Will Doctor Who Finally Honor the Rani’s True Legacy in the Upcoming Finale?

by

With the stunning disclosure that Mrs. Flood, portrayed by Anita Dobson, is in fact an ancient foe of the Doctor’s, a significant query arises: how will the series manage to appropriately develop this character?

At long last, after over a year of anticipation and guesswork, it was conclusively established towards the close of The Interstellar Song Competition that Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) indeed assumed the role of the Rani, or more precisely, “a Rani” – one half of the freshly created duo.

She stepped out from two generations, swiftly bowing to what seemed a stronger iteration of herself. This formidable figure introduced herself as the true queen, referred to as The Rani, portrayed by Archie Panjabi.

So far, the character known as the Rani has only appeared in classic episodes of Doctor Who. Her first appearance was in the 1985 story featuring the Sixth Doctor (played by Colin Baker), titled “The Mark of the Rani”. The role of the Rani has been played only once on screen, by the renowned actress from Dynasty, Kate O’Mara.

Fans have been eagerly waiting for the reappearance of this character since the Doctor Who revival in 2005. Whenever a secretive female figure emerged, fans would inevitably exclaim: “It’s the Rani!” However, as many have noted, the Rani is like a bus – you wait and wait for one to arrive, and then two show up all at once!

Now, a fresh duo of Rani’s are all set, poised to unleash havoc in the grand finale. They hinted at this in the intriguing mid-credit sequence last week: “Regarding the Doctor… I shall inflict upon him unimaginable terror!

In this location, the series encounters a tough decision, for the Rani isn’t your typical world-dominating villain. To remember clearly, she started as a more intricate, subtly wicked character compared to her initial impression.

When the character known as the Rani first appeared, there weren’t many Time Lords similar to the Doctor who weren’t actually the Master. Audiences were rarely exposed to a female adversary of the Doctor as powerful as the Rani during the classic era. Although Missy, from the classic era, lacks the intriguing redemption arc that she possesses, she can be thought of as a simple representation of the Rani.

Instead of merely mirroring the Master as a female counterpart, the Rani was primarily presented as a scientist, conducting experiments that the Time Lords found inhumane. She paid little heed to the casualties she caused, which seemingly landed her on the Time Lords’ most wanted list, just below the Master. However, it is important to note that her character should not be defined solely by her dislike for the Doctor, as this central motivation seems inappropriate for her portrayal.

In The Mark of the Rani, it was clear that she thought the Master’s rivalry with the Doctor was insignificant to her. During a chat with Anthony Ainley’s version of the Master, the Rani made it known that she had witnessed the Doctor and responded: “I couldn’t care less about your childish feud. Now scram and let me attend to my tasks.

In the tale, she struck a shaky truce with the Master, donning a disguise as an elderly lady to proceed with her devious plot. Her strategy was intricate; it entailed extracting chemicals from human brains, a necessity to rectify a predicament she herself had created through her experiments on the planet Miasimia Goria, which she governed.

The character was developed by the writing team composed of husband and wife duo, Pip and Jane Baker. During Doctor Who’s production, John Nathan- Turner suggested introducing a new Time Lord antagonist beyond the Master. It was Pip and Jane who proposed making this character female.

It’s possible that the character known as the Rani first collaborated with the Master because it helped to distinctly showcase her unique form of wickedness. To the Rani, the Doctor was simply a nuisance, and this became quite evident in her second appearance during Sylvester McCoy’s debut as the Seventh Doctor in the classic series of Doctor Who, titled Time and the Rani.

In this TV series, she tricked him while he was still disoriented after regeneration, by pretending to be his companion, Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford). It was a comedy as grand as a Shakespeare play. The Rani assisted the Doctor in choosing his new wardrobe and grew frustrated with his behavior, making her eyes roll frequently. Her arrogance, which bordered on indifference towards others, was a defining characteristic of the Rani’s personality.

In 1993, during a special episode for Children in Need titled Dimensions in Time, the character had her last on-screen appearance. Set in the classic era, this peculiar episode brought together Doctor Who and EastEnders characters. Notably, Anita Dobson, famous for playing Angie Watts on EastEnders, took on the role of Mrs Flood. This casting may have been a significant hint about Mrs Flood’s true persona.

In the ’80s, the character known as the Rani might have seemed like a typical glamorous villain, with her large shoulder pads and high-drama style. But beneath the humor of her later appearances, the Rani was actually a formidable female antagonist to the Doctor. Similar to many aspects of Doctor Who from 1985 onwards, the Rani may not have been fully recognized for the trailblazing character she represented during her time.

It’s delightful to see this once criticized era of the series gaining mainstream recognition at last. However, amidst the thrilling, villain-dominated finale filled with numerous characters, it’s crucial not to forget the essence of our two queens’ characters.

To maintain the authentic essence of the ’80s Rani character, it’s crucial to portray her as a relentlessly curious scientist, driven by insatiable knowledge, who regards the Doctor with disdain instead of viewing him as an enemy to vanquish without mercy.

On Saturday, 24th May, the adventures of Doctor Who resume! In the United Kingdom, fresh episodes will be accessible from 8am every Saturday on BBC iPlayer, with rebroadcasts on BBC One later in the day. For those living outside of the UK, you can catch the series on Disney+.

Read More

2025-05-21 16:12