Synopsis: In Wish World, the Great Day is coming, and the most important date in history is 24 May 2025. The clock is ticking and everyone is preparing for a joyous tomorrow, when the whole world will change forever. Welcome to a strange new world in which the old saying “There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip” is gaining a terrifying new power. Even when a good outcome seems certain, things can still go wrong. What are the Bone Beasts? Why is Mrs Flood hiding in the sky? What secrets do the Dispossessed keep? And why is a mysterious message echoing across time and space, saying, “Tables don’t do that”? Traps are sprung and old enemies unite as the Doctor and Belinda finally arrive home to find a very different world. Can the Doctor see the truth before midnight arrives?
Story
Wish World begins with the Rani (Archie Panjabi) abducting a baby and murdering his family. In the present, 2025 has been transformed into a clockwork utopia where everyone is happy. But any doubts or deviation from the norm (such as queerness, disability and imagination) are punished by incarceration or exile. The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) live a happy life as a married couple. But their doubts lead to them being arrested and taken to the Rani’s sky fortress. Meanwhile, Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King) is the most famous man in the world. Indeed, it is revealed that Conrad wished this world into existence by the power of Desiderium, God of Wishes (the baby that the Rani abducted). However, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madeley) mount a resistance against Conrad. With the help of Shirley’s disabled dispossessed rebels. The Rani reveals her plan to the Doctor, who remembers everything. But reality itself is collapsing…
Acting
Ncuti Gatwa’s intensity during his scenes with Archie Panjabi’s Rani was off the scale. Gatwa sold this episode’s high stakes and drama for all it was worth. I loved his line at the end “I have a daughter. Don’t you realise what that means!” Showing a great human moment amidst apocalyptic terror. Varada Sethu got a great line when she said “Everyone has doubts.” Depicting Belinda’s very human bravery brilliantly. Archie Panjabi was fantastically witchy as the Rani. Portraying her chilly, clipped evil in a great way. I loved Panjabi’s line “You married a ghost” to Belinda. Also amazing was Panjabi’s exposition of the Rani’s plan, which had me hooked. Anita Dobson got to show fabulous coldness in the scene where Belinda was arrested. Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient had a great ship tease moment for their characters in the scene at the Doctor’s workplace. Jonah Hauer-King had superb condescension and menace as Conrad. Millie Gibson put across Ruby’s confusion and bravery well. Ruth Madeley was excellent as the disabled rebels’ leader. And Jonathan Groff showed Rogue’s honesty and courage really well. In his scene where Rogue contacted the Doctor through the Doctor’s television.
CGI
Wish World’s CGI was insanely beautiful. The Bone Beasts were breathtaking. It was spectacular when they stepped onto the Wish World’s ordinary people, causing them to stop what they were doing. And the effects of the Wish World disintegrating into the Underverse were phenomenal. Also great was the Rani’s hovercraft, which really helped create the idea of her as a wicked fairytale witch. Moreover, the Rani’s sky fortress was really well done too. Additionally, the threshold’s CGI that the Doctor stepped through was also good.
Incidental Music
Wish World’s incidental music was the perfect complement to its acting performances. There was a great fairytale like theme when the Rani abducted the baby, who was actually Desidirium. Which hearkened back to Steven Moffat’s era. Further, the music when Ruby appeared on the Doctor’s doorstep really created that moment’s weirdness. Over and above that, there was a nice upbeat theme when the Doctor travelled to his “job”. As well as a really good dramatic theme when Belinda ran away from her family and screamed. I really loved the epic score that played when Shirley said “We don’t just sit around complaining – we’ve got plans.” And of course the theme that played when the Doctor regained his memory was earth shattering. And really made that moment.
Overall
Wish World was an electrically thrilling episode. It had danger; terror, unreality, human courage, darkness, destruction and hope. Russell T Davies absolutely brought his A game here. I’m excited to see what happens next week. Brilliant, gripping, epic stuff.
- Story9.8
- Acting9.8
- CGI9.8
- Incidental Music9.8
I thought it was a pretty good episode. I’d have given it around a 9.5 for the story though so to leave a little wiggle room if the second part turns out to be better. I thought the Rani was well written and acted. Much more dangerous than the original incarnation from the classic series.