The Dystopian Twist Reveals More Questions & I’m More Excited About The Finale Than Ever

Warning! This review contains spoilers for Doctor Who season 15, episode 7, “Wish World.”

Doctor Who

goes full dystopian in “Wish World,” and it’s an epic penultimate episode for season 15. As the season nears its end, showrunner Russell T Davies pulls together all the elements of Ncuti Gatwa’s last two seasons in the titular role. And with so many moving parts, it would be easy for this 40-minute episode to be overwhelmed by the amount of ground it needs to cover, but it manages to deliver all the exposition and set up the finale needs ahead of its release next week.

After the Rani appeared at the conclusion of “The Interstellar Song Contest,” she traveled to collect the most important part of her plan, a newborn god with the ability to turn wishes into reality. Upon her return, Rani worked together with Conrad to reshape the world and, through their shared efforts, 2025 has become an unrecognizable dystopia. Among this unfamiliar world, the Doctor and Belinda live out their days, unaware of their true identities or the adventures that came before.

“Wish World” Sets The Stage For A Great Doctor Who Finale

It’s common for seasons of Doctor Who to wrap up with a multi-story finale. When that happens, the adventure often appears to be split across the episodes into a two or three-act structure. “Wish World” is no different, as it is heavy on exposition and provides context that will lead to the major conclusion in next week’s “The Reality War.” And while this means this story is less action-packed, there is plenty to get excited about.

With the return the Rani, another classic Doctor Who character, this episode spends a lot of time with the character as she reveals her plan. This is handled well, pushing the narrative forward and creating a fleshed-out world that’s redesigned to fit her purposes. However, there is plenty of mystery left for the finale to resolve, and despite several major characters finding each other and trying to find a way to break out of the new dystopian world, things go from bad to worse.

And yet, with this episode so focused on establishing the threat and upcoming story, it ends up feeling like an extended trailer, with only a few big developments. Despite this, it is great to see characters, like Jonathan Groff’s Rogue, return to help the Doctor break out of the brainwashing state he appears to be trapped in. Poppy’s arrival as the Doctor and Belinda’s daughter is intriguing, and the confirmation that Omega, the founder of the Time Lords, will join the fray makes for an enticing set-up.

The World-Building Is Intriguing In Doctor Who’s “Wish World”

While the Doctor often finds himself traveling to far-off planets and distant times, it is an interesting twist to see the modern day transformed into a bizarre alternate reality. This has happened a few times in the show’s history, but credit to Davies and his team that the colorful style of the reinvented world is interesting and clever. From the endless supply of shattering cups that dissuade people from doubting, to the reimagined UNIT, it’s exciting and eerie. However, there are odd elements that make very little sense, like the giant skeletal observers that march around the city.

As of yet, the reasons why the Rani needed to rebuild the world — and how Conrad fits into the story, or how a magical baby from 160 years ago is a god of wishes, or why Omega exists beneath London in this alternate reality — are too much for the next episode to actually cover. As Doctor Who is prone to do, it feels like several of these details will be glossed over. But as it stands, it’s interesting, quirky, and fun. Seeing the Doctor as John and how doubts are handled in this reality is a great start to the finale.

With this only serving as half of the story, it’s difficult to assess how well it establishes what’s to come. As a stand-alone story, it’s lacking somewhat in terms of answers. However, the penultimate episode is still fun. It introduces a lot of moving parts, and the bright, colorful new reality is a wonderful setting ahead of the finale. That’s especially true of the final scene, as all reality begins falling apart. Doctor Who’s “Wish World” is another solid entry to the series, with a lot of promise for what’s ahead.

New episodes of Doctor Who air Saturdays on BBC and are available to stream at 12pm PT/3am ET on Disney+ the same day.

Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 7

7/10

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Directors

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

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Pros & Cons

• The range of cameo’s is exciting.
• The Doctor and Belinda’s dynamic moves in an interesting new direction.
• The dystopian setting is excellently executed.

• The episode’s focus on what’s to come leaves it a little lacking.