{"id":53643,"date":"2024-06-22T07:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2060900"},"modified":"2024-06-22T09:19:38","modified_gmt":"2024-06-22T07:19:38","slug":"doctor-who-leaves-door-open-for-susan-foreman-return-with-emotional-finale","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/doctor-who-leaves-door-open-for-susan-foreman-return-with-emotional-finale\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who leaves door open for Susan Foreman return with emotional finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Maybe I\u2019ll find her again, one day.” <\/p>

By Morgan Jeffery\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 22 June 2024 at 05:00 AM<\/p>

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This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who: Empire of Death<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Doctor Who might not have delivered the triumphant comeback of Susan (Carole Ann Ford) that fans were hoping for \u2013 but the season finale left the door wide open for the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) to reunite with his granddaughter in future.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ever since a reference to Susan \u2013 who appeared on the show from 1963-64 \u2013 was included in this year\u2019s The Devil\u2019s Chord<\/a>, fans have been hoping that the character might reappear on-screen.<\/p>\n

There was even speculation that the mysterious character played by Susan Twist<\/a>, who has appeared across time and space in various different guises, could be the Doctor\u2019s long-lost granddaughter.<\/p>\n

In last week\u2019s episode, The Legend of Ruby Sunday, the Doctor himself even begins to suspect this might be the case \u2013 with Twist\u2019s latest alter-ego, tech entrepreneur Susan Triad, sharing a first name with his grandchild.<\/p>\n

Eventually, however, Susan Triad was revealed to be something else entirely \u2013 a harbinger of the god-like being Sutekh<\/a>, who almost destroyed the universe with his devastating dust of death.<\/p>

Despite this, the original Susan does make a cameo of sorts in latest episode Empire of Death, with archive footage of the character appearing briefly as Sutekh explains the inspiration behind his trap for the Doctor\u2026<\/p>\n

Having invaded the TARDIS, Sutekh was exposed to all of the ship\u2019s \u201csecrets\u201d \u2013 including memories of Susan. Inspired, the Osiran \u201ccreated an apparition of her, universally\u201d \u2013 a woman who resembled Susan was brought into existence anywhere the TARDIS landed, with the combined might of Sutekh\u2019s power and the TARDIS\u2019s perception filter enabling the woman\u2019s various guises to be birthed as real beings who fitted into history.<\/p>\n

The real Susan is also referenced towards the end of the episode, with the Doctor suggesting that he might still go looking for his granddaughter.<\/p>\n

\"Carole\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman in Doctor Who<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Bidding an emotional farewell to companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) after she was reunited with her birth mother, the Doctor insists he will see his friend again one day.\u00a0\u201cYour own granddaughter\u2026 you left her and never went back,\u201d Ruby reminds him. \u201cAnd that was my mistake,\u201d he replies. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll find her again, one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

His experiences with Ruby \u2013 who was so desperate to be reunited with her biological parents \u2013 have reignited in the Doctor a yearning for family. \u201cYou changed me,\u201d he says. \u201cI talk about family in a way that I never did before \u2013 it\u2019s because of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he left Susan behind on a future Earth in 1964\u2019s The Dalek Invasion of Earth<\/a>, the First Doctor (William Hartnell) swore that \u201cone day, I will come back\u201d \u2013 so will we see the real Susan again?<\/p>\n

Back in The Devil\u2019s Chord, the Doctor suggested that the genocide that wiped out the Time Lords might have killed her \u2013 but speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/a> back in May, original Susan actress Carole Ann Ford refused to rule out returning to Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we know, with Doctor Who, absolutely anything and everything is possible,\u201d she said. \u201cThe mind boggles with all the many ways Susan could come back, where and when. But I think she would love reuniting with her grandfather in his new form. Isn\u2019t Ncuti [Gatwa] amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n