Is the Series 5-7 Story Arc Actually Explained?

Short answer: Series 6 & 7 are explained, Series 5 isn't. We finally got an explanation of what's so important about the Doctor's name and how Clara could be in all those places, but no explanation of why the TARDIS exploded.

Since the Doctor's name apparently unlocks his tomb, it appears the Silence didn't want anyone to have access to his timestream. They didn't want anyone to have the ability to go in and alter his life. This would almost make it appear that they are the good guys and didn't want anyone to unsave everyone he'd saved. Another possibility, however, is that the didn't want anyone to know about the Doctor's other regeneration. I don't get the problem with knowing, so there's the possibility he's trapped there and is somehow going to escape. He was the only regeneration who actually interacted with Clara and the Doctor. The others all just ran about completely oblivious to them, he was somehow different.

Clara's mystery did turn out to be precisely what some people predicted. There were a number of theories going about how she was splintered in time (similar to Scaroth in City of Death), however, no one seems to have gotten how she was splintered. She shattered herself across the Doctor's life in order to save him at certain key points. It's interesting how we didn't see her saving the ninth or tenth Doctors at all, I think they're saving footage of them because they're going to be appearing in the 50th anniversary.

Two seasons & three years later, we still haven't received an explanation of how the TARDIS exploded. I think we're being led to believe that the Silence did it, but it's not entirely clear. We've received no motive on their part. If they're trying to kill the Doctor, then they're smart enough to realize the effects of blowing up a TARDIS and should really have been able to realize that he wasn't even onboard. I'm still holding onto the theory that the Time Lords did it to execute the Ultimate Sanction since I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary.

I guess Moffat must be saving his explanation of the TARDIS exploding for the 50th anniversary or Series 8. That may actually be separate story arc that has nothing to do with the Silence or the Question. He may simply have planted it so long ago in an effort to keep us watching so we would sit through Series 6 and 7 before finally finding out what happened. He must surely know from the internet that we don't have the foggiest idea, so he's got to explain it at some point or another.

My Theory For the Question, Series 5, & Series 6

I already posted this theory a real long time ago here, but I'm posting it again where it will hopefully get seen more, plus I'm expanding it a little.

The Doctor's name is the passcode to open the Time Lock on Gallifrey. The Doctor chose it because it's only known to a handful of his family and friends. Once the war was over, he was the only person left in the universe who knew it. The Time Lords couldn't open the time lock because (I'm just making this up) a time lock can only be opened by the device that created it. They didn't have access to his TARDIS, so they couldn't open it.

Well for whatever reason, Captain Jack has decided to open the time lock on Gallifrey, and he knows he needs the Doctor's name and TARDIS. He realizes that the Doctor isn't about to just hand over the information, so he decides to ask him on the Fields of Trenzalore, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer.

The Silence realize that someone is going to try to open the time lock, and they want to prevent this. Their first thought is to kill the person who's asking the Doctor his name, but they can't do this seeing as it's an immortal. Their second attempt is to blow up the TARDIS. They fail to realize the consequences of blowing up a TARDIS, or perhaps they don't do it properly, and end up destroying reality and the Doctor has to reboot the universe. Their final attempt is to just kill the Doctor, which they try to do multiple times, and fail.

The only other person who could possibly try to open the time lock is Omega, safe and sound in his antimatter universe, where the Silence can't reach him. That's the only other possibility for who could be asking the question. It can't be the Master, because he must surely already know the Doctor's real name (they were probably friends before they chose those names). It can't be River, because if the Silence wanted to prevent her from asking The Question, all they had to do was not kidnap her, and just let her live a normal life. The only reason River knows the Doctor's name is because she was there when the Doctor revealed it.

Note that this a completely separate theory from this one.

The Case For a Captain Jack–11th Doctor Episode

So it's been over a year since Captain Jack graced the screens of television in Torchwood: Miracle Day. It's also been almost three years since he last appeared in Doctor Who in The End of Time, Part 2. I think it's about fair time he made a return, and here's why.

During the Moffat era, not one mention or appearance of any RTD era companion has been made in Doctor Who. The only companions who wouldn't need a fair bit of finagling to bring back are Martha and Jack. I really don't want to bring Martha back, seeing as she's rather overused in Doctor Who. After her initial departure, she's been brought back multiple times, and never really did anything. She's kind of a useless character in my opinion. She served no useful purpose in either of her appearances in Series 4. Jack has actually accomplished something in each of his appearances.

Jack would be good when the Master returns. The Master is just about the most cunning villain out there, and Jack has exactly the right type of military training to go up against him. I'd love to see Jack's reaction to the fact that the Master is still alive; I think Jack would just try to outright kill him on the spot. Jack and Clara could go off and deal with one thing, while River and the Doctor could deal with another, and both pairs of characters could just flirt endlessly (I think Jack is actually Clara's dad).

Jack is immortal, I'm sure that someone could make an entire storyline out of an immortal character. I actually like to think that the Silence's first attempt to prevent the Doctor from answering The Question was to kill the person who's asking it. Obviously that person outwitted all their attempts, and the Silence viewed it as easier to kill the Doctor. If they can figure out a way to kill someone with the cunning of the Doctor, I'm sure they could figure out a way of killing anyone. Just not someone who can't be killed at all, like Jack. So therefore, I think it's Jack who's asking The Question.

Moreover, with Torchwood on hiatus for the foreseeable future, this could be our only shot at seeing the character in the next year or so. They might even be able to work in a cameo from Gwen Cooper, but I don't want one episode of Doctor Who substituting in for an entire season of Torchwood. Torchwood still needs to make a return, but in the meantime, John Barrowman should totally team up with Matt Smith for an episode.

Doctor Who Future Continuity

So here's my guess for when we're going to find out all the answers to the questions from Series 5 & 6.

As for the importance of the Doctor's name, I think that's going to be explained in Series 7, Part 1. I think this because the Ponds are probably going to be demanding an explanation as to why the Silence want to kill the Doctor. The Doctor will reveal something to them, I'm just not sure if he'll give them the full explanation. If we don't find out then, I think Clara is not going to know anything about this until the 50th Anniversary Specials. At that point there will definitely be a full explanation of why the Silence want to kill the Doctor and why his name is so important. That is the latest date I see this happening. Heck, even if it does get explained to the Ponds, Clara is going to need her own explanation and that's probably going to be the more detailed one.

As for the TARDIS exploding, I think that's definitely going to be explained in Series 7, Part 1. This is just because it's long overdue (I don't think it was ever mentioned at all in Series 6), and Clara is never going to bring it up. The Doctor would have to bring it up in the context of the Silence's other plots, assuming of course it was them at all (see my theory about the Time Lords being behind it). The Ponds would have to bring it up, just because it needs to be brought up by someone because we still don't have a proper explanation.

Some of our questions about River Song may never be answered. She's intended to be this mysterious character, and I think she's going to stay this way. If we know everything about her, that will take away some of the point of the character, and that would have to be the point where they write her out.

Trenzalore and the fall of the eleventh are probably going to take place at the end of Series 8. Moffat is probably going to employ reverse reverse psychology and have "the fall of the eleventh" be exactly what it sounds like, the 11th Doctor's regeneration. Based on current evidence which states that Matt Smith is still going to be here in 2014, I'm guessing he's leaving at the end of Series 8. At that point, the whole Series 5-8 story arc will be wrapped up and the Silence will be no more. Series 9 will feature the introduction of the 12th Doctor and the departure of Clara. Clara's replacement will be introduced either part way through Series 9 or at the beginning of Series 10.