SPECIAL NOTE: So I had intended to post this on Doctor Who Day - but then a bunch of "leaks" came out. A reliable source (or someone purporting to be that reliable source) claimed to have learnt the basic premise of the Christmas Special's plot. A very convincing behind-the-scenes pic (that was, more-than-likely, some really good AI) also came out supporting what the "reliable source" was claiming.
I am pretty sure there are some fans out there that are still insisting all of this is true. And perhaps they might be right. But I think most of us have gone back to believing that there's probably a very different plan in mind for what we'll be getting at the end of 2026.
Now that we've calmed down a bit, let's try to take a more objective look at things.
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Given how adept certain people have become with creating deep fakes, I waited a few days before allowing myself to truly believe that we were going to be getting more Doctor Who. I really did think the announcement might actually be some form of trickery by a crafty internet troll. But now that it does seem like legitimately solid news, let's do what I do worst: Speculate!
OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL NEWS
It's Official: After several months of making the fans fret, we get a proper and real announcement from the Beeb. Even though Disney pulled out, they're going to keep making new eps of Doctor Who. From what we understand, we'll be getting a Christmas Special near the end of 2026 and then a full season sometime in 2027.
While this can, mainly, be construed as good news, it's a bit grueling to hear that it will take so long to get new Who on our screens. But still, it's better to wait a while than to just get no new eps at all. Ultimately, this still represents a massive victory. Wish World/Reality War does not constitute a Survival of the 2000s. The show will not be taking another Long Sleep.
At least, not yet!
Some fans are interpreting this news in an interesting manner. While I've seen nothing from the BBC to confirm this, many seem to think that the 2026 Christmas Special will be the final installment of the RTD2 Era. The new season we will get in 2027 will be made by a different Head Writer. And, more than likely, a new production team, in general. Essentially, RTD will have a single one hour episode to wrap whatever loose plot strands he still has lying around.
Again, I have seen no official statement validating this idea (perhaps others have?). Which is not to say that this isn't what's actually going to happen. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's also just as likely that RTD is sticking around to helm a third series. Perhaps even more seasons after that. At least, at the time of writing this, either outcome is at equal odds of happening.
LET'S PRETEND
The main thrust of this essay will be to entertain this current fan notion that RTD has only one more story left to resolve all the arcs he still has up in the air. It seems like a monumental task, really. There are still quite a few mystery boxes floating around that I don't think can be properly explained in just an hour. Even if he was allowed a bit more run-time it would still be difficult to tackle everything without feeling too rushed. Which is why I'm inclined to believe that he will be hanging around for a bit after the Christmas Special. The odds really do seem strong that he will get one more year in the Driver's Seat.
But let's say he's only got the one episode left. I'm filled with many questions, if that's the case. My biggest one being: If this truly is his final story, what does RTD definitely have to resolve in the Christmas Special? There are any number of minor plot points and/or mysteries that I think don't need to be examined any further (ie: What exactly was 73 Yards actually about?!) But there are other elements of this period that we definitely need closure to before the ending credits for the Christmas Special roll up.
But what are they, exactly?!
There are also a few subsidiary questions that I have. They may even seem to take things in strange directions, but they still matter to me. One of the weirder ones would be: What is the order of importance of these unresolved issues that RTD still needs to tackle? Some of these mystery boxes mean more to me than others. So if we don't get answers to those "more important" ones then I will experience greater dissatisfaction with the story. Perhaps even the entire RTD2 Era, in general. Whereas less crucial storylines will still upset me if they're not properly concluded - but I won't be quite as bothered.
I have two more Big Questions that are quite complimentary in nature: What is the most likely outcome to the Mystery Box? And: What is the outcome I most want to see? On some occasions, the answer to both these questions will be the same. Most of the time, however, they will diverge greatly.
