The Day of the Doctor

The Day of the Doctorwas the 50th Anniversary Special of Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran and featured Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald, Billie Piper as The Moment/Rose Tyler and John Hurt as the War Doctor.

For the occasion, it the first full-length multi-Doctor story of the BBC Wales era, the first Doctor Who adventure shot in stereoscopic 3D, and the first adventure to be broadly available in cinemas in a number of different countries.

It aired at the same time around the globe, on 23 and 24 November 2013 on television, setting a then record for the largest ever simulcast of a television drama. In all, it was viewable in some 94 countries and 1,500 theatres worldwide. Domestically, the British Broadcasting Corporation's 2013/14 Annual Report cited it as the most watched drama on the BBC in 2013, with 12.8 million television viewers, and an additional 3.2 million iPlayerrequests. It also broke or neared viewing records in a number of other regions around the world. Because of its theatrical run and subsequently strong home media sales, it is the single adventure with the highest gross worldwide sales in the history of Doctor Who. The success of this release led to the series 8 premiere, Deep Breath, receiving a similar theatrical simulcast as it aired on television on 23 August the following year. Many more theatrical releases followed.

Amongst fans, the story was exceedingly popular. In a 2014 poll by Doctor Who Magazine which ranked all of the Doctor Who television stories aired to date, The Day of the Doctor ranked as "DWM readers' favourite adventure of the first 50 years". (DWM 474)

The episode featured the return of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and the appearance of John Hurt as a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor: the War Doctor, in what was the final chronological adventure for his portrayal of the Doctor. His only full-length adventure on screen introduced a new iteration of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and a unique TARDIS control room predating those seen in Series 1.

Furthermore, the War Doctor's regeneration was shown, into what appeared to be the Ninth Doctor, completing a missing link in the chain of incarnations that started when Christopher Eccleston debuted in the 2005 relaunch of the series, Rose. The process of resolving the regenerations issue was being enforced by executive producer Steven Moffat, as he wished to have a "complete set" in time for Matt Smith's upcoming final episode.

Moffat also chose to requisition actor Paul McGann for one more outing as the Eighth Doctor in a mini-episode production, The Night of the Doctor one week after production wrapped on the anniversary special, resulting in a second former Doctor returning to the screen as part of the festivities. McGann filmed his own regeneration into Hurt's version of the Doctor, cementing the lineage of all Doctors up to Smith's incarnation onward.

The Day of the Doctor saw the return of the Zygons, last seen in the 1975 Fourth Doctor serial Terror of the Zygons, 38 years after their initial debut.

The Day of the Doctor provided a chance to reveal a missing element of the Last Great Time War that dramatically altered the outcome as viewers were previously led to believe. Instead of allowing Gallifrey to be destroyed, the Doctors were able to save it, giving the current incarnation a chance to forever shed his guilt from the outcome and begin a new mission to find his way home. The unique circumstances of this revelation also upheld the previous narratives set during the Russell T Davies era where the Doctor believed Gallifrey and its residents had been lost in battle.

Synopsis
The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th-anniversary special. In the 21st century, something terrible is awakening in London's National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space, an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

Plot
A police constable walks the beat by the Coal Hill Schooland passes by a sign advertising "I.M. Foreman, Scrap Merchant". Inside the school, Clara Oswald is giving a lesson. She ends on a quote by Marcus Aurelius: "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

The school bell rings. As her students leave, a teacher runs into the classroom; he gives a confused look, wondering if she's well. Clara wonders why, to which the teacher tells her that her "doctor" called, and left an address. She grabs her helmet and hops on her motorbike. Exiting Shoreditch, Clara drives past a clock reading 5:16 p.m. and through a freeway tunnel. She reaches an open patch of road surrounded by grassland, where a lone police box is waiting for her.

Finally spotting the TARDIS, she rides her motorcycle straight through its open doors, closing them with a click of the fingers. The Eleventh Doctor, perusing a copy of Advanced Quantum Mechanics, welcomes Clara back with a huge hug. He tells her that they'll be spending a weekend in ancient Mesopotamia, followed by Cocktails on the moon. Unexpectedly, the TARDIS takes off without starting the engines. Startled, the Doctor opens the doors, finding a large claw has hooked the TARDIS; it's attached to a helicopter from UNIT.

At the Tower of London, Kate Stewart is sitting on a bench, eating and observing their ravens of death, which need a change of batteries from Malcolm. UNIT scientist Osgoodrushes to Kate with her personal phone, stating that the ringtone was the TARDIS wheezing noise; it's the Doctor. Kate reminds Osgood to use her inhaler at the sound of her heavy panting before accepting the call. Kate tells the Doctor that they found the TARDIS in a field and are bringing it in; she inquires as to where he is. The Doctor holds the TARDIS phone up towards the helicopter, surprising and mortifying Kate. She apologises, telling the pilot to instead take the Doctor to the scene of the crime.

