Warning: This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who season 14, episodes 1 and 2, "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord."

Summary

• Doctor Who season 14 introduces new mysteries to unravel, including the feared villain The One Who Waits.
• Ruby Sunday's quest to find her biological parents adds emotional depth to the season's storyline.
• The Doctor's TARDIS may be damaged, hinting at potential conflicts and challenges ahead in the series.

Between the 2023 specials and the first few episodes of season 14, Doctor Who has set up numerous mysteries that the show needs answer. Doctor Who season 14 has officially started releasing on Disney+ and the BBC every Friday through June 21, bringing back the Doctor for more whimsical adventures through time and space. This time, their companion will be the wonderfully spunky Ruby Sunday, a foundling with a mysterious past and a taste for adventure.

The story of Doctor Who season 14 has largely remained under wraps with only preview photos teasing the Doctor and Ruby Sunday's hijinks. Luckily, the show's 2023 specials and first two episodes of season 14 set up multiple mysteries that Doctor Who needs to eventually answer. These mysteries can point to possible characters and plots that could appear in the episodes.

Doctor Who season 14 is also being called Doctor Who season 1 because it is the first season available on Disney+.

10 Who Is The One Who Waits In Doctor Who?

The Villain Was First Teased In Doctor Who's "The Giggle"

At the end of the last Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special, "The Giggle," the Toymaker brings up a villain called The One Who Waits, clearly fearing this villain. He mentions running and hiding. Prior to Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord,” speculation pointed to Jinkx Monsoon’s character as the feared villain; however, they ended up being Maestro, the child of The Toymaker.

Besides being highly revered and feared, there is almost no information about who or what The One Who Waits is. It seems likely that The One Who Waits will appear in Doctor Who season 14 instead of drawing out the mystery for a longer period of time; however, it narratively makes sense to build it up towards the last few episodes. Ultimately, The One Who Waits will need to live up to the hype, becoming possibly the most powerful Doctor Who villain yet.

9 Why Does Susan Twist Keep Appearing As Different Doctor Who Characters?

Susan Twist's Characters Could All Be Connected In Doctor Who

In the world of Doctor Who, subtlety is usually a sign of something bigger on the horizon.

Within the DWU, actress Susan Twist first appeared in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, “Wild Blue Yonder,” and has since appeared three more times. Twist has played a different character every single time. This isn’t the first time Doctor Who actors have played multiple roles, but, most background actors will have spaced-out appearances so that it’s less noticeable that they’re appearing multiple times. Based on the number of times she’s appeared and the quick succession, there’s likely a bigger reason or explanation.

Susan Twist is confirmed to appear in Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom," bringing her character count up to five.

Additionally, making her such mundane and unremarkable characters almost brings more attention to Susan Twist’s performances. In the world of Doctor Who, subtlety is usually a sign of something bigger on the horizon. This would fit in with Russell T. Davies’ tendency to build mysteries slowly until they hit a breaking point. Doctor Who season 14 will hopefully provide an explanation for this mystery.

8 Who Are Ruby Sunday's Biological Parents

Ruby Sunday's Biological Parents Are A Massive Mystery

One of the biggest questions looming over Doctor Who season 14 is the identity of Ruby Sunday’s biological parents. From her first introduction, the fact that Ruby Sunday was adopted has been a defining part of her character arc. Ruby has an lovely mother named Carla Sunday with whom she shares a close bond. She even chooses to go back in time and space to Christmas with her mom, Carla, in Doctor Who season 14, episode 1. This doesn’t stop her, however, from wondering about her genetic origins.

Ruby is desperate to go back to the church on Ruby Road to find out this information. While the Doctor makes it clear in the first two episodes of the season that they can never take her back to that day, that doesn’t preclude an answer. By denying the most simple solution to the question, the writers have the chance to share Ruby Sunday’s biological parents in a creative and unique way. Additionally, they should clarify this sooner, rather than later, because it's unclear what Ruby Sunday's role will be in Doctor Who season 15.

7 Who Was Meep's Boss In Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary?

Anyone Could Be Beep The Meep's Boss

Additionally, with The Toymaker out of the running as Beep the Meep’s boss, there is a myriad of other characters that the series could bring back for the role including The Rani or The Master.

A major question mark left after “The Star Beast” is the identity of Beep the Meep’s boss. The Meep tells the Doctor that they will tell their boss about the Doctor’s two hearts. The original predominant theory was that Beep the Meep was working for The Toymaker; however, the Doctor Who producers revealed that the mystery would be solved after Tennant’s second run. As such, the prime choice is to solve the mystery in Doctor Who season 14 before the storyline gets too far from the mystery for it to still be interesting.

Additionally, with The Toymaker out of the running as Beep the Meep’s boss, there is a myriad of other characters that the series could bring back for the role, including The Rani or The Master. Alternatively, the Meep could have been lying about being the only one left of their species, building up to an episode with more Meeps. No matter which direction they go, it will be interesting to see Doctor Who tie up this loose end.

