# 4 Years Ago, ‘Doctor Who’s Biggest Failure Was Just the Beginning of the End

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/4-years-ago-doctor-whos-biggest-failure-was-just-the-beginning-of-the-end/
- Published: 2026-10-23T18:00:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:16:39+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/doctor-who-the-power-of-the-doctor-failed-jodie-whittaker-4th-anniversary/
- Topics: Gaming

## Key points

- Whittaker’s final episode delivers a major battle and regeneration.
- The article says the finale relies too heavily on nostalgia.
- Thirteen and Yaz’s relationship is left unresolved.

## Summary

Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the Thirteenth Doctor, “The Power of the Doctor”, brings her era to a close with a battle against the Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen. The article argues that, despite an exciting plot and Whittaker’s strong performance, the finale underserves both the actor and the relationships that give Doctor Who its emotional core.

The Master impersonates Rasputin, joins forces with the Doctor’s enemies and tries to trigger worldwide volcanic eruptions before attempting to take over the Doctor’s body. The Doctor stops the plan but is fatally wounded and regenerates into David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor, in a moment written by returning showrunner Russell T. Davies. The special also reunites classic companions and Doctors, while the article criticises its limited development of Thirteen and Yaz’s romantic relationship.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.