WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the latest episode of Doctor Who, “Fugitive of the Judoon,” which premiered Sunday on BBC.
Doctor Who's 12th season began with a series of massive reveals: not only had the Doctor’s nemesis, the Master, returned with a new face, but he had also destroyed Gallifrey, homeworld of the Time Lords. However, that was only the start. The promos for this week's episode, “Fugitive of the Judoon,” teased an even bigger surprise. But what could possibly be bigger than the return of the Master and the destruction if Gallifrey?
How about the introduction of another Doctor? That’s right, Doctor Who debuted another female Doctor — but who is she, and how does her presence relate to the season’s big mystery?
The latest version of the Doctor was introduced at the start of "Fugitive of the Judoon," only viewers didn't know who she was yet. Neither did she, for that matter. We meet Ruth as a tour guide in Gloucester, living as an ordinary human. However, events take a drastic turn when a platoon of Judoon, an alien police force for hire, arrives, hunting for a fugitive who is, most definitely, not human. Of course, Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor is soon on the case, and she protects Ruth, who is, as best as anyone can tell, a human.
But of course, Ruth is the one the Judoon were hired to find. She is the Doctor; she had used a device years ago to shield her Time Lord physiology and erase her memory. Before the end of the episode, Ruth's memories are fully restored, and she reveals herself to the Thirteenth Doctor as ... well, the Doctor. She has her own, quirky costume, and her own TARDIS (buried underground for years); she even operates with the same rules as the Doctor. But how is any of that possible?
When the two Doctors meet, they are just as confused as viewers are. Part of Doctor Who lore is that the Doctor remembers his or her previous regenerations -- and faces. However, the Thirteenth Doctor knows very well that Ruth isn't part of her past. We've seen all the male versions of the Doctor, as well as the hidden regeneration known as the War Doctor. Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor was the first in a new cycle of regeneration, which means Ruth could potentially be a future incarnation.
However, that doesn't appear to be the case either, because Ruth has no recollection of ever being the Thirteenth Doctor.
Therefore, Doctor Who has potentially introduced its biggest mystery yet. Somehow, there is another female version of the Doctor. Before the episode ends, the Thirteenth Doctor believes everything that has recently occurred may be connected: the return of the Master, the destruction of Gallifrey, the appearance of Ruth... all of it may tie into the mystery of the Timeless Child.
"Fugitive of the Judoon" doesn't offer any answers. By the episode's conclusion, we have no sense of who Ruth might be, or how she fits into the Doctor's regeneration cycle. If she isn't from the past or the future, then could she possibly be a Doctor from an alternate timeline? Every option is a possibility, and we have a feeling the mystery will only deepen.
Doctor Who stars Jodie Whittaker as the 13th iteration of the titular Time Lord. Whittaker is joined by co-stars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill in a series spearheaded by showrunner Chris Chibnall. The next episode is set to air on the BBC on Feb. 2. The new season and all previous 11 seasons will stream on HBO Max later this year.