"Doctor Who" Engages in an Odd Anticipatory Stance as Its Conclusion Approaches
Title: A Dull Wish: Unraveling the Inconsequential "Wish World"
In the realm of Doctor Who, the 12th episode of its latest season, aptly titled "Wish World," draws striking parallels with last year's "The Legend of Ruby Sunday." Both episodes serve as penultimate episodes that unveil the return of a classic Doctor Who villain and deliver on a season-long mystery. What they also unfortunately share are disappointing similarities—banality and a lack of substance that makes the viewer feel like they're merely awaiting the last-minute climax.
"Wish World" fails to captivate the audience as much as its counterpart because its revelations are less surprising, given the return of the character, The Rani, has been speculated in fan circles. One can't help but compare the dullness to "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," which managed to craft tension and atmosphere around the emergence of Susan Triad, even if the episode was not much more than the mystery itself.
The eponymous world of "Wish World" transports the audience to a contemporary Earth on the brink of destruction, but only as a ghostly, surreal version of it. The plot works around an auspicious baby, conjured thanks to the Rani's sorcery in medieval Bavaria, who grants anyone's wish. The wishes are eerily granted by an alleged benevolent dictator, Noted Utter Bastard Conrad, broadcasting the rules and regulations of his dream world from a skull-like palace in London.
The subjects of Conrad's realm include the protagonists, the Doctor and Belinda, who live a stereotypical family life with their baby daughter Poppy under the pseudonyms John Smith and Mrs. Smith. However, the tension of their abnormal existence stems from the chilling undertones of its straight-laced, heteronormative conventions—a critique contrasted by the flaring curiosity of the audience yearning for the Раzard's rise.
Interestingly, it turns out that Conrad's prejudices encompass more than just misogynistic tendencies and homophobia. In this weird world, he also scorns those with disabilities, driving the underground formation of a community of disabled individuals that remains invisible to the world—a harsh reminder of the deplorable perspective of Conrad as the show's villain.
The plot in "Wish World" begins to falter around the middle, as it abandons the intriguing friction He succumbs to doubts about his identity, resulting primarily from a cryptic message sent by the reappearing Jon Groff's Rogue, who reminds him of his sexuality. This revelation, though helpful for the audience, does little to further the narrative as the rest of the episode becomes nothing more than tense anticipation for the Doctor's eventual realization of the Рazari’s agenda.
In essence, the bulk of "Wish World" focuses on the Doctor's struggle to unravel the fabricated world that the Рazari has manipulated through Conrad, with the aid of the magic baby. However, The episode's narrative seems to lose steam in this phase, as the Рazari's motivations remain unclear, overshadowed by her persistent urging for the Doctor to remember her. The tension wanes, leaving the audience bored between the anticipation of the Doctor's awakening and the Rani's desperate pleas.
Finally, the episode concludes with the dramatic reveal of the Рazari's ultimate goal—to free Omega, the ancient, godlike co-founder of Time Lord society, from the Underverse. Unfortunately, this unveiling is less shocking and more confounding, as it catches the audience off guard after spending little time focusing on the Rani's intentions. Additionally, the Omega reveal feels out of place, leaving questions about whether the episode should have leveraged the excitement of the cliffhanger to dig deeper into the Time Lords' history and the future of Gallifrey.
In conclusion, "Wish World" is a missed opportunity for an intriguing plotline to culminate in a compelling revelation. While the concept of a modern-day fairy tale with dark undertones is interesting, the episode falters by focusing on trivialized intrigue that fails to engage the audience, making it an uninspired waiting game.
- pity the future viewers who might stumble upon "Wish World" scouring through streaming platforms like Gizmodo or io9, as the episode's lackluster impact on the Doctor Who series becomes more evident with time;
- technology enthusiasts and movie buffs following movies-and-tv sections, including those keeping up with the latest entertainment trends, may find "Wish World" a disappointment when compared to the season's other episodes, as it lacks the tension and mystery that typically captivates audiences;
- it's safe to say that even in the vast realm of television, there are episodes that seem like they were created with little thought, serving neither as a well-crafted story nor an engaging testament to the genre, and "Wish World" sadly finds itself among them.