6 Is Something Going Wrong With The TARDIS In Doctor Who Season 14?

The TARDIS Could Be Damaged After Splitting In Two

The TARDIS is The Doctor’s longest companion, being both their mode of transportation and a living being. This machine has survived some of the worst events in Doctor Who. However, one scene in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord” points to there being something very wrong with the TARDIS. After being under the control of Maestro, the Fifteenth Doctor takes the TARDIS back to the 1960s. When they walk across Abbey Road, the TARDIS makes a horrible groaning sound.

Even the Fifteenth Doctor doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening. Doctor Who season 14 will need to explain what exactly is going on with the TARDIS. It’s plausible that Maestro’s control in conjunction with its splitting at the end of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary caused the TARDIS to become weak or damaged. This malfunction could also explain why Ruby Sunday could cause falling snow inside the console room.

5 Who Is Mrs. Flood From The Church On Ruby Road?

Mrs. Flood Could Be Anyone In Doctor Who

Because the identity of Mrs. Flood is one the biggest subjects of debate and discussion among Whovians, Doctor Who season 14 would be wise to solve the mystery.

Mrs. Flood is introduced in Doctor Who’s Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road” as the companion’s next-door neighbor. The first sign that there’s something peculiar going on with the woman is the fact that she acts vastly different from the first encounter to the second. Then, at the end, her peculiarity is confirmed when Mrs. Flood breaks the fourth wall, saying, “Never seen a TARDIS before?”

This led to a myriad of theories ranging from Mrs. Flood being older Ruby Sunday to Mrs. Flood being a Time Lord. There is also the possibility that Mrs. Flood is Susan, The Nun, or a relative of Amy Pond. Because the identity of Mrs. Flood is one the biggest subjects of debate and discussion among Whovians, Doctor Who season 14 would be wise to solve the mystery. If not, the story should at least continue to build for a future Ncuti Gatwa season.

4 Who Else Is In The Pantheon?

The Pantheon Includes More Than The Toymaker And The Maestro

One of the most interesting revelations from Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord” is the fact that a group of gods or godlike villains called The Pantheon exist, and the beings are separated into tiers of power and prestige. The episode directly confirms that both The Toymaker and The Maestro are part of this group. This raises the question of who else is a part of Doctor Who's The Pantheon. The most obvious unconfirmed addition is The One Who Waits, who has yet to appear onscreen but has been teased for Doctor Who season 14.

Another possible addition to the group is the Trickster – a villain that Doctor Who set up 15 years ago in The Sarah Jane Adventures. This character was a part of a group called The Pantheon of Discord. It's unclear whether these are the same group or just an odd coincidence. Knowing how interconnected the Doctor Who mythos is across shows, it seems likely they would be either related or the same thing. There’s also the possibility Doctor Who season 14 will introduce more villains who belong to The Pantheon.

3 Will The Master/Missy Return In Doctor Who Season 14?

The Master/Missy's Return Is Imminent Based On The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Tease

Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle,” teased the return of one of the most beloved and powerful Doctor Who villains, The Master/Missy. The villain is trapped in the golden tooth of The Toymaker, and the tooth falls to the ground when he’s defeated. A mysterious person with red fingernails picks up the tooth at the end of the special. This teases the fact that whoever picked up the tooth could bring back The Master or Missy – two versions of the same character.

If the person who picks up the tooth is The One Who Waits, Doctor Who could include an epic team-up between two massively powerful villains. However, it’s possible that the tease was meant to set up a return further down the line since The Master played such a big role with the Thirteenth Doctor. This would be a rapid turnaround for the character, but it would be fitting since the Master/Missy has had eight regenerations who have appeared to almost every version of the Doctor.

2 Why Are Ruby Sunday's And The Doctor's Origin Stories Parallel?

Ruby Sunday And The Doctor's Similarities Could Be For A Reason

Maestro expresses a fear of Ruby Sunday that indicates she may not be a normal human being.

From her introduction in "The Church on Ruby Road," Doctor Who set up Ruby Sunday's storyline to parallel that of the Doctor. Both characters are foundlings who were abandoned at a young age. They both don't know anything about their lineage and parents, leaving them guessing. Moreover, they don't actually know where their original home is or how far away they are.

This is an eerie number of similarities, but it could have been explained away as wanting the Doctor to have someone with whom they can relate. However, in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, "The Devil's Chord," Maestro expresses a fear of Ruby Sunday that indicates she may not be a normal human being. In this case, there could very easily be another reason for the parallels between Ruby Sunday and the Doctor, like Ruby unknowingly being a Time Lord or Timeless Child.

1 How Does Bi-Generation Work In Doctor Who, And Why Did It Happen?

Bi-Generation Needs To Be Explained Whether It's Used Again Or Not

When Doctor Who introduced bi-generation, they did not provide very many details about how or why it works. The Doctor broke all the rules of reality by splitting into two. The only clarity about how the bi-generation impacts the storyline came from when RTD explained that every past version of the Doctor also bi-generated. It’s heavily theorized that bi-generation only became possible due to the Toymaker’s games, though that’s completely unconfirmed.

As for the mechanics or causes of bi-generation, there are no answers. As of Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord,” the only clarification is the fact that the Doctor can never go through bi-generation again because it “tore [their] soul in half.” Even if they never use the narrative trick again, Doctor Who really needs to solve the mystery of bi-generation by providing some information about the event and its implications for the Doctor.