15 Shocking Doctor Who Plot Twists That Nobody Saw Coming

Well, that was unexpected.

Ah, Doctor Who. After 51 years on our screens, it still possesses the power to leave us on the edge of our seats. Well, for those of uus who aren't hiding behind the sofa, anyway. It's not surprising, really, given that the format of the show allows it go anywhere and any when. The show isn't constricted by time and space which means that, narratively speaking, quite literally anything can - and will - happen. Just take the Master's shock return as a woman at the end of the last series, for example (and you can bet that the renegade Time Lord will make more than just this one appearance on this list, too). Nobody could have predicted that Missy was a female incarnate of the Doctor's formidable arch nemesis and it was proof that you don't have to worry that the show is in danger of becoming stale and predictable. When the writers are running low on ideas (which, let's face it, is never), they can simply give a character a sex change or do something just as dramatic in order to catapult the show off in an exciting new direction. As the revived series of Doctor Who (or the new series or 'NuWho', or whatever the hell you want to call it) enters its 10th anniversary year, it's as good a time as any to look back over the last decade at some of its most Earth-shattering plot twists that nobody saw coming. From surprise companion comebacks, dramatic doppelgängers and even the odd soufflé surprise to boot, you're bound to come across something on this countdown that managed to shock your Whovian being to its very core. Even if you did manage to preempt a surprise, it's usually just as rewarding due to its execution alone. With that in mind, let's take a trip in the TARDIS to revisit the show's most memorable shocks and surprises tho have graced our screens since the Doctor's return in 2005. And there's been plenty of 'em...

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Doctor Who Editor
Doctor Who Editor

Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.