History Recap / DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor

* CompositeCharacter: Of a sort; Rosita shows devotion to her Doctor reminiscent of Rose, displays the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Martha, and even the OnlySaneMan attitude and best friend role of Donna. The Doctor's three primary companions of the new series, all rolled into one.

%%* BackToBackBadasses: With Ten.

* FireForgedFriends: Lampshaded in the Confidential, the quickest way to get the Doctor and "the Next Doctor" cooperating in-story was to have them both recklessly tackle a monster and almost die, together, then laugh about it afterwards.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: The Doctor has heard all about the Doctor. "Bit of a legend."

* MythologyGag: The Doctor hopes he doesn't regenerate after suffering a DeathByFallingOver. "That ''would'' be embarrassing."

'''Miss Hartigan''' Destroy him!\\

** (not so accidental; see below.)

No, not the ''Time And Relative Dimension[s] In Space''. We're talking a '''[[FunWithAcronyms T]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms ethered]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms A]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms erial]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms R]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms elease]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms D]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms eveloped]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms I]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms n]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms S]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms tyle]]. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Next Doctor has made a hot air balloon out of household ingredients. Ten ''loves'' it. Nearby, the Next Doctor and Rosita are staying in a large stable, alongside the luggage and belongings of Jackson Lake, a victim of the Cybermen. As it turns out, the Cybermen have been kidnapping people in the night, with [[LadyInRed Miss Mercy Hartigan]] making damned sure that the Cybermen get their guy. And, coincidentally, Jackson Lake was their first victim.

Visiting 1851 London on Christmas Eve for the sheer hell of it, the Tenth Doctor hears someone screaming his name. Grinning madly, the Doctor speeds to the scene of trouble and finds a young woman in distress -- only to be scoffed aside by her. Instead, a guy played by Creator/DavidMorrissey shows up, claiming to be ''the Doctor!'' Ten looks at what he assumes is a future incarnation . . . but both are immediately interrupted by the trouble that united the two Doctors in the first place: a Cyberman . . . cat . . . thing called a "Cybershade". One awesomely silly chase sequence later, the pair of Doctors are fast friends and the young woman is introduced as [[MeaningfulName Rosita]], this Doctor's companion. But Ten is worried: the Next Doctor hasn't recognised him one bit. Not wanting to accidentally mess with the 1851 Doctor's fragile memory, Ten introduces himself as "[[MrSmith John Smith]]".

Chasing after the Cybershade, "John" and Next Doctor end up in a house filled with futuristic technology. Ten describes some tube-looking devices as "infostamps", and realises that [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen the alternate-universe Cybermen]] must be here in force after falling through the Void, together with some stolen Dalek technology. He also notices that Next is [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature wearing a fob watch]], and quickly puts two and two together, realising this could be him in human form . . . but no, it turns out to actually be a perfectly ordinary fob watch. Next explains that he lost his memory while "regenerating".

The Tenth Doctor begins to put things together rather quickly -- especially upon noticing the initials "JL" engraved into the Next Doctor's fob watch. As it turns out, the Next Doctor isn't a Time Lord at all, but Jackson Lake himself. The Cybermen assaulted Lake one night, and Lake's panicked fumblings ended up turning an infostamp into a deadly weapon . . . but also burned quite a lot of information on the Doctor into Lake's mind. But, Ten reasons, this wasn't enough to make Jackson believe he was the Doctor . . . and he's right: in the attack, Jackson's wife was killed. Certainly more than enough to make Jackson flee reality. Understandably, [[HeroicBSOD he doesn't take this well]] -- believing he was completely a fake. The Doctor says otherwise, pointing out what Jackson's done isn't the result of the Doctor being imprinted on him, but the result of Jackson himself being awesome.

The conversation is interrupted by a commotion from outside. The Doctor and Rosita race out to see what's going on, while Jackson decides to stay behind. He figures that he's not worthy of helping the Doctor. The Doctor and Rosita find processions of children from the workhouses of London being led away by men controlled by steampunk Cyber earpods. Finally, the Doctor and Miss Hartigan come face to face, and the Cybermen update their records as to ''who'' the Doctor is with a fixed infostamp and slowly march in. Looking somewhat worried, the Doctor tries bargaining with the Cybers . . . until blasts of electricity rip into the Cybermen from offscreen, utterly destroying them. A quick turn to the source of those blasts reveals . . .

. . . Jackson Lake standing in a high position, [[BigDamnHeroes wearing a bandoleer of infostamps around his chest]] and grinning at the Doctor.

