Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 8, “Empire of Death.”
Summary
Doctor Whoseason 14’s finale, “Empire of Death,” shows Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor making use of an ingenious solution to reverse the damage done by the story’s villain, but he may have unknowingly restored the Time Lord homeworld in the process.Gallifrey’s fate has been retconned several times inDoctor Wholore, with the planet dipping in and out of existence. Gallifrey stories often carry with them a huge amount of gravitas, due to the power, wisdom, and experience harbored by the world’s inhabitants. However, the Doctor’s fractious relationship with the rest of the Time Lords complicates the reunions.
Gallifrey has yet to appear onscreen duringDoctor Who’s Disney era. The most recent story included Sacha Dhawan’s Master enacting genocide on his own people and wiping out the Time Lords across time and space, as well as razing the surface of the planet to the ground. As the leader of theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast, Gatwa has referenced these events, despite them happening to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. However, new fans of the show who jumped aboard whenDoctor Whomoved to Disney+ could be approaching their first Gallifrey narrative. Oddly, they could have Sutekh to thank.
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Theory: The Doctor’s Victory Over Sutekh Brings Back Gallifrey & The Time Lords
Sutekh brings “Death to Death” in the Time Vortex
Doctor Whoseason 14 was a stealth sequel to a 1975 Tom Baker storyall along. WhenThe One Who Waits is revealed as Sutekhin “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” fans ofDoctor Who’s classic era will have been very aware of the threat presented by the God of Death. Just a touch from Sutekh results in death, and Russell T Davies adds to Sutekh’s arsenal by providing the villain with the aptly-named, “Death Wave.“Sutekh’s patience allowed his sandy weapon to reach every corner of time and spacepreviously visited by the Doctor. Presumably, this included Gallifrey.
The Doctor used the God of Death’s fatal touch against him to bring “Death to death,” restoring all who perished by Sutekh’s hand.
The Doctor used the God of Death’s fatal touch against him to bring “Death to death,” restoring all who perished by Sutekh’s hand. Interestingly, this may very well have brought back Gallifrey and its people, both of which were destroyed by the Master during Chris Chibnall’s time asDoctor Whoshowrunner. While it’s true thatSutekh wasn’t responsible for bringing the ancient society of the Time Lords to its knees, the fact that the Doctor dragged the villain through the Time Vortex means every Time Lord lost throughout time and space could technically have been resurrected - along with Gallifrey itself.
Doctor Who Needs To Bring Gallifrey Back Sooner Or Later
The Time Lords' homeworld is too important to stay gone
Even though Gatwa’s firstDoctor Whoseason is intended to welcome in a new audience, the long-running British sci-fi show hasn’t ignored its extensive canon. While Sutekh’s return is a huge example of this, there are several other references toDoctor Who’s classic and revival eras throughout the latest season.Gallifrey itself is mentioned in the opening moments of “Space Babies.“So, this suggests that Russell T Davies is gearing up to restore the Time Lords to theDoctor Whouniverse once again.
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What the show needed was a complex spacetime event capable of resurrecting an entire planet of Time Lords, as well as the other members of the race scattered along the timeline. The Master was incredibly thorough in his violence, so it would take an equally intricate plan for the Doctor to reverse it. So, it seems a little too coincidental that Russell T Davies would write in such a perfect mechanism to achieve just that. As a result, the Doctor’s plan and Sutekh’s apparent demise in"Empire of Death” may prove to be the perfect doorway for Gallifrey’s return.
Doctor Who Season 14 Reviving The Time Lords Would Mean Susan Can Return
The granddaughter of Doctor Who’s main character is due for a comeback
The Doctor’s optimism about the fate of his granddaughter fluctuates throughout Gatwa’s inaugural run. InDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord,“the Doctor tells Ruby Sunday that he believes Susan to be deadas a result of the Master’s actions. By the time of the run’s penultimate episode, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” the Doctor is ready to believe thatSusan Twist’s Susan Triadis actually his granddaughter in disguise.The Doctor’s descendant was his first companion in 1963, but hadn’t been directly mentioned in any meaningful way for a very long time before “The Devil’s Chord.”
Bringing Susan to the forefront of the narrative again after so long could mean that Davies has designs on bringing her back. Again, the problem with such a twist is the Master’s genocide. However, the Doctor’s “Death to death” gambit in"Empire of Death” could have resurrected Susanalong with the rest of the Time Lords and their planet. If this is the case, then Susan could join the Toymaker and Sutekh in making the jump fromDoctor Who’s classic erato the Disney era.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Susan never perished in the first place. As a direct descendant of the Doctor, she will share at least some of his DNA. As a result of Chibnall’s controversial Timeless Child storyline, the Doctor is no longer native to Gallifrey. At present, he is the only known member of his species. Susan’s comeback would change this, as her genetic material will have been inherited fromthe Doctor’s children. Therefore,not being 100% Gallifreyan may have protected Susan from the Master’s genocide.
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Gatwa’s Doctor faced an enormous threat, scraping a victory against a villain much more powerful than him. As a result, Davies has his work cut out to top that level of danger. Alternatively, the writer could change course and have the Doctor explore his origins inDoctor Whoseason 15. Gallifrey may not be his genetic home anymore, but it’s still where he remembers growing up and joining the Order of the Time Lords. After a run that waspredominantly about Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday,it would be great to see Gatwa’s Doctor get the attention he deserves.
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Restoring Gallifrey would also be an excellent way to bridge the gap between the Disney era and the show’s run between 2005 and 2022. Now newcomers are more familiar withDoctor Who’s format, more elements that predate the show’s move to Disney+ can be reintroduced. If Gallifrey were to return, it would also meanthe Master would have to come back to answer for his crimes. As proven by theend of theDoctor Who60th-anniversary specials, the villainous Time Lord is trapped in the Toymaker’s gold tooth. So,Doctor Who’s new era can bring these two plots together again.
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Doctor Who: Released on August 19, 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.
