Doctor Who Season 6B EXPLAINED! + The Ruth Doctor - DOCTOR WHO THEORY

A rumour over 40 years in the making, MrTARDIS breaks down the long-lasting "Season 6B" theory and looks at whether the newly introduced Ruth Doctor holds the key to the mysterious regeneration between Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.
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[@MrTARDIS]

"Shoes!" - 3rd Doctor. Be sure to help appease the KZbin algorithm by liking, commenting and sharing this video around!

[@fattestboyslimmer2403]

These shoes fit perfectly!

[@carealoo744]

I am excited for the history of the show to get more complicated!... I'm not so sure if I can trust Chris Chibnall to stick to landing, though...

[@carealoo744]

Yeah. The show would Never try to start fresh, and then get super-complicated out of nowhere. (*Cough!* Twice Upon A Time!)

[@jasonhebedead1710]

Regardless of where she is in the timeline though the Chamelion arch theory works perfectly!

[@theshadobase157]

THERE WAS A MINI STORY CALLED DEVIOUS WHICH HAD THE SECOND DOCTOR REGENERATE TO HALF SECOND AND HALF THIRD THEN HAVING DONE HIS MISSION FOR THE TIME LORDS REGENERATED INTO THE JON PERTWEE DOCTOR! WHICH WAS MADE IN 1995 A YEAR BEFORE PERTWEES DEATH IN 1996! THIS WAS JON PERTWEES FINAL APPEARANCE AS THE THIRD DOCTOR! ACTOR TONY GARDNER PLAYED THE LOST DOCTOR INCARNATION IN BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD DOCTORS! LOOK UP DOCTOR WHO DEVIOUS (2014) ON KZbin AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN!

[@lucasbachmann]

My theory - if the timelords can take Clara a moment before her death for more adventures they certainly could do the exact same thing for the Second doctor.

[@lamaahruloma4270]

With each one

[@Syntaxbl]

Why didn’t Jodie just ask Ruth which regeneration she is?

[@jeffgalus8454]

To simple, they want a mystery

[@CaptWesStarwind]

Because it is impolite to ask a Time Lady how many regenerations old they are.

[@jeffgalus8454]

True but we're talking about the Doctor here when he/she ever polite

[@robanybody3363]

I was actually wondering that. When the doctor has met a previous doctor. The previous doctor usually asks the current doctor what regeneration he is. I actually like Ruth's doctor. More then jodie's. I like to believe Ruth's doctor is a future incarnation of the doctor. And something traumatic happened and she can't remember jodie's. Maybe something to do with the timeless child...or maybe she is the valeyard. The valeyard would have the same DNA as the doctor. And the timelords could have been using her as an agent. Just have to wait and see. Really hope she's not pre-hartnel. That would be disappointing.

[@andrewjohnson1873]

Good question... 😯

[@MikeDragon]

All of this is actually rather simple to explain. You see... People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective view point, it's more like a big bowl of wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey... stuff.

[@BreadedSpace]

@@pastorbri Did you notice the quote?

[@zethcroft1532]

a quote back from when Doctor Who actually meant something

[@Charvey80]

I have to step in here..It's a big ball of wibbly wobbly, not a bowl..that would be nuts

[@iKillerZombie]

Started well, that sentence

[@lepterfirefall]

@NovaWolf Gaming no...its a fact. Just because someone thinks that older dr who is far better than the current series is not hating on it. That's just a cop out to avoid facing the ratings plummeting and people not caring much these days. The poster is totally entitled to voice their opinion too, even if you don't like it.

[@yorkshireteafan]

Weirds me out a bit thinking about how scarecrows were involved in turning the Doctor into the actor who later played Worzel Gummidge.

[@MrThorfan64]

True... 5 Doctors also alludes to scarecrows.

[@ftumschk]

@@MrThorfan64 ... and the Master disguises himself as a scarecrow in Mark Of The Rani

[@MrThorfan64]

@@ftumschk So he does. I wonder if Paul was inspired by The Night Walkers while writing a certain story on the nature of humans. Does end with someone being punished in a scarecrow-like manner but that may be a stretch.

[@crowcoregames1785]

Are we also forgeting the fact the family uses scarecrows in human nature and family of blood

[@ftumschk]

@@crowcoregames1785 We've got it covered. MrThorfan64 cryptically mentioned it already ("I wonder if Paul [Cornell] was inspired... while writing a certain story on the nature of humans")

[@chrisvaleyard1459]

The most simplest theory would be Ruth is the Doctor from alternate timeline

[@welch_inc6532]

@@LibraGamesUnlimited 13 has already been to different universes. The one with the frog and at the start of this series. 11 even did with the junk planet being outside the universe

[@yelloweyedkittytime155]

But as we know, doctor who is never simple

[@philippebernard4577]

@@welch_inc6532 Pffffffftt !!!

[@philippebernard4577]

@@LibraGamesUnlimited Absolutely. It's even worst than that : It's re-writing History. Fake.

[@arakaraathhalfdragon2081]

Perhaps this whole thing with the Timeless Child and the destruction of Gallefrey is having an effect on the timeline which is causing it to be rewritten. Ruth could be an alternate version of the 3rd Doctor. She has a default TARDIS theme, flamboyant clothes and knows martial arts. While I don't like the idea of Classic Who being messed with, the idea that time itself is unravelling and the Doctor's very history and existence is changing would make some very good stakes for the end-of-season arc.

[@russelltietjen4407]

It's funny because there is a Big Finish story called Exile where The Doctor regenerates into a woman in order to escape from the Time Lords after the War Games... It's a parody story where she works in Sainsbury's and routinely drinks and she's played by one of the miners from the 11th Doctor Narnia Christmas Special. It opens on a disclaimer by Nick Briggs that Sainsbury's car parks, in fact, do not explode and their biscuits are quite lovely, especially when dunked in tea.

[@harlowethrombey7665]

The 6B theory is way too convoluted and inside baseball.

[@fivish]

Christopher Bynum is chibs the idiot bothered about canon?

[@darrenbradleytwin]

Agreed, especially for a producer that went to great lengths to separate his tenure from anything that came before, so a 'deep fan theory' that even most DW fans have never been aware of is hardly a selling point for the casual, general audience.

[@tubian323]

True, I think the simplest explanation is that the Ruth Doctor is a pre-Hartnell incarnation.

[@wcapewell3089]

Ruth cant be between troughton and pertwee. The first we see of pertwee, he falls out the tardis wearing troughton outfit.

[@zavierludborzs9766]

Jackal Reviews troughton? Pertwee?

[@wcapewell3089]

@@zavierludborzs9766 troughton, the second doctor. Pertwee, the third doctor.

[@andrewtomlinson5237]

Seriously? There couldn't have been a Time Lord covert operation to use the 2nd Doctor as an intervention agent, sneaking Jamie back from his relocation to help him. It's impossible that during this period of acting as an agent for the Time Lords the Doctor may have suffered an injury and have to regenerate into a 3rd incarnation. There could never have been a situation where the new incarnation went rogue, and was hunted by the Time Lords and Judoon leading the Doctor and her companion into using the chameleon arch and hiding on Earth leading to the events of Fugitive of The Judoon ultimately ending in the "Ruth" Doctor being caught, and the original plan being put into place, of the Doctor being forced into a new regeneration, exiled on Earth with a selective memory wipe... NONE of this could possibly have happened because... There's no way the Time Lords could have possibly had the basic common sense to put the new (Pertwee) Doctor in Pat's old clothes. These guys have mastered immortality and time travel, but you can't imagine them having the smarts to remember what the Doctor was wearing at the time of his trial??? Really?