Let me try to give an example:
As I have mentioned in other entries (oftentimes, to the disdain of my readers who have poor taste in music), my other great "geek passion" is for the Canadian prog rock band: Rush. For most of the group's career, they worked with a drummer named Neil Peart. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago. After grieving his loss for quite some time, the two surviving members found a replacement drummer and have embarked upon a new tour. Many Rush Nerds suspected something like this would happen. We also guessed that they would do what most bands of their stature do in a situation like this. They selected a really talented up-and-coming musician who had made a bit of a name for themselves but was still only so big in the industry. There are several reason why a band like Rush does this. But it is a decision that makes a lot of sense. It is, quite simply, the most likely outcome to a situation of this nature.
What I was hoping they would do, however, was pick the only other drummer I know in Prog Rock that could truly fill Neil Peart's shoes. I wanted them to hire Bill Brufford. A drummer who has already worked with very "Rushesque" bands like King Crimson and Yes. This was the outcome I most wanted to see but knew was highly unlikely of happening. Especially since Brufford officially retired as a musician quite some time ago.
Do we see the difference, now? Most Likely and Most Desired outcomes can vary greatly. .
While I do think this little example illustrates the concept I'm trying to explain, I also believe the real reason I included it in the entry was so I could have an opportunity to talk about Rush for a bit! Having done that, let's get back to my real point:
This essay will take the time to explain all the different ongoing storylines that RTD must wrap up if the Christmas Special really is his last ep. It will then rank those arcs in order of importance. Finally, it will discuss the most likely way in which the plot strands will be resolved. But it will also include how I'd most like to see them end.
Right then, now that we've established all this, let's get on with it, shall we?
PLOT POINT #1:
So this is the biggest one of them all. The one that has gotten all of us eager to see what happens next. Quite simply: Why does the Doctor now look like Rose?!
The simplest answer is, of course, that this is what the latest version of the Doctor looks like. We know, already, that regeneration can give a Time Lord a face they've seen before. Six was a copy of Commander Maxil from Arc of Infinity and Twelve looked like Caecilius in Fires of Pompeii. The Doctor can even "revisit old faces" like he has with his fourth and tenth incarnations. The process isn't so random that he always gets a completely original appearance. So looking like Rose doesn't come from completely out of nowhere.
If this is, indeed, the case - then I have little problem with it. Billie Piper has more-than-proven that she is a highly competent actress and will give us a great interpretation of the role. She not only excelled as Rose in Doctor Who, but has gone on to play in many other TV shows over the years where she did an equally-awesome job. In several of these series, she even played the lead. So she can, easily, carry the weight that's required of a performer in a part of this stature.
Most fans, however, suspect that there's a bit of a trick going on, here. The most commonly-held belief is that the Doctor will only look like Rose for a brief period of time and will then "properly regenerate" into the actor that will go on to play the Doctor in the next season(s) of Doctor Who. Many are citing how the ending credits of Reality War had a caption that read: "And Introducing Billie Piper". They believe this to be quite suspicious. Any other time that the Doctor has regenerated, that sentence finished off with: "as the Doctor". Because of this omission, many are convinced Piper will not be the latest incarnation of the Doctor. But something else, entirely.
While I'm impressed by those who noticed this (I caught it, too!), I'm actually a bit amazed that no one seems to be remarking on how the regeneration was visually-represented, this time. Since New Who started, the process looks, pretty much, the same. Exposed skin on a Time Lord's body glows in a sort of golden hue for a few seconds and then fades away as a new body appears. With Fifteen, however, the energy isn't just enveloping his head and hands. Instead, it seems to be swirling all around him. Coming out from all over the place. Go back and have a look.
This visual cue seems to indicate that the regeneration isn't quite normal. Which does help support the idea that something weird is going on, here. It looks quite likely that Rose's appearance will not be the permanent result of this particular transformation.
Using the actual Lore of the show, there are two potential outcomes that we can extrapolate:
1) This might be something similar to the regeneration Romana had at the beginning of Destiny of the Daleks. For some reason, the Doctor is suddenly capable of trying on several bodies before making a final choice. For all we know, Rose will disappear just a few seconds into the Christmas Special and the Doctor assumes another form entirely. And, perhaps, a few more after that. And that will be all we see of her.
