Doctor Who Episode 6 guest star already appeared in the Whoniverse

Doctor Who Season 14 Episode 6 takes a step back in time for a Bridgerton-style story. But if the head villain looks a little familiar, it’s because you’ve probably already seen them in the Whoniverse.

Episode 6, ‘Rogue’, is a brilliant historical throwback, taking the Doctor and Ruby into Regency era England. (Check out our ‘Rogue’ review for more thoughts on that!) Taking a page straight out of Bridgerton’s book, they become embroiled in a dramatic, romantic drama.

It also boasts some of the best guest stars in Doctor Who Season 14 so far, with both Jonathan Groff and Indira Varma joining the adventure. But this isn’t Varma’s first time appearing in the sci-fi universe. In fact, she’s already played a Doctor Who villain, appearing in the spinoff series, Torchwood.

Torchwood ran from 2006-2011, exploring the shady organization established in the 2005 Doctor Who revival. It also starred Captain Jack Harkness, who traveled with the Doctor for a time.

Whereas the main series was predominantly for children and young adults, Torchwood was a TV show for the grown-ups. It was sexy, scary, and far more intense than the standard Doctor Who adventures.

Varma (who also played Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones) starred as Suzie Costello in the spinoff, second-in-command of Torchwood Three. Suzie eventually became obsessed with the idea of cheating death, a goal which led to her downfall and caused her to commit several atrocities.

Now, Varma returns as The Duchess in ‘Rogue’, a very different role to her previous Torchwood experience.

“The Duchess is from Regency Era England,” she told Digital Spy. “She’s a woman of society and is throwing an enormous party. It’s all very fabulous and fashionable, her costume is amazing. We find her at the center of it all. She’s the polar opposite to Suzie. The Duchess has her own agenda but she’s whimsical, greedy and playful.”

“My character in Torchwood, Suzie, was only meant to be in the first episode,” she added. “She was set up as one of the gang, but turned out to be the rotten egg and died. But then, as you can in the Whoniverse, was brought back to life for an episode as she was the only one who knew how to use the magic glove!”

For more Who, check out all the biggest Doctor Who Season 14 theories and Season 14 villains. You can also find out when the new episode of Doctor Who is out, so you don’t miss a thing.