The Real Reason Doctor Who’s Ninth Doctor Acts Like He Just Regenerated In Season 1’s First Episode

The Ninth Doctor’s timeline originally didn’t make sense in Doctor Who, but later revelations filled the gaps perfectly. In 2005, Doctor Who made its long-awaited return with “Rose” and formally introduced Christopher Eccleston as the latest in a long line of Doctor Who actors. At first glance, it appeared that the Doctor had only just regenerated when the modern show began. Inside Rose’s London home, Nine accidentally glimpsed himself in a mirror and remarked, “Ah, could’ve been worse. Look at me ears!“

The Doctor assessing his own face is a common trope after Doctor Who regenerations, and Nine’s unfamiliarity with his appearance certainly gave the impression that his current body was relatively fresh. Doctor Who‘s anniversary celebrations in 2013 later confirmed that Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor had regenerated into John Hurt’s War Doctor, then the War Doctor regenerated into Eccleston following the conclusion of the Time War. Nevertheless, it remained unclear whether “Rose” was taking place immediately after Hurt’s regeneration or quite some time after.

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When Rose Tyler visited Clive in Doctor Who season 1’s premiere, the in-universe Whovian showed her images of the Doctor in various different periods – the Titanic’s ill-fated voyage, the eruption of Krakatoa, the Kennedy assassination. All images depicted the Time Lord with Christopher Eccleston’s likeness, suggesting the Ninth Doctor had experienced many adventures prior to “Rose” and the start of modern-era Doctor Who.

One could argue that Nine simply made a series of brief stops at crucial points in history immediately after regenerating, then finished his whistle stop tour in 2005 London for “Rose,” still very soon after regenerating from the War Doctor. The images Clive showed Rose, however, would only have been a small handful of the Ninth Doctor’s adventures – the ones based on Earth where the Doctor had been captured in a photograph or sketch. Logically, there must have been many excursions on other planets, or where proof of the Doctor’s presence wasn’t available. It simply isn’t possible that Clive managed to document every single one of the Ninth Doctor’s trips pre-season 1.

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Russell T Davies later explained his intention (via Doctor Who Magazine), confirming Clive’s research was intended to signal the Ninth Doctor was not a brand-new incarnation. Davies also pointed to Nine’s assured aura as further evidence.

Why The Ninth Doctor Acted Surprised When He Saw Himself In The Mirror

There Are Only So Many Times A Person Can Be Surprised By Their Own Ears

Irrespective of the above, it is odd that Christopher Eccleston was shown judging his appearance in a mirror during “Rose.” The line “could’ve been worse” sounds exactly like what other Doctors have uttered in the moments after regeneration, and Nine acted like he was beholding his ears for the very first time. It’s certainly hard to imagine Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, two seasons into his tenure, suddenly realizing his eyebrows are quite angry.

The confusion was finally cleared up as part of Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary celebrations, albeit not onscreen. In the novelization of “The Day of the Doctor,” written by Steven Moffat, the War Doctor regenerated into the Ninth Doctor, who then smashed every mirror in the TARDIS, refusing to look at himself after the horrors he committed during the Time War. The implication, then, is that the Ninth Doctor existed for some amount of time prior to “Rose,” but deliberately avoided looking at himself during that entire era. “Rose” was the first occasion Nine perceived his own face.

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