Warning: This Article Contains Extensive Spoilers ForDoctor WhoSeason 15’s Finale, “The Reality War”!
Just as things looked dire for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, theDoctor Whoseason 15 finale, “The Reality War,” brought surprising allies together for a final stand against the Rani (Archie Panjabi). As the Doctor fell toward the Underverse,a door opened behind him and Anita (Steph de Whalley) returned, using the Time Hotel to pull him out of his predicament. Anita revealed that the Wish World itself was caught in a time loop, and the pair used the facility to restore the memories of the UNIT staff.
Withthe Rani planning to resurrect Gallifreyand force the Doctor to choose between his new daughter and restoring his species, a fight ensued that led to the Rani falling victim to Omega’s hunger, and the Doctor vanquishing the warped founding Time Lord. However, when the smoke cleared, Poppy (Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps) had disappeared from reality, with only Ruby (Millie Gibson) left to remember her and urge the Doctor to save her. With help from a familiar face,the Doctor used his regeneration energy to reunite Poppy and Belindabefore the cost of his selfless action took its toll. With that, the Fifteenth Doctor left audiences with one last speech.
Is The Doctor Really Poppy’s Father?
He Isn’t, But The Real Father Is A Good One
Despite his powerful instinct that he was Poppy’s parent, thanks to her being part-human and part-Time Lord after being formed in the Wish World, the Doctor wasn’t her true father. Instead, Poppy was Belinda’s biological child, her reason for wanting to return home, andher father was instead Ritchie Akingbola, Belinda’s former partner. While they had parted ways, Belinda revealed that he had been a present father for Poppy, and someone whom the Doctor would approve of.
Why Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor Regenerates
The Fifteenth Doctor Gave His Life To Save Another Lost Child
Though he may not have been Poppy’s father, that did not dull the Doctor’s desire to do good and help where he could, especially in the case of a child lost to the universe like himself and Ruby. As such,the Doctor uses the only power source great enough to reshape the universe- the power of the Last Time Lord and Timeless Child itself, alongside the Time Vortex - to adjust reality and restore the timeline to what it should have been. Finding himself in Belinda’s garden, the Time Lord leaves the pair with one last farewell and promises that he may return, but not with this face.
Billie Piper Is The Sixteenth Doctor
As the Doctor returns to the TARDIS, the vessel powers down as he walks towards the door, gazing out at the universe. With the star known as Joy (Nicola Coughlan) by his side, rewriting reality takes its toll, and the Time Lord regenerates,bringing an end to Gatwa’s eraas the Fifteenth Doctor. However, as the regeneration energy fades, a familiar blonde woman emerges in Gatwa’s place.Billie Piper, the actor who once played Rose Tyler, has returned toDoctor Who, seemingly stepping into the role of the Sixteenth Doctor before the episode comes to a close.
Now, the credits don’t confirm Piper is playing the Doctor, but the regeneration process always leads to a new Doctor, so this is the likeliest explanation right now. This is the first time a companion’s face has been used in the regeneration process, suggestingDoctor Who’s future is going to introduce some radically original conceptsto the long-running sci-fi world.
Why Jodie Whittaker Returns In Doctor Who Season 15’s Finale
Gatwa Was Joined By A Familiar Face For A Surprise Moment
The Fifteenth Doctor is not alone in his final moments. As his regeneration approaches, the TARDIS plays a montage of his past lives, leading to the Fifteenth Doctor joking that he was the best. However, a familiar voice calls out his comment, andJodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctorruns down the upper walkway. As the pair trade jokes and the Thirteenth Doctor critiques the TARDIS' new look, she warns thatshe has been pulled from her own timeas the Fifteenth Doctor is prepared to cause a Time Schism to save Poppy.
Whittaker’s Doctor was expected to regenerate into Gatwa’s, but a twist had her character turning into David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor instead. This scene brought Whittaker and Gatwa together at long last.
