In Series 15 of Doctor Who, the character known as the Rani made a comeback following a 36-year hiatus, raising our expectations that other Time Lords might also reappear. Previously portrayed by Kate O’Mara in the episodes “The Mark of the Rani” (1985) and “Time and the Rani” (1987), the titular Rani was a rogue Time Lord chemist with a dark past, conducting cruel experiments on life and intelligence. Her manipulation of sleep, intellect, and aggression made her a challenging adversary for the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). Her actions even led to his regeneration into the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), but it’s important to remember that not all Time Lords are villains, so we eagerly anticipate more of them joining us again.
For a span of 36 years prior to her reappearance as Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) in 2023, the Rani was absent from our screens. However, there is another Time Lord character who has been away even longer – Romana, the Time Lord companion to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker). We last saw her in “The Warriors’ Gate” all the way back in 1981 when she decided to stay in the E-Space parallel universe after three years of journeying with the Doctor. Originally played by Mary Tamm, Romana later regenerated into Lalla Ward, while subsequent versions have continued their adventures through audio productions.
Over the last few seasons, a variety of Time Lords have reappeared in the series of “Doctor Who.” Among these are the Master, portrayed by actors like Derek Jacobi, John Simm, Michelle Gomez, and Sacha Dhawan; Rassilon, played by Timothy Dalton and Donald Sumpter; and more recently, Archie Panjabi’s Rani and the ancient Omega. Given that Romana was one of the longest-running Time Lords on our screens from 1978 to 1981, she seems particularly overdue for a comeback.
It would be particularly exciting if Romana came back to “Doctor Who,” considering her strong alliance with the Doctor. Unlike many other Time Lords the Doctor encounters, she doesn’t harbor malicious intentions and instead develops into one of the Doctor’s dearest friends during the most beloved period of the classic series. While Romana has appeared in audio stories since then, she hasn’t made a live-action appearance since footage from 1983’s “The Five Doctors” was used. Given this long absence, it seems fitting that Romana should make her comeback now.
In Russell T. Davies’ contemporary era of Doctor Who, Rani’s comeback held immense promise, but fell short at the end. Throughout series 14, Mrs. Flood’s gradual revelation was superb, yet series 15’s two-part finale hastily executed the Rani’s schemes, unnecessarily included Omega, and then ended their lives abruptly and confusingly. The Time Lords require on-screen redemption following these missteps, and Romana’s return would offer a great chance for this. While it would be thrilling to see Romana again, the future of Doctor Who remains uncertain.
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2025-07-21 02:40