[@rockysandman5489]

@@andrewtomlinson5237 Son, you're about to get yourself a logical ass-whoopin'. Your season 6B explanation model FAILS utterly because it doesn't take into account several things: 1. That the Doctor's original regeneration cycle ended with Smith being the final body. Had your explanation been valid, Tennant would have been the last body. The very fact that Smith mentioned in dialogue that he regenerated twelve times falsifies your explanatory model. Further, it puts it clear that Ruth cannot be between Troughton and Pertwee, otherwise it could imply that there's some extra regeneration in there which should not be there, given that the Doctor's regeneration cycle ended with twelve regenerations being used up for a total of twelve faces, one of which has been donned twice. This extra regeneration would be another mystery and you can't explain a mystery by appealing to another mystery, in a practical sense it's equal to a Circular Argument which is a logical fallacy, and in this specific instance this is the Argument From Ignorance fallacy, a standard logical fallacy, which henceforth falsifies your argument. 2. You might argue that the extra regeneration was given by the Time Lords, but this is highly unlikely. You might argue that because they gave him an extra cycle in Time Of The Doctor, but that's a False Equivocation fallacy, because, in TOTD the Time Lords were in no position of leverage, quite the opposite - they were in desperate need of help and they trusted that the Doctor will be able to help them escape the frozen pocket universe. But during the time between Troughton and Pertwee, the Time Lords have the full leverage over the Doctor who has no leverage in the situation, they have no reason to waste regeneration energy for an extra regeneration to give to a Time Lord who up to this point only regenerated once, it's utterly redundant. They'd much rather the Doctor use up one of his own regenerations, gladly they'd prefer that to be the case for the notorious renegade. 3. Exactly why the fuck would the Time Lords even need the Doctor to forget about this incarnation's existence? And even suppose they did plant Ruth's Doctor here in between, and they do erase his memory when they regenerate Ruth into Pertwee, why would they then care that the Doctor should get the impression that he regenerated into Pertwee from Troughton? What would be the point? Why should they care so much for the Doctor to not have clothes that he doesn't recognize, after wiping his mind of so much content and experiences and knowledge, and the whole knowledge of how spacetime travel works, he might as well stay in Ruth's clothes and it shouldn't be any issue to the Time Lords just as well. 4. Ruth doesn't recognize the Sonic Screwdriver by the very mention of the name. Troughton's Doctor invented the device and used it multiple times, as did Pertwee. How can a Doctor exist between two sonic screwdriver wielding Doctors and not know about this instrument? Continuity demands that Ruth recognize it by name at least, yet she does not. All your idea rests on is a premise of solving the mystery by appealing to a greater mystery, which is, as I've stated, fallacious reasoning and therefore falsifies your explanatory model. There is a principle in logic called Occam's Razor, which states that the explanation that asserts the least unfounded premises is the most likely to be correct. Your explanation asserts many unfounded premises, so your explanation is more likely to be incorrect. You wouldn't make a good logician, nevermind a scientist. On the other hand, the explanation that Ruth is simply from a parallel timeline/universe, makes no unfounded assertions, doesn't attempt to solve a mystery by appealing to another one, it's perfectly compatible with Occam's Razor. Therefore, this explanation is much more likely to be correct. Use logic people, for fucks sake it's not that hard.

[@DayOldMeat]

@@rockysandman5489 You're misunderstanding the 6B premise in a few ways. Firstly, the Time Lords would wipe the memory of the Doctor between The War Games and Spearhead From Space because they were doing dodgy work for CIA. I'm pretty sure Pertwee would be pissed off if he'd just had a regeneration forced on him and knowledge of time travel removed for interfering, then spent however long working for the Time Lords who do interfere, but do so for nefarious and self-serving purposes, but they used the Doctor because they were known to interfere. This also fits in with Ruth saying "it's not the kind of job you can quit", because we don't know how long the CIA used the Doctor as a one-person Suicide Squad! Also, the CIA have the ability to alter timelines, move planets and so on, in short they utilise the full range of Time Lord science and ability for petty ends, they would absolutely have the ability to insert an extra regeneration, especially to create an agent no one recognises. Alternatively, the Doctor may have altered their appearance using the chameleon arch or something, with Ruth technically not being a regeneration of her own, but I think that's probably unlikely.

[@ftumschk]

And there was I thinking that 6B was a really dark pencil ;)

[@dw9524]

Lmao that 6B and HB pencil got me through art in school. 🤣😭

[@NoobixCube]

My theory is, this isn't the Doctor's home reality. Since in the same episode we got a mention of the Lone Cyberman, _and_ an alternate Doctor we can't explain, maybe it links back to the first introduction in the new series of the Cybermen, Rise of the Cybermen. The Doctor commented that Timelords used to travel around realities all the time, but the walls between the realities became closed. One might assume each reality has its own Galifrey, with its own history, but then that raises the question of where the hell was Pete's World's Doctor? Or why don't we have multiple alternate reality Timelords kicking around in the main reality? I think, borrowing a little from how dimensional travel seems to revolve around Ricks in Rick and Morty, the Timelords' reality travel only revolved around Galifrey. They believed themselves to be the centre of the universe, and as such, the realities rotated on an axis of Galifrey, so to speak. One Galifrey with one group of Timelords for one set of realities. It is possible, then, that if a different focal point were chosen from which to move among realities, that realities with other Galifreys might exist. It might also go some way to explaining how the Master gets out of his past self killing Missy, in one of Moffat's great bungles where he proved, once again, that he _really_ didn't understand Cybermen at all. This isn't the Master we last saw as Michelle Gomez, bleeding out in the snow after her past self killed her, but the Master from Ruth's reality. The only touch-stone we have from the continuity we know is the Doctor, and now Jack, it's entirely possible that in the chaos of the regeneration into Whittaker, the TARDIS crossed to another reality, and the Doctor never noticed. Never saw the TARDIS go cold before it acclimated to the local energy, like in Rise of the Cybermen, because she couldn't find it at first. We've seen a Doctor in hiding on Earth, and other Timelords hunting her, none of whom seem to think they're where they shouldn't be. We have a Master whose history we can't directly tie to the last time we saw them, who wouldn't necessarily care which regeneration of the Doctor he screws with, so it wouldn't bother him that Jodie Whitaker isn't the face he expected to see, and in the same episode as this mystery Doctor, a reference to a creature which, in the new series, came from an alternate reality. It's a theory held together with string and hope, but it honestly didn't take much string.

[@bluewilliams4911]

This! But to expand on it, I think that when Gallifrey was restored the Doctor was put in an alternate universe, since they’ve made it clear that he did, in fact, destroy Gallifrey, and it wasn’t just a time loop where he THOUGHT he had, but instead he was changing his past so Gallifrey was never destroyed. I believe at that point it put the Doctor in a separate timeline where Gallifrey was never destroyed, and that’s also why, starting with the 12th Doctor, we begin to see a LOT more timeline incongruity. I mean the people of London aren’t leaving during Christmas anymore, they seem to think the Cybermen are cool, and the Doctor even questions why Bill doesn’t recognise certain things.

[@enderkingdev368]

Chris Chibnall apparently did say that this Ruth Doctor is not from a parallel universe or any sort of alternate Doctor. “The important thing to say is - she is definitively the Doctor, there's not a sort of parallel universe going on, there's no tricks. Jo Martin is the Doctor, that's why we gave her the credit at the end which all new Doctors have the first time you see them. John Hurt got that credit.” So there goes that theory right off the bat.

[@rafayetrahmanratul1059]

I do like the idea of Doctor crossed some sort of boundary during regeneration. The progression of the series is also suggest that. But the things Doctor spends much time on earth throughout all his/her incarnation. And earth's history is actually the same. I mean there is no inconsistency. We recognize the Doctor's timeline through this history. And if she crossed some sort of boundary then why is the history same? Specially on Series 2 we saw that the parallel is not exactly the same as the one Doctor spends most time?

[@anonymystical4413]

@@enderkingdev368 to be fair, things can change. Things can be retconned. It’s not like chibnall hasn’t retconned any important stuff already (the Doctor being the timeless child instead of native gallifreyan, etc) There have been plenty of retcons in the entire series, with the Doctor being human (presumably), then Timelord, then half human, then Timelord, then timeless child. Retconning things is nothing new in Doctor Who.

[@AIRWOLF-l6g]

You’ve got to consider that the 3rd Doctor was in the 2nd Doctor’s clothes when he first appeared. Also, the 11th Doctor clearly stated that he has used up his regeneration and how 10’s second regeneration counted as the 11th incarnation. So: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 War: 9 9: 10 10: 11 10: 12 11: 13

[@TheBookofWho]

Airwolf 276.. I mean the war doctor should never of been invented.... should of been the 8th doctor in the 50th anniversary special instead of just making it all stupid and too complicated by adding a “forgotten incarnation”

[@AIRWOLF-l6g]

Mark Readman you can blame Eccleston for that. Hate the war doctor all you want but John Hurt’s anti hero incarnation was spot on

[@edwinsoto6932]

Also, the Second Doctor introduced the sonic screwdriver! How can a Doctor exist between two sonic screwdriver-wielding Doctors and not know about the sonic screwdriver?

