Doctor WhoDoctor Who — Theories, Facts, Speculations
Written by: Michael Martinez-Mann (SoSF Guest Contributor)
As we head into the mid-season for of series four of Doctor Who with the rumor that this, coupled with the three specials next year, will be the last outing for showrunner Russell T. Davies, we have been left to speculate what old Russell has been ramping up to during this, and the previous three, seasons. First let us follow some of the highlights those past seasons and possible clues which may shed some light on what is yet to come.
Please be aware that once I begin presenting my theories for the rest of this and future series of Who, SPOILERS are employed.
-
Rose:
We meet the 9th doctor who, we can surmise from his surprised reaction to his own reflection, is newly regenerated.
It is revealed there was a time war in which many races suffered.
-
End of the World:
The Timelords did not survive the time war and Gallifrey is gone.
-
Dalek:
The Doctor ended the time war which resulted in the apparent annihilation of
the Timelords and the Daleks.
-
Fathers Day:
Disturbing weak points in time can have dire consequences.
-
Boomtown:
Blain the Surviving Slitheen is reverted to a younger state by the energy from within the heart of the TARDIS.
-
Bad Wolf:
Torchwood is mentioned.
-
Parting of the Ways:
Rose absorbs the “power of the time vortex” from the heart of the TARDIS.
With this power Rose brings Jack back to life permanently.
-
The Christmas Invasion:
Residual energy from the Doctors regeneration is expelled from his body.
Torchwood destroys the Sycorax.
-
Tooth and Claw:
Doctors actions lead to the creation of the Torchwood Institute which he has run into several times by this point.
-
Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel:
The walls between the universes closed in after the passing of the Timlords.
-
Love and Monsters:
Mister Saxon mentioned in newspaper article.
-
Fear Her:
Thought and emotion of the world on the Olympic Torch charge the Isolus Ship enough to return home.
-
Doomsday/Army of Ghosts:
A new hole has been punched into the universe by the Cult of Skaro bringing the Cybermen in their wake.
Before sealing this new breach the Doctor projects himself into Pete’s World for a final farewell. Following this he fades away.
-
The Runaway Bride:
Donna Noble is saturated with Huron particles by the Racnoss Queen.
Huron particles exist is the energy in the Heart of the Tardis.
Mister Saxon gives the order to destroy the Racnoss ship.
-
Smith & Jones:
The Doctor had a family.
Mister Saxon is mentioned in news broadcast.
-
The Shakespeare Code:
The Carrionates “magic” is produced by words rather than science.
The power of a name is old magic.
-
The Lazarus Experiment:
Professor Lazarus invents genetic manipulation technology.
Mister Saxon warns Mrs. Jones about the Doctor.
-
Blink:
The Doctor’s life doesn’t always happen in order.
-
Utopia:
Timelords are prejudice against Facts. The TARDIS flies to the end of the universe to escape from Jack.
The Master is revealed to have been hidden by the Chameleon Arch.
The Master uses The Doctor’s old hand to escape with the TARDIS.
-
The Sound of Drums:
More of Gallifrey’s back-story is revealed including the revelation of an untempered schism of time vortex existing on the planet itself.
The Master was responsible for Lazaurs’s genetic manipulation technology and hardwired it into a laser screwdriver.
-
The Last of the Timelords:
The Master wishes to create a new Gallifrey.
During the time war the Doctor fought Seadevil’s and Axon’s.
The Doctor sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade.
All of the Earth thinking of The Doctor simultaneously coupled with the psychic energy field is able to restore The Doctor.
The Master has never been willing to die. He dies.
A female hand is seen at his funeral pyre.
-
Time Crash:
Through a temporal accident The Doctor crosses back over his timeline and
meets his 5th incarnation.
-
Voyage of the Damned:
London knows of yearly alien visits and The Doctor.
Now on to the current series and what could lay in store for the good Doctor and his companion(s). PLEASE NOTE: Spoilerific!
-
Partners in Crime:
Rose is seen in crowd, walks off and fades away.
-
Fires of Pompeii:
The Doctor is in ancient Prophecy.
The Doctor is named a Timelord.
The Doctor’s name is hidden burning in the fires of the cascade of Medusa herself.
The Doctor is told “She is returning.”
Donna is told “There is something on your back.”
The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone.
The Doctor believes Pompeii is a fixed point, which he cannot change.
It is revealed that Pompeii is his choice.
Gallifrey burned.
The Doctor “can’t” go back.
Donna Urges Doctor to save one family, which he does.
The Family makes the Doctor and Donna their household God’s.
-
Planet of the Ood:
The Doctor’s song must end. Every song ends.
