In the frenetic, time-warping whirlwind that is Doctor Who, last night’s season finale, "The Reality War" - aired May 31, 2025 - lands like a supernova, blazing with spectacle but flickering with flaws. This capstone to Ncuti Gatwa’s brief but brilliant tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor is a rollercoaster of action and emotion, propelled by his incandescent performance and a pulse-pounding array of set pieces. Jodie Whittaker’s surprise cameo as the Thirteenth Doctor adds a poignant spark, yet the episode stumbles in its handling of the legendary Omega and leaves a trail of unresolved plot threads dangling like loose TARDIS wires. And then there’s the bombshell of a former Doctor Who star's return - raising questions that outshine the answers provided. It’s a finale that soars and stumbles, a glorious mess that leaves you exhilarated yet yearning for coherence.
The action sequences are a triumph, a dizzying ballet of chaos that showcases Doctor Who’s knack for blending the absurd with the epic. London, now a bone-strewn battlefield, hosts a clash where skyscraper-sized skeletal dinosaurs—think Star Wars AT-ATs with a gothic twist—square off against a Marvel-inspired Avengers tower. The Doctor’s daring rocket sled ride to the Rani's Bone Palace crackles with CGI splendour. These moments, kinetic and inventive, remind us why Who remains a visual marvel, turning budget constraints into bursts of creativity that make the heart race.
Ncuti Gatwa, as the Fifteenth Doctor, is the episode’s radiant core, delivering a performance that’s equal parts joy and devastation. His Doctor, defined by a supernova smile and the catchphrase “babes,” unveils a raw, wounded depth here, particularly in his sacrifice to save Poppy, a child who may or may not be his daughter. Gatwa’s ability to pivot from infectious exuberance to gut-wrenching resolve - his tearful “I like this face” as he prepares to regenerate - is a masterclass in emotional range. His confrontation with the Rani, spitting defiance amid a crumbling reality, carries the weight of a Time Lord who’s loved and lost too much. Gatwa’s brief tenure, as fleeting as Christopher Eccleston’s, leaves an indelible mark, proving he was a Doctor for the ages, even if cut frustratingly short.
Jodie Whittaker’s cameo as the Thirteenth Doctor is a delightful jolt, a timey-wimey treat that lands like a warm hug. Appearing as Gatwa’s Doctor grapples with the time vortex, her brief scene is a poignant passing of the torch, her warning about rupturing reality laced with a cheeky nod to David Tennant’s frequent returns. Whittaker’s presence, though fleeting, feels essential, grounding the chaos with her understated gravitas and reminding us why her Doctor was a trailblazer. It’s a moment that sings, even if it’s more fan-service than plot-driven. Varada Sethu, as Belinda Chandra, remains a luminous anchor, her nurse’s pragmatism cutting through the Doctor’s turmoil. Her emotional plea to save Poppy, her maybe-daughter, is heartrending.
But oh, the missteps. The treatment of Omega, the mythic Time Lord architect, is a colossal let-down. Reintroduced as a monstrous, reality-consuming beast after eons in the Underverse, Omega’s return should have been a seismic event, a nod to classics like The Three Doctors. Instead, he’s dispatched with alarming ease- blasted by a laser beam husk in a rushed climax that feels like an afterthought. This legendary figure, whose shadow loomed over "Wish World", deserved a grander reckoning, not a cameo that fizzles like a damp squib.
The plot itself is a chaotic tangle, piling on villains - the dual Ranis, Conrad Clark, Omega - without giving them room to breathe. The central conceit, the Doctor’s sacrifice to restore Poppy by blasting regenerative energy into the vortex, is emotionally potent but narratively muddled. Unresolved threads abound: Susan Foreman’s teased return, hinted at since "The Interstellar Song Contest", goes nowhere, leaving her visions as a frustrating red herring. Mrs. Flood’s role as a Rani variant vanishes without closure, and the mystery of Earth’s destruction on May 24, 2025, is brushed aside. The episode’s 66-minute runtime, a luxury for Whovians these days, feels overstuffed yet incomplete, as if Russell T Davies threw every idea into the mix without bothering tying the bow.
And then there’s Billie Piper, whose regeneration reveal is both thrilling and perplexing. Credited simply as “Introducing Billie Piper” - not “as the Doctor,” unlike Gatwa and Whittaker - her “Oh, hello” grin raises more questions than answers. Is she the Sixteenth Doctor, or something else entirely? Her past as Rose Tyler, infused with Bad Wolf energy, suggests a twist beyond a straightforward regeneration. The ambiguity is tantalizing but frustrating, especially given Davies’ penchant for stunt casting, as seen with Tennant’s return. Piper’s return is a bold gamble, but without clarity on her role, it risks feeling like a ratings grab rather than a narrative necessity.
The Reality War is a thrilling, flawed farewell to Gatwa’s incandescent Doctor, with action that dazzles and a Whittaker cameo that warms the heart. But its mishandling of Omega and a slew of dangling plot threads leave it feeling like a puzzle with missing pieces. Piper’s enigmatic arrival promises a new chapter, but whether she’s truly the Doctor remains a question that haunts this chaotic, captivating finale.
Ten Interesting Things from The Reality War:
- Gatwa’s Heart-Wrenching Exit: Ncuti Gatwa’s tearful “I like this face” and sacrificial regeneration are a poignant end to his joyful, complex Doctor.
- Bone Dinosaur Battle: Skyscraper-sized skeletal beasts clashing with an Avengers-style tower is a gloriously absurd action highlight.
- Whittaker’s Warm Cameo: Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, warning of a time schism, adds emotional heft with a cheeky Tennant jab.
- Piper’s Ambiguous Return: Billie Piper’s “Oh, hello” regeneration, credited vaguely, sparks debate—is she the Doctor or a Bad Wolf twist?
- Belinda’s Emotional Core: Varada Sethu’s Belinda anchors the episode with her plea for Poppy.
- Rani’s Double Act: Archie Panjabi and Anita Dobson’s dual Ranis bring camp menace, though their defeat feels rushed.
- Omega’s Wasted Potential: The Time Lord titan’s brief, monstrous return ends in a lackluster devouring, squandering his mythic status.
- Poppy’s Murky Origin: The maybe-daughter of the Doctor and Belinda, a biological impossibility for Time Lords, remains a tantalizing mystery.
- Time Vortex Spectacle: The TARDIS’s dive into the vortex, with Gatwa’s regenerative blast, is a CGI stunner that defines the climax.
- Susan’s Unfulfilled Tease: Carole Ann Ford’s prior Susan visions lead nowhere, a frustrating loose end in a finale craving resolution.