How Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Revives The Butterfly In Season 14, Episode 1

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, "Space Babies."

Summary Doctor Who showcases the Doctor's alien origin through unexpected abilities like reviving a butterfly using regeneration energy.

Regeneration energy allows the Doctor to display powers beyond human capabilities, reinforcing their extraterrestrial lineage.

Throughout the show, Doctor Who surprises viewers with new abilities that come into play when the plot demands it.

A very early sequence in Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, "Space Babies," shows Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor bringing a butterfly back to life, and while it's not something the Doctor has done before, there's a reasonable explanation as to how it happened. Due to the Doctor's appearance, it's easy to forget at times that the show's main character is an alien. As such, it makes sense that the famous Time Lord would boast abilities beyond those of mankind. However, "Space Babies" doesn't outwardly explain how the butterfly is revived, but there are clues in previous episodes of Doctor Who.

Almost every actor who has played the Doctor has had a regeneration scene, and the character's physical transformation is an ongoing reminder of the Doctor's alien origin. Doctor Who reinforces the Doctor's extraterrestrial lineage from time to time by having them display abilities that seem to come out of left field. The butterfly scene at the beginning of Doctor Who season 14 isn't a completely brand-new concept, but it also hasn't been used all too often.

Related 20 Greatest Doctor Who Stories Of All Time, Ranked Doctor Who has been a fixture on TV screens for 60 years, meaning there are plenty of stories to choose from when picking out the Time Lord's best.

The Doctor May Have Used A Tiny Amount Of Regeneration Energy To Revive The Butterfly

Previous Doctors have also demonstrated this skill in Doctor Who

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The Doctor's regenerative process is often only activated when they're close to death, as it's a way of circumventing the character's demise. However, new introductions like Doctor Who's bi-generation twist prove the process isn't always predictable. Additionally, it would seem that the Doctor has some level of control over the force behind regeneration, even when their life doesn't hang in the balance. So, the likeliest explanation for how Fifteen resurrected the butterfly that fell victim to the bottom of Ruby's shoe is that he imparted some of his regeneration energy to the deceased insect.

The Tenth Doctor charges a TARDIS power cell similarly to how Fourteen saves the butterfly.

Previous Doctors have used this power before. For example, in Doctor Who season 2, episode 5, "Rise of the Cybermen," the Tenth Doctor charges a TARDIS power cell similarly to how Fourteen saves the butterfly. After the act, Ten says, "I just gave away ten years of my life. Worth every second." River Song also scalds Eleven for the "Stupid waste of regeneration energy" that he used to heal her wrist in Doctor Who season 7, episode 5, "The Angels Take Manhattan." Twelve also heals Davros with regeneration energy in Doctor Who season 9, episode 1, "The Magician's Apprentice."

Doctor Who Has A History Of Giving The Doctor Special Powers Out Of Nowhere

Gatwa's butterfly resurrection continues a Doctor Who trend

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The long-running sci-fi show tends to let viewers believe they know all the Doctor's abilities, only to reveal a never-before-seen power with no warning. For instance, the Doctor has flawlessly hypnotized people on occasion and even demonstrated certain psychic abilities. However, these ancillary skills don't rear their heads on any kind of consistent basis. Instead, the powers in question only really tend to come to the forefront when the plot of a particular Doctor Who story demands it.

Episode Disney+ Release Date "Space Babies" & "The Devil's Chord" May 10 "Boom" May 17 "73 Yards" May 24 "Dot & Bubble" May 31 "Rogue" June 7 "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" June 14 "Empire of Death" June 21

A new episode of Doctor Who season 14 is available each Friday on Disney+.