"Doctor Who" Engages in Odd Countdown Anticipation for Its Finale Commencement
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It's like somebody took The Legend of Ruby Sunday, stirred in a big ol' helping of déjà vu, and shook it all up — we end up with Wish World, Doctor Who's latest eccentric venture. Both penultimate episodes of their respective seasons, both built around the return of a classic Doctor Who villain, and both sharing an ill-fated penchant for aimless waiting games that fail to deliver the whole enchilada. But Wish World's got a few extra problems to contend with…
With Sutekh's return teased only to the astute, Wish World finds itself contending with a more upfront villain: the mercurial Rani. And that’s where our trouble begins. The audience already knows the Rani’s plan, so it's a puzzling mishmash of drawing out the inevitable reveal for the Doctor and leaving the audience as knowing наlookers.
The titular world of Wish World is a contemporary Earth, slightly off-kilter. The nutty work of Conrad the Utter Bastard from Lucky Day is responsible for the setup: tossed into the mix, a magic baby helps the Rani rewrite reality as she sees fit. In this world, Conrad, the apparent beneficent dictator, broadcasts from a gothic fortress overlooking London, shaping lives and mandating normality, complete with an obsession towards cisgender heteronormative lifestyle.
Our main characters, the Doctor and Belinda, have been transformed into John Smith and his wife, seeking the suburban idyll. Belinda revels in motherhood and domesticity while John goes to work at a new incarnation of UNIT, focused not on alien threats but insurance sales. The uncomfortable vibe is intentional, serving as a critique of traditional gender roles and sexuality.
Meanwhile, it emerges that Conrad's narrow-mindedness extends beyond gender, disdaining the disabled in favor of a world where the "unseen" are practically invisible. Ruby Sunday, unaffected by the world's bigotry, links up with Shirley and her friends in the disabled community to start delving into the mystery. Conrad, essentially, proves himself quite the vile bigot, and not in a "so good it hurts" kind of way…
Once investigated, Conrad is effectively written out of the story, leaving the Doctor and the Rani to trade exposition and left-field revelations. The episode reduces to a countdown to the big reveal: the Doctor realizes who the Rani truly is, her connection to a certain powerful Time Lord. The climax, robbed of tension by our prior knowledge, predictably reveals that the Rani's plan involves the return of the cosmic being, Omega.
The Omega reveal feels unsatisfyingly out of nowhere, the inevitable culmination of the episode's buildup leaving more confusion than its intended wow factor. Wish World suffers from squandered potential with its collision of intriguing characters and concept, ultimately reduced to a collections of vague hints and tensionless buildups.
Catch up on the latest Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe news, and, of course, Doctor Who happenings to stay in the loop and see if Wish World's numerous teases and dead ends will eventually pay off.
Enrichment data tidbits:
Purpose of Wish World: The Rani crafted Wish World to spur the Doctor's doubt, as his perceived crack in reality's fabric could open the door to the Underverse, where she aims to free Omega.
Omega's Role: A legendary Time Lord whose creation led to Time Lord civilization, Omega's return could have vast repercussions for the universe, perhaps tipping the balance of power or granting the Rani a powerful ally.
- Gizmodo reports that the upcoming episode of Doctor Who, titled 'Wish World', is set in a contemporary Earth, subtly altered by Conrad the Utter Bastard's magic, much like the world of Io9's upcoming technology-driven entertainment.
- In the latest episode of Doctor Who, 'Wish World', the mercurial Rani manipulates reality, using a magic baby to enforce a cisgender heteronormative lifestyle, reminiscent of the future portrayed in various television series.
- The villainous Rani, the central antagonist in the Doctor Who episode 'Wish World', aims to free Omega, a powerful Time Lord who could have significant implications for the universe, much like some game-changing advancements in technology discussed by technology enthusiasts at Gizmodo and Io9.
