I Really Hope I'm Wrong, But Doctor Who Might Have Set Up Kate Stewart's Exit After 13 Years

Published May 4, 2025

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 4, "Lucky Day."Jemma Redgrave has played Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, known professionally as Kate Stewart, since Doctor Who's modern era arguably came pretty late, she has made some excellent contributions to the franchise.

Redgrave's presence among the cast of 2023's "The Giggle" means she has worked with Doctor Who's new UNIT team, the Disney era has given Kate a more regular group of colleagues, but it may be over barely after it started.

Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 4 Suggests Kate Might Be Fired Due To The Conrad Situation

Kate's team had to fight a different kind of battle in "Lucky Day"

Millie Gibson's return as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who season 15's "Lucky Day" poses an interesting challenge for Kate's team. After converging on a supposed Shreek attack in a small English village, the scenario turns out to be nothing more than a stunt by Think Tank. The conspiracy theorist group, led by Jonah Hauer-King's Conrad Clark, staged the scenario in an attempt to "prove" that UNIT is a front for the government to charge UK residents more tax under the guise of protecting them from aliens. This is a new situation for UNIT, and one that it's ill-prepared to handle.

The events set in motion by Conrad ultimately lead to the real possibility that Kate could be dismissed from her position, as it happened on her watch.

Conrad is an unusual kind of Doctor Who villain, which is what makes him so compelling. Rather than being a bloodthirsty alien, which UNIT would know how to handle, he spreads disinformation about Kate's team that not only prevents them from doing their job, but also creates doubt among the relevant governmental bodies that fund UNIT. The events set in motion by Conrad ultimately lead to the real possibility that Kate could be dismissed from her position, as it happened on her watch. An even worse scenario could be that the UK branch of UNIT is dissolved entirely.

Kate Stewart Will Still Appear In Doctor Who's Sea Devils Spinoff

The War Between the Last and Sea will still have Redgrave among its cast

Jemma Redgrave smiling as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who

Kate still has a job by the returning Doctor Who villains, the Sea Devils.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor wearing a spacesuit with Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra in Doctor Who

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It's currently unclear whether Kate and her team will be acting in an official capacity during the spinoff, or whether they're saving the world in the name of duty, regardless of whether their affiliation with UNIT has been severed. Kate reveals in "Lucky Day" that Mel Bush (Bonnie Lanford) is already en route to Sydney Harbor, stating that something is happening there that sounds suspiciously like it could be the imminent Sea Devil threat. So, the mission is already in motion, and a headstrong woman like Kate isn't going to be stopped from heroism by something like standard procedure.

What Happens With The Sea Devils Could End Kate Stewart's UNIT Career For Good

Kate's future could hinge on her victory or defeat against the returning Doctor Who villains

It almost doesn't matter if Kate has gone rogue in The War Between the Land and Sea, or if she is still serving UNIT in an official capacity. After the Conrad situation, her entire career could hinge on whether she can help thwart the Sea Devils. If she succeeds, then it'll probably be enough for her superiors to forgive or reinstate her to her previous position. If she fails, but manages to survive, then it will likely be the final nail in her professional coffin.

The Sea Devils first appeared in a 1972 Doctor Who story named after the villains.

I would be surprised if Kate ended up fighting on the front lines in The War Between the Land and Sea. Although her father was a soldier, Kate is more of a hands-on tactician and leader than an outright warrior. That said, she has enough fire in her to step up if that's what's required of her in the Doctor Who spinoff. A large part of what happens depends on whether she and the others still have access to UNIT resources. If not, she may have to get more physically involved than usual.

Kate's Relationship With Colonel Ibrahim May Be Setting Up Her Happy Ending

Doctor Who is hinting that Kate's exit won't be miserable

Kate and Ibrahim holding hands in Doctor Who

After debuting in "The Giggle," Alexander Devrient's Colonel Christofer Ibraham has gradually been unveiled as a love interest for Kate Stewart. It's now confirmed that the pair are in a romantic relationship, which gives both of them more to lose on a personal level in the challenges that lie ahead. While their entanglement could be viewed as a source of concern due to their dangerous line of work, it could also be a subtle foreshadowing of Kate's potential Doctor Who exit.

Kate has served her country well during her years with UNIT, and she deserves to ride off into the sunset to enjoy the parts of life, such as love, for which she hasn't had time.

Although Col. Ibrahim is a good character in his own right, immediately giving him a romantic connection to Redgrave's character feels like too much of a coincidence to ignore. Kate has served her country well during her years with UNIT, and she deserves to ride off into the sunset to enjoy the parts of life, such as love, for which she hasn't had time. Introducing Col. Ibrahim is a good way of doing that.

I Really Hope Kate Stewart Isn't Finished With Doctor Who

Jemma Redgrave would be a big loss as a Doctor Who guest star

As rewarding and logical as it would be for Kate to step away from UNIT after defeating the Sea Devils in The War Between the Land and Sea, I would also hate for the spinoff to be Redgrave's final time in the role. If she is ejected from her position because of Conrad's actions, it would be a very unfair way for Kate to leave the show after all her hard work and the effort she has made to uphold her late father's legacy.

Custom Doctor Who image of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, and Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor

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Plus, Redgrave's performances as Kate Stewart have a brilliant way of giving the scenes in which she appears way more mavity than they would have without her. She's a brilliant actress who is perfectly suited to the role. She's not the only instance of this in Doctor Who, but if it's possible to retain her rather than end her arc, I think the show should certainly do that. If she does leave, at least her episodes will remain as a testament to her Doctor Who character.

Doctor Who Season 15's Release Schedule On Disney+
Episode	Title	Release Date (2025)
1	"The Robot Revolution"	April 12
2	"Lux"	April 19
3	"The Well"	April 26
4	"Lucky Day"	May 3
5	"The Story and the Engine"	May 10
6	"The Interstellar Song Contest"	May 17
7	"Wish World"	May 24
8	"The Reality War"	May 31