Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue.”
Summary
Doctor Whoseason 14, episode 6, “Rogue,” features an actor who has starred in another corner of the franchise, although her original role was incredibly brief. WhileDoctor Whois currently the only live-action property within the franchise, there was a time when spinoffs came relatively thick and fast. The additional TV shows differed in tone and target audience when compared withDoctor Who, but they contributed to the overall continuity all the same.“Rogue” finally allows a specific spinoff actor to return to the franchise after 18 years.
This new member of theDoctor Whoseason 14 castalso appeared in spinoff show aimed at a mature audience, with the story’s violence and sexual themes making it largely inappropriate for family viewing. TheDisney era ofDoctor Whowould be less likely to commission such a series, but it ran for four seasons between 2006 and 2011. Now, in 2024, a former member of the spinoff’s cast returns to theDoctor Whouniverse.
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Doctor Who Season 14 Makes Up For Torchwood Wasting Indira Varma
Varma briefly played Suzie Costello in Torchwood season 1
Doctor Who’sBridgerton-inspired episodestars Indira Varma as the Duchess of Pemberton, who turns out to be a member of the shapeshifting Chuldur race.Varma played Suzie Costello in theTorchwoodpilotbefore swiftly being killed off at the end of the episode. Although Varma reprised her role when her character was briefly resurrected inTorchwoodseason 1, episode 8, “They Keep Killing Suzie,” this was her final appearance as a member of Jack Harkness' team. “Rogue” has Varma as a main character once again, even if it is just for one more episode.
Suzie and the Duchess share a parallel in that it’s not initially clear they’re villains.
Suzie and the Duchess share a parallel in that it’s not initially clear they’re villains. They could eventually share another connection too, in that their initial exit from the franchise may not be permanent. The Duchess is exiled to another dimension by the Doctor, not killed. As such,Varma’sDoctor Whocharacter could return just as herTorchwoodpersona did. Varma’s acting talents offer a lot to whatever production she’s in, so it’s great to see the door remain open for her comeback - just as it was inTorchwoodas a result of the resurrection gauntlet.
“Torchwood” is an anagram of “Doctor Who,” and it was originally the code name used to refer toDoctor Whowhen the BBC was plotting the show’s 2005 comeback.
Is Indira Varma’s Duchess Related To Torchwood’s Suzie?
Doctor Who often uses genetic connections to explain a duel casting
TheDoctor Whofranchise is notorious for reusing actors, but there’s often an explanation given as to why the same face can be found on multiple characters. For instance,Freema Agyeman is most known for playing companion Martha Jones, butAgyeman debuted on the show a season before Martha was introduced. The late Adeola Oshodi was retroactively established as Martha’s cousin once Agyeman was cast as a show regular.Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor has played three characters in theDoctor Whouniverse, with their connection also receiving a canon explanation.
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The genetic ancestry excuse is a common get-out clause for these kinds of scenarios inDoctor Who. So, while the show may never confirm or deny using this writing technique for Indira Varma’s pair of franchise characters, it’s conceivable thatSuzie Costello is an eventual descendant of the Duchess of Pemberton, which would explain their shared face. However, while the Duchess turned out to be an alien, this was only because she stole the form of the original character - who was human. So, Suzie was human, andDoctor Who’s double-casting corrects itself yet again.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 12, 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.
