Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue.”
Summary
Doctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue,” pays visual tribute toevery actor who’s played the Doctor, but Jon Pertwee’s holographic avatar looks far older than he did during any of his appearances within the franchise. Thankfully, there’s a viable explanation for whyPertwee’s age in the ghostly image doesn’t align with his time as the Third Doctor. The choice feels intentional and suggests a handful of possibilities for the actor’s iteration of the Doctor in the near future.
Jon Pertwee ledDoctor Whofrom 1970 to 1974, and he was the first actor to play the Doctor to enjoy the benefit of being shot in color. He was incredibly authoritative and much more technology-orientated than his two predecessors. His cameo in “Rogue” is incredibly fleeting, and while it didn’t really make him a member of theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast, it was great to see him return in any form. However,there’s clearly more to Three’s brief role than is obvious, and it all comes back to his apparent age.
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Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor Looks Older Than He Should In Doctor Who Season 14’s Hologram Scene
The Third Doctor looks the oldest he’s ever been in “Rogue”
When Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor is showing his former faces to Johnathon Groff’s Rogue inDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, the audience is treated to a parade of recognizable figures who have led the show or have at least appeared as the Doctor. Among these is Jon Pertwee, but not a version of the actor with whichDoctor Whofans will be familiar.Pertwee looks notably older than he did during his run on the show. Even when he returned to reprise the role in 1983’s “The Five Doctors,” he still looked younger than how he’s represented in “Rogue.”
“The Five Doctors” was Jon Pertwee’s final canon appearance as the Doctor, although the 20th-anniversary special was actually produced forChildren in Needrather thanDoctor Who. Either way,“Rogue” seemingly shows the Third Doctor at a point much later in his life than ever before. However, what doesn’t make sense is that he never looked so old when he regenerated into Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor - so there may be other forces at play.
The Third Doctor’s Older Hologram May Be Caused By Doctor Who’s Bi-Generation Twist
Pertwee’s Doctor may have survived the events of his “final” episode
Theending of theDoctor Who60th-anniversary specialsintroduced theshocking twist of bi-generation. A process that’s barely understood, even by the Doctor, bi-generation allowed for David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor to recover from his injuries while spawning another version of himself who was fully autonomous. This was how Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor entered the fray. Showrunner Russell T Davies has been very vocal about his own theory thatthe bi-generation scene in “The Giggle” wasn’t an isolated incidentand that it happened to all Doctors up and down the timeline. If so, this could explain Pertwee’s age issue in “Rogue.”
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Just as Fourteen survived his bi-generation process and went on to live his life, Davies' hypothesis proving true would mean that Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor would also have remained in existence while spawning Tom Baker’s Fourth. Then, Four would likely have gone on to live a life very similar to the one that’s shown inDoctor Who, whileThree would have ventured off and started a new branch of the Doctor’s complex timeline. This would create a sort of Doctor multiverse, creating new stories.
While Davies' theory hasn’t been established as canon, his status as theDoctor Whoshowrunner means his ruminations hold a great deal more weight than the average person.
While Davies' theory hasn’t been established as canon, his status as theDoctor Whoshowrunner means his ruminations hold a great deal more weight than the average person. If he’s correct,the Third Doctor could have lived a much longer lifethan the version that’s known toDoctor Whofans. Although Time Lords age much slower than humans, they do become visibly older over time - as evidenced by Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor in “The Time of the Doctor.” So, the version of Three shown in “Rogue” could be the bi-generated version, which lived on to create an alternate timeline.
The Third Doctor’s Hologram May Be An Alternate Version
This version of Pertwee’s Doctor may never have appeared in Doctor Who
There is another theory to suggest that perhapsthe hologram of Jon Pertwee is showing a version of the Third Doctor from another reality entirely. This is supported by the fact that the set of holographic Doctors includes a face belonging to someone who has never been shown to play the Doctor in live-action. Sandwiched between William Hartnell’s First Doctor and Tom Baker’s Fourth is aface that looks very much like Richard E Grant. If it is him, then this could have huge implications for theDoctor Whouniverse.
Although Grant has never played the Doctor on-screen, he has voiced a version of the Ninth Doctor in an animatedDoctor Whoseries called “The Scream of the Shalka.” As such, this version of the character is often referred to as the Shalka Doctor.“The Shalka Scream” was put into production just before 2005’sDoctor Whorevivalwas confirmed, but it aired after Christopher Eccleston was announced to take to the screen. For a short while, there was some confusion about whether Grant or Eccleston would earn the title of the Ninth Doctor, but Grant’s version was eventually painted with the non-canon brush.
“The Shalka Scream” first aired in late 2003, and Eccleston’sDoctor Whodebut was in 2005.
If Richard E Grant’s Shalka Doctor is being re-established asDoctor Whocanon, then the alternate reality of the animated show could be colliding with the main body of the franchise’s lore. Similarly, the older version of Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor could also be getting dragged intoDoctor Who’s main continuity, with bi-generation altering the trajectory of his life and how it interacts with that of Ncuti Gatwa’s version of the Time Lord.
Doctor Who’s Hologram Scene May Be Setting Up A Third Doctor Cameo
Pertwee’s son could be set to inherit the role of the Third Doctor
All the other former live-action Doctors during the hologram scene in “Rogue” look very recognizable as their respective versions of the character. The sequence is even accurate enough to include two versions of David Tennant - although they both look suspiciously like the Tenth Doctor rather than one being the older Fourteen.Pertwee is the only one who looks notably older than he was for any of hisDoctor Whoappearances, which feels like a specific choice to make unless he’s coming back to the show soon.
Rumors have been swirling for a while now that the Third Doctor will return to the show, perhaps played by Sean Pertwee, son of the original actor. TheGothamactor is in his early sixties, and so he’s roughly a decade older than his father was when he debuted as the Third Doctor back in 1970. However, he could still do a convincing job, with the family resemblance serving as a huge advantage.The aging-up of Three in “Rogue” goes far beyond Sean Pertwee’s current appearance, but it could still be a clue relating to an upcomingDoctor Whocameo.
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Doctor Who: Released on July 30, 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.
