Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 7, “Wish World.“After being revealed as the Rani at the end of the previous episode,Doctor Whoseason 15, episode 7, “Wish World,” is the first installment to show Anita Dobson’s Mrs. Flood embracing her identity as the villainous Time Lady. With Archie Panjabi also making her debut as another Rani, thanks to a surprise repeat of 2023’s bi-generation twist, the villain who hadn’t been seen sinceDoctor Who’s classic erais now back in full force.Mrs. Flood being revealed as the Raniis a cool twist, but"Wish World” alters Dobson’s performance as the characterin a worryingly noticeable way.
Mrs. Flood has been an important member of theDoctor Whoseason 15 cast. Although her screen time has been limited in the first six episodes, she’s appeared in every installment so far. However,Dobson actually made her debut in 2023’s “The Church on Ruby Road"and acted in a way that immediately caught the viewers' attention. She has displayed a fascinating character trait that immediately sparked speculation about who Mrs. Flood really was. Most of the main theories have now been debunked, but her identity being unveiled has not been without its flaws, with one in particular standing out.
Mrs. Flood No Longer Breaks The Fourth Wall After Being Revealed As The Rani
“Wish World” removes Mrs. Flood’s ability to speak to the audience
In Anita Dobson’s debut episode, she looked right into the camera and addressed the audience. This isn’t something that typically happens inDoctor Who, so it caught the viewers off guard and began the compelling mystery of Mrs. Flood. It wasn’t the only time she acted this way, either. For instance, at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14, she spoke to the audience again and temporarily adopted the role of the episode’s narrator asshe summarized the finale of Ncuti Gatwa’s inaugural run as the Fifteenth Doctor. This pattern continued into season 15, but stopped immediately in “Wish World.”
Mrs. Flood acts far more like a traditionalDoctor Whocharacter in “Wish World,” now that the answer to the mystery has been solved.
Breaking the fourth wall isn’t a trait associated with the Rani, so it feels like showrunner Russell T. Davies only made Mrs. Flood did it to throw viewers off the scent when it came to the topic of her true identity. Granted, it was a fun thing to think about, but disappointing for it to vanish already. Mrs. Flood acts far more like a traditionalDoctor Whocharacter in “Wish World,” now that the answer to the mystery has been solved. It’s almost as though her fourth-wall-breaking ways are being swept under the rug rather than receiving an explanation.
I know there is still one more episode to go, but"The Reality War” looks to have enough to handle with Omega’s return. So,I doubt the show will find the time to explain Mrs. Flood’s fourth-wall-breaking ways, if there is even an explanation to give. Instead, I think the fight against Omega will be the episode’s primary focus, and viewers will just be left to accept that the Rani can, for whatever reason, now acknowledge the audience at will. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying this would be incredibly frustrating, but hopefully that’s not the case.
Doctor Who Has Other Mrs. Flood Questions To Answer Too
Mrs. Flood’s behavior in general needs further explanation
Although the scenes that showed Mrs. Flood’s breaking of the fourth wall are certainly some of the biggest loose ends regarding her character,Doctor Whohas also failed to address other elements of Rani’s stealthy comeback. For instance, Mrs. Flood has seemed inordinately interested in the Doctor’s companions, rather than the Doctor himself. She has lived next door to both Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), even before Fifteen swooped in to take them away in the TARDIS.
Mrs. Flood’s bi-generation scene is only the second inDoctor Whohistory.
Furthermore, there have been occasions when Mrs. Flood has worn clothes incredibly reminiscent of otherDoctor Whocompanions. For example, she dresses like Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald in the season 14 finale, “Empire of Death.” Then again, Kata O’Mara’s original version of the Rani has been known to do this, soMrs. Flood’s cryptic wardrobe was perhaps a clueto the fact that she was a Time Lady in disguise. It could also be argued to be a way of taunting the Doctor while following him through time and space, confident in the knowledge she won’t be identified.
Her apparent obsession with the Doctor’s companions has, quite like her ability to break the fourth wall, disappeared.
Throughout “Wish World,” Mrs. Flood is dressed quite unremarkably. Instead, she returns to an outfit similar to that in “Lucky Day,” whenshe masqueraded as a prison guard and released Conrad Clark(Jonah Hauer-King). Her apparent obsession with the Doctor’s companions has, quite like her ability to break the fourth wall, disappeared. As such, it may not have been as important as the show was making it out to be.
Doctor Who Season 15’s Finale Can Still Fix The Mrs. Flood Rani Twist
“The Reality War” needs to find time to explain Mrs. Flood in more detail
As mentioned earlier,“Wish World” is onlyDoctor Whoseason 15’s penultimate episode, and “The Reality War” will conclude Gatwa’s second run on May 31. Although the show appears to be satisfied with simply outing Mrs. Flood as the Rani and moving on, there is still the chance that “The Reality War” will address the remaining questions that loom over the character now shared by Anita Dobson and Archie Panjabi. If so, it would have to do so while navigating an episode that will be dense with further twists and turns.
“The Reality War” is a title that comes loaded with potential meaning and could pay off all these moments that break the fourth wall.
Of course, Mrs. Flood hasn’t been the only element ofDoctor Who’s Disney erathat has toyed with the fabric of the show’s fictitious nature. There have been other moments that suggest various characters are aware they’re in a TV show. Just two examples include the Doctor winking at the camera in season 14’s “The Devil’s Chord,” andFifteen meetingDoctor Whofans in season 15’s “Lux.“So, “The Reality War” is a title that comes loaded with potential meaning and could pay off all these moments that break the fourth wall.
If so, thenthe Rani’s unexplained ability to speak to the audience could be wrapped up in a blanket solutionfor everything that has seemed uncharacteristic forDoctor Whoin recent years. If Mrs. Flood’s meta moments turn out to be a symptom of a larger problem with the fabric of reality, I would be fine with that as an explanation. What would be far less satisfying is ifDoctor Whofails to ever acknowledge what has long made Mrs. Flood so interesting.
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