The sudden change in course makes the Doctor fall out of the door. Clara holds onto the Doctor's legs as he dangles. The phone bops his head as Kate wonders if he has hung up. Annoyed, the Doctor yells "Next time, would it kill you to KNOCK!?" Telling Kate that he'll have to put her on hold, the Doctor pulls himself up to put away the phone, making Clara lose her grip on him. She yells his name in concern. The Doctor holds onto the bottom of the TARDIS, whooping in excitement and fear.

The helicopter arrives at the museum, where it lands slowly to let the Doctor off. Clara smiles, knowing the Doctor enjoyed the near-death experience. Kate apologises, while the Doctor tries and fails at lecturing her. Kate explains that she is operating on orders from the throne. She hands him sealed orders from Queen Elizabeth I and takes them into the National Gallery for proof of her credentials. Kate asks Osgood what the cover story is this time. She responds that they're using Derren Brownagain, saying he's been sent flowers as an apology.

As they walk, the Doctor explains his relationship with UNIT to Clara, who is sceptical of the Doctor ever having had an actual job; though not directly working with UNIT anymore, the Doctor is still on the payroll as he never resigned. They stop in front of an impossible painting, something that belongs "not in this time or place": an oil painting in 3-D. It depicts the fall of the Gallifreyan city of Arcadia on the last day of the Time War. Kate tells the Doctor that there is some controversy over the work's name. It is either named No More or Gallifrey Falls. The painting is a slice of frozen time, a form of Time Lord art.

The Doctor is visibly disturbed by the painting. Clara notices, asking what's wrong. With immense sadness filling his face, the Doctor grabs Clara's hand for comfort. He tells her that he's had many faces and lived many lives, but there is one life he has tried very hard to forget. There was a man who brought an end to the Time War, and to both the Time Lords and Daleks alike. And that man was him. This painting was on the day it happened; the final day of the Time War...

Flashback to the Last Day of the Last Great Time War...

As the Daleks ravage Arcadia, a family of Time Lords run in fear. There is little hope of survival. As children cry and the people scream, a soldier messages the High Council of Time Lords: Arcadia has fallen. He looks around and sees the Doctor's TARDIS. Then the elderly voice of the "War Doctor", the warrior incarnation of the Doctor, asks the soldier for his gun. The Doctor carves a message for both warring civilisations to see into a nearby wall: NO MORE. As Daleks prepare to exterminate the Time Lords, the Doctor's presence draws their attention away from the innocent people and leads them to the wall with the message. Suddenly, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes through the wall, demolishing several Daleks. The Doctor's escape from Arcadia is witnessed by one surviving Dalek of the attack, though it is bisected. It questions the meaning of "NO MORE", bellowing "Explain! Explain!" The nearby Time Lord soldier shoots the Dalek with his gun, and the slain Dalek erupts in flames.

The High Commanders gather in the War Room, planning their next moves, with the Generaldismissing the High Council's upcoming plans as "they have already failed". They receive the Doctor's message, and the General is not pleased to learn of his presence, calling him a madman. A Time Lady rushes in to inform the War Council that there has been a breach in the Omega Arsenal in the Time Vaults.

The most feared and forbidden weapon in the universe is missing: The Moment. The Doctor has stolen it and intends to use it to end the Time War once and for all. The Time Lords have already used all of the previously forbidden weapons but dared not unleash this weapon in particular. It was said that the Moment was so advanced as to have developed a conscience, and could stand in judgement of the user. The General muses that only the Doctor would be mad enough to use such a weapon.

Footsteps can be seen leading away from the battle-scuffed frame of the TARDIS, which has been uncharacteristically abandoned by the Doctor. The sound of his voice issuing an ominous final warning is heard; "Time Lords of Gallifrey, Daleks of Skaro, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hand. No more. Today you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end. No more. No more..." The Doctor's tired face comes into view as he strides across a desolate desert, a burlap sack over his shoulder.

He eventually enters a barn-like dwelling, where he uncovers a complicated mechanical box, covered in gears. The device ticks loudly as its clockwork-like parts rattle and clank. As the Doctor studies it, he cannot find a discernible trigger mechanism. While he puzzles over how to activate it — grumbling "Why is there never a big red button?" — he hears a rustling sound. He opens the door and calls out. A girl's voice behind him reassures him that it's "just a Wolf".

