Wish World

"How can anyone doubt this glorious world that we live in?"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 24 May 2025

Series: 15.07

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Belinda, Ruby

Synopsis

Traps are sprung and old enemies unite as the Doctor and Belinda finally arrive home to find a very different world. Can the Doctor see the truth before midnight arrives?

Verdict

Wish World was a great episode to kick off the brand new series finale! I can't quite believe we've reached this point already as it barely seems a few days since The Robot Revolution introduced us to the brilliant companion that is Belinda Chandra, and now we potentially only have one more episode before I assume she makes it home. This episode was as it says on the tin and I loved the WandaVision feel it had. Crikey, there was so much going on and squeezed into the forty-five minutes that left me with some questions that will need answering, but it was so entertaining and I was gripped the entire time. I thought Archie Panjabi as the Rani was sensational and whilst I think the whole seventh son of a seventh son thing for obtaining Desiderium needed more clarity, having a baby that can grant wishes in her power takes her to a whole new level. She looks the part and whilst this is a brand new incarnation, I thought the traits echoing the performance of Kate O'Mara were fantastic. The little flashbacks of the first Rani were much welcomed and I only wish that the Doctor fully remembered and knew who he was when the explanation came. It was outstanding and I think my sentiment was I wanted the Doctor to remember himself about five minutes earlier. Going 99% of the episode not knowing that was a slight issue with me, but knowing there's over an hour to go leaves me thinking there's time for the explanations to come. The Rani's experiment here is off the charts and I suppose that's not a big surprise with there being two of them! I felt a bit iffy about the Mrs Flood incarnation being subservient to her predecessor at the end of The Interstellar Song Contest and whilst she remained in that capacity here, it wasn't for the whole time which was welcomed. I mean, she's still the Rani! I am going to be so disappointed though if her numerous appearances throughout the Fifteenth Doctor era and her breaking the fourth wall don't get explained. That feels like a must. I like the idea of the Rani taking advantage of the Doctor stirring the pantheon, and the wish world created by Conrad of all people is quite something. The image of the Doctor and Belinda waking up in bed together, kissing, and having Poppy as their daughter was incredible! It was unlike anything we've seen before. The Doctor working for UNIT in a new insurance acronym was delightful and the horror that came when he referred to Ibrahim as a beautiful man to encourage him to ask Kate out was stunning. That look of terror as the Doctor expressed his aesthetic thoughts on another man! And then there's the community of disabled that Ruby became engaged with including Shirley. In Conrad's world, there was no room for perceived imperfections. Conrad reading the book of Doctor Who and the Deadly Wish and describing some of the history between the Doctor and the Rani was magnificent and I loved that it was spread throughout the entire episode. It gave it such a unique feel. I think the inclusions of doubt in the story were intriguing and I liked the concept of the slip whenever it was expressed. When the Rani mentioned she was searching for The One Who Is Lost, I immediately called it as being Omega and I was delighted to be proven correct! Her hunt for the first Time Lord in the Underverse sounds incredibly exciting, although I actually suspect we won't see him and it will be just the threat of his arrival. That's still tremendous though and I love touching upon Gallifreyan lore and Time Lord mythology! A new Gallifrey for the Rani? We shall see! The Rani and the Doctor dancing was great fun and I did enjoy the frantic pace of the last few minutes. It was an insane build up as we learned of the Rani's insane plan, although the Doctor's falling comment about Poppy being real is fascinating! She felt off all the way through and I'm wondering what the connection to Space Babies will be. I thought it was fun to get a Rogue cameo from the Hell dimension warning the Doctor that tables don't do that, and indeed they don't! Another Susan flashback was also welcomed and I will be gutted if we don't get a reunion in the finale. Overall, an entertaining episode for sure and one I think I'll need to rewatch ahead of the finale! 

Rating: 8/10