DOCTOR WHO Recap: (S02E07) Wish World

Geek Girl Authority

25-05-2025

Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World,' is a thrilling, pulse-pounding penultimate outing for the season. Archie Panjabi smashes it as the Rani, making for an exciting, deliciously fun iteration on the classic character. Rogue returns, and we learn the Rani's true objective: to bring back Gallifrey and the Time Lords with the aid of Omega, whom she intends to break free from the Underverse. Of course, another god, Desidirium, created this wish world to make it all happen. Bring on the season finale, y'all.
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We open in Bavaria, 1865. The Rani (Panjabi) rides to a lone cabin in the wilderness. A man emerges, believing she's the midwife, until he sees her face. The Rani asks if she's too late. Inside, we see his wife has just given birth. She lets the Rani hold her baby, which the latter names Sturm-und-Drang. It's giving 'Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All' vibes.
The Rani claims she's taking the couple's baby. He'll come in handy in about 160 years. She turns the woman, whose name is Violett, into violets. How poetic. Then, she transforms the man's other children into ducks. Lastly, the Rani morphs the man into a wise, old owl. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf Everything Is Nice
Fast forward 160 years — the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) wake up in bed. Only in this alternate version of 2025, his name is John Smith. The Doctor sure does love that alias. Poppy (Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps) barrels into their bedroom. Yes, she's now appeared in 'Space Babies' and 'The Story & the Engine.' The family watches Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King) on a small TV screen as he gives a weather report. Guess what? It's going to be 'nice' all over the world.
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After this, Conrad reads the day's story: Doctor Who and the Deadly Wish . The book even has an illustrated version of Fifteen on the cover. John, Belinda and Poppy sit down for breakfast. Belinda and John inform Poppy that the following day is May 24, aka May Day. The big day! They'll celebrate with balloons and biryani. 'No!' Poppy exclaims. A yellow mug falls on the floor and breaks. John urges Poppy not to 'doubt things' so much while grabbing a new yellow mug from a cabinet full of … yellow mugs.
Next, Ruby (Millie Gibson) winds up on John's doorstep, asking if he's a doctor. Also, does she know him? Ruby finally meets Belinda, John's wife, and reunites with Poppy. She insists that John doesn't have a daughter (but he does have a granddaughter, hint-hint). Offended, Belinda calls the authorities, claiming there's someone on her doorstep, 'expressing doubt.' Ruby flees. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf An Innocent Slip
Outside, John runs into Mel (Bonnie Langford) as the latter disposes of a 'slip' (a broken yellow mug) into a bright orange trash bin with 'Slip' emblazoned on it. John urges her not to speak to Ruby. The two gaze at two giant skeletons of dinosaurs as they roam London. An even taller, bone-like, spider-like lair looms above the dinosaurs, its legs stretched across the city. No one is alarmed by this. It's all … nice.
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As John walks to work, Conrad continues to regale London with the Doctor's story. He talks about the Doctor's companions leaving him to 'fall in love' and 'have babies.' Mr. Traditional Patriarchal Society, over here. John goes to work at UNIT headquarters, except it's not actually UNIT. It's the Unified National Insurance Team.
Kate (Jemma Redgrave) scolds John for straddling the line between late and on time. Posters of Conrad and his propaganda are plastered all over the place. He sits beside Colonel Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient). Susan Triad (Susan Twist) is back as her '50s tea lady character from 'The Devil's Chord,' delivering John a nice cuppa. John notices Ibrahim has a crush on Kate. True to life. He tells Ibrahim that Kate loves Chinese food. Do You Remember?
Ibrahim worries that Kate is out of his league. John compliments Ibrahim, calling him a beautiful man. This takes Ibrahim aback. He asks how John can find another man beautiful. Oh, so this is a homophobic, 1950s America wish world. John tries to cover his tracks.
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Meanwhile, Belinda chats with her mother, Lakshmi (Nila Aalia), and her aunt, Devika (Josephine Lloyd-Weclome). Belinda jokes about Poppy being cheeky. Devika insists there's time to drum that out of her. Poppy's path in life is clear, as laid out by Conrad: good little girl, good little wife, good little mother (shudder). Devika asks about Belinda's labor. How long was she in labor with Poppy? Neither Belinda nor her mother seems to remember. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf
Suddenly, a few yellow mugs and a yellow plate shatter on the floor underneath the table. Quite a significant slip. Frustrated, Belinda runs into the woods to scream it out. At the same time, John and his coworkers spot the Rani flying through the sky. It must be for the 'May the 24th' celebrations. 'I wonder who she is,' John muses. Everyone stares at him. There's no questioning, wondering or doubting. Very Strong Doubts
Next, the Rani lands inside the bony, spider-like lair. Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) greets her. The Rani gives Mrs. Flood mortadella from Italy, presumably for the baby or Conrad. Mrs. Flood updates the Rani, revealing they're getting 'very strong doubts' across the world. Mrs. Flood uses the mortadella in a sandwich for Conrad. She mutters to herself, clearly frustrated by the Rani mistreating her. Could she rise up in revenge?
