History Recap / TheNightOfTheDoctor

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!!Tropes:
* BlingOfWar: The first thing the "War Doctor" does after regenerating is to put on a bandoleer.
* CombatMedic: The newly regenerated Doctor is now known as "The War Doctor" in the end credits.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: The woman the Eighth Doctor tries to save basically does this to him, because he's a Time Lord and appears to her to be no different from a Dalek. When he says he won't leave her to die, she replies that she'd rather die knowing that he'd die with her because of the reputation of his species alone.
* FutureMeScaresMe: The Eighth Doctor doesn't exactly know what his next incarnation will be like, only that it will be truly monstrous.
* SadisticChoice: The Eighth Doctor is dying. He must choose to regenerate into a true warrior to save the universe or die and doom the universe to follow him.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: The Eighth Doctor refers to the Elixir of Immortality brewed by the Sisterhood of Karn as "The Elixir of Eternal Boredom".

The Night of the Doctor is a DoctorWho mini-episode written by Creator/StevenMoffat, which was put up by the BBC on 14 November 2013. It is a prequel to the Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor. As this was ''just'' released, many spoilers are below, but marked where especially appropriate.

It can be viewed [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo here]].

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* AchillesInHisTent: [[spoiler: Up until the death of Cass, the Doctor had refused to participate in the Time War - it takes her death, and the hatred she shows the Doctor because he is a Time Lord, that convinces him that the War must end ''NOW''.]]
* [[spoiler: ApocalypseHow]]: It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: the Time War is beginning to tear the universe itself apart.]]
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler:PaulMcGann shows up as the Eighth Doctor...only to regenerate into JohnHurt's Doctor six minutes later.]]
* BaitAndSwitch: The minisode begins like a typical Doctor Who romp, with the Doctor arriving to save the crashing ship and finding himself impressed by Cass' bravery in teleporting the rest of her crew away, with Cass mentioning she only joined the gunship crew because she wanted to see the universe... then Cass sees the TARDIS, identifies the Doctor as a Time Lord, and her mood sours considerably.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Cass doesn't survive the spaceship crash, and due to injuries, the Doctor regenerates into the War Doctor. Considering what THAT implies, this might actually be a DownerEnding.]]
* BookEnds: [[spoiler: [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie Much like in the TV movie]], where Sylvester [=McCoy=] briefly reprises his role as 7 only to regenerate into Paul's incarnation, Paul himself has a brief appearance in this special prior to his regeneration into John Hurt's version.]]
* TheBusCameBack: The first televised appearance of [[spoiler: the Eighth Doctor]] since [[spoiler: his single television appearance in 1996, a gap of 17 years!]]
* [[spoiler: CallForward: ''"Will it [[JohnHurt Hurt]]?"'']]
* CasualDangerDialogue: As per the norm, the Doctor isn't really that put out by the burning, crashing ship.
-->'''Cass''': Where are we going?
-->'''Doctor''': Back of the ship.
-->'''Cass''': Why?
-->'''Doctor''': Because the front crashes first, think it through.
* CanonImmigrant: [[spoiler: The Eighth Doctor mentions his companions from ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho''.]]
* ContinuityNod:
** The Doctor saying goodbye to previous companions to himself, [[spoiler: namechecking AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho companions Charley, C'rizz, Lucie, Tamsin, and Molly, making the BFA Adventures canon to the television continuity! Except that Doctor Who doesn't really have a canon at all, so it's a moot point.]]
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius The Sisterhood]] makes a return appearance.
** The Doctor's new costume is [[spoiler: a mix of his TV movie outfit and his darker look from AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho's Dark Eyes.]]
** The Doctor yells "Get out! GET OUT!" exactly like he did in AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho's Dark Eyes.
** [[spoiler: The Eighth Doctor started out as an amnesiac who asked who he was. He dies by choosing who he regenerates into.]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to [[spoiler: the last time the Eighth Doctor appeared.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Upon learning that he has four minutes of life left:
-->'''The Doctor:''' Four minutes? That's ''ages''! What if I get bored and I need a television or a couple of books? Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting.
* {{Deconstruction}}: Cass' meeting with the Doctor plays out like a very typical introduction to a new companion, right up to the point she realises that he's a Time Lord. Then appropriately for the context, she treats him like a MonsterOfTheWeek.
** Worse. She treats him like a ''Dalek''.
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: The Doctor reaches it when Cass rejects his help simply because of who he is.]]
* DoubleMeaning / LampshadeHanging: The BBC synopsis mentioned MattSmith, DavidTennant and JohnHurt as being in "The Day of the Doctor", and that only one of the three would be featured in "Night of the Doctor". [[spoiler: When the Eighth Doctor shows up at the start of the minisode:]]
--> [[spoiler: '''The Eighth Doctor:''' I'm a Doctor. Though, probably not the one you're expecting.]]
** Could also qualify as TakeAThirdOption.
* TheDreaded: To Cass, any Time Lord automatically qualifies.
* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler:The Time War is long past this point.]]
-->'''Doctor:''' [[spoiler:Well, look on the bright side; I'm not a Dalek!]]
-->'''Cass:''' Who can tell the difference anymore?
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall:
** [[spoiler: The Eighth Doctor telling Cass "I'm a Doctor. But probably not the one you were expecting."]]
** The Doctor is told that he has four minutes left to live with four minutes of the mini-sode left to go.
** [[spoiler: The Doctor asks "Will it Hurt?", upon preparing to regenerate, and gets a positive response. John Hurt is of course the name of the next regeneration's actor.]]
* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: The Sisterhood had all of those potions already prepared. They planned on using the Doctor to end the war, far before he crashed there. What does that means about the potion the Doctor took?]]
* [[spoiler: OhCrap: We see what happened to make The Doctor break his promise...]]
* RuleOfSymbolism: Between the Doctor [[spoiler: quoting Scripture (Luke 4:23) and holding a chalice before his imminent death, as well as the faith of the Sisterhood that he will save reality whatever it costs, of course he's still viewed as TheMessiah]].
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Cass has all the set up of becoming a companion of the Eighth Doctor, until she [[RefusalOfTheCall refuses the call]] when she sees the TARDIS and recognizes the Doctor as a Time Lord. It's then that we see exactly what the Time War has done to the universe.]]
* SenselessSacrifice: Invoked by the Doctor. He refuses to leave Cass' crashing ship without her, while she refuses to accompany a Time Lord. [[spoiler: The Doctor, true to his character, doesn't budge]].
* SoundtrackDissonance: The ending music, as we get the reveal of The War Doctor is triumphant and upbeat -- but [[DramaticIrony the audience already knows that this incarnation is viewed as something far less than triumphant by his other incarnations.]]
* StartOfDarkness: We get to see [[spoiler:what happened to make the Doctor betray his self-given name and "break the promise".]]
* StockFootage: [[spoiler: The reflection at the end is an image of a much younger John Hurt.]]
* UnexpectedCharacter: [[spoiler: The Eighth Doctor returns.]]
* WarIsHell: This episode takes place [[spoiler:well within the Time War between Daleks and Time Lords. And whatever is happening, the whole universe is suffering for it to the point where Cass refuses to save her own life if it means getting into a TARDIS with a Time Lord...]]
* WhamEpisode: For a mini-episode, this one packs ''a wallop''.
* WhamLine: Arguably almost anything the Doctor says in this minisode, but especially [[spoiler: "Physician, heal thyself" (a reference to Literature/TheBible, specifically Luke 4:23) or "Make me a Warrior now".]]
** Also [[spoiler: "The Doctor, no more"]]
** One of the first lines of the minisode: [[spoiler: I'm a Doctor. Though probably not the one you were expecting.]]
* WhoWantsToLiveForever
-->'''The Doctor:''' It's you, isn't it? The sisterhood of Karn, keepers of the flame of utter boredom.
-->'''Sister:''' Eternal life!
-->'''The Doctor:''' That's the one.