Startled, he turns around to see what appears to be Rose Tyler. He doesn't recognise her, as he doesn't meet her until his next incarnation. He grabs her arm and shoves her out the door, only for her to appear inside the barn again, sitting on the Moment. He tells her not to sit on it as it's not a chair, but the most dangerous weapon in the universe. She asks if the Doctor parked his TARDIS far away from the dwelling so that it would not witness what he was about to do. Not realising what she is, he orders her out and then burns his hand on the box. Impishly, she guides the Doctor to realise that sheis the Moment's interface. She can hear the Doctor's thoughts, and has attempted to assume the form of a familiar figure from his past; however, the Moment gets the past and future mixed up, and so has chosen the form of the Bad Wolf to speak to him.

She laughs that the story of the Doctor's life is being between a girl and a box, referencing to his companions and the TARDIS. War-weary and bitter, the elderly Time Lord tells her to stop calling him "the Doctor". She states it's the name in his head. The Doctor tells her it shouldn't exist in his head anymore, as he's no longer worthy of the name. She replies that he will be the one to save the universe. He explains that the suffering of the universe is too great, and he must end it. He also intends to meet his death after using the Moment, not wishing to live through the bloodshed, but she decides that his fate and punishment will be to survive the activation and face the consequences.

Like a conscience, she challenges his words and actions, guiding him towards his future. He willdestroy the Daleks, but he will also murder his own people, asking him how many children on Gallifrey will die, but he has no idea. After the Moment suggests that one day he will find a way to count them, the Doctor sits in contemplation. The Moment tells him that she's going to open a window in time to show him the man he will become. A time fissure opens - and a fez falls out, much to the mutual confusion of the Doctor and the Moment...

Back in the 21st century, Kate explains that Queen Elizabeth left the painting to prove that the orders do come from her. The Doctor breaks the seal and reads her words: "My dearest love: I hope the painting known as Gallifrey Falls will serve as proof that it is your Elizabeth that writes to you now. You will recall that you pledged yourself to the safety of my kingdom. In that capacity, I have appointed you Curator of the Under Gallery, where deadly danger to England is locked away. Should any disturbance occur within its walls, it is my wish that you should be summoned. Godspeed, gentle husband."

As Kate leads the Doctor and Clara away, a nearby UNIT scientist named McGillop receives a mysterious phone call. Befuddled, he stares at the painting, wondering why he should move it.

The Doctor and Clara approach another painting, which shows the figure of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Tenth Doctor. Clara sees this is proof the Doctor once knew her, having seen all his past lives in his time-stream. The Doctor states he knew Elizabeth I a long time ago, practically being a different man back then...

In England in 1562, the Tenth Doctor and Elizabeth I ride out of the TARDIS on horseback, the Doctor having proven that it really is bigger on the inside. She responds "the door isn't" bigger; it nearly took her head off. They share a picnic on a hill, where Elizabeth expresses concern that he has seen war. The Doctor confirms that it wasn't this face but he has indeed fought in battle. He then proposes marriage. When she joyfully accepts, the Doctor accuses her of being a Zygon shapeshifter that has replaced the real Elizabeth, as the real queen wouldn't accept marriage from a handsome stranger or be so nonchalant about the Doctor having a different face. He whips out a "device that goes ding" to prove that she is a shapeshifter, before realising that it was the horse they were riding.

They run for their lives, the Doctor dreads being an engaged man; "Oh, good work, Doctor. Nice one. The Virgin Queen? So much for history." They split up in the woods, but Elizabeth is accosted by the Zygon. The Doctor runs through the woods, even threatening a rabbit he mistakes for a Zygon before he is reunited with Elizabeth. However, a doppelganger of her appears, and he is unable to tell who is who as both speak as Elizabeth would. Suddenly another time fissure appears, with the Doctor noting anything can happen. A fez falls through, confusing the Doctor.

Back in the National Gallery, Kate welcomes the Eleventh Doctor and Clara to the Under Gallery, established by Elizabeth I to house dangerous art or things that could not be understood. The Doctor notices that the floor is covered in stone dust, and asks Osgood to analyse it with a triplicate report and lots of graphs. As they walk through the gallery, the Doctor spots a fez in a glass case and immediately dons it, much to the bemusement of Clara, who wonders if he can ever go past one without putting it on. The Doctor tells her that that's never going to happen.

Kate shows them more 3-D paintings, all landscapes, with the broken glass from their shattered frames covering the floor. The Doctor notes that the glass has been shattered from the inside, and Kate says that they all contained figures which are now missing. As they leave to investigate, another time fissure opens. Annoyed, the Doctor faintly recalls seeing the fissure before, before realising that the fez that had fallen through in 1562 was the fez he was now wearing. Delighted, he throws the fez into the fissure and follows it with a loud "Geronimo." Clara tries to follow, but Kate restrains her; UNIT doesn't need the only other person with access to the TARDIS's technology getting lost.

