This Week’s ‘Doctor Who’ Had A Fun ‘Timeless’ Connection

If there’s one thing actor Goran Višnjić clearly loves, it’s time travel. If there are two things? The other is doctors. Thankfully, he was able to bring together the two loves of his life on this week’s Doctor Who, guest starring as Nikola Tesla.

Spoilers for Doctor Who Season 12, Episode 4 “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror” past this point.

To be clear, I do not know Goran Višnjić nor do I have any idea what he actually likes, or not. However, the Croatian-American actor first rose to prominence in America starring as Dr. Luka Kovac on ER from 1999-2009. Initially brought in to fill the heartthrob/George Clooney role, as everyone’s fave Nespresso pitchman had left the show earlier in the year, Višnjić eventually became a fan favorite in his own right, and lasted right up until the end of the series. So that covers the doctor part of things, which is, uh, a little bit sketchy since The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) isn’t actually a medical doctor. But whatever, I’ve got a character count to fill here, so let’s keep going.

The much closer connection is through the cult favorite NBC show Timeless, which ran from 2016-2018. In that series, Višnjić played Garcia Flynn, a mysterious time traveler and initially an antagonist for the crew of that show’s time travel vehicle, the Lifeboat. However, over the course of the show’s two seasons, he proved to be a strong ally to the team and lasted all the way through the show’s surprise Christmas finale. Though Timeless is very much its own series, it shares some DNA with Doctor Who on the basis of its mostly family friendly take on travelling through history, and a core central team who respects and loves working with each other. Also all the time travel, that’s another similarity.

So, how about Goran Višnjić’s turn on Doctor Who as Nikola Tesla, a.k.a. Thomas Edison’s favorite punching bag? In the hour, The Doctor and crew encounter Tesla while tracking a strange energy signature. Turns out Tesla’s been targeted by a race of alien, scavenger scorpions called the Skithra who want his help rebuilding their ship. The Doctor gets involved, yells a lot of stuff at the Queen of the Skithra (Anjli Mohindra), they team up with Edison and Tesla is left to invent the future while mostly remaining forgotten by history.

Even better, you get to see Višnjić as Tesla in Doctor Who‘s time traveling apparatus, the TARDIS. He even got to say a turn of the century riff on the classic “It’s bigger on the inside” line. And after the cramped quarters of Timeless‘ Mothership and Lifeboat, he should know.

Two fun additional details from the steampunk vs. scorpion themed episode: Višnjić was born in Croatia, as was Tesla, so he brings an air of authenticity to the role; and Mohindra has actually appeared in the Who-niverse before, though in a decidedly different role. She starred in the all-ages spinoff series The Sarah Jane Adventures as the very human Rani Chandra, up until the show ended. And in fact, she was so caked in makeup for her role as Queen Skithra, Bradley Walsh, who currently stars as Graham on Doctor Who and previously played a different role on Sarah Jane Adventures didn’t even recognize her.

But now, thankfully, you can recognize her. And you can recognize Višnjić, who isn’t heading back to time travel again, but will stay in the geek sphere with his next role on the Prime Video superhero series The Boys for Season 2. Fingers crossed he’s also secretly a doctor.

Doctor Who airs Sundays at 8/7c on BBC America.

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