Roger ap Gwilliam is the secondary antagonist in Season 1 of the Disney+ era of Doctor Who.
He is the Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2046 who intends to have Britain leave NATO and buy Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal to achieve world dominance, leading the world to the brink of nuclear war. Ruby Sunday, having been foretold of these events by the Doctor, infiltrates his campaign in order to stop him.
He was portrayed by Aneurin Barnard.
Biography[]
Roger ap Gwilliam is a Welsh MP for the Albion Party. Growing up, he never entered public school and instead took on many jobs, calling himself a ‘Jack of all trades’ others, however referred to him as ‘Mad Jack.’ In 2046, he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction by leaving NATO and purchasing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. He is referred to by the Doctor as ‘The most dangerous Prime Minister in history.’
In 2024, after landing the TARDIS in Wales, the Doctor lets slip of Gwilliam’s danger to Ruby Sunday, before accidentally stepping on a fairy circle and disappearing. After reading a memorial for a ‘Mad Jack’. Ruby begins being followed by an old woman who always stands exactly 73 yards from her, and terrifies anyone who interacts with her. As well as this, Ruby hears the legend of 'Mad Jack' from Welsh villagers, who use it to mess with her.
By the time of 2046, the woman is still following her. Ruby sees Roger in a TV debate mention his Mad Jack nickname, concluding she is supposed to stop him, and volunteers to join his election campaign. In an interview, when questioned over his commitment to spending £65 billion on a nuclear arsenal, Gwilliam criticized NATO’s refusal to fire nuclear weapons, indirectly stating his intention to do so. After requesting his editors to cut that part out, he meets Ruby and confirms her support, and also meets fellow volunteer Marti Bridges, who ends up seeing him as a monster.
At Cardiff City Stadium, Gwilliam prepares to host a rally in which he intends to announce plans to buy Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and leave NATO, beginning the events that the Doctor foretold. Ruby then walks into the pitch and stands exactly 73 yards from Gwilliam, leading him to interact with the woman and become terrified, he later even resigns and when questioned by the press over this, he simply replies “ask her” just like everyone else who interacted with her.
40 years later, this history was undone when a dying Ruby becomes the woman and nudges events so that the Doctor does not destroy the fairy circle, thus preventing his disappearance and Ruby’s lonely life. It seems that Gwilliam's history returned to the Doctor's telling of events.
Legacy[]
Roger ap Gwilliam is referenced throughout Empire of Death. While the Doctor and Ruby are trying to work out how to defeat Sutekh, the Memory TARDIS shows an interview where Gwilliam mentions wanting to make DNA testing compulsory for the entire population. The Doctor realised that Ruby's mother would have had to give a sample, and thus they headed to 2046. While at the Department of Health, the Doctor mentions witnessing Gwilliam's downfall in said building.
Connection to "Mad Jack"[]
Roger ap Gwilliam seems to have a curious connection to Mad Jack. This figure is first mentioned after the Doctor accidentally steps into the fairy circle, when Ruby reads a scroll with the message "Rest in peace, Mad Jack", which she presumed was a memorial. Immediately afterward the Doctor vanishes, and when Ruby reaches the Y Pren Marw pub, the local Enid mentions "The Spiteful One" describing him as a supernatural being that walks through the liminal spaces between magic and reality. When Ruby mentions Mad Jack, the locals claim that he was a mad killer, and the scroll was a charm to prevent him returning. However, it turned out they were pranking her to poke fun at the "superstitious Welsh" stereotype.
However, given that the Doctor Who universe has become far more supernatural since the events of Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle, it is entirely possible that these "superstitions" may be true. Roger's comments about his motivations somewhat ties into the Spiteful One title, as they seem to come from a place of bitterness. He also seems to have an almost supernatural effect on the public, winning a General Election with a "majority of 92". In the Doctor's version of events, it's implied that while Roger was dangerous, humanity managed to pull itself away from the brink and overthrow him. It is possible that in this version of events, the entity Mad Jack was unleashed when the fairy circle was broken, and ended up merging with Roger, making him far more likely to succeed with his goal of domination. It should be noted that this is merely one interpretation of the events of the episode.
Trivia[]
- Roger ap Gwilliam resembles various right-wing politicians, such as Nigel Farage.
- Coincidentally, this is the second episode in a row where the Doctor kickstarted a plot, including one for a villain, by stepping on something. In the previous episode, Boom, he stepped on a very powerful landmine from the Villengard Corporation.
- It is implied that Roger begins sexually abusing Marti throughout the rest of his campaign, as evidenced by her shakily referring to him as ‘a monster’ upon his successful election and his inviting her, and only her to a celebratory party in Cardiff.
External Links[]
- Roger ap Gwilliam on the Doctor Who Wiki
