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 of the iconic character. 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).
We don’t know too much about it just yet, but writer Steven Moffat has previously revealed that the episode will explore how different the Doctor is now to when he first started. That’s certainly an interesting route to head down, and if recent comments from the outgoing showrunner are any indication, we should expect something pretty emotional from the upcoming instalment as well.
In a recent video message, Moffat gave a brief update on where they’re at with the special, telling fans that Peter Capaldi is going to break their hearts by the end.
“We’re still working on the Christmas special, where David Bradley returns as the First Doctor,” said the writer. “He exquisitely recreates William Hartnell’s wonderful performance from all those years ago. A recreation of such beauty and precision. And of course you’ve got Peter Capaldi in his very last go as the Doctor. He’s going to break your heart! Your heart is going to be in pieces by the end of this.”
We already knew that “Twice Upon a Time” was going to be an emotional affair, given that it’s Capaldi’s last outing as the Doctor and it’s always sad for fans to wave goodbye to the current Time Lord. But judging by Moffat’s comments here, this regeneration might really bring on the waterworks. It probably goes without saying, but we think it’s best to have a box of tissues nearby when you sit down to watch this.
The 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special will be with us on December 25th. It’ll be a bittersweet festive treat, that’s for sure, but it’s also shaping up to be one instalment of the show that you won’t want to miss.
