Doctor Who spoilers: Which character made a surprise return in Fugitive of the Judoon?

The current era of Doctor Who has given us the largest number of companions of the New Series, and sometimes, it's proved to be difficult to manage. But there was a time when it worked...Photo Credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America
The current era of Doctor Who has given us the largest number of companions of the New Series, and sometimes, it's proved to be difficult to manage. But there was a time when it worked...Photo Credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America

In tonight’s episode of Doctor Who, a major character made a surprise return – one who hasn’t been seen in the show in over a decade… (Spoilers follow.)

Well, that was unexpected! Tonight’s episode of Doctor Who featured not one but two major surprises, which we need to talk about separately! So expect us to use that same opening line in the next article! (Which, like this one, will definitely be spoiler filled, just to warn you.)

Before we go into detail on who the titular Fugitive of the Judoon actually was, let’s talk about who randomly showed up in the middle of the episode. With the Judoon looking for a fugitive – but us having no clue who it was, of course – Graham disappears while commenting on how awful a cake is.

Suddenly finding himself on board a ship, Graham starts hearing a voice. A voice that many of us are very familiar with. Especially Big Finish fans, who’ve been listening to this voice for almost five years. But, for Doctor Who fans, we haven’t heard from this character in far, far longer…

It took him a long time to come back, but Captain Jack Harkness has finally returned to Doctor Who!

Image obtained from BBC Press

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“You missed me, right?”

With those words and a teleport, Captain Jack Harkness finally returned to Doctor Who for the first time in over a decade. Not seen in the series since Ten’s final episode The End of Time: Part Two (and even then, in just a cameo appearance), Captain Jack’s long-awaited return was a huge surprise.

Even more surprising is that, in many ways, Jack’s story seemed very unconnected to the rest of the episode. Most surprising of all, he didn’t even meet the Doctor. Teleporting her companions on his ship, Jack wasn’t able to reunite with his old friend this time. But he was able to pass on a warning. A warning about “the Lone Cyberman”, just before he vanished.

It’s an incredible way to make a return appearance. No hints, no leaks, no appearances in a BBC trailer – just a huge surprise and a warning. And while Jack’s story was essentially separate from the rest of Fugitive of the Judoon, it’s definitely a moment that will get the fans talking. Just as much as Doctor Who‘s other major surprise in this episode, which we’ll be talking about very shortly…

Are you glad that Captain Jack’s finally returned? Was it your favorite moment of the episode? Do you think he’ll be returning in future episodes? Let us know in the comments below.