Matt Smith’s regeneration contained a hugeDoctor WhoEaster egg that connected the franchise’s past and present in witty and poignant fashion. When Matt Smith departed the TARDIS at the end of 2013, he tied off various unresolved plot threads before he went, asDoctor Whorevealed that the cracks in time, the Silence, Trenzalore, and other long-running mysteries had all been connected to the pending return of Gallifrey after the Time War. Eleven died trying to prevent a repeat of that conflict, and the Time Lords grantedthe Doctor a new regeneration cycleas a reward.
WhenDoctor Whoreturned in 2005, Gallifrey was thought destroyed as a consequence of the Doctor ending the Time War.Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” confirmed Gallifrey’s survival, but went no further. Matt Smith’s final episode, “The Time of the Doctor,” subsequently revealed that the Time Lords were patiently waiting behind the cracks in time before resurfacing, and the Doctor was responsible for giving them the signal to cross through. In reconnecting with the Time Lords, however,Doctor Whoalso found a wonderful way to reference a classicadventure.
The Eleventh Doctor Used The Seal He Got In “The Five Doctors” During His Regeneration Episode
Always Keep A Spare Seal Handy
In order to translate the message being broadcast across universes by Gallifrey,the Doctor utilized Handles, his trusty beheaded Cyberman companion, combined with the Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey. Viewers unfamiliar withDoctor Who’s classic era would likely assume this seal was just one of many random Gallifreyan relics strewn around the TARDIS' corridors. In truth, the circular treasure actually has an onscreen history fromDoctor Who’s past.
“The Five Doctors” aired in 1983 as a celebration ofDoctor Who’s 20th anniversary, and while it technically included the titular Time Lord’s first five iterations, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee were the only returningDoctor Whoactors. The plot involved the different Doctors, their companions, and the Master being dumped into Gallifrey’s Death Zone. To prove he was being sent as an ally to the Doctor,the Master was given the Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey to signify his allegiance.
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Upon encountering the Master and being presented with this proof,the Third Doctor decided his nemesis must have stolen the seal, confiscated the artifact, and promised to return itto the Time Lords. Clearly, that never happened, as when the Eleventh Doctor used the seal to translate the Time Lords' message in “The Time of the Doctor” 30 years later, he briefly acknowledged, “nicked it off the Master in the Death Zone.”
Why The Doctor Never Returned The Seal To Gallifrey
Did The Doctor Keep It For A Reason?
The Eleventh Doctor never explained why he kept the Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey, but doing so meshes nicely with the Doctor’s established personality. Similar questions have been asked over the past 60 years: “why doesn’t the Doctor fix the TARDIS' chameleon circuit?““Why doesn’t the Doctor visit Susan and his children?” The surface answer is thatthe Doctor is always moving from one adventure to the next, brazenly putting more mundane activities like TARDIS maintenance, visiting family, and returning lost objects on the eternal backburner.
Eleven realized very quickly that the seal could help him translate Gallifrey’s message… almost as if he was waiting for the day he could put it to use.
Usually, however, there is a deeper reason behind the Doctor’s apparent laziness. The Time Lord doesn’t visit Susan because he’s secretly scared. The Doctor doesn’t fix the chameleon circuit because he’s fond of the police box design. It is, therefore, possible that not returning the Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey also had a hidden motivation. Perhapssomething inside the Doctor’s mind told him the item would one day prove useful. Eleven realized very quickly that the seal could help him translate Gallifrey’s message in “The Time of the Doctor” - almost as if he was waiting for the day he could put it to use.
Referencing “The Five Doctors” Made Matt Smith’s Regeneration Even Better
A True Past-Meets-Present Moment For Doctor Who
Matt Smith’s transformation into Peter Capaldi was even more significant toDoctor Wholore than prior regenerations, as it marked the first complete cycle ending.Eleven brought one era to a close, and Twelve began a whole new line. Because of that, calling back to Jon Pertwee andDoctor Who’s “The Five Doctors"was a poignant way of paying tribute to classic Doctors who were part of a regeneration cycle about to be closed off forever.
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Had Eleven not found the Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey, he may not have discovered the Time Lords' message in time, and Trenzalore could have been obliterated.The seal’s role in saving the day almost felt like the Third Doctor reaching through time to give his older/younger self a helping hand, without which Gallifrey may not have been saved, and the Doctor may not have regenerated anew. That connection between past and present makesMatt Smith’s regenerationepisode work even better as an overall conclusion ofDoctor Who’s first regenerative cycle.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who: Doctor Who is a British sci-fi television series debuting in 1963, following The Doctor, a time-traveling alien Time Lord. The Doctor explores the universe in the TARDIS, accompanied by companions, confronting various adversaries and striving to save civilizations while addressing injustices.
