A new Doctor Who webisode has revealed the return of a 1980s villain, setting up their potential return opposite Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor in 2024.
Doctor Who has revealed the return of a classic series villain, 40 years after their last appearance, potentially setting up a story in season 14. Although the 60th anniversary specials aren't due to air until November, a brand new Doctor Who webisode, "The Passenger" written by Pete McTighe, has been released online. Apparently set after the events of "The Power of the Doctor", the mini episode reunites Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) after a mysterious summons brings her to a creepy fairground and a familiar looking blue box.
Doctor Who webisode "The Passenger" has been released to announce the addition of season 20 to the Doctor Who: The Collection Bluray range later in 2023. The season features a remastered version of Doctor Who's 20th anniversary special "The Five Doctors" as well as the undisputed high-point of the season - "Snakedance". A sequel to season 19's "Kinda", the serial revealed that the ancient evil known as the Mara was still inside Tegan's mind, creating chaos on its original home world, Manussa. The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) seemingly defeated the snakelike Mara for good by the end, but "The Passenger" reveals that this isn't the case, teasing a potential rematch with Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor.
"The Passenger" Reveals Doctor Who's Mara Never Left Tegan
The Mara is an evil entity that exists in the so-called "Dark Places of the Inside" and is able to enter the dreams of potential hosts. This is how it slithered into the mind of Tegan when she visited the lush paradise of Deva Loka in "Kinda". Although the Doctor and his companions have defeated the Mara twice, "The Passenger" confirms that while its physical forms have been destroyed, it lives on inside Tegan's mind. Rather than being the real Nyssa and the real TARDIS, it's all a trick by the Mara to tempt Tegan into joining with it once more, granting it the physical form it desperately needs.
Tegan's Doctor Who adventures in expanded media had previously hinted at this fact, in a series of audio adventures for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough (Mark Strickson) and an older Nyssa from a point after her departure in "Terminus". Tegan stated she hasn't seen Nyssa since Terminus, so "The Passenger" is the first time that the Mara's continued presence in Tegan's mind has been confirmed in on-screen canon. It also reveals that Tegan can control this nefarious influence, giving it some words of warning in the mirror after she awakes from her dream. It's an affirmation of Tegan's great successes, while also using the Mara as an affecting metaphor for depression.
Doctor Who Just Made Tegan's Entire Companion Story More Tragic
Inside the dream, Tegan tragically reflects that she regrets not appreciating her time in the TARDIS more. It became a running joke throughout the Fifth Doctor era that Tegan just wanted to get back to Heathrow Airport to resume her job as an air hostess. Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor even referred to "a gobby Australian" and Heathrow in Doctor Who season 7's "The Crimson Horror". However, Tegan shouldn't be too hard on herself, as she had to contend with the murder of her Aunt Vanessa, a Dalek massacre, possession by the Mara, and the death of Adric (Matthew Waterhouse). There's not much to appreciate, there.
What is tragic is that "The Passenger" reveals that Tegan hasn't been able to escape the Mara. As resilient as she is, and as successful as she's been in keeping it at bay, it's a reminder that the Doctor failed to protect his companion from the influence of an ancient evil. As the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) crashes back into the life of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and, hopefully, fixes her tragic fate, perhaps the Fifteenth Doctor could rid Tegan of the Mara once and for all.
Will The Mara Return In Doctor Who Season 14?
Since Tegan refers to the three Doctors that she's encountered - "scarf or celery, or woman" - it's clear that "The Passenger" is set after her recent appearance in "The Power of the Doctor". In Jodie Whittaker's final adventure, Tegan was revealed to be UNIT operative, working for Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave). At the end of the episode, Kate hinted that she could be looking to hire more of the Doctor's former companions. With 1980's Doctor Who companion Mel returning for season 14, it wouldn't be surprising if Russell T Davies was looking to bring back other companions, too.
After it dropped on YouTube Janet Fielding tweeted a non-commital (and potentially wryly humorous) answer to a fan who asked if "The Passenger" meant that Tegan would return for Doctor Who season 14.
The return of the Mara in "The Passenger" proves that there's still a story to tell when it comes to Tegan in Doctor Who. With the Mara still inside her subconscious, there's potential for it to manifest physically at some point in the future. Tegan could eventually succumb to temptation, or the Mara's return could be triggered by a religious zealot with an agenda, who kidnaps Tegan and wishes to unleash the chaotic spirit. Tegan could then team up with the Fifteenth Doctor to banish the Mara from her mind once and for all, locking them back in the "Dark Places of the Inside".