Warning! Spoilers for Doctor Who season 15, episode 6 “The Interstellar Song Contest”
Doctor Who season 15, episode 6 “The Interstellar Song Contest,” finally revealed the enigmatic Mrs. Flood as the Rani, a Time Lord and nemesis of the Doctor. Just like the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors’ bi-generation in the episode “The Giggle,” Mrs. Flood split into two parts, and Archie Panjabi was introduced as the newest villain of the series. Fans of the classic Doctor Who serials may recall the Rani as a recurring antagonist who went up against previous incarnations of the Doctor.
Since the Fifteenth Doctor’s takeover in season 14, Mrs. Flood has been a shadowy presence in Doctor Who, watching from the sidelines. Theories about Mrs. Flood have been permitted online since her first appearance, and while the latest episode waited to unveil Mrs. Flood’s true identity during a mid-credits scene, there was actually a subtle clue in an earlier scene that even die-hard Whovians may have missed.
Mrs. Flood’s Grapes Were A Clue To Her Being A Time Lord
The Doctor Often Has Sweet Treats On Hand
The beginning of episode 6 has the Doctor and Belinda landing the TARDIS in the middle of a Eurovision-style singing competition, yet this futuristic version of the famous reality TV series is made up of talent from across the universe. Amidst the massive audience in attendance is none other than Mrs. Flood, who cheers along with the crowd before using opera glasses to spot the Doctor and Belinda. Seemingly pleased with the Doctor’s process with the Vindicator readings, Mrs. Flood offers a bowl of grapes to the person sitting next to her.
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Who is the baby the Rani is holding in Doctor Who’s new images for this week’s episode “Wish World”?
Over the last couple of days, the Doctor Who official social media pages have been sharing more images of this weekend’s episode, the first half of season 15’s finale, “Wish World.” I have no clue who that other baby is, but I’m convinced her name will be Honey. Seeing as Poppy is also in “Wish World,” and the mention of Poppy Honey in “The Interstellar Song Contest,” it seems obvious. Who Honey exactly is, however, is yet to be discovered. I think she could also be Belinda, Susan, or even both somehow.
The gesture may seem like Mrs. Flood is trying to keep up appearances as a kind old lady, but it also harkens back to the Doctor himself, who is notorious for offering treats to people. The Fourth Doctor in particular was known for giving away Jelly Babies, and the Eleventh Doctor would often have some Jammie Dodgers on hand. This clue not only indicated that Mrs. Flood is actually a Time Lord, but also that the race of time and space travelers seem to have a sweet tooth.
Other Clues Doctor Who’s Mrs. Flood Was A Time Lord
Multiple Hints Led Up To The Rani’s Reveal
The grapes in “The Interstellar Song Contest” weren’t the only hint that Mrs. Flood was a Time Lord, with clues going back to the 2023 Doctor Who holiday special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” As Ruby Sunday’s neighbor, Mrs. Flood wasn’t happy about the blue police box outside her doorstep – and yet, she somehow knew what a TARDIS was when the mysterious blue box disappeared and reappeared.
Yet another big hint can be found in the season 14 episode, “The Empire of Death,” when Mrs. Flood offers to look after Ruby’s grandmother, Cherry. When the god of death, Sutekh, began to wipe out everyone on the planet, Mrs. Flood seemed to be expecting it, and bemoaned that she had “such plans” which never came to fruition. Not only were her words cryptic, but it certainly seemed strange that Mrs. Flood wasn’t surprised by this turn of events, even referring to Sutekh as “the one who waits.”
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Finally, the end of the episode showed Mrs. Flood in a winter coat with an umbrella at the end of the same episode. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but remember another villainous Time Lord from Doctor Who season 8: Missy, the nefarious incarnation of the Master, whose first onscreen appearance showed her twirling an umbrella. Now that all the clues have been added up, I’m eager to see what wicked plans that the Rani has for the Doctor and Belinda, and whether she is responsible for the Earth’s destruction on May 24, 2025.
5/10
- Release Date
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December 25, 2023
- Directors
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Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie
- Writers
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Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat
- Franchise(s)
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Doctor Who / Whoniverse
