Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Song Contest.” The highly anticipated return of a beloved character in Doctor Who season 15, episode 6, titled “The Interstellar Song Contest,” not only brings closure to a long-standing mystery surrounding a former companion but also ignites a spark of hope for the beleaguered planet of the Time Lords. This character, who has not graced our screens since the classic era of Doctor Who, is a fan-favorite and rightfully earns its place among the greatest Doctor Who companions of all time. Their inclusion in the cast of Doctor Who season 15 suggests an exhilarating path ahead for the series as it continues to evolve in its modern incarnation.

The status of Gallifrey has been in a state of constant fluctuation ever since Russell T. Davies revived Doctor Who in 2005, introducing it to a new generation of viewers. Throughout the years, various writers and showrunners have oscillated between restoring the planet to its former glory and plunging it back into chaos. The post-2005 timeline of Gallifrey has been so convoluted that it can be challenging for even the most devoted fans to track its current fate and whether it remains intact. To clarify, in 2020’s “Timeless Child” storyline, Sacha Dhawan’s Master obliterated Gallifrey and its inhabitants. However, the narrative is likely to shift once more in the near future.

Reviving Gallifrey: The Possibility of Susan’s Survival in Doctor Who

Carole Ann Ford’s Character: A Beacon of Hope for Other Surviving Time Lords

The Master has ruthlessly targeted every Time Lord throughout the vast expanse of space and time, orchestrating their demise during Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor. In a devastating twist, he not only eradicated Gallifrey from existence but also left the Doctor alive to witness the horrifying massacre. This led to a widespread belief that all other Time Lords had perished, especially following the brief restoration of Gallifrey and its denizens. However, Susan’s unexpected return in “The Interstellar Song Contest” could challenge the assumption that the Doctor’s race has been completely extinguished.

While she adopts a human name, it’s crucial to remember that Susan is inherently a Time Lord and is directly descended from the Doctor. As his granddaughter, she shares his unique DNA, which makes it understandable that the Doctor would assume Susan had fallen victim to the Master’s ruthless campaign against the Time Lords when he decimated Gallifrey. Yet, against all odds, Susan managed to survive the Master’s genocidal intent. This raises the intriguing notion that if Susan could avoid the Master’s deadly onslaught, then perhaps other Time Lords also found a way to escape, and possibly even Gallifrey itself is not lost.

It is important to note that Susan does not fit the mold of a pure-blooded Time Lord. The revelations from Chris Chibnall’s “Timeless Child” arc disclosed that the Doctor is not originally from Gallifrey but a being of enigmatic origins. Therefore, Susan’s genetic makeup would inherently include some of his DNA. This intriguing aspect may help explain how Susan successfully dodged the Master’s targeted extermination of the Time Lords. While this theory remains unconfirmed, it certainly presents a compelling narrative possibility.

The Challenges of Reviving Gallifrey in Doctor Who’s Narrative

Crafting a Unique and Convincing Return for Gallifrey

Doctor Who episodes that focus on Gallifrey are monumental events for the beloved and enduring British science fiction series. Though the planet has had its fair share of screen time, an enigmatic aura still surrounds the homeworld of the Time Lords. The repetitive cycle of Gallifrey’s destruction and resurrection has led to the exhaustion of many compelling storylines that could explain its return to the timeline.

In 2013, during Gallifrey’s re-emergence in “The Day of the Doctor,” the show skillfully crafted a storyline that culminated in Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor embarking on a quest to rediscover the recently resurfaced planet. This return to Gallifrey was a rewarding narrative twist, but it would feel rather repetitive and underwhelming if Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor were to undertake a similar journey so soon after Twelve’s. Instead, just having Gallifrey reappear in the sky without a captivating storyline would not do the narrative twist justice. Therefore, Doctor Who will need to employ exceptional creativity to resurrect Gallifrey in a fresh and engaging manner.

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  Doctor Who
  

  Release Date

  2005 – 2022-00-00

  Directors

  
  Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy
  

  Writers

  
  Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies
  

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  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