The Doctor, much like our favorite fairytale hero, journeys through space and time in a mysterious box to protect civilizations, battle monsters, and uphold justice. However, over the course of more than six decades, this Time Lord character from ‘Doctor Who’ has shown a troubling side. Whether it’s due to grief, arrogance, or the burden of impossible decisions, The Doctor sometimes crosses moral lines, even violating their self-imposed rule of being neither cruel nor cowardly. And when they do transgress, the repercussions can be severe – affecting not just The Doctor but the universe as a whole. Here are seven instances where The Doctor clearly overstepped boundaries.
The Doctor is our beloved fairytale hero in many ways – a madman in a box who travels through space and time to save civilizations, fight monsters, and champion justice. But after more than 60 years of adventures, ‘Doctor Who’ has revealed a darker side to The Doctor. Sometimes driven by sorrow, overconfidence, or the weight of impossible choices, The Doctor occasionally strays from what is right. This results in them breaking their promise to never be cruel or cowardly. And when they do, the effects can be far-reaching – impacting not just The Doctor but the universe as a whole. Here are seven occasions where The Doctor clearly went too far.
1) Drowning the Racnoss — “The Runaway Bride”
In the beloved Tenth Doctor’s Christmas special, David Tennant portrays the Time Lord who breaks rules, encountering the Racnoss – an old, spider-like creature that menaces to stir its young ones beneath the Earth’s surface, aiming to destroy it. Unable to persuade her, The Doctor floods the tunnel leading to them, understanding that this action will annihilate the Racnoss’ offspring and consequently lead to the extinction of their species.
This might have been the initial time since Russell T Davies restarted the show in 2005 that we witnessed The Doctor perform an action generally considered ‘wrong.’ Although he had come close, like nearly killing an innocent Dalek in “Dalek,” or almost destroying half of Earth to eliminate the Daleks in “The Parting of the Ways,” he never went as far as committing literal genocide… In this case, he stood unmoved as the Racnoss perished, despite compassionate Donna Noble’s pleas for him to intervene. For a new group of viewers, it was one of the first indications of how potentially dangerous The Doctor could be without someone to keep him in check. Caught up in his grief over losing Rose in the series two finale “Doomsday,” he became a formidable force.
2) The Time Lord Victorious — “The Waters of Mars”
When considering The Doctor’s most challenging instances, it’s likely that the ‘Time Lord Victorious’ narrative doesn’t stray far from your thoughts. Among the captivating Doctor Who stories of recent times, “The Waters of Mars” stands out prominently. This story unfolds after The Doctor visits Mars, where he encounters the unfortunate crew of the first manned mission to the planet. In an apparent display of compassion, The Doctor decides to alter history and save these crew members’ lives. However, it’s important to note that The Doctor is well-aware that the destruction of Bowie Base One and the subsequent deaths are a fixed point in time. Any attempt to change this could lead to disastrous consequences.
In this rephrased version, here’s how the sentence could be expressed:
In a flash of overconfidence, The Doctor, being the last of his kind, decides to rescue Captain Adelaide and her surviving crew, thinking he now has the authority to decide their future. However, his self-importance is fleeting. When Adelaide chooses to end her life to safeguard the timeline, The Doctor is left stunned, understanding that no one, not even him, can manipulate time at will. Accompanied by a melancholic musical score by Murray Gold, this scene is a powerful reminder of The Doctor’s moment of excessive pride – an event that has resonated with fans as a stark demonstration of hubris in the character.
3) Torturing Kid — “The Interstellar Song Contest”
In Season 2, Episode 6 of “RTD2,” during Ncuti Gatwa’s fifteenth portrayal as The Doctor and Belinda’s adventures, they arrive at the 803rd Interstellar Music Contest! However, what initially appears to be a cheerful episode of Doctor Who quickly turns grim when it is uncovered that beneath the glitter and pomp, Kid, a rogue member from the marginalized Hellion species, is orchestrating the demise of the 3 trillion spectators as retaliation for the obliteration of his home planet.
To put it simply, even though it’s clear that the mass murder of three trillion people is unjustifiable, The Doctor’s reaction to learning about the plot isn’t any better. Instead of finding a peaceful resolution, he subjects Kid to repeated torture using holograms that simulate electric shocks. It’s also not clear if The Doctor understands the motivation behind Kid’s thirst for vengeance before lashing out against the Hellion. Some viewers felt that author Juno Dawson handled sensitive topics too harshly, especially since the incident is only briefly addressed in the rest of the episode. Regarding The Doctor, it seems unusual for this character known for his compassion, to resort to physical violence, even though he can sometimes be arrogant.