2) This could have something to do with The Moment from Day of the Doctor. Perhaps the Interface has hijacked the Doctor in mid-regeneration. Out of familiarity, she gives him the same shape she has taken in their last encounter. She's doing all this because she needs him to prevent some major disaster. We have been seeing the Villengard Corporation a lot lately. Perhaps they've built a Moment of their own and the Gallifreyan version is trying to stop them. Or something to that effect...
While both these theories tie in nicely with ideas we've already seen represented on the show, neither of them strike me as being all that particularly likely. The second one does hold a bit of water. I do think some external influence has affected the Doctor's appearance for a brief period of time - it's just not the Moment. Eventually the regeneration will complete itself and Rose will be replaced by someone else. I also think that whatever outside force this is, it's not something we've seen before on the show. It could be possible, however, that it's some sort of special technology being operated by a previously-established character from the Doctor's past, But that's as close as I think we'll get to employing continuity to solve the riddle.
This does seem the most likely outcome to this situation. In this instance, it's also the one I most want to see.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some of you might feel that there is a third explanation that uses previously-established continuity that I'm neglecting to mention. I've heard any number of fans postulate that all of this has something to do with that brief moment in Series One when Rose Tyler was able to stare into the Heart of the TARDIS and become the Bad Wolf. It is a theory that does make a bit of sense. During that moment, Rose was able to see all of Time and Space. There might have been a moment in the far-flung future where she saw that the Doctor would need her help again.
The biggest problem with this idea is that, when Rose became the Bad Wolf, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she talked and acted in a god-like manner. We see none of this behavior during the brief final seconds of The Reality War. Which leads me to believe this has nothing to do with when she was the Bad Wolf.
PLOT POINT #2:
The second mystery box that needs solving tugs at me almost as hard as the stuff about Rose. It was the very first arc RTD teased out way back in The Star Beast and we're still waiting for an answer. In fact, it even got mentioned near the tail end of The Reality War. Just to make sure we're all still asking ourselves the Big Question:
Who is the Boss?
There are many possibilities, of course. It could be a character we've never seen before. Or it could be one of those one-time-only villains that writers will, sometimes, bring back for a second battle (Please God, let it be Meglos. Please God, let it be Meglos. Please God, let it be....) Or it could be a recurring baddie that has plagued the Doctor on any number of occasions, already. It could even be that Super-Computer from The Green Death that was actually called The Boss!
The thing is, though, it's pretty obvious who it is:
The Boss is the Master.
There are just a few too many clues that got thrown out. Particularly in the Sixtieth Anniversary Specials. When discussing the Boss, the Meep speaks of species that have two hearts. And then there's all the stuff involving the Toymaker's golden tooth in The Giggle.
This could be a bunch of misdirection, of course. He could just be setting all this up to make things easy for a future writer who wants to bring the Master back. But RTD was never all that good at such tactics. He doesn't tend to create plot threads like this without cashing in on them later. He's also only so good at keeping his clues subtle (look how one little trailer got us all to work out that Neil Patrick Harris was the Toymaker!). So I'm going to safely say that the Boss is the Master.
There is, perhaps, only one thing that contradicts this idea. The Toymaker's golden tooth isn't recovered till after the events of Star Beast. So how could the Master be the Boss if he hasn't actually been saved, yet? The solution is pretty simple, of course. He's a time traveler. He was rescued from the Toymaker's mouth and then went back in time and established himself as the Boss. He did something similar when he became Harold Saxon in Series Three. He is messing, ever-so-slightly, with Gallifreyan Mean Time when he does that (something that is no longer just a Fan Theory as it does get discussed in The End of Time - Part 1) but not quite enough to cause any kind of serious trouble.
The Bigger Question in my mind is actually: Will Sacha Dhawan come back as the Master? I absolutely adored what he did with the role and would love to see him return. Dhawan has even said that he doesn't feel done with the part and wants to continue. And then there's the fact that we've yet to have a Master in New Who "do an Anthony Ainley" and face the Doctor in several different incarnations. These are all factors that have me praying that they bring Dhawan back for more. Not just in this story but for others in the future..
