Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa Run Was Its Most LGBTQ-Friendly, But I'm Frustrated About A Huge Loose Thread

Despite indications that Ncuti Gatwa would continue starring in Doctor Who for a third season, the era of the Fifteenth Doctor is over. At the end of “The Reality War,” which aired last month on the 2025 TV schedule, 15 regenerated into a form resembling Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, though given the way Piper was credited, it’s unclear if she’ll be labeled as the Sixteenth Doctor or not. It’s just one of many things still up in the air with Doctor Who following Season 2’s conclusion, including whether the show will continue being a Disney+ subscription-exclusive show outside of the UK.

Right now, however, I’m thinking about how Ncuti Gatwa’s relatively short time on Doctor Who was its most LGBTQ-friendly yet. While queerness has been built into Doctor Who since it was revived in 2005, it’s chiefly been through other characters and rarely focused on with The Doctor. But with 15, the adventuring Time Lord’s own queerness was brought to the forefront, which was was arguably best demonstrated through his passionate kiss with Rogue in Season 1. Alas, because Gatwa has now left the show, I can’t help but be frustrated by where things stand with Jonathan Groff’s character.

Where We Left Off With Rogue In Doctor Who

Rogue was featured in the aptly-titled Doctor Who Season 1 episode “Rogue” as a bounty hunter who was hired by the mysterious “Boss” (no, we still don’t know who that is yet) to kill a member of the Chuldur, an avian-like shapeshifting species, in 1813 England. He initially thought The Doctor was once of these aliens, but the mixup was soon cleared up. The two men then teamed up to stop the Chuldur, albeit under The Doctor’s condition all these foes were sent to another dimension rather than killed.

They were successful, but it came at the cost of Rogue being transported to that same dimension, as he took Ruby Sunday’s place within their trap when she was accidentally also caught within it. Before he disappeared, Rogue asked The Doctor to find him, a line that should have just come with a neon sign flashing, “This storyline will continue!” But was Rogue rescued in Doctor Who Season 2? Nope!

Instead, Rogue made a cameo appearance in “Wish World,” Doctor Who Season 2’s penultimate episode, where he sent a cryptic message to The Doctor that helped him realize that Conrad’s World was not the way reality was meant to be. Jonathan Groff shot this cameo back in 2023 when he was working on “Rogue,” so there was never any plan for the Frozen actor to have any major role in Season 2, which is fine.

Why I’m Frustrated The Lingering Rogue Storyline

The problem now is that because Ncuti Gatwa’s time on Doctor Who is finished, there’s only two ways I can think of for how this Rogue storyline is resolved. The first is that… well, it isn’t resolved. Rogue just stays trapped in that hellish dimension, and he even stated that he might not survive for much longer. The second is that Rogue is rescued by another incarnation of The Doctor, whether it’s Billie Piper’s (again, we don’t know if she’ll be named as such) or an even later one

Both these options are less than ideal for me, but especially the latter one. As I mentioned earlier, the Fifteenth Doctor being queer was an integral part of his characterization. This was the first time The Doctor was show actively pursing a romantic connection with someone of the same sex. Yes, the Thirteenth Doctor had feelings for Yaz, but she never really acted upon them, something that was acknowledged when she appeared in “The Reality War.”

Jack Harkness kissing the Ninth Doctor was certainly a big deal in 2005, but Rogue and the Fifteenth Doctor kissing was a much bigger moment in Doctor Who history. Like I said earlier, it was abundantly clear that Rogue would appear on the show again at some point, though I understood it might not happen for a while given how busy Jonathan Groff is. Regardless, I was looking forward to seeing the Fifteenth Doctor rescue Rogue from that other dimension and pursue a romantic relationship with him.

I’m Not That Interested In Rogue Meeting Another Doctor

Frankly, I’m not nearly as invested in Rogue getting romantically involved with another Doctor. If that happens years down the line with another male Doctor, then it will still serve as another example LGBTQ representation, but I’ll remain disappointed that Rogue and 15 didn’t get more time together. Granted, I wasn’t expecting their relationship to be explored for nearly the same length of time as River Song had with the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, but a multi-episode arc would have been nice.

And then if Rogue meets a female version of The Doctor, well that just makes further exploration of this relationship even less appealing. We’ll be back to Doctor Who delivering what ultimately amounts to another heteronormative relationship for its title character, only this time it’s The Doctor who’s the woman. To be clear, I don’t mind a female Doctor having a romantic connection with a male companion or some other character, I just don’t want it to happen with Rogue.

My fandom and enthusiasm for Doctor Who is in a weird place right now, and I’m hoping I won’t feel the same way whenever the show returns, which might not be until 2027. What’s not going to change is my feelings about how Rogue was handled and the loss of what could have been. Whether this storyline is revisited or just left unresolved, it’s just disappointing what could have been another huge step for Doctor Who on the LGBTQ front will no longer get the resolution I, and I’m sure many other fans, were hoping for.