7 Unanswered Doctor Who Questions After The Reality War Fans Can’t Wait to Know

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In the latest series of Doctor Who, several ongoing storylines were concluded, including the destiny of Earth on May 24th and the revelation behind the enigmatic Mrs. Flood.

Consequently, after the thrilling climax of season 15 titled “The Reality War,” many loose ends remain unresolved – and it’s not only about the suspenseful, Billie Piper-sized cliffhanger that we’re referring to.

What remaining plot threads are yet to be explored, and how probable is it that they will be resolved soon, possibly in the not-too-distant timeframe?

Delve further for all the details regarding the mysteries left unresolved by The Reality War in the Doctor Who universe.

7 Doctor Who questions that need answering following The Reality War

1. What the Billie Piper?

Of course, after “The Reality War,” fans might wonder what exactly is transpiring regarding the Doctor’s recent regeneration.

In the closing scenes, Ncuti Gatwa transformed within the TARDIS, standing at the threshold gazing out upon the infinite cosmos and toward Nicola Coughlan’s Joy, who remained as a shining celestial body.

With the waning of the regenerative power from the Doctor’s visage, it was none other than Billie Piper who stood before us, embodying the latest manifestation!

Without a doubt, Piper is renowned for portraying Rose Tyler from 2005 to 2008, but she also reappeared in 2013 as the Moment – a weapon and artificial intelligence from Gallifrey, disguised as Rose to confront the War Doctor.

Now, it appears she may be playing the next Doctor – which wouldn’t be impossible.

Back in 2015’s “The Girl Who Died,” an interesting detail emerged: The Twelfth Doctor had adopted the visage of Caecilius, a character from “The Fires of Pompeii” who was portrayed by Peter Capaldi as well, serving as a reminder to the Doctor to never stop rescuing others.

In the captivating 2023 sci-fi flick, “The Giggle,” I found myself pondering the intriguing reason behind the Fourteenth Doctor’s striking resemblance to his Tenth counterpart. It seems that the Doctor’s subconscious, once more, played a significant role in shaping this incarnation.

Could the Doctor have now taken on the form of Rose to send themself some sort of message?

Instead of implying that Piper is taking on the role of the Doctor, it might be more accurate to say that she could just be appearing in a different character, since traditionally, the Doctors are introduced with the phrase “Introducing X as the Doctor.” However, The Reality War’s credits only state “Introducing Billie Piper,” which suggests she may not necessarily be playing the Doctor.

In an intriguing turn of events, I find myself questioning if this story might be presenting a unique twist. Could it be that Rose, our beloved protagonist, has somehow seized control of the Doctor’s body from the parallel universe where she resides with her family, including another incarnation of David Tennant as the Doctor? This multidimensional mystery is brimming with lore that I can hardly wait to delve into!

It appears that this question remains unresolved, but if the series comes back, we should find out the answer. For the time being, though, we must be patient and wait.

2. What happened with Susan?

Carole Ann Ford’s appearance at The Interstellar Song Contest was groundbreaking, however, it ultimately proved to be brief.

In that particular episode, Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, appeared to him in a vision while they were both on board the TARDIS. She instructed him to return to the space station. However, the Doctor seemed to dismiss this encounter and chose not to share his experience with Belinda or anyone else.

In Wish World, she made a short appearance on the television, while in The Reality War, despite it appearing as though everyone else was present, Susan conspicuously didn’t show up.

Why did Susan seem to be summoning the Doctor? Where could she possibly be at this moment? And is there any chance we’ll encounter her again in future episodes? Given that the series might resume, it seems almost certain that we would see her again. However, as of now, we are left guessing about her enigmatic cameos.

3. Who is The Boss?

From the very beginning of Russell T Davies’ revamped series, the development has been gradual yet captivating. In the episode ‘The Star Beast’, the character Meep mentioned that the Doctor possessing two hearts is quite unusual, hinting to someone superior about it. The Doctor found this veiled message cryptic and disliked it immensely.

Afterwards, not much news about the unidentified superior has emerged. A fleeting reference to them may have been made in the episode titled ‘Rogue’, where the main character hinted at an increase in paperwork for the Doctor since they took on a new supervisor.

In the latest instance, during The Reality War, Time Hotel manager Anita, as she left the 21st century, casually mentioned to the Doctor, “They greet in that manner.” When the Doctor inquired about who was being referred to, she cryptically answered, “The Boss,” leaving the Doctor perplexed and anxious.

Based on the series’ pattern of reintroducing classic-era villains (such as Sutekh, the Rani, and Omega), it wouldn’t shock us if this character turns out to be another antagonist. It could possibly be the Master, manipulating events across time and dimensions (which we’ll delve into further later).