Unless, of course, they decide to make the Boss Meglos. That would be the only thing that would make me happier!
PLOT POINT #3:
Priorities are lowering every time we reach a new plot point, but this one still matters quite a bit to me.
This is, perhaps, the most cleverly-built of the RTD2 arcs. It starts as a mere bit of fannish throwaway dialogue in The Devil's Chord. The Doctor mentions to Ruby that, in another part of London, the events of An Unearthly Child are happening. It's a quick reminder that the Doctor has a granddaughter. The season then ends with the Doctor and Ruby returning to modern-day Earth and suspecting that Susan Triad might actually be that granddaughter. She's not, though.
For a while, there's no talk of Susan. And then, suddenly, in the middle of The Interstellar Song Contest, Susan starts communicating with her grandfather through some sort of weird telepathic link. She continues to do so throughout the rest of the season.
Susan is still alive! She's out there, somewhere. And she's trying to get in touch with the Doctor. Which leads us to the latest Big Question:
What the Hell is going on with Susan?!!
It seems that RTD's main goal will be to finally sort out the complexity of the relationship between the Doctor and Susan. It doesn't seem to be as simple as the Doctor having a kid who had a kid. The conversation he has with Kate Stewart in Empire of Death hints at something far more complicated. The Doctor revealing in The Reality War that Time Lords are sterile makes the whole situation even murkier. I'm guessing that, if the Christmas Special is all that RTD has left, then the Doctor will finally find Susan and we'll get some explanations.
I do hope, however, that we'll get more than just some confusing canon sorted out. That Susan is actually useful to the plot of the Christmas Special in some way. If we do get that, however, then it could lead us to a very sinister outcome:
Susan might actually be the Boss.
PLOT POINT #4:
These last few points are very low on the totem. I'd like to see them get solved. But, quite honestly, if RTD doesn't get around to them because he's only got an hour-or-so of screentime left, then I'll be okay.
So the Doctor did this thing in Wild Blue Yonder that I thought was pretty cool. Basically, he poured a bit of salt and kinda changed the entire fabric of reality. The Whoniverse is now much more supernatural. It's not just the Pantheon that's crept in, there's all kinds of crazy things going on that don't necessarily have a proper logic to them.
Prior to the events of Wild Blue Yonder, everything in Doctor Who had a proper scientific explanation to it. The science might be a little "wonly", at times. Or it might be more of a pseudoscience than the real thing. But there was still an internal logic going on.
This is not so much the case anymore. Breaking a Fairy Circle can have devastating consequences. Or barber shops can travel on the backs of spiders that are powered by stories. And none of this requires a proper explanation. And I'm quite enjoying the more fantastical edge Doctor Who currently has.
But the Doctor does need to, eventually, "fix" the Universe. He has to find some way to restore things to what they once were. All the gods and goblins and what-have-yous need to get banished back to beyond the edge of the universe. We need to return to a reality that is governed by science and rules.
This doesn't need to happen right away. I, for one, would be happy if we got a few more seasons like this before the problem was finally fixed. I'd almost even be a bit sad if RTD hits the re-set button in the Christmas Special. There's much more that can be explored...
Having said this, however, I would understand if we get our old Whoniverse back by the end of the episode. A new Head Writer might not want to step into something like this. They would probably prefer to return to the reality we've had for most of the show's run. .
PLOT POINT #5:
And now we are moving into the Land of the Virtually Irrelevant. The world of I Am So Close to Not Caring About This. But let's examine these last few points, anyway!
There seems to be a bit of a consensus amongst Fandom that the Doctor needs to eventually "re-unite" with himself. That a bi-generation can only go on for so long and then the two separate incarnations must merge together again. Some seem to think that this is yet one more thing that will happen in this jam-packed Christmas Special: The two Doctors that now exist will bond back together into one.