Jackson comments that he still feels like something else is missing, but he just can't sit on the sidelines while the Doctor's in danger. Finally, the Doctor, Rosita and Jackson break into the main base of the Cybermen and find out what's going on. But not before Miss Hartigan is turned into the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Cyber Leader of the Week]]. The children are being used to put the finishing touches upon what is only known as a "Cyberking", and it's just been finished. Since the Cybermen are done with the children, the facility begins to self destruct. Wasting no time, our trio begins to rush everyone out . . . and then Jackson Lake recovers another memory, and realises what was still missing: ''his son'', who was also captured by the Cybermen. Luckily, the Doctor saves the poor young Lake, and everyone escapes and has a Merry Christma--

. . .

. . . why is there a giant {{Steampunk}} robot rising up from the Thames River? Wait, ''that's'' a [[HumongousMecha Cyberking]]?

While Jackson and Rosita help everyone slowly evacuate London by running with them, the Doctor leaps into Jackson's TARDIS and flies up into the skies. He takes along a piece of Dalek technology salvaged from the Cybermen base, and the rest of those infostamps. To his surprise (and a bit of delight), Miss Hartigan is driving the Cyberking with her ''mind''. She's one of the cleverest humans that ever lived, and she's completely taken over the Cybermen with the sheer force of her own will. And now she wants to take over the world. As is the tradition for the Tenth Doctor, Ten offers the Hartigan a chance to live in peace (albeit on another planet with no life to take over) and marvels at what an extraordinary human she is. Of course, Hartigan refuses, so the Doctor blasts her with the collective group of infostamps, boosted by a handy sonic screwdriver. Rather than ''[[TechnicalPacifist directly]]'' killing Miss Hartigan, though, it [[AppliedPhlebotinum simply frees her mind from the Cyber-Conditioning she's undergone]]. Needless to say, she freaks out, the Cybermen turn against her, and the Cyberking begins to topple as she and the Cybermen slowly explode . . . and fall on top of London.

Finally, the Doctor tries to sidle off to his own TARDIS and leave, but Jackson follows. The Doctor offers to take Jackson along with him, but he only limits himself to a quick look inside the real TARDIS, which his mind can barely handle. He absolutely insists that the Doctor join the Lakes and Rosita for Christmas dinner. The Doctor tries to weasel out of it, like he does every Christmas. But Jackson is persistent enough to change the Doctor's mind, a rare feat. Wishing one another a Merry Christmas, the camera slowly moves off into the snowfall . . . which is, for once, ''actual freaking snow''.

* CosmicRetcon: According to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]], the events of this episode never existed . . . until it was most likely restored when the universe was rebooted in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang The Big Bang]]. [[TimeyWimeyBall Time travel is confusing.]]

-->'''The Doctor:''' ''[opens the door to find a Cyberman standing there]'' Okay! ''[slams door]'' . . . I think we should run.

-->'''The Doctor:''' [[PreMortemOneLiner I'm so sorry . . .]]

The one with a Cyberman kaiju.

Visiting 1851 England on Christmas Eve for the sheer hell of it, the Tenth Doctor hears someone screaming his name. Grinning madly, the Doctor speeds to the scene of trouble and finds a young woman in distress -- only to be scoffed aside by her. Instead, a guy played by Creator/DavidMorrissey shows up, claiming to be ''the Doctor!'' Ten looks at what he assumes is a future incarnation . . . but both are immediately interrupted by the trouble that united the two Doctors in the first place: a Cyberman . . . cat . . . thing called a "Cybershade". One awesomely silly chase sequence later, the pair of Doctors are fast friends and the young woman is introduced as [[MeaningfulName Rosita]], this Doctor's companion. But Ten is worried: the Next Doctor hasn't recognised him one bit. Not wanting to accidentally mess with the 1851 Doctor's fragile memory, Ten introduces himself as "[[MrSmith John Smith]]".

The one with the one that's not the one.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: In a line cut from the broadcast episode, Jackson notes that the late Reverend was famously good to children - "he'd discipline them, birch them, send them to the workhouse."
-->'''Doctor:''' [[SarcasmMode Oh, lovely. Nice man.]]

-->'''Rosita:''' You ''idiots''.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Hartigan, in one breath, explains that she joined with the Cybermen because they offered her liberation (from men, it's implied), and [[BoomerangBigot tells Rosita to be quiet because she's probably not paid to talk.]] Given the setting, there is probably some degree of racism and classism at work here as well.

* InstantAwesomeJustAddMecha: The [=CyberKing=]. It's supposed to be a ship to launch an invasion, but it's in the form of a mecha because of this trope.

** Jackson Lake's wardrobe, and, at times, haircut, resembles the Eleventh Doctor's.

->''"I'm the Doctor. Simply the Doctor! The one, the only and the best."''

-->'''Hartigan:''' [[LampshadeHanging "The Cyberking will rise"? How very like a man.]]
* ArtisticLicenseAstronomy: There was not actually a Full Moon on December 24th, 1851.

* BadassBookworm: The Next Doctor built his own TARDIS - a dirigible or [[FunWithAcronyms Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style]] - out of household items.

