Summary
Jonathan Groff’s long-awaited appearance onDoctor Whointroduced a new, mysterious character who could appear on a recurring basis.Every actor who has played the Doctorhas met some people who would make good companions if the timing were different but who are unable to join the Doctor in their adventures for one reason or another. Rogue was one such character, as he spent most of the episode interacting with the Doctor one-on-one.
Groff’s character had been rumored to be a replacement for Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). Jack Harkness was a popular character who was omnisexual and often flirted with the Doctor when they met. Afterreports alleging improper behavior by Barrowman on the set, it was unlikely he would be invited to return as aDoctor Whocompanion. Some similarities suggest Rogue might be intended to be a stand-in for Jack. However,Doctor Whoset up Rogue as a dynamic characterwho may recur throughout Ncuti Gatwa’s run.
Doctor Who Season 14 Episode Guide
Doctor Who season 14’s eight episodes are brimming with important details, fun cameos, and major lore callbacks. Find everything you need here.
Rogue Is A Bounty Hunter In Doctor Who
He Came to London In 1813 In Search of Shapeshifting Aliens
When the Doctor first met Rogue, Rogue was surveying the ball from a balcony, looking for signs of unusual activity. Rogue soon revealed himself as a bounty hunter; he didn’t explain who he was working for, but he did tell the Doctor that he would be paid handsomely for catching and killing the Chuldur, the shape-shifting alien species that had infiltrated the ball. This posed a problem for the Doctor, asRogue initially believed the Doctor was the shapeshifter he was huntingand prepared to transport him to an incinerator to get rid of him.
As a bounty hunter in time and space,Rogue has similar abilities to time travel as the Doctor; neither one of them was from 1813. It is unclear how old Rogue is or whether he is human or a human-like species. However, he likely comes from a technologically advanced society, as he had a ship that he used a cloaking device to hide and the ability to scan the Doctor for evidence that he was a shapeshifter, as well as a device that could trap the object of his search and transport them to an area of his choosing.
American accent
Bounty hunter working for an unnamed boss
Head of an organization dedicated to catching and interrogating unfriendly alien species
Can time travel using a ship
Can time travel using a Time Vortex Manipulator that is similar to a wristwatch
Attracted to men
Attracted to all genders
Is serious and conflict-averse
Is swashbuckling and loves drama
Potential lifespan unknown
Is immortal
Why Jonathan Groff’s Character Is Called “Rogue”
His Name Is A Reference To Dungeons And Dragons
While trapped in Rogue’s ship, The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to explore his surroundings and learns thatRogue enjoysDungeons and Dragonsafter seeing dice associated with the game in Rogue’s console.Dungeons and Dragonsis a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of elves, goblins, and other fantastical creatures. Rogue’s name is likely a tribute to the game he enjoys; inDungeons and Dragons,a Rogue is a class of fantastical characters that rely on stealth, skill, and their ability to exploit their enemies' weaknesses to gain the upper hand over them.
These qualities describe who Rogue is as a bounty hunter, as he has to blend in with his surroundings and use his intelligence, technological skills, and ability to think strategically to outmaneuver his prey. He also must exploit weaknesses — for example, he exploits the Doctor’s obvious attraction to him to lure him outside toward the housekeeper’s body so that he can capture him. However, the fact that he has chosen his name from a roleplaying game is ironic, considering that the Chuldur were killing people to cosplay as them at the ball.
Doctor Who Implies Rogue’s Tragic Backstory Mirrors The Doctor’s Own Past
While talking to Rogue in the TARDIS,the Doctor mentions he’s aware that Rogue lost someone important to him. Rogue eventually admitted this was the case, though he didn’t elaborate beyond stating that he had been traveling with someone who had died. The 2005reboot established that the Doctor lost his entire people during the Time War, and he has also lost many companions over the years, so this shared sense of grief was part of what made it possible forDoctor Who’s Rogue to be a romantic partner for the Doctor.
Rogue’s backstory also sets up a new mystery. He didn’t explain precisely who he lost or what the circumstances were. Thus, if the Doctor encounters Rogue again, it may be in the context of a story involving that loss. Additionally, it’s possible that Rogue’s backstory will play into the mystery of who Ruby Sunday’s birth parents are, as the Doctor met Rogue while visiting 1813 with Ruby. Ruby seems drawn to places where there are abandoned people in need of love.
