David Tennant Reflects On The Significance Of The Tenth Doctor's Last Line

The Journey of the Tenth Doctor

David Tennant reflects on his first Doctor Who tenure, revealing that while he could never guess what the Tenth Doctor's final line would be, he understood how it resonated with an important stage in his life. Tennant is the second actor to play the Doctor in the show's revival, making his first appearance in 'The Parting of the Ways'. The actor led the series for three seasons and a handful of specials released across 2009, but would rejoin the series as a new incarnation of the Doctor in 2023. After leading the Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary as the Fourteenth Doctor, Tennant reflected on the final moments of his Tenth Doctor tenure in BBC One's Imagine.... Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me documentary.

David Tennant The Tenth Doctor begins regeneration inside the TARDIS

In the lead-up to the production of his final story 'The End of Time', Tennant never came close to guessing his iconic final words as the Tenth Doctor, 'I don't want to go', but truly appreciated the line for how it summarizes the character's journey alongside his and showrunner Russell T Davies' career at the time. He sort of trailered that, months before by saying 'I know what your last line is. And you're not going to be able to guess it.' And I didn't. I never got close to it. But when I read it, I went 'Of course.' Because it's the Doctor's last line, or it's the Tenth Doctor's last line, it's also my last line, and it's Russell's last line, and it meant that it reverberated for all of us, I think.

The Impact of the Tenth Doctor's Final Line

As the Doctor stood alone after a lengthy farewell tour in the final moments of 'The End of Time', the Time Lord admitted he wasn't ready to change. With Tennant having been the Tenth Doctor for four years, not only had the actor been able to play his childhood hero, but had endeared him to a loyal fanbase who also didn't want to see him depart the role. However, with Tennant having not only returned to Doctor Who as the Tenth Doctor, but an all-new Fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor, it could be argued the impact of the line has been lessened. While viewers would see Tennant return both on-screen and in Doctor Who's expanded media, 'I don't want to go' still remains effective both for those who watched his Doctor, and in terms of its place in the franchise. Within the universe, Tennant stands as the penultimate incarnation of what appeared to be the Doctor's limited regeneration cycle at the time, meaning that it could be interpreted the Doctor's reluctance to change as being due to him entering his final life. But outside the show's universe, 'I don't want to go' continues to have an impact on marking the end of an era, as both the showrunner and a star who helped elevate Doctor Who to new heights were prepared to take a final bow. Regardless of whether the line still holds the same significance as it did upon 'The End of Time' released, 'I don't want to go' is still a phrase that tugs at the heartstrings of many viewers. Tennant's final Tenth Doctor episode treated the moment as if the series had reached its end, giving viewers one last glimpse at the companions both they and the Doctor cherished. As such, Tennant's recollection is a perfect summary of why the short but bittersweet line continues to impact Doctor Who to this day.

The Legacy of Tennant's Tenth Doctor

Tennant's Tenth Doctor adventures are currently available on Max in the US, and on BBC iPlayer in the UK.