Doctor Who Flux: 10 Huge Questions After Once, Upon Time
8. Why Did The Doctor Flee From The Division?
In Fugitive of the Judoon, the Doctor is hiding from the Division using the Chameleon Arch to transform herself into a human. So what happened between the successful capture of the Ravagers and the Doctor becoming a fugitive on Earth? The Doctor seems to be fully on board with the Division’s goals and she believes that the extreme punishment is necessary, but the story cannot end there. The fact that the Doctor wants to leave the Division suggests she isn’t entirely on board with the organisation and their efforts to control time. Perhaps she is playing them and secretly working with either Swarm or Azure.
It cannot be a coincidence that when we first met Azure she was disguised as a human, just like the Fugitive Doctor. Did the Doctor save Azure from Swarm’s fate thanks to a pang of conscience, or because the Ravagers are a link to her pre-Gallifreyan past? Did the Doctor believe she could redeem Azure? If she did, then it looks like her hopes were unfounded, but it does fit with the Doctor’s idealistic streak.
Alternatively, could Swarm and Azure have already done something to make the Doctor need to prove herself? The use of the Chameleon Arch on Azure could be the punishment of ‘identity erasure’ and not an act of protection. The impression given by the dialogue is that the Doctor is doing this mission to save herself, and it’s worth noting that one of her team wants to reassure her that the Division will keep their word. Is the whole thing some kind of loyalty test?