Could the Daleks trigger Captain Jack Harkness' transformation into the Face of Boe in the upcoming Doctor Who holiday special? 2020 has been a relatively quiet year for Doctor Who in television terms, following the conclusion of season 12 way back in March. Viewers were left reeling from the dramatic Timeless Child reveal, which upended The Doctor's backstory and biology to an unprecedented degree, and Doctor Who season 12 ended with Whittaker being taken prisoner by the Judoon, who are under the employ of a clandestine Time Lord agency known as The Division. Right now, Thirteen looks destined to celebrate New Year from an extra-terrestrial jail cell.
Now confirmed to air on January 1st 2021, "Revolution of the Daleks" introduces a brand new look for Doctor Who's iconic villains, who now appear to be working hand-in-hand with the British government. Evidently, Brexit negotiations have not gone well. Fortunately for the people of Earth, Captain Jack Harkness is on the case. John Barrowman made his long-awaited Doctor Who return in season 12, but was denied a reunion with The Doctor herself. "Revolution of the Daleks" will bring Jack together with Graham, Ryan and Yaz, who must save the Earth from extermination while breaking their friend out of Judoon jail. Chris Noth from season 11's "Arachnids In The UK" will also be returning for this year's holiday festivities.
Captain Jack's involvement with Team TARDIS in 2021 remains unknown, but "Revolution of the Daleks" has all the ingredients to answer a long-running Doctor Who mystery - how John Barrowman's baby-faced flirt became a giant head in a tank.
Everything We Know About Captain Jack Becoming The Face Of Boe
Captain Jack was a regular time-traveling swashbuckler when he first met Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor and Rose, leaving his life as a conman behind to jump aboard the TARDIS. Jack's adventures almost came to a tragic end in the rebooted Doctor Who's first season, as the former Time Agent was zapped by a Dalek while helping to defend the Game Station from invasion, and he died on the spot. In a stroke of fortune, however, Rose Tyler absorbed the energy of the TARDIS and, among other miracles, brought Jack back to life with the added bonus of immortality. Making the most of this new power, Jack survives further brushes with The Doctor, and lives through the entire Torchwood spin-off series, but his ultimate fate is revealed in Doctor Who season 3.
The Ninth Doctor first meets the wise Face of Boe in the year 5 billion, in the dying moments of planet Earth. The over-sized head goes on to become a friend of the Tenth Doctor and Martha, who witness his death in New, New York, 53 years on. The duo are later shocked when Captain Jack Harkness claims his nickname upon joining the Time Agency was "the Face of Boe," revealing what became of The Doctor's undying companion. Exactly how Jack Harkness turned into a telepathic floating face is unknown, and even The Doctor can only speculate. It's possible that the transformation is simply the result of living for billions of years, but there could be a more direct trigger for Jack's unusual metamorphosis.
The Doctor Who Holiday Special Will Have A "Revolution" Of The Daleks
One of the biggest mysteries ahead of "Revolution of the Daleks" is exactly what revolutionary change the whisk-wielding villains shall be implementing on New Year's Day. The episode title could simply reference the Daleks' integration into UK politics, but Davros' creation has a knack of fiddling with their own biology, suggesting their "revolution" will be significantly more grotesque. The Daleks are constantly seeking new ways to evolve and become deadlier. In previous seasons, they've attempted a Dalek/human hybrid, a Power Rangers-esque color scheme, and even renewal via The Doctor's own regeneration energy. The Daleks will go to any lengths to become a more efficient and deadly race of killers, so it's surprising they haven't paid more attention to Captain Jack Harkness. After a few million years, the exterminations probably blur into one, but the Daleks should remember shooting Jack Harkness, a companion of their sworn nemesis, on the Game Station. Having encountered the galaxy's smoothest hero on several occasions since, the Daleks should also have an inkling that Jack possesses the power of immortality.
The regenerative powers of Captain Harkness would be a massive upgrade to the Daleks, if the trait can be harnessed. No more being blasted by futuristic laser cannons, or beaten over the head with a baseball bat - Immortal Daleks would truly be The Doctor's worst nightmare. Gaining such powers would also represent an advancement worthy of the "Revolution of the Daleks" title. The holiday special could see the forces of Skaro target The Doctor's old companion for his "unique" healing qualities, and dissect him one finely-toned muscle at a time to discover the secret for themselves. The capture of Jack might even be the impetus behind the Daleks' latest invasion of Earth, since Harkness was once the planet's protector with Torchwood.
Theory: The Daleks' Revolution Is Behind Jack Becoming The Face Of Boe
Even if the Daleks can bring Jack Harkness to their experiment table and analyze the Time Lord energy sustaining his life, two outcomes are certain. Firstly, the Daleks can't steal Captain Jack's power, as viewers have already glimpsed his future as the Face of Boe. Secondly, the Daleks can't succeed in becoming immortal, otherwise Doctor Who season 13 would be a rather depressing affair - 8 episodes of Daleks conquering the universe system by system, and the Doctor being powerless to stop them. What could happen is constant, brutal Dalek experimentation permanently affecting Captain Jack's biology. Captured by Skaro's finest, Jack would be poked and prodded endlessly. The TARDIS energy would be pulled at, copied, dissected, and blasted as the Daleks' attempt to gain immortality for themselves. The Daleks may not succeed, but they have enough knowledge of Time Lords and time travel to make a dent, and Jack's biology could be forever changed by the ordeal.
It might be unwise to anticipate a transformation from John Barrowman into the Face of Boe right away. More likely, Captain Jack's time as a Dalek test subject will trigger a reaction in his one-of-a-kind biology that will guide his physical evolution away from human, and more towards big-face territory, causing his brain to swell, his body to wither, and telepathic abilities to develop. The tendrils hanging from the Face of Boe's head might even derive from Daleks merging their biology with Jack's.
Potentially, the Dalek dissection of Captain Jack Harkness has already started in Doctor Who. When Barrowman returned in "Fugitive of the Judoon," he was being harassed by nanogenes on a stolen ship, and claimed this was part of a security system trying to reclaim the stolen vessel. As seen in Jack's debut episode, however, nanogenes are more typically used for medical treatment, suggesting Jack is already suffering some kind of genetic alteration. Perhaps the Daleks have been chasing Jack down and experimenting on him for years already, but only in the holiday special will he admit as much to The Doctor - one of the few who know exactly what the future holds for Captain Jack.
What The Dalek Revolution Would Mean For Captain Jack's Future
Jack's immortality was granted following his death-by-Dalek moment in Doctor Who season 1, and it would be fitting if his transformation into the Face of Boe was also caused by the infamous pepper pot villains. Jack's entire life would be defined by encounters with the Daleks. Unfortunately, this theory could also mean "Revolution of the Daleks" will be Jack's final appearance on Doctor Who TV. When the process of transitioning from Jack Harkness to the Face of Boe begins, it'll be very difficult for the captain to continue participating in The Doctor's adventures (as much as Graham carrying Jack's talking head in a tank would be brilliant TV). Beginning the process of turning Captain Jack into the Face of Boe might be the perfect way to draw a line underneath John Barrowman's Doctor Who tenure. The character has been a mainstay of the modern series, but appearances are now few and far between. Jack's future as the Face of Boe is the only big question mark yet to answer, and once that box is checked, Jack and The Doctor might part ways for good. Or the next 4,999,997,980 years, at least.