Peter Capaldi gave his final bow as the Doctor in the Doctor Who Christmas special "Twice Upon A Time," but not before reaching out to a young fan who was having trouble coping with his departure. In a sweet gesture, Capaldi penned a note to David, the 9-year-old son of Brian McGilloway of Ireland, and tried to offer some words that would help soothe the young child into coming to terms with his leaving the role of the Doctor, following his transformation:
Dear David, I hope you are having a very merry Xmas. Xmas is always good fun. Well, not always. Not every single second. Regenerating is not completely good fun. And it usually happens about Xmas-time. But you know what? Even though it can be a little bit icky (like really bad flu) it has always, always turned out good for Dr. Who
In a letter that did its best to avoid any spoilers, Peter Capaldi tried to reassure his young fan that Doctor Who would be just fine without him as the Doctor. The letter, which had presumably been received by his father Brian McGilloway prior to the holiday, was hidden amongst his son David's presents so that he could discover the it for himself. Beyond the letter, Calpaldi also enclosed a signed picture of himself, as well as drew a doodle of a Dalek on the face of the letter's envelope.
For anyone doubting the legitimacy of the letter, one might base some of its validity on the fact that Peter Capaldi consistently refers to his character as "Dr. Who". Capaldi remarked recently he believes that's the Doctor's street name, and while most fans would quickly correct someone in stating his proper title is the Doctor, Capaldi has always been a bit of an exception. In the latter half of his letter, Capaldi told David that he'll soon grow to love Jodie Whittaker, and that while he's leaving the role, a part of his character will always be around:
The new doctor always becomes your favorite and the one that goes... well, he never really goes, he is always there, somewhere in time and space, and if you think about him hard enough you'll see him, and he'll see you It's like the Doctor says, 'Everything ends and it's always sad. But everything begins again, and that's always happy. Be happy.' So, have a brilliant Xmas, a happy new year, and a wonderful life --- I'm sure you will. All the best, Peter Capaldi, Doctor ?
Because he's a big Doctor Who fan, Peter Capaldi also left an easter egg of sorts in his letter to your David. The picture of the letter (via EW) shows that Capaldi dated the note November 23, 1963, which a quick Google search will reveal that date as the first time Doctor Who would appear on television. If that little extra effort doesn't make Peter Capaldi one of the best Doctor's in Doctor Who history, nothing will.
Doctor Who is to return to BBC America with Season 11 sometime in the fall of 2018. For a look at some things to watch on television until Doctor Who returns, visit our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide. Those wishing to see which shows did not regenerate in 2017 and get a new season in 2018 should head over to our cancellation guide for a little background as to why.
