Check Out Jodie Whittaker’s Historic And Heart-Wrenching ‘Doctor Who’ First Appearance

It’s officially the end of an era. After living under Steven Moffat‘s creative direction for eight years and only existing with male leads for 38 years, Doctor Who has finally introduced its first female Doctor. And if Jodie Whittaker‘s brief scene is a foreshadowing of things to come, we’re all going to be in store for a thrilling and shocking season of sci-fi.

Last night marked the premiere of Doctor Who‘s annual Christmas special, “Twice Upon a Time.” As Vox’s Todd VanDerWerff details in his review of the episode, the special was a kind and gentle one, allowing the series’ twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, to be sent off in a sentimental wave that echoed the heart underneath his oddly charming grumpiness. However, the biggest story of the night wasn’t Capaldi’s departure but Whittaker’s arrival. The Broadchurch and Black Mirror actress marks the first time the show has made its titular Doctor female.

Whittaker’s arrival as 13 was brief but delightful. After 12’s regret-filled regeneration, Whittaker bounds over to a monitor so that she can see her reflection. A manic smile then emerges on her face, a reaction that’s not dissimilar to Matt Smith‘s first appearance after David Tennant‘s regeneration. The first words of our new Doctor? Fittingly, “Aw, brilliant.” However, because nothing can ever be easy, that joy only lasts a couple of minutes before she’s thrown out of the Tardis. Only time will tell how 13 will figure that problem out.

Moffat acted as Doctor Who’s showrunner, lead writer and executive producer from 2009 until 2017. Earlier this year, he announced he would be stepping down and allowing Chris Chibnall to take over the series in 2018. The decision to cast Whittaker as our new Doctor hasn’t been without its backlash, most of which is grounded in sexist nerd ramblings. But counterpoint? Whittaker is incredible in everything she does, and she’ll act the heck out of everyone’s favorite conflicted Time Lord. You can watch the history-making regeneration above.

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