The Eleventh Doctor falls through the fissure and lands in front of the Tenth in the sixteenth century. Stunned, the Tenth Doctor dons the fez himself. The Eleventh pops up and gabbles excitedly about how skinny his predecessor is, which makes the Tenth realise who he is. They incredulously pull out their sonic screwdrivers and compare them, with the Tenth jokingly suggesting the Eleventh is compensating for something because of regeneration being a lottery. As they begin bickering, the time fissure increases in intensity. The Tenth Doctor orders the two Elizabeths to run away in opposite directions; both kiss him and flee. The Eleventh Doctor points out that his earlier self just kissed a Zygon, which has venom sacks in the tongue. The Tenth Doctor, rather annoyed, says he doesn't need the reminder.

Clara calls out from the fissure to the Eleventh Doctor, asking where he is. The Eleventh Doctor asks the Tenth when they are, and repeats it. Clara asks who the Doctor is speaking to, prompting both to say "myself" at the same time; both are amused that they spoke together. Clara asks if the Doctor can come back. Hypothesising that the fissure can go both ways, the Doctor tosses his fez in, but it fails to appear in Clara's time. At the end of the Time War, the War Doctor picks up the fez; he hears Kate explaining to Clara that the Doctor has met an earlier version of himself. Kate leaves, calling the office to bring her the Cromier file. As she exits the hall, a mysterious shadow looms...

Back in 1562, the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are staring at the fissure. The Tenth states that since the Eleventh used to be him, he should remember what happened next; unfortunately the Eleventh has no idea. Shocked his successor can't remember this event, the Tenth Doctor asks why. The Eleventh counters its because the Tenth isn't paying attention well enough; he tells him to reverse the polarity of the fissure. Both aim their sonic screwdrivers at the fissure, but are getting no result. The Tenth Doctor tells the confused Eleventh that he's reversing the polarity, while the Eleventh is reversing it back; they're actually confusing the polarity. Suddenly, their tampering with the fissure results in something falling through.

Much to their shock, it's the War Doctor, who asks if they lost a fez. Both are horrified to see him. The War Doctor greets them and states that he's looking for his future self, prompting the Tenth Doctor to state that he's come to the right place. The War Doctor wonders who the two of them are, wondering if they are his future companions. Both the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors are shocked and insulted by the question; the War Doctor laughs that his companions keep getting younger. When the War Doctor asks to be pointed in the general direction of his future self, both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors pull out their sonic screwdrivers and turn them on. The War Doctor is stunned, asking several times if they are his future selves; he is especially unimpressed with the Eleventh Doctor. Seeing that he's found two of his future selves at once, the War Doctor wonders if he's going through a midlife crisis. As he walks towards them, his future selves brandish their screwdrivers threateningly. Scoffing, the War Doctor asks why they're pointing scientific instruments at him.

Suddenly, they are surrounded by the Queen's soldiers; who believe the Queen to have been bewitched by the Doctor, asking which of the trio is the man they seek. The War Doctor quips that today is their lucky day. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors point their sonic screwdrivers in defence again, prompting the War Doctor to dryly joke if they're going to assemble a cabinet at them. Clara's voice sounds from the fissure, allowing the Doctors to convince the soldiers that she is "The Wicked Witch of the Well". Kate has, at that point, returned to Clara. The Queen returns to the group, implying that her human counterpart is dead. She has the trio of Doctors arrested and taken to the Tower of London with the Eleventh loudly hinting for her to take them there. The hint is picked up on by Kate, who takes Clara to the Black Archive to retrieve Jack Harkness' vortex manipulator.

The Doctors are thrown in a cell with a wooden door; the sonic is useless as it doesn't work on wood. The Tenth Doctor begins musing how a temporal paradox will start kicking up with three of them in the same room for a long time. The Eleventh works with a nail on the pillar in the room, stating it's their way out. Ignoring him, the Tenth Doctor asks why these three Doctors have been brought together; he and the Eleventh were surprised, but the War Doctor came to find them. The big question is why. The War Doctor sees the Moment, which gestures to keep quiet about it.

In the present, Osgood and McGillop are reading the results of the analysis of the stone dust. The dust is from materials not found in the structure of the building, but common in statues. Osgood realises that the statues must have been smashed, and suddenly understands why: the inhabitants of the paintings needed a hiding place. The Zygons reveal themselves from underneath the dust cloths covering what the humans had believed were statues. The aliens accost McGillop and corner Osgood. Osgood prays for the Doctor to save her, but instead of being killed, she is faced with her duplicate. The copy Osgood asks for her inhaler, annoyed she has had to copy a human with a defect. Having seen into Osgood's head, the Zygon says she wishes she copied her sister instead; Osgood thinks her sister is better than her. Osgood outsmarts the Zygon, noticing that it's standing on her scarf; she pulls it out from under the Zygon, knocking it over and allowing the real Osgood to flee.

