Imagine if Apple had been able to keep a new product completely under wraps until the moment Tim Cook unveiled it. Or if Facebook suddenly announced it was buying Twitter, and not a soul at either company leaked a single detail in advance.
That kind of surprise would approach what fans of the long-running British science-fiction show Doctor Who were feeling Thursday, when one of the show's mini-episodes — usually a throwaway five-minute scene intended to hype an upcoming show — added one of the most significant plot developments in Who's history, leaving long-time watchers slack-jawed.
Warning, Whovians: This is a spoilerific story! If you haven't seen the mini-episode in question, watch it now.
A quick primer for the uninitiated: the Doctor is able to "regenerate" into different bodies with different personalities, ensuring the longevity of this 50-year old show. For fans, a regeneration from one actor into another is an event akin to a Royal Wedding — if viewers constantly harbored suspicions that they wouldn't love this bride as much as the last one. You may have heard some of the global hubbub around the next Doctor, Peter Capaldi, and he hasn't even started in the role yet.
See also: 12 Reasons Why the 12th Doctor Could Be the Best Ever
So the fact that showrunner Steven Moffat managed to drop a regeneration into an online mini-episode, without fans suspecting a thing beforehand, would be a phenomenal achievement at any time. It is especially so at this moment, with the highly-anticipated 50th anniversary episode approaching. There are fan sites devoted to picking apart every clue embedded in trailers for the movie-length special, which will be simulcast around the world and shown in theaters in 3D. Every living actor to have played the Doctor has been interrogated about his role in it.
How did Moffat do it? With a hefty dose of misdirection. The Doctor who regenerates this time, played by Paul McGann, recently stated that he was "gutted" to not be appearing in the 50th anniversary special. Which, technically, he doesn't.
Somewhere, Moffat — variously described as the evil overlord of Tumblr fandom and king of the online trolls — is giggling with glee.
The mini-episode shows McGann transforming into John Hurt, the "forgotten" Doctor (above right), who presumably committed war crimes and was revealed at the end of season 7. Fans have spent months speculating about where Hurt fits in the Doctor's timeline. Most suspected that he came after McGann, but everyone was waiting for the special to reveal it.
Imagine if George Lucas had casually revealed Luke Skywalker's parentage in a short film prior to Empire Strikes Back.
See also: 'Doctor Who' Crash Course: 12 Essential Episodes
Speaking of Star Wars, it's a particularly apt comparison. Both series are the subjects of intense online speculation; both try to keep their plotlines secret. The difference is that Star Wars, in its post-Disney incarnation, has offered fans absolutely nothing about the content of the forthcoming Episode VII.
Which is fine, but it does mean that fans fill in the vacuum any way they can — most recently, by dissecting the finer points of casting calls. (The two characters that are subjects of an international hunt for actors have become the stars of fan fiction). I would put the chances of the plot of the movie remaining a secret over the next two years at roughly zero.
Moffat, fully aware that spoilers are a fact of life in the social media age, delights in throwing fans a constant stream of curveballs. Perhaps J.J. Abrams should have him on speed-dial — as should Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg, for that matter.
Image: BBC America