Doctor Who Theory: The First Anniversary Special Was The Toymaker’s Trap (& The Doctor Fell For It)
A chilling Doctor Who theory reveals David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate's Donna Noble fell into the Celestial Toymaker's trap.
One chilling Doctor Who theory reveals “The Star Beast” was all the Celestial Toymaker’s trap for the Doctor and Donna – and they fell right into it. David Tennant and Catherine Tate returned in style in “The Star Beast,” the first of three Doctor Who anniversary specials. Within an hour of his regeneration, the Fourteenth Doctor found himself crossing paths with someone he believed should never see his face again; Donna Noble, whose memories of her time with the Doctor had been erased after she absorbed the knowledge and memories of a Time Lord during a metacrisis.
Donna had somehow avoided the frequent alien invasions that are part and parcel of life on Earth in the Doctor Who universe – perhaps indicating the Doctor planted a subconscious idea of avoiding extraterrestrial chaos when he wiped her memories. This only worked for so long, though, because in the end the Meep found his way straight to the Noble household. The Meep was ultimately defeated by the Doctor and Donna, but there are subtle clues throughout “The Star Beast” that something else was going on.
The Doctor Felt Everything Was Being Drawn To Donna
The coincidences mounted in “The Star Beast,” and even the Doctor noticed them. The strangest of these, of course, is the fact David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor wore a familiar face – right before crossing paths with Donna Noble. Any other regeneration of the Doctor could have interacted with Donna much more easily, because their mere face wouldn’t potentially be enough to jog her memory. The Doctor’s regeneration is currently a mystery, although the most reasonable explanation for the Fourteenth Doctor is that some outside force interfered with the process.
Even the Doctor couldn’t ignore the other coincidences surrounding Donna, though. As he noted, it’s strikingly odd that an alien literally wound up in her shed – as though everything were somehow preordained. The Doctor doesn’t believe in destiny, but even he was forced to consider the possibility destiny has a purpose for Donna Noble. It’s reasonable to assume this mysterious “destiny” involved Donna regaining her memories.
Donna’s Metacrisis Energy Could Have Fractured Reality
The metacrisis conundrum was solved in style, with “The Star Beast” revealing Donna had passed on part of its energy to Rose. Like Donna herself, Rose had found the memories of the Doctor bubbling up within her mind, but she’d understandably had even less of an idea what it all meant. Even the name Rose chose for herself flowed from the metacrisis memories, because she’d been drawn to the name of the woman who had helped Donna save the universe over 15 years ago.
Even shared, though, the power of the metacrisis was too vast for human beings to hold. The process of destruction had slowed, but it had not halted. Fortunately, Donna and ROse were able to do what the Doctor had not reckoned on; they simply released the metacrisis energy into the Earth’s atmosphere. It was a neat solution, likely only possible because the power had already been divided, because it didn’t occur immediately to either Donna or Rose. Some viewers felt it was a little too convenient – but that could well be the point.
This metacrisis energy flowed out of Donna and Rose – and it’s unclear whether this was safe. Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS and the Children In Need special have both hinted something is dangerously wrong with time and space, with the timelines themselves fracturing, and the Doctor seems uncertain what has caused this. It’s possible the metacrisis energy is involved somehow, weakening and even fracturing reality.
The Toymaker May Have Needed The Metacrisis Energy To Invade Earth
The Doctor Who 60th anniversary is confirmed to feature the return of the Celestial Toymaker, an entity last seen in William Hartnell’s First Doctor era. The Toymaker is a mysterious being who rules another dimension, and by some accounts he originates before the dawn of time itself. Shots from trailers confirm that, this time, the Toymaker has made his way to Earth – and that in itself is surprising. It’s entirely possible he needs the fractures in reality to exert the full force of his power on Earth. If this is the case, “The Star Beast” makes the Toymaker’s attack possible.
This would explain all the coincidences around Donna. Although the Toymaker is not yet present on Earth, he could well be powerful enough to affect the Doctor’s regeneration – and even manipulate the TARDIS, ensuring the newly-regenerated Fourteenth Doctor found his way to Donna. If this theory is correct, destiny was not drawing everyone and everything in to Donna Noble; the Toymaker was. The Doctor fell into the Toymaker’s trap when he restored Donna’s memories, and the Doctor Who specials will explore the consequences.
