Some fans have become worried that the beloved character could meet another tragic fate…
The return of Doctor Who is finally upon us, but as most fans are simply excited to see the 60th anniversary and reunite with David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna, some are nervous.
This is because some fans believe that the specials will spell doom for Donna and that, following her tragic end in season 4, which saw her mind wiped of her adventures with the Doctor, we will now see the show go one step further – killing her off for good.
The Doctor hinted that he might not be able to save her life this time in the trailer for the episodes, but will Donna truly meet her doom or are fans worrying for no reason?
Here’s a run-down of all the theories and speculation surrounding Donna Noble dying in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.
Will Donna Noble die in Doctor Who? Theories and speculation
There are a number of reasons why some fans have theorised that Donna will die in the upcoming 60th anniversary specials – one of which is an ominous line spoken by the Doctor in the trailer.
In the video, he is seen telling Donna: “I don’t know if I can save your life this time.”
Of course, mortal danger is Doctor Who’s bread and butter, and the line in no way means the Doctor won’t succeed in saving her. But there’s more.
In August of this year, showrunner Russell T Davies responded to an Instagram post from the official Doctor Who account, which teased “Doctor, danger, dancing, Donna” for the specials. Davies’s comment? “Disaster.”
It’s not the only time he has hinted that there is disaster heading for Donna. He also responded to an Instagram post which read: “Donna Noble’s TARDIS adventures took her all over time and space – what does the future hold?”
He answered, “Oh. Terrible things,” alongside a sad face emoji.
One fan speculated, based on set images from the upcoming Christmas Special, The Church on Ruby Road, which saw Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor looking devastated, that he could be visiting her grave.
The fan theorised: “Maybe at the end of the 60th specials, it’s unknown when she will die and maybe that she’s got some time left… and maybe we don’t even see the Fourteenth Doctor regenerate. Maybe the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna go on their own adventures for a while and then he drops her back on Earth.
“And then the first time we meet Ncuti in the Christmas special, he arrives back on Earth and finds out his old friend has passed.”
We also know that Donna will, at some point during the three specials, get her memory of the Doctor back, as the trailer saw her make reference to the TARDIS.
We have previously been told by the Doctor on multiple occasions that if she ever were to remember him, her mind would burn and she would die. That clearly hasn’t happened in the clip from the trailer, but why? Could her fate in some way be delayed?
One final hint towards Donna’s death could be one character’s return – earlier this year, Davies hinted that Yasmin Finney, who plays Donna’s daughter Rose, would appear in season 14, next year’s run of the show with Gatwa.
In August of this year, he said that Finney “wrapped a few days ago”, which was long after the 60th specials finished shooting. But if Donna’s daughter is returning, why isn’t Donna?
What do we know for certain about Donna’s return?
As of now, we of course don’t know what Donna’s fate will be at the end of the 60th anniversary specials. However, we do know a few things for certain about her return.
We know that as well as reuniting with Donna, we will also catch up with her husband Shaun (Karl Collins) and her mother Sylvia (Jacqueline King), while Bernard Cribbins also filmed a scene as her grandfather Wilf.
We also know that we will meet her daughter Rose, played by Yasmin Finney, who has described her character as a “trans icon — a 15-year-old trans girl with a great, supportive family”.
In episode 1, The Star Beast, Donna and The Doctor will be caught in a fight after a spaceship crash-lands in London, and will come across both The Meep and The Wrath Warriors.
We’ve also been told that “destiny is converging” on Donna in the new special – could it be something to do with the Time Lord-human metacrisis that we saw in Journey’s End, when destiny was also converging on her?
Then, in episode 2, Wild Blue Yonder, the TARDIS will take the Doctor and Donna to “the furthest edge of adventure”, and to escape we are told they must face “the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake”.
Finally, in the third episode, called The Giggle, they will take on the Toymaker, a villain from the Doctor’s past who is in some way behind a mysterious puppet which is driving the human race insane.
We are told this is a fight that the Doctor “can never win”, which certainly sound ominous.
Doctor Who’s first 60th anniversary special The Star Beast airs at 6:30pm on Saturday 25th November on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Classic episodes are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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