Howling:"Doctor who...?"

In Series 6 we find out that the Silence want to destroy the Doctor in order to prevent him going to the Fields of Trenzalore and answering the First Question, which is apparently "Doctor who...?" For some reason, they believe the answering of the question will lead to something terrible. But this doesn't really make a lot of sense, as the answer to "Doctor who...?" is simple: Doctor nothing; it's just "The Doctor." People have been assuming the answer is the Doctor's true name, but it's not. Why would this so terrify the Silence? 82.2.136.93talk to me 14:56, May 12, 2012 (UTC)

the doctor does have a real name. river whispered it to him in silence in the library/forest of the dead. also, it was revealed in the sound of drums that the doctor chose the name "the doctor", meaning he must have had another name before then, aka his true name. also, madam de pompadore suggested there was something deeper to the question "doctor who". i'm sure there are plenty more examples in the show that hint towards the doctor having a true name which is hidden, but these are just the first examples i can think of. Imamadmad talk to me 09:49, May 13, 2012 (UTC)

Oh, I have absolutely no doubt that the Doctor has a true name he keeps secret for some reason. It just doesn't follow on from "Doctor", if you get my meaning. Hence, the answer to the question "Doctor who...?" would be "Just the Doctor." 82.2.136.93talk to me 16:20, May 13, 2012 (UTC)

well, he does have several doctorates (or the equivalent), so it could be more like "dr. who?" rather than "doctor who?", like "mr. who?" if you were asking a non-doctor what his name was. Imamadmad talk to me 00:46, May 14, 2012 (UTC)

The Third Doctor once claimed to be a doctor in "pracically everything" (I think it was in Frontier in Space), and he definetly does have a real name, so the question Dr. Who does make sense. Obviously the real reason that Dorium phrased the question so awkwardly was just a play on the show's name. The plot wouldn't make any sense if the answer to the question was just "nothing, it's just The Doctor."Icecreamdif talk to me 02:43, May 14, 2012 (UTC)

I'm told that when the 2nd Doctor was being tried on Gallifrey for interference, the court herald was about to read off his full name. The first syllable was "Who," but after that much had been spoken, the Doctor shouted over the rest, saying the proceedings should skip formalities and get to the point. Also, if the Cartmel Master Plan is still in place, the Universe would be a very different place if Rassilon knew to link the Other and the Doctor as the same person. Agonaga talk to me 14:03, June 13, 2012 (UTC)

I don't remember that, but maybe I'll watch The War Games again later. I'll take any excuse to rematch The War Games, really. Anyway, the only person that I can think of coming close to calling him Doctor Who was Wotan(who actually called him that). Either way, I doubt that Moffat is going to take either of those two ridiculously minor instances into account. The audience will probably never earn his real name. Chances are, we'll just see him whispering it to River whenever they do the Trenzalore episode.Icecreamdif talk to me 19:05, June 18, 2012 (UTC)

"Also, if the Cartmel Masterplan is still in place, the universe would be a very different place if Rassilon knew to link the Other and the Doctor as the same person." How so, exactly? Could you explain in more detail, please? 82.20.113.152talk to me 16:00, June 23, 2012 (UTC)


 * It's heavily implied in Cartmel's view of the Doctor's backstory, that the Doctor will go to Gallifrey's ancient past at the end of his lives, under a false name, "The Other." There, he helped Rassilon and Omega found a scientific revolution on Gallifrey, creating Time Lord society.  (Prior to that, Gallifrey was run by a mystical blood cult.)  Rassilon is an insane, power-mad genius and the Doctor did everything in his power to stymie Rassilon's taking over the whole universe.  Rassilon wanted him killed for it.  If Rassilon ever found out which of his citizens was destined to frustrate his ambitions, he could manipulate things, weakening the Doctor, or using him in all sorts of ways.  (Lord Presidents have astounding, unique powers over time.)  Obviously if you screw with the Doctor's life starting from before he left Gallifrey, the entire universe is at risk.  76.125.217.103talk to me 14:51, July 3, 2012 (UTC) (User:Agonaga, just too lazy to sign in.)


 * Well, Cartmel has nothing to do with the show anymore, so I doubt that any of that is still in effect. Besides, in the televised "Cartmel Masterplan" stuff, weren't most of the references in the past tense (like the Doctor implying that he was around for the creation of the stellar manipulator). Either way, with the time lock in place, the Doctor really can't go back to ancient Gallifrey now.Icecreamdif talk to me 02:38, July 11, 2012 (UTC)


 * It's past tense until you remember it's an action he took at the end of his lives - before chucking himself into Gallifrey's genetic stock, and being reborn Matrix's-Neo-style at Otherstide. And, I thought it'd been suggested that the Other was involved more fully in Rassilon's whole revolution over the Pythia, to the point of being essentially the curmudgeon who kept Rassilon credible - and kept Rassilon in check.  Considering how bad the War, Gallifrey's final administration, and the Doctor's solution to it all were for the universe, I would expect the Doctor to see this end-of-life destiny, as his only legit chance for a total do-over - putting our Doctor up against a young revolutionary Rassilon as the worst companion ever. And for marketing purposes, they'd have just sold all fans a ticket to any series reboot they'd ever wanna do, right when the show was supposed to neatly end :)  Anyway - just having fun with the guesses. Agonaga talk to me 23:29, July 18, 2012 (UTC)