In “Wish World,” the seventh episode of Doctor Who season 15, Anita Dobson’s character, Mrs. Flood, is unveiled as the Rani, a villainous Time Lady who was last seen during the classic era of Doctor Who. This episode marks the first appearance of Archie Panjabi as another incarnation of the Rani, made possible by a surprising twist from 2023 involving multiple generations. However, some viewers may find Dobson’s portrayal of the Rani in this episode to be strikingly different compared to previous performances.
Mrs. Flood is a significant figure in the cast for season 15 of Doctor Who. Although she didn’t feature extensively in the initial six episodes, she managed to make an appearance in every episode thus far. However, it was actually in the 2023 episode “The Church on Ruby Road” that Dobson made her first appearance, captivating viewers with her acting. She has shown a remarkable character trait that has ignited curiosity about Mrs. Flood’s true identity. Many of the primary theories have been disproven, but there remains a hitch in revealing her identity, with one particular issue being particularly noteworthy.
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 her first appearance on ‘Doctor Who’, Anita Dobson directly engaged with the viewers by speaking to the camera. This break from convention left audiences intrigued and sparked the captivating enigma of Mrs. Flood. She exhibited this behavior not just once but twice – towards the end of season 14, she spoke to the audience again, assuming the role of narrator to recap Ncuti Gatwa’s initial stint as the Fifteenth Doctor in the finale. This pattern persisted until ‘Wish World’, at which point it abruptly ceased.
In the world of Doctor Who, it’s uncharacteristic for the Rani to break the fourth wall. Therefore, when showrunner Russell T. Davies had Mrs. Flood do it in “Wish World,” it seemed like a clever misdirection about her true identity. While this was an intriguing idea, it was unfortunate that it didn’t last long. In light of the mystery’s resolution, Mrs. Flood now appears to be a more conventional Doctor Who character. It feels as though the reason for her fourth-wall breaking has been overlooked rather than being addressed properly.
Although there’s one more episode left in the series, “The Reality War” seems to have its hands full with Omega’s return. Consequently, it might not delve into Mrs. Flood’s unusual fourth-wall-breaking behavior, if an explanation exists at all. Instead, I anticipate that the battle against Omega will be the main event, and we may simply need to accept that the Rani can now address the audience on a whim, without understanding why. Frankly, this development could prove quite aggravating, but let’s hope it doesn’t turn out that way.
Doctor Who Has Other Mrs. Flood Questions To Answer Too
Mrs. Flood’s behavior in general needs further explanation
In my opinion, while the intriguing moments when Mrs. Flood directly addressed the audience were undeniably captivating, there’s a missing piece in the narrative that I can’t help but notice – aspects of Rani’s subtle return to the Doctor Who universe remain unexplored. For example, it feels peculiar that Mrs. Flood appears to be more intrigued by the Doctor’s companions rather than the Doctor himself. It’s interesting to note that she has a history with both Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), as she lived next door to them before the Doctor whisked them away in the TARDIS. This connection between Mrs. Flood and the companions adds an intriguing layer to the storyline, leaving me eager for further exploration of this character’s enigmatic motives.
Additionally, on several instances, Mrs. Flood has donned outfits strikingly similar to those worn by other “Doctor Who” companions. For instance, her attire resembles Clara Oswald, portrayed by Jenna Coleman, in the season 14 finale, “Empire of Death.” Similarly, Kata O’Mara’s initial version of the Rani has been known to do this, leading one to speculate that Mrs. Flood’s enigmatic wardrobe might have been a hint suggesting she was a Time Lady in disguise. Alternatively, it could be seen as a means of teasing the Doctor during their travels through time and space, given her confidence in remaining unidentified.
In the series “Wish World,” Mrs. Flood is rather plainly attired. However, her wardrobe takes a turn reminiscent of her appearance in “Lucky Day.” You might recall that in “Lucky Day,” she disguised herself as a prison guard and freed Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King). This suggests that she has been hiding something more significant than her fascination with the Doctor’s companions, much like her skill of breaking the fourth wall. It seems this obsession may not have been as crucial to the narrative as it initially appeared.
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
Previously stated, “‘Wish World’ is just the penultimate episode of Doctor Who season 15,” and “‘The Reality War’ will conclude Gatwa’s second run on May 31.” Despite the show seeming content with revealing Mrs. Flood as the Rani and moving forward, there remains a possibility that “‘The Reality War’ may tackle the lingering questions about this character now split between Anita Dobson and Archie Panjabi.” If it does, it will need to handle these unresolved issues amidst an episode filled with more unexpected developments.
Certainly, Mrs. Flood isn’t the only instance where the Disney era of Doctor Who has played with the show’s fictional elements. There have been other instances that hint at characters being conscious of the fact they are part of a TV series. For example, the Doctor gives a wink to the camera in “The Devil’s Chord” from season 14, and Fifteen encounters Doctor Who fans in “Lux” during season 15. Thus, “The Reality War” as a title carries significant potential implications and could resolve all these instances that breach the fourth wall.
If indeed the Rani’s mysterious gift of communicating with the audience serves as a single solution for the unusual elements seen in “Doctor Who” lately, that would be acceptable. However, should Mrs. Flood’s metaphysical instances be revealed to be indicative of a deeper issue with the very structure of reality, I could live with that explanation. What wouldn’t sit well is if “Doctor Who” never addresses what has always made Mrs. Flood such an intriguing character.
| Doctor Who Season 15’s Release Schedule On Disney+ | ||
| Episode | Title | Release Date (2025) |
| 1 | “The Robot Revolution” | April 12 |
| 2 | “Lux” | April 19 |
| 3 | “The Well” | April 26 |
| 4 | “Lucky Day” | May 3 |
| 5 | “The Story and the Engine” | May 10 |
| 6 | “The Interstellar Song Contest” | May 17 |
| 7 | “Wish World” | May 24 |
| 8 | “The Reality War” | May 31 |
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2025-05-26 12:10