When Russell T Davies returned to Doctor Who as showrunner, he wasted no time planting a narrative seed in his first episode back, and the show is only now referencing the enigmatic figure mentioned in 2023. Davies is well-known for teasing storylines long before they pay off, and Doctor Who’s Disney era saw the start of one of the showrunner’s famously slow-burning arcs. Doctor Who season 14, episode 6, “Rogue,” marks the first appearance of one of the show’s new villains in several episodes.
The nod to Russell T Davies’ antagonist is delivered by a temporary member of the Doctor Who season 14 cast in “Rogue,” but the moment is easy to miss due to its brief duration. The mysterious character in question has yet to appear on-screen, but the fact that Doctor Who is reminding its audience of the figure’s existence demonstrates that Davies hasn’t forgotten that he has a loose end to tie up. As a result, as the Ncuti Gatwa era progresses, the looming presence is likely to crystallize.
Rogue’s “New Boss” continues RTD’s first major tease from “The Star Beast”
Rogue by Jonathan Groff heightens the mystery surrounding the latest Doctor Who mystery. “This job has so much paperwork ever since we got that new boss,” Rogue complains to the spacefaring bounty hunter as she processes the Doctor. There’s another reference to an anonymous person at the end of the first David Tennant Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, “The Star Beast,” where The Meep says, “Just wait until I tell the Boss.” Although there doesn’t seem to be much of a connection between the two episodes, Davies has effectively acknowledged that Rogue and the Meep are talking about the same person.
Speaking to TV Insider shortly after Doctor Who season 14’s double-episode premiere, Davies stated, “Another mention of the Boss coming up.” So, Rogue’s throwaway comment appears to be the mention that Davies promised. Before arriving at this point, there were two more episodes with David Tennant reprising his role as the Doctor, followed by the 2023 Christmas special and five more Ncuti Gatwa episodes. With “Rogue” being the sixth episode of Doctor Who season 14, it’s been a long wait for such a minor reference.
“Rogue” reveals important details about Doctor Who’s “Boss”
Although “Rogue” doesn’t reveal much about the Boss, the episode’s events do provide some context. For example, Rogue’s job as a bounty hunter reveals something about the Boss’ line of work, as does the fact that the Meep was a warlord. The Boss clearly enjoys commanding a variety of intergalactic miscreants with diverse skill sets. The Meep is better suited to leading warfare, whereas the Rogue works alone, quietly picking off targets at the orders of his clients and, more than likely, the Boss. As a result, the Boss’ other employees are most likely serving different purposes.
The fact that Rogue informs the Doctor that his new boss arrives with a slew of paperwork suggests that the shrouded villain is a stickler for detail and protocol. There’s also a strong implication that the Boss has big plans in store, and that they’re the type of character who prefers not to get their hands dirty while achieving these unknown goals. It’s also unclear whether Rogue knows who he works for.
Before Rogue saves the Doctor’s life, the bounty hunter plots to kill him, mistaking him for a murderous Chuldur in disguise. So Rogue’s ability to commit murder in the name of employment speaks volumes about the Boss’ particular type of employee. However, it is unclear how much direct influence the Boss has over his underlings’ lives, and whether their status as one of his associates is rewarded financially or kept in line by fear.
In “The Star Beast,” the Meep teases yet another piece of information. Speaking with David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor, the Meep predicts that the Boss will be very interested in the Doctor’s status as a “Two-hearted creature.” This could imply that the Boss also has two hearts, or that they simply have an unknown fascination with lifeforms like the Doctor, who have twice the number of hearts as many other lifeforms.
When Will Doctor Who Reveal The Boss’s Identity
The enormous gap between minor references to the Boss in “The Star Beast” and “Rogue” demonstrates that Russell T Davies does not intend to reveal the character’s true identity anytime soon. Furthermore, the showrunner still has a number of other mysteries to solve, which have received far more attention. For example, Susan Twist’s cameos and Ruby’s mother’s identity have been much more prominent during Doctor Who’s Disney era. So, the Boss cannot be adequately addressed in the final episodes of Doctor Who season 14.
In the same TV Insider interview where Davies mentioned the upcoming Boss reference, he also confirmed that he has no immediate plans to resolve the issue with whoever the Boss is. He does have an answer, though: “I might get to [that] one day, but there’s no sign of that happening yet.” However, he has ruled out the possibility that Doctor Who’s The One Who Waits and the Boss are the same person. The two figures are distinct from one another, making the identities of both villains even more ambiguous.
Who Could the Mysterious “Boss” of Doctor Who Be?
The Boss could be a character who has previously appeared in Doctor Who, and their image is being kept hidden from TV screens so that the reveal is even more effective when it finally occurs. One possibility is that the Boss is a member of Doctor Who’s Pantheon of Gods, placing him alongside Neil Patrick Harris’ Toymaker and Jinkx Monsoon’s Maestro. However, given Maestro and the Toymaker’s immense power, it is unlikely that any Pantheon member would require the assistance of figures such as Rogue and the Meep.
The Meep’s “Two-hearted creature” comment in “The Star Beast” could indicate that the Boss, like the Doctor, is a Time Lord. If so, it could be the Master, or perhaps the Rani is overdue for a Doctor Who revival. The Boss could even be a pre-William Hartnell version of the Doctor, similar to Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor from Chris Chibnall’s run as showrunner. Alternatively, the mysterious villain could be another member of the Doctor’s true species, as Doctor Who’s Timeless Child storyline changes the backstory of the show’s main character to indicate that they did not originate on Gallifrey.