History Recap / DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor

* BroadStrokes: Most of the classic companions who return in this episode have their post-TARDIS histories treated as blank slates, with many details of their lives given in the ExpandedUniverse ignored, including details officially given by Creator/RussellTDavies. Ace's "[[Recap/TheSarahJaneAdventuresS4E5E6DeathOfTheDoctor A Charitable Earth]]" foundation is never mentioned, Tegan is single rather than [[Recap/TheSarahJaneAdventuresSpecialFarewellSarahJane married to Nyssa]], Mel is inexplicably back on Earth instead of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS24E4Dragonfire traveling with Sabalom Glitz]], and Ian is shown to be an elderly man, as opposed to the implication that his and Barbara's travels in the TARDIS [[Recap/TheSarahJaneAdventuresS4E5E6DeathOfTheDoctor rendered them ageless]].

** The Master demonstrates his ability to hypnotize people by staring into their eyes, a classic trait of Creator/RogerDelgado's version. He even compels one of his victims into repeating his old {{Catchphrase}}. "You are the Master, and I will obey you."
*** Later he inverts Delgado's catchphrase by proclaiming "I am the '''Doctor''' and you will obey me!"

** The special also contradicts Tegan's fate in Big Finish's audio drama ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho087TheGathering The Gathering]]'', as she was in her mid-40s at the time of that drama, which took place in 2005, and was said to be suffering from a terminal illness. Here, she's in her early 60s and there's no mention of her ever having been ill, much less terminally ill. As for her being in a same-sex relationship with fellow companion Nyssa, as stated in the lockdown special "Farewell, Sarah Jane", this too is contradicted. Tegan is single when the events of "The Power of the Doctor" take place, but mentions that she has been married twice, both times to men.

--> '''Thirteenth Doctor:''' Sorry, why are you not wearing...\\

* BatmanGrabsAGun: When [=UNIT=] has captured the Master in his lecture hall, The Doctor demands that one of the soldiers give Yaz his sidearm so that there's that much more firepower covering him.

** Both the Twelfth Doctor's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E12TheDoctorFalls regeneration]] into the Thirteenth Doctor and the Thirteenth Doctor's own regeneration are caused by something the Master did, which notably both involved the Cybermen. Likewise, the Master is last seen in both episodes blasting a Time Lady with a laser and eventually expiring themself.

** The Master, for the first time since "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E10TheTimelessChildren The Timeless Children]]", with his henchman being a clone of Ashad, the Lone Cyberman, who last appeared in the same episode. The corpse of the original Ashad is also used to summon the clone and an army of Cybermen.

*** She wears her original jacket, then goes to blow up the Daleks with her homemade explosives, and even [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks gets to hit]] ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks yet another]]'' [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks Dalek with what's implied to be]] '''''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks the same baseball bat]]'''''...

** The ''[X] of the Doctor'' title alone brings to mind the trilogy of 50th anniversary episodes that closed out Creator/MattSmith's tenure on the show ([[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]], [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor "The Day of the Doctor"]], and [[Recap/DoctorWho2013CSTheTimeOfTheDoctor "The Time of the Doctor"]]), as well as the tie-in [[Recap/DoctorWho50thPrequelTheNightOfTheDoctor minisode]] that saw Creator/PaulMcGann regenerate, and the special guest star appearance of Sir Creator/JohnHurt as an unnumbered Time War version of the Doctor who regenerated after his story received closure. Fitting then that this is the swan song for both Creator/JodieWhittaker and Creator/ChrisChibnall's time on the show and it leads into the 60th anniversary. Likewise, the "Power" prefix recalls [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E3ThePowerOfTheDaleks "The Power of the Daleks"]], the first post-regeneration story in the show's history.

->''"Right then, '[[Creator/DavidTennant Doctor]] [[TitleDrop Whoever-I'm-about-to-be]]'. [[PassingTheTorch Tag, you're it.]]"''

->''"Right then, "[[Creator/DavidTennant Doctor]] [[TitleDrop Whoever-I'm-about-to-be]]". [[PassingTheTorch Tag, you're it.]]"''

* ArmorPiercingResponse: While trapped in the invaded UNIT Base, Tegan is visited by the Hologram!Doctor, who has taken the form of the Fifth Doctor, assuring her that the Doctor remembers everything. Tegan snappily asks what being surrounded by all of these Cybermen reminds her of, with the Hologram Doctor sadly responding with "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E6Earthshock Adric]]". This instantly causes Tegan to rapidly deflate.

* WrongGenreSavvy: The Master claims that a companion of the Doctor's would never shoot people. Clearly, he's forgotten Leela and Captain Jack (and Vinder isn't a companion, anyway).

** Earlier the Master says this to Yaz when the Doctor tells her to borrow a pistol off a UNIT soldier and keep him covered. He doesn't push his luck though, as [[TrojanPrisoner he's not planning to escape yet.]]

* CrazyPrepared: UNIT have guns hidden in the floors of all their buildings, just in case it gets attacked. Doesn't do them any good, though. Ace also found them, and secretly hid her stuff there, which ends up being slightly more useful.

* ShutUpHannibal:

* PietaPlagiarism: In one of the ads for the episode, Yaz is shown holding the mortally wounded Doctor in her arms.

** The Master's plan centers on triggering a forced regeneration, and he mentions [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E7TheWarGames this having happened to the Doctor before]].

* TraintopBattle: InSpace thanks to StickyBoots.

** Dan decides to leave the crew near the beginning of the episode, having been spooked by the NearDeathExperience that he underwent whilst on the passenger train. However he turns up at the end as part of Graham's therapy group.