The season finale of Doctor Who, “The Reality War,” was shocking for many reasons. However, the biggest surprise involved an appearance by actress Billie Piper, who played Ninth and Tenth Doctor companion Rose Tyler. The implication was that she would be the next Doctor. However, there are reasons to doubt this is the case.
‘The Reality War’ ended with the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) sacrificing the life force of his current incarnation. He did this to save the life of a young girl whose existence was born of a paradox. Rather than facing his death with fear, Fifteen celebrated how joyful his existence had been, regenerating while facing a star that had once been a friend. When the energy faded, however, a new figure, played by Billie Piper, was standing in Fifteen’s place. This seemed to imply that Billie Piper would be playing the Last of the Time Lords.
However, in the closing credits, Billie Piper was credited with the line “And Introducing Billie Piper.” Traditionally, when a new actor takes over the role of the Doctor, they are credited “And Introducing (Name) as The Doctor.” This was how Ncuti Gatwa was credited for his first appearance as Fifteen in ‘The Giggle.’ This raises the question of who else Billie Piper might be, if not the latest incarnation of the Last of the Time Lords.
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Billie Piper’s other roles in Doctor Who
While best known for playing Rose Tyler, Piper did play another important role in Doctor Who history. She also played the Moment, the sentient doomsday weapon from the 50th Anniversary special, ‘The Day of The Doctor.’ The Moment had the power to alter reality, but whoever used it would have to pay a terrible price. The War Doctor had intended to use the Moment to end the Time War. Instead, the Moment showed him his future incarnations, inspiring him to find another way. He did, but was still left thinking he had destroyed the Time Lords and Daleks to save reality.
The Moment told the War Doctor they had taken the form of someone important from their past. They then admitted they may have chosen a form from his future, as “I always get those two mixed up.” The Moment remembered the face belonged to Rose Tyler or the Bad Wolf, but seemed confused on this point as well.
This conversation suggests several possibilities for Billie Piper’s new role in Doctor Who. She could be the Moment, stepping in to deal with the damage caused by the Fifteenth Doctor altering reality. She could also be Rose Tyler in her Bad Wolf form, which possessed similar powers. In any case, the fact that Billie Piper is not specifically introduced as the Sixteenth Doctor suggests something unusual is in the works.
Doctor Who: Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.
