord has a special consideration to make when embarking on this specific type of adventure. Many actors who have played the Doctor have teamed up with other versions of the show’s protagonist, and while there’s often a timey-wimey explanation for why it’s possible, it’s generally accepted as harmless to the Doctor’s timeline. However, Gatwa’s iteration of the alien time traveler doesn’t have the same narrative freedom, and it all comes down to something that happened at the end of Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary specials.
After bursting onto the scene as a result of Doctor Who‘s bi-generation twist, Gatwa has gone on to be the latest face of the franchise. The baton wasn’t passed to Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor in the show’s traditional manner, as showrunner Russell T Davies allowed David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor to remain as an autonomous being. While it was an exciting revelation at the time, it has gone on to raise many questions about the show’s future. That being said, the Doctor’s past has also been affected as a result of Davies’ writing choices.
Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor Can’t Interact With Whittaker’s Doctor Or Earlier Without Also Affecting Tennant’s Fourteenth
Fourteen & Fifteen share the same origin (despite now being separate beings)
Whenever a Doctor interacts with an earlier iteration of the character, the later versions don’t remember the encounter from the perspective of their younger selves until after it’s all over. It’s a confusing narrative quirk, but it’s a compromise that must be accepted to allow the moments to happen. Generally speaking, the stories don’t tend to negatively impact the Doctor’s timeline in either direction. With Doctor Who‘s Disney era making huge changes to the timeline a much more likely occurrence – such as the gravity/mavity change – future Multi-Doctor stories could carry with them much greater risks.
Although Fourteen and Fifteen are now independent of one another, they share a life up until the moment of bi-generation in “The Giggle.”
Although Fourteen and Fifteen are now independent of one another, they share a life up until the moment of bi-generation in “The Giggle.” Going back a little further, both men were once Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. So, if she were to meet her end due to an intervention gone wrong from a future Doctor such as Gatwa, then David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor would surely also vanish from existence as well as Gatwa’s. This would be true for any Doctor that preceded Whittaker too. Similarly, Fourteen would gain memories of a non-fatal encounter between Fifteen and a previous Doctor.
Fourteen & Fifteen’s Shared Fate Opens The Door For Tennant’s Return
The Fourteenth Doctor’s retirement may be forced to end
Davies has stated that David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor is happily retired from saving the universe and is focusing on a more traditional existence with Donna and the Nobles. However, from a narrative perspective, it would actually benefit Fourteen to assist in future multi-Doctor adventures. Lending Fifteen a helping hand during these situations would reduce the risk of the earlier Doctor perishing, which would wipe out everyone after them – including Fourteen and Fifteen.
For example, Gatwa’s Doctor could have a chance encounter with Matt Smith’s Eleventh, and the pair could fight a deadly opponent together. Although Gatwa could technically die without also causing the loss of Fifteen, the death of Eleven during the fight would result in Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen being scrubbed from existence. So, Gatwa could recruit Tennant to assist. If Fifteen were to refuse, then Gatwa’s Doctor would need only to point out that they share the same fate if Eleven were to fall in battle. Three Doctors are better than two, and Fourteen would understand that.
Fourteen & Fifteen Can Interact With Pre-Hartnell Doctors Without Affecting Each Other’s Memories
Chris Chibnall’s Timeless Child storyline offers many exceptions to the rule
As discussed, the oldest present Doctor during a team-up episode doesn’t gain memories of the encounter until after their younger self departs. Otherwise, it would be a little too paradoxical for the Doctor to remember doing what they did centuries earlier, as they were also doing it. So, Fourteen and Fifteen would both receive this memory dump if the other engaged in a multi-Doctor story with a younger version of the character. Interestingly, former showrunner Chris Chibnall’s Timeless Child twist offers a way for Fourteen and Fifteen to have multi-Doctor stories without influencing the other’s memories.
Chibnall’s divisive addition to the show’s canon brought about the presence of countless other regenerations that came before William Hartnell’s First Doctor.
Chibnall’s divisive addition to the show’s canon brought about the presence of countless other regenerations that came before William Hartnell’s First Doctor. Hartnell’s Time Lord is special due to being the first Doctor after Division wiped the character’s mind of all previous exploits. So, if Gatwa were to interact with Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor, for example, her recollection of the adventure wouldn’t survive the eventual transition into the First Doctor. Therefore, Gatwa wouldn’t remember it either.
This would not only mean Fifteen’s only account of the story coming from his own firsthand perceptions, but Fourteen wouldn’t gain any memory of the events unless he was physically present to witness them himself. Of course, there remains the risk of the younger Doctor dying as a result of the team-up, which would be catastrophic. If that happened, every Doctor from then onward, including William Hartnell and each following version, would vanish from the Doctor Who timeline.
