There have been plenty of fan theories floating on social media since Season 10 of Doctor Who began. The questions have prompted more questions, and everyone dedicated to Doctor Who has either mentally contemplated possible answers or joined in discussion posts. The rumors over whether or not Peter Capaldi will leave the show and be replaced by a next Doctor Who incarnation have much to do with the biggest fan theories, though showrunner Steven Moffat has assured fans that the Time Lord loves his role and there’s no reason for Moffat to write him out of the show. Yet, Doctor Who fans being who they are, are relentless in their speculations:
Both The Master and Missy are in the Vault.
The speculation about who is in the Vault spilled into social media after the most recent episode. Everyone has been fascinated with the Time Lord’s interaction with the chamber. He’s been guarding it with evasive comments, and that makes it even more curious. Nardole, played by Matt Lucas, told the Doctor that their friend seemed “restive”. The Doctor answered, but fans noted that his mannerisms and face looked as if he was hiding something (literally and figuratively).
When Nardole heard the sounds of piano music emanating from the Vault, he questioned the Doctor about it. The Doctor side-stepped any definitive answer to the question Nardole asked about his placement of a piano inside the Vault. But later on, after Nardole left the Doctor in private, the Doctor was seen whispering close to the Vault. He asked if the prisoner in the strange chamber wanted Mexican dinner.
The piano music increased in speed and became cheerful after the Doctor’s whispered the words “we’re both prisoners”…”I’ve got a story too” and “lots of young people get eaten”. Just as the Doctor tells the prisoner in the Vault that he will be going in, and as he opens the locks to step in…the episode ends, leaving fans to wonder who the mysterious prisoner is.
The Doctor has been guarding the Vault because someone or something of great influence arranged and has been safeguarding his position teaching at the university.
The biggest question about this theory is “What promises does he have to keep?” He said so himself that he was keeping them, and that his 70 years teaching at the university were linked to his promises. But to whom, and for what reason, exactly did he make them?
The Doctor may remember Clara.
There was a short moment when the “Clara’s Theme” emerged on the Episode 1 soundtrack. The Time Lord was preparing to erase Bill’s mind so that he would not remember their shared experiences. Fans note that the Doctor has done it before. In the past, he had erased Donna’s memory in a similar fashion. But he pauses momentarily when Miss Potts comments on how it would feel if someone did the same thing to him. Clara erased the Doctor’s memory, too. But, now fans are wondering if he actually has some memory of her remaining in his subconscious.
Star Trek exists in the Who-universe.
When Episode 5, “Oxygen” aired, the Doctor repeats the Star Trek tagline, “Space…the final frontier.” This opened up some fan research into older seasons when there were other references to Star Trek. Fan writer Morgan Jeffery, in his 2017 article for Digital Spy writes about the telling references included:
- The Empty Child, 2005: Rose calls the Doctor “Mr. Spock” while introducing him to Captain Jack
- Closing Time, The God Complex and The Impossible Astronaut, 2011: Star Trek is references as a work of fiction
- The Eleventh Doctor meets the Starship Enterprise crew in an officially licensed comic book in 2012
- Parallel universes are established in both universes
- Steven Moffat said he would have the Doctor meet Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk “in a heartbeat”, 2015
Missy mentions the Doctor had left her/him for dead. Perhaps this is a reference to the Doctor leaving Simm’s Master for “dead” at the end of this adventure.
Posted on Reddit by an avid fan, AWildDorkAppeared, this theory goes against the common assumption that Missy’s accusation was referencing the Time War at The End of Time, when the Simm’s Master returned for its end. This fan theory assumes that the Doctor is referencing the current adventure, because he knows he will survive and this will force his regeneration into Missy.
Redditor “masauka” has summed up the rumors by posting a grand overarching theory which encompasses many of the questions posed so far. The idea is that Moffat, who has been showrunner since 2005, has based his Time Lords to date on the “The Five Stages of Grief”:
- Christopher Eccleston portrayed Denial
- David Tennant portrayed Anger
- Matt Smith portrayed Bargaining
- Peter Capaldi is portraying Depression
- The next Time Lord will portray Acceptance
Fan writer for the Aussie Network, Lynnette Guzman, commented on Radio Time’s suggestion that if masauka’s unique theory is correct, the character interactions in Season 10 may be preparing fans for a new story line. In this version, the classic Time Lord character of seasons past returns, the Time War themes are relegated to the past, and new adventures are more fun.
As with everything Doctor Who, what’s next is yet to be revealed.
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