Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.”Carole Ann Ford returned to Doctor Who in season 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Contest,” finally ending a decades-long wait for Susan to show up again in the long-running sci-fi show, but then her character was handled incredibly poorly. As the first companion of Doctor Who‘s classic era, Susan remains a pivotal figure in the franchise lore. Her status as the Doctor’s granddaughter gives her an especially interesting place in the show’s canon, so it was great to see her show up again, even if only in the dying mind of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.

Ford’s addition to the Doctor Who season 15 cast took everyone by surprise, with her last appearance before then coming in 1983’s “The Five Doctors.” Susan’s comeback in “The Interstellar Song Contest” resurrected several questions about the Doctor’s past and family tree, with those topics becoming even more enigmatic since the time Ford starred in the show alongside William Hartnell’s First Doctor. Showrunner Russell T. Davies’ decision to bring Susan back made it seem like he had a solid story arc planned for her, but now I’m not so sure.

Doctor Who Season 15’s Ending Forgot About Susan’s Return

“The Reality War” moved on from Carole Ann Ford’s unexpected comeback

Susan had another cameo in “Wish World,” but her role in Doctor Who season 15’s penultimate episode took the form of no more than a brief flash of footage on the Doctor’s TV. That would then turn out to be the last time she factored into the Ncuti Gatwa era. By the end of “The Reality War,” Susan had vanished from the story. Granted, the finale was dense to the point of chaos, so there probably wouldn’t have been space for any substantial storyline for Susan in Gatwa’s farewell episode.

Still, Susan’s absence from Doctor Who season 15’s finale begs the question of why Davies recalled Ford to the cast, if the intention was only ever for her to appear in visions that didn’t affect the story. It was certainly a cool moment to see Susan again, but bringing back such a huge part of Doctor Who‘s history needed to have a bigger payoff than just mere intrigue. Season 15 already had a great deal to wrap up in the two-part finale, and Susan’s comeback proved to be just one thing too many.

If there was ever a time for Susan to slot into “The Reality War,” it would have been in place of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor and her cameo ahead of Ncuti Gatwa’s regeneration sequence. It was fun to see Thirteen again, especially because I don’t think she had very good scripts during the Chris Chibnall era, so I was happy to see her. That said, Susan would also have been a great character to show up at that moment, settling her grandfather’s nerves before he transformed. Thirteen was ultimately a better choice, but Susan was still mishandled.

Doctor Who Season 16 Isn’t Guaranteed – Will Susan’s Cameo Ever Be Paid Off?

Disney’s deal with Doctor Who’s current era is almost complete

Despite the last-second twist of Ncuti Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper, who may or may not be playing the Sixteenth Doctor, Doctor Who season 16 still hasn’t been confirmed. Concerns over the show’s recent reception have reportedly made Disney reconsider its partnership with the BBC, with the two studios co-producing the show since 2023. So, there is a chance that Doctor Who will either be canceled or delayed by a few years while alternative production arrangements are made.

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8 Unanswered Questions That Only Doctor Who Season 16 Can Answer

Doctor Who’s “The Reality War” focused on more recent storylines and left older Gatwa-era mysteries unresolved, which means it’s up to season 16.

Neither scenario is ideal, as the former would mean no resolution for Susan’s return, and the latter could result in Ford’s retirement before the show comes back. The original deal was for Disney and the BBC to make 26 episodes together. Three of those were used up for the 60th-anniversary episodes with David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. Both Gatwa’s seasons and his two Christmas specials account for 18. Paired with the Tennant trilogy, this is 21 episodes. The final five are likely being used up for the upcoming UNIT miniseries spinoff, The War Between the Land and Sea.

Doctor Who is largely expected to continue in some form, even if Disney decides to step away. The additional injection of cash during Doctor Who‘s Disney era has been evident in the show’s visual upgrades, but the BBC had long made the show without a collaborator. So, it would be far from unprecedented for Doctor Who to become a single-studio project again in the wake of Gatwa’s departure. If so, then Susan could still come back. If a longer pause occurs, her new arc may be abandoned, or perhaps Susan will be recast.

Susan’s Doctor Who Comeback Is Even More Interesting After “The Reality War” Revealed Time Lords Are Now Infertile

The Rani revealed the Master’s attempted Time Lord genocide didn’t quite go to plan

The very existence of Susan is an incredibly rare example of an unfettered view of the Doctor’s family tree. The show has been very ambiguous for decades now on the topic of whether the Doctor has already had kids, or whether they’re yet to be born. The temporal quirk has always made Susan an even more compelling character, as the Doctor has been able to meet and bond with his granddaughter, supposedly without even being a parent yet. However, “The Reality War” revealed that all Time Lords are now infertile, so it begs the question of who Susan’s parents are.

The return of Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps as Poppy in “Wish World” began speculation that Poppy was the Doctor’s daughter, which could have made her Susan’s eventual grandmother. This was ultimately dispelled by the twist that the Master’s attempt to kill all the Time Lords in “The Timeless Children” simply sterilized them instead. Now that Poppy’s father has been revealed as human, the question mark that hangs over the matter of who Susan’s parents are/were/will be remains fascinatingly intact.

How Susan’s Return Could Factor Into Doctor Who Season 16 (If It Happens)

Carole Ann Ford is owed a proper Doctor Who comeback arc

Fifteen’s visions of Susan in “The Interstellar Song Contest” felt very much like Davies’ plan was to have Carole Ann Ford properly return in the very near future. Communicating with her grandfather using the Time Lords’ intrinsic psychic powers, Susan seemed as though she was in trouble, and was calling out to the Doctor for help. It’s been many centuries since the two last spoke, so whatever threat Susan may be facing is probably huge for her to end their unintentional embargo.

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It felt like Susan needed rescuing from somewhere, which could arguably form the basis of an entire season of the show, with the Doctor scouring time and space to find and help her. With Piper presumably in the role, it wouldn’t be quite the same to hear Susan call the Doctor “Grandmother,” but the general dynamic between the two characters could still be similar. Of course, Doctor Who needs to be renewed before any of this can come to fruition.

Doctor Who

5/10

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Directors

Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie

Writers

Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat

Franchise(s)

Doctor Who / Whoniverse