Kate and Clara enter the Black Archive, housing the most dangerous alien tech recovered by UNIT. Its contents are so top secret that its staff have their memories modified every day; the guard has been there ten years, but always thinks it's his first day. Apparently, this has happened to Clara at least once, as she has already obtained the necessary clearance to enter the archive. They view the vortex manipulator, which was bequeathed to UNIT after one of Jack's many deaths. The Doctor has the code to fully reactivate it (not just the teleporter), but keeps it secret.

Kate adds that they keep the manipulator a secret from their allies. When Clara asks why, Kate indirectly references Back to the Future as an example. A scientist phones Kate, and she orders him to send a picture of some numerals, the activation code that the Eleventh Doctor carved into the wall of the cell in 1562 for them to find centuries later. Osgood and McGillop enter the Archive, to Clara's surprise. Kate says they're here because they disposed of the UNIT personnel, taking her true Zygon form. The Zygon tells its allies to replace Clara as well; however, Clara dons the manipulator and types in the code from Kate's phone; with a smirk, Clara vanishes.

In the Tower of London in 1562, the Eleventh Doctor scratches the activation code onto a wall in their cell, while the other two Doctors puzzle out how to escape. The War Doctor proposes an isolated sonic shift in the door molecules in order to disintegrate the door, but the Tenth Doctor rejects the idea, saying it would take centuries to calculate the necessary formula. The War Doctor starts bickering with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, chastising them for their shame of being "grown-up" by speaking like children. Subdued, they look at him darkly, reminding him of the day he ended the Time War. The War Doctor notices the feeling of dread on their faces when they look at him.

The Moment reappears, unseen and unheard by the other Doctors, and urges the War Doctor to ask his future selves the question that he needs to know: How many children died on Gallifrey that day. The Eleventh Doctor says, "I've absolutely no idea.", he says he's forgotten the events of that day. He then adds that he's so old that he can't even remember his proper age anymore; however, he guesses he's 1200 years old, putting the Time War 400 years in the past for him.

However, the Tenth Doctor angrily asks how the Eleventh could ever forget something as important as this particular number, and bitterly states that there were 2.47 billion children on the planet that day. The War Doctor exclaims in shock that he did count. Disturbed and furious by his successor's impassive nature, he asks him, "For once, I would like to know where I'm going." Vexed by this remark, the Eleventh Doctor coldly replies, "No, you really wouldn't!" The Tenth Doctor looks back at him, eyes wide with fear. The Moment explains to the War Doctor that the Tenth Doctor has become "the man who regrets" and the Eleventh "the man who forgets". They are the future of the Doctor, when he ends the Time War.

The Moment reminds the War Doctor that his sonic screwdriver, at the most basic level, is exactly the same device as the ones used by his counterparts: "Same software — different case". He realises that if he scans the door and implants the calculations as a permanent subroutine in the screwdriver, it will take hundreds of years to work out the formula necessary to disintegrate the door. The Tenth Doctor checks his sonic screwdriver, finding the calculation still going. The Eleventh checks his, finding the calculation has been completed.

They exuberantly congratulate themselves on their cleverness before Clara pushes open the door — which has been unlocked the entire time. Clara asks her Doctor if they are all him. The Eleventh Doctor reminds Clara of the time she went into his timeline, to which she barely remembers. She compliments the Tenth Doctor's suit; he thanks her. She then asks why neither of them tried to just open the door; one thing the Doctor retains in all his incarnations is his inability to do simple things. The Queen comes in, telling them that she left the door unlocked as a test. She takes them down to the Zygons' lair to show them their plan.

Osgood walks the halls of the Under Gallery, before discovering the real Kate trapped in a Zygon nest. Kate's body template is being used to refresh the image of her Zygon doppelganger. Osgood frees her, but Kate bemoans the fact that the Zygons now have control of the Black Archive. It means that they've just lost control of the planet to hostile aliens.

The Doctors and Clara follow the Queen to the lair, whereupon they discover that the Zygon homeworld was destroyed in the early days of the Time War, and so they have decided to take Earth as their new home. However, sixteenth century Earth is too primitive to be comfortable to the invading shapeshifters, so they intend to invade the more advanced future in order to establish their new homeworld. They, therefore, have translated themselves into the paintings using stasis cubes, which are the Time Lords' three-dimensional paintings. The Eleventh and Tenth Doctors explain to Clara that it works similar to cup-a-soup.

The Tenth Doctor berates the Zygon commander for doing a lousy job of replicating the real Queen Elizabeth, but she reveals (to his mortification) that she is the real Elizabeth. Having had numerous attempts on her life already, Elizabeth carries a hidden blade on her, which she used to slay her twin in the forest and take her place as Zygon commander. The Zygons thought humans would be too weak to do so, hence why Elizabeth had the advantage of surprise. Elizabeth calls on the Tenth Doctor to save England but first whisks him away to be married with his past and future selves as reluctant witnesses, and an enthusiastic Clara throwing confetti. The War Doctor wonders if there's a lot of kissing in the future, to which the Eleventh states "It does start to happen, yeah.." in a defeated tone. The Tenth Doctor tells Elizabeth that he will be back, but has no real intention of returning; this explains why she would later order his execution thirty-seven years later.

