"Doctor Who" Engages in a Peculiar Countdown Strategy for theOnset of its Final Chapter
In the last Doctor Who season's penultimate episode, "Wish World," we find eerily familiar parallels with "The Legend of Ruby Sunday." Both episodes are concluding episodes of their respective seasons and reprise classic Doctor Who villains. Unfortunately, they both share a shared fate, serving as aimless waiting games before a last-minute thrilling reveal.
"Wish World" is problematic even more than its predecessor due to the audience being aware of what's building up to the Rani's appearance and the Doctor's realization of the situation. The background world, "Wish World," is a contemporary Earth that seems fated for destruction, but is actually a sideways version of it. A convenient baby from Medieval Bavaria is obtained by the Rani, which in turn lets her bend reality according to her will.
The titular world is ruled by Conrad, who broadcasts from a bone palace in London, deciding the state of the world, weather, and the lives of everyone under his rule with the help of the baby and its powers. Our heroes, the Doctor and Belinda, are living a somewhat familiar nuclear family dream, with Belinda being a stay-at-home mom and the Doctor working for UNIT, now rebranded as a united insurance team.
The creepy vibe of this heteronormative existence is intentional, with pointed acknowledgments of women’s roles as good daughters, wives, and mothers, showing a clear bigotry towards women and non-heteronormative individuals. Conrad's bigotry also extends to discrimination against disabled people, creating an underground society of disabled people that are practically invisible to the rest of the world.
Ruby, who also lacks attention from reality, teams up with Shirley and her friends in the disabled camp to investigate. When the Doctor attempts to question the nature of the Wish World, a wild cameo from Jonathan Groff's character, suggesting that the Doctor likes men, serves as a push for him to doubt his existence.
The "Wish World" episode largely abandons the intriguing creepy concept halfway through and merely focuses on ticking down towards the Doctor's revelation about the Rani. This dramatic moment lacks tension due to the audience already knowing who the Rani is, making them feel like a knowing audience waiting for the Doctor to come to the same realization.
To compensate, "Wish World" adds a last-minute mystery reveal that the Rani's counting down to the 24th of May is powered by the doubts of those who questioned Conrad's reality, increasing the power of the Vindicator. This leads to opening a dimension housing the ancient and god-like co-founder of Time Lord society, Omega. The episode ends with Earth collapsing and presumably blipping the Doctor, Conrad, and the Ranis out of existence, setting up for future plot developments revolving around Omega's return and the Rani's ambitions.
- After the disappointing pacing of "Wish World," tech-enthusiasts at sites like Gizmodo and Io9 might anticipate a more exciting storyline in the upcoming Doctor Who seasons, as the future of the series hangs on the return of Omega and the Rani's ambitions.
- In that same vein, movie-buffs and entertainment enthusiasts following Movies-and-TV might find solace in the hints of a potential LGBTQ+ representation in the Doctor's character, following a subtle yet impactful cameo from Jonathan Groff's character.
- As the Doctor Who series continues to explore complex themes of bigotry and discrimination, disability rights activists should keep a keen eye on the portrayal of the underrepresented disabled community within the Wish World, given the demonstrable bias shown towards them in the episode.