The Ood will sing of the Doctor Donna forever.
-
The Sontaran Stratagem:
The Doctor and Gallifrey are in Sontaran Legends.
Sontarans were not allowed to fight in the Time War.
-
The Poison Sky:
Rose calls to The Doctor on his screen in the TARDIS.
So now to bring it all this together in one cohesive bond –
1. As the 9th Doctor was newly regenerated in Rose we can assume the 8th participated in the time war and the war possibly even led to his need to regenerate. While The Doctor made the definitive choice that caused the end of the Time War and Gallifrey, the war involved more races than just the Timelords and the Daleks. We know that the Seadevil’s and the Axon’s were involved and possibly the Nesteen Consiousness and the Pyrovillia.
2. The energy that rejuvenated the Slitheen, the energy that Rose absorbs from the heart of the TARDIS, the energy from the Doctors regeneration, and the Huron particles that attracts Donna to the ship appear to be all one and the same. Now taking all we know about Donna’s past at the time of The Fires of Pompeii the only thing she could be “Have on her back”, or in other words a burden she still carries, are remnant Huron particles. As they are deadly they are probably killing her. The same goes for Rose who took in all the Huron particles from the heart of the TARDIS which is so powerful it even causes The Doctor to regenerate.
3. When Rose brings Jack back using Huron particles she makes him a Fact. Facts seem to Taboo in Timelord culture. The doctor admits to abandoning Jack because of it, the TARDIS flees to the end of the universe to escape it and it is forbidden for Timelords to interfere with “Fixed Points” in history. The exception being Gallifrey itself. In the classic series it is suggested that Gallifrey has an absolute frame of reference, in other words no matter where in time and space you travel from it is the “present”.
4. The “present” has only been breached in extreme cases and in such cases the doctor invariably runs into his past selves. With Gallifrey gone his past selves should be inaccessible yet he manages to run into his 5th incarnation.
5. Torchwood, Mister Saxon, and the events of Blink have studied the theme of the Doctors life happening out of sequence.
6. Another theme visited is the power of the mind. Humans have a latent psychic ability which when tapped into is very powerful. With the right catalyst can even affect the physical universe in much the same manner as Carrionites. The most powerful being the power of a name.
7. There are breaches in the universe which should not be open yet continue to do so.
8. The Master uses Lazarus’s genetic manipulation technology on the doctor and key’s it to the Doctor using the biological code in his hand. He also possibly uses it so the TARDIS recognizes him.
Next week the previews would have us believe that we will be meeting The Doctor’s daughter. However if this were the case it is likely the doctor would have known. It may be his child in the context that it was created by the Master using his biological code from the hand. This is also what would allow the TARDIS to be co-opted at the end of The Poison Sky. The “daughter” may also be the woman the hand belonged to at the end of Last of the Time Lords.
Overall for the Season we will witness the return, in some form or other, of Gallifrey and learn of how the Time War really ended.
The 8th Doctor ended the Time War, but Gallifrey was not destroyed. It was simply removed from time and space. It’s possible it is existing in the void or somewhere equally inaccessible. We are shown in Sound of Drums that an untempered vortex exists on the surface of the Planet. It is possible Gallifrey was removed through the vortex or the Mysterious Medusa Cascade (The two could eve be one and the same).
The Doctors true name is said to burn in the Cascade of Medusa herself and It was the doctor who singlehandedly sealed it. It was said as well that Gallifrey burned which could lend credence to this and the disappearance of “Heavens of Pyrovillia” could have happened in the same instance..
The holes popping up between the universes have been an indication of the world trying to get through. Indications of this are apparent with the ability of the Doctor to run into a previous self. Another is Rose’s brief appearances. The manner is which she vanished was reminiscent of the Doctor’s projection at the end of Doomsday.
Now we also have The Legend of the Doctor being seeded all throughout time and space. In many place with Humans but also with alien races such as the Ood. Oods and Timelords are mildly telepathic and humans are latent. As stated before the right catalyst can turn thought into reality and with the story of the Timelord becoming more powerful with each passing episode it could soon be harnessed to will it back into existence.
Another avenue of restoration is Rose and Donna. They have both been exposed to Huron particles and it is possible some residual energy has remained in them. Huron particles existed in the Dark Time but were also manufactured by Gallifrey and since they are attractive to each other Donna, Rose and the TARDIS could add some extra pull. Regardless they will be integral in the restoration of Gallifrey as they can both persuade The Doctor and interfere.
