The 3 Recent Doctor Who Mysteries That May Never Get Answers

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As a long-time Doctor Who fan, I’ve learned not to expect every storyline to be neatly wrapped up. The show is brilliant at posing questions, but sometimes those answers just don’t come! Take the Valeyard, for example – even though it featured prominently during the Sixth Doctor’s adventures, we still don’t really know what it was. And honestly, the whole situation with the Fourth Doctor’s regeneration and that mysterious Watcher? Still a head-scratcher! If you’re hoping for closure on those old plots, you’re probably better off digging through novels and expanded universe materials – that’s where you might finally find some answers.

Starting in 2026, Doctor Who will feature new mysteries to unravel, but the show’s long-term plans remain unclear, so we don’t know if storylines will be fully resolved. While a Christmas special is confirmed for the end of 2026, and season 16 is planned after that, the BBC hasn’t yet revealed who will be in charge of the show or who will play the Doctor beyond that point.

As a huge fan, I’m really hoping the upcoming episodes of Doctor Who will finally tie up some of the biggest loose ends – like, who exactly is the Boss? – but I’m also a little worried that other interesting plot threads might just get dropped or pushed aside forever. It’s always a risk when a show is wrapping things up, you know?

3. Susan’s Cameo In Doctor Who Season 15

Fans waited a long time for Carole Ann Ford to reprise her role as Susan, the original companion who starred alongside William Hartnell in Doctor Who‘s very first episode. The moment finally arrived in Doctor Who season 15, with Susan making cameos in both “The Interstellar Song Contest” and “Wish World.”

Inside the TARDIS, Susan desperately called out for the Doctor. She showed up both within her grandfather’s thoughts and on a television screen in Conrad’s different version of reality. However, Carole Ann Ford, the actress who played Susan, has said that some of the footage filmed wasn’t shown, likely because the scripts were altered after Ncuti Gatwa left the show.

The extra footage seems to connect the character Poppy to Susan’s backstory, as well as to Belinda Chandra and the current Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa. If the show continues with Billie Piper or another returning actress, more filming will probably be needed – a somewhat bold request considering they reduced Carole Ann Ford’s part previously. Given that Ford is 85, it’s understandable if she’d prefer to retire before the show decides what to do with her character.

It’s quite possible the storyline about Susan being lost and needing the Doctor’s help will be dropped without resolution. While the character could potentially reappear later through a new version of Susan, it wouldn’t feel like a satisfying conclusion to this current situation.

2. Where The Doctor Really Comes From

The episode ‘The Timeless Child’ dramatically changed everything we thought we knew about the Doctor’s past, revealing they weren’t originally from Gallifrey, but from another universe entirely. This means the Doctor’s true origins – their species and home world – remain a mystery. Despite three subsequent regenerations, we still haven’t learned any crucial details.

Chris Chibnall chose not to reveal the Doctor’s true origins during Jodie Whittaker’s final stories, and Russell T Davies hasn’t shown much interest in exploring that mystery with David Tennant or Ncuti Gatwa either. The episode featuring The Toymaker even hinted that the ‘Timeless Child’ story wasn’t the Doctor’s complete history, but just one of many possible pasts.

That story change frees future seasons of Doctor Who from having to completely explain the mystery of the Timeless Child. And honestly, would any Doctor Who writer even want to tackle that? The question of the Doctor’s origins – if not Gallifrey – is so enormous and difficult to answer without alienating fans, it’s like trying to figure out the meaning of life, or why Pringles cans aren’t wide enough for an adult hand.

1. The Person Who Picked Up The Toymaker’s Tooth

The Master was last seen hidden inside a golden tooth belonging to the Toymaker. After the Toymaker’s defeat, a hand with red nail polish took the tooth, hinting that the Master would be back.

The Master is sure to return to Doctor Who at some point. However, it’s a different story whether we’ll ever get a clear explanation of who the mysterious figure with red nails actually is. Historically, whenever a new showrunner takes over, the Master is reintroduced with little to no explanation of how they survived from the last time we saw them.

As a huge Doctor Who fan, I was so surprised when Missy, played by Michelle Gomez, seemed to be gone for good in “The Doctor Falls.” Then, seasons later, Sacha Dhawan showed up as the Spy Master, and it turned out she was alive all along, still causing trouble! The show’s audio dramas explained what happened with Missy’s regeneration, but honestly, the TV series never really connected the dots between Michelle Gomez and Sacha Dhawan’s versions of the character. It felt like a bit of a loose end.

The next iteration of The Master in Doctor Who might have a similarly vague backstory. Like the previous Master, details about how they escaped the Toymaker – specifically, the significance of the red-nailed hand – could be glossed over with just a quick, simple explanation, if anything at all.

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2026-02-03 21:21