Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 6, “Rogue.”
Summary
Doctor Whoseason 14, episode 6,“Rogue,” introduces a character very much like John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness, meaning Barrowman’s franchise persona is now much less likely to come back. Debuting inDoctor Whoseason 1, episode 9, “The Empty Child,” Jack Harkness went on to return to the show several times and even became a main character in all four seasons of theDoctor Whospinoff show,Torchwood. The character offered a great deal to the franchise on the whole, but it looks as though he’s been replaced by a member of theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast.
“Rogue” leans very heavily into itsBridgerton-inspired elements, but it also doesn’t shy away from the sci-fi nature ofDoctor Who. The episode’s titular character may feel familiar to long-standing members of the show, with those who watched beforeDoctor Who’s Disney eraperhaps feeling a subtle bout of nostalgia at the figure’s presence. With Jack Harkness making his first appearance during Russell T Davies' first spell in charge, it would make sense that the returning showrunner may want to recreate certain aspects.
How Jack Harkness Becomes The Face Of Boe in Doctor Who
Doctor Who’s mysterious Face of Boe turns out to be none other than the flamboyant Captain Jack Harkness. How does one human turn into a big old face?
Doctor Who Season 14’s Rogue Is Very Similar To Captain Jack Harkness
Jonathon Groff’s Doctor Who character shares many traits with John Barrowman’s
In “The Empty Child,” the Ninth Doctor and Rose come into contact with Captain Jack Harkness during a period in Earth’s history. Jack isn’t native to the era in which he’s found, he’s armed with advanced weaponry, and he’s even in disguise to blend in with the locals. All of these aspects of Barrowman’s character also apply to Jonathon Groff’s Rogue, not to mention both characters sporting suave American accents and being members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, while Jack is human,Rogue’s species is currently unconfirmed.
“Rogue” was co-written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman. Herron was the showrunner forLokiseason 1.
Athough"Rogue" is one of the twoDoctor Whoseason 14 episodes not written by Russell T Davies, it’s difficult to deny the strong possibility that Barrowman’s character has been used as a template to create Groff’s. “The Empty Child” was written by Steven Moffat, so there’s even the connection of both characters first appearing in scripts that haven’t been penned by Davies, despite being the showrunner in both instances.
Why John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Is Unlikely To Return To Doctor Who
The former Time Agent probably won’t show up again
Although Barrowman reprised his role as Jack when Jodie Whittaker was the Doctor (despite the fact he was absent for the respective runs of Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi), the possibility of his return inDoctor Who’s new era is low. Allegations of inappropriate behavior on the sets of bothDoctor WhoandTorchwoodmay have cost him his role in the franchise. Speaking of the complaints against him (viaSky News),Barrowman has referred to his antics as “Silly behavior,“and that he, “Would never do it now.”
Barrowman has appeared as Captain Jack Harkness in 13 episodes ofDoctor Who, 41 episodes ofTorchwood, and has reprised the role numerous times for various podcasts and audio adventures.
Barrowman has appeared as Captain Jack Harkness in 13 episodes ofDoctor Who, 41 episodes ofTorchwood, and has reprised the role numerous times for various podcasts and audio adventures. In the franchise’s Disney era, his return perhaps seems even less likely due to the studio’s family-friendly reputation. The ending of “Rogue” suggests that the Doctor hasn’t seen the last of Groff’s bounty hunter character, and having Jack Harkness and Rogue appear in the show at the same time seems awfully redundant. So,the introduction of Rogue would seem to be effectively drawing a line under Barrowman’sDoctor Whotenure.
Rogue Is The Second Character Replacement From RTD’s Original Doctor Who Era
Ruby Sunday shares several parallels with Rose Tyler
For all of Rogue’s similarities to Jack Harkness, there’s a much more direct comparison between twoDoctor Whocharacters. With theDoctor Who2023 Christmas special serving as a soft rebootfor the show, it was difficult to ignore theconnection between Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday and Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. Both women were 19-year-old blonde companions when they joined the show, and their characters both have color-based first names. There’s also the fact thatRuby and Rose are both the first companions of new eras, with Piper’s character leading the 2005 revival and Gibson debuting during Disney’s reign.
Ncuti Gatwa’s True Role In Doctor Who Season 14 Is An Unwelcome Surprise
Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor has been handled differently when it comes to the presence of his version of the characters, with some mixed results.
So,Jack and Rose have now essentially been recast by Russell T Davies, while leaving the original personas intact. The showrunner clearly has a certain group of archetypes for whom he enjoys writing, so there could be more replacements coming in the future to accommodate Davies' preferences. Of course, the Doctor has also been replaced, but that’s a writing mechanic that’s at the very heart of the show. Barrowman and Piper’s younger counterparts now stand the chance of being as influential as theirDoctor Whopredecessors.
“Space Babies” & “The Devil’s Chord”
“Empire of Death”
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on June 17, 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.
