This ‘Doctor Who’ Theory Just Revealed RTD’s Plan For Susan’s Origin Story

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Susan Foreman’s recent return to Doctor Who left fans with more questions than answers, but one theory proposes we already know her true origins. After 42 years, actress Carol Anne Ford returned to play Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter and the very first companion, in Season 15’s “The Interstellar Song Contest.” The Season 15 finale left the future of the show uncertain, and many viewers were puzzled by Susan’s limited involvement in the main plot.

Susan’s comeback to Doctor Who generated a lot of buzz, but recently revealed information suggests her role was even more significant than first believed. Details from a canceled Season 15 finale hinted at a deeper backstory for Susan, leaving fans with many unanswered questions. A new theory proposes that Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies may have subtly established Susan’s origins before the events of “The Reality War” began.

Why ‘Doctor Who’s Season 15 Scrapped Ending Was So Important


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The initial planned ending for “The Reality War” would have revealed a surprising family connection: Susan, the Doctor’s very first companion, was the daughter of Poppy. This reveal would have been a major event for the revived series of Doctor Who and a significant addition to the show’s overall history. Viewers have known since 1963’s “An Unearthly Child” that Susan was the Doctor’s granddaughter, but the exact details of her parentage remained a mystery.

Some fans believe Susan Foreman pretended the Doctor was her grandfather to avoid confusing people, but their connection seems to go deeper than that. Whether or not they’re related by blood, Susan is undeniably the Doctor’s granddaughter, and it’s interesting to think about how that happened. The Doctor has hinted at having children throughout the show, particularly in recent seasons.

The Doctor frequently talked about their children, suggesting they had passed away during the Time War. The show even introduced a daughter, Jenny, in Season 4, created from the Doctor’s own DNA. However, a recent episode with the Fifteenth Doctor hinted that the Doctor hadn’t yet had children, leaving fans confused and sparking a lot of debate.

The Doctor’s history became even more complex in “The Reality War” with a surprising revelation: the Time Lords lost the ability to have children at the end of the Time War. This created a mystery surrounding Poppy, the Doctor’s supposed child, as there was no evidence Belinda had ever given birth. When Belinda’s mother asked about Poppy’s birth, Belinda couldn’t clearly remember the event, hinting that she might not be Poppy’s mother.

‘Doctor Who’s Susan/Poppy Bi-Generation Theory, Explained

A popular theory about Doctor Who proposes a surprising connection between Poppy and Susan. It suggests that Poppy might be the mother of the Rani, not Susan, as many assume. This idea stems from a scene in Season 15’s “Wish World,” where Mrs. Flood describes the Rani as her child, saying, “Well, you’re my child, in a manner of speaking. It could be said that you sprang from my loins.”

Okay, so the episode definitely nodded to the Rani’s bi-generation, which, let’s be honest, remains one of the most mind-bending ideas Doctor Who has ever thrown at us. We still don’t fully grasp how it works, and honestly, the show hasn’t given us much to go on. And then there’s the mystery of how Poppy ended up as Susan’s mother – the writers have left that wonderfully open-ended, and I’m already buzzing with theories about what could have happened.

Mrs. Flood’s casual comment might actually explain the mystery surrounding Poppy’s existence, despite the glitches. It appears Russell T Davies may have been subtly referencing Susan’s background with that line. Now that both the Doctor and the Rani have bi-generated, it’s possible this is how Time Lords reproduce. It’s also interesting to consider Susan’s own family. While expanded Doctor Who content, like the Big Finish audio dramas, explores Susan’s life after leaving the TARDIS, the show’s main storyline generally takes priority, meaning details from those sources aren’t always considered official canon.

In the classic Doctor Who story “The Dalek Invasion of Earth,” the Doctor left his granddaughter Susan with a man named David Campbell. They later adopted three children – Ian, Barbara, and a son named David Jr. There are many possible reasons for their decision to adopt. David may have been unable to have children of his own, or they simply wanted to provide a home for children who had lost their families during the Dalek invasion.

But what if Susan wasn’t able to have children herself? Perhaps Time Lords now need to bi-generate – create a duplicate body – in order to reproduce. We know Susan wasn’t born to biological parents on Gallifrey, but did she know that? Maybe she was raised by another Time Lord’s child back on their home planet. Or, perhaps she simply appeared in the Doctor’s life unexpectedly, and he decided to care for her.

Details from a cancelled Season 15 finale showed that the story would have ended with Susan observing the Doctor and his companions celebrating victory, hinting at a major role for her in Season 16. However, Russell T Davies decided to shift the show’s focus, wanting to conclude Poppy’s storyline. This suggests that Season 16 would have explored the backstories of both Susan and Poppy, and how they became mother and daughter.

Everyone knows the current Doctor’s storyline was originally intended to span three seasons, but Ncuti Gatwa’s departure means season 16 will be different from Russell T Davies’ initial vision. Although it’s disappointing we might not learn more about the character Poppy, Susan’s backstory could still be explored. The upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special offers plenty of opportunities to weave Susan into the narrative, and this feels important given that Carole Ann Ford, the original actress, may be nearing retirement.

A new Doctor Who theory, if true, could fundamentally reshape everything we know about the show’s universe. It suggests Time Lords can only have children through a process called bi-generation. This would be a huge shift in the show’s history, possibly the biggest since Russell T Davies introduced the Time War – and it might even be more impactful than the controversial ‘Timeless Child’ storyline.

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2025-12-10 22:23