Doctor Who Season 14 Beautifully Pays Tribute To Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom."

Summary Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor subtly pays homage to Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor with a musical nod in "Boom."

Troughton's Second Doctor often played "The Skye Boat Song" on his recorder, inspiring the Fifteenth Doctor's calming tactic in the episode.

The song's origin as a Jacobite lament fleeing war ties in with the episode's themes and reflects the Doctor's journeys in TARDIS.

Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom," pays homage to the sometimes-forgotten Second Doctor with a fitting reference to Patrick Troughton's version of the famous Time Lord. Actors playing the Doctor paying tribute to their predecessors isn't an uncommon occurrence in Doctor Who, but Ncuti Gatwa's callback to the Second Doctor is so subtle that it's easy to miss. However, it's clear that the moment is a clear nod to Troughton's time in the TARDIS.

Patrick Troughton was the second actor to step into the role of the Doctor back in 1966, taking the baton from the character's originator, William Hartnell. As a result, Troughton was the first out of all the actors to play the Doctor to join the show via the process of regeneration - long before Disney's era of Doctor Who. The Second Doctor was known for his unkempt appearance and penchant for musical renditions - the latter of which was the inspiration behind Fifteenth's referential moment in "Boom."

Related Doctor Who Season 14 Cast & Character Guide: Who Appears In Each Episode Doctor Who season 14 is Ncuti Gatwa's first full outing as the Doctor, and he is joined by an exciting cast of newcomers and familiar faces.

"The Skye Boat Song" Was Played By Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor

The Second Doctor is often seen with his recorder

When the Fifteenth Doctor is trying to keep a level enough head to remain completely still in "Boom," Ruby Sunday hears him singing a song to help keep himself calm. He later reveals the piece to be called "The Skye Boat Song." What Fifteen is singing is a rendition of an 18th-century Gaelic folk song, written by Scottish composer William Ross around the 1780s. The choice of song is intriguing, as on the surface, it seems as though the Doctor has chosen it for its soothing, lullaby-esque qualities. However, the Second Doctor would often recite this composition on his recorder.

The Second Doctor liked to play the recorder for his own amusement, but he would also play it to aid in his thinking.

The Second Doctor liked to play the recorder for his own amusement, but he would also play it to aid in his thinking. This is in line with the Fifteenth Doctor's scenario in "Boom." While standing on the landmine, the Doctor needs to formulate a plan that will allow him to remove his weight from the device without it killing him. Singing "The Skye Boat Song" is a fitting throwback to Troughton's version of the character, as it suggests Fifteen is resorting to a tactic he would use to concentrate during one of his earliest regenerations.

Troughton's Second Doctor is not the only version of the character to display musical tendencies. For example, Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor often played the guitar. The Fifteenth Doctor has also been shown singing and playing the piano.

What "The Skye Boat Song" From Doctor Who's "Boom" Episode Is Really About

"The Skye Boat Song" is loaded with imagery representative of Doctor Who canon

According to ScotsLanguage, "The Skye Boat Song" chronicles the journey of a young monarch fleeing war. It's described as a "Jacobite lament describing how Bonnie Prince Charlie, disguised as an Irish woman, was rowed over the Minch to the island of Skye to hide from the British soldiers." The entire story of "Boom" revolves around the concept of war, so as well as Fifteen's rendition of the song being a nod to the Second Doctor, it's also in keeping with the episode's message. However, the song could also have a deeper meaning in relation to its use in Doctor Who.

ScotsLanguage also states that the song's lyrics weren't added until much later, by an Englishman named Sir Harold Boulton in the 1880s.

The song's titular Island of Skye (also simply known as "Skye") is a Scottish island. Although a bridge was built to connect Skye to the Scottish mainland in 1995, traveling by boat was often a common way to traverse the distance. So, the concept of boat travel to reach Skye could be representative of the Doctor's journeys in TARDIS. Additionally, the reference to the song's protagonist being in disguise mirrors the Doctor's ability to regenerate. Furthermore, the conflict the monarch is fleeing could even be a stand-in for Doctor Who's Time War.

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

Source: ScotsLanguage