Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.“Doctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War,” finally pulled off the return of Omega, but an even bigger threat waits in the show’s immediate future. After not appearing since 1983’s “Arc of Infinity” inDoctor Who’s classic era, the pivotal and twisted figure responsible for the creation of the Time Lord emerged from the Underverse at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 15, but was quickly sent back by the Fifteenth Doctor in Ncuti Gatwa’s final adventure.The immense threat Omega posed was quickly offset by how easily he was defeated, but I imagine he’ll be back.
Doctor Whoseason 16 isn’t yet confirmed, but theregeneration of Ncuti Gatwa into Billie Piperproves showrunner Russell T. Davies has big plans for more episodes. Although the Rani (Anita Dobson), Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King), and Omega (Nicholas Briggs) all survived “The Reality War,“Davies seems determined to surge onward with an ongoing mysterythat will surely introduce a new threat to the show’s main character. That said, it could just be a character we already know, but under a new name. Either way, a big reveal is surely just around the corner.
Doctor Who Season 15’s Finale Brings Back The “Boss” Mystery
Fifteen still seems understandably confused about who the Boss is
An unseen and enigmatic character referred to only as “The Boss” was first mentioned when David Tennant returned as the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023’s “The Star Beast.” When Fourteen defeated the Meep (Miriam Margolyes) and ensured a 10,000-year jail sentence in “The Star Beast,” the fluffy-yet-vicious alien cryptically threatens Tennant’s Doctor, implyingthe Meep’s superior will soon be visiting the Time Lord on account of his two hearts.
THE MEEP: “Oh, I will escape and have my revenge. So you beware, Doctor, because there’s one more thing.”
FOURTEEN: “Which is?”
THE MEEP: “A creature with two hearts is such a rare thing. Just wait till I tell the Boss.”
Doctor Who’s first 60th-anniversary special, “The Star Beast.”
The Boss has only ever been mentioned very occasionally since “The Star Beast,” such as when Jonathon Groff’s titular character mentions a new boss inDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue.” Details on the hidden figure have been scarce, butthey finally get another mention in “The Reality War,“although there is still almost no information on who they are or what their motivations are.
The latest reference comes from Steph de Whalley’s Anita Benn, returning for the first time since 2024’s Christmas special, “Joy to the World.” Parting ways with the Doctor in “The Reality War,“Anita tells Fifteen that “The Boss” says hello, as though Gatwa’s character and the mysterious figure should know one another. It also sounds as though the Boss has a level of authority over Anita, and, by extension, the Time Hotel.
Who “The Boss” Could Be In Doctor Who
The Master could be the Boss, but there are other options
The Boss' identity seems to be on the verge of being revealed, with all the most recent villains now either defeated or on the run. So,Davies could be planning to unveil the character’s real name inDoctor Whoseason 16, if and when it happens. While it’s pretty much impossible to arrive at a solid conclusion about the Boss' identity with so little information currently available, that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.
I think the main candidate is probably the Master, and I’d love to see Sacha Dhawan return as the villainous Time Lord.
Firstly,I think the Boss is going to be a pseudonym for a pre-existingDoctor Whocharacterrather than a brand new one who has never appeared in the show. Otherwise, the imminent reveal would be a little underwhelming. Taking this into account, I think the main candidate is probably the Master, and I’d love to see Sacha Dhawan return as the villainous Time Lord. Another alternative could be the Valeyard, an evil, future version of the Doctor who still hasn’t appeared since his debut in 1986’s “The Trial of a Time Lord” serial.
Anita Knowing The Boss Means They May Not Be A Villain
The general assumption is that the Boss is a bad guy, as this is how it has seemed so far due to the context of when the character has been mentioned. However, the Boss may not be a villain at all. If they’re connected to the Time Hotel, as implied by Anita mentioning the Boss in “The Reality War,” it could be cause for concern that such a mysterious figure has access to time travel. On the other hand,they could be an ally to the Doctor.
That said, Anita is the only current example of a character connected to the Boss who makes it seem as though the offscreen character is friendly.The Boss also keeps the company beings like the Meep, and morally gray bounty hunters like Rogue. So, rather than it turning out that the Boss is friendly, maybe Anita is just working for someone who has yet to reveal themselves as theDoctor Whovillain they may be.