Interestingly enough, some believe that it won't be David Tennant playing the role of "the Other Doctor" when this happens. Many that feel a reunion between incarnations is due think that the Tennant version has also regenerated (which may be why they need to come back together - perhaps this is all part of the process of bi-generation. Once both incarnations have regenerated they need to re-unite. We don't really know since there are no established rules about how all of this works!). These fans believe that, when the two different versions meet again, the Other Doctor will now be Tom Baker.
This will, of course, get that bit at the end of Day of the Doctor to finally have a proper place in the canon of the show. At some point offscreen, David Tennant changed into Tom Baker. Tom Baker went off to be the Curator for a while in the Secret Undergallery of London, There he briefly met Matt Smith and told him to go look for Gallifrey. Sometime after that, he ventures into the Christmas Special. There, he re-joins his other incarnation and the bi-generattion closes itself back up.
If RTD does decide to do this, it could help with the idea of Rose serving as only a temporary incarnation. The Doctor takes on the form of his old companion until he can "heal" the bi-generation. Once the incarnations are back together, a proper regeneration ensues and we get the real actor who will play the Sixteenth Doctor.
PLOT POINT #6:
Okay, this one barely even counts. But it may actually come up.
Some fans who despise the Timeless Child arc that Chris Chibnall created were hoping that RTD would retcon the whole thing. That he would come up with some sort of plot contrivance that would wipe the entire concept from canon. Like the Doctor suddenly wakes up in the TARDIS still in his twelfth incarnation and proclaims: "All that time I spent as a woman. It was all just a dream!"
Or something to that effect....
But RTD ended up doing the exact opposite. He clings quite tightly to the notion. In Church on Ruby Road, for instance, the Doctor mentions to Ruby that he recently discovered he was a foundling. We even get the briefest of cameos from the Fugitive Doctor during The Story and the Engine. Clearly, our current Head Writer is not wiping the Timeless Child out of existence.
Chibnall, of course, left things very open-ended with the whole storyline. We learn a bit about the Timeless Child but then Thirteen tosses the fob watch that can tell her everything about her hidden past down a chasm in the TARDIS. While the gesture frustrated some fans, I thought it was pretty cool. Quite honestly, I'm glad we haven't gotten all the answers. It allows other writers to build on the myth in their own way.
It might be nice if RTD actually does some of that during the Christmas Special (if he can fit it in somewhere!). Perhaps the Doctor even stumbles upon the fob watch and allows it to share a bit more information with him. Or the Fugitive Doctor makes an appearance and tells the Doctor a bit more about her past.
Or something to that effect....
RTD has made enough mention of the Timeless Child throughout Ncuti's era that if he did want to breach the subject a bit more in his final episode, it wouldn't seem out of place.
IN THE END
So, there it is. All the things that need sorting out if all we're getting is one more story from RTD. It seems like a lot, of course. But, as I pointed out, some of these issues are far less important than others. In some cases, they don't even really need to be resolved. The next Head Writer can deal with them. Or not! Doctor Who has a long history of hanging threads that were never properly concluded. It's become a legitimate core element of the show's format.
You don't believe me? Look at how they had planned back in the Pertwee Era to reveal that the Master was the Doctor's brother. The story arc was abandoned after the passing of Roger Delgado but then still gets hinted at years later in Planet of Fire. Which means that, all this time, the two Time Lords may actually be related. But we still haven't really been given a proper answer. Or how about the way the Cartmel Masterplan never truly came to fruition because the show went off the air before the full story could be told? Or the very open-ended conclusion to The Doctor's Daughter where Jenny flies off into space expecting to get in more trouble and see her Dad some more .... but then we never see her again! The show is full of this kind of stuff. So it stands to reason that we get more of this in the years to come.
If RTD only deals with my first three plot points, I'll be content. Although, really, I still think he should get one more season. I wish Ncuti was the star in that final season but we can't always get what we want. Still, I'll be happy to see these arcs being allowed to breathe a bit rather than get compressed into one tiny little Christmas Special. Even if it's a new Doctor that has to wrap them up rather than one that started them all. Unfortunately, however, we have some very vocal grumpy old fans that want to see the back of this current Head Writer as quickly as possible.
Sadly, they just might get their way.
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