Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor encourages kindness and hope in face of global pandemic

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker suits up as Thirteen to send the world a message of kindness and hope during the coronavirus pandemic. (Get your tissues.)

What would the Doctor do?

That’s probably something many people have been thinking over the past few days and weeks, as the coronavirus pandemic around the world has worsened. Couldn’t we, as a society, really use a visit from Doctor Who’s two-hearted alien time traveler, full of advice on how best to handle this dark and scary time?

Well, thankfully we got one. Sort of.

Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker has suited up to give humanity the pep talk it needs, thanks to Twitter.

Clad in a full Thirteenth Doctor costume – or, just her normal, everyday clothes, as I like to believe – to record a special message for all of us suffering through the fear and anxiety of…well, everything going on in the world right now.

Don’t worry, this video seems to say. The Doctor is here. And it’s going to all be okay.

“Hiding from the Sontarans” is the new social distancing, y’all.

It’s hard to verbalize how incredibly good it feels to watch the Doctor tell us to trust in things like kindness, love and science. (Not ashamed to say that I cried, is what I mean.)

"“One: Remember — you’ll get through this. And things will be all right, even if they look uncertain. Even if you’re worried, darkness never prevails.Two: Tell jokes, even bad ones. Especially bad ones. I’m brilliant at bad ones.Three: Be kind. Even kinder than you were yesterday, and I know you were super kind yesterday. Look out for each other. You won’t be the only one worried. Talking will help, sharing will help. Look out for your friends, your neighbors, people you hardly know, and family, ’cause in the end, we’re all family.Four: Listen to science, and listen to doctors, right? They’ve got your back.Five: Stay strong. Stay positive. You’ve got this. And I will see you very soon.”"

And given that she tells us she’ll see us soon at the end? I don’t know about y’all, but I’m hoping that Whittaker will perhaps record us a few more “emergency transmissions” to help us all get through this.

Because if the Doctor’s here, things will turn out alright in the end. That’s how it works.

Be kind. Darkness won’t last. Listen to Doctors. We got this.

In theory, Doctor Who will return this holiday season for a new special. But here’s hoping we’ll see the Doctor again long before that.