The Curator.... Who is he? (SPOILERS for "The Day of the Doctor")

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I think its safe to say that the Curator presented in The Day of the Doctor is one of the most intriguing of surprises, and certainly one that is to fascinate for quite some time.

However, its not certain as to what exactly he is. So I thought we could dedicate a discussion for this.

Do you think he could be the Nth Doctor? The Last-Ever Doctor? If that is the case, then the rumors that have Peter Capaldi's Doctor be the first Doctor of a new cycle would certainly be false, because the Eleventh might be expecting to regenerate into a Fourth Doctor-like Doctor again, after seeing him there.

Could he be the Fourth Doctor that, perhaps during the time period between The Invasion of Time and the Key to Time arc, he aged and even took the job of the curator being being somehow rejuvenated to a younger state, and resumed his adventures with the Key to Time arc? As much as I like the idea of him being the Fourth Doctor, just older, it doesn't quite make sense.

A few posters noticed the face picking arc that might permeat the Twelfth Doctor's first series, and that got me thinking... Rather than the Doctor just choosing the Fourth Doctor's face again in the foreseeable future, could he actually be the face that one of the first three Doctors saw one time, long ago, and thus inspired the Fourth's appearence? After all, he did say "I never forget a face".

What do you all think?

 

[Pavonis]

I think Baker was playing a guy who just happened to look like an older version of the Fourth Doctor, who was replying to some young guy's comments on "retiring" and becoming a "great curator". I don't think Baker was playing a future Doctor at all. I think it was just a wink at the fans. I'd be surprised if anything more comes of it.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

We're supposed to think that he's a future incarnation. Whether he is or not depends on whether Moffat is pulling our leg. Correction, I don't think that even Moffat is quite sure at this point, but he did write it as a future Doctor, so that's what it is until somebody makes up their mind and writes the story about it. Which unfortunately means never.

I like your interpretation too, there's something alluring to it, but he did know too much for a curator. I tried to imagine his words being a regular guy who has some knowledge about the Doctor joking, but so far I don't seem to see it working. But maybe it's just me.

 

[The Wormhole]

Essentially, he's Moffat's version of the Woman in White from The End of Time. The Woman, of course was intended by RTD to be the Doctor's mother but her identity wasn't stated on screen so that she could be whoever the fans wanted her to be.

Likewise, it's possible Moffat might have intended the Curator to be someone but as far as the fans are concerned he can be whoever we want him to be.

 

[Venardhi]

I think Baker was playing a guy who just happened to look like an older version of the Fourth Doctor, who was replying to some young guy's comments on "retiring" and becoming a "great curator". I don't think Baker was playing a future Doctor at all. I think it was just a wink at the fans. I'd be surprised if anything more comes of it.

I don't think he was playing a specific incarnation or that there is any story to be told there and none ever will be. I personally like to think that he is the man the Doctor becomes when he has saved everyone he can save, seen everything he can see; the man he ends up as when his time-stream has become so knotted after innumerable centuries in the TARDIS that he finds one of the few points in reality in which he can exist without imploding the whole wibbly-wobbly mess and finally retires to rest his old bones in a favorite time on a favorite planet.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

In my mind, he was exactly who he appeared to be -- the fourth Doctor, aged and infirm. Somehow, in some way, he retired and grew old like his old mentor, Professor Chronotis. I don't know if he was from an alternate timeline. Don't care, really, especially since I doubt we'll ever see him again.

He's a character for the fans. Like Wormhole says, he's who we want him to be.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

He mentions trying on a few favorite old faces. He knew who the Doctor was. He IS the Doctor, wearing an old face for a second time.

 

[davejames]

It could always be someone created in the Fourth Doctor's image, who then had the Doctor's consciousness transferred into him towards the end of his life (kinda like River being "saved" in the Library).

