The Rani’s Long History Secrets Revealed in Doctor Who’s 40-Year Saga

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 6.

In the 15th season of “Doctor Who”, the character known as The Rani has re-entered the universe of this popular science fiction series, reigniting her intricate connection with the Doctor. Since her debut in the 2023 Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road,” fans have been captivated by Anita Dobson’s portrayal of Mrs. Flood, a seemingly common neighbor who holds information far beyond a typical human’s grasp and aspires to alter reality itself. As the series progresses in season 15, Mrs. Flood continues her pursuit of the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), as she accompanies Belinda on her extended voyage back to the present day.

In a surprising twist of events, Flood’s recent appearance at the 803rd Intergalactic Song Contest lands her in the midst of the crisis, resulting in her being hurled into the cold emptiness of space. Luckily, The Doctor manages to rescue everyone involved, including Flood. However, due to her double brainstem, it was expected that Flood would perish, but instead, her Time Lord physiology comes to her aid, resulting in an unexpected split, where she transforms into two distinct entities – her current self and a new incarnation (played by Archie Panjabi), who is revealed to be the Rani.

The Rani And The Doctor Were Childhood Friends

The Two Time Lords Began Life As The Closest Friends

Although initially appearing as an adversary to the Doctor, it’s worth noting that the Rani and the Doctor shared a close bond during their childhood on Gallifrey. Known then as Theta Sigma and Ushas, who would later become The Doctor and Rani respectively, they were once inseparable friends. As they grew up, they followed the customs of Gallifrey, bravely facing the challenge of the Untempered Schism before continuing their education at the Prydonian Academy.

At the Academy, Ushas was outstanding in many subjects, but she truly shone in chemistry and nurtured her curiosity through numerous experiments. Moreover, she joined forces with Theta Sigma and Koschei, a group of ten defiant Time Lords, who aimed to reshape their world. Unfortunately, the Deca’s bond was not meant to endure, as they each embarked on separate journeys dictated by destiny.

One by one, each member of the group departed in different directions. Theta Sigma adopted the role of the Doctor and fled Gallifrey in a damaged TARDIS; Koschei followed as the Master. By that point, Ushas had taken on the name Rani, but due to a fearsome experiment that incited terror for Lord President Pandad IV, she was banished from her homeworld. Eventually, the Rani’s travels led her to the planet Miasimia Goria.

The Rani Became One Of The Universe’s Most Wanted Villains

The Rani’s Ambitions Saw Her Turn Entire Worlds Into Her Experiments

As the Rani grew more powerful on Miasimia Goria, she established a reputation for herself. Simultaneously extending her reach across the planet and claiming authority over the world, the Rani gained infamy throughout the galaxy with her sinister research, gathering various lifeforms from Earth and beyond to bolster her collection. As she rose to become the second most notorious outlaw in the cosmos, surpassed only by the Master, the Rani embarked on one of her most famous experiments.

In her groundbreaking study, she aimed to increase the Miasimia Gorians’ consciousness by denying them sleep. However, the outcome instead fueled widespread agitation. To quell the uproar, the Rani decided to extract substances from human minds that could induce sleep, hoping to use it on her subjects. It was during one of these mind-extraction missions that she met the Doctor and Master for the first time in “The Mark of the Rani,” which premiered in 1985.

In the heart of Killingworth’s 19th-century mining town, I found myself materializing alongside Peri, next to the Doctor (Colin Baker). Our arrival brought us face-to-face with the cunning Rani (Kate O’Mara) and a familiar foe, The Master in his Tremas form (Anthony Ainley), each embarking on their own sinister schemes. As we thwarted their plans, Peri and I tried to make a hasty escape using the Rani’s TARDIS.

However, in a swift move, the Doctor set off a chain of events that caused one of the Rani’s Tyrannosaurus Rex embryos to rapidly grow, putting immense pressure on us, leaving us no choice but for the Master to seize control and eject it from the main vessel.

