Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.“The Rani’s return inDoctor Whoseason 15 is one of the biggest twists of Ncuti Gatwa’s era as the Fifteenth Doctor, made bigger only by the Rani’s bi-generation scene, but I’m convinced there was actually a third Rani lurking in the shadows of Gatwa’s run. As one of the returning classic-era villains inDoctor Who’s Disney era,the Rani’s long-awaited comeback came in the form of Anita Dobson’s Mrs. Flood. It was revealed inDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Song Contest,” thatMrs. Flood was actually the villainous Time Ladyoriginally played by Kate O’Mara.
Mrs. Flood’s division into herself andArchie Panjabi’s version of the Rani meant double the threatgoing intoDoctor Whoseason 15’s two-part finale. Although I was initially confused about the Rani’s bi-generation happening so close to the incident involving David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor in “The Giggle,” Gatwa’s finalDoctor Whoepisode explainedwhy the process of bi-generation has taken place twice in such quick succession. The enigmatic spin on a traditional regeneration sequence is still poorly understood, but showrunner Russell T. Davies has made his thoughts known on the fallout of bi-generation.
Bi-Generation Resurrects ALL Past Versions Of A Time Lord, According To Doctor Who’s Showrunner
Russell T. Davies has an interesting take on bi-generation
Speaking in the commentary for 2023’s “The Giggle,” Davies offered an interesting take on one of his biggest introductions to theDoctor Whocanon. He stated that he saw bi-generation as a process that didn’t just affect the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors. Instead, when it happened to Fourteen, it also happened to every other iteration of the Doctor that had preceded him, creating a sort ofDoctor Whomultiverse whereall versions of the Time Lord survived their bigeneration sequences. For example, Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor would have bi-generated to spawnDavid Tennant’s Tenth Doctor, with Nine also remaining in existence.
Fifteen suggests that bi-generation is his species' desperate attempt to create new Time Lords, with the traditional method no longer being a possibility.
There was originally no in-universe explanation for why Fourteen bi-generated, but Fifteen offered a pretty convincing theory in “The Reality War” during the reveal that the Master’s attempt to wipe out the Time Lords in Jodie Whittaker’s era as the Thirteenth Doctor failed. Instead of killing them all, it sterilized them, making it impossible for them to procreate. So, Fifteen suggests that bi-generation is his species' desperate attempt to create new Time Lords, with the traditional method no longer being a possibility.
If Davies is right, and bi-generation affected all the Doctors before Fourteen, then it’s reasonable to assume that the same thing happened to all the previous versions of the Rani when Mrs. Flood bi-generated. Far less is known about the various faces of the Rani when compared to how muchDoctor Whohas shown about its main character’s past. However,there are now three canonized faces of the Rani inDoctor Wholore. There are likely more, even if they haven’t been shown, which is an especially exciting prospect.
The Rani’s Bi-Generation Means Kate O’Mara’s Rani Was Resurrected During Season 15
The most famous version of the Rani is still at large
Although there could have been other Ranis between Kate O’Mara’s original version of the character and Anita Dobson’s Mrs. Flood, let’s assume, for the sake of speculation, that Dobson’s Rani is a direct successor to O’Mara’s. Originally, this transition would have taken place via traditional regeneration. However, when Mrs. Flood bi-generated,Davies’s theory suggests that all the previous Ranis also split in two. Therefore, accepting for a moment that the showrunner is right, O’Mara’s Rani would have bi-generated to spawn Mrs. Flood.
The Rani’s bi-generation scene in “The Interstellar Song Contest” would have brought Kate O’Mara’s Rani back into existence in the character’s reworked past.
So, although O’Mara’s version of the Rani was presumably once brought to an offscreen ending when she regenerated into Mrs. Flood, the Rani’s bi-generation scene in “The Interstellar Song Contest” would have brought Kate O’Mara’s Rani back into existence in the character’s reworked past. While she didn’t show up inDoctor Whoseason 15,O’Mara’s Rani could easily still be at large somewhere out there in the universe. This second shot at life was only made possible thanks to Davies' decision to include bi-generation in “The Giggle,” forever altering Time Lord lore.
The Rani was only ever used sparingly inDoctor Who’s classic era, but O’Mara’s performance allowed the character to remain vivid in the minds of long-standing fans. Although she was underutilized, it’s interesting to think about what she could have been doing all these years, and the possibilities for a Time Lord with a mind like the Rani are pretty much endless. So, by possibly extending her time in theDoctor Whouniverse even further,O’Mara’s Rani could have achieved unknowable feats.
Doctor Who Can Still Have 2 Ranis Working Together When The Villain Returns
Archie Panjabi’s place in the Rani duo can be taken by the OG
Omega made quick work of Panjabi’s Rani when she freed him from the Underverse in “The Reality War.” After she was eaten by the Pantheon’s would-be God of Time, the remaining version of the Rani - Mrs. Flood - fled using her late counterpart’s wrist-worn time travel device. So, although Panjabi’s role in theDoctor Whouniverse is apparently over,the Rani has survived and will presumably return to the story at some point. However, part of what made the Rani’s return so interesting is that there were two of them at once.
Davies' interesting take on bi-generation opens the door for Mrs. Flood to team up with the version of the Rani originally played by Kate O’Mara, with no paradoxes keeping the two iterations of the character from collaborating.
Davies' interesting take on bi-generation opens the door for Mrs. Flood to team up with the version of the Rani originally played by Kate O’Mara, with no paradoxes keeping the two iterations of the character from collaborating. O’Mara passed away in 2014, so although she can’t reprise her role,Doctor Whohas already shown its willingness to recast specific versions of classic-era characters. For example, the First Doctor has been played by both Richard Hurndall and David Bradley since William Hartnell. So, a suitable replacement for O’Mara could be found to bring her version of the Rani back to screens.
Alternatively,O’Mara’s Rani could have gone on to live a separate life from Mrs. Flood after they bi-generated. The universe is a dangerous place, so the original Rani could have been forced to regenerate offscreen since being resurrected and transformed into a brand-new version of the character. This wouldn’t require an O’Mara lookalike, and could welcome a fresh face to the role. If this turns out to be the case, then it would also solve the mystery ofwhat will happen to the Fourteenth Doctorwhen the time comes for him to regenerate inDoctor Who’s future.
