Doctor Who Season 2, Episode 7 “Wish World” continues feeling like classic era adventures thanks to the writing of Russell T. Davies. For new fans, this is the first time we’re introduced to The Doctor taking on the role of John Smith. But for fans of the show, this feels kind of like coming home. The times when we have had John Smith have led to some of the most out of box or memorable episodes. And I see that with what was done with The Doctor and Belinda.
MORE: Need a refresher of what happened in the previous episode? Read our review for Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 6 “The Interstellar Song Contest!
Turning the World Upside Down
Ncuti Gatwa’s adventures as The Doctor have been ones of liberation, empathy, and standing up for the little guy. “Wish World” has all the good that we’ve seen stripped away. Homophobia is a thing and so is ableism. Anything that is different is looked down upon with scorn and reported to the authorities. It’s the authoritarian way of living that those who scream “woke” all the time seem to want. And for Doctor Who to spend so much time being a beacon of light, to suddenly shift to this stringent and choking way of existence, it’s shocking.
At the heart of this repulsively square world, is Conrad. I hate that he thinks that he’s helping the world become a better place. And while a part of me doesn’t understand why The Rani would want him on their side, it’s clear that he is a puzzle piece. People like The Rani look at humans like Conrad as expendable. He’s useful to them because he believes so strongly and will do what they want, creating a startling villain in The Rani. But I hate that we got someone so red pill as part of a prominent storyline. But again, Russell T. Davies always uses Doctor Who as a way to deliver important messages.
MORE: Ughhhh Conrad. Read our initial thoughts about him in Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 4 “Lucky Day.”
The Message of “Wish World”
The message of “Wish World” is grounded in “no matter what you do to pin people down, they will always fight.” They will stumble and make a mess of things, but they will fight. And we see that fight in Shirley, who has been led to live on the fringes of society because of her disability. That isn’t going to stop her. If anything, that’s going to make her more determined to figure out what is going on and how she can help. And it goes to show you as well that even if someone doesn’t have their memories, who they are is still present.
What’s curious about Doctor Who Season 2, Episode 7 “Wish World,” are the parts that remain of The Doctor and Belinda. In this iteration of John Smith making his return he is married to Belinda and they have a beautiful daughter. Their love for each other led them to gravitate together in this twisted reality that The Rani has created somehow with these haunting creatures roaming the world. But I will admit I was shocked that Belinda gave up The Doctor because she’s their current companion. But at the same time I shouldn’t be.
Belinda, despite now coming to kind of enjoying the adventures with The Doctor, has always doubted them. She questioned The Doctor’s need for adventure and what it means to travel with them in the first place. And in “The Interstellar Song Contest,” she saw that darkness that he carried inside. That doesn’t just go away. That lives inside. So take that realization that The Doctor is capable of hurting others with the doubt that she carried in the beginning, and you have someone who would totally report their fake husband to the authorities.
Things I Just Don’t Get
The Doctor kind of played a back seat role in a show titled Doctor Who. The humans were a little bit more of the focus. And while I know that part of this is to set up a UNIT spin-off while another part of it is showing the strength of humanity, I want a little bit more focus on Gatwa. I wanted The Doctor to break it all down and solve this big mystery. I also wanted to see more of their doubts besides this big focus on the table and the mugs falling through. A being like The Doctor, who has experienced so much in their life, would certainly doubt more than what we got.
And then there’s The Rani’s plan. I love the little throwback footage they gave us to remind us of who they are. But I don’t get the plan. And it’s not the whole Omega thing. They wanted to bring back something or someone powerful and they did that with the vindicator. But why did it have to be Earth? Why did it have to be centralized there? Also what is up with that creepy baby? What do they have to do with this plan when it comes to Omega?
Whatever’s coming for the Doctor Who Season 2 finale episode titled “The Reality War,” I feel like I’m going to have to go back and rewatch everything all over again to get it. And I don’t know if that’s a thing or a bad thing because at this point I should understand a little bit more than I do. But it’s a journey, I guess. And Russell T. Davies has led me on a lot of great ones. So I’m going to trust the process and hope everything makes sense by next week’s episode. Also that we get more Ncuti Gawa. Because he needs another season as our Doctor.
Doctor Who airs new episodes every Saturday.