Rogue Appears To Belong To The Same Doctor Who Organization As The Meep
His Future Appearances Could Tie In With “Star Beast” As Well As With Ruby’s Origin Story
While scanning the Doctor as part of his attempt to capture him and get his reward, Rogue remarked offhandedly that there has been a lot of paperwork since getting “the new boss.” This could have been a throwaway line or an attempt to sound like Captain Jack, who also spoke like that. However, the line was likely teasing thatDoctor Who’sRogue is connected to the Meep. If so, this could be a major hint as to the reveals planned for the end of season 14.
The Meep was a warlord, while Rogue is a bounty hunter, so it’s possible they are both working for the same entity in different capacities, although their connection is unclear. It’s also possible that the “Boss” and “The One Who Waits,” who the Maestro indicated were present when Ruby was abandoned, are the same entity. However, another theory suggests Rogue is “The One Who Waits” and has been waiting for the Doctor to find him since his disappearance into another dimension.
The Toymaker also warned the Doctor about The One Who Waits, so this entity will undoubtedly be important to the wrap-up of Ruby’s story.
Doctor Who Has Established Rogue As The Doctor’s Next Major Love Interest
The Two Shared A Special Connection That Was Tragically Severed By Story Events
Although Rogue initially used flirting to capture the Doctor, who he suspected of being a Chuldur, the two had an immediate connection that couldn’t be denied. The Doctor continued to flirt with Rogue while Rogue prepared to execute him, resulting in a hilarious sequence in which the Doctor kept using the Sonic Screwdriver to turn the music on to dance while Rogue kept turning the music off to resume his interrogation. Later, the pair have a near-kiss in the TARDIS and kiss immediately before Rogue sacrifices himself to save Ruby.
This tragic ending is par for the course in the Doctor’s relationships. As a quasi-immortal being who has lived for thousands of years,the Doctor has little chance of finding romantic happiness, and most of his romantic relationships end with him separated permanently from his partner.Rogue’s sacrifice sent him into an alternate dimension where he can’t easily be found, which was reminiscent of how the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) lost Rose (Billie Piper) when she was sealed in a parallel universe that he couldn’t access.
Rogue was the first romantic partner the Doctor has had since healing, only for the Doctor to suffer another heartbreaking loss when Rogue was sent into an alternate dimension.
This relationship is also significant because the Doctor has been healing from the tragic loss of his people. The bi-generation at the end of “The Giggle” allowed the Fourteenth Doctor to retire and enjoy life with the Nobles. The Fifteenth Doctor continued traveling around the universe, and the implication was that the Doctor was finally healing from the depression of the past several regenerations. Thus,Rogue was the first romantic partner the Doctor has had since healing, only for the Doctor to suffer another heartbreaking loss when Rogue was sent into an alternate dimension in Ruby’s place.
How Doctor Who Season 14 Sets Up Rogue’s Return
Rogue Is Unlikely To Be Gone Permanently
Rogue’s disappearance resulted from the Doctor’s potentially fatal error while planning to entrap the Chuldurs. The Doctor had reconfigured Rogue’s trap to hold six Chuldurs, who he planned to send into an alternate dimension where they couldn’t do any harm. However, the Doctor mistakenly thought Ruby had been killed and replaced by a Chuldur and didn’t realize his error until after she was trapped. Thus, Rogue sacrifices himself, pushing Ruby out of the way and taking her place before sending himself to an unknown destination along with the shapeshifting aliens.
Although Rogue tells the Doctor to find him, the Doctor later informs Ruby that such a task would be impossible because there are infinite alternate dimensions.
Despite the Doctor’s pessimism, there is still a chanceRogue could return toDoctor Who. If Rogue and the Chuldurs were scattered throughout dimensions rather than all landing in the same place, Rogue could survive, and the Doctor might cross paths with him later. The TARDIS confirmed that it takes the Doctor where he is most needed during 2011’s “The Doctor’s Wife.” Therefore,Doctor Whocould revisit Rogue’s storyline when the time is right.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on August 11, 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.