The Tenth Doctor heads back to his TARDIS, prepping for take off as the other two Doctors and Clara head inside. The War Doctor notes that the Tenth really let the control room go. The Eleventh Doctor recalls it as his "grunge phase", making the Tenth think he insulted the TARDIS and he begins soothing it. Suddenly, a flash of light changes the control room, turning it into the War Doctor's control room. Because of the presence of three incarnations of the Doctor, the control room is trying to compensate for the different time zones. Both the Tenth and the Eleventh Doctors are delighted to see the roundels, which they haven't seen in a while; however, neither of them knows what they actually are. The Eleventh Doctor stabilises the desktop, picking his current version; the Tenth Doctor remarks that he doesn't like it. Clara tells them that the Zygons have gotten into the Black Archive, prompting dark stares from them. "Okay. You've heard of it" Clara nervously says.

In the Black Archive, the Zygons note that the humans don't know what half the stuff there does, but they do; they can conquer the Earth in less than a day with what's stored there. Kate, Osgood and McGillop arrive, saying that they are not armed and thus not a threat. Kate tells her Zygon double that in the event that the Black Archive falls into the wrongs hands, a fail-safe was created. She voice activates a countdown to detonate a nuclear warhead beneath the Tower, which will destroy all of London in order to protect the planet from the Zygons; her double tries countermanding the order several times. The Kate Zygon fearful states that they just have to agree to live, implying she wishes to make a compromise. However, Kate refuses to negotiate, planning to destroy all of London just to be safe.

The Eleventh Doctor's voice crackles on via the space-time telegraph he had once given to her father, begging Kate not to detonate; Kate shuts off the device, not wishing to let the Doctor influence her. He tries to land, but the Tower of London had been made TARDIS-proof to prevent his interference; as he tells a confused Clara; "human stupidity plus alien technology. Trust me, it's an unbeatable combo." However, the War Doctor figures out a way to get in - the stasis cubes; they can just copy the Zygons and wait out in a painting until the time is right. The Eleventh Doctor calls McGillop in the past, and instructs him to bring the No More/Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive...

The real Osgood begs the Doctor to save them again, as the Doctors and Clara force their way out of the painting, having frozen themselves in it earlier. The Doctors now face the Fall of Arcadia in real time as it unfolds, and are immediately met with an attacking Dalek, which they repel with their sonic screwdrivers. It crashes through the glass of the painting and the Doctors emerge in a heroic fashion. Clara soon follows.

The three Doctors hand the Kates an ultimatum when they refuse to disarm the Archive's nuclear option: They trigger the memory modifiers to confuse everybody as to whether they are human or Zygon. Then, if they stop the detonation and create a peace treaty (which is sure to be incredibly fair, as the negotiators can't remember which side they're on), they will have their memories restored. Utterly confused over their identities, the two Kates stop the detonation in the nick of time and begin to negotiate the treaty. While the Osgoods figure out which of them is which, they decide to keep it to themselves to protect the treaty.

As they negotiate, Clara speaks to the War Doctor. She has figured out he hasn't used the Moment yet, explaining that "her" Doctor always talked about the day he wiped out the Time Lords; the pain of making that decision is in both the eyes of the Tenth and Eleventh, but not in the War Doctor's. She says that he would do anything to take it back, but the War Doctor remains convinced that his actions will save billions of lives in the future. Across the room, the War Doctor sees the form of the Bad Wolf once more. The moment to decide has come. He tells the interface he's ready, and Clara turns to see who he's talking to; when she turns back, he's vanished.

Returned to the barn on Gallifrey, the War Doctor stands in front of the Moment, which has simplified its interface by his request — the trigger mechanism is now a big red button for him to push. The Moment questions him once more, trying to convince him of his goodness. He still doesn't believe he is worthy of the name "Doctor", losing all hope for himself and his people. He believes that the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are extraordinary men and that he has to commit this act to forge them into what they become. As the War Doctor goes to activate the Moment, the interface tells him that the wheezing sound the TARDIS makes brings hope to everyone who hears it. The War Doctor agrees that he believes it does and the Moment tells him that it brings hope to anyone, no matter how lost they are.

The War Doctor realises what she means a moment later as the sounds of two TARDISes fill the barn. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors park the TARDISes and exit them. Clara tells the Eleventh that she was right about the War Doctor not having committed the act he was so ashamed of. The Tenth Doctor states that the Last Great Time War should be time locked; they shouldn't have been able to get here. The Eleventh counters that something must have let them through, so they can speak to their forgotten incarnation. The Moment, still unseen by all but the War Doctor, calls them clever. The War Doctor tells the two of them to go back to their lives and be the Doctor that he couldn't be and make it worth while.