The Doctor has said numerous times that he can’t go back and undo what he did, but this seems to have more to do with Timelord cultural imperatives, than the ability to do so. Fixed points and weak points are off limits, but where the influence is from without and the he is at the point of a choice he is free to make a decision. This point in Fires of Pompeii is hit on several times. Whatever loophole is created may be on the fence but the Doctor only needs his companions to push him into doing the compassionate thing.
The other possibility is that part of the time war was fought in some manner by the 10th Doctor and as his life doesn’t happen in order he just hadn’t finished making history yet. The Ood prophecy states that his song will end soon and another regeneration in the act of bringing Gallifrey back would be a good end to, not only the 10th Doctor’s song, but the song of sadness the doctor has carried in his heart since his home was taken from him.
Depending on the manner in which Gallifrey is restored we may wind up with an 11th Doctor or the return of the 8th.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
There is serveral points you clearly got wrong. First please rewatch the episode where you think the Axon and Seadevlis fought in the time war. The Doctor and the The Master talked about old battles with each other not the time war. You cleary haven’t seen all of Doctor Who and and are unware of the history which is cannon to the current series. Till that moment he didn’t even know the Master has fought in the war. Also your lack of history prior to the restart of the show tells me you don’t know the Doctor has been shown to have a family before and is actually half-human which explains why he likes Earth so much. I understand you were only claiming these to be assumptions and not facts, but really you should have talked ot a few more Who fans before making them.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Temper, temper Jake. Not everyone has the entire 40+ year run of Dr. Who imprinted in their brain.
Great article, Mike. You bring up lots of interesting points about the show’s current run and point out a bunch of stuff I missed.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
A few thoughts:
1. We have no reason to believe the Sea Devils and the Axons were involved in the Time War. The Master merely mentions them in a sequence of the Doctor’s past achievements — ” I remember the days when the Doctor, oh, that famous Doctor, was waging a Time War. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed.” — which does not mean they were necessarily part of the same endeavour.
2. Similarly, there’s no reason to believe that Huon particles are the same thing as the Time Vortex (that which empowers Rose in “The Parting of the Ways”). The Doctor says of Huon energy that “The only place you’d find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS.” That doesn’t mean that the Vortex necessarily consists solely of Huon energy, but that both are found in (or via) the same part of the TARDIS.
3. At the end of “The Runaway Bride”, the Doctor explicitly declares that Donna is free of contamination: “All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you’re fine.”
3. I doubt we’ll be seeing an 11th Doctor, as Tennant has said he’s doing the Christmas episode and next year’s “Hiatus” specials.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Actually I am quite Familiar with both the old and the new series
1. Yes the doctor has a family and it is possible that his daughter is actually out there, but it is unlikely. Everyone supposedly dies in the Time War except for the Doctor. The Doctor would also know whether any of his people survived. The only reason he did not sense The Master was due to his use of the Chameleon Arch and The Archangel Network. (The Sound of Drums)
His daughter could have, in fact, employed a chameleon arch, but then she would not be as young as she is. Timelords can live within a regeneration indefinitely (War Games)but the Arch would suspend that and she would live a normal life. Depending on how much time has passed since the time war she would have aged several years to several decades. While it is not impossible that she regenerated into a very young for we have never seen a Timelord regenerate into a pre-adult state.
2. The only thing The Master didn’t know was that The Doctor survived the fall of Gallifrey. The Master was resurrected during the Time War to fight the Daleks. He ran before the war was over. He was actually present druring the war and was present when the Emporer of the Daleks took control of the Cruciform. (The Sound of Drums)
Furthermore, We know other races were involved because the Nesteen Conciousness suffered as well. (Rose) And the master said “You know, I remember the days when the Doctor, that famous Doctor, was waging a Time War. Battling Axons and Seadevils.” (Last of the Timelords)
3. As for the Doctor’s half human nature the evidence from the Paul McGann Movie has mostly ignored by everyone as a bad idea. Even if you take it as cannon there are three points to consider. One: The doctor was a bit off after his regeneration, as he tends to get, and could have been joking or even misremembering. Two: When The Master used the Eye of Harmony to observe the doctor he took a retinal scan at the moment The Doctor was kissing Grace at that very moment and he could have been catching a bit of grace in there (We’ve seen the genetic transfer bit with The Doctor and Martha. Three: Timelords can change their race during a regeneration and he could have been half human for that regeneration only.(The Enemy Within)
May 9th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Mark-
My pre-edited article originally read through season four and the three specials nest year.