In 1987’s “Time and the Rani,” the Rani, displeased with the Sixth Doctor foiling her regeneration experiment, decided to take revenge. She joined forces with the Tetraps to seize control of Lakertya for another experiment. With the Sixth Doctor as her target, she ambushed him during a flight in the TARDIS, causing injuries that proved fatal. This incident led to the Doctor’s regeneration into his Seventh incarnation, providing the Rani with a fresh opportunity.

Accompanied by Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford), the Rani tried to deceive the still-recovering Doctor into assisting her scheme where she planned to utilize the combined intellect of numerous historical geniuses to transform Lakertya into a Time Manipulator, thus allowing her to influence human evolution. However, the Doctor successfully resists the Rani’s mind control, and he, Mel, the Lakertyans, and Tetraps were able to apprehend the Rani, with the Tetraps placing her under arrest.

In 1993, during the special “Dimensions In Time” marking its 30th anniversary, O’Mara made her final appearance as the Rani. Having broken free from captivity in Tetrap, she started gathering an assortment of alien creatures for further evolutionary experiments. With a human as her target and intent on thwarting the Doctor, she embarked on a mission to ensure he couldn’t interfere.

By trapping his first two incarnations and mobilizing a group of adversaries against other Doctors stuck in a time loop, the Rani’s actions ultimately led to her being swept away into a Time Tunnel, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Time Lord and his companions.

The Second Rani In Doctor Who Explained

Audio Dramas Introduced The Mara’s Second Incarnation

During her exit from the Time Tunnel, the Rani endured an injury so severe that it necessitated a regeneration into her second form, portrayed by Siobhan Redmond in Big Finish’s audio drama series. Throughout her adventures, she sought to manipulate the students at the College of Advanced Galactic Education, but her schemes were foiled by an earlier manifestation of the Sixth Doctor. Imprisoned for 97 years, she ascended through the ranks to become the governor of Teccoraura Penitentiary and made a brief visit to Miasimia Gora to observe the results of her experiment.

Despite the fact that during the Last Great Time War, Gallifrey’s Time Lords employed every tactic to vanquish the Daleks, the High Council welcomed back any rogue Time Lords to aid their struggle, such as the Master. However, with the planet seemingly annihilated in the war’s final stages, the Doctor presumed his former adversary was among the fallen. Even after Gallifrey reappeared from a parallel dimension, the Rani did not resurface among the survivors.

How The Rani Is Connected To The Mystery Of Mrs. Flood

Flood Has Been Playing The Long Game With The Doctor

On Christmas Eve, 2023, I encountered my neighbor, Mrs. Flood, who had grown quite close to my family during our London stay. She appeared ordinary yet a tad eccentric. She voiced her displeasure over the sudden appearance of a police box obstructing the sidewalk. Little did I know that the next day, I would step into this peculiar TARDIS, bidding farewell to Mrs. Flood, who was well aware of the extraordinary journey I was embarking on with the Doctor.

As Mrs. Flood continued to assist the Sunday family on Sundays, Cherry Sunday (Angela Wynter) began to see a more ominous side of her when Ruby and Carla (Michelle Greenidge) were called to UNIT Headquarters. As Sutekh’s (Michelle Wolfe) sandstorm engulfed the Earth, Mrs. Flood revealed her true intention: to destroy creation altogether, expressing concern that the fury of the God of Death might thwart her plans before they started. However, with the Doctor defeating Sutekh, she joined Cherry in rejoicing over their resurrection, although she was aware that the Doctor would soon encounter even greater challenges, subtly hinting at her own identity.

In summary, Mrs. Flood has become more mischievous in Doctor Who season 15, disguising herself as Belinda’s neighbor and a prison governor to enlist Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King). Meanwhile, she tracks the TARDIS team during their journeys. It appears that both Mrs. Flood and the Rani’s latest regeneration are planning to carry on their destructive experiments on Earth’s population, especially as the planet is scheduled for destruction on May 24th, 2025, with the Doctor and Belinda caught in the explosion. If the Doctor manages to survive, an ominous encounter with a familiar face awaits in Doctor Who season 15’s finale.

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2025-05-18 20:29