Doctor Who's Russell T Davies says finale will 'shake up' lore of Gallifrey
The Rani's return looks set to bring startling revelations.
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has teased that the imminent two-part finale will change what we thought we knew about the troubled planet Gallifrey.
Wish World and The Reality War are set to bring season 15 to an end in dramatic fashion, following the jaw-dropping reveal in The Interstellar Song Contest that Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) is, in fact, The Rani.
The classic villain bi-generated last week, producing another version of herself (played by none other than The Good Wife's Archie Panjabi), with the two of them seen working together – albeit, with some friction – in a preview of the upcoming episode.
Speaking in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies said that the show is "wilder than it's ever been before" in a climactic storyline that is both "very epic" and also "very personal".
Teasing what's to come, he continued: "It takes some very unexpected turns... There are big surprises, from the Doctor and for the Doctor. Some of it shakes up the lore of Gallifrey. Some of it re-contextualises the Doctor, the Rani, and their relationship."
Davies certainly hasn't been afraid to make major changes to Doctor Who lore in the past, with his 2005 era kicking off with the shocking reveal that Gallifrey and the other Time Lords had been destroyed in a horrific war.
Subsequent showrunner Steven Moffat would go on to reverse that plot point in his 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, which just goes to show how malleable the show's canon can be.
Amid speculation about Doctor Who's future beyond season 15, Davies describes the upcoming finale as a "full circle" moment for the latest era of the show, with the promise that he's been "weaving in" elements from across Ncuti Gatwa's tenure.
"Elements from [season 14 premiere] The Church on Ruby Road are even paid off. It's rewarding for long-term fans but exciting for new viewers as well," he added.
The finale event also rounds up a number of familiar faces from the Doctor Who cast, with companions Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) set to feature alongside UNIT's latest and greatest operatives.
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine is out now.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
