The Doctor Who season 14 finale, “Empire of Death,” was full of references and nods to previous episodes of the hit sci-fi show. The end of Doctor Who season 14 included several mentions of previous adventures of the Doctor’s, with some occurring as early as the First Doctor’s tenure in the 1960s. References to some of the best Doctor Who episodes of all time were made throughout the episode, which also welcomed back the classic era villain Sutekh to the show.

From Sutekh’s origins, Ruby Sunday’s search for her parents, and the memory TARDIS, Doctor Who looked back at its past in multiple ways. Some of these Doctor Who references were small and subtle, with props from previous episodes lurking in the background of scenes, whereas others were more prominent and directly discussed by the characters. With over 60 years of show lore to enjoy, it was impressive and surprising just how many Doctor Who references were included in “Empire of Death.”

18

Time And The Rani

Mel Meets Einstein

While in the memory TARDIS, the Fifteenth Doctor reminded Mel of one of their previous adventures in which she met the famous scientist Albert Einstein. The Doctor met several historical figures in Doctor Who, and in the Seventh Doctor serial “Time and the Rani,” the Time Lord and his companion not only crossed paths with the legendary theorist but also the Rani herself. Although Mel didn’t initially remember this meeting, she eventually recalled when the Rani kidnapped Einstein alongside a group of other scientists.

17

Tomb Of The Cybermen

The Second Doctor Visits Telos

The Doctor’s many incarnations in Doctor Who famously traveled across all of time and space and visited many different planets. One of these was Telos, which the Second Doctor first landed on in the serial “Tomb of the Cybermen.” Alongside some archaeologists, the Doctor located the lost tombs of the Cybermen and faced the Cybermats and Cyber-controller, both of which were first introduced in this serial. Although Telos wasn’t the Cyber home world, it was a planet the fearsome robotic enemies colonized and later became a native species.

16

The Brain Of Morbius

The Fourth Doctor First Meets The Sisterhood Of Karn

The planet Karn was the home of the Sisterhood of Karn, who the Fourth Doctor first met in the serial “The Brain of Morbius.” Karn became the hiding place of the Time Lord Morbius, who had escaped there from Gallifrey with ease, as the two planets were near one another in the constellation of Kasterborous. Karn once thrived, but after Morbius’ destruction, the planet was destitute and littered with wreckage, which was a result of the Sisterhood, who stopped any spaceships landing in an attempt to protect the Elixir of Life with their telekinetic powers.

15

Doctor Who TV Movie

The Eighth Doctor Saves Earth On New Year’s Eve

The Doctor landed on Earth several times in Doctor Who, primarily because of his fondness for humans and the time he spent on the planet during his exile. One of these times was in the Doctor Who 1996 TV movie. Moments after the Seventh Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, he was fatally shot, which led to his regeneration into the Eighth. In a wild adventure against the Master and a ticking clock heading for midnight, the Doctor’s arrival on Earth was perfectly timed. Alongside Grace Holloway, the Doctor saved Earth from destruction before he kissed his one-time companion goodbye.

14

Rose

The Ninth Doctor Meets Rose Tyler On Earth

Another important moment in Doctor Who history happened because of the titular character’s arrival on Earth. In “Rose,” the first episode of the show after its 2005 reboot, the Ninth Doctor found solace when he met Rose Tyler. After the trauma of the Time War in Doctor Who, the Doctor’s bond with his pink and yellow human offered him a new start in the universe. The Doctor meeting Rose was a life-changing moment for him, so it wasn’t surprising that the Fifteenth incarnation still thought back to the day he landed at the right place at the right time.

13

The Time Meddler

The First Doctor Visits Earth In 1066

One of the earliest time periods the Doctor visited on Earth was in the First Doctor story “The Time Meddler.” The Doctor and Vicki landed in Northumbria in 1066 after new companion Steven’s sudden arrival. They found themselves at the dawn of a Viking uprising, but instead of watching war break out, they became distracted by the presence of the Monk. The Monk was the first other Time Lord introduced in Doctor Who after the titular character and Susan, although the term for the species was yet to be used in the show at this point.

12

Planet Of The Ood

The Tenth Doctor & Donna Noble Visit The Ood Sphere

The Fifteenth Doctor mentioned the Ood Sphere multiple times in “Empire of Death,” which made a lot of sense, considering the past connection he had to the Ood’s native planet. The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble visited it in the season 4 episode “Planet of the Ood,” and this story also contained the first mention of the DoctorDonna in Doctor Who. Although the race of aliens was designed to serve and be staff for other species’, Donna’s attitude toward how they were treated on the Sphere resulted in justice for the Ood and let them finally be at peace.

11

The Daleks

The First Appearance Of Skaro

The Daleks’ home planet, Skaro, was frequented in Doctor Who. The Doctor’s first visit to Skaro happened in the First Doctor adventure and the show’s second-ever serial, “The Daleks.” The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara’s sudden arrival on Skaro in 2064 introduced Doctor Who’s most infamous recurring villains and set up their future in the show’s lore as one of the Doctor’s most dangerous rivals. However, the Daleks weren’t the only species native to Skaro, and team TARDIS also met the Thals, another humanoid race who were significantly less prominent in the show.

10

The Web Planet

The First Doctor Visits Vortis

One of the various planets the Doctor and Ruby revived was Vortis, which the First Doctor first arrived on in the serial “The Web Planet.” It was on Vortis that the Doctor encountered the Menoptera, an alien species with humanoid bodies but a butterfly-like appearance. This adventure was a memorable one for the Doctor, mainly because he didn’t land by choice, and the ship was dragged down to the surface. Once he landed, all the TARDIS’ energy was drained, and the only thing that worked was the scanner, which the Zarbi, another insect-like species from the planet, caused.

