"Doctor Who" Engages in a Strange Countdown to the Commencement of Its Termination
Sure thing, Let's dive into the penultimate episodes of Doctor Who, "Wish World" and last year's "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". Both share a striking resemblance, as they're essentially waiting games leading up to a cliffhanger reveal.
"Wish World" faces a steeper challenge than "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" because it leverages an audience already knowing the upcoming return of the Rani, a classic Doctor Who villain. It's a peculiar experience, even before getting into the mechanics of how Doctor Who ticks down to the big reveal.
The titular Wish World, a contemporary Earth on the brink of obliteration, appears as a sideways version of it. The convenience magic baby, snatched by the Rani in medieval Bavaria (seven sons of seven sons, not quite Sutekh-like for an Evil Science Villainess), allows her to bend reality however she desires. The mastermind is noted Utter Bastard Conrad from "Lucky Day", reigning as the benevolent dictator of the world, broadcasting from a bone palace in London with a little help from the magic wunderkind.
The subjects of this creepy, overtly heteronormative world include the Doctor and Belinda, who are now living the retro-modern nuclear family dream with their daughter Poppy. The awkward vibe is intentional; frequent mentions acknowledge the role of women as good daughters, good wives, and then good mothers. A hint of cisgender heterosexuality sparks a reality split around "Mr. Smith", and Colonel Ibrahim, blissfully unaware of his intended role, nearly gets swallowed up in the madness.
Conrad's bigotries extend far beyond heteronormativity; he openly despises disabled people, leading to an underground society almost invisible to the rest of the world. Ruby Sunday, an unaffected outcast, teams up with Shirley and her friends to investigate the strange world. Kudos to Conrad for some real shitty bigotry, huh?
After the "Mr. Smith" doubt-spell incident involving Jonathan Groff's Rogue, who makes a wild, random cameo to remind the Doctor of his affinity for the same gender, the remainder of the episode is spent hesitantly counting down to the moment when the Doctor realizes he's not an insurance salesman named John Smith. Or rather, the moment when we realize along with him, since that's not much of a reveal to us anymore.
It turns out the Rani's big ticking clock counting down to May 24 is fueled by the doubts of anyone questioning Conrad's reality, including the Doctor. This revelation juices up the Vindicator the Doctor and Belinda have been fostering throughout the season, ripping open a hole in Earth and reality itself... to Omega's dimension.
Funnily enough, "Wish World" moves the devastating destruction of almost everyone but the protagonist to before the cliffhanger, a change from "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". Yet, the Omega reveal feels more confusing than shocking because it comes out of nowhere, having built towards an already weakened reveal. Missed opportunity, if you ask me.
So, here we are, waiting to see if next week's finale will retroactively justify this week's anticipation. And if we really needed the Rani's return to signal Omega, a move with significant implications for the Time Lords and Gallifrey at large.
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Enrichment Data:
Overall:The Rani's actions in the "Wish World" episode of Doctor Who are deeply connected to her ultimate goal of releasing Omega, a powerful and feared Time Lord. Here's a breakdown of her plan and its connection to Omega:
Rani's Plan Explained
- Creation of Wish World: The Rani, along with Desiderium and Conrad Clark, creates a distorted reality known as Wish World. This world is fueled by Desiderium's powers as the God of Wishes.
- Objective of Wish World: The Rani's primary objective is not just to create an idealized Earth but to utilize the power of doubt and belief within this reality. She believes that by inducing doubt and breaking down the fabric of Wish World, she can access hidden forces beneath reality.
- Connection to Omega: The Rani's ultimate goal is to free Omega, who is trapped in the Underverse, a realm that may be equated with the antimatter universe. Omega is described as the first Time Lord and the creator of the Time Lords, making him a pivotal figure in their history.
Connection to Omega's Return
The Rani's plan is centered around exploiting the power of Wish World to reach into the Underverse and release Omega. This is hinted at in the preview for "Reality War," where it's mentioned that with Omega's body, the Rani could potentially reconstruct Gallifrey, the Time Lords' home planet.
- Omega's Significance: Omega is a powerful entity who has been trapped for centuries. His return could have catastrophic or transformative implications for the universe, depending on how his power is utilized.
- Rani's Motivation: The exact motivation behind the Rani's desire to free Omega is not fully detailed, but it likely involves gaining access to Omega's immense power and knowledge, which could aid her in reshaping the universe according to her own design.
"In the world of gizmodo and technology, the future of entertainment is unfolding with the next episode of Doctor Who, 'Wish World'. This installment reveals the antagonist, the Rani, orchestrating a plan to release Omega, a legendary Time Lord character, drawn from the annals of io9's movies-and-tv archive. The parallels between 'Wish World' and previous episodes like 'The Legend of Ruby Sunday' lie in their anticipation-building plotlines leading up to a big reveal. However, the reveal of Omega falls short of shock value due to its seemingly abrupt appearance, leaving viewers seeking answers in anticipation of the final episodes."
