“She Still Exists”: ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner Explains Why Bringing Back This Iconic Character Was Essential

The most recent episode of Doctor Who, ‘The Story and the Engine,’ did so many things in one episode. It showcased Nigerian culture in this sci-fi series and brought back Jo Martin‘s Fugitive Doctor, previously seen in the 2022 special, ‘The Power of the Doctor.’ According to Russell T. Davies, bringing back this character was essential to this Time Lord’s story and was honored to have Martin reprise the role.

The Doctor Who showrunner revealed in an interview why the fifth episode of Doctor Who Season 15 was the best time to bring back Martin’s character in the series. He said having the Fugitive Doctor as part of the episode was essential because he wanted to acknowledge the character and remind people that she exists. Davies added that the Fugitive Doctor is a part of the Doctor’s life, even if it’s just for a moment.

“We’ve got a story that’s set in Lagos that’s kind of honoring the ethnicity of our Doctor. So actually, it felt like Jo Martin was missing. It’s just time to acknowledge her, and just time to say she still exists…

… You needed to look at the Doctor’s life and you needed to acknowledge that. So just a moment, and she’s so delighted to come to Cardiff and do it. So, it’s an honour.”

Who Is The Fugitive Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’?

The Fugitive Doctor was first introduced in Doctor Who Season 12, in the episode ‘Fugitive of the Judoon.’ Played by Martin, this incarnation of the Doctor used to work for the Division before hiding on Earth under the alias ‘Ruth Clayton’ before her memories returned, revealing her true identity. However, the Doctor has no memory of this incarnation as their memory was wiped. However, throughout a handful of episodes, details about this version of the Time Lord are revealed.

This Doctor Who character has appeared in five episodes so far, with ‘The Story and The Engine’ being the latest. In it, the Fugitive Doctor has a history with one of the episode’s antagonists, Abena, the daughter of Anansi, who called out the Time Lord for “humiliating” and leaving her. According to the Fugitive Doctor, she was still a fugitive, hence why she couldn’t take her and that she was “busy in a different story that might be finished one day.”

Outside of the TV series, the Fugitive Doctor has appeared in four audio stories released in 2024 and 2025 and was the main character in two Doctor Who comic stories released in 2022.

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