In the 2023 show specials, numerous hints about upcoming villains were presented, such as the Toymaker’s army and Mrs. Flood. At present, The Boss is one of the few left, and this teaser offers optimism that it might be developed sooner rather than later.

4. What now for Mrs Flood?

During the course of The Reality War, Archie Panjabi’s freshly created duplicate of the character Rani liberated Omega, but was swiftly devoured by him right after.

In her previous persona, Mrs. Flood (previously played by Anita Dobson), is still alive. As the Doctor informed Omega about her existence, she casually remarked, “Well, there go the two Ranis. Farewell from me!”, then activated her time-traveling/teleportation gadget and departed immediately.

Could we possibly encounter her once more? It’s possible, though it might take some time for that to happen. Dobson could potentially make another appearance, but this feels like a chance to introduce the character more broadly while still maintaining flexibility for future appearances when her next confrontation with the Doctor occurs – whether that’s in a year or a decade.

5. Is Rogue dead and will we ever see him again?

In our previous encounter, the daring bounty hunter and the Doctor’s romantic interest found themselves in a precarious situation.

In the aftermath of his selfless act at the end of Rogue, the title character found himself reappearing in Wish World, trapped within a realm similar to hell. He cautioned the Doctor, expressing concern that this dimension might be on the verge of collapse and uncertainty about his own survival prospects.

Will we have the chance to encounter him again, to learn more about his fate? Regrettably, this tale of love appears to be heading towards a potential tragic end.

The narrative of Rogue was so deeply intertwined with the Fifteenth Doctor that reappearing to encounter a new Doctor, be it Billie Piper or someone else, might not evoke the same impact, nor revive the captivating camaraderie that Groff had with Gatwa.

Additionally, it’s worth considering the actor in question, David Tennant, who is quite a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Securing his return for Doctor Who might not be a walk in the park given his busy schedule and high demand. At this moment, it appears unlikely, but nothing is ever impossible in showbiz.

Possibly, there may be a brief update later on about him, providing insights into his situation and confirming he is safe. Alternatively, it could be that more details emerge in future adaptations such as audiobooks, novels, or comics. For now, it’s uncertain if David Groff will reprise his role as Rogue in a potential season 16.

6. What happened to the tooth containing The Master?

In the 2022 series, The Power of the Doctor, it appeared that the Master met his end. However, in The Giggle, it was disclosed that the Master wasn’t actually killed; instead, he was abducted by the Toymaker and compelled to play a game for survival. Unfortunately, he lost, and since then, he has been imprisoned within the Toymaker’s golden tooth.

After the Toymaker suffered defeat at the hands of both the 14th and 15th Doctors, he was exiled from existence itself. Yet, his tooth miraculously survived, landing on the UNIT tower. This small artifact was later collected by a shadowy figure, whose fingernails were painted a striking red.

Since that time, there hasn’t been any news about the Master, which isn’t particularly unexpected. Davies has generally kept away from utilizing the series’ most famous antagonists, such as the Daleks and Cybermen, during his tenure in the new era.

In simpler terms, this suggests that he’s in a similar situation as the Rani, prepared and open for a return, although it may not occur immediately. The reason for this could be straightforward, but the event itself might not take place soon.

Should his return occur, it would not come as a shock if it were associated with “the boss”, as suggested earlier, but this is solely conjecture.

Sacha Dhawan appears eager to reprise his role. With Davies reintroducing two significant characters from Chibnall’s tenure, why not add another?

7. Will we ever see Ruby and Belinda again?

For now, it seems Ruby and Belinda’s stories have come to a close.

Currently, Belinda is nurturing her daughter Poppy, and her life’s path has reached its conclusion. All season long, she yearned to return home, and now she’s back. At the end of The Reality War, she inquired from the Doctor if they would meet again, to which he replied with a hopeful sentiment but no definite assurance.

In a making-of video, Davies points out that by the end of the episode, Ruby’s storyline has completed its cycle. Her family has grown with the arrival of a new member, Joseph, who was once the God of Wishes but is now fully human.

In the same video, Gibson mentioned that Ruby was currently hanging out with her band, although there’s an opportunity for her to work with UNIT as well. Davies suggested that she might now be in charge of telling her own stories.

It seems that Ruby may be more probable than Belinda, given her stronger connections to UNIT and the Doctor’s realm, as well as her apparent affinity for thrill-seeking experiences.

Place these two individuals alongside both the Master and the Rani for now; they appear to be in a temporary state, much like being parked. However, when it comes to the enigmatic world of Doctor Who, where the Doctor’s very first companion Susan has reappeared after 62 years since her initial introduction, one should never rule out the possibility of unexpected events unfolding.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ outside of the UK.

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2025-06-02 17:06