This week in Weekly Who I am going to layout some fan theories about the surprise developments from the episode Fugitive Of The Judoon. This means that today’s column is full of spoilers. If you haven’t seen the episode yet and want a surprise please proceed with caution.
Theories About Jo Martin’s Doctor
- Ryan Britt for Tor lays out an evidence-backed theory in this article. The general crux of their theory is that before Hartnell’s first Doctor there was a previous cycle of 12 regenerations that the Doctor does not remember. (One cited source is the various faces of unknown previous Doctors from The Brain Of Morbius and that she is among that number.) Personally, I find this one rather compelling and if it’s true the amount of canon welding it accomplishes is impressive.
- Related but opposite to the first theory is that instead of being a forgotten previous regeneration, Jo Martin is actually (like the Caretaker) is a future regeneration who just for whatever reason does not remember being 13. This is one is a harder sell for me given the evidence (Martin’s TARDIS is a dead ringer for 1’s, she doesn’t seem to know what a Sonic Screwdrive is,) and that it is simply too easy an out.
- My personal theory is that Jo Martin’s Doc is from an alternate reality. The specific reality she comes from is the same one that David Warner’s alternate 3rd Doctor hails from. I like it because of it tying in Big Finish canon in a big way (and there’s awesome precedent for this,) and if Chibnall is working with Alt Realities then it neatly skirts past the issue that The Time War blocked up most of the holes between The Show’s main reality and other ones. (Though not the Marvel universe which is a subject for another week.)
Who Is The Timeless Child?
- David Opie over on Digital Spy opines that Jo Martin’s Doctor is The Timeless Child. It makes a lot of sense honestly and they’re probably at least partially right. I mean the article does cite the brief appearance of what appears to be a young Woman Of Color in a very brief flashback sequence after The Master namedrops The Timeless Child in a message to the Doc at the end of Spyfall Part 2.
Those are just a handful of Fan Theories out there (I didn’t mention Captain Jack as his appearance was clearly just fun set up for another meatier episode down the road and it wasn’t as earth-shattering as Jo Martin.) What are some of yours? Please feel free to lay them out no matter how out there. For example, the loan Cyberman could be Kroton from the 8th Doctor Comics.