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Conrad pauses his storytime to accept the sandwich. He asks Mrs. Flood if what they're doing is working. Mrs. Flood reassures him that it is. He finds all the thinking he has to do to be grueling, tiresome work. Aw, somebody doesn't like using his brain. Sometimes, he forgets about the weather, and South Africa gets flooded. Mrs. Flood strokes his ego, insisting that 'the mistress' chose him to make the world better.
Then, Mrs. Flood asks about the baby. Conrad picks him up. He remarks that this child 'sustains this entire world.' The baby does the giggle — that same arpeggio laugh as heard from the gods of the Pantheon. Elsewhere, the Rani puts what looks like part of the Vindicator onto the massive clockface in the lobby of the lair. It's a temporal fix, counting down to midnight. The Vindicator is now powered up to 99 percent and rising. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: Dan Fearon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf 30 Percent
The Rani asks Mrs. Flood if the trap is ready, to which the latter confirms that it is. The pair ventures to the balcony. Mrs. Flood warns the Rani that it 'gets a bit slippy with ice.' The Rani uses her sonic screwdriver to bring out what looks like an eyeball in the skeletal facade of the lair. It glows red. The Rani insists she's not a child. Mrs. Flood observes that, technically, the Rani sprang from her loins. Another eyeball emerges, glowing red.
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Next, Mrs. Flood reveals that the Doctor's doubts are now at 30 percent. However, when sunset strikes, his thinking intensifies. The Rani remarks that it's a shame everyone has to die; however, tonight, they'll find The One Who Is Lost. Then, the 'great work' will begin. Outside, Ruby runs into Shirley (Ruth Madeley). They remember each other's names. Shirley takes Ruby to her encampment, where others like her — those marginalized by society — believe this world is all wrong.
Ruby, Shirley and the others sit in a circle, talking about their doubts. Why do they doubt this world so much, though? Ruby believes a man called the Doctor is inexplicably connected to all this. We see a flashback of Ruby with Carla (Michelle Greenidge) and Cherry (Angela Wynter) calling the authorities on Ruby for doubting. As she retells her story in the encampment, a mug breaks. Shirley and the others pay it no mind. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf Take Down Conrad
The group speculates on their current situation. Those massive dinosaur skeletons might be fossils or relics, bleeding through from a different life. Another person mentions Conrad. Ruby has thoughts about him, too, and we see flashbacks from 'Lucky Day.' Ruby doesn't trust him. He's the crux of all that is wrong. It's perception bias. Conrad, as someone who isn't disabled, can't see Shirley and the others. If he doesn't see them, society doesn't see them.
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Shirley reveals they have plans to take down Conrad and asks if Ruby is in. She enthusiastically joins them. Later that evening, John watches Conrad recite the story of Gallifrey's destruction. He shares that the Time Lady knew it wasn't over. She had a secret, one even the Doctor wasn't privy to. At one point, the small TV screen flashes away from Conrad to reveal Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford) on the TARDIS. John doesn't see her, though.
Suddenly, Rogue (Jonathan Groff) appears on the screen. He addresses John as the Doctor. He admits he doesn't have much time and that 'they're coming.' Oh, and the hell dimension he's in is sliding into 'the pit.' Rogue doesn't have much time. He warns John that 'tables don't do that.' Before the screen flickers back to Conrad, Rogue tells John he misses and loves him. Awww. I hope Fifteen can save Rogue at some point. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: Dan Fearon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf Tables Don't Do That
So, John tests Rogue's warning. We see yellow mugs falling through the table to smash on the floor below. John purposely has doubts to make this happen. Belinda wakes up and follows the commotion. John tells Belinda that Rogue was right — tables aren't supposed to do that.
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Terrified, Belinda calls the authorities to report John's doubts. Mrs. Flood and her squad arrive to take John into custody … and Belinda as well. Outside, Ruby, Shirley and Winnie (Sam Lawton) stare up at the Rani's skeletal lair. Ruby reminds them what'll happen if they're caught outside after curfew. Shirley procures a UNIT pad, a relic from the other world. Ruby recognizes it but doesn't know why. They turn it on, realizing Conrad is broadcasting from the lair. They can see him on the pad. What if they can block the signal?
