So far, Doctor Who fans have only seen Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor in a cameo appearance in the final 60th anniversary special and in a single Christmas special last year. While it’s too early to say what kind of Doctor that Gatwa will be, he sure has a winning smile in the new trailer for Doctor Who season 14. The latest preview from the upcoming season is very light on story details, but off the charts in terms of the chemistry between the Doctor and his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Ruby seems a lot like the Doctor’s previous companions Rose Tyler and Amy Pond. But if these clips are any indication, Ruby’s going to grow into the role.
Don’t be confused by BBC’s branding, which pretends that this is an all-new Doctor Who series. BBC tried the same trick before back in the fifth season when Matt Smith took over the role of the time-traveling Doctor. It’s not a reboot, but it does feature the signature flare of Russell T Davies, the showrunner who relaunched Doctor Who in 2005. That may be why the latest trailer for the new season feels like a throwback to that era.
That’s also one of the reasons why the Doctor’s promise to Ruby’s adoptive mother, Carla (Michelle Greenidge), feels so hollow. The Doctor has a very bad track record of keeping his companions safe, in part because they fling themselves into danger right alongside him. And that means their stories don’t always have happy endings, regardless of the Doctor’s intentions.
Doctor Who season 14 will have a two-episode premiere on Disney+ on May 11. New episodes will follow weekly after that.