4) Manipulating Ace — “The Curse of Fenric”
Rule One states that The Doctor can sometimes be deceitful, particularly when it’s necessary for achieving the best outcome. While this may seem acceptable in cases involving minor characters, it becomes questionable when he exhibits such cold and manipulative behavior towards his close companions. An instance of this is seen in “The Curse of Fenric” where Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor, manipulates Ace to the point of emotional distress, feigning indifference towards her life, all in an attempt to defeat the ancient evil force Fenric.
It’s later discovered that he was attempting to free Ace from Fenric’s mental control, as she is one of Fenric’s “wolves,” descendants who can be influenced by his powers. However, the emotional toll is significant. Ace feels betrayed and degraded, questioning if she can truly rely on The Doctor. This scene, though devoid of physical violence, demonstrates a manipulative aspect of the Doctor, making it a suitable addition to our list. While his actions might have been justified by the outcome, subjecting a child (Ace is only sixteen when she starts traveling with The Doctor) to psychological distress was crossing a line – a reminder that the Doctor’s alien ethics don’t always align with ours.
5) Executing Solomon — “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship”
there will be no trial and no reprieve. Instead, he allows Solomon’s ship to be obliterated by missiles, ensuring his demise.
I haven’t often seen The Doctor resort to the chilling methods of ruthless murderers, such as Kazran Sardick from “A Christmas Carol.” However, the icy manner in which he meted out Solomon’s punishment felt unexpectedly harsh and disquieting to me. The despicable Soloman, brilliantly played by David Bradley for the first time in “Doctor Who,” later captivated us with his roles, including portraying the late, great William Hartnell in the 50th anniversary special drama “An Adventure in Space and Time” and subsequently appearing numerous times in “Doctor Who,” most notably in the Twelfth Doctor episode “Twice Upon a Time.
6) Leaving Clara to Decide Earth’s Fate — “Kill the Moon”
One reason we admire our unconventional Time Lord character is that while his species pledges neutrality in the matters of other planets and societies, he isn’t shy about intervening when necessary. However, in the episode “Kill the Moon,” the Twelfth Doctor surprisingly took a step back – figuratively speaking. When humanity faced a choice between destroying the moon (revealed to be a massive alien egg) or accepting the risk of extinction, The Doctor chose to leave Clara behind to handle the crisis, arguing it wasn’t his call to make, despite having meddled in Earth’s affairs on numerous occasions in the past!
The idea that humans should decide their own destiny seems logical, but the responsibility of making such life-altering decisions, as Clara faced with potential planetary consequences, felt unfeelingly distant. The Doctor’s departure from Clara (and arguably humanity at a critical time) significantly strained their bond. While opinions on the episode were divided, with some questioning its believability and scientific accuracy, Jenna Coleman’s portrayal was widely praised by both critics and fans for her powerful delivery in the climax when Clara confronted The Doctor about his actions – “Even walking our Earth, Doctor, even breathing our air… you can surely help us when we need it.” For many viewers, this moment marked a significant shift in their experience with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, highlighting his potential when his usual detached demeanor overstepped its bounds.
7) Saving Clara — “Hell Bent”
In “Hell Bent,” The Doctor, who typically dislikes endings, took things a step further by risking time itself to prevent having to say goodbye to Clara Oswald. Despite Clara’s tragic death in “Face the Raven,” The Doctor refused to accept it. On Gallifrey, the Twelfth Doctor broke all the rules, stole another TARDIS, and snatched Clara from her timestream just before her demise – a fixed point – in an attempt to save her, almost tearing apart the fabric of reality.
In a single stroke, the move showcases both an incredibly selfless act of love towards Clara and an alarmingly reckless decision that puts the entire universe at stake. The Doctor, in an attempt to escape his own sorrow, seemingly jeopardizes everything for the sake of avoiding Clara’s loss. Some fans criticized this as a selfish move, arguing it contradicts the values The Doctor typically upholds about the importance of time and respecting life and death. However, others commended the episode for its deep portrayal of grief, love, loss, and the struggle to let go. Furthermore, Rachael Talalay’s masterful direction was widely appreciated by viewers.
Doctor Who, is streaming now on BBC iPlayer (UK) and Disney+.
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2025-08-08 01:12