Peter Capaldi’s Role in ‘Torchwood’ Still Bothers ‘Doctor Who’ Fans to This Day
Among all the British TV shows, Doctor Who is one of the most popular ones out there. Even people in the United States got drawn into the various storylines. The show has a unique way of reinventing itself, and fans love its complex portrayal of humanity.
The sci-fi series has extensive lore due to it having been around for decades. While deep lore has its upsides, fans have noticed a few plot holes and inconsistencies. One irregularity involves Peter Capaldi and his roles in Torchwood and Doctor Who.
Peter Capaldi’s roles in ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Torchwood’
For a few seasons, Capaldi starred in Doctor Who as the Doctor. The actor played the 12th incarnation of the character before he passed the mantle to Jodie Whittaker. The 12th Doctor appeared after the Time Lords granted the character another regeneration cycle. Viewers can recognize him by his bushy eyebrows and black waistcoat.
Like the other Doctors, Capaldi’s version of the character likes to help people. However, the 12th Doctor is not overly concerned if other people approve of him. While he is more mature, some fans may think of him as mean-spirited. Others consider the Doctor to be a thrill-seeker.
In the spinoff series Torchwood, Capaldi played a character named John Frobisher. The show introduces John as Permanent Secretary to the Home Office. He is the civil servant that gets placed in charge of the 456 incident.
John has a wife and two daughters, and he works alongside his devoted assistant, Bridget Spears. In the end, he prevents his family and himself from meeting a terrible fate that the government wanted for them.
An unexplained inconsistency between Peter Capaldi’s characters
Since Torchwood exists in the same universe as Doctor Who, fans noticed the inconsistency of Capaldi playing different characters in both shows. Of course, the actor also appeared in the Pompeii episode of Doctor Who as Caecilius. However, the show explained it as the 12th incarnation basing his appearance on the ancient Roman.
According to Screen Rant, there does not seem to be clarification for the inconsistency between John and the Doctor. It would seem the creators never provided one, and people forgot about the low-level government official over time. Fans of both shows occasionally remember and feel bothered by it.
For years, fans have had to come up with reasons of their own. Some people may suggest that John is a descendant of Caecilius. Ancestry could link everyone to eliminate the inconsistency.
This would not be the first time Doctor Who presented irregularities by having an actor appear in a minor role before coming back for a bigger part. Viewers can spot a few well-known actors in earlier episodes.
What else has Peter Capaldi been up to?
Fans of Capaldi’s work may recognize him in other films and TV shows. He played Mr. Curry in Paddington and its sequel. The actor also made an appearance in World War Z and In the Loop. Recently, he landed a part in The Suicide Squad as The Thinker, and the film will release in August 2021.
Most of Capaldi’s roles have been in the television industry. Besides Doctor Who, he starred in a few episodes of Getting On as Dr. Peter Healey. The prolific actor has been in several documentaries. Currently, Capaldi is filming for the TV series The Devil’s Hour.
Capaldi has done some performances for stage productions throughout his career. In the previous month, he starred in Constellations. Capaldi has kept himself busy after leaving Doctor Who. It is likely that many fans may still consider the actor as the Doctor.
