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Doctor Who just revealed its first Black Doctor ever, and fans are losing their minds

Doctor Who fans are in full celebration mode today. During Sunday night’s episode, “Fugitive of the Judoon,” the Doctor, currently played by Jodie Whittaker, defends a tour guide named Ruth Clayton, played by Jo Martin, from the impending threat of the mercenary police. However, Ruth Clayton isn’t just a tour guide. She’s actually another incarnation of the Doctor.

This means Martin is the first Black Doctor incarnation in the show’s half-century history, and fans are obviously freaking out.

It also means Martin is only the second female Doctor, alongside Whittaker’s current iteration. Martin is a celebrated British actress, known for her role on BBC One’s The Crouches. The Doctor Who creators sneakily cast Martin as another Doctor, and the reveal was straight-up jaw-dropping.

The show seemingly plans to work Martin’s character, Clayton, into the current season’s plot line, which revolves around the destruction of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey.

It’s unclear when Martin’s Doctor character was *the* Doctor in the universe’s timeline. However, fans think she may have been the Doctor long before the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell throughout the 1960s. This belief was formed because Whittaker’s Doctor cannot recall Clayton’s form; therefore, she must have appeared long before Whittaker’s incarnation.

Needless to say, fans are thrilled with Martin’s casting and can’t wait to find out more about her timeline.

She may be the actual First Doctor, and that’s a super exciting prospect.

The fact alone that we have two female Doctors working side-by-side is also a big deal.

The bottom line is: If you’ve tuned out, it’s time to tune back in to Dr. Who.

We’re so excited to learn more about Ruth Clayton and see her appear in more episodes this season (and hopefully beyond).