One Brilliant Doctor Who Season 4 Easter Egg That You Probably Missed
Most of Russell T. Davies’ references were hints at the season’s storyline, but some Easter eggs were just there to bring joy to Doctor Who fans.
Davies can’t seem to stay away from Doctor Who for more than a decade (not that we would want him to) – the legacy screenwriter returns to the series as showrunner just in time for the 60th anniversary of the show. Back in 2005, Davies was just the person who revived Doctor Who and brought it into a new era.
His first time as the showrunner is largely remembered as one that had a cozy, homey feel to it and the story arcs that may not have been as game-changing as they have become since, but had a certain charm about them. Each season had its own arc, sometimes extending beyond the season, and Davies would always drop clues here and there about the climactic moment to come in the finale.
Season 1 had the cryptic Bad Wolf message spread across time and space, season 2 had Torchwood written all over it, season 3 introduced the Master but kept referring to him as Harold Saxon throughout the episodes, and season 4 and its subsequent specials referenced the Medusa Cascade, the missing planets, the disappearing bees, Doctor Donna, and “He will knock four times” all too often.
However, some nods to the Doctor’s past adventures were noticeably added just for the sake of fan service. Season 4 two-parter finale is probably the best example of Doctor Who catering to people’s expectations.
From the return of the Tenth Doctor’s former companions and enemies to many references to the past episodes, The Stolen Earth & Journey’s End story was the ultimate ode to the fandom. It marked the beginning of Tennant’s swansong and featured quite a few Easter eggs, one of which even the most attentive of fans might have missed.
In The Stolen Earth, former British Prime Minister Harriet Jones famously makes her grand comeback, sacrificing her life to bring the Doctor back to Earth. At one point, she is explaining how her secret sub-wave network functions and suddenly name drops big time!
She says that the network was “created by the Mr. Copper Foundation.” Does that ring any bells? That’s right, this means that the companion-that-never-was, Mr. Copper from the Christmas episode Voyage of the Damned, has played a big part in how the events of that day have turned out.
If your memory fails you, Mr. Copper was the ship historian who faked his degree in Earthonomics to get the job on the Titanic. Originally from the planet Sto, Mr. Copper hadn’t managed to earn much by the time he wanted to retire, but it turned out that he was rich by Earth’s standards, so he decided to build a new life for himself among the humans.
Even though we never get to see Mr. Copper in the season 4 finale, it’s a nice touch on Russell T. Davies’ part to pay homage to this character in his own way.