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Metro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Doctor Who fans convinced unexpected character will change show forever
Doctor Who fans believe season one's episode Space Babies character Captain Poppy could change Doctor Who lore forever. Ncuti Gatwa's second season as the 15th Doctor is coming to a close with an epic two-part finale as he attempts to not only get Belinda (Varada Sethu) home, but save the Earth from total destruction – so business as usual. The latest couple of episodes have dropped some major twists and turns including the return of the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford) for the first time in 60 years Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) revealing she is actually classic Who villain, The Rani – and promptly bi-generating into Archie Panjabi. Not to mentionthe threat of yet another Classic Who villain, Omega, being as the third 'Unholy Trinity' member. Needless to say, it has been a rollercoaster. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. But there is one character whose return has completely baffled fans as to how she will be involved – Space Babies character Captain Poppy. Keen-eyed fans spotted a mysterious cameo from Captain Poppy (portrayed by Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps) at the end of The Story and the Engine when she is seen by Belinda. Then, in The Interstellar Song Contest, some fans believe the name of the corrupt company sponsoring the show, Poppy Honey, is no coincidence and refers back to her. And in the latest episode, Wish World, she is the Doctor and Belinda's child after they are transformed into a married couple in Conrad's dystopian alternate reality. By the end of the episode, as the fictional reality crumbles, the Doctor even proclaims that Poppy, his daughter, is real. What's more, in November Anita confirmed that season two would recontextualise Space Babies at Comic Con Cardiff – whatever that means. For those who need a refresher, the season one premiere is set in 21506 where the Doctor and Ruby arrive on a seemingly abandoned space ship until they stumble upon a legion of intelligent babies in space led by Poppy who initially thinks the Doctor is her dad. The episode, which received mixed reviews from fans, seems to have been more relevant than any of us realised at the time – and there are plenty of ideas of exactly how she fits in. Reddit user ThelastoftheTzars theorised that Captain Poppy could be Susan's mother. 'Maybe when she made it off the ship she didn't have anyone so she decided to keep calling the Doctor her father. 'When she got older she heard of another Space baby that was abandoned and decided to adopt her so she wouldn't be alone. Poppy told her about her 'Father'.' The theory continues that perhaps, when she grew up, Susan attempted to find the Doctor and stumbled across the First Doctor (William Hartnell) rather than Ncuti's iteration and explains her connection to him. 'Given that we saw Poppy last week and Susan last night I am hoping that this theory proves correct,' the theory ended. And it is further bolstered by the idea that the name of the first ever Doctor Who episode which introduces Susan, An Unearthly Child, is a synonym for Space Baby. Another theory posed by Cool-Cover 23-27 outlines that Captain Poppy could be one of The Rani's experiments, considering her track record as a science genius. 'What if the Space Babies aren't just babies, but an experiment by the Rani/Mrs Flood to bring the Time Lords back from the dead?,' the user wonders, adding that she could even be a half-Time Lord, half Human using Belinda's DNA. They conclude: 'Captain Poppy is a Time Lord/human hybrid created from the DNA of the Doctor and Belinda—and she's actually a younger version of the Timeless Child discovered by Tecteun.' And finally another user Okay_Activity_6449 wondered whether the Space Babies power to make stories come true (such as creating the Bogeyman) will mean they were 'making stories about the Doctor being a hero who saves people.' The theory continues: 'Maybe these babies are telling stories about the doctor, stories coming to life… 'Can Belinda be a character from a fairytale who came to life because of a story told by Captain Poppy?' This would also tie into the idea that this entire season is fictional, considering Mrs Flood's fourth wall breaks and even the Doctor and Belinda meeting some Whovians in episode two, Lux. 'Poppy being the only thing he doesn't doubt, yeah she's definitely gonna be Susan's mother isn't she,' X user Becky speculated. And others agreed that perhaps Poppy could even be the Doctor if she becomes the child left for Tecteun to find – thus wrapping up the Timeless Chid mystery in a neat bow. More Trending Regardless of how exactly it plays out, fans are united behind one thing – that Captain Poppy is related to the Doctor and his Time Lord heritage in some shape or form. The synopsis for The Reality Way reads: 'Battle rages across the skies as the Unholy Trinity unleash their deadly ambition. The Doctor, Belinda and Ruby have to risk everything in the quest to save one innocent life.' Doctor Who returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday. This article was first published on May 19. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Doctor Who star 'had his eye on' Fantastic Four role that went to Pedro Pascal MORE: Doctor Who fans convinced they've worked out what shock villain is plotting MORE: Doctor Who has fixed a big mistake – but it might be too late
Metro
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Doctor Who fans 'disappointed' at iconic villain's return after 30 years