Right as the War Doctor places his hand above the button, the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors tell him of how they pushed him down in their memories for years. They kept him a secret, even from themselves out of shame. They pretended he wasn't "the Doctor", when he was the Doctor more than they or any of their other incarnations could have been. The War Doctor was the Doctor on the day it was impossible to make the right decision. However, this time, he doesn't have to make this horrible choice alone; they place their hands over his at the moment, forgiving him and themselves. Having gained some peace from hearing his future selves call him "the Doctor", something he denied himself for years, the War Doctor tearfully thanks them.

Clara tearfully objects. She knew that "the Doctor" had activated the Moment and destroyed his home-world, but she had never imagined the Eleventh Doctor, her Doctor, with his hand on the button. The reality of the Time War projects around them: children crying, innocents suffering. The Doctor could not find another way to end it all, but Clara believes in a different solution. She calls the past two Doctors the Warrior and the Hero, but this leads the Eleventh to wonder what he is. Clara asks if he truly has forgotten; he has, asking Clara to tell him what to do. "We have enough warriors. Any old idiot can be a hero. Be what you've always been. Be a Doctor." She asks him what the promise was when he chose to call himself the Doctor. The Tenth and War Doctors recite "Never cowardly or cruel. Never give up; never give in." The Moment ends the projection.

At that, a brilliant new idea descends on the room; the Eleventh Doctor says that he's had a long time to think about it — he's changed his mind! The intent of the Moment worked: the War Doctor saw the future he needed to see. Picking up on his future self's idea without explanation, the War Doctor exclaims that he could just kiss "Bad Wolf girl" right now, which catches the Tenth Doctor's attention, only for him to be distracted from it as he realises what his counterparts were getting at and agrees that it's a wonderful idea.

They have changed their minds about using the Moment, and the Eleventh Doctor disarms the device with his sonic screwdriver. Instead, they intend to freeze Gallifrey in a moment in time, slipped away in a pocket universe, the way the Zygons froze themselves into Time Lord art. When Gallifrey vanishes, the sphere of Dalek ships surrounding the planet and firing constantly will be exterminated in their own crossfire before they can cease firing, and the universe will believe that the two races destroyed each other.

On the last day of the Time War, another message from the Doctor appears before the High Command: GALLIFREY STANDS. The three Doctors race in their TARDISes towards Gallifrey and transmit to the War Room. Three transmissions, each showing a different Doctor, much to the General's dismay, appear. They explain their incredible plan to save Gallifrey. They will position themselves around the planet equidistantly, and freeze it — just like the stasis cubes, but to a whole planet and all the people on it. The General objects, saying that they'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment with nothing, but the Doctors tell him the alternative is burning and they've seen that and don't want to again. The Eleventh Doctor also informs him that with this plan, the Time Lords will at least have hope, something they don't have now. The General is dumbfounded, he tells them that the idea is delusional, claiming that even if it was possible, the calculations alone would take centuries. The Eleventh and Tenth Doctors agree, saying it would take "hundreds and hundreds" of years, but they've had "a very long time" to think about it. In fact, he could say they've been working on it all their lives.....

At that, the voice of the First Doctor is heard contacting the War Council. Nine more police boxes fly around the planet, and all the past incarnations of the Doctor come together to save Gallifrey, all making contact with the Council. The General bemoans the idea that all twelve Doctors have arrived when three was bad enough. However, his count is one short. Androgar points out that all thirteenincarnations of the Doctor are present to save Gallifrey — a new incarnation from the Doctor's days yet to come is also on the way. A brief glimpse of this future Doctor shows a hand reaching for a lever in the console room, and a pair of piercing blue eyes watching the console monitor.

As the Daleks increase their attack upon seeing the thirteen TARDISes, the General realises that he has no choice and tells the Doctor to "do it." The thirteen Doctors prepare their TARDISes with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors exclaiming their catchphrases while the exasperated War Doctor goes with a simple "Gallifrey Stands." After a flash and a colossal explosion, space becomes empty and quiet as one damaged Dalek fighter pod goes spinning off.

Back in the National Gallery, the Tenth, Eleventh, and War Doctors muse on the ambiguity of whether their plan succeeded. The presence of the mysterious painting of the fall of Arcadia remains an enigma to the three Doctors. While they don't know if their plan worked, they agree that it was better to have failed having done the right thing than succeeding in doing the wrong. The War Doctor bids a fond farewell to his replacements, they return an equally fond farewell as they finally address him as "Doctor": a man fully worthy of the title, even if he will only know it briefly. Because the timelines are out of sync, the War Doctor and the Tenth Doctor won't be able to retain their memories of these events. They will forget them completely until they catch up to their eleventh incarnation. However, right now, the War Doctor is content and pleased that he can refer to himself as "Doctor" again. He gives Clara a farewell kiss and takes a moment to sort out his TARDIS out from the other two in the gallery.

