Doctor Who: Captain Jack and the Face of Boe

Ever since Captain Jack mentioned in passing that he was the Face of Boe, whether he is the Doctor’s old friend, and the last of the Boekind, has been one of the mysteries of Doctor Who.

It is always interesting in seeing what comes to mind when thinking about previous episodes of Doctor Who. Just discussing a character or an actor from the show can send the mind travelling in a myriad of directions, making connections and wondering about different parts of their history. Such was the case the other day when Leah and I were discussing what John Barrowman’s surprise may end up being.

Naturally, this led to discussing Captain Jack and whether or not the character would be seen again, either on Doctor Who or Torchwood. We can certainly speculate, but so far, no announcements have been forthcoming. However, in thinking about Captain Jack, this also brought up his statement where he was known as the Face of Boe, as he was the first person from the Boeshane Peninsula to join the Time Agency.

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But is Captain Jack the same Face of Boe, the Last of the Boekind, the nearly immortal being who he just so happened to share a name with? That question, which was speculated about by Martha and the Tenth Doctor, has never really been answered. It could just be one amazing coincidence, or, as may be more likely, lead to an extended backstory as we see the transformation of Captain Jack into the actual Face of Boe.

However, with Torchwood coming along and his own absence from Doctor Who over the past few seasons, this particular storyline for Captain Jack has not been followed up on. Even if it turns out that there is not a connection between the two, it would be interesting to see if the Face of Boe was so named due to Jack’s previous nickname. And, if he does somehow transform into the Boekind, the details of that transformation would be great to watch.

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Maybe we will never get a definitive answer as to whether or not Captain Jack become the Face of Boe, Last of the Boekind, However, it is certainly interesting to think about, and to imagine how he would have transformed from human to a giant head.