Season 13 of Doctor Who hit the ground running with a flurry of monsters and mysteries, but could Swarm, the apparent big bad of the season, actually be a Time Lord? “The Halloween Apocalypse” is the first in a six-episode continuous Doctor Who story entitled “Flux.” It’s a bold new direction for the show whose last few seasons have been met with a mixed reception. Flux will also be the final full season for showrunner Chris Chibnall, and Jodie Whittaker’s final season as the Thirteenth Doctor. Both of them will depart the show after a run of specials in 2022.
“The Halloween Apocalypse” adds a number of new alien faces to the Doctor Who pantheon of villains, the most intriguing of which is Swarm. From his skeletal appearance to his as-of-yet undefined psychic powers, he’s already established himself as a formidable opponent for The Doctor. The season premiere, which bounces all around the universe introducing a season’s worth of new elements, doesn’t necessarily focus on Swarm, but he’s clearly tied into the Flux, and likely the one pulling the strings. But could it be that Swarm is more than just a monster of the week?
More than just a powerful foe, Swarm looks to be one of The Doctor’s oldest enemies, and likely, a rival Time Lord. From his enigmatic backstory to his mysterious connection to The Doctor, the character is clearly designed to encourage plenty of Doctor Who fan theories. His full identity isn’t likely to be revealed until the final episode of Flux, but Swarm demonstrates a number of traits that would make him feel perfectly at home amongst the Time Lords. While “The Halloween Apocalypse” largely busies itself with creating a seemingly endless series of new questions, the episode also holds a number of clues as to Swarm’s secret origin.
Every Similarity Between The Doctor and Swarm
Swarm’s first scene reveals one of the most striking similarities between Swarm and The Doctor. Based on what has been shown so far, both characters can regenerate. While the intense blast of lightning and crystal released by Swarm bears little resemblance to The Doctor’s signature splash of regeneration energy, “The Halloween Apocalypse” does actually depict Swarm regenerating on screen. His body changes, not only seeming much younger but afterward, he’s even portrayed by a different actor. Once his epic transformation is over, he shouts, “Renewed at last!” This is a particularly noteworthy choice of words, as “renewal” was the original term for The Doctor’s regenerative ability in the classic series. It’s the same word the Second Doctor used to describe the process after the first Time Lord regeneration in the series.
At first glance, Swarm couldn’t be more different from the quirky and charming Thirteenth Doctor, but the two bear a number of other similarities. Perhaps the most obvious is Swarm’s name. From chameleon arch to hide his Time Lord consciousness in a fob watch.
Swarm’s History With The Doctor
While the Doctor is clearly uncertain about Swarm’s identity, there’s already ample evidence of their shared past. The two are shown having some kind of psychic link, allowing Swarm to plague The Doctor with visions, not unlike the ones that hinted at the Timeless Child reveal in Season 12. While the details are unclear, it’s been established that The Doctor worked for the secret Time Lord agency known as The Division. Swarm’s first scene shows that he was imprisoned by the Division, very possibly at the hands of The Doctor herself. Their shared association with the Division forms the first hard fact about their cryptic, intertwined history.
Shortly after the much-anticipated return of Doctor Who's Sontarans, Swarm appears in the final vision of the episode and makes part of their history explicit. While circling her in a desert dreamscape he asks her if she re him, describing the two of them as having been, “dancing across space and time. Locked in combat.” He even seems to have knowledge of the Doctor’s checkered past with the Division, saying, “They were so efficient. There is not a tiny corner of you that re.” While Swarm’s knowledge of the Time Lord agency could stem from a life as their enemy, it’s also possible that he was once an agent alongside The Doctor.
How Swarm Could Be A Secret Time Lord
Swarm’s visual design may seem to discredit the idea that he’s a Time Lord, but there’s precedent for just this kind of abnormal regeneration in Doctor Who. In the Classic series, season 14, serial 3, “The Deadly Assassin” the doctor encounters The Master, hiding out on Gallifrey. Having reached the end of his regeneration cycle, The Master is a ghastly, skeletal figure, not so different from Swarm. After his plan was thwarted, The Master moved forward as a body-snatcher, desperate to steal The Doctor’s remaining regenerations. Swarm may be in just such a situation. The regeneration on-screen depicts him sapping the life force from a dying Division agent, an agent that may very well be a Time Lord.
While the Doctor has had numerous bouts with old rivals from the Time Lord Academy, Swarm may come from even earlier in the Doctor’s Timeline. Swarm may in fact be a foe from the pre-Hartnell years established in the Timeless Child. If both The Doctor and Swarm were once agents in the Division, they may have even been partners. While it’s clear that the Doctor came out on top in whatever battles they shared, it could be the case that Swarm’s capture was in some way responsible for the Doctor’s memory having been wiped.
“The Halloween Apocalypse” has sparked off a firestorm of debate and speculation regarding Swarm’s identity. With its new format, Flux shows Doctor Who is aiming to tell an epic story, and Swarm looks to be the lens through which Season 13 will explore both the secret history of the Division and The Doctor’s pre-Gallifreyan origins. While his identity is still shrouded in mystery, it’s certain that the gaunt figure ties into The Doctor’s past, and what stronger connection exists in Doctor Who other than the kind found between two Time Lords?