* ChristmasEpisode: The first Christmas Special not set in the 21st Century.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature Jackson's]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood fob]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia watch.]]

--->'''Jackson:''' Well, uh, it makes a noise. (''tap tap tap'') That's sonic, isn't it?

** Jackson Lake's wardrobe, and, at times, haircut, resembles the Eleventh's.

* ForgotTheCall: Inverted - Jackson Lake believes he's the Doctor, but is actually human.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Hartigan assumes Rosita is a prostitute when she tells her, "I doubt he paid you to talk." WordOfGod confirms it, although the outfit gives an indication. As does her statement that she was out alone, late in the night, ''at the docks'' when the man she knows as the Doctor rescued her from a Cyberman attack.

* LadyInRed: When a cleric expresses dislike of Miss. Harrington's red dress she responds, "Is it too exciting?"

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: The reason Ten doesn't press the "next" Doctor too hard on his past, is that messing with a Time Lord after regeneration amnesia is generally a bad idea.

-->'''The Doctor:''' Oh, good. (''gets a weird look'') I mean, bad.

-->'''The Doctor:''' (''opens the door to find a Cyberman standing there'') Okay! (''slams door'') . . . I think we should run.
* ThePowerOfHate: Powerful enough in fact to override Hartigan's personality erasing cybernetics. See TooSpicyForYogSothoth.
* RapeAsBackstory: This isn't spelled out (It's a ChristmasEpisode of a family show for goodness sake) but Hartigan seems to have this as her FreudianExcuse for why she's something of a [[DoesNotLikeMen misandrist]]. When the Doctor comes to stop her plot she asks him "And who are you, Sir? Another man come to assert himself against me in the night?"

* StayInTheKitchen: Jackson Lake's attitude towards Rosita, due to DeliberateValuesDissonance, is to tell her to stay with the T.A.R.D.I.S. and let him deal with the monsters alone.

* TraumaInducedAmnesia: "An info-stamp's just facts and figures, it's not enough to make a man lose his mind." After losing his wife, Jackson mentally replaced his own life story with the Doctor's.

'''The Doctor:''' [[RunningGag Just the Doctor]].

* CompositeCharacter: Rosita = Rose + Martha ("Good name"), with a temperament closer to Donna (*punch!*).

* LargeHam: David Morrissey is clearly having a lot of fun as the "Next Doctor". David Tennant looks positively tranquil next to him.

Visiting 1851 England on Christmas Eve for the sheer hell of it, the Tenth Doctor hears someone screaming his name. Grinning madly, the Doctor speeds to the scene of trouble and finds a young woman in distress -- only to be scoffed aside by her. Instead, a guy played by Creator/DavidMorrissey shows up, claiming to be ''the Doctor!'' Ten looks at what he assumes is a future incarnation... but both are immediately interrupted by the trouble that united the two Doctors in the first place: a Cyberman... cat... thing called a "Cybershade". One awesomely silly chase sequence later, the pair of Doctors are fast friends and the young woman is introduced as [[MeaningfulName Rosita]], this Doctor's companion. But Ten is worried: the Next Doctor hasn't recognised him one bit. Not wanting to accidentally mess with the 1851 Doctor's fragile memory, Ten introduces himself as "[[MrSmith John Smith]]".

Chasing after the Cybershade, "John" and Next Doctor end up in a house filled with futuristic technology. Ten describes some tube-looking devices as "infostamps", and realises that [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E5RiseOfTheCybermen the alternate-universe Cybermen]] must be here in force after falling through the Void, together with some stolen Dalek technology. He also notices that Next is [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature wearing a fob watch]], and quickly puts two and two together, realising this could be him in human form... but no, it turns out to actually be a perfectly ordinary fob watch. Next explains that he lost his memory while "regenerating".

No, not the ''Time And Relative Dimension[s] In Space''. We're talking a '''[[FunWithAcronyms T]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms ethered]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms A]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms erial]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms R]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms elease]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms D]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms eveloped]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms I]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms n ]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms S]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms tyle]]. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Next Doctor has made a hot air balloon out of household ingredients. Ten ''loves'' it. Nearby, the Next Doctor and Rosita are staying in a large stable, alongside the luggage and belongings of Jackson Lake, a victim of the Cybermen. As it turns out, the Cybermen have been kidnapping people in the night, with [[LadyInRed Miss Mercy Hartigan]] making damned sure that the Cybermen get their guy. And, coincidentally, Jackson Lake was their first victim.