[@AIRWOLF-l6g]

Edwin Soto exactly

[@montiellopezbeatriz4796]

@@edwinsoto6932 because the sonic in tha moment was just simple , no like the one that jodie has

[@chandlerscott6271]

if there’s one thing i hate about doctor who, it’s the fact that the second he closes the door in any episode through out history, it immediately takes off. like there’s no way he made it to the console to flip the lever that fast. unless he dashed across the tardis to do it as quick as possible. like the main console could be a mile away from the entrance and it will still take off the second that door closes

[@keelanbarron928]

The tardis is alive. There you go.

[@olivertomkins503]

It's a time machine! The outside takes off before the inside does!

[@DavidWRyan]

I can’t be the only one who reads this as “Doctor Ruth” that would be a different show altogether!

[@scofield117]

The simplest, and thus most likey option IMHO, is that Ruth is a future regeneration that's had her memories of past cycles wiped.

[@YouTubecanbitemyhairybanger]

No they’re raping the canon just wait it’s going to turn out this isn’t the first set of regenerations and the doctor was a woman all along... oh and the timelords stole all their technology and knowledge from a wahmen

[@Maisonikkokufan]

Nope. She has to be from an alternate universe or else its fucking with the established canon

[@ryanjohnson5980]

@@KZbincanbitemyhairybanger "wahmen" jesus christ

[@VoidKami]

@@Maisonikkokufan The statements made by the Master suggest that they might be. I hope not, but we shall see.

[@ultrademigod]

@@KZbincanbitemyhairybanger Nailed it. They have gone full on Doctor Woke. The first Doctor was always a woman of colour, and a load of white men stole her identity. Diversity ✓ White men bad ✓ It's a win/win, except for anyone who liked Doctor Who, before Chibnall screwed it all up.

[@teamsonicchannel4400]

There are other problems as well 1) she doesn't recognize the screwdriver even though Patrick troughton used it 2) Jon Pertwee fell out with Patrick troughtons.cloves still on

[@crowcoregames1785]

My theroys even more crazy: The trickster whent back in time and erased the members of the council of galifry causing a ripple into the future somehow causing a 2nd dr, posibly a future incartaion of her to apear but to not remeber her past self perhaps due to some timlord invervention.

[@peterkorman77]

I do feel like there’s a way to explain a 6B Doctor without getting too lore-heavy. I suppose they could just insinuate that the Doctor worked for these Time Lords after they had a trial, without going too into the weeds. It could be a simple explanation that isn’t repellent to newer fans, but it implies enough for the lore-obsessed fans. Then again, I’m not a Doctor Who writer. I don’t know if that would fly.

[@Daelyas]

in this day and age? Trying to make fans happy? :D But jokes aside: Moffat already screwed around so heavily with the "numbering" of Doctors that I cant even be bothered to be agitated by whatever they decide to do at this point. Just roll with it and choose to ignore stuff you dont like I say. Thats why: Hell Bent? Never heard of it...

[@HazarTulum]

Thats what I was thinking, just say that the Doctor worked for the Time Lords after he was put on trial for interfering. We don't need to know the details of this trial, we just need to know that its in the Doctors past, and the Ruthless Doctor's memory was wiped due to trying to hide from them, so the current Doctor doesn't remember this time. TBH, they might not even confirm where Ruth slots in, it might be left open for interpretation. Might be a 6B Doctor, might be before Hartnell. But I think we probably will get those answers

[@doctorcon6447]

Exactly, in the same way whenever an old who villain is reintroduced to audiences they're just reiterated to about what the villain is about in passing conversation, whenever the daleks come back they don't ever do a full on wikipedia article to explain them they just do a passing comment.

[@jonathanshaw8123]

The time lord’s I imagine would be able recover a regeneration and change his clothes back as it’s not beyond they’re power.

[@jonathanshaw8123]

We also do not see the interior of the TARDIS until Colony In Space which has been refurbished so Ruth’s TARDIS may have the been the 3rd doctors first console room.

[@britanimations2002]

Ok every single time you mentioned this video on Twitter I kept wondering "what's Ruth got to do with the Doctor's death arch?" it's taken too long to realise what you meant

[@SurlyInsomniac]

I highly recommend tracking down a copy of The Discontinuity Guide. The Kindle version is dirt cheap, though I notice on Amazon that the two paperback versions are quite pricey. Not pricey enough however for me to consider selling mine. Anyway, it's a really fun and interesting look at the classic series and not your typical dry as toast episode guide. Some bits of the book have not aged as well as others; for example the authors' adolescent fascination with various female companions' knickers now feels more creepy than um, cheeky, but it's ultimately harmless. Well, mostly harmless.

[@ftumschk]

I agree - well worth getting on Kindle. Likewise, I'd highly recommend Space Helmet For A Cow Volumes 1 & 2 for a fun, informative read. "Space Helmet" covers all of Classic Who, NuWho (to the end of S9) and some of the spinoffs.

[@RialVestro]

"Mostly Harmless" is what the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has to say regarding the Earth. The entry was written by Ford Prefect after spending 15 years on Earth... it was originally much longer but it was cut down in editing.

[@mark-nm4tc]

I recall as a child watching the end of Troughton & the start of the Pertwee era. Note he's wearing the 2nd Doctors outfit as he falls out of the Tardis. I think Ruths explanation will likely be alternate timeline crossing into ours or something. Why would she change back into Troughtons outfit just to fall out of the Tardis (or even kept wearing it (must have not fit very well!).

[@ninjachado0762]

To preserve the timeline. If she does something that The Doctor is never meant to remember, then when HER regeneration starts she'd make sure to put on the correct clothing, so that The Doctor never suspects a messed up timeline.

[@bribriny]

@@ninjachado0762 Time Lords are sneaky...

[@JoeEnglandShow]

Honestly? I think it fits perfectly. You might mention more of the new Doctor's circumstances. She seems to be from the Doctor's past, and she mentions that she was conscripted into a job she didn't want, and that she's running from Time Lord authorities. It just works too well with the 6b premise to dismiss! And as for it being too much for new viewers to take in, well, I wouldn't say it's not all that hard to swallow. All Jodie has to say is that there's a gap in her memory between some of her old bodies, and the "black ops" faction of the Time Lord government must have hidden one of her lives and scrubbed the records (maybe even topping her off with a bit of extra regenerative energy to complete the coverup). After all, we know that they removed some of the Doctor's memories at the beginning of Season 7. Who's to say they didn't remove other memories as well in order to guard their secrets? It would explain Jodie's Doctor's lack of recollection regarding the Fugitive Doctor. And if she regains her memories it might provide a deus ex machina at some point down the line. "Of course! The CIA erased my memory of the Backup Gallifrey!" Sure, it's a little convoluted, but that's Doctor Who to a T. It wouldn't be that hard for newcomers to grasp, and it would give experienced fans a great thrill. I'm rooting for it!

[@LSK134]

I have a feeling we’ll get the long awaited answers for season 6b via Big Finish Audios.

[@PhantomForge1963]

This whole thing made me go back and watch the Troughton to Pertwee regeneration, and regardless of if 6B is right, I think there’s something important in that regeneration: mainly that they never mention the word “regeneration.” I know that this was before regeneration was the word for the change, but since they say that they’ll be changing his appearance, and not killing him/forcing him to regenerate, I think these factors give room for the writers to say that they didn’t force him to regenerate, but literally just change his appearance- leaving one extra regeneration without saying that there were an extra 13 Doctors running around before Hartnell.

[@Toby_Price]

Great video. I do hope the Ruth Doctor isn't shoehorned into the past.

[@timrob12]

The best decision would be to point out that she is a Doctor that was never meant to exist, because that way she doesn't have a number and we don't need to change the whole numbering system. Maybe like the War Doctor, she could be the Extra Doctor.

[@rotespapier_real]

@@timrob12 When John Hurt is the War Doctor, she should be the Spy Doctor, when we look at her dealings with the timelords.

[@timrob12]

@@rotespapier_real Oh. I like that name.

[@marcus9434]

@@rotespapier_real That's a good idea.

[@timrob12]

@@LibraGamesUnlimited We'll have to wait and see what name Chibnall comes up with for her.

[@robs3231]

The reason "the war doc" was created was because number 9 didnt want to do the special there wasn't a wide open space in the timeline he was written in when they didn't get Eccleston. I did really like the speacial though... It doesn't seem that long ago somehow

[@michaelofminzac]

A regeneration of the Doctors daughter, same DNA.

