'Doctor Who' Episode 6: Disney+ show sneakily introduces mystery face, but this newcomer has a haunting past
Contains spoilers for 'Doctor Who' Episode 6
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Doctor Who' just aired Episode 6 titled, 'Rogue' on Disney+ on Friday, June 7. In this episode, a mysterious twist shakes up the Doctor's timeline.
While Rogue's ship scans the Doctor, it projects holograms of past regenerations. Fans spot familiar faces from William Hartnell's First Doctor to Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth, even glimpses of John Hurt's War Doctor and Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor.
But nestled among them is a surprising addition: an unknown Doctor. This mysterious figure isn't immediately recognizable from any previous incarnation. Despite being a recent inclusion in the show's canon, this Doctor might have roots that stretch back beyond the modern era.
It's a move that's sure to spark debates among Whovians, adding another layer of intrigue to the Doctor's already complex timeline.
Who is this new canon Doctor appearing in 'Doctor Who' Episode 6?
Does the surprise Doctor sandwiched between William Hartnell and Tom Baker bear a striking resemblance to Richard E. Grant? Grant, known for his roles in 'Withnail & I' and 'Saltburn', previously portrayed Walter Simeon and the Great Intelligence in Matt Smith's era of 'Doctor Who'.
He also brought the Doctor to life on two separate occasions. In 1999, Grant joined a group of notable British actors in the comedy sketch 'The Curse of Fatal Death', parodying the Doctor. Four years later, he voiced the Doctor in BBC's animated 'Scream of the Shalka'.
If the mystery hologram is indeed Richard E. Grant, it would likely be the Shalka Doctor rather than the one from 'The Curse of Fatal Death'. The latter was a spoof with flatulence and innuendos, while 'Scream of the Shalka' was a legitimate animated production, aligning more closely with official 'Doctor Who' canon.
Although the hologram's appearance differs slightly from the animated version, with toned-down gothic features and Grant appearing older, it seems that season 14 has officially included the Shalka Doctor in the show's regeneration lineup.
What is 'Scream Of The Shalka' all about?
'Scream of the Shalka,' written by Paul Cornell, who later wrote episodes for Doctor Who's modern series, was an official BBC production released in 2003 only online. Even though it was a cartoon, it was like a continuation of the old 'Doctor Who' series and the movie from 1996 after 'Doctor Who' stopped in 1989.
Richard E. Grant played the Ninth Doctor, who was a bit darker than usual. He traveled with Sophie Okonedo's Alison and a robot version of the Master played by Derek Jacobi, who later played the same role on TV.
But Richard E. Grant's Doctor didn't make it to TV. Russell T. Davies' plan to bring back Doctor Who for everyone to watch was more important than 'Scream of the Shalka.'
They didn't continue the story online, and when Doctor Who came back on TV in 2005, they didn't talk about it at all.
How does the Shalka Doctor fit into the 'Doctor Who' timeline?
The Shalka Doctor is considered an unofficial version of the Ninth Doctor. 'Scream of the Shalka' came after the failed Doctor Who TV movie with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor but before Russell T Davies brought back the show and cast Christopher Eccleston as the official Ninth Doctor.
Steven Moffat made the Doctor's timeline more complicated by adding the War Doctor between Eight and Nine. During 'The Night of the Doctor', McGann regenerated into John Hurt, who then regenerated into Christopher Eccleston in 'The Day of the Doctor', filling in gaps from 1990 to 2005.
Because of this, the Shalka Doctor doesn't easily fit into Doctor Who canon. One way to explain Richard E. Grant as a canon Doctor actor after 'Rogue' is by retconning the Shalka Doctor as a pre-Hartnell Doctor, like Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor.
The Timeless Child twist revealed an unspecified number of Doctors before the First, forgotten due to a Time Lord memory wipe. Grant could be among them.
Another explanation is that the Shalka Doctor is a parallel universe, Ninth Doctor. In the 60th anniversary special 'The Giggle', the Toymaker hinted at a jumbled Doctor history, suggesting a second Ninth Doctor due to the Toymaker's influence.
Alternatively, Doctor Who's bi-generation scene from 'The Giggle' offers another explanation. According to RTD, the Fourteenth Doctor's bi-generation rippled through time, bringing back all previous Doctors.
When McGann's bi-generated Eighth Doctor next died after 'The Night of the Doctor', he could have regenerated into Richard E. Grant instead of Christopher Eccleston, creating an alternate Ninth Doctor.
Is the current Doctor aware of their new bi-generation?
While delivering a passionate monologue and navigating a tense negotiation with a bounty hunter, the Doctor's apparent lack of reaction to the unfamiliar holographic face raises questions about possible distractions or preoccupations, such as their undeniable attraction to Rogue.
Amid these complexities, it remains uncertain whether the Doctor truly notices the mysterious new addition or comprehends the presence of an extra Doctor in the holographic lineup.
This ambiguity deepens the scene's intrigue, inviting speculation about the Fifteenth Doctor's awareness and the potential implications for the Doctor's intricate timeline and narrative trajectory.
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6 episodes of 'Doctor Who' are currently streaming on Disney+