‘High-stakes showdown’ for Ncuti Gatwa’s Time Lord teased for Doctor Who finale

Ncuti Gatwa’s Time Lord is set for a “high-stakes showdown” in the finale of his second Doctor Who season, his co-star has said.

The Reality War episode on Saturday will see the Doctor and the Time Lord villain, the Rani go head to head in a battle, which it is said will “send shockwaves through the Whoniverse”.

The Rani rejoined the series during the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest earlier this month, when Mrs Flood, played by EastEnders star Anita Dobson, bi-generated, splitting in half to reveal her true identity to be the renegade Time Lord, also portrayed by Archie Panjabi.

Saturday’s episode, Wish World, ended with Gatwa as the 15th Doctor falling from the sky, his companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) being taken away with guards, and Earth being destroyed.

Emmy Award-winning The Good Wife star Panjabi, 52, said: “In the finale, we see the Time Lord and the Time Lady go head-to-head in a high-stakes showdown. Who is going to win? Who will claim the victory? And you don’t know what happens next.”

She also said that “Ncuti and Varada were rockstars, they made me feel like part of the gang from day one”.

“Playing that character is a blast, but being with such a warm and welcoming group made it something very special,” she also said.

“Anita has a wicked sense of humour and we got on like a house on fire. That relationship was effortless, and I hope the audience get to feel that chemistry on screen.

“When I met her, she gave me a big hug. I knew this was somebody I would not only connect with for the purposes of Doctor Who, but I would be in touch with for the rest of my life.”

Panjabi also said she found it “pure agony” to keep that she was playing the character, who first appeared in the BBC sci-fi series in 1985 in the Mark Of The Rani episode played by Howards’ Way actress Kate O’Mara, from her family.

She also said that the character is “unforgettable”, and she was “keen to capture her essence, her strength, her presence, but also avoid mimicking” O’Mara.

“We’re both different Ranis, but I did want to give that nod to her,” she said.

“The Rani is such an iconic character, and fans had been speculating and hoping for her return for a long time. Since Christmas 2023, I’ve been watching the show and seeing the excitement grow around Mrs Flood.”

The Rani, from the same planet as the Doctor, Gallifrey, last appeared on screens in a 1993 BBC Children In Need special of the show called Dimensions In Time, which saw the Doctor’s Tardis land in Albert Square for a crossover between Doctor Who and EastEnders.

Sex Education and Barbie star Gatwa has played the Doctor since fellow Scottish actor David Tennant bi-generated in 2023.

The latest season of Doctor Who comes to an end in The Reality War, which airs on Saturday at 6.50pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.