Billie Piper Returns as Doctor Who? Fans Split Over Controversial Regeneration
The Season 2 finale ended with something no one expected: the Doctor's sixteenth incarnation turned out to be Rose Tyler. Here is what that means and why it left fans disappointed.
On May 31, the final episode of the second season of Doctor Who was released. It featured another regeneration of the Time Lord. Unexpectedly, the sixteenth incarnation turned out to be one of the Doctor's companions – Rose Tyler.
It Is Not Yet Confirmed That Rose Tyler Is the New Doctor
Billie Piper played Rose Tyler in Seasons 1 and 2 of the previous reboot. Piper also made a brief appearance in the fourth series and in a special issue dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Rose will be the next Doctor. The credits only stated the following: “Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper.”
Piper asked fans to wait for an official explanation of what such an unusual regeneration means. The actress commented:
“I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see.”
Ncuti Gatwa Had One of the Shortest Tenures as Doctor Who
Even before the premiere of Season 2, there were rumors that Ncuti Gatwa would leave the series. The actor played the Doctor for only 18 months across two seasons – the shortest tenure since Christopher Eccleston. Gatwa said goodbye to the role:
“I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have.”
The numbers for the two seasons of Doctor Who dipped, according to Deadline. Season 15's weekly ratings averaged 800,000 fewer viewers than Season 14, and compared to Season 13, when Jodie Whittaker played the Doctor, the show lost about 2 million viewers.
Fans Love Rose, but Many See This Twist as a Desperate Attempt to Boost Ratings
Rose's appearance has sparked mixed reactions among fans. Some believe it's a desperate attempt by the creators to boost the show's ratings. Redditor OnebJallecram wrote:
“Even if she's not the new Doctor it's desperate and cynical stunt casting. The show is not moving forward if it's regularly bringing back the show's stars from 20 years ago.”
Some believe that the idea of Rose becoming the new Doctor contradicts the show's core concept. Reddit user Normal-Mountain-4119 commented:
“Doctor who is supposed to be about change, it's supposed to constantly evolve and that's what regeneration was BUILT to represent. Using it as a cheap hook to further self cannibalise the show and cling to the past is borderline blasphemous to me.”
In any case, we will only be able to draw definitive conclusions when Billie Piper's role is revealed. For now, we can only wait for the official announcement.
