The official SDCC series 11 trailer of Doctor Who starring Jodie Whittaker, has been released! Wow, those 40 seconds are packed with so much content. It’s a lot to take in, but never fear! We’re going to break down that trailer to see what we can find. Let’s not waste time!
She’s okay…
The first shot in the trailer is a gasp from the Doctor, newly regenerated, still wearing her previous self’s clothes, and not at all used to her new form yet. When Doctor Who left off, the Doctor was free falling from the sky, so it’s nice to know she lands okay and finds some of shelter on, I’m guessing, Earth. I have to admit, that large gasp at the beginning reminds me of the gasp Captain Jack Harkness did every time he came back to life. Coincidence?
…Or is she?
Something is going on with the Doctor. I chocked it up to post-regeneration haze at first, but it might be more than that. Dressed in her new outfit, The Doctor holds her head and screams, definitely in pain. Additionally, while still in her former form’s clothing, there’s a shot of the Doctor on the floor of a dark cave. It looks like the Doctor has some stuff to work out.
From the looks of the trailer, this series is going to be darker than I expected, so maybe the Doctor’s got something going on to add to all the drama.
Would you be my new best friends?
We don’t get many insights into the new companions’ lives, but it seems like the Thirteenth Doctor is, as the Doctor does, turning to companions for comfort in a time of need. When the Eleventh Doctor fell to Earth, he found comfort in Amelia Pond. It looks like the newest Doctor finds some new friends post-regeneration as well.
New TARDIS
This isn’t in the trailer, but the newly released poster shows a tiny bit of the new TARDIS interior. The round things are hexagonal, and they have depth to them. Their color on the poster reminds me of the classic TARDIS interiors, but the color might be changed for the poster’s purposes, so we’ll have to wait a tad longer for a more clear idea of what the TARDIS interior will look like.
New sonic screwdriver
New Doctor, new TARDIS, new screwdriver. It’s silver and gives off a yellow light, a difference from the blues and greens we’re used to. Some of the silver metal casing splits to expose more of the glowing core. This yellow bit of the screwdriver matches this yellow gemstone-looking formation on the new poster.
The Twelfth Doctor’s newer screwdriver was such a high-tech update, and this one seems to go the other way. Rather than looking sleek and technical, the new screwdriver looks simpler and more rustic. I’m curious to hear people’s opinions on the new design!
There’s a point in the trailer where it looks like the Doctor is making something with a flamethrower, potentially also of her own making, so I’m wondering if that’s the moment she makes the new screwdriver – just a thought.
New worlds
We get a couple sneak peeks of new worlds the Doctor is going to visit, and the shots we get make these worlds look rather barren and ravished with destruction. There’s also the top-right corner of the poster that looks like the Earth is breaking apart. This goes along nicely with my theory that this season might be a tad dark.
There’s a landscape of nothing but sand and broken concrete blocks in one scene. Graham looks particularly troubled in another shot, the background of which is dust and piles of debris. And then there’s the scene with some machinery on fire – the destruction a glorious contrast to the gorgeous sky behind it.
At least these new worlds look like they have their fair share of corridors. Doesn’t look like the Doctor will stop running anytime soon. I will say this – wasteland environments can make for some spooky storylines, and I’d love to get an episode that is proper scary.
Oh, and not to mention, new worlds mean new monsters. That’s something to look forward to.
New times
While we don’t know the ratio of Earth episodes to space episodes, we get a couple little clues about the time travel. When the Doctor and her new best friends are standing in a parking lot of what looks like a motel, the cars in the background suggest that the TARDIS team will be visiting the past. Another potential indicator of adventures to the past is the shot of the TARDIS inhabitants riding horses.
I can’t say for sure the below structures are indicative of the future, but they look technological. And this post is all about theorizing, so my prediction is a future world here, though not necessarily on Earth.
I also have a theory that, like the Eleventh Doctor was said to change his bowtie to indicate past or future travel, perhaps this new Doctor wears her red shirt for past travel and her blue one for future travel – a theory I’ll be testing when the season airs.
Coming soon?
We still don’t have an airdate, and this trailer is making it even harder to wait for one. I’m ready to begin my countdown. From the first real glimpse we get of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, I’d say she absolutely fits the part. She’s got the whimsy, the friends, and the hardware to give us an epic season of Doctor Who. Hang in there just a little longer, Whovians. Fall is fast-approaching!
What do you think of the trailer for series 11 of ‘Doctor Who’? Let us know at @PureFandom on Twitter!
Doctor Who will return to BBC America this fall.
(Image: BBC)