[@laureb.2982]

I thought of it too.

[@davidgraham8299]

So how does she have the tardis?

[@taallen50]

Jenny cant regenerate

[@LordHeadcheez]

@@taallen50 What about the Doctor's first son or daughter? AKA, Susan's mom or dad? Could it be her?

[@theevildalek5425]

I don’t like the theory that she is between Troughton and Pertwee. It is already annoying to me that Eccleston, Tennant, Smith, Capaldi & Whittaker aren’t technically the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12 & 13th Doctors but at least it is only effecting New Who and leaves Classic Who alone. If something changes Classic Who then that really annoys me, like how disrespectful Twice Upon A Time was with the 1st Doctor. New Who, leave Classic Who alone. Also, Troughton and Pertwee are my 2 favourite Doctors and having the idea of someone shoved in between just annoys me. I like the Season 6b theory and I somewhat believe it but to have the Ruthless Doctor shoved into that is annoying. My favourite theory so far is the Valeyard Theory.

[@Celestial.18]

Well she cant go between troughton and pertwee because the second doctor lost his memory of time travel

[@Trev359]

Also, at the time of the trial the Time Lords still had a non-interferance policy. It was the Doctor who persuaded them to change their minds at that trial. How could the Celestial Intervention Agency exist at that time?

[@Celestial.18]

@@MeNoOtherso your saying that war is 9, 9 is 10, 10 is 11, 11 is 12, 12 is 13, and 13 is 14

[@MW-dd8vk]

It makes sense if she is a future regeneration that’s the only logical explanation

[@countgeekula3046]

@@Celestial.18 technically 10 is the 11th and 12th Doctor, but also the 10th and 11th regeneration, because the first Doctor isn't a regeneration, hence the re in REgeneration

[@BoraCM]

I think that the 2nd doctor, while doing missions for the timelords, died and regenerated into the Ruth doctor, and then, when his time to be exiled came, the timelords changed his face,not taking up a regeneration. It either gits him another regeneration to do their work, or jus changing faces doesn't take up a regenration. Or the Ruth doctor is the one they chose for him for his exile, but the doctor regenerated before he actually got to start his exile into the third doctor. It explains why the Ruth doctor is female when most of the others were male. They chose the face for him and us not a natural regeneration, otherwise he probably would have regenerated into another British man, which he did in Spearhead From Space.

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

Post-Troughton Doctors should recognise sonic screwdrivers (unless a memory-wipe happened). Sonics were introduced during the Troughton era.

[@danielemberson5321]

Da

[@sebastiangreenan1774]

Season 6B is a theory I've always quite liked, an nice little extention of the Second Doctor's history. So I naturally first thought of that when Ruth turned up but for me her not knowing what the sonic screwdriver dive bombs that theory as the screwdriver was a Second Doctor creation.

[@Verumex]

I don't think it does. The Sonic wasn't named in front of her, and all Troughton's Sonic did was undo screws. They're very different devices in terms of looks and function.

[@jonathanshaw8123]

It wasn’t as if she did not know about sonic devices that is clear in the scene.The 2nd Doctor does use the sonic screwdriver as a sonic Lance in the Kroton’s but I think anybody can be forgiven for not watching that serial.

[@kennethraymondmoore]

The second Doctor names the sonic screwdriver, but it's not his creation. The device he calls the Sonic screwdriver had been used by the first Doctor, too.

[@jonathanshaw8123]

@@kennethraymondmoore I don’t know are we really considering the Virgin novels to be canon as I think that is the only instance he uses it.

[@jonathanshaw8123]

Do not get me wrong I think the Virgin novels are some of the best doctor who stories out there.

[@josephhinkofer5995]

The only problem is that Ruth doesn't have a Sonic Screwdriver, let alone know what one is, whereas it was the 2nd Doctor that created it. So it can't be a Doctor after the 2nd Doctor if she didn't know what a Sonic Screwdriver was.

[@faridajolly9004]

she knew what it was.. she literally said "i've learnt not to need one" when she saw the screw driver

[@Masterge77]

I don't think Ruth is a Doctor between the Second and Third Doctors, mostly because that would require Chris Chibnall to actually be clever with utilizing Doctor Who lore. Chances are the explanation for the Ruth Doctor is probably more convoluted and more of an ass-pull than this.

[@stevemorganexperience7833]

Masterge77 chibnal is clever, go away you troll,

[@zavierludborzs9766]

steve Morgan experience you’re the troll. In all of his episodes there is the element of a countdown. He never comes up with some Th ing original and the plots are shallow and boring.

[@rgw7345]

We all know what's coming. The "Ruth doctor" is the actual first doctor. It's a huge middle finger to the people complaining about the doctor being female, ignoring the vast majority of fans who didn't give a shit. So they will make the biggest retcon in doctor who history to combat... internet trolls. I'd like to be wrong, but i can't see it ending any other way.

[@schoolingdiana9086]

Chibnall was writing Who stories for the official fan club when he was 17. He’s been writing actual episodes since 2007, and he was pretty much the sole writer for Torchwood. You’re saying none of that was “clever”?

[@hobbabobba7912]

@@rgw7345 yea everyone is acting like this is such a mystery but we all know what's happening.

[@custard_timelord2896]

I was unaware of most of this, so thank you! I did know about the Two Doctors Tardis being wrong, but I'd never considered the fact that Troughton knows Jamie's mind has been erased in The Five Doctors. I'm not usually one for adding continuity but 6B does explain things well and fit in well, even if it does change the canon of 2-3 a bit. Still, even though I accept 6B, the idea of ruth being inbetween just doesn't sit right. I really dont think they'd be able to fit all of that continuity in and explain it well, and I also kinda just dont like the idea of suddenly Pertwee isnt directly after Troughton, that's just a bit wierd if you ask me. But yeah, great vid!

[@darrenbradleytwin]

For a producer that went to great lengths to separate his tenure from anything that came before, so a 'deep fan theory' that even most DW fans have never been aware of is hardly a selling point for the casual, general audience.

[@andrewduncan618]

Please can someone tell me where does the Peter Cushing doctor comes in the doctor who movies

[@jonathansim7148]

Ruth uses the phrase "come on, old girl" during the episode. That phrase was also used by Pertwee when he talked to the car, Bessie. It is plausible that Pertwee got the phrase from her rather than being the originator of the phrase. That would put her between Troughton and Pertwee somehow.

[@drxshock6957]

*_My extended theory:_* The Type 97 TARDIS has a Police Box exterior due to The Second Doctor deliberately landing back in 1963 and disabling the Chameleon Circuit since he's grown fond of the Police Box. He has his adventures as usual until an as of yet unseen story where the Doctor regenerated into the Ruth incarnation. Her post regenerative state leads her to be trained under the Time Lords with Gat and a human named Lee who discovered the Ruth Doctor. Eventually she gets bored of working for the Time Lords and Chameleon Arches herself as Ruth Clayton in 1997 with Lee as her husband to ensure her safety. Fugitive of the Judoon happens as normal. Eventually, I think she will discover the Timeless Child in the finale along with Jodie's Doctor. The Time Lords of Ruth's time catches Ruth's doctor and proceed to completely wipe her memory of the incarnation and place her into a copy of the prior incarnation's (aka the 2nd Doctor) outfit to further cover it up. They place the newly regenerated (and unconscious) Doctor back into his Type 40 TARDIS and the exile continues as normal leading into the Pertwee Era. In addition, the Tenth Doctor's fake-out regeneration in Stolen Earth was *not* in fact a real regeneration despite the Eleventh Doctor saying it was. He simply didn't know any better and assumed the regeneration counted since he was on his last incarnation with no memory of the Ruth Doctor (Especially now we've seen Time Lords can fake a regeneration as seen in Lie of the Land).

[@AIRWOLF-l6g]

DrXshock Ruth doesn’t know a screwdriver unlike 2

[@bravosixgoingdark4909]

Way to long too read

[@AIRWOLF-l6g]

KatyushaSlavicCelt but she didn’t react to the name

[@WillsOW4]

DrXshock tl dr

[@drxshock6957]

@@bravosixgoingdark4909 Second doctor sabotages Chameleon circuit cause he likes police box too much. Second doctor dies somehow and turns into Jo Martin. Retrained during post regeneration with Gat and Lee. Jo doctor goes away and becomes ruth. Fugitive happens. Ruth doctor discovers Timeless Child and the Time Lords of her time (heh) wipe her memory and put her back in Second doctor's clothes to further cover it up. She gets exiled and regenerates: Pertwee era happens and beyond. Tenth Doctor regeneration from Stolen Earth didn't count and the Doc just didnt know any better so he assumed it did..