The Tenth Doctor begins to put things together rather quickly -- especially upon noticing the initials "JL" engraved into the Next Doctor's fob watch. As it turns out, the Next Doctor isn't a Time Lord at all, but Jackson Lake himself. The Cybermen assaulted Lake one night, and Lake's panicked fumblings ended up turning an infostamp into a deadly weapon... but also burned quite a lot of information on the Doctor into Lake's mind. But, Ten reasons, this wasn't enough to make Jackson believe he was the Doctor... and he's right: in the attack, Jackson's wife was killed. Certainly more than enough to make Jackson flee reality. Understandably, [[HeroicBSOD he doesn't take this well]] -- believing he was completely a fake. The Doctor says otherwise, pointing out what Jackson's done isn't the result of the Doctor being imprinted on him, but the result of Jackson himself being awesome.

Having left earlier to let the Doctor and Jackson be alone together to speak, Rosita runs back, shouting out how the Cybermen are taking the children of London away. The Doctor and Rosita race out to see what's going on, while Jackson decides to stay behind. He figures that he's not worthy of helping the Doctor. Finally, the Doctor and Miss Hartigan come face to face, and the Cybermen update their records as to ''who'' the Doctor is with a fixed infostamp and slowly march in. Looking somewhat worried, the Doctor tries bargaining with the Cybers... until blasts of electricity rip into the Cybermen from offscreen, utterly destroying them. A quick turn to the source of those blasts reveals...

...Jackson Lake standing in a high position, [[BigDamnHeroes wearing a bandoleer of infostamps around his chest]] and grinning at the Doctor.

Jackson comments that he still feels like something else is missing, but he just can't sit on the sidelines while the Doctor's in danger. Finally, the Doctor, Rosita and Jackson break into the main base of the Cybermen and find out what's going on. But not before Miss Hartigan is turned into the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Cyber Leader of the Week]]. The children are being used to put the finishing touches upon what is only known as a "Cyberking", and it's just been finished. Since the Cybermen are done with the children, the facility begins to self destruct. Wasting no time, our trio begins to rush everyone out... and then Jackson Lake recovers another memory, and realises what was still missing: ''his son'', who was also captured by the Cybermen. Luckily, the Doctor saves the poor young Lake, and everyone escapes and has a Merry Christma--

...

...why is there a giant SteamPunk robot rising up from the Thames River? Wait, ''that's'' a [[HumongousMecha Cyberking]]?

While Jackson and Rosita help everyone slowly evacuate London by running with them, the Doctor leaps into Jackson's TARDIS and flies up into the skies. He takes along a piece of Dalek technology salvaged from the Cybermen base, and the rest of those infostamps. To his surprise (and a bit of delight), Miss Hartigan is driving the Cyberking with her ''mind''. She's one of the cleverest humans that ever lived, and she's completely taken over the Cybermen with the sheer force of her own will. And now she wants to take over the world. As is the tradition for the Tenth Doctor, Ten offers the Hartigan a chance to live in peace (albeit on another planet with no life to take over) and marvels at what an extraordinary human she is. Of course, Hartigan refuses so the Doctor blasts her with the collective group of infostamps, boosted by a handy sonic screwdriver. Rather than ''[[TechnicalPacifist directly]]'' killing Miss Hartigan, though, it [[AppliedPhlebotinum simply frees her mind from the Cyber-Conditioning she's undergone]]. Needless to say, she freaks out, the Cybermen turn against her, and the Cyberking begins to topple as she and the Cybermen slowly explode... and fall on top of London.

Finally, the Doctor tries to sidle off to his own TARDIS and leave, but Jackson follows. The Doctor offers to take Jackson along with him, but he only limits himself to a quick look inside the real TARDIS, which his mind can barely handle. He absolutely insists that the Doctor join the Lakes and Rosita for Christmas dinner. The Doctor tries to weasel out of it, like he does every Christmas. But Jackson is persistent enough to change the Doctor's mind, a rare feat. Wishing one another a Merry Christmas, the camera slowly moves off into the snowfall... which is, for once, ''actual freaking snow''.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Don't blink".]] When the Next Doctor uses the words "Don't blink", Ten tries to see if he has any memories of Sally Sparrow.

* CosmicRetcon: According to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]], the events of this episode never existed... until it was most likely restored when the universe was rebooted in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang The Big Bang]]. [[TimeyWimeyBall Time travel is confusing.]]

* FunWithAcronyms: '''T'''ethered '''A'''erial '''R'''elease '''[[TravelCool D]]'''[[TravelCool eveloped]] '''[[TravelCool I]]'''[[TravelCool n]] '''[[TravelCool S]]'''[[TravelCool tyle]]

-->'''Miss Hartigan:''' You know, all these years, and not one of you has asked me my first name. It's Mercy.
* LargeHam: David Morrissey is clearly having a lot of fun as the "Next Doctor". David Tennant looks positively tranquil next to him.

-->'''The Doctor:''' (''opens the door to find a Cyberman standing there'') Okay! (''slams door'') ...I think we should run.

-->'''The Doctor:''' [[PreMortemOneLiner I'm so sorry....]]

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: A subtle variety