Doctor Who released some new footage ahead of its upcoming Season 13 adventures, which will unfold over eight episodes. The new season earned itself a subtitle, Doctor Who: Flux, and the brief scene that was unveiled is already teasing a story arc that includes villains like the Weeping Angels, Sontarans, and something called “The Flux.” The name could imply the sci-fi series will give Jodie Whittaker's Doctor another new villain, though I’m inclined to think this promo hinted at a confirmation of a long-standing fan theory.
Flux, by definition, can obviously mean many things, but one interesting and relevant interpretation is the scientific definition of "any effect that appears to pass or travel through a surface or substance.” Doctor Who has dealt in all sorts of theoretical topics over its run, so I’m wondering if the variety of upcoming threats are a result of enemies breaking through from another universe similar to, but inherently different from, The Doctor’s current universe. If that’s the case, it may confirm the fan theory that Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor has been the Doctor from a parallel universe this entire time.
When Jodie Whittaker’s first season of Doctor Who premiered in Season 11, the franchise looked a lot different from previous iterations, thanks in part to incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall. The enemies were new, The Doctor was different, and the fandom wondered why everything was so jarringly out of sorts. Then came Season 12, which retained some familiarity, but also introduced an entirely separate Doctor that fans had never seen before. The Master also returned, despite his “destruction” seasons prior, though the explanation behind his return was never really clear.
That season also dropped the massive reveal The Doctor wasn’t a Gallifreyan by birth and had an untold amount of regenerations. The reveal flew in the face of over 50 years of previously established lore for the beloved character, though it effectively solved the long-running problem of The Doctor’s limited regenerations. The reveal was pretty mind-blowing, and now I’m wondering, in the face of Doctor Who: Flux's impending arrival, did it actually happen in the Doctor Who timeline we’ve followed since the reboot started?
Pop culture multiverses are as prevalent as they've ever been. Star Trek has an alternate universe with a different timeline, and the MCU just introduced an entire multiverse with endless probabilities, to say nothing of the separate realities of DC's Extended Universe. So it wouldn’t be too crazy to assume Doctor Who also has different timelines and a multiverse of its own. In fact, it would make a lot of sense considering just how much The Doctor and many others have meddled with time throughout the series.
Doctor Who does not observe canon, of course, so it’s hard to take any past series event as gospel that something will happen. We do know Season 13 will tell one massive story and that Whittaker’s Doctor will close out her run with a handful of special episodes in 2022. It’s clear a big story is planned for her exit, and maybe one that will confirm an idea that fans predicted early on. Check out the teaser below and decide for yourself!
Doctor Who: Flux will premiere on BBC America Sunday, October 31st. For more on the series, check out who’s in the running to play the new Doctor in future seasons as far as betting odds, which, admittedly, aren’t always accurate.
