What was Tom Baker Doing in "The Day of the Doctor"?

I can’t say I know, but I will explore some possibilities.

I’ll start with my favourite one so far—it was brought up by someone in a comment on The Day of the Doctor: Gallifrey Falls No More. It is this: Baker is playing a character akin to the Watcher in “Logopolis,” the episode in which the Fourth Doctor regenerated into the Fifth Doctor. From the beginning of the story, the Watcher enigmatically tags along with Team TARDIS. When Four falls to his regeneration, the Watcher saunters over to his body and becomes the Fifth Doctor—and I do not believe that he was played by Peter Davison. It’s never been explained why or how this happened, and Moffat may be the man to solve this thirty-plus year-old mystery? I wouldn’t put it past him. I don’t remember where I heard this said, but I believe I read that the Doctor is aware that his regeneration is impending.

Upon meeting the Tom Baker character, Eleven remarked that he never forgets a face. I have a hard time believing that they are going as far to stretch Tom Baker still being the Fourth Doctor. I love the man, but he does not quite look like he used to. In all honesty, even the timeless David Tennant is starting to show his age in the face a bit, but that disbelief I could suspend, and even in “Time Crash,” Peter Davison wasn’t that different. But Tom? He’s barely recognisable. Love you Tom, but it’s true.

The Watcher fuses with the Doctor in Logopolis

“Never forgetting a face” also fuels that he could be the Watcher. The Watcher did not have quite discernible features, so I could deal with that being what he looked like, or an alternate version of what the Watcher looks like.

The same argument is somewhat valid for Tom reprising the Fourth Doctor, but as I said before, I have some doubt about that. They do have discourse about what if they are each other, which could go into either camp of Watcher v. Doctor.

What do you think? Please comment below!

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#SaveTheDay Countdown: The Fourth Doctor--Tom Baker

As a countdown to the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Doctor

Who, TARDIStyle will be showcasing one Doctor a day.

Tom Baker was born 20 January 1934 in Liverpool. His mother was a cleaner and his father was a sailor who was rarely home. Baker attended Cheswardine Boarding School until the age of 15, when he decided to be a Roman Cathloic monk. He lived in the lifestyle for six years, but lost his faith and left. From 1955-57, Baker served in the Royal Army Medical Corps. It was then he started acting, first as a hobby, and became professional at the tail end of the 1960s.

Baker was a member of the National Theatre Company, from the late 60s until the early 70s. His first big film break was as Grigori Rasputin in Nicolas and Alexandra in 1971. For the performance, he was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, one for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the other for Best Newcomer. In 1973, Tom appeared in The Vault of Horror as Moore, an artist whose paintings had voodoo power in them. Also in 1973, Baker played Koura in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

He accepted the role of the Doctor in 1974 and stayed until 1981, making him the Doctor with the most hours of footage. Like most Doctors, Baker has no trouble finding roles after leaving the show.

Tom has two sons, Piers and Daniel, from his first marriage to Anna Wheatcroft in 1961. He and his sons lost contact until Piers found himself in the same pub as his father in New Zealand. He married Doctor Who co-star Lalla Ward (Romana II) in 1980, and divorced sixteen months later. Baker has been married to Sue Jerrard, an assistant editor on Doctor Who since 1986. She and baker lived in France between the years of 2003 and 2006. They now reside on the East Sussex countryside. Baker describes himself as irrelgious or Buddhist, but he is not anti-religion. He is skeptical on the concept. Politically, Baker has expressed dislike for both the Conservative and Labour parties.

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