What's in Room 11 (Doctor Who's Biggest Unsolved Mystery)

In the Doctor Who episode 'The God Complex', the Doctor opens the door to the mysterious Room 11 and looks inside. However, while the Doctor does see it's occupant, we the audience do not. An explanation was provided a couple of years after transmission but I am not satisfied with it and so in this video, I set out to provide my own explanation... for what's inside... Room 11.

Hope you enjoy the video!

[dwfan-]

Room 11 is one of my favourite early 2010s era Doctor Who mystery boxes and I, personally, was not satisfied with the ‘resolution’ it got in the 11th Doctor’s swan song. So I decided that in this video I would give my best guess, substantiated with evidence from the show, to what the original contents of the room were. I hope you enjoy the video.

I wonder how many people are still going to think they’re geniuses for mentioning Time of the Doctor.

[doctorwhomst]

Never really thought about it like that. Matt Smith himself theorised that it was every incarnation of the doctor hanging in a noose with an empty one waiting for 11. I really like that headcanon.

[wachyfanning]

The episode is called "The God Complex". Moffat was known for turning the Doctor into a stort of god. Makes sense that the Doctor seeing himself there, worried that he was taking too much control, literally becoming a god of time.
Especially after Waters of Mars.

[smoothblink]

On a somewhat related note, Rory not having a room is always brought up as out of character/a plot hole in Complex, but I'm not sure it is.  Since the Hotel doesnt actually feed off fear but faith (particularly an extreme or dedicated faith), Rory is the only one out of them not to have THAT specifically.  He doesn't believe in the Doctor, Amy or even himself absolutely.  He's too insecure, but it works in his favor here.  So I never took it to mean Rory didn't have any serious fears.  I mean, Rita was pretty fearless and her faith was totally harmless - but it was genuine, and that's what counts.  It's interesting that having no faith doesn't make Rory a better person, he just got lucky.

[SFox-ifid]

I remember when first seeing this episode that I thought the answer was obvious..the room number, the comment 'Who else?', the fatalistic smile, the cloister bell. There are so many references to his fear of his own dark side, the Timelord Victorious, his comments to Wilf regarding how easy it is to fall into the path his friend the Master took. 'Good men don't need rules..today is not the day to find out why I have so many.'

[Ian.Ian_BoBian]

I always liked to think the doctor’s room contained the full on Valeyard. Especially at the time if we think about how he’s technically meant to be the last incarnation. He was probably VERY paranoid that given the prophecy, he was destined to have all of his darkness manifest

[mrmister]

Fun Fact: In the thirds doctors story "The Mind of Evil" you can also see his fear. He saw fire which was a reference of the events of the previous seasons episode "Inferno" where he traveled into a parallel universe which ended up in flames (he also saw cybermen and daleks). Anyway you can also see the masters greatest fear which is laughed at from the doctor which I find very hilarious. I wish new who would be so random

[onftbb]

I figured the exit door was Rory’s room. It only appeared to him and attracted him to it before turning back to the group. Just a thought.

[thysens]

I think if we were to look at it in hindsight, his big fear would’ve surely been the Moment. Pressing that button is something he had repressed for hundreds of years. It is his ‘most shameful’ moment, his darkest time. He goes so far as to even denying calling that incarnation of himself ‘the Doctor’. I can’t imagine there would be anything else in the universe that truly scared the Doctor as much as their own ‘mistake’.

Of course, I could see arguments that the Doctor had repressed the memory so much by the Eleventh Doctor’s time (which is mentioned in the 50th anniversary), but I think it’s a flimsy idea because the rooms don’t pull from what you *think* you fear most, they pull from what is genuinely your deepest dread. Deep down, the Doctor always carried that guilt with them.

[sinom]

My theory when first rewatching the god complex is it was the war doctor (or, well, at the time probably the 9th since the war doctor wasn't invented yet). I didn't even remember it was "explained" in the time of the doctor

[jackgillette]

What if when he says, “who else”, it’s referring to not what’s inside the room, but rather who the room is intended for? In other words he sees the room, is drawn towards it, and once he sees what’s inside thinks to himself, “who else”, as in who else could this room belong to (other than himself), who else besides him could understand the significance of what whatever was inside meant, or receive the intended judgement or consequences implied by what lied within? If it was the crack, that explanation might make more sense. Especially him putting the “do not disturb” sign on the door knowing his time has not yet come.

[jesspetty]

i always assumed it was himself. i didn’t even remember the “explanation” later on. gotta love doctor who continuity

[fox]

My headcanon is that room 11 contains a mock interior of the tenth TARDIS and ten himself, during his timelord victorious phase. The Doctor fears going too far, so to see himself in that state would be harrowing.

[GreenGocco]

I sort of think it is John Hurt as the war doctor. As 11 seems determined to not think about the war or even the past at all. As his fear may be acknowledging it/his role in the time war. Not sure if that makes any sense but I think it might work well with the rest of 11th's run.

[ElliotFW]

My theory was that the Doctor’s greatest fear was the death of the TARDIS, hence the cloister bell.

[redjirachi]

I feel that each Doctor would have their own room. Room 11 was the 11th Doctor's specific nightmare. Some examples for other incarnations
* Room 2: Rassilon and Omega, the founders of Time Lord society, wearing executioner's robes. Sort of foreshadowing the 2nd Doctor's fate
* Room 3: We already know his greatest fear in "The Mind Of Evil"

* Room 6: The Valeyard, possibly with the 6th Doctor's appearance
* Room 9: The Doctor as Davros, as I imagine the War Doctor/9th Doctor's greatest fear would be becoming as bad as the Daleks

[SnowCat-nugj]

I kind of interpreted the crack as almost being symboic of the fact his fear is himself (because you're right, it is). It symbolises in series 6 the fact he did something that nearly ended the universe. That he has That much power and doesn't trust himself to wield it. The crack is a manifestation of the concequences of him messing up.

[zayamsbury]

Agree on this. Even on first viewing, it seemed to me that the Doctor himself must be in the room. These shorter shots are great! Topics I'd like seen explored: The Matrix, TARDIS/time travel/the Eye of Harmony, the Time War (a complete history), all references to the Doctor's family (in-show, but also I'd love to hear your thoughts on Lungbarrow), The Cartmel Plan

[Micron]

I'd always assumed it was Doctor Who in his final incarnation in the room, his reaction to it (saying "who else" with a smile before gently closing the door and placing the do not disturb sign) suggests whatever was in there was not an immediate threat, the Doctor wasn't afraid of what was in there but what it represented, the end of his life, the end of Doctor Who.

[BGriffin_UK]

Actually in the 11th doctors last episode that the contents of room eleven was on of the cracks through time (like the one in Amelia Ponds bedroom in his second episode)
The cracks are Matt Smiths recouring villain/event