{"id":7145,"date":"2021-11-14T20:20:24","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T19:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1499788"},"modified":"2021-11-14T20:32:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T19:32:27","slug":"doctor-who-brought-back-another-doctor-and-its-about-time","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/doctor-who-brought-back-another-doctor-and-its-about-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who brought back another Doctor, and it\u2019s about time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Huw Fullerton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 14 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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It\u2019s fair to say that this week\u2019s Doctor Who<\/a> was fairly packed with content, delving into the past and future of our four leads (The Doctor, Yaz, Dan and Vinder), the mysterious Bel (Thaddea Graham) and sprinkling a load of Daleks, Cybermen and creepy flashbacks on top.<\/p>\n

But perhaps the most exciting moment for fans came with the shock return of a familiar face \u2013 specifically the face of Jo Martin\u2019s \u201cFugitive\u201d Doctor, introduced in 2020 as a forgotten former incarnation of the Doctor and who now returns when the current Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) is thrown back into her old timeline.<\/p>\n

Unpicking exactly why all this happens is\u2026 complicated\u2026 so we won\u2019t dwell on the hows and wherefores here. Basically, the salient point is that while the Thirteenth Doctor is picturing herself liberating the Temple of Atropos, it was actually the Ruth\/Jo Martin Doctor carrying out the mission.<\/p>

This is revealed in Once, Upon Time<\/a> when the Thirteenth Doctor catches sight of herself \u2013 or rather, the earlier version of herself \u2013 in a reflective service within the Temple itself. Oddly, the reflection also talks back to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho the hell are you\u2026 and what are you doing in my reflection?\u201d Martin\u2019s Doctor asks, later berating Jodie Whittaker\u2019s Time Lord for the reckless actions that landed her in this timestream and flickering in and out of focus, sometimes replacing the Thirteenth Doctor as she relives the memory.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great surprise cameo, not just because it\u2019s nice to see the Jo Martin Doctor again \u2013 though it is \u2013 but also because it gently confirms that showrunner Chris Chibnall isn\u2019t leaving any plot threads behind. Before this series, it hadn\u2019t yet been confirmed whether Martin would return to reprise her role, or even where she\u2019d fit in \u2013 but now it\u2019s clear she\u2019s part of Chibnall\u2019s endgame for Flux, even if it\u2019s not entirely clear what that is just yet.<\/p>\n

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The Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin) in Doctor Who<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

New baddies Swarm and Azure (Sam Spruell and Rochenda Sandall) aren\u2019t part of just any piece of the Doctor\u2019s past- they faced that<\/em> Doctor, suggesting that Martin\u2019s Time Lord will continue to have a role to play as Whittaker\u2019s incarnation hunts for answers about those crucial years.<\/p>\n

With only six stories left before Chibnall and Whittaker leave the show behind (including next year\u2019s specials), every episode counts for wrapping up the pretty complicated plot threads introduced in series 12. Jo Martin\u2019s quick cameo does a lot to show that the series isn\u2019t forgetting what fans still want to know \u2013 a little like her short appearance in series 12 finale The Timeless Children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whether her story will all be satisfied by the end of Flux, or whether the 2022 specials will need to tie it off remains to be seen \u2013 but at least it looks like we won\u2019t be left hanging after all.<\/p>\n

Read more about Doctor Who:<\/strong><\/p>\n