You Probably Missed Doctor Who Season 14’s Brilliantly Meta Ncuti Gatwa Reunion

• Doctor Who season 14, episode 5 featured a meta cameo from Ncuti Gatwa’s former co-star.
• Lindy Pepper-Bean interacts with Dr. Pee, a urine specialist played by Max Boast.
• Max Boast’s character shares a name with Tom Baker, a pivotal figure in Doctor Who history

Doctor Who season 14, episode 5 featured a brilliantly meta cameo from one of Ncuti Gatwa’s former cast mates that probably went unnoticed by the vast majority of viewers. So far, Doctor Who season 14 hasn’t been short on guest appearances, with famous faces such as Jinkx Monsoon, Aneurin Barnard, and Anita Dobson all popping up along the way. While the latest episode may not have been packed with A-list stars, it did feature a delightfully crafty cameo.

Entitled “Dot and Bubble”, Doctor Who season 14, episode 5 took place in Finetime, a city populated by social media-obsessed young adults who communicate via a bubble-shaped interface that forms around their heads. A Doctor and companion-lite episode, “Dot and Bubble” predominantly focuses on the character of Lindy Pepper-Bean, with Doctor Who season 14’s main characters only appearing in person at the very end. Among the many personalities that populate Finetime is one who has a highly pleasing Ncuti Gatwa connection.

Sex Education Was The Show That Thrust Ncuti Gatwa Into The Spotlight

Possibly the strangest character to appear in “Dot and Bubble” is Dr. Pee. As his name suggests, Dr. Pee is a urine specialist who appears on Lindy’s bubble interface to tell her when she needs to go to the toilet. The character is something of a running gag throughout the episode. However, arguably the better joke is that Dr. Pee is played by Ncuti Gatwa’s fellow Sex Education alumnus, Max Boast.

Ncuti Gatwa played Eric Effiong, one of Sex Education‘s main characters, for the Netflix show’s entire run. Meanwhile, Boast appeared in two episodes of Sex Education‘s first season. The nature of the episode meant that Gatwa and Boast didn’t share any scenes in “Dot and Bubble.” Nevertheless, the fact that one of Gatwa’s fellow Sex Education stars made an appearance in his debut Doctor Who season is a neat move for the series. There’s also a tinge of irony to it, given that the reason Gatwa didn’t appear more in episode 5 is that he was too busy filming Sex Education‘s final season.

Max Boast’s Sex Education Character Name Makes His Doctor Who Cameo Even Better

He Shares A Name With A Monumental Figure Of The Show’s History

Max Boast’s appearance in Doctor Who season 14 isn’t his only connection to the show. In fact, Boast’s Sex Education character shares a name with a very well-known Doctor Who-related figure: Tom Baker. It’s well-known that Tom Baker played the role of the Fourth Doctor for a lengthy stint during the sci-fi series’ original run. Known for his long scarf, curly hair, and whimsical personality, the fourth version is widely regarded as one of the most beloved incarnations of The Doctor, and much of his popularity can be attributed to Baker’s portrayal.

In contrast, the Tom Baker who appears in Sex Education is a geeky student who is caught sending an intimate photo of a girl to his friend. In other words, besides their names, the two Tom Bakers share very little in common. It’s unclear whether Sex Education‘s Tom Baker is a deliberate reference to the actor. Equally, it’s not known whether Max Boast’s casting in “Dot and Bubble” was intentional or just a happy coincidence. Either way, fans can now say that a Tom Baker has appeared in Doctor Who season 14.