Doctor Who
Warning : despoiler ahead for Doctor Who ’s 2023 Christmas special , " The Church on Ruby Road . "
Summary
The side effect from the Timeless Child continues to be felt inDoctor Who , and Ncuti Gatwa ’s first full episode in control condition of a TARDIS finally acknowledges one glaring plot of land kettle of fish that was previously overlooked . So Byzantine and conflicting is the tangled web ofDoctor Whomythology , even the most conservative writer must take the air on eggshells trying to avoid an egregious plot hole . Chris Chibnall tossed a narrative grenade among those eggshells when he devisedDoctor Who ’s divisive Timeless Child turn of events . phone 60 years of traditional knowledge into question , Chibnall ’s retcon claimed the Doctor was never in truth from Gallifrey , and had lived far longer than usurp .
One of the many problems the Timeless Child induce implicated the Doctor ’s parents . Although Mr and Mrs. Who never explicitly appeared onscreen , the Doctor had antecedently made allusions toward their parent , the latest coming in " The End of Time " with the inclusion of a mystery woman play by Claire Bloom , later confirmed by Russell T Humphrey Davy as the Doctor ’s female parent ( viaDoctor Who : The Writer ’s Tale - The Final Chapter . ) The ramifications of the Timeless Child , of form , mean that the Doctor was never biologically related to their Gallifreyan parents at all .
The final installment of the Dr. Who 60th anniversary sequence has retconned the Timeless Child floor , and it make quite complicated .
Doctor Who Finally Acknowledges The Doctor’s Adoption After The Timeless Child
The prompt aftermath ofDoctor Whoseason 12 and the entireness ofDoctor Who : Fluxfailed to unfeignedly acknowledge this monolithic emotional change in the Doctor ’s personal account . Even for a Time Lord , discovering you ’re in secret take over is a huge deal . Instead , Doctor Whofocused on Tecteun as the Doctor ’s adoptive parent , but because the Doctor had no computer memory of Tecteun , she could not have been the motherDoctor Whoreferenced in era gone by . There were parents that the Doctor had just discovered they were never biologically related to , andDoctor Whoundersold this unavoidable fact .
The adoption of the immature First Doctor is lastly acknowledged in 2023 Christmas special " The Church on Ruby Road " when Ncuti Gatwa ’s re-formation encounters the adopted Ruby Sunday . As Ruby and her mother share a touching consequence , the Doctor abruptly chimes in , " I ’m adopted . " Gatwa give birth the line with foggy eyes and a thousand - yard stare that suggestthis is the very first time since " The Timeless Children , " that the Doctor has finally allowed themselves to regard the impact the Timeless Child revelation had on their lineage . He is now reassess all the retentivity he has of growing up on Gallifrey .
Doctor Who’s 2023 Christmas Special Sets Up More Timeless Child Reveals
grant the recoil the Timeless Child receive , questions go up over whether Chris Chibnall ’s successor , the take back Russell T Humphrey Davy , would vex by it . Doctor of the Church Who ’s 60th day of remembrance wholeheartedly try out that he would , as " The Star Beast " and " Wild Blue Yonder " both usher the Doctor scramble to process the emotional complication of their history being upend , before " The Giggle " strongly indicated the Toymaker was responsible for it . By showing the Doctor visibly emotional over discover they were take , " The Church on Ruby Road " confirmsDoctor Whoseason 14and beyond will continue this formula of examining the Timeless Child ’s deeper impact .
This sets an challenging common law forDoctor Who ’s future , allowing Ncuti Gatwa to continue tugging at worked up threads that were previously ignored or glossed over . More speculatively , the Doctor ’s reference of being adopted could be setting up a future clash between the Doctor and their Gallifreyan parent - perhaps even the mystery adult female from " The End of Time . " The natural payoff to the Timeless Child would , after all , be an affirming scene between the Doctor and their Time Lord mother and/or father that confirm they were just as jazz on Gallifrey as Ruby Sunday is on Earth .
Sources : Doctor Who : The Writer ’s Tale - The terminal Chapter
Doctor Whoreturns spring 2024 .