** The Doctor saying goodbye to previous companions to himself, [[spoiler: namechecking AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho companions Charley, C'rizz, Lucie, Tamsin, and Molly, making the BFA Adventures canon to the television continuity!]]

* DoubleMeaning / LampshadeHanging: The BBC synopsis mentioned MattSmith, DavidTennant and JohnHurt as being in "The Day of the Doctor", and that only one Doctor would be featured in "Night of the Doctor". [[spoiler: When the Eighth Doctor instead shows up at the start of the minisode:]]

-->'''TheDoctor:''' It's you, isn't it? The sisterhood of Karn, keepers of the flame of utter boredom.

-->'''TheDoctor:''' That's the one.

** One of the first lines of the minisode: [[spoiler: I'm a Doctor. Though probably not the one you were expecting.]]

* DoubleMeaning: The BBC synopsis mentioned MattSmith, DavidTennant and JohnHurt as being in "The Day of the Doctor", and that only one Doctor would be featured in "Night of the Doctor". [[spoiler: When the Eighth Doctor instead shows up at the start of the minisode:
--> '''The Eighth Doctor:''' I'm a Doctor. Though, probably not the one you're expecting.]]

** Also [[spoiler: "The Doctor, no more"]]

* [[spoiler: ApocalypseHow]]: It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: The Time War is beginning to tear the universe itself apart.]]

* BaitAndSwitch: The minisode begins like a typical Doctor Who romp, with the Doctor arriving to save the crashing ship and finding himself impressed by Cass' bravery in teleporting the rest of her crew away, with Cass mentioning she only joined the gunship crew because she wanted to see the universe...[[spoiler: then Cass sees the TARDIS, identifies the Doctor as a Time Lord, and her mood sours considerably]].

** The Doctor's new costume is [[spoiler: a mix of his TV movie outfit and his darker look from BigFinishDoctorWho's Dark Eyes.]]

-->'''The Doctor:''' Four minutes? That's ages! What if I get bored and I need a television or a couple of books? Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting.

* CasualDangerDialogue: As per the norm, the Eighth Doctor isn't really that put out by the burning, crashing ship.

-->'''Eight''': Back of the ship.

-->'''Eight''': Because the front crashes first, think it through.

* CasualDangerDialogue: As per the norm, the Eighth Doctor is really that put out by the burning, crashing ship.

** The Doctor yells "Get out! GET OUT!" exactly like he did in BigFinishDoctorWho's Dark Eyes.
** [[Spoiler: The Eighth Doctor started out as an amnesiac who asked who he was. He dies by choosing who he regenerates into.]]

* EvilVersusEvil: The Time War is long past this point.
-->'''Doctor:''' Well, look on the bright side; I'm not a Dalek!

* Call Forward: ''"Will it [[JohnHurt Hurt]]?"''
* CanonImmigrant: The Eighth Doctor mentions his companions from ''BigFinishDoctorWho''.

* WhamLine: Arguably almost anything the Doctor says in this minisode, but especially [[spoiler: "Physician, heal thyself" (a reference to TheBible, specifically Luke 4:23) or "Make me a Warrior now".]]