David Bridges
The current chapter of Doctor Who has made a conscious effort to avoid resurrecting some of the series’ most notorious villains for the 15th Doctor’s adventures. However, this doesn’t mean that the show lacks classic antagonists. As we approach the thrilling finale of the latest season, we witness the return of one such iconic figure: the Rani, a character who dazzled audiences during the ’80s era of Doctor Who. This enigmatic Time Lord brings a unique flavor of villainy that resonates with fans, providing both nostalgia and excitement as her storyline unfolds.
Unveiling the Complex Character of the Rani
The Rani, a morally ambiguous Time Lord scientist, was portrayed by the talented actress Kate O’Mara and graced the screen in just two classic Doctor Who narratives during the 1980s: “Mark of the Rani” and “Time and the Rani.” In “Mark of the Rani,” she formed a strategic alliance with the Master to challenge the Sixth Doctor, showcasing her cunning intellect. In her subsequent appearance in “Time and the Rani,” which marked Sylvester McCoy’s debut as the Seventh Doctor, she played a pivotal role in the Doctor’s regeneration, taking control of an alien world in her quest to manipulate evolution across the universe. O’Mara’s performance was revisited in the 1993 special Dimensions in Time, a unique crossover event that celebrated the show’s 30th anniversary while also benefiting charitable efforts for Children in Need. In this episode, the Rani ensnared multiple versions of the Doctor and several companions in a perplexing time loop within the world of the British soap EastEnders.
Details about the Rani’s background remain limited, primarily derived from her on-screen appearances. She was crafted to serve as a foil to the Doctor, akin to the Master—a dark reflection who shares a deep connection with the Doctor due to their shared status as outcasts from Time Lord society. Both characters studied at the illustrious Pyrdonian Academy on Gallifrey during their formative years. However, while the Doctor rebelled against his own people, the Rani was exiled from Gallifrey due to her radical scientific experiments, driven by an insatiable obsession with science and the principles of evolution. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge often led her to make morally questionable decisions, demonstrating her willingness to sacrifice ethics for the sake of her experiments.
Unlike many classic Doctor Who villains, the Rani has not enjoyed a significant presence in spin-off media, which is even more pronounced given her limited television appearances. O’Mara reprised her role in the 2000 audio drama The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind, set in the aftermath of “Time and the Rani.” She was slated to return for a new Big Finish audio series before her untimely passing in 2014. Following her departure, a new incarnation of the Rani was introduced, voiced by Siobhan Redmond, in two audio stories featuring the Sixth Doctor. This version of the character faded from view until the recent season of Doctor Who, which revealed that Anita Dobson’s enigmatic “Mrs. Flood” is, in fact, the latest incarnation of the Rani. Soon after, she underwent another regeneration, this time portrayed by Archie Panjabi, reviving interest in this captivating character.
The Camp Appeal of the Rani in Doctor Who
The Rani has left an indelible mark on the Doctor Who fandom, despite her relatively few appearances in the series. This phenomenon can largely be attributed to O’Mara’s captivating portrayal of the character. While the Rani embodies villainy and her plots are consistently serious within the show’s narrative, O’Mara infused her performance with a flamboyant flair, showcasing her in extravagant outfits as she snarled, shouted, and cackled—making it clear that anyone who crossed her path was in grave danger. In recent years, a camp appreciation for classic Doctor Who has emerged, and if any character could epitomize this blend of charm and menace, it would undeniably be the Rani.
This camp status, alongside her status as a beloved, albeit obscure, character has allowed the Rani to take on a life of speculation in modern Doctor Who even before her recent appearance. Following the show’s revival in 2005, which swiftly brought back various monsters and antagonists from its classic era, the Rani became a frequent subject of fan theories. Each time a mysterious woman was introduced, she became a go-to guess among fans and the creative team alike, who humorously acknowledged that she was always the first name suggested for any potential return.
However, this trend faced scrutiny when Steven Moffat, the showrunner during the modern era’s second phase, sought to quell the speculation surrounding her. In a 2012 interview with SFX magazine, he remarked, “People always ask me, ‘Do you want to bring back the Rani?’ No one knows who the Rani is.” He highlighted that while characters like the Master, the Daleks, and Davros are widely recognized, the Rani’s recognition was comparatively limited, suggesting that there was little point in reviving her for contemporary audiences. This sentiment seemed to place the Rani in a peculiar niche: popular enough to be cherished, yet obscure enough to remain absent from the television screen until now.
The Significance of the Rani’s Return for the Future of Doctor Who
The much-anticipated return of the Rani signifies the end of a prolonged joke among fans, but it also carries profound implications for the series. On one hand, showrunner Russell T Davies has indicated that, while the Rani is a recognizable name within the Doctor Who universe, her character is sufficiently minor, allowing the creative team to exercise considerable freedom in developing Panjabi and Dobson’s interpretation. This means that the schemes and plots they devise for the final two episodes of the current season can diverge significantly from the traditional character traits and actions previously associated with the Rani.
On the other hand, the Rani’s return holds deeper significance in the broader narrative of Doctor Who. She is the first Time Lord to reappear since the second cataclysm that befell Gallifrey in contemporary continuity. The Time Lords faced extinction during their monumental war with the Daleks before the show’s revival in 2005, only to be resurrected during the events surrounding the 50th anniversary special. This episode showcased Gallifrey’s isolation and eventual return to existence. However, during the climactic moments of the 2020 season, it was revealed that the Master had devastated the revived Gallifrey and used the bodies of Time Lords to create a new army known as the CyberMasters. This army was seemingly eradicated during the events of “The Power of the Doctor,” leaving the Doctor once again as the “last” of the Time Lords. The enigmatic circumstances surrounding how the Rani survived not just one but two cataclysmic events on Gallifrey remain to be uncovered, raising questions about whether her return could signal the potential restoration of Gallifrey for a third time. Only time will reveal the answers, along with the enduring legacy of the Time Ladies!
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Brandon Fletcher
