The One Waiting for Doctor Who Was Sutekh All Along
The last minutes of "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" brought back Sutekh and revealed him as the mysterious One Who Waits. Before the penultimate episode of Doctor Who season 14, the character only made one canonical appearance in the series; nonetheless, Russell T Davies returned to the showrunner's chair and he was mentioned multiple times in the run-up to his return. In "The Giggle," Neil Patrick Harris's Toymaker noted The One Who Waits and that he, "didn't dare face" him.
Though it was difficult to pinpoint the villain's name, Sutekh's actual identity was concealed and provided a major clue about who he truly was. A title like "The One Who Waits" is only genuinely successful if it's utilized as a moniker rather than a true name. Thus, the figure was almost likely going to be a known one from Doctor Who's legendary past, and that enemy turned out to be from the classic era of the show.
Doctor Who: A Classic Examined
Originally originally televised in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series about the Doctor—a powerful entity known as a Time Lord. Traveling time and space with different companions, the Doctor solves several problems and helps prevent catastrophe as much as he almost causes using an interdimensional time-traveling ship called the TARDIS. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they regenerate to be recast every few seasons as a different immortal being with fresh personality traits.
Given how masterfully Davies performed on his last term as showrunner, viewers have been ready for his return to the show. The franchise is eager about the fresh ideas the showrunner will bring to the series since Davies indicated he plans to use UNIT more often. UNIT might take the stage in fresh stories; perhaps the showrunner will be able to bring the production back alive.
Sutekh's History Clarified Using The Fourth Doctor
With the villain appearing in comics, books, and audio adventures, Sutekh has battled with more than one version of the Doctor over the franchise. Only the main show, though, is regarded as established canon, and Sutekh's only TV tale was "Pyramids of Mars," from 1975. Sutekh is the final of the godlike extraterrestrial species in the original four-part serial, the Osiran race. Late brother Osiris has imprisoned the god of death behind a pyramid; Sutekh's aim is to flee and bring the "Gift of death" to every human being.
Though most of the narrative takes place in 1911, Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith notes that she is from 1980, implying that her ongoing presence indicates Sutekh's failure to flee. When Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor meets Sutekh, the Time Lord is rendered immobile and dies from Sutekh's mind-control powers. He does, however, just barely stop Sutekh from fleeing, and the fix appears somewhat permanent. As the villain says, "Your evil is my good," hence his perspective of good and evil is basically the reverse of the Doctor's. As the destroyer, I am Sutekh. Where I walk I leave just darkness and dust. I find that good." Death is his main motivation; his ultimate aim is to murder as much as he can after fleeing.
How Sutekh Stuck Himself Inside The Doctor's TARDIS?
At the close of "Pyramids of Mars," the Fourth Doctor foils Sutekh. The Doctor runs back to Earth in the TARDIS to stop Sutekh from reaching the planet even though the Osiran manages to get the Eye of Horus destroyed on Mars. Four traps Sutekh in the "Corridor of Eternity," weaponizing the space-time portal the villain was contacting his acolytes through. Sutekh would, "Never reach the end," the Doctor put the opening of the tunnel so far into the future. The Time Lord's strategy appears to have had a blind spot, though.
Sutekh takes over the Doctor to pilot the TARDIS to Mars and destroy the Eye of Horus, therefore providing the villain some understanding of the operation of the space and time machine. Though inevitable, handing an entity like Sutekh this knowledge was somewhat risky. His connection to the TARDIS could be the reason he could grab onto the blue box when it left 1911. Sutekh has thus been waiting inside the TARDIS since the Doctor was in his fourth regeneration, ready for the attack.
Sutekh's Relationship To Maestro & Toymaker Clarified
Sutekh in "Pyramids of Mars," is 7000 years old. This could have been false information since Sutekh is positioned highest in Doctor Who's Pantheon of Gods based on retcon in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". Either the Pantheon's leader, should such a position exist, or he is just the most strong member; so, he becomes the figure with most authority. With the Toymaker first and Jinkx Monsoon's Maestro second, Sutekh is the third Pantheon member featured on film in the Disney era.
