Doctor Who's Wild Susan Twist Cameo Streak Just Got Way More Exciting

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom."

Summary Susan Twist's recurring appearances in Doctor Who suggest a deeper connection beyond coincidence, hinting at a hidden storyline.

The enigmatic Villengard ambulance AI, played by Twist, offers a pivotal role in "Boom."

As Twist's characters become increasingly noticeable, a mysterious trend emerges, possibly tied to temporal forces or the Pantheon.

Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom," includes another guest appearance from an actress who has already played a handful of seemingly unrelated roles in the show's Disney era. While Doctor Who has yet to confirm or deny whether Susan Twist's characters are all connected, it seems unlikely that her ongoing return is the result of mere coincidence. However, Twist's role is impossible to ignore in "Boom," whereas in her previous cameos, she's been much easier to miss.

Susan Twist has secretly been a key member of the Doctor Who season 14 cast, despite little focus being drawn to her presence. With Doctor Who's Pantheon harboring reality-harboring abilities, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that the enigmatic group of villains is at least partially responsible for Twist's ongoing role(s) in the show. That being said, Doctor Who has a history of last-minute plot twists, so the actress' continued return may have nothing to do with Maestro and the others.

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Susan Twist Has ANOTHER Cameo In Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 3

The ambulance's AI is Twist's fifth Doctor Who cameo

Susan Twist continues her streak of Doctor Who appearances by being the face and voice of the Villengard battlefield ambulances in "Boom." Twist has looked quite different in each of her roles in the show to date, so it's understandable why her ubiquity can be easily overlooked. Set on the planet of Kastarion 3, "Boom" is the second time a Susan Twist character has appeared anywhere other than Earth. Although all of her personas have been human in appearance, there's no guarantee that this aligns with her true nature.

Villengard specializes in monetizing warfare, meaning the ambulance AI played by Susan Twist is intentionally ill-programmed.

Villengard is the name of a planet that doubles up as an arms dealer, and it has appeared several times throughout Steven Moffat's run as the Doctor Who showrunner during Matt Smith's and Peter Capaldi's respective eras as the Doctor. So, the mention of Villengard is no surprise when it's considered that "Boom" is also written by Moffat. Villengard specializes in monetizing warfare, meaning the ambulance AI played by Susan Twist is intentionally ill-programmed.

Susan Twist Has A Much Bigger Role In "Boom" Compared To Her Previous Doctor Who Cameos

The Villengard ambulance is hard to miss

Susan Twist appeared in Doctor Who's Disney era as early as the second 60th-anniversary special, "Wild Blue Yonder," where she played a maid named Mrs. Merridrew during the Issac Newton scene. Her other roles have been equally easy to miss, with her most prominent character being the tea lady who serves the Doctor and Ruby in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, "The Devil's Chord." However, Twist's character in "Boom" as the ambulance AI is at the forefront of the action for the first time.

Susan Twist's Doctor Who Characters Leading Up To "Boom" Character Episode Mrs. Merridrew Wild Blue Yonder Unnamed audience member The Church on Ruby Road Gina Scalzi Space Babies Tea lady The Devil's Chord Villengard ambulance AI Boom

Going forward, it would make sense if the Twist characters became increasingly more noticeable in Doctor Who season 14. This is especially likely when it's considered that "Boom" is the first time the Doctor actually sees any of the Susan Twist characters. In "Wild Blue Yonder," the Fourteenth Doctor never sees Mrs. Merridrew. In "The Church on Ruby Road," Twist plays an unnamed member of the crowd at Ruby's gig.

Twist's character in "Space Babies" is named Gina Scalzi, and both the Doctor and Ruby are looking away from the screen at the time of her video message.

Twist's character in "Space Babies" is named Gina Scalzi, and both the Doctor and Ruby are looking away from the screen at the time of her video message. In "The Devil's Chord," Twist portrays a tea lady at Abbey Road Studios, but neither the Doctor nor Ruby are facing her when they pay for their hot beverages. So, it makes sense that the Doctor would not recognize the AI in "Boom." However, now that he has seen Twist's face, the Doctor is more likely to notice a trend emerging.

Predicting What Doctor Who's Susan Twist Cameos Actually Mean

Temporal forces could explain Twist's ongoing return to the show

There is clearly something "Timey-wimey" going on with Susan Twist's catalog of characters, as she appears to be the same age no matter where in the timeline she pops up. Additionally, interstellar travel doesn't seem to be an issue for the enigmatic persona(s) the actress embodies. While the Twist phenomenon may be connected to the Pantheon, it could specifically be The One Who Waits that Doctor Who is teasing.

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Of course, actors have played multiple roles in Doctor Who before, and their characters aren't always necessarily connected. For Susan Twist, it appears as if there is a common thread tying her Doctor Who characters together, even if it's only very slowly being unveiled. What's perhaps less likely is that Susan Twist is playing another Time Lord, as that theory doesn't address the complete mystery. However, Susan Twist's true character may have experienced something similar to Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald, who had various versions of herself scattered through the Doctor's timeline during the Moffat era of Doctor Who.

Episode Disney+ Release Date "Space Babies" & "The Devil's Chord" May 10 "Boom" May 17 "73 Yards" May 24 "Dot & Bubble" May 31 "Rogue" June 7 "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" June 14 "Empire of Death" June 21