[@marcusmayfield9499]

A reason to think she can’t come after “The War Games” is that she said she never needed the sonic screwdriver before. Yet Troughton’s Doctor used the sonic for the first time in that serial to try to escape the Germans. I’m firmly of the opinion that she falls into the realm of alternate realities - or the hack writers have lost their minds.

[@iainmccord]

Or it's not that she doesn't know what a sonic is it's that she either doesn't recognise the homebrew device our Doctor is using or it's akin to using a weapon hence the being too smart to need one line soon after.

[@alee_enn]

OK, here's my take on how Ruth could fit into the past Doctor's timelines .... Troughton's Doctor goes up before the Gallifrey Time Lords and is found guilty. Everything happens as you describe it, right up until they wipe his memory just before he regenerates into Pertwee. At the moment of regeneration, something happens and instead a simple A to B regeneration, it splits off from Troughton's 2nd Doctor into both Ruth's 3rd Doctor, and Pertwee's 3rd Doctor. Both Ruth and Pertwee have had their memories wiped. Which explains how Ruth doesn't recognise the sonic screwdriver, and why her TARDIS matches Troughton's. This happened unknown to us and we saw the timeline from Pertwee's Doctor. And no, I hadn't made a mistake here, the TARDIS splits into two TARDIS as well.

[@ScorpiousDelectus]

Really great explanation of 6b, thanks for this.

[@____uncompetative]

Ruth is the regeneration of Jenny, the Doctor's daughter.

[@george5590]

was it grand daughter

[@____uncompetative]

George I thought it was daughter, somehow. It was in the episode with the dolphin army.

[@rockydocky7541]

George She’s his daughter.

[@RialVestro]

I didn't even know about all this other stuff and yet I came to the exact same conclusion based on one thing alone... The War Doctor was not slotted into an intentional gap. He was slotted into a gap but it was never intentional. The intention was for for Paul McGann to regenerate directly into Christopher Eccleston and the 9th Doctor was to be in the 50th Anniversary special instead of John Hurt. The problem was that Christopher Eccleston didn't want to return to the role due to some creative difference with someone he will never publicly name. They still wanted to go through with the whole time war story line however so they cast John Hurt to fill that gap between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston. That said there is another unintended gap in the Doctor's regeneration cycle for much the same reason... the regeneration was technically never shown on screen. That's between Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Even without knowing all that other stuff I could easily look at the War Games and conclude that Patrick Troughton doesn't actually turn into Jon Pertwee, he could regenerate into someone else. I can also look at Spearhead from space and conclude the same thing, they didn't bring Patrick Troughton back to film the regeneration scene, they just show Jon Pertwee post regeneration and based on context at the time we concluded that Patrick Troughton regenerated straight into Jon Pertwee. But there's just enough of a gap there to slot another Doctor in, like Ruth. Given everything we know about Ruth's Doctor and what the Time Lords are capable of, short of being from a different universe entirely, or maybe a clone, slotting her between Troughton and Pertwee is the only possible option for Ruth to make any sense as a past Doctor. There's no other place they could put her because we've seen every other regeneration happen. Tom Baker has said that the Doctor could potentially revisit old faces making an opening for past actors to play future incarnations again but it could also maybe make an opening to slot Ruth basically anywhere as long as they say that the Doctor had ALREADY revisited old faces since it was also very unclear if the Currator was a past or future version of the Doctor, they kinda left that open to a lot of different interpretations but I highly doubt they'd take that route by possibly rewriting past Doctor adventures as future Doctors with revisited faces it would be way too complicated to follow the story line if we could no longer even be entirely certain of any Doctor's place in the time line. Between 2 and 3 is the only place they can neatly fit Ruth into without causing too much of an issue. I have a few other theories as well but that one seem the most likely.

[@Cyberplayer5]

I think Chibnall and company are punting. They imagine pulling off a Steven Moffat like twist. However based on their performance to date I doubt it.

[@Inglott]

I have seriously lost all interest! I started watching the last season, but could not complete it. I was excited to see Jodie taking the role, but the writing is just atrocious!

[@bkdmode]

I wouldn't be so sure... the reveal of The Master was pretty damn good; I didn't see the clues that he was The Master until the Doctor caught him slipping up when he contradicted what The Doctor already knew about the real Agent O.

[@YouTubecanbitemyhairybanger]

I wouldn’t trust them to get a twist of lemon right in a drink let alone write one!!!

[@schoolingdiana9086]

Did they “punt” through Torchwood? Or the episodes he’s written since 2007 (and before Jodie)? Or the stories he wrote for the Doctor Who fan club, from age 17 and up?

[@Cyberplayer5]

@@schoolingdiana9086 I'm basing this on their performance of just Jodie's Doctor.

[@Jel01975]

I've been binge watching all your videos all week. Thanks for such great content. 👍

[@nathanielsizemore8594]

Interesting video. Well done and informative.

[@LisaGates64]

I'm a die hard original Whovian before they even had a name for it. That being said your 6B works, but I think Ruth is before Hartnell, because of the hints that Missy?Master commented on that the Doctor was "female, little girl" once. The Doctor was born a boy from his parents, a Gallifreyan male- who is on a sabbatical at a University (playing a bit senile) & Penelope Gate, a speculated human from the Victorian Era who made herself a Time Machine (RTD backstory), (She's not human, because the Doctor's DNA is not human).My own theory has the Time Lord Academy changing up all the students genders to see if they can "get back" to their original, but the Doctor couldn't. Now whether they had to change him back still has to be explained. Tom Baker's run had explained that he changed his name to the Doctor in the Gallifreyan Academy/University. Ruth calls herself the Doctor, so she fits after the University days. Now the backstory is that Hartnell's Doctor had to be introduced to his granddaughter by his parents and he accepted that. HE COULDN'T REMEMBER! They wiped his memory of Ruth! Then for some reason they had to flee Gallifrey. Backstories are real but my opinions are my own, and not Cannon :)

[@GwenSpanner]

After seeing this, the Ruth doctor, I think could go after the second doctors regeneration in that comic. She is now doing missions for the time lords, and when they have no use for her, they wipe her memory since the last regeneration, and force her to become what we know as the 3rd doctor

[@mlittleds9]

Great video, loved it!

[@jayanderson9375]

Thanks! It will always be 6b in my head, but I don’t expect to see it confirmed on tv any time soon.

[@andrewglasson592]

I still think she is the Rani and is in league with the Master.

[@Daelyas]

my money is on parallel universe or something... the new Master as well btw...

[@bbsj86]

I'd love that tbh

[@LordMooshroom]

@@Daelyas That would suck, probably true though.

[@ziejackson6236]

@@Daelyas it's been 'confirmed' she is the dr and not from parallel timeline but I'd that anything like that with a pinch of salt.

[@Azhs96]

@@ziejackson6236 I've said the same thing in my comment, though immediately after posting it, I did remember that this is Doctor Who we're talking about. Everybody lies with Doctor Who. However, it would be slightly improbable right now, due to the walls between universes being completely closed off.

[@eline.de.allerbeste]

Wouldn't it also be really illogical (yes, I know what show we're talking about, but still) if the Doctor apparently escaped her job and went to earth and then Get makes a remark to Lee that "the far backside of a tiny galaxy" was actually a pretty good place to hide if this theory would be true? Because if they were going to exile the Doctor to earth, then at least Get would have worded that differently and I would think that the Doctor wouldn't want to hide on earth because it would be pretty obvious and the first place the time lords would look.

[@TheTMFD]

Where do all of you watch doctor who? Is it streaming somewhere?

[@MrTARDIS]

If I don't own it on Blu-Ray/DVD I use Britbox for the Classic Series and the BBC iPlayer for the Revived Series.

[@PhilDrury]

It'd be perfect. I admit it's something I've wanted to happen. We must all assume that the know (no with deliberate misspelling) knowledge of the Sonic Screwdriver is a deception as the device originated with the Second Doctor.

[@timothybarnett1006]

The fact that the Ruth-less Doctor doesn't recognise the sonic screwdriver, introduced in the Troughton era means that she's (very probably)from a parallel universe/timeline, unless she's had her memory wiped but I do hope and think that season 6B is too arcane to be an explanation Chibnall and the BBC would think workable for the mainstream audience. Oh, and Terence Discks & Malcolm Hulke rock. That is all.

[@peterkorman77]

Her not recognizing it could just come down to the screwdriver being scarcely used during the Troughton years, and it working totally differently then.

[@ElliottJedras]

This is a great video and I learned a lot I never knew! But after hearing this I genuinely think it would work. The whole thing about her working for the Time Lords, and then hiding from them because (s)he hates it so much, makes so much sense with what you just explained. Yes, it would be very confusing but it’s way better than the theory of her being before Hartnell. The only problem is her not knowing what a sonic screwdriver is, but that’s a small price to pay, just like the second doctor’s TARDIS looking like a police box in The Two Doctors!

[@Log_Cabin_Media_Extras]

Even as a massive Classic Who fan, I've only ever had a passing knowledge of the Season 6B Theory. Thank you for doing this deep dive as it's been very informative. Prior to your video (as previously stated) I had little knowledge of Season 6B bar the "The Second Doctor was sent on various missions by the Timelords a la 'Colony in Space' before regenerating into The Third Doctor". With this limited knowledge, I was never a fan of the Theory as I felt it took away from the drama of The War Games: Episode Ten; within 25 minutes The Doctor is put on trial, Jamie & Zoe's memories are erased, and The Doctor is forced to regenerate - cracking stuff! Season 6B felt like it was undermining the raw power of the Timelords and their forcing The Doctor's regeneration straight away. This said, my main gripe with Season 6B is the cancellation of Troughton's on screen regeneration - The "Ruthless" Doctor would make Season 6B an easier pill to swallow as it would: A: cancel out The Stolen Earth/Journey's End regeneration as 1 of the 12, thus saving the "wasted regeneration energy" gags of Moffat Era Who from "Breaking the Rules". B: maintain the on screen regeneration of The Second Doctor, while still allowing fans to have their fun of seeing The Doctor work for The Timelords. Please forgive my extensive comment, and again thank you for the deep dive into Season 6B as it has been very informative. "Now where do I get a hold of those Terrance Dicks novels???"

[@kierenevans2521]

Players and World Game are great novels in their own right and form a trilogy with Endgame (8th doctor novel).

[@andrewbowman4611]

The series finale opens with a 'previously on...', where we see the closing moments of The War Games, followed by clips from The Three..., Five... and Two Doctors. We then see the Second Doctor regenerate, via body double and visual effects, into the Ruth Doctor. The story then carries on from there. David Bradley as the First Doctor worked well for a general audience so I don't see why a similar explanation would confuse them. Given what we know, it's the only thing that fits; the Stolen Earth cliffhanger ending not actually counting despite Eleven's assertion. He was wrong and just assumed that's what it was as he couldn't remember being Ruth. It's only complicated if you make it complicated.

[@timrob12]

With Bradley being the new First Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time having good lookalikes for the original TARDIS team, they could easily flash back to the past to explain this Doctor, if she has any ties to Hartnell. In Troughton's case, I would suggest Frazer Hines to double for him. He can do the voice and he is now a lot older. He would do a wonderful homage to his best friend.

[@bjnz]

A lot of current fans have probably; never watched classic who so it would definitely complicate things and irritate dedicated fans as having another mysterious Doctor so early on would change everything that has been established.

[@timrob12]

@@bjnz Not if this incarnation was removed from existence, but that makes things a bit too complicated.

[@PaulTaylor1]

You missed the part where Fonzie jumped over the shark on water skis. Let's face it: Chibnall is going to give some completely implausible explanation, then blame the fans for "spoiling" it with nitpicking and reminding him of previous stories he probably doesn't even remember.

[@andrewbowman4611]

@@PaulTaylor1 Is he? What are you basing that on? As you probably know, Chris Chibnall's been a Doctor Who fan from childhood, so I'd argue he's quite well-versed in it. Things like The Other, Looms etc. aren't part of the TV canon, at least not yet. Personally, I've always struggled, when watching the series through, to accept Pertwee as the Doctor; until The Mutants, in all honesty. This is due to the fact that we never saw the transformation from Troughton. Admittedly, putting a secret incarnation between the two doesn't solve that particular problem, but it does potentially tidy up the sequences for various videos on the topic. Not the best reason to do it, but there's not really any reason not to do it either. Whatever happens, it'll be fascinating to watch, I'm sure.

[@vstrangejames]

I want to go back and watch all the Patrick Trroughton episodes now. I was 5 Years old when Jon Pertwee arrived as the doctor so I didn't get to see too much of 2nd Doctor. Thanks for your rich knowledge.

[@matthewsmith2298]

I have a theory centred around the timelords giving the doctor a new regeneration cycle. The theory involves a incarnation of the Doctor stolen from time by the timelords. This would of occurred inbetween Matt smith and Peter capaldi incarnations. Making Ruth the first Doctor of the new regeneration cycle. Within this theory the timelords would of plucked the Doctor from his timeline at the momment of regenerating. They would of then engineered this regen to be more "Ruthless" with key memories removed or altered this Doctor would then work for this timelord faction untill she escaped. Then some time after the events in the Fugitive of the Judoon. The Doctor is recaptured. The Timelords would then force a regeneration and erase all knowledge of these events. Capaldi's Doctor would then be reinserted back into his timeline like nothing had happened. This theory could explain why Matt smiths regeneration was so abrupt and abnormal. Also the extent of Capaldi's Doctors memory loss and Identity crisis in series 8.

[@moonlighttheartist9108]

This could work. Especially since Capaldi did ask Clara if she knew how to fly the TARDIS. These time lords obviously went a little overboard on the memory wipe on that one. Lol

[@matthewsmith2298]

@@moonlighttheartist9108 Yeah that could also support this theory. Yeah I guess they did go alittle too far if this is the case. Lol.

[@YouTubecanbitemyhairybanger]

Yeah except she’s you know.... NEVER SEEN A SONIC SCREWDRIVER!!!

[@matthewsmith2298]

@@KZbincanbitemyhairybanger If her memories had been altered or repressed by the timelords. That could easily explain that.

[@YouTubecanbitemyhairybanger]

Matthew smith you’re doing mental gymnastics to justify the writing of writers that have nothing but soap opera credits to their name that have never seen the show... that’s why we get people standing around talking about their feelings instead of oh crap there’s a monster/alien invasion/ripple in the timeline.... they can’t write sci-fi and judging by this season have no idea what the “in space” part of tardis means seeing as every episode has been set on earth

[@Telos1807]

If only the parallel universe theory was right. I'm not even the biggest fan of putting another doctor inbetween prior incarnations a la John Hurt but good god, this theory is miles better than what will happen in the finale.

[@alexthehunted]

she could be the valeyard or precursor to the valeyard that would still mean she's the same timelord as the doctor

[@EditedAF987]

alexthehunted The Valeyard can’t regenerate. Unless he’s wearing a mask or something

[@alexthehunted]

@@EditedAF987 well 11 was suppose to die on trenzalor that's the thing with time lines they can change

[@EditedAF987]

alexthehunted I’m not sure if that was a timeline change. I reckon the Timelords giving him a new cycle was always how it was meant to be

[@alexthehunted]

@@EditedAF987 well we saw the doctors grave/body

[@joeconcertshd3451]

My theory is Ruth has something to do with the Timeless Child

[@originaluddite]

It would make sense from a story-writing perspective to make all these tantalizing Gallifrayan secrets inter-connected.

[@schoolingdiana9086]

You’re not at all alone in that. I think it’s the most often quoted theory I’ve seen.

[@SpockBorg5]

My theory is chibnall is an incompetent hack and he has turned this franchise into a dumpster fire.

[@YouTubecanbitemyhairybanger]

The logic is sound

[@arieshellstormm9487]

@SpockBorg5 I believe You are 100% correct

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Are you only using restraint to not say a stinky dumpster fire on wheels?

[@SpockBorg5]

I was going to say $#/&^^÷÷×#/€; $=£*!&//^**&^(*)&^^/&*€, but there might be minors around.

[@schoolingdiana9086]

Yeah yeah yeah, but everyone who says that never researches all the other Who episodes he’s written since 2007, and they always forget he was the writer for Torchwood. This season is far better than Capaldi’s first. So was last season. And I love Capaldi as the Doctor. There were only 3 good episodes in Capaldi’s first season; that coming from a fan of Moffat’s writing since “Chalk.”

[@MrThorfan64]

Also Terrence Dicks' last story in Target Storybook has 2 sent on mission by Time Lords and claims at the end of each mission his memory was erased so he can approach each mission with hope.

[@thomasfluskey5922]

Very interesting I can't wait to find out.

[@BillyTonkerFIFA]

outlandish theory from me but could the ruth doctor be jenny (the 10th doctors “daughter”) from The Doctor’s Daughter... because we saw her heal herself from an apparently fatal gunshot and fly away in a ship.. and seeing as she was pretty much a clone of the doctor then she would appear to be the doctor when scanned, and maybe just adopted the name from number 10? unsure of how she could have a tardis but we seen them built from scratch and also Clara and Me flying away in one in the shape of a diner, so there she could have made/found/stolen one then changed it to look like a police box because that’s number 10 had? i’d love this seeing as we’ve had no clue about what she’s been up to since she healed and flew away. EDIT: also the whole thing of her not regenerating into a new body straight away could be similar to when smith regenerated into capaldi, when smith was reverted back to prime condition then changed, so jenny healed herself back to prime condition then regenerated properly as she flew off

[@quickstixproductions9880]

I want the simplest explanation, she's a future incarnation.

[@llNxckll]

In my opinion, it makes sense for her to be pre-hartnell.

[@AmberMetallicScorpion]

it's also the most likely as a previous incarnation can be ruled out unless the ruth doctor was forgotten about and the doctor was given an extra regeneration to stop the doctor from realising that they had a missing regen, while possible would require too much work to do

[@scottjenkins16]

@@llNxckll makes more sense.

[@philippebernard4577]

@@llNxckll ... And the Tardis as a phonebox ?

[@edwardlafferty8796]

Ruth doesn't remember the DoctorRuth doesn't recognise the SonicRuth refers to a ship, not the TARDISRuths TARDIS looks like HartnellsGat doesn't recognise the #13, nor remember Galifreys destructionAnd given one of the two Doctors will be forgetting their meeting and that #13 discussed the issue with Graham et al (as in, didn't forget), it shows that she is the future Doctor, and Ruth is indeed in her past.

[@wignallyt]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@MrPGC137]

Actually, the simplest & most-likely explanation is that the current crop of (for lack of a better word) "writers" have no understanding or appreciation of the show, its history & lore, the character, or what made any of those elements appealing in the first place, and instead have substituted their own personal agendas & biases, injecting them into the show in an attempt to re-write history by retconning the character & series. *That* ...is the most-likely explanation.

[@schoolingdiana9086]

Paul Cwick Chibnall was writing stories for the Doctor Who fan club from the age of 17, he’s written actual episodes for the show since 2007, and he was pretty much the sole writer for Torchwood. He’s got as much understanding and appreciation of the show as any of the reboot writers. Personal agendas and biases? Have you watched any of Tom Baker’s 7 years? He’s constantly nagging humans and aliens alike about getting rid of guns, not judging people by the way they look, scolding them for not getting along.

[@MrPGC137]

@@schoolingdiana9086 So with all that "experience" under his belt, Chibnall didn't improve, but only got...worse...? Whatever... (He should've stuck to writing fanfics, where you can get away with crappy writing & nobody cares, because it's free...) As for the Tom Baker era, yes, I have, in fact, watched all seven years of them, and although they were uneven to say the least, even at his naggiest, he was never as bad as Dr Harpy & didn't make you feel like subjecting him to the ducking stool... And nor was there an addlepated writer stupid enough in that era to try to retcon over a half-century's worth of canon with a giant "Oh, by the way, you're all wrong all this time. The Doctor was originally a black woman." That bespeaks not only a lack of understanding of the show, but also contempt for generations of fans, substituting personal sociopolitical agenda for character consistency. So...nice try, but consider yourself "schooled."

[@dubstepzsi]

So glad your still using matts early theme tune its the best :)

[@4dakota6]

Regeneration from David Tennant doctor from an alternate universe where he was left with rose thought to have had no regeneration's left!

[@Mannycabby]

David Tennant used a Sonic screwdriver tho

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

We'll just have to wait and see.

[@jclrbjr]

There is another Doctor that hasn't been expanded, the Valeyard, during the Trial of the Doctor it was eventually shown that the Valeyard is the Doctor in one of his latter regenerations and was going to receive the current Doctor's regenerations in exchange for finding the Doctor guilty of his "crimes" . They fight each other and the Doctor comes out victorious but no body of the Valeyard, no body no death. The council probably retrieved the body and forced a regeneration of the Valeyard in exchange to work for the Time Lords, but realizes that all the bad she has done put herself in self exile, where we see the current Doctor eventually meets her

[@johnmarctan8047]

i think the ruth doctor is an alternate reality doctor's regeneration. where there exist a "time reset" so that everything will go back to the "way things were" and erasing the ruth doctor's memories. it can occur in any event in doctor who.

[@USAFAFRet11]

One thing people are overlooking is when the Doctor landed on a planet where everyone was cloned (forgot which season - David Tennant was the doctor ) The Doctor was cloned, the clone died prior to the Doctor leaving the planet. The clone regenerated regenerated and took off in a rocket and started her own adventures.

[@bulkbrit]

As soon as Ruth was confirmed as a Doctor, my mind jumped to the gap between Troughton and Pertwee. I wasn’t aware of the 6B theory but the idea of the doctor being used by the Time Lords has a strong basis in fact. Look at when the Time Lords intercepted the transmat beam and brought Doctor 4, Sarah-Jane and Harry to Skaro to use the Doctor as a means to destroy, or reduce the impact of, the Daleks. What if Ruth is part of a complete regeneration cycle that the Time Lords forced on the Doctor while using him as an agent? Lastly, Ruth’s TARDIS is a phone box, so she is definitely from after An Unearthly Child. She doesn’t recognise the sonic screwdriver but Troughtons device was literally just that, a screwdriver using sonic waves. It wasn’t an all encompassing device for data gathering, physical manipulation and detailed analysis. Let’s hope this version of the Doctor leads to something interesting because, prior to Fugitive of the Judoon, I was ready to give up on modern Who. And that’s from a 51 year old fan who can remember back to Pertwees last episode vividly and lived for Who his entire life.

[@lonestarspaceballs61]

i know its not relevent to this youtube video but does any one know why nothing ever happened with the doctors daughter episode (tennant)

[@MrTARDIS]

She has done some Big Finish stuff but outside of that, there's no official reason for her lack of return to TV.

[@bkdmode]

I think Ruth is a Doctor from an alternate dimension; the season premiere sets this up when The Doctor, in Oh/Master's house, says something about the existence of a multiverse and alternate dimensions were already established in Series 2 with When Rose and Mickey were trapped in said dimension. Maybe Ruth is a regeneration of that dimension's Doctor?

[@ministerreverenddoctor9437]

For an episode that was packed with 10th Doctor callbacks, I don’t understand why no one else has thought about it being the Metacrisis Doctor. There’s not really a way to be certain that he can’t regenerate, and Hartnell and Susan only had one heart, not to mention Big Finish confirmed the TARDIS coral in Short Trips. The Cybermen were revived despite being dead in the main universe through Pete’s universe, so it’s possible that Gallifrey exists in that universe as well, and hasn’t been destroyed by the Master yet. It could also be the Valeyard or just another Unbound Doctor, but with all of those callbacks to 10’s era I think Meta10 is most likely.

[@electrobob992]

One of the other hints that we might be deceived here... Everytime a timelord had their old selves stored in a timepiece of any kind, their voice can actually be heard in the object before they restore themselves. The voice from the thing Ruth broke... Was Male. It could be possible that, she was actually the companion and the real doctor wiped her memory as well as a copy of his own inside of that time object. Through some retcon this could make sense for it to overwrite the person opening it tbh.

[@markallem1267]

electrobob992 not bad, and it has advantage of being available to deal with the silly Timeless Children ‘a whole lot of previous Doctors’ nonsense!

[@mattnewbould6538]

To people thinking they're going to mess up/retcon classic who: there have been frequent references and callbacks to various things from the classic era throughout this series. It is obvious that they are trying to send a message that they recognise and understand what went on in classic who to a particular level of detail. This should be a reason to trust that they're not going to ruin everything but not a guarantee.

[@originaluddite]

Like all that name dropping of the two Guardians and other super powerful beings.

[@mattnewbould6538]

@@originaluddite exactly!

[@onizerg4652]

People are forget the Doctors daughter is a Clone of him. She would have same genetic code so she may be the ruth Doctor.

[@andrewtomlinson5237]

6B also ties in with the notion that the TARDIS was not stuck as a Police Box until the First Doctor travelled from 1963 back to the stone age. He comments on how "very disturbing" it is that the circuit isn't working. Susan discusses it with Barbara and is equally confused that it is still a Police Box. So, if Dr Ruth were PRE 1st Doctor the TARDIS in Ruth's back garden should be working. And would appear as something commonplace to a coastal English garden in 2020. So the TARDIS sort of rules out pre First Doctor, and the only other opportunity for a hidden incarnation to exist lies with the only time we didn't get to see the regeneration at the time it happened, which is 2 into 3. Solution... 6B Unless of course Chibnall is telling the same sort of lie as Moffat did when he told everyone that it was definitely the Doctor and not a clone,robot, copy, ganger, etc, etc, who died in The Impossible Astronaut, when it was really the Teselecta. Chibbers has said there's no Alt Universe monkey business going on, and that she is DEFINITELY The Doctor. I don't mind being fooled by a clever trick, in fact I quite admire it given how rare it happens on TV these days. But flat out lying to throw people who've actually worked it out off the scent, is lazy, and a bit rubbish.

[@darkousdragon1166]

If the 6b theory is true then why does she not know what the sonic is when it was the 2nd doctor that introduced the device

[@geoffreythorberg2580]

Ruth is obvious to Whovians. A Gallifreyan who attends the 'Time Academy' becomes a time lord. They receive 12 regenerations. After their 13th life, their conscious is uploaded into the 'Matrix'. As was stated and shown, Rassilon was brought back (by use of the 'looms') to lead in the war with the Daleks. They also brought the Master back using the 'looms'. Ruth was the Doctor who had a full life of 12 regenerations and uploaded and was brought back. What is being missed, the Master's tardis as an outback ranch home is same shape as the one Me and Clara nicked with chameleon circuit stuck on the roadside diner. How many 13 lives has the Doctor had, been uploaded into the 'Matrix' and brought back with the 'looms'. The 'Looms' are the method of Gallifreyan reproduction. Time Lord/Gallifreyan history refers to Rassilon, Omega, and the Other. The Other is of course: the Doctor in one of 'his/her/it's' past or future incarnations. The Chameleon Arch just as 'regeneration' can change the external physical appearance of any chosen Life in the Universe. Who has forgotten about Romana regenerating into Lala Ward. It was several before found the one that 'fit'. :)

[@petersmith9689]

Very good summary of 6b. This will help me deal with my decades-long trauma at having to wait 6 months, as a kid, for Pertwee's Doctor. After The War Games, the coming autumn 1969 school term looked like Mount Everest.

[@car0ndelet]

There is a point in the time line of Gallifrey where any who’ve traveled that far into the future either returned insane or didn’t return at all. I had first supposed it was the Time War, but what if it’s something more, something worse? Something Jodi decided to suss out which resulted in a regeneration to forget what she saw? Granted, it’s a reach, though I wanted to toss this out here. I doubt Chibs would put much thought into the how and why of it. 😑

[@kevincrowe1872]

The Ruth Doctor is Kamelian, first seen in The Kings demon, he can change his form, and was linked to the Doctors mind, enough for him to perhaps flip out and take on the persona of a Doctor. Well it's as good a theory as any lol...

[@Radocto]

I very much doubt she is a future Doctor with the "Timeless Child" arch going on which focuses on the Doctor's past, Ruth's Doctor seems to have been added to go hand in hand with unraveling that mystery, which must make her a past incarnation. It seems she will either be after the 2nd Doctor or before the 1st, but both have too many plot holes to work well and would need a lot of exaggerated answers

[@pjgs4933]

Commenting for the algorithm. Will watch later!

[@ZidaneOfTantalus]

I think that Doctor Ruth would work better as the 13th doctor from an alternate timeline. They confirmed that alternate timelines exist, with Rose currently living on one of them.

[@YD-jw6hw]

I like having the Ruth Doctor be part of 6B and the Time Lords give #2 an extra regeneration because of service or whatever. But, I don't see how the Timeless Child works into this.

[@tre1er]

My theory is ruth is a regeneration between capaldi and Jodie. As he regenerated he went back to gallifrey and regenerated into ruth the time lords caught her wiped her memory and made her work with the c.i.a again at some point she goes on the run from them and is eventually caught after fugitive of the judoon her memory again wiped and forced to regen into jodie

[@malmalfactor3544]

There's another piece of evidence completely dissociating the Ruth Doctor with the Season 6B theory. If there was another incarnation of the Doctor between Troughton and Pertwee, David Tennant's Doctor would have either died (very likely) or been granted a new regeneration cycle by the Timelords in The End of Time Part 2, as he would technically be the 13th incarnation of the Doctor and have no regenerations left. Instead of dying, he regenerated into Matt Smith's incarnation, the final incarnation in what was probably the Doctor's first regeneration cycle.

[@con8200]

The simplest explanation is that she is the Other. A Time Lord founder who worked alongside Rassilon and Omega before sacrificing his life and being reincarnated millions of years later as the Doctor.

[@spicybecca4899]

this series has got me excited, first time doctor who got me excited since stolen earth. if this theory it true, I and going to squeal even though it would just apeal to my nerdy sensabilities. I had a theory about a cyclical galifrey, like asgard is in norse mythology

[@BabetteBombshellOfficial]

The sonic screwdriver first appeared in episode one of Troughton's story Fury of The Deep... It's use and function was further explained by the 2nd Doctor to Jamie during The War Games... All the Doctor's sonic screwdrivers look different from one another, but the technology would be known to Ruth if she were a season 6B incarnation. The notion of a season 6B is something that discontinuity apologists manufacture in their heads to rationalize lazy writing in both classic Dr Who and new series Who. Ruth is most certainly a pre-Hartnell Doctor. The reasons why I deduce this is simply because the current audience was just made familiar with the first Doctor prior to Jodie's debut. Placing Ruth prior to him would be an easy plot point for the current production team to off-handedly throw at the viewers. The casual modern audience will easily accept this. However, explaining the existence of an unseen season 6B, or articulating a detailed ted talk on the history of sonic screwdrivers, & police boxes, is a total absurd path for the current series to use as a means to explain Ruth's place in Who canon. Why is the Tardis shaped like a Police Box prior to An Unearthly Child?... easy... lazy writing by non-scifi writers, who have been hired to hijack the show's long history to launch an agenda motivated publicity stunt. The writers are doing this without bothering to research the series history well enough to merge with established canon. Doctor Who is not written for hardcore fans who remember chapter and version of the show's 50+ year history. I suspect we will see an entire montage of pre-Hartnell Doctors, that will reflect a parade of diversity, when Jodie "Breaks the glass" and recovers her memories of her previous cycle of multi-cultural/gender diverse regenerations. Canon meant more when causal viewers could reasonably be expected to keep track of 3, 4 or 8 Doctors... but now there are so many that expecting viewers to keep track of them is unrealistic. Things like Susan being the Doctor's granddaughter, the Tardis getting stuck as a police box in 1963, and other canon plot points are waved off as easily as the Doctor being half-human in the Fox movie. Unfortunately the current production team seems to think that canon is for boomers, and only valued by a moldy audience that the BBC assume will watch regardless of the writing or continuity flubs.

[@creed8712]

Babette Bombshell this right here. This is beautiful and sad and I wish I could like it more than once

[@sorcererberoll4641]

I have one maybe Ruth is a sontaran cloned doctor they wanted to clone the doctor so maybe after an encounter they managed to get the dna necessary for cloning but considering the state of the sontaran military only had the recourses for 1 clone and she’s being hunted by the time lords because they don’t want a rouge clone of a timelord wandering the universe

[@Mrbandit81]

Wild guess the War Doctor an Doctors 10 and 11 working together would fit in in some way, to Doctor 11 running into the Tom Bakers 4th Doctor (The Curator).

[@Carwyn.Morris]

I think she would have to be pre-Hartnell. She doesn't know what a sonic screwdriver is. 2nd had a sonic and the 1st found out what one was (or given the idea for one) in "Twice Upon a time"