Awaiting the Start of Its Conclusion, the Doctor Who Engages in an Unusual Pause in His Journey
In a striking similarity to last year's "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," this season's "Wish World" episode shares some troubling parallels. They're both episodes that lead up, alas, to nearly empty moments filled with anticipation for the dramatic big reveal. The chilling vibe of "Wish World" is intriguing, even if it means we're forced to endure the icky vibes of utter bastard Conrad from "Lucky Day," who's got a stronghold as the supposedly benevolent dictator of a contemporary Earth.
Life in this alternate reality is surreally heteronormative, with everyone playing their supposed roles as good daughters, wives, and then mothers. The gender roles are overtly emphasized, and the mere thought of something beyond the cisgender and heterosexual norm seems to be an affront to this world. It turns out that Conrad's prejudice isn't limited to women and the queer community – his contempt for disabled individuals is just as awful.
Despite the intriguing premise, "Wish World" seems to drop the ball midway through, focusing more on the Doctor's gradual realization about the fake world rather than delving deeper into the mysteries behind Conrad and the Rani's connections. The sound of crumbling doubts is repeatedly heard throughout the episode, with the Rani desperate for the Doctor to grasp the artifice of her creation.
The problem? Well, for us savvy viewers, the Rani's return was never a big reveal, and it leaves few surprises when the Doctor finally rediscovers her. In a bid to save the episode from losing all momentum, the writers throw in another last-minute mystery: the Rani's strange countdown to May 24, which turns out to be a bold move to unlock Omega – an ancient, godlike co-founder of Time Lord society – from his prison in the underverse.
While the final moments of "Wish World" deliver the expected devastation, forging a path for the grand finale, the Omega reveal feels out of place and sudden, making us wonder if the Rani's return was necessary to set this crucial plot point in motion at all. The episode focuses so heavily on the pending encounter between the Doctor and the Rani that the moment itself falls flat, lacking the tension it desperately needed.
In essence, we're left waiting to see if the final episode will retrospectively justify the build-up of "Wish World." Will the implications of Omega's return impact the Time Lords and Gallifrey in ways we can't yet imagine? Only time will tell!
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Fun Fact: Did you know that Archie Panjabi, who portrays the Rani, starred in the hit series "The Good Wife"? Learn more about the enriching careers of your favorite Doctor Who actors!
- Gizmodo's upcoming coverage will focus on recent advancements in technology, including news about the future of entertainment, as seen in the latest episodes of Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who series.
- In the realm of movies-and-tv entertainment, Archie Panjabi, the actress playing the Rani in Doctor Who, previously starred in the hit series "The Good Wife," showcasing the diverse careers of acting talents in both TV shows and movies.
- As we look forward to the final episode of this season's Doctor Who, we may witness the unveiling of Omega, a godlike co-founder of Time Lord society, whose return could potentially have significant implications for Time Lords and Gallifrey – developments that will undoubtedly spark further discussions on the leading entertainment websites such as io9 and Gizmodo.
