Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 2, “Lux.“Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) returns inDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 2, “Lux,” to tell people (including the audience) what’s going on with the TARDIS - and it doesn’t sound good for the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa). After debuting in 2023’s “The Church on Ruby Road,” the mysteriousMrs. Flood made a few cameos in Gatwa’s inaugural run, but is already far more prominent among theDoctor Whoseason 15 cast. ShowrunnerRussell T. Davies has confirmed Mrs. Flood will appear in every upcoming episode, so we should all get the answers about her that we’ve been craving.
It was revealed at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 15’s premierethat the TARDIS is either refusing or unable to return to the place and time Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) left Earth.The mission to get Belinda home is serving as the basis forDoctor Whoseason 15’s story, as each adventure is a way for the Doctor to land and improve the accuracy of his “Vortex Indicator,” which he has playfully renamed as a “Vindicator.” Fifteen and Belinda will presumably manage to reach their destination eventually, but Mrs. Flood’s tease could mean they’ll regret it when they do.
Mrs. Flood Essentially Confirms It Isn’t Just Earth That Dies On May 24 - The Doctor Does Too
Dobson’s character has quietly announced the end of Fifteen’s life
The reason why the TARDIS can’t land on Earth on May 24 has already been revealed. In short, it’s been destroyed. “The Robot Revolution” ends with a shot of outer space debris that could only have come from the human homeworld. So, it would seem Earth is doomed, and the reason for its destruction exists on May 24 - which just so happens to be the date thatDoctor Whoseason 15’s penultimate episode, “Wish World,” will be released. Mrs. Flood mentions this date at the end of “Lux,” but also strongly implies that the Doctor will also meet his end.
“If you want to see a good show, darling, I can recommend this one. [Points at the TARDIS] Better warn you, though: Limited run only. Show ends May the 24th.”
- Mrs. Flood inDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 2, “Lux.”
Mrs. Flood has broken the fourth wall more than any other character inDoctor Who’s Disney era. She has looked directly down the lens several times and said things a TV character should really have no right to know. So,it’s tough to ignore her referring to the TARDIS and the Doctor’s life as a “show"without reading more into it. In other words, it appears that Mrs. Flood knows that the Doctor will die along with Earth - even if she hasn’t directly said that. Plus, she made a similar comment at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14.
How Does Mrs. Flood Know When The Doctor Is Going To Die?
Davies has been laying the groundwork for Mrs. Flood’s inexplicable knowledge for a while now
Dobson’s character apparently straddles two worlds. The first is theDoctor Whouniverse and the other is the world outside the show. To put it another way, she seems aware that she is in a TV show, and that a reality outside the franchise exists - which is our world. This has been proven by the way she addresses the audience, so it’s not unreasonable to assume she has access to other details aboutDoctor Whoas a TV show.
She rarely seems surprised by anything that happens, and can often be seen calmly watching events as they unfold. So,Mrs. Flood could have essentially read the scripts for the coming episodes ofDoctor Who, and the same is probably true for previous adventures. If this is the case, then it wouldn’t be surprising that, if the Doctor was about to die, Mrs. Flood would know exactly how and when it would happen.
The Doctor Not Being Able To Visit May 24 Feels A Bit Like Trenzalore
The TARDIS can take the Doctor pretty much anywhere throughout time and space. It struggles with multiversal travel since the fall of the Time Lords, but it has even done that before. So, it takes a lot for a specific time and place to be off limits to the Doctor and his blue box. Because of this, it very rarely happens, but a similar instance comes to mind involving Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.Smith’s iteration of the show’s main character stayed away from Trenzalore, similar to how Gatwa is being forced away from Earth.
Eleven was making a conscious decision not to go to Trenzalore, but it was physically possible for him to go there.
Of course, the comparison isn’t exact.Eleven was making a conscious decision not to go to Trenzalore, but it was physically possible for him to go there. Instead, it was more of a psychological block stopping him from making the journey. Fifteen’s situation is pretty much the exact opposite of Eleven’s. Gatwa’s Doctor is trying quite hard to return to Earth on May 24, but everything he tries either fails or requires groundwork first.Doctor Whoseason 15 revisiting this plot device is still fascinating, though, and should lead to a thrilling finale.
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“The Story and the Engine”
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