Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 7, “Wish World.“Ncuti Gatwa’s first full season as the star ofDoctor Whogave his version of the Time Lord a replacement for Alex Kingston’s River Song, but the parallel can only really come to fruition if the show survives beyond the end of its current run.Doctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue,” introduced Jonathon Groff to the franchise as the installment’s title character. The charismatic bounty hunter immediately struck up a romantic connection with the Fifteenth Doctor, butRogue’s debut ended in a way that implied a long absence. However, Groff’s already been restored toDoctor Whoseason 15’s cast.
WhileDoctor Whohas teased several love interests for the Doctor, River turning out to be the Doctor’s wife gave the show’s main character a prominent romantic arc. After debuting duringDavid Tennant’s time as the Tenth Doctor,River’sDoctor Whotimelinealso brought her into contact with both Matt Smith’s Eleventh and Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth. Her exit from the show in 2015’s “The Husbands of River Song” was functionally the end of her marriage to the Doctor, which opens the door for her to be replaced. It’s taken almost a decade, butDoctor Whois doing just that.
Doctor Who Confirms Rogue Is The Fifteenth Doctor’s River Song Replacement
Rogue’s “Wish World” cameo shows Groff’s character making a heartfelt admission
Rogue is the Doctor’s third solid love interest inDoctor Who’s modern era. Beginning with Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, the Time Lord then moved on to marry River at some point in their timey-wimey romantic entanglement. Now,Rogue has stepped into a similar role as the object of Fifteen’s desires, and their story is also complicated. Their encounter inDoctor Whoseason 14 set up Groff’s character as a long-standing paramour, but he sacrificed himself to save Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and was lost in another dimension.
Admittedly, the pair did fall for each other very hard in an incredibly short space of time, while River’s relationship with the Doctor was a slow-burning and well-earned affair.
Rogue’s return inDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 7, “Wish World,” comes in the form of a video message on the Doctor’s TV, but Groff’s actual character doesn’t appear in the installment. Regardless,“Wish World” allows Rogue to reaffirm his feelings for the Doctor. Admittedly, the pair did fall for each other very hard in an incredibly short space of time, while River’s relationship with the Doctor was a slow-burning and well-earned affair. Either way, the end result is the same, and the Doctor now has an established love interest to replace his late wife.
“I gotta go. I miss you. Well, more than that. I love you.”
- Rogue to the Doctor in “Wish World.”
In a way,Rogue is also a replacement for John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness. They’re both suave loners who travel to explore, among other motivations. Just as Jack was one ofDoctor Who’s earliest and most prominent LGBTQ+ characters, Rogue also fits into a similar category, and his American accent also helps to further the comparison. The difference between Jack and River is that Jack could easily return at any time from a canonical perspective, butbehind-the-scenes issues have thus far prevented Barrowman’s returnsince his appearances alongside Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
Doctor Who Season 15 Is Clearly Setting Up Rogue’s Return
Groff’s comeback is an obvious attempt to bring him back again
The ending of “Rogue” made it pretty obvious that Groff’s time on the show wasn’t over for good. His final words to the Doctor, “Find me,” set up a longer, side quest-esque arc that would take much longer to unfold. The beginnings of his comeback have come sooner than I expected, but the fact that it has happened at all is far from a surprise. It remains to be seen if Rogue will return in the flesh before the end ofDoctor Whoseason 15, butit’s impossible to deny Russell T. Davies' intention to fully bring Groff’s character back.
Doctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War,” is already shaping up to be a brilliantly chaotic finale.Omega’s return for the first time in decadeswill surely be the episode’s focal point, as well asthe Doctor’s last-minute revelation in “Wish World” that Poppy could actually be his biological daughter. Plus,Carole Ann Ford’s comeback as Susanfor the first time sinceDoctor Who’s classic era is surely another loose end that will need to be addressed in “The Reality War.” Between all that and more,it’s unlikely Rogue will be back a second time this season.
Although “The Reality War” has a lot on its plate without another appearance from Rogue to account for, it would be foolish to believe his brief return in “Wish World” happened just for the sake of it.
Although"The Reality War” has a lot on its plate without another appearance from Rogueto account for, it would be foolish to believe his brief return in “Wish World” happened just for the sake of it. There were plenty of ways the Doctor could have realized that mugs slipping through tables isn’t normal, but Davies chose to have Rogue deliver the revelation to remind everyone that Groff’s character is still around and to set up a more substantial comeback in the near future.
Rogue’s Story Will Be Wasted If Doctor Who Season 16 Doesn’t Happen
Doctor Who’s future after season 15 remains uncertain
Rogue’s return proper probably won’t happen untilDoctor Whoseason 16. Worryingly, season 16 hasn’t yet been announced, despite season 15 being so close to wrapping up. Disney’s deal with the BBC isn’t yet complete, but rumors have started to swirl about the studios ending their collaboration early, which could lead to the show being canceled. If this happens,the arc that has been put in place for the Doctor and Rogue will all be for nothing, and the pair won’t get to reunite for the first time sinceDoctor Whoseason 14.
The massive changes that happened toDoctor Whobetween seasons 13 and 14 resulted in a portion of the long-standing fan base quitting the show.
The massive changes that happened toDoctor Whobetween seasons 13 and 14 resulted in a portion of the long-standing fan base quitting the show. This is perhaps surprising given thatDoctor Who’s entire premise is built on change, plus the fact that Russell T. Davies' return brought with it a more level narrative structure than had come to be the norm during Chris Chibnall’s time in the showrunner’s chair.
Although I can understand some of the grievances fans had during Gatwa’s inaugural run, I don’t think it was a bad season. Furthermore,Doctor Whoseason 15 has been fantastic so far, and the reception to episodes like “The Well” and “Lucky Day” has been resoundingly positive. So, I’m confident season 16 will happen eventually, even if it means the BBC carrying on without Disney’s input. If and when that happens, Jonathon Groff can finally reprise his role as Rogue in a much more satisfying way than he did inDoctor Whoseason 15’s penultimate episode.
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An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
Doctor Who: Released on Jun 04, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