Like Sutekh, the Toymaker debuted in the traditional Doctor Who period, and his narrative has been reinterpreted for the Disney era to have him a Pantheon member. Conversely, Maestro is a fresh character who is found to be a Pantheon member in the first installment of the villain's franchise. Though an unbounded Sutekh retains the most raw power, all three Disney-era Pantheon members have shown to be more than worthy opponent for the Doctor at some point.
What revelations about Sutekh's plan have Doctor Who Season 14 revealed?
For a TV villain, Sutekh's appearance in "Pyramids of Mars" is quite predictable: he simply wants to eradicate all of mankind - maybe all life in the universe. From events in the traditional tale and his return to the program, it is clear that all it takes is a touch from Sutekh or one of his avatars to kill someone. As he says straight forwardly, "All life will perish at my hand." His strategy doesn't seem to have evolved all that much since his last visit.
The difference is that this time he seems to be personally resentful of the Doctor for defeating him all those millennia ago. Furthermore, whatever technique Susan Triad is using seems to be a major component of Sutekh's revised scheme to eradicate life throughout the cosmos. As noted on the show, S. Triad Technology is an anagram of "TARDIS technology." Spending so much time coupled with the TARDIS systems indicates, then, Sutekh now understands it works and may be able to imitate the Time Lord achievements. If so, he would be far more dangerous.
How does Sutekh relate to Susan Triad (& Mrs. Flood?)
"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" also at last exposed Susan Twist's actual character's true identity. Like the persona of Marcus Scarman featured in "Pyramids of Mars," Susan Triad, a software mogul, represents Sutekh. Though it's not known precisely how Sutekh installed replicas of Susan Triad over time and space, his relationship to the TARDIS and the need to keep a wary eye on his foe most certainly help to explain how. Though his decision may have been motivated by Susan Triad's technological mind, the reason Sutekh choose her is also unclear.
Mrs. Flood also seems to be connected to Sutekh; she describes the arrival of the villain to Ruby's grandma upon Cherry Sunday's temporary custody appointment. Mrs. Flood doesn't seem terrified or intimidated about Sutekh's coming. In fact, she seems like she's been waiting for it to happen for a while, and the scene paints her as a sinister figure. Anita Dobson's character might thus still be more important for Doctor Who.
How They Return & Fourth Doctor Connection: The One Who Waits Identity Expained
The One Having Waits finally shows his face in Doctor Who Season 14, episode 7, "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," and he's a villain the Doctor has faced before. Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor has a direct connection to the first big bad of Doctor Who's Disney era, with the antagonist also being tied into a tangled web of other franchise antagonists - both old and new. The cast of Doctor Who season 14 was unknowingly on the figure's trail the whole time, without also knowing the ominous character was looming in plain sight.
The level of the threats throughout Doctor Who Season 14 tended to fluctuate, with the dangers ranging from a sentient snot monster to a Time Lord-augmented landmine that may have blown up half of an innocent world. However, Ncuti Gatwa's inaugural run as the Fifteenth Doctor ends with a story that brings him face-to-face with his biggest challenge to date - and it's not even close.
Every Pantheon Member Sutekh Mentions By Name In "The Legend Of Ruby Sunday"
Name | God of God of
Toys and Games: The Toymaker
Trickster* | Trapment
Maestro | Notes
Reprobate or Spite
The Mara[*] | Beastes
Incenser | Disaster
uncertainty | (Incensor's offspring)
Dread | (Incensor's child)
*Debuted in The Sarah Jane Adventures*, Debuted in Doctor Who's classic era[*]
Episode | Disney+ Release Date
"The Devil's Chord" and "Space Babies" | May 10
Boom | May 17
" 73 Yards" | May 24
"Dot & Bubble" | May 31.
June 7: "Rogue"
June 14 | The Legend of Ruby Sunday
"Empire of Death" | June 21
*Availability in US
Not here.
Not here.
Not available
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
