Doctor Who enthusiasts are puzzled by the absence of one of the franchise's crucial Time Lord characters. In the original run of Doctor Who, the Time Lords, an alien race known for their expertise in time travel, were introduced. They originate from the planet Gallifrey and have lifespans of thousands of years, aided by their ability to regenerate.
In addition to the Doctor, other prominent Time Lords in the Doctor Who series include the Master, the Rani, and Romana. The "Timeless Child" storyline recently brought significant changes to the Time Lords' canon, shaking up their origins, but their core backstory remains largely unchanged.
Doctor Who fans are confused by major Time Lord’s absence
The founding of Time Lord society was significantly influenced by an ancient Time Lord named Omega. Despite this, Omega has not made an appearance in Doctor Who since the show's revival in 2005, with the exception of a brief cameo in the 2020 episode "The Timeless Children." This has left Redditors curious about the reasons behind Omega's absence.
"Just saw [Omega’s first appearance] The Three Doctors and seriously, why am I just finding out about this guy now?" one fan asked. "He's the one who laid the foundation for Time Lord civilization and I'm only learning about him now? Feels like a wasted chance not to bring him back."
Reactions to the post were mixed. One fan debated that recent showrunners have focused more on Rassilon, one of Omega's fellow co-founders. Several others mentioned that Omega is either trapped in an antimatter universe or possibly deceased after the events of the 1983 serial "Arc of Infinity."
Some speculated that Omega's complex backstory may make him less attractive to modern Doctor Who creative teams, particularly after the "Timeless Child" storyline. Others suggested that real-life licensing issues may have caused the legendary Time Lord to be sidelined.
Doctor Who showrunner debunks long-running Dalek rumor
It's not certain if Omega's non-appearance is genuinely caused by the BBC's partial ownership of the character, but it wouldn't be unprecedented for the show. The original Doctor Who writers (and later, their heirs) usually held onto a portion of the rights to the episodes and characters they developed.
Excluded from this requirement are the iconic franchise villains, the Daleks. Russell T Davies, the current Doctor Who showrunner, recently clarified the ownership of the Daleks and dispelled persistent rumors that the BBC is obligated to use the villains annually or risk losing the rights to them. For the latest Doctor Who news and updates, visit Dexerto's full coverage here.
Editor's P/S
As an enthusiastic fan of Doctor Who, I share the困惑of many others regarding the absence of the crucial Time Lord character, Omega. Omega played a pivotal role in the establishment of Time Lord society and yet, since the show's revival in 2005, he has only made a brief appearance. It feels like a missed opportunity not to bring back such a significant character and explore his complex backstory further.
While some fans have speculated that Omega's absence may be due to the complexities of his character or potential licensing issues, I believe that his return would add depth and richness to the current storyline. The "Timeless Child" storyline introduced significant changes to the Time Lords' canon, and exploring Omega's role in these events could provide further insight into the Time Lords' history and motivations.
Overall, I hope that the showrunners will consider bringing back Omega in future episodes and shed more light on this enigmatic and influential Time Lord. His return would undoubtedly excite long-time fans and enrich the overall narrative of Doctor Who.