Doctor Who review: Two very different Doctors meet in Regeneration Impossible
By James Aggas
What happens when the Eleventh Doctor meets his immediate successor – someone that he knows couldn’t possibly exist? That’s what we find out in the new Doctor Who short story, Regeneration Impossible.
On the same day that we got the fun little video Doctors Assemble, we also got another multi-Doctor story, courtesy of Big Finish. But Regeneration Impossible is a considerably darker Doctor Who story by comparison.
The audio focuses on the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors meeting in a mortuary in Victorian London. At this point in his life, the Eleventh Doctor has only recently said goodbye to the Ponds – in fact, as far as he’s concerned, he’s completely retired and no longer gets involved. But when he detects another Time Lord in London, he naturally feels compelled to investigate.
As for the Twelfth Doctor? Despite the focus being on his regeneration, it actually takes place much earlier than you’d think. Certainly sometime before Twice Upon a Time, or even Series 10’s finale. That’s one of the things that drives Regeneration Impossible – finding out why the Twelfth Doctor is regenerating so early. But not as much as finding out how these two very different Doctors react to each other…
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Dual performance
Alfie Shaw has written an interesting little story with Regeneration Impossible. It’s not the plot that drives it, but the two Doctors meeting each other. Making sure to clearly establish where each Doctor is in their lives, Shaw helps the listener to see each Doctor through the other’s eyes.
It’s particularly fascinating to see the story from Eleven’s perspective. As far as he’s concerned, he’s the last. He knows that there can be no other Doctors after him. We didn’t see him face up to that idea until his final episode, so it’s great to get a little glimpse of that in this story. It’s also great to hear him meet Twelve and gradually discover exactly what he’s got to look forward to.
What really stands out about this little audio though is Jacob Dudman’s performance. Rather than simply narrate the story, he voices both the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors. Yes, one impression is stronger than the other, due to Dudman’s young voice being more naturally suited to Smith’s than to Capaldi’s. But it’s still enjoyable to hear his take on Twelve, especially when hearing him argue with Eleven. These are two very different incarnations, and those differences are highlighted in Dudman’s dual performance.
Overall, Regeneration Impossible is an impressive little short story. It does a decent job of capturing something of both the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors’ eras and gives us an impressive performance by Jacob Dudman as well. Another enjoyable little listen.
Next. Multi-Doctor short Doctors Assemble is a bit of silly fun. dark
Have you listened to Regeneration Impossible? Did you find it to be an enjoyable Short Trip? What do you think of the idea of Eleven meeting Twelve? Let us know in the comments below.