9

Meglos

The Fourth Doctor And Romana II Fight The Gaztaks On Tigella

Tigella was another planet that stood out in the Doctor’s mind, especially as his visit during the Fourth Doctor serial “Meglos” resulted in his image being stolen. Alongside the second Romana, the Doctor met the creature Meglos, the last survivor of the Zolfa-Thurans with a cactus-like appearance, who trapped the two Time Lords in a time loop. Meglos escaped to Tigella, a beautiful jungle planet lined with carnivorous plants, which allowed him to blend in. However, the Doctor’s initial visit happened off-screen, as he mentioned to Romana that he already knew the Tigellan leader, Zastor.

8

The Doctor’s Daughter

The Tenth Doctor’s Visit To Messaline Results In Jenny’s Birth

Messaline was the birthplace of the Doctor’s only known child, Jenny, who was born in the season 4 episode “The Doctor’s Daughter.” When the Doctor, Martha, and Donna first arrived, Messaline was war-torn by the conflict between the fish-like Hath and the humans, and Jenny was the result of a genetic machine that pumped out new soldiers to join the fight. Of all the planets that the Doctor could have mentioned in “Empire of Death,” this one made the most sense, as it was where Jenny was created, as well as where her agonizing death happened.

7

The Pirate Planet

The Fourth Doctor And Romana I Find A Part Of The Key Of Time On Calufrax

The Fourth Doctor and first Romana searched for the Key to Time throughout the serial “The Pirate Planet,” which was broken up into several segments. One of these parts was found on Calufrax, an empty planet that was freezing cold and coated in ice. The Doctor had previously visited Calufrax off-screen, although the big difference between the two trips was that when looking for the Key to Time, the Time Lords discovered that the entire planet was actually the segment itself. Hilariously, the Doctor was vocal about how much he disliked Calufrax and called it a “mean little planet.”

6

Turn Left

The Tenth Doctor And Donna Visit A Mysterious Market On Shan Shen

The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble visited Shan Shen in “Turn Left.” After they landed in the 85th century, the pair explored the humanoid-filled planet and its vibrant markets, which led to Donna’s interaction with a soothsayer. The enigmatic fortune teller worked with the Trickster’s Brigade, which was a part of the Pantheon gods in Doctor Who. While Shan Shen was a fascinating landscape, the Doctor’s memory of the planet was shrouded by the memory of Rose Tyler’s return and the words Bad Wolf sprawled across its walls and decorations, as well as the TARDIS’ doors.

5

Pyramids Of Mars

The Fourth Doctor And Sarah Jane Encounter Sutekh For The First Time

While the Fifteenth Doctor showed Ruby his memories of his first interaction with Sutekh on his makeshift screen, clips from the Fourth Doctor serial “Pyramids of Mars” were shown. This was a beautiful moment as it reminded audiences of the legendary Sarah Jane Smith, one of the Doctor’s best companions in Doctor Who, who was present for this adventure. It was saddening that Sarah Jane couldn’t return for “Empire of Death,” as actress Elisabeth Sladen passed away in 2011, although it was appreciated that the show still included her in the fight against Sutekh in a small way.

4

The Girl In The Fireplace

The Tenth Doctor & Rose Tyler Face The Clockwork Droids

The memory TARDIS contained multiple references to old episodes, similar to the Easter eggs in Tales of the TARDIS. One item that was seen in the background of this sequence was the head of a clockwork droid from the season 2 episode “The Girl in the Fireplace.” The Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Mickey Smith’s arrival aboard a mysterious spaceship that used human parts as power resulted in their fight against the clockwork droids, as well as the Doctor’s sweet romance with the historical figure Madame De Pompadour.

3

The Time Of The Doctor

The Eleventh Doctor Makes A Friend Out Of A Cyberman Named Handles

Another familiar face in the memory TARDIS was Handles, the Cyberman head that the Eleventh Doctor adopted as company in the Doctor Who Christmas special “The Time of the Doctor.” As the Doctor faced four of his biggest enemies – the Daleks, the Weeping Angels, the Silence, and the Cybermen, the Time Lord became rather lonely. Handles was the Doctor’s only companion during his self-exile on Trenzalore, and all Cybermen protocols were removed so that it wasn’t a threat. He was absolutely gutted when the Cyberman head died, but luckily, an echo of Handles lived on in the memory TARDIS.

2

The Angels Take Manhattan

The Eleventh Doctor Extinguishes The TARDIS After A Rough Landing

When Mel spotted a fire igniting inside the memory TARDIS, the Doctor quickly rushed to extinguish it. Although the TARDIS frequently caught on fire at different points in Doctor Who, this moment made reference to “The Angels Take Manhattan.” When the Doctor, Rory, and Amy landed in the graveyard, the titular character aimed a fire extinguisher back inside the ship. This was the same fire extinguisher that the Fifteenth Doctor used in the memory TARDIS, which was a fascinating reference. The Doctor remembered the Ponds in many ways, but this was a truly interesting one.

1

The Night Of The Doctor

The Eighth Doctor Becomes The War Doctor

The Eighth Doctor later returned to Karn in the minisode “The Night of the Doctor,” where he regenerated into the War Doctor in preparation for the Doctor Who anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor” in 2013. The Eighth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver was frequently seen in both the Doctor Who TV movie and “The Night of the Doctor,” and it reappeared once again in the background of the memory TARDIS. Although the Doctor had many different sonic designs, it was nice to see one of the lesser-known concepts of his trusty accessory featured in “Empire of Death.”