Since the first episode of Doctor Who season one, we’ve been tracking the very strange movements of Mrs. Flood. She appeared to be Ruby’s sweet but very nosy neighbor… until she broke the fourth wall and told the viewers she knew exactly what a TARDIS is. Since then, Mrs. Flood’s more sinister and duplicitous side continued to grow as she started showing up all over space, following the Fifteenth Doctor throughout seasons one and two. She knows both of his latest companions, Ruby Sunday and Belinda Chandra, and apparently wants to use the Vindicator readings for some reason. In Doctor Who season two, episode six, we finally learn in a mid-credits scene that Mrs. Flood is indeed the Rani, a rogue Time Lord and antagonist from the Classic era.
In this episode, we don’t see too much of Mrs. Flood overall. She’s near the beginning keeping an eye on the Doctor, Belinda, and the Vindicator. But she soon gets sucked up into that space vacuum and doesn’t return until after the credits begin to roll.
She’s the last Interstellar Song Contest attendee to be revived and she stumbles onto the platform, immediately asking about the Doctor. The cutest couple ever and the Doctor’s new friends tell her that he’s gone. She says that it is safe and that her double brainstem froze, which is lethal for a Time Lady. Mrs. Flood then bi-generates and creates a separate version of herself, like the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors did.
She splits into two, and this new entity (played by Archie Panjabi) is more authoritative and in charge of Mrs. Flood, whom she says is a Rani while she is THEE Rani. So, they are not equals at all. This isn’t too shocking to many fans of the series considering Rani is an anagram of rain and a lot of rain is a flood. The Rani takes Mrs. Flood and leaves, saying she has a date to arrange and will bring the Doctor absolute terror. Oh my.
Bringing back the Rani forty years after her debut as well as the original companion, and Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan, is building up for a very, ahem, explosive season two finale.
The Rani’s Past in Doctor Who, Explained
During the Classic era of Doctor Who, the Rani was an unethical scientist and Time Lord (or should we say Time Lady) played by Kate O’Mara. (Sadly, O’Mara died in 2014.) She would experiment on humans and other species, which led to her being banished from Gallifrey.
The Rani made her first appearance in the 1985 Doctor Who episode The Mark of the Rani. Unlike the Master who is obsessed (and maybe in love) with the Doctor, the Rani’s preoccupation is science and discovery by any means necessary. She’s rather stylish, glamorous, and clever with a TARDIS of her own. Her TARDIS can actually change shape because its chameleon circuit is working.
During her first appearance, she goes against the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri Brown. The Rani is ruling a planet and using its enslaved people for experiments, which includes harvesting neurochemicals from human brains throughout history. The Doctor has to foil both her and the Master’s plans and seemingly traps them.
But, they always return, which the Rani does two more times: “Time of the Rani” (1987) and “Dimensions in Time” (1993), which was a charity special after the Classic era’s run. In fact, she was the cause of the Sixth Doctor regenerating into the Seventh Doctor. The last appearance shows her going against Seventh Doctor companion Ace, which is interesting considering Ace is still around. Perhaps she will come back for what’s next.
The Rani’s stories are worth watching and are currently available on Tubi. Don’t say we didn’t do anything nice for ya.
What Does Mrs. Flood and the Rani Want in Doctor Who Season 2?
Well, that remains to be seen. We do know she likes to torture species and destroy worlds for her own little science experiments. Perhaps she’s conducting something awful across space and time that causes the world to end on May 24, 2025. If so, the Doctor will have to figure out how in the world to set things right.
Either way, fans are very hype to see the Rani back after asking for her return since the show’s revival 20 years ago. It’s time to see what Mrs. Flood and the Rani will do to the Fifteenth Doctor.
Content shared from nerdist.com.