Doctor Who viewers have shared their disappointment over how the show decided to reveal the return of one of its most memorable villains – The Rani. The BBC sci-fi series finally revealed the identity of the mysterious Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) in the latest episode, The Interstellar Song Contest, during a mid-credits scene of epic proportions. Originally introduced as Ruby Sunday's neighbour, Mrs Flood has since popped up in every episode of season two in some guise or another, seemingly stalking the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), from one location to another. But at the end of the latest episode the Doctor and Belinda discovered the Earth was destroyed on May 24, 2025 (the same day Belinda was whisked away) and after running back into the Tardis and attempting to return, the doors exploded off their hinges. Oh and the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman (Carol Ann Ford) who last fully appeared in the 1960s era of the show, has also reappeared on the scene in the form of desperate visions. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. This would have been dramatic enough but during the credits Mrs Flood reveals she is a 'Time Lady' whose double brain steam froze which is lethal, prompting a bi-generation in which Archie Panjabi pops out as a regenerated self. Archie then dramatically confirms what everyone had been waiting to find out. Mrs Flood and herself are both versions of the Rani hellbent on bringing 'absolute terror' to the Doctor, the Earth and likely the universe. Oh and Mrs Flood is now subservient to this new version of her character. The Rani is a Classic Who villain last portrayed by Kate O'Mara in the 1985 story, The Mark of the Rani, 1987 episode, Time and the Rani and finally she reprised the role in the 1993 Children in Need special Dimensions in Time. For those good with maths, that makes it 32 years since this fearsome foe last graced our screens. And now the 15th Doctor will face her down in the two-part finale, Wish World and Reality War (with the dramatic conclusion coming to cinemas at the end of the month). Those not in the know, the Rani is an 'amoral, scientific genius' who is a renegade Time Lord whose plans have been foiled by the Doctor more than once. Since her last appearance, she has been hiding and plotting… until now. However, Whovians have expressed their sheer discontent at just how the twist was delivered, especially as it was shoved into a mid-credits scene. 'Nice to see her again but it just felt too casual. The execution of how they did the reveal just kinda undermines Mrs Flood to me . The whole thing has been about her and now it's just 'nah! Move over, now it's new actress …kinda,' Ryuk128 explained on Reddit. 'I like the dynamic between the two Rani's. But I felt like the name drop was done so casual. Would have been better if she said something like. 'I'm Mrs flood, or at least i was, no time for hiding now. My true name is the Rani.' Mangafan_20 'I don't really like how they kind of skimmed over Mrs Flood actually being The Rani herself as well. Even Anita Dobson said in Unleashed that she 'gave birth to The Rani'. But she still IS The Rani as well. All the times we saw her in previous episodes she was THE (only) Rani. 'The reveal of her identity was kind of overshadowed by the introduction of Archie Panjabi as the new Rani. Flood immediately become her minion,' supertalies agreed. And Augustine Blackwater shared hopes that Mrs Flood's fourth-wall breaking would be addressed otherwise 'I feel they wasted almost a whole season on meta references when it amounts to nothing but a normal character.' Over on X, Straw Hat Sean wrote: 'I'm excited the Rani is back, but I'm disappointed that Mrs Flood turned out to be her. I was hoping for a not so obvious much larger shocking reveal of Mrs Flood. Everyone pretty much knew from day 1 who Mrs Flood was.' 'The way that the Rani reveal happened in front of two random characters we'll probably never see again and not the Doctor,' The Susan Guy added. 'The reveal was weirdly underwhelming but also I'm SO INTRIGUED because why does one Rani suddenly become subservient to the other?? Something weird going on here… If that really is it for Mrs Flood then that's lame but I feel like there's more to this,' kkthedoctor added. Ultimately, there's plenty of excitement to see how all of these threads will come together in the finale. 'The Rani is my favourite Doctor Who villain having her back is a dream come true,' tenebrix22 shared. 'It's too early in the morning for me to mentally process how monumental this is. Susan and the Rani returning in one episode??????,' VickyStone2001 echoed. And the cast and crew have hinted at wild twists and turns to come. 'Kate O'Mara's portrayal was brilliant, ruthless and unforgettable. Now, under Russell T Davies, she's back- and I'll ask… what in the WHOniverse will we bring to her? Let's just say, you might not be ready!' The Good Wife star said in a statement about her return. More Trending Showrunner Russell T Davies added that it is 'the greatest threat the Doctor has ever faced'. In the finale, it looks as though she'll be teaming up with Lucky Day's Conrad (Jonah Hauer King), Mrs Flood and one other as yet unknown entity to form the 'Unholy Trinity' (with some speculation that Michelle Gomez may return as Missy). Meanwhile, given its slot just before Eurovision with iconic cameos from Rylan Clark and Graham Norton, the overnight ratings for the episode have been the best of the season with a whopping 2.6 million viewers. View More » Doctor Who returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Saturday with Wish World. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Doctor Who fans are worried about Eurovision episode – but not for reasons you'd expect MORE: Doctor Who fans convinced they've cracked show's biggest mystery MORE: Doctor Who and Peppa Pig star leaves family jaw-dropping fortune in will