The Thirteenth Doctor ultimately doesn’t stop Fifteen’s plan, but they share a hug and compliment one another, with the formeroffering some advice to lessen the chances of cataclysm. The two share a heartfelt farewell as they return to their respective times. However, with his new lease on life found through his bigeneration, the Fifteenth Doctor states he loved his former self, giving Thirteen the perspective and assurance thatshe should open up to her companion Yazmin Khan(Mandip Gill) about her feelings before she departs.
The Boss Looks Like Doctor Who’s Next Big Mystery (After Already Being Teased By Meep)
Doctor Who’s “Boss” Seemingly Has A Wide Reach In The Whonivese
Though theDoctor Whoseason 15 finale brings much of Gatwa’s era to a close, one mystery remains unanswered, one that has lingered since showrunner Russell T Davies returned to the show. As Anita makes her farewell after the world is seemingly been restored, she leaves the Fifteenth Doctor with one last message.She said that the mysterious “Boss” says “hello,“and Gatwa’s Doctor replies that he will remember that for later.
The Boss was first described as a higher powerby the Meep (Miriam Margolyes) in “The Star Beast” back in 2023, with the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) simply stating he hated a cryptic mystery. However, a “Boss” was also mentioned by Rogue (Jonathan Groff) inDoctor Whoseason 14as someone who had reshaped the practices of intergalactic bounty hunting. Davies has teased that the Boss would be a lingering force outside of season 14 and 15’s adventures, and it is clear by Anita’s tease that their power may extend beyond the criminal underworld and shadier dealings of the Whoniverse, andtheir meeting with the Doctor is inevitable.
Mrs. Flood Is Set Up As Doctor Who’s Future Rani
The Time Lady Scientist’s Story Isn’t Over Yet
Another lingering thread of the episode is that ofMrs. Flood (Anita Dobson), the past incarnation of The Rani that Panjabi’s incarnation emerged from. While the warped Omega consumed the present Rani, the Time Ring she had used to escape Gallifrey’s destruction slipped from her wrist onto the floor. Seeing that she was in Omega’s crosshairs,Mrs. Flood grabbed the device and escaped her future incarnation’s fate,leaving the Doctor to face Omega himself.
As such, the Rani is still present in the universe through her Mrs. Flood incarnation, leaving her free to make her own plans. This also means the Doctor is not the sole survivor of Gallifrey. Furthermore, Mrs. Flood is no longer subservient to her future incarnation, whichcould leave her with the option to redeem herself. While she may have been playing a long game, she still stands out when compared to Panjabi’s or Kate O’Mara’s portrayals, so Mrs. Flood may have the opportunity to be better, should she not regenerate again by the next time she faces the Doctor.
Where Was Susan In Doctor Who Season 15’s Finale?
The Doctor’s Granddaughter Was Absent After A Long Build-Up To Her Return
Another omission from the season 15 finale is Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), the Doctor’s first companion and granddaughter whom he left on a future Earth several lifetimes ago. After being absent from screens since 1993’s “Dimension in Time,” Susan played a major role in both of Gatwa’s seasons. She returned in season 15’s “The Interstellar Song Contest” as a vision, giving the Doctor the energy to defy death and be better in his worst moments.
Currently, it is unclear how Susan returned,or whether there was a greater purpose to her appearance. While Susan has telepathic abilities, it is unclear whether what the Doctor saw was a manifestation of his own mind in a dire moment, or her reaching out. As such, Gatwa leavesDoctor Whowithout the Doctor fulfilling his promise to return to Susan.
Belinda Chandra’s Timeline Explained: Did Poppy Always Exist?
Poppy Fulfilled Both Of The Doctor And Belinda’s Wishes
One final point of contention inDoctor Who’s season 15 finale is the existence of Poppy. As revealed when the Doctor restored the timeline,Poppy had always existed, and had been the reason Belinda was so determined to return home. They even had off-screen conversations about her during their travels. When Conrad created his ideal world to give everyone the family he never had, the Poppy that was the Doctor and Belinda’s child was created from both their wishes, giving Belinda the child she wished to come home to, and the Doctor the child he’d always wanted.
