7

In the beginning of The Return of Doctor Mysterio, the Doctor reveals to a young Grant that

Superman and Clark Kent are the same person.

What was the Doctor's goal? What did he hope to achieve?

Of course Grant already knew, but that's neither here nor there. The Doctor wasn't aware of that. So why did he say it?

Improve this question
2
  • It’s possible that he doesn’t actually know who they are, but given his other pop culture knowledge, I doubt it. He was probably just being funny (or being what he considered funny).
    – Adamant
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:37
  • The Doctor just forgot.
    – Elliott Frisch
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 13:52

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
14

The Doctor, having not encountered the Superman comics beforehand and only seeing a single example, was expecting that he'd discovered an enormous secret, one that he couldn't help but share and that would demonstrate his cleverness to the small child he'd just met. Note his disappointment when the child told him that ...

everyone knows that

... which then led to him showing off some more on the roof, precipitating the events of the episode and introducing the idea of a comic-book style hero with a pathetically simple disguise that any fool can see through.

Improve this answer
7
  • 1
    @Adamant - His visible disappointment suggested that he hasn't read the comics before. Failing that, he may simply have been trying to distract the boy/have fun at his expense/amuse himself/test him in some way. Really it's not clear what the Doctor knows/remembers after 1500+ years, much of which has been spent off-world.
    – Valorum
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:41
  • 2
    I lean toward the “amuse himself” theory. He’s mentioned many pop-culture details both well-known and obscure in the past, so his having missed Superman would have been strange. But it is possible that he just never got around to reading a Superman comic or watching a Superman movie.
    – Adamant
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:43
  • 1
    @Adamant - A very quick search suggests that his tastes lean more toward high culture (multiple references to poetry, opera, orchestras) rather than pop-culture. We do know that he's read at least one comic but it's very outdated.
    – Valorum
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:44
  • 1
    I think I'll have to watch it again. Not now though; at work. Later. In the meantime, have an upvote.
    – Mr Lister
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:45
  • 2
    He was also surprised to learn that we had movies like "Alien" which were horror movies. "No wonder the aliens dislike you"
    – Mr Lister
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 7:46
3

Because he'd just figured it out, and wanted to share this amazing information with another fan of the series. That's what fans do. Theorise and share. Indeed, that's the entire purpose of this very site!

The joke in the scene is that Grant, like everyone else, already knew.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.