Doctor Who’s Shocking Twist Explained: The Barber’s True Identity and Fate Revealed!

*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Doctor Who episode The Story and the Engine.*

In the most recent Doctor Who episode titled “The Story and the Engine,” Ncuti Gatwa’s journey to Lagos, Nigeria brought about a multitude of enchanting narrative elements, an unanticipated guest appearance, and a secretive duo of villains, namely the Barber and the Spider.

True to the Doctor’s style, he had his own set of unexpected maneuvers following their capture, as they found themselves hostages within a barbershop.

But the episode also leaves some unanswered questions.

From my perspective as a movie enthusiast, here’s a fresh take on the insights gathered about the intriguing conclusion of ‘The Story and the Engine’: I’ve managed to glean some fascinating details, courtesy of the talented actor Ariyon Bakare and episode scribe Inua Ellams. Buckle up, fellow cinephiles!

Doctor Who – The Story and the Engine ending explained: Who is the Barber, actually?

Despite the Barber boasting about being a blend of numerous storytelling deities like Anansi, Dionysus, and Bastet, the Doctor scoffs at his words and swiftly deduces that he is indeed lying. This is because the Doctor has personally encountered the gods the Barber claims to embody.

In truth, the Barber is a semi-divine being who, in his past, was human yet held a profound connection with deities. Upon encountering the Doctor, this figure intends to exact retribution against the gods by erasing their existence from human recollections.

The deities felt it necessary to deepen their connection with mankind, and storytelling proved effective in doing so, enhancing their influence. Therefore, wherever tales were shared, the Barber traveled – facilitating worship of these deities, believing that they have existence only because of him.

Using divine aid, he crafted the Nexus – a marvelous construct linking thoughts, traditions, and intellect. His ambition was to garner recognition from the deities for his accomplishment; however, he was advised to remember his station. In response, he plotted retribution.

After the gods banished him, the Barber managed to keep his story-creating device – a precious find indeed. This one invention, however, was more than enough for him. Abena elaborates that he intends to place his barbershop and all its tales at the core of the Nexus, thereby becoming the Grand Master Storyteller.

The reality is far more ominous – the Barber intends to cut off the gods from human recall. This act, however, would result in the demise of all gods, including Anansi, Abena’s father. Moreover, given the deep bond between humans and deities, the Barber’s scheme could inflict permanent damage upon humanity.

In the end, the Barber relinquishes his scheme and releases the men – the Doctor, Belinda, and Abena – from the store.

Redemption holds significant value. Living as we do in a world that calls for forgiveness regardless of circumstances, it’s crucial that you learn to extend that same grace to yourself too.

Occasionally, life events shape who you become, and it’s easy to get lost within those circumstances. It’s crucial to rediscover yourself and extend forgiveness for past actions, as living fully means focusing on the here and now.

Who is Abena and how does she know the Doctor?

Michelle Asante’s character, Abena, is the offspring of Anansi. Her path crossed with the Fugitive Doctor, portrayed by Jo Martin, at some point.

In simpler terms, the Doctor intentionally forfeited a wager so that he could marry Abena, and when Abena questions him about it, he admits that he attempted to lose the game.

Abena expresses to him: “Growing up, I was confined with Anansi, constantly fearful someone might claim me in a wager. I’d heard tales of your ability to traverse time. I believed in your capacity to aid me. However, you abandoned me instead. You embarrassed me, Doctor.

Gatwa’s Doctor tells her: “I’m sorry I couldn’t take you with me.”

Afterward, the camera shifts to a view behind Abena’s shoulder, unveiling Martin as the Fugitive Doctor. He speaks to her, saying: “I used to be a fugitive before. Anansi made a mistake with that wager. To be honest, I had other tales to attend to at that time, which could potentially conclude someday.

Although Abena was still in pain, she ultimately aided the Doctor, Belinda, and the other captive men in their escape from the barbershop following some encouragement from Belinda.

How did the Doctor and Belinda escape?

Abena helps the Doctor and Belinda to escape by weaving a map of the escape route into his hair.

The Doctor creates a diversion at the barber’s shop by setting off an explosion, allowing him and Belinda to swiftly escape with the map hidden within his hair, guided by the map in his head.

They reach the engine room and uncover the core of the narrative engine. However, the Barber hinders them, but the Doctor devises a scheme – he narrates a brief tale to the Barber, encapsulating his life experiences, thereby igniting the engine.

The Barber finds himself puzzled, yet the Doctor clarifies that an unusual connection was formed. Now, instead of conventional fuel, the engine runs on the tales of countless lifetimes (and each prior Doctor briefly appears on-screen in a touching scene).

Although the Barber claims that the Doctor granted him infinite power, the system, however, isn’t designed to handle such vast amounts of power – instead, it starts collapsing in on itself.

In this scenario, the Doctor emphasizes that he’s in charge of the vehicle (engine), while the Barber manages the doors. He advises the Barber to allow everyone to leave safely. Eventually, the Barber complies and opens the doors, then exits with the Doctor.

The Doctor closes the doors with his sonic screwdriver, with the Nexus seemingly being destroyed.

In a barbershop setting, it’s the act of sharing time and experiences that fosters connections. This interaction is ubiquitous, serving as a means for making new acquaintances. We often find ourselves opening up and sharing personal stories with others. However, in a barber shop, this connection-building process intensifies. Consequently, storytelling plays a crucial role in these spaces.

How does the Fifteenth Doctor remember being the Fugitive Doctor?

It remains unclear how the Fifteenth Doctor recalls his time as the Fugitive Doctor, so we’ll need more information from showrunner Russell T Davies before we can understand it better.

As a devoted cinephile, I can’t forget the moment when the enigmatic Fugitive Doctor entered the scene. Unlike any other time, the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) didn’t recognize herself in this role initially – quite astonishing considering she was a previous manifestation. However, she found her place just before we recognized as the First Doctor (William Hartnell).

Upon his recent reincarnation, it seems my recollections of being the Fugitive Doctor have resurfaced – though I can’t quite grasp the reason behind this revival.

As I stood before Abena, her very presence seemed to stir memories within me – especially that particular encounter while I was on the run as the Fugitive Doctor.

We’ll update this page with any new intel as and when it emerges!

Who is the child?

In the given episode, a young girl makes two appearances, but her identity remains unclear – for now, it appears that more information about her will be revealed as the series progresses.

The Doctor doesn’t see her but says to Belinda: “The stories were leaking out, getting mixed up.”

Could it be possible that she is connected to the Doctor’s past in some way? Or, might her unexpected arrival signal the imminent introduction of the next deity from the Pantheon we are yet to encounter?

Only time will tell!

The Doctor’s latest adventures will air next Saturday, May 17th. In the UK, you can catch them starting from 8am on BBC iPlayer, with rebroadcasts on BBC One later that day. For viewers outside the UK, the series is available on Disney+.

2025-05-10 12:27