Doctor Who’s “The Power of the Doctor” gave Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor quite the sendoff. We weren’t surprised to see a few familiar faces (and foes like the Master and Daleks) pop back up once again. The short Doctor Who trailer let us know that Fourth Doctor companion Ace, Fifth Doctor companion Tegan, UNIT leader Kate Stewart, and recurring character Vinder would come back alongside expected companions Yaz and Dan. But the show took cameos to a whole new level this time around. We got a smorgasbord of great appearances in this episode, from former Doctors to companions that bring a smile to Classic Who fans’ eyes. Here’s all the Doctor Who cameos in the final episode for the Thirteenth Doctor.
All of the Former Doctor Cameos in the Thirteenth Doctor’s Final Episode
We knew we would see Jodie’s Doctor regenerate into the next one. But the show threw a total curveball at us (well, sort of) and made the Fourteenth Doctor… the Tenth Doctor. We do not know what the hell is going on, but what a delight to see Ten looking very perplexed. However, none of us were ready for several Classic Who Doctors making brief cameos to give Thirteen a boost of confidence and a farewell too. While stuck in sort of a Time Lord afterlife plane, she sees visions of several Doctors including the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors.
While we know the first Doctor is played by a new actor considering William Hartnell’s death, the original actors for the other Doctors do make an appearance. But wait… there’s more? While in hologram form, we get to see the Fifth and Seventh Doctors reconcile with their respective companions, Tegan and Ace. The feels came flooding with Five saying “Brave heart, Tegan” and Ace calling the Doctor “Professor.” And, we also get another appearance from Jo Martin’s fantastic Fugitive Doctor. What a joy.
Graham Comes Back to Say Goodbye to Thirteen and Yaz
Hello again Graham! His delightful encounter with Ace in the face of Daleks wasn’t one we saw coming. After leaving the TARDIS with Ryan, he’s out in the world investigating and poorly using that psychic paper. Interestingly, Ryan wasn’t with him because he was in Patagonia. It felt very strange to have a final episode for Thirteen without all of the fam there but, in real life, actor Tosin Cole is busy doing TV shows and films. Maybe Ryan will show up in a Big Finish audio soon.
The “Companions Anonymous” Crew
Fans often wonder what companions do with their lives after traveling with the Doctor. We know quite a few of them continue to investigate strange happenings, like Ace and Graham. But it must be strange to know about the vastness of time and space unlike the average bloke. So it makes sense to have former companions support group because, well, these folks all have some serious trauma. Yaz bids the Doctor a tearful farewell and joins this group along with Dan, Graham, Ace, and Tegan.
But, to our surprise, Doctor Who brought back Ian Chesterton, a First Doctor companion, along with Jo Grant (later Jones, Third Doctor) and Melanie Bush (Sixth and Seventh Doctors). Sadly, there’s an empty chair in the room that could symbolize so many folks, including Ryan, Martha Jones, or even our dearly departed Sarah Jane Smith. Can we please get some sort of special episode where they all talk about their wild experiences?
Of course, we saw the Cybermen and got a short but sweet final speech from Thirteen. The Power of the Doctor truly felt like the end of an ongoing chapter as the show moves in an unprecedented direction. Sadly, we will have to wait until November 2023 for new Doctor Who but in the meantime we can bask in the feels of seeing so many great cameos.