The Face of Boe is a major protagonist in the Ninth and Tenth Doctor eras of Doctor Who. He is an alien who is heavily implied to be an elderly Captain Jack Harkness.
Personality[]
Very little is known about the Face’s personality. However, he appeared to be friendly and approachable, and as such was good friends with the Doctor. He was quite mysterious, with his origins shrouded in mystery. However, he was also selfless and caring. Being billions of years old, he grew tired of life and wished for death. He finally gained it on New Earth and welcomed it.
Biography[]
He was one of the oldest creatures in the known universe - by the time of his death, he was the oldest. In 200,000, Bad WolfTV reported he had fallen pregnant. His daughter was named Boemina. In the End of the World, he sponsored an event to witness the death of the Earth safely, nearly being killed by Cassandra O’Brien but being saved by the Ninth Doctor.
In New Earth, the Face was hospitalised in Ward 26 of the Sisters of Plentitude’s hospital, being looked after by Novice Hame. By this time, he was the last of his kind and was worshipped in several galaxies as a god. Feeling weary of his long life, he wished to tell the Tenth Doctor his "great secret", which would, according to legend, only be spoken to "the lonely god". However, after the Doctor managed to cure plague carrying "patients", the Face revealed that he had been inspired to look at the universe differently, promising to utter his secret in a third and final meeting, before teleporting away.
In Gridlock, set in 5 billion and 53, the Face of Boe met the Doctor once more. In the years after, he had taken on Hame into his service as penance for her order's crimes. After New New York fell to a highly infectious disease, the Face was able to protect her, with only them and the Undercity being left alive. To save the Undercity from collapse, the Face wired himself into the city's infastructure to keep to going with his own lifeforce. When the Doctor began to reactive the equipment to open the Undercity, the Face gave up the last of his lifeforce to help him. This shattered his tube, and he was left sprawled on the floor. Enjoying breathing natural air for the last time, the Face elected to accept his death, despite the Doctor's pleas, and finally beathed his secret, that the Doctor was "not alone", and breathed his last.
Trivia[]
- He is a reference to an obscure narrative poem by Rudyard Kipling, The Ballad of Boh Da Thone, in which the titular character is beheaded.
- Jack Harkness was meant to be confirmed as the Face, by getting beheaded by the Headless Monks during the Battle of Demons Run. However, Miracle Day was filming in America at the time, leaving John Barrowman unable to take part in the 777th episode.
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