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Doctor Who Season 15 Finale Featuring Hidden Rani Joke You Missed

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Be advised: The conclusion of Doctor Who season 15, episode 8 titled “The Reality War” brought an unexpected twist to Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor. Similarly shocking was the demise of Archie Panjabi’s character Rani. This heart-stopping moment also included a subtle joke that might have gone unnoticed by many viewers. Although Anita Dobson was part of the Doctor Who season 15 ensemble, it wasn’t until the end of episode 6, “The Interstellar Song Contest,” that we learned Mrs. Flood was actually Rani. This revelation in the second-ever bi-generational scene of the show brought Panjabi’s portrayal of the sinister Time Lady to life.

In a nutshell, Rani’s scheme to reclaim Omega initially works out, but her victory is short-lived. Her ambition was to utilize Omega as a “genetic repository” to resurrect Gallifrey and the Time Lords, and revive her race’s capacity for reproduction. However, instead of two Ranis at the start of season 15’s final episodes, only one remains by the end. This unexpected turn of events by showrunner Russell T. Davies could impact the course of “Doctor Who“, yet he found a way to incorporate a nod to a well-known comedy duo in the mix.

The Rani’s “It’s Goodnight From Me” Line In Doctor Who Has A Deeper Meaning

Mrs. Flood is quoting The Two Ronnies

In simpler terms, after Omega releases Panjabi’s character, Rani, from the Underverse on Doctor Who, she dies, ending her brief appearance. Mrs. Flood (the only remaining Rani) picks up Rani’s Time Ring from the ground. Before disappearing into the Time Vortex, Mrs. Flood says, “So much for the two Ranis. Goodnight from me.” This line is a reference to a British comedy duo named The Two Ronnies.

In addition to their various projects, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett collaborated on and appeared in a comedy sketch series titled “The Two of Us” that aired on BBC for 12 seasons from 1971. The show spawned numerous offshoots and specials as well. At the conclusion of each episode, Corbett would say, “It’s goodnight from me,” to which Barker would respond with “And it’s goodnight from him.” They would then both say “Goodnight.” This is why Mrs. Flood makes the joke that their duo resembles “The Two Ranis,” as it is reminiscent of “The Two Ronnies.

In essence, while Davies largely stopped using Mrs. Flood’s instances of breaking the fourth wall after the bi-generation scene, it can be inferred that her reference to ‘The Two Ronnies’ was an effort to maintain a touch of metatextuality without disrupting the narrative flow. The reason for the Rani’s ability to break the fourth wall remains unexplained, leading us to suspect that these instances were deliberately confusing to conceal Mrs. Flood’s true identity. It appears that Mrs. Flood was subtly hinting at the fourth wall before her departure from ‘Doctor Who’, given both shows are produced by the BBC.

Anita Dobson’s Rani Will Seemingly Return In Doctor Who’s Future

Mrs. Flood survived her encounter-gone-wrong with Omega

It’s plausible to assume that the character of the Rani, portrayed by Archie Panjabi in her new version, may not have met her final demise in “The Reality War.” Since the Rani survives through Mrs. Flood, who escaped after witnessing her doppelganger being devoured, it’s possible that Davies has more plans for the Rani in the show’s future. If this is true, there’s a chance that Dobson could return to reprise her role. The confirmation of Doctor Who season 16 is still pending.

To put it simply, the occurrence of Mrs. Flood’s bi-generation seems to introduce a new layer to Rani’s existence. The concept is complex and not fully grasped at this point, but some speculate that bi-generation is a survival tactic by Time Lords when traditional reproduction is no longer possible. However, the Doctor’s own bi-generation instance hints at a different interpretation.

When David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor appeared to have been created alongside another version of the Doctor (Fifteen), it implied that Fifteen was yet to come, even though they both existed independently. If true, then the demise of Fourteen could potentially erase Fifteen from existence. This intriguing scenario might lead “Doctor Who” to explore how Mrs. Flood’s awareness of the Rani’s fate (her own future death) may influence Dobson’s character if or when she reappears in the series.

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2025-06-03 22:00

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