One of the most intriguing characters in the latest season ofDoctor Whowas undoubtedly Mrs. Flood. Portrayed by Anita Dobson, Flood seemed to be more than she was letting on, and nowWhoshowrunnerRussell T Daviesis teasing that Dobson’s character has “the best stuff ever” coming up in the next season, while at the same time hinting at her possible true identity.
Speaking with SFX Magazine (viaGamesRadar), Davies spoke about Dobson’s appearance in Season 14 ofDoctor Who, mentioning one scene in particular in the final episode,Empire of Death, where she broke the fourth wall to proclaim to the audience that the Doctor’s story “ends in absolute terror.” Davies said that thanks to her appearance, fans would definitely be speculating about her true identity.
“She had us all roaring with laughter at that scene, she is so brilliant. I promise you next year, great answers to that, great solutions. Probably because she’s wearing white fur, people are going to think she’s [Time Lord companion] Romana, aren’t they?”
Doctor Who
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
First appearing in 1978, Romana was a Time Lordand companion to Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor. Much like the Doctor himself, she was able to regenerate over time, with two incarnations of the character being portrayed by Mary Tamm and Lalla Ward respectively. She hasn’t been seen on screen since 1993’s 30th Anniversary Special,Dimensions in Time, though Romana has appeared in various radio dramas, novels, and comics throughout the years.
With Mrs. Flood having knowledge of the Doctor, the TARDIS, and the return of Sutekh, it would make sense for her to be Romana, but if you’re hoping for definitive answers from Davies, you aren’t going to get them. In essence, the showrunner said that fans will just have to tune in next season to find out, calling Dobson’s upcoming storyline some of “the best stuff ever.”
I will leave that echoing in the pages of SFX. I promise you answers to that. Again, that’s gonna be next year. I cannot tell you how much joy and fun we had with this story. Anita Dobson – I’m laughing out loud! – Anita Dobson’s got the best stuff ever coming up. Glorious.
Doctor Who Is More Divisive Than Ever
Mrs. Flood aside, the latest season ofDoctor Whowas one of the most divisive in recent memory. From the return of Davies and the Doctor being black, to the series’ first transgender character making an appearance by way of actress Yasmin Finney, people have loved nothing more than complaining about Season 14, touting it as the demise ofDoctor Whowhile spewingracial and homophobic rhetoric.
While Davies did admit that the ratings weren’t exactlywhere everyone was hoping they would be, it’s clear thatDoctor Whois in a rebuilding phase. Despite the online backlash and hatred toward the new season, it still managed to debut with an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics, and though the number now stands at 94% following its conclusion, it’s still quite the accomplishment for the long-running franchise.
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As always,haters are going to hate, but we’re definitely going to be tuning in next season to find out more about Mrs. Flood, and to see where the show goes next. Why? Because in all honesty, this is probably the most fun the show has been to watch in years, and we can’t wait to find out what Davies and company have in store for us in this new, Disney+ era of the iconic series.
Check out our interview with Davies below, where he shares his vision forDoctor Whogoing forward.