So, if they can cut off the signal to the rest of the world, Conrad will have to leave the 'Bone Palace,' as it were, and find them. Ruby asserts that if she meets Conrad, she'll remember her life from this lost world. Up in the Bone Palace, John and Belinda encounter the same drone guards from 'The Interstellar Song Contest.' They order John to step over the threshold first, followed by Belinda. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf Minutes From Midnight
We're now minutes from midnight. John and Belinda meet the Rani — well, John has had quite a few run-ins with the Time Lady. The Rani addresses John as the Doctor. She shows John the Seal of Rassilon. Rassilon was the President Eternal of the Time Lords. This doesn't jog John's — ahem, the Doctor's — memory. What about the clone-type classiforms at the desks? Has the Doctor ever questioned where his TARDIS is?
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Belinda begs to go home to her daughter. She vows not to disclose what she's seen to anyone. The Rani corrects Belinda, stating that the latter doesn't have a child. The Doctor recalls what Ruby told him in the beginning of the episode. Nine minutes until May 24 now. Ruby and the others notice the countdown on the UNIT pad but are bewildered by it. Meanwhile, the Rani pulls the Doctor in for a dance.
As they dance, the Rani reminisces about them doing just this at the siege of Persephone. People thought they were lovers. We see flashes of the Rani, as played by the late Kate O'Mara. The Rani notes that, yes, she had a different face. She insists they were never enemies. She only wants life, not death. And her greatest experiment yet is on the horizon. The Exposition
The Rani finally says her name, causing the Doctor to pull away. 'No,' he says, shakily. Not to be outdone and forgotten, Mrs. Flood also introduces herself as the Rani. The Rani turns to Belinda, revealing that the Doctor is an alien. They're Time Lord and Time Lady, the last of their kind. Oh, and this whole world is fake. It's a wish! Conrad's misogynistic, homophobic wish.
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The Rani adds that the Doctor contributed to this. He stirred the gods of the Pantheon and awoke the most ancient of powers. The Rani shows the Doctor Conrad with the baby. The child is actually Desidirium, the God of Wishes. Since Desidirium isn't all-powerful, the Rani used the Vindicator to boost his powers. Well, the Doctor invented the Vindicator and, unbeknownst to him, he was strengthening Desidirium with each Vindicator reading throughout the season.
Eventually, the Vindicator criss-crossed the universe, bringing our titular Time Lord to this point. This burst of power allowed for Conrad's wish world to come to fruition. Sure, the world is fallible and cannot sustain itself. But those doubts everyone has? They're the whole point. 'If you question hard enough, then doubt can crack open the world,' the Rani explains. And there it is — the backbone of this episode. Questions and doubts are necessary to bring about real, lasting, positive change in the world. Subvert the status quo. DOCTOR WHO Season 2 Episode 7, 'Wish World.' Photo credit: Samuel Dore/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf The One Who Is Lost
Outside, Ruby and the others notice the Bone Palace shaking. The Rani reveals she needed the Doctor trapped in this wish world because a Time Lord's doubt can crack the structure of reality itself — hence the expositional dump. Clever way to justify the exposition. The Rani takes the Doctor onto the balcony as London is destroyed. The world is crumbling. However, the Bone Palace is a fixed point, so it's safe.
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Breaking reality like this allows the Rani to see what's underneath — or, rather, who. He is hidden in the Underverse. The One Who Is Lost. Meanwhile, Ruby, Shirley, Mel and all of London watch in terror as everything falls away. We learn that the Rani wants to break Omega free, the first Time Lord and the creator of the Time Lord race. It all comes flooding back to the Doctor. He finally remembers.
However, the Rani has locked him out of the Bone Palace. Inside, the Rani orders the drone guards to take Belinda across the threshold. The Rani uses her sonic screwdriver to sever the balcony from the Bone Palace. The Doctor, still on said balcony, falls with it. After crossing the threshold, Belinda vanishes. Poppy Is Real
Belinda's mother cradles Poppy inside the house. A lightbulb flicks on in the Doctor's head. While he's falling, he reminds the Rani that Poppy is real. He has a daughter. (Does this make Poppy Susan's mother?) He screams and braces himself for impact, clinging to the balcony railing.
To be continued…
Doctor Who Season 2 airs on Saturdays at 3 am EST/12 am PST on Disney+ and 8 am BST on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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