Rogue Has to Come Back to Doctor Who

Warning: spoilers for Doctor Who series 14 episode 6 “Rogue”

Doesn’t the TARDIS have a sniffer dog function? A pair of hi-tech space nostrils to which the Doctor can hold up a handkerchief or discarded glove and say ‘There, girl, get the scent!’? Somewhere on that flashy console must be the facility to scan a personal item, find the space coordinates of its owner, and bound off in pursuit, tongue out and tail wagging. 

Perhaps this model only came fitted with the coffee machine as standard, because when Ruby asked if the TARDIS could track down the Doctor’s latest love interest, played by Jonathan Groff, she was told no. “There are as many dimensions as there are atoms in the universe,” said the Doctor. “Don’t even know his real name.”

That makes two of them. 

“Rogue” was what Groff’s bounty hunter went by, a nickname endearingly chosen from a Dungeons and Dragons character class, not his favourite X-Men mutant. Either way, we know that he’s a nerd. 

We also know that Rogue’s a non-human Kylie fan and a romantic who is grieving a lost love, as well as the kind of person who goes straight to the top drawer marked ‘Emergency Use Only’ when required to perform some improv. (A proposal? Strong move. Sacrificing yourself to save the heartbreak of a flirty alien you just met? Stronger than strong. Swoony.)

Rogue’s final words to the Doctor were also powerful. “Find me,” he instructed, before he took Ruby’s place on the transporter-to-a-random-barren-dimension and was zapped clean out of that Regency ballroom. 

Now in possession of Rogue’s proposal-ring with its strange symbol, the Doctor could have what he needs to do just that. Rogue strikes you as a prepared kind of chap, so there’s every chance that his jewellery is less a souvenir for the Doctor to sigh over on lonely nights, and more a high-tech tracking device.

The Doctor’s going to want to track down his man for a few reasons, the first being that Rogue’s just sent himself to the back of beyond with a family of murderous shape-shifting aliens who may just fancy a go at being a bounty hunter for their next cosplay, so even though he seems to be able to handle himself, a rescue could be in order. 

The next reason to pursue Rogue is to find out more about this paperwork-generating “new boss” of his and see whether it’s the same one who was pulling the Meep’s strings back in “The Star Beast”. The Toymaker (who’d also be a fan of dice, now we come to think of it…) was defeated, so this must be someone/thing else.

And the final reason? Oh, honey, fun. Those two have instant chemistry, serious mutual attraction and loads in common. They’re made for each other. They’re made to argue across the stars and dance and kiss and do derring-do. When Rogue asked about “the ancient and fallen world of Gallifrey,” the Doctor teased, “Well, I might take you one day.” Jonathan Groff’s agent had better have agreed to a returning role, because that’s a date we need to see.

Doctor Who series 14 continues with “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” on BBC One and iPlayer and Disney+.