Doctor Who
monition : spoilers ahead for Doctor Who ’s " The Giggle . "
Summary
Doctor Who ’s 60th day of remembrance particular unveil the Toymaker had a hand in the Timeless Child , the invention of television receiver , and much more , but he may have also played a plot with Captain Jack Harkness . One of the big twists from Russell T Davies ' first stint asDoctor Whoshowrunner was the reveal that Torchwood’sJack Harkness would finally become the Face of Boe- a big face floating in a jar . Frustratingly , Doctor WhoTV canon has still not bridged that crack . Rose ’s Bad Wolf figure made Jack immortal , but at some point during the millennia he was alive , the universe ’s randiest Time Agent became a giant head , and it remains unclear how .
This seems to be one of fewDoctor Whomysteries RTD does n’t use the Toymaker to resolve inDoctor Who ’s " The Giggle . " When Neil Patrick Harris ' villain faces David Tennant ’s Fourteenth Doctor in a game of card , the Toymaker exalt he " made a fretsaw out of your[the Doctor’s]history . " Speaking onDoctor Who : Unleashed , RTD explained this was intended as a relaxation of the rules that could describe forDoctor Who ’s Timeless Child retcon , the Eighth Doctor ’s title about being half - human , and anything else that did n’t quite set . In a strange way , the Toymaker might have also treat how Captain Jack transmute into the Face of Boe .
Like the Timeless Child before it , bi - generation will divide Doctor Who ’s fandom , but RTD ’s turn causes the precise opposite problem Chibnall ’s did .
The Toymaker Claimed He Turned God Into A “Jack-In-The-Box”
When the Toymaker is boastfully list his many achievements since foil intoDoctor Who ’s main cosmos , he name , " I risk with God - and made him into a Jack - in - the - box . " The initial implication here is thatDoctor Who ’s Toymakermade a beeline for whatever pass as the monotheistic deity of the creation , played a game with it , gain , and then twist this entity into a plaything for his own amusement , just as he does to the UNIT soldiers in " The Giggle . " concord to one theory ( via X userTigfore ) , however , the Toymaker ’s " Jack - in - the - box " comment may have been a sneaky denotation to turning Jack Harkness into the Face of Boe .
AcrossDoctor Whoseasons 1 - 3 , the Face of Boe was treated as a large hatful , with loyal following that would accompany and care for him towards the end of his life . The 2018 audio frequency story " break away from New York " went further , and included a reference that suggested the Face of Boe had descend to be believe a God in humanity ’s future . When the Toymaker says he " gambled with God , " therefore , he certainly could mean Captain Jack Harkness . " Jack - in - the - corner " would then be a very wry nod to the Toymaker turning Jack into a face inside a jar .
Why The Toymaker Turning Jack Harkness Into The Face Of Boe Makes Sense
Using the phrasal idiom " Jack - in - the - box " to refer to the Face of Boe fits utterly with the morbid , toy - centric signified of humour Neil Patrick Harris ' version demonstrates throughout " The Giggle . " More importantly , Jack Harkness was both a Quaker of the Doctor ’s and an immortal being , tickling two of the Toymaker ’s surface area of interestingness . Given how long Jack was alive , it seems inevitable that the Toymaker would have approached him . Just like the Doctor , Jack would have realize that his secure wager was defeating the scoundrel at his own secret plan . Jack then lost , and - with all due respect to Boekind - had his trademark good looks demand away as penalty .
This would really respond two big question fall over the Jack Harkness - Face of Boe connectedness . Given that Boe is allegedly the future form taken by Jack Harkness , it seems strange thatDoctor Whoalso mentions an intact mintage known as Boekind . Secondly , Jack is suppose to be immortal , but eventuallydies after becoming the Face of Boe . Boekind may have been a preexist specie that the Toymaker decide was a meet descriptor for Jack Harkness to take , and the baddie is also powerful enough to unwrap the TARDIS mojo keeping Jack from dying . As the Fourteenth Doctor himself admits , " the TARDIS is an idea the Toymaker would throw away . "
The Toymaker Is Doctor Who’s Best Chance At Explaining The Face Of Boe
Since Russell T Davies is dipping intoDoctor Wholore and displume out the Meep , Mel , and the various deep - cutEaster eggs inTales of the TARDIS , onecannot rule outDoctor Whoexplaining the full story behind the Face of Boe in a future season . Due to international factors , however , this is incredibly improbable . contention beleaguer his initial run on the show has likely scuppered any fortune that John Barrowman will return inDoctor Whoseason 14and beyond , ending hope of continue Captain Jack ’s tarradiddle .
Without Barrowman , recounting the level of how Jack became the Face of Boe would be tricky , which leaves blaming the Toymaker as the most straightforward result . This also avoids the trouble of " God " inDoctorWho . If the Toymaker turn over the cosmos ’s actual God into a Jack - in - the - boxful , this not only means God no longer exists in the show ’s canyon , but for the first time since the Tenth Doctor beat the devil , question are raised over the nature ofDoctor Who ’s religious mythology . If the " God " mentioned by the Toymaker was only Captain Jack , those problems no longer apply .
Sources : Tigfore ( via X )
Doctor Whoreturns December 25 with " The Church on Ruby Road "
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