Billie Piper? ‘Doctor Who’ Season 2’s Regeneration Twist, Explained

BBC

“Timey wimey” doesn’t even begin to describe the Season 2 finale of Doctor Who. “The Reality War” brought the season’s long-running mystery — the Earth mysteriously being destroyed suddenly on May 24, 2025 — to its conclusion, but introduced a last-minute twist that saw the end of Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor, and the return of a very familiar face. But what does it all mean? Is the 15th Doctor really gone? Is the 16th Doctor really who she seems to be? Let’s dig into the wild, twisty ending of “The Reality War.”

Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who’s “The Reality War.”

Doctor Who “The Reality War” Ending Explained

The crux of the episode’s late climax, and the reason for the 15th Doctor’s regeneration, is the existence of Poppy. | BBC

“The Reality War” picks up with “Wish World’s” very literal cliffhanger by having the Doctor saved from his fall by Anita (Steph de Whalley), the hotel receptionist with whom the Doctor spent a whole year during the spinoff, but it’s clear that the main show is building up to something big again. Or maybe it’s just another nostalgia ploy to keep the show afloat. At the very least, Doctor Who does what it does best: it leaves us bewildered, and oddly emotional, but always wanting more.

Doctor Who streams on Disney+ and HBO Max. Classic episodes of the show can be found on Tubi.

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