As he pilots his TARDIS away, he suddenly sees his hands glowing with regeneration energy, and says that it makes sense, as his old body is "wearing a bit thin." After surviving the Time War, he is ultimately dying of old age. With his work done in the battle, the energy begins to overtake the War Doctor. He expresses one last desire that the change will leave him with "less conspicuous" ears this time. The War Doctor smiles peacefully as his next regeneration begins.

Acknowledging that he won't be able to remember the answer, the Tenth Doctor questions his successor as to "Where it is we're going that you don't wanna talk about." The Eleventh Doctor relents and reveals that they are destined to die on Trenzalore, in battle, with millions of lives lost. The Tenth Doctor says that's not how it's supposed to be, but the Eleventh Doctor tells him it is determined now. Preparing to leave, the Tenth Doctor shakes his successor's hand and says that he's glad his future is in good hands. He kisses Clara's hand, and with a smile, starts to step into his TARDIS. Before he does, he expresses his desire to change their final destination of Trenzalore, saying: "I don't want to go." As the TARDIS dematerialises, the Eleventh Doctor smiles and remarks "he always says that".

Clara asks the Doctor if he would like to sit and look at the painting for a little while. He smiles, asking how she knew. Clara kisses him on the cheek and tells him that she always knows — it's his sad old eyes. As she steps into the TARDIS, she mentions that an old man, possibly the Gallery's curator, was looking for him.

As the Doctor sits down and looks at the painting, he begins musing out loud that he would be a great curator. He says with a laugh that he could call himself "the Great Curator", retire and become the curator of this gallery. A deep voice affirms that he really might. The astonished Doctor looks over to see a very familiar face standing next to him. An old man who greatly resembles the Fourth Doctor. The Doctor studies the old man in wonderment, as he tells him that he never forgets a face, and the old man replies that he knows he doesn't and that he might find himself revisiting some of them in the future, "but just the old favourites, eh?"; the Doctor merely smiles and winks at the old man. The man then turns the Doctor's attention to the painting, explaining that he acquired it under "remarkable circumstances". He tells the Doctor that its two names are actually one: the true title of the painting is Gallifrey Falls No More.

The Doctor realises that he was successful, and Gallifrey was indeed saved. The mysterious man comments that he surely wouldn't know as he is merely a humble curator. The Doctor excitedly asks him if he knows where Gallifrey is, but he only cryptically reveals that it is simply "lost", and that the Doctor has a lot to do. The Doctor asks if that means that he is supposed to go looking for Gallifrey, but the Curator tells him that that decision is entirely up to him. He also muses that he and the Doctor might be the same man from different perspectives, sounding wistful about days having gone by, congratulating the Doctor on the new journey he is about to commence. As to whether or not he truly is an incarnation of the Doctor from the future, the Curator simply teases the thought, "Who knows, eh? Who... 'nose'?", and with a tap of his nose, he turns and walks away. The Eleventh Doctor concludes that he has a mission, the mission of a lifetime: he must find Gallifrey and return it and all its people to the universe.

Later, the Doctor speaks of his dreams, as he is seen to walk through the TARDIS console room. Clara would laugh at him when he said that he dreamed about where he was going, as he was always going nowhere. However, he says that he finally realises where he has been travelling all this time: home. He simply says that it has taken so many years and lifetimes to take the long way around.

As he exits the TARDIS in the dream, the Doctor joins his eleven past selves in gazing up at the magnificent planet in the sky, determined to find Gallifrey and save his home once and for all.

Cast edit

 * The Doctor - Matt Smith, David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, John Hurt, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell
 * Clara Oswald - Jenna Coleman
 * Rose Tyler- Billie Piper
 * Tom - Tristan Beint
 * Kate Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
 * Osgood - Ingrid Oliver
 * Time Lord Soldier - Chris Finch
 * Androgar - Peter De Jersey
 * The General - Ken Bones
 * Arcadia father - Philip Buck
 * Time Lord - Sophie Morgan-Price
 * Elizabeth I - Joanna Page
 * Lord Bentham - Orlando James
 * McGillop - Jonjo O'Neill
 * Atkins - Tom Keller
 * Zygon - Aidan Cook
 * Zygon - Paul Kasey
 * Voice of the Daleks & Zygons - Nicholas Briggs
 * Dalek 1 - Barnaby Edwards
 * Dalek 2 - Nicholas Pegg
 * Voice over artist - John Guilor