While the modern era of Doctor Who has had many LGBTQ+ friendly moments, one in particular ruffled some feathers earlier this year. The latest season of Doctor Who, which one can watch with a Disney+ subscription outside of the United Kingdom, included the episode “Rogue,” which saw Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor meeting the title character, played by Jonathan Groff. With romantic chemistry soon sizzling between the two characters, they eventually kissed, which prompted viewer complaints that the BBC has responded to months later.
After “Rogue” was released on June 8, two viewers took issue with the “inappropriate sexual innuendo” included in this Bridgerton-inspired story that also included Millie Gibson continuing her run as Ruby Sunday and Indira Varma guest-starring as the Duchess of Pemberton, among others. These viewers felt that the kiss between 15 and Rogue constituted content that was “unsuitable for children,” and one of them said it was “concerning” how quickly the two locked lips. Well, as reported by Deadline, the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has dismissed these concerns, saying:
The ECU considered the sexual innuendo to be towards the mildest end of the spectrum and in any case likely to go over the heads of children. The development of the relationship served the needs of a fast-moving plot and was unlikely to strike viewers of any age as a model for interpersonal relationships outside this particular fictional context.
It is worth noting that this wasn’t the first time The Doctor in a male form has kissed another man, as John Barrowman’s Jack Harkness smooched Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor in the episode “The Parting of The Ways.” However, that was just a fleeting moment that occurred between the two shortly before they went to battle the Daleks, whereas what happened between 15 and Rogue was explicitly romantic. As far as the BBC’s ECU is concerned, there wasn’t anything wrong with showing the kiss on Doctor Who, namely because they don’t believe kids, or any other viewers, are going to walk away from “Rogue” think that a relationship should develop that quickly in real life.
Unfortunately. the Fifteenth Doctor and Rogue’s brief love story ended on a sad note. The latter took Ruby’s place in the seal that would send the shapeshifting Chuldur to another dimension, and before disappearing, Rogue asked 15 to find him. Watch what unfolded for yourself below.
While Ruby suggested at the end of episode that they should use the TARDIS to look for Rogue, between there being “as many dimensions as there are atoms in the universe” and not knowing his real name, finding Rogue seemed like an impossible feat. And yet, 15 put on the ring Rogue left behind, signifying not only how much this man he’d just met meant to him, but perhaps indicating he had some hope that he might find Jonathan Groff’s character again. Frankly, it’s probably safe to assume Groff will return to Doctor Who at some point since he wasn’t outright killed, though it may be a long time until that happens.
What isn’t a mystery is that Doctor Who will return to the 2024 TV schedule with the Christmas special “Joy to the World,” which will star Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan. The next Doctor Who season will then kick off sometime in 2025, with Varadu Sethu coming aboard as new companion Belinda Chandra following her outing in “Boom” as Mundy Flynn.