Or... it could be exactly what it looks like-- the retired Doctor, who was given the ability to regenerate one last time as the Fourth Doctor.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'll entertain the idea that the Curator is a Flesh Doctor. If I had to come up with a way of making the Curator have a reason, a stabilized Ganger in the fourth Doctor's form with all of the Doctor's memories would work.

I would prefer magic, though. I would infinitely prefer magic.

 

[Venardhi]

That seems like a lot of jumping through hoops for no reason. As you like though.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Whatever he is, the bigger question is, do we want the character to reappear?

I would like for him to pop up again and see him interact with Capaldi.

 

[Venardhi]

No. It was a nice moment. Anything more would diminish it.

 

[intrinsical]

Smith: I could be a curator. I'ld be great at curating. I'ld be... The Great Curator. Ha ha, I could retire and do that. I could retire and be the curator of this place.

Baker: You know, I really think you might.

Smith, staring in astonishment: I never forget a face.

Baker: I know you don't. And in years to come you might find yourself revisiting a few, but just the old favorites.

Read what you will into those lines, I took it to mean a future reincarnation of The Doctor, beyond the 13th. A Doctor who's retired and taken up curating.

 

[Brent]

It's a wink to the fans, nothing more.

We should take it on face value for what it is and thank Tom Baker for appearing on Doctor Who again.

I appreciate the fanwank, nothing more will become of it, or is supposed to become of it, period.

 

[Brent]

Scratch that, I take back everything I just said

I just watched the ending again, Tom specifically says that he ends up re-using past faces, "only the favorites"

Everything I just saw leads me to believe he is indeed a FUTURE doctor, well past the regeneration limit, and The Doctor has re-used one of his past faces, and simply aged.

So yes, a future doctor, using a past face.

 

[Gov Kodos]

I think Baker was playing a guy who just happened to look like an older version of the Fourth Doctor, who was replying to some young guy's comments on "retiring" and becoming a "great curator". I don't think Baker was playing a future Doctor at all. I think it was just a wink at the fans. I'd be surprised if anything more comes of it.

I don't think he was playing a specific incarnation or that there is any story to be told there and none ever will be. I personally like to think that he is the man the Doctor becomes when he has saved everyone he can save, seen everything he can see; the man he ends up as when his time-stream has become so knotted after innumerable centuries in the TARDIS that he finds one of the few points in reality in which he can exist without imploding the whole wibbly-wobbly mess and finally retires to rest his old bones in a favorite time on a favorite planet.

This. The Doctor taken up fishing, painting, retirement stuff.

 

[Pavonis]

Hard to imagine the Doctor retiring. He already feels like he's made the Universe his backyard. The Universe, as much as he loves it, is mundane to him, which is his motivation to bring companions along on his travels. So what more does he need to do to motivate retirement? I suppose if he managed to exist at every point in the Universe, that might motivate him to seek a quiet corner of the Universe and curate.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Nothing says he can't come out of retirement with another regeneration.

 

[inflatabledalek]

I think one thing worth remembering is that Clara only assumes he's The Curator, there's no indication he is in any way shape or form really working there, let alone he's retired.

I think the line about faces being reused was there as a handwave for people who absolutely had to have at least a token explanation (the people who are already plotting their Big Finish audio where UNIT meet Susan and Kamelian), otherwise it was a fourth wall shattering moment with Tom Baker just wandering into the show being himself.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

It's a wink to the fans, nothing more.

We should take it on face value for what it is and thank Tom Baker for appearing on Doctor Who again.

I appreciate the fanwank, nothing more will become of it, or is supposed to become of it, period.

Scratch that, I take back everything I just said

I just watched the ending again, Tom specifically says that he ends up re-using past faces, "only the favorites"

Everything I just saw leads me to believe he is indeed a FUTURE doctor, well past the regeneration limit, and The Doctor has re-used one of his past faces, and simply aged.

So yes, a future doctor, using a past face.

Well, it's both, isn't it? It is a future Doctor using a past face, AND it is a nice wink to the fans out of which nothing more will come out.