The latest episode of Doctor Who season 12 blew fans’ minds when none other than John Barrowman showed up, returning as Captain Jack Harkness for the first time in almost a decade. The actor has been campaigning for a comeback ever since spinoff Torchwood ended in 2011, with Whovians everywhere also repeatedly demanding more from the immortal Time Agent.
Well, finally, at long last, it happened last night. But is it just a one-off appearance, or have we not seen the last of Jack this year? Radio Times put this to Barrowman during an interview with him and the actor gave us hope as he pointed to the character’s last line in the episode being a possible hint that there’s more to come from him this season.
“Without quoting a line, he says to…it’s been a while since I filmed it so forgive me for not knowing exactly off the top of my head. He says ‘I’ll be watching – if she needs me, I’ll be there,’ is kind of his last line. So it’s kind of left on a cliffhanger to see what happens.”
When RT tried to draw more out of the star, Barrowman remained tight-lipped. Which may tell us that there’s something he has to be tight-lipped about.
“You can read into it all you want, but I’m not saying a thing. Ha!”
Jack’s extended cameo in the episode, titled “Fugitive of the Judoon,” saw him teleport the Doctor’s companions onboard his (stolen) spaceship in an attempt to reunite with the Time Lord and warn her about the incoming threat of the Lone Cyberman. However, he never actually got to come face to face with his old friend, though he did find out she was now a woman. But will Barrowman get to work with Jodie Whittaker in the future? Again, the actor left things vague.
“Well, I mean if they ever ask Jack back, like I said I’ll come back at the drop of a hat. Hopefully I’ll get to work with Jodie, that would be incredible. That would be really incredible.”
Barrowman does an excellent job of not spilling the beans here, but Jack surely wouldn’t be dropped into this midseason episode without coming back in, say, the finale. Fingers crossed, then, that Captain Jack gets to meet the Doctor again at some point in the second half of Doctor Who season 12.