After weeks of speculation, cryptic trailers, and social media chaos, Doctor Who: The Reality War finally arrived — and it did not hold back. From shock regenerations and returning companions to cosmic gods and reality glitches, this was a finale with everything turned up to eleven. It was messy, emotional, often baffling, but deeply Doctor Who at its core. With Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, and Varada Sethu all bowing out, and Billie Piper stepping in as the new Doctor (?!), the episode didn’t just wrap up a season — it threw the show into a whole new phase of unpredictability. Across all its chaos and tenderness, The Reality War left plenty to unpack — and plenty to look forward to.
The Return of Anita… Everyone Cheered
After two weeks of social media posts, I was adamant in the buildup to the release of The Reality War that we would get a glimmer of an appearance from the spectacular Steph de Whalley as Anita, last seen in the 2024 Christmas Special, Joy To The World. Appearing from the Whoniverse’s interpretation of a TVA door, first seen in the MCU’s Loki, Anita appears to rescue The Doctor as the day resets. Anita is once again on fine form after becoming a fan favourite last year, and I think with the knowledge that this is Ncuti’s last episode, it felt so right that each of his companions appeared in some capacity.
Having seen her look for The Doctor, inevitably walking in on his dance with Rogue (Jonathan Groff) to then run to Ricardo from HR at the Time Hotel was absolutely hilarious, then seeing glimmers of Jon Pertwee and Matt Smith through archive footage made everything much smoother too. As for The Boss, who is later teased by Anita ahead of a future episode, I don’t know what to admit – I won’t lie. Whether or not RTD has their identity planned at the moment, only time will truly tell, but I hope Anita is able to come back when the opportunity arises.
“The Reality War”: UNIT vs. The Unholy Trinity
A huge let down for the battle set pieces during The Reality War were the two disgusting lines of dialogue from both Mel (Bonnie Langford) and Kate (Jemma Redgrave) when both offered some exposition for the past of two of the episode’s villains, The Rani and Omega. It really pulls you out of the immersion being built, to take a pause and once again dumb down the events of an episode for the generic viewer, neither work at all and really feel uncomfortably squeezed in. RTD did it in The Robot Revolution, and he has done it here again. I also despised the silly decision to have UNIT chip its employees, something straight out of the DCU’s Suicide Squad and the fact that they’ve got a steering wheel to rotate the tower.
At its best, Doctor Who trusts its viewers to pick things up through context, tone, and performance. These forced moments of exposition feel like speed bumps in what should be a breathless, immersive narrative. In a finale as dense and layered as The Reality War, the last thing it needed was dialogue that feels like it was dropped in post-production to please a focus group. It’s a rare misfire from two otherwise strong performers, and one of the most glaring tonal hiccups in an already overloaded episode.
Poppy The Space Baby
One of the most endearing and emotionally charged subplots of The Reality War — and arguably its driving force — revolved around the safety of Poppy, the child conjured into being by Conrad’s Wish World. Brought to life as the daughter of The Doctor and Belinda, Poppy represented both hope and heartbreak, as her existence was tied to the temporary fantasy of an artificial reality.
Susan Triad (Susan Twist) constructs a Zero Room — a space designed to shield Poppy from the collapse of the Wish World. It’s a clever callback to Time Lord lore, and narratively, a space suspended between fiction and possibility. Belinda, in a deeply maternal act, chooses to enter the