May 10th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I’m glad someone remembers War Games. Between the second Doctors comments there, and his comments about “regeneration” being a gift of the TARDIS in Power of the Daleks, plus comments during “The Five Doctors” about giving the Master a brand new set of regenerations, I believe that a Time Lord can regenerate indefinably, but they themselves place a limit on the number of times it is done. Nothing lasts forever; everything dies, as it where. Everyone is talking about what they will do after the Doctor’s final regeneration, but I say he will simply regenerate again. Without the time lord to enforce the 13 lives rule, I figure he will continue on because there is nothing left of his home world but himself. Like he told the Face Of Boe, they are the last of their kind, it’s their duty to survive.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I think a more interesting thought regarding Huons (sp?) is whether the rift in Cardiff that the Doctor uses to recharge the Tardis was produced by Jack Harkness’s 2000 year cycle of dying and being coming back over and over again after being buried alive — his resurrections being fueled by energy from the Tardis put there by Rose. Makes for an interesting kind of loop that the Doctor Who writers just love, doesn’t it?
May 10th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Would just like to point out that the Doctor started, or rather the Time War started, when when his fourth regeneration (Tom Baker) was sent to Skaro to prevent the Darleks from being created.
I’d also guess that:
1: “Rose” is a copy of the original created by the Time vortex. That the one now haunting about is a “time clone.” Not that I have any idea what its up to.
2: The next time we see “him” the Master will be in the body of his wife. Her killing him was just a contingency plan in case plan A failed.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Like all good spec articles, Michael, you’ve given us a springboard for discussion. Kudos.
I think you’re mistaken about Axons and Sea Devils fighting in the Time War. The Master was just running through great achievements of the Doctor, not necessarily inter-connected events. I don’t think anyone fought in the War except for the Time Lords and the Daleks. In “Unquiet Dead” the Gelth said how the Time War was invisible to lower species, but devastating to higher ones. I interpreted that to mean collateral damage to higher species, rather than a result of actually fighting.
But you said quite a few things that ring true with me as well. I noticed the fact that the Doctor and Donna are becoming part of great legends. And I noticed how planets are being “lost”, from the Nestene homeworld to the Adipose breeding world to the Pyrovile world - and think, why would the Sontarans have needed a new planet to breed clones? Perhaps their breeding worlds were lost too? And I do get the feeling that the culmination of this series will have something to do with the restoration of Gallifrey, though I’m not sure what gave me that impression. Perhaps the planet-snatcher took Gallifrey and is keeping it somewhere, along with the Pyrovile world and the Adipose world, and the Doctor’s great victory will be to return all those worlds to their rightful places.
Which begs the question… who is this villain? ‘Cause you know it’s gotta be someone we’ve seen before, RTD wouldn’t pull a new villain out of his arse for a finale this big, so who have we seen before that could be snatching planets? The CIA? The Black or White Guardians?
And you have definately brought up an interesting idea, that of the 10th Doctor returning to the Time War and being part of the outcome (I see a Paul McGann cameo in the future!!!).
And you’ve also definitely hit upon something interesting with the name bit. Most people reading this know about the magical connotations of a “true name”. Heck, who here has been reading “The Dresden Files”? To know something’s true name, with correct pronunciation and such, gives you power over it. So perhaps that’s why the Doctor has hidden his true name away? Is he afraid that should someone learn his true name they’ll be able to use it against him? Which then begs the question, which of the Doctor’s enemies would be able to capitalise on such knowledge?
May 10th, 2008 at 6:40 am
[…] Doctor Who - The return of Gallifrey? By Jeff Doctor Who — Theories, Facts, Speculations - Slice of SciFi […]
May 11th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Personally I would love to see the return of Gallifrey and The Time Lords but more specifically to find out they did infact survive but have been in hideing and given their Xenophobic nature it makes perfect sense. Also, throw in a war that could have easily wiped them out I would stay in hideing too.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:31 am
We have not seen the Ra-knee (sp?) yet. She makes these elaborate plans. Also, in “Doctor Who: Death comes to time”. The time war was playing in the background. The Doctor ( Sylvester McCoy ) was dealing with the time war but meanwhile Ace was learning from the Doctor’s old teacher how to be a timelord. Ace was also given a TARDIS and was flying around in it. You can find “Death comes to Time” on audible (just do an audible search). So its possible that the time war goes back to the 7th Doctor (6th regeneration). Also, another enemy of the Doctor is Omega. I also wonder if the Doctor’s real name is Rasalong (sp?) Remember when Galefrey was invaded, by two aliens Sontarans and those other ones. This happened in Tom Baker’s Doctor. He was with Leela.
The end is the beginning and the beginning is the end.
And the Doctor is half human, it was said in other episodes, but we never saw his mother.
Also, Sarah Jane Smith. she was infected with time particles as was said in an episode of “the Sarah Jane Adventures”.