WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Doctor Who, season 14, episode 6, “Rogue”.
Summary
Jonathan Groff’s newDoctor Whocharacter, Rogue, bears similarities with Alex Kingston’s iconic River Song. InDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue”, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) teams up with the titular bounty hunter to foil a plot to take over British high society by a race of evil alien cosplayers. In the lead-up to “Rogue” being broadcast, it was speculated that Jonathan Groff’s newDoctor Whocharacterwould be a replacement for John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness. However,Rogue’s romance with the Doctor draws more obvious comparisons with River Song.
First introduced inDoctor Whoseason 4, episode 8, “Silence in the Library” by Steven Moffat, River Song was revealed to be the Doctor’s wife. WhenRussell T Davies leftDoctor Whoin 2010, Steven Moffat took over, and made River Song an important recurring character. It remains to be seen if Jonathan Groff’s Rogue will play a similar role in Ncuti Gatwa’sDoctor Whoera. However,there are enough similarities between both characters to hint that Rogue may becomeDoctor Who’s brand-new River Song.
Is Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Still Married To River Song? Why He Kisses Rogue
River’s relationship with the Doctor isn’t straightforward, and Gatwa’s version of the Time Lord kissing Rogue creates debates about his marriage.
6Rogue & River Song Both Tried To Kill The Doctor On Their First Meeting
Doctor Who, Season 6, Episode 8, “Let’s Kill Hitler”
River Song’s timelineis complicated, but from her perspective, the first time she meets the Doctor (Matt Smith) is when she tries to kill him in Nazi Germany. InDoctor Whoseason 6, episode 8, “Let’s Kill Hitler”, a younger River tried to fulfill her destiny as the woman who was raised to kill the Doctor. However, the Doctor and her parents, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) convinced River that there was another way.At the end of “Let’s Kill Hitler”, River used her remaining regenerations to save the Doctor’s life, before going into hiding at Lunar University.
Like River, who had been taught from childhood to hate the Doctor, Rogue’s assessment of the Doctor was deeply flawed.
InDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue”, the titular bounty hunter believed that the Doctor was a Chuldur shapeshifter, and sentenced him to death. Like River, who had been taught from childhood to hate the Doctor, Rogue’s assessment of the Doctor was deeply flawed. Thanks to Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, and an impressive slide show of all of his past incarnations, the Doctor convinces Rogue to work with him, instead of against him.
Kylie Minogue previously appeared inDoctor Whoas Astrid Peth in the 2007 Christmas special, “The Voyage of the Damned”.
5Rogue & River Song Have Both Seen All The Doctor’s Faces
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2015, “The Husbands of River Song”
On screen, Alex Kingston has starred opposite David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi between 2008 and 2015. InDoctor Who’s 2015 Christmas special “The Husbands of River Song”, River Song revealed that she carried around photos ofevery incarnation of the Doctorthat she hadn’t yet met, too. Given that River and the Doctor often meet each other out of sequence, it makes sense for her to have photos on hand to identify those incarnations should they happen to bump into one another.
…if Rogue does find his way back to his asteroid hopper, he should have a handy holographic guide to the Doctor’s past incarnations.
The Fifteenth Doctor gives Rogue a similar collection of photos in the form of the floating holographic heads he summons by tossing his psychic paper at a big green button. The Doctor was really just flexing, so that Rogue would finally believe that he wasn’t a murderous cosplayer, and was instead something far bigger. Still, if Rogue does find his way back to his asteroid hopper, he should have a handy holographic guide to the Doctor’s past incarnations - including Richard E Grant’s Shalka Doctor!
Richard E Grant was cast as the Ninth Doctor for a 2003 animated web series that was canceled when it was announced thatDoctor Whowould return in 2005.
Doctor Who’s Surprise New Doctor Teases A Bi-Generation Twist That Changes Everything
“Rogue” shows a brief glimpse of an alternate Doctor, and while it’s not confirmed to be linked to bi-generation, it’s tough to explain it otherwise.
4Rogue & River Song Are Both Morally Ambiguous Doctor Who Characters
Given her upbringing, River Song isn’t entirely to blame for trying to murder the Doctor because it’s what she was trained for. However, River is still morally ambiguous in other ways, even after she apparently “reforms” at the end of “Let’s Kill Hitler”.River is so ruthless that a Dalek begs her for mercy inDoctor Who’s season 5 finale, “The Big Bang”, and is then seen gunning down multiple Silence in the two-part season six opener. While various incarnations of the Doctor have tut-tutted River’s looser morals, they regularly turn a blind eye to all the killing and double-crossing that River does.
Interestingly, both Rogue and River have been in the employ of series villains; The Boss and Madame Kovarian, respectively.
The same is true of Rogue inDoctor Whoseason 14, whose job as a bounty hunter is morally suspect, not least because he opts for the “dead” part in “Wanted: Dead or Alive”. Much like with River, the Doctor is drawn to Rogue’s morally suspect side, at one point telling him how cool he thinks bounty hunters are. Perhaps to ease his conscience over his attraction to bad boys and bad girls, the Doctor resolves to help Rogue dispatch the Chuldur humanely.Interestingly, both Rogue and River have been in the employ of series villains; The Boss and Madame Kovarian, respectively.
Captain Jack, one of the other clear influences on Rogue, was originally a con-man and swindler.
3Rogue & River Song Both Sort-Of Marry The Doctor
Doctor Who, Season 6, Episode 13, “The Wedding of River Song”
Doctor Who’sBridgertonepisoderiffs on all the generic conventions of a period drama, by giving audiences a dramatic wedding proposal from Rogue to the Doctor. While Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) gets closer to being married than Rogue and the Doctor, there’s a quiet acknowledgment of the proposal’s importance. After Rogue sacrifices himself to defeat the Chuldur and save Ruby, the Doctor keeps hold of the “engagement ring” and puts it on.The Doctor’s quiet acceptance of Rogue’s engagement should have interesting implications should Jonathan Groff return toDoctor Who.
Rogue and River’s unconventional marriage proposals to the Doctor transcend dimensional boundaries.
River and the Doctor married inDoctor Who’s season 6 finale, “The Wedding of River Song”, though it’s arguable if it ever happened at all.The timeline in which they married was aborted when the Doctor faked his death, meaning that technically the ceremony was negated. However, every interaction between the Doctor and River since their impromptu wedding ceremony refers to them being married. It’s clear, therefore, that Rogue and River’s unconventional marriage proposals to the Doctor transcend dimensional boundaries.
The Doctor has previously been engaged to Queen Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe, and Cleopatra.
Rogue’s Doctor Who Return Is Inevitable, But Won’t Be The Happy Reunion You’re Expecting
Jonathon Groff’s bounty hunter character in “Rogue” may possibly return to Doctor Who in some form, but with a hidden and nefarious twist.
2Rogue & River Song Can Both Time Travel Without A TARDIS
River has her vortex manipulator, Rogue has his asteroid hopper.
It’s not clear how Rogue’s spaceship is able to travel in time, but he’s definitely not from 19th century Bath.Rogue knows how to playDungeons and Dragons, which definitely means that he’s from Earth’s future. This means that, as an intergalactic bounty hunter, he must have the ability to travel in time to secure his prey. That technology would be particularly helpful if, like in the case of the Chuldur, he was hunting aliens with a penchant for Earth’s history. Rogue is also “in love” with the TARDIS, meaning that he has a decent understanding of starships, time machines, and related technology.
Unfortunately for Rogue, he never gets the chance to learn how to pilot the TARDIS, putting him one step behind his new boyfriend’s ex-wife.
River Song generally traveled in time with a vortex manipulator, “cheap and nasty time travel” technology that enabled her to keep up with the Doctor. However,Doctor Whoalso revealed that, partly because she was conceived inside it, and partly because she learned from the Doctor,River can also pilot the TARDIS. Unfortunately for Rogue, he never gets the chance to learn how to pilot the TARDIS, putting him one step behind his new boyfriend’s ex-wife.
1Rogue & River Song Both “Die” During Their Debut Doctor Who Episodes
The biggest and most tragic similarity between Rogue and River Song is that they both “die” in their debutDoctor Whostories.In “The Forest of the Dead”, River sacrifices herself to defeat the Vashta Nerada and save the occupants of the Library. And then, in “Rogue”, Jonathan Groff’s character sacrifices himself to save Ruby and imprison the Chuldur. River’s death is physical, but her mind lives on in a virtual reality construct with Miss Evangelista (Talulah Riley) and Dr. Moon (Colin Salmon).
In a 2020Doctor Who Magazineinterview, it was revealed that Steven Moffat intended Dr. Moon to be a future incarnation of the Doctor, but he never confirmed this on-screen.
Rogue’s “death” is less finite, but he’s still walled off from ever meeting the Doctor again, likeRose Tyler (Billie Piper)in “Doomsday”. At the end of “Rogue”, the Doctor is quite pragmatic about the fact that he may never find his new love ever again. He tells Ruby that there are many universes, and that he doesn’t even know Rogue’s real name. All of which serves to separate the two lovers across time and space forever.
The fact that the Doctor keeps Rogue’s ring, and places his ship in orbit around the Moon does mean that he could, if curious, find out more information about Rogue’s whereabouts.
However, as River Song proved time and again inDoctor Who, the course of true love runs wibbly wobbly, and her death was only the beginning.Rogue’s “death” also feels like it could be the beginning of an important story for the Doctor.The fact that the Doctor keeps Rogue’s ring, and places his ship in orbit around the Moon does mean that he could, if curious, find out more information about Rogue’s whereabouts. While Jonathan Groff is a very in-demand actor, it’s hoped that he can find time in his busy schedule to return toDoctor Whoas Rogue in the not-too-distant future.
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Doctor Who: Released on July 05, 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.
