Doctor Who’s regeneration scenes are guaranteed to be iconic. Fans get a chance to say goodbye to a beloved actor and hello to the stranger stepping into the role of the Doctor. And that’s exactly what happened in “The Time Of The Doctor” when Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor regenerated into Peter Capaldi’s 12th. Capaldi has since gone on to earn universal praise over the course of his first season. But animator Robert Medina took it upon himself to recreate Capaldi’s auspicious entrance, Lego-style.
In an almost shot-for-shot recreation, Medina animates Smith’s emotional goodbye and Capaldi’s unexpected beginnings. (In the episode Smith essentially sneezes and becomes Capaldi. In Medina’s version the transformation is a little more violent.) There’s also a concered Clara, an appearance from both young Amelia Pond and older Amy Pond, and even an animated bowl of fish fingers and custard. While Medina’s video forgoes dialogue, it captures both the heartbreak and excitement inherent in any regeneration.
Watch Medina’s short and the original scene below:
The original scene: