Geek Out: Night of the Doctor

If you’ll forgive me, I need to geek out for a moment. As many may know out there, I’m a huge fan of “Doctor Who.” Not just the new series. I was a fan of the show all the way back with the classic series. We’re approaching the 50^th anniversary of the show, one week from this posting, and a couple of days ago, we were given a big surprise: A prequel to the 50^th anniversary special called “Night of the Doctor.” And, oh boy, was it a big surprise:

While it’s cool, when put into the context of the original series, it becomes very chilling and could have serious implications for the series to come.

First, we get the return of Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor. This is something fans have been clamoring for since the series restarted in 2005, especially since it was confirmed that his Doctor is considered canon to the series. So people have wanted closure with his Doctor. They’ve wanted to know what his Doctor did, how he died, and any details of his adventures. We get this in droves with this special.

Not only do we see how this Doctor died, but the Doctor confirms that the Big Finish audio productions are canon by naming his companions during those adventures. This is where the trouble begins. Up to now, the audio stories have not been considered canon to the series. So if those are now a genuine part of the story, does that mean that the Virgin New Adventures novels are also part of the story as well?

If they are, this spells a lot of trouble for the Doctor. In “Night of the Doctor,” we also get the return of the Sisterhood of Karn from the 1976 story “The Brain of Morbius,” keepers of the Sacred Flame and the Elixir of Eternal Life. The Sisterhood had a relationship with the Timelords, where the Timelords would sometimes need their Elixir, at least according to “The Brain of Morbius.” But in the Virgin New Adventures, that connection went deeper. In the books, Timelord society as it was seen in the classic series rose after overthrowing the matriarchal religious society under their ruler Pythia. When they were cast out, they fled and settle on Karn, their remnants becoming the Sisterhood of Karn.

So, if this is true to the story, as it’s now indicated that it might be, that means the remnants of Pythia were responsible for setting the Doctor up to destroy the Timelords, the society who rebelled against them and cast them out. This could potentially have far reaching implications for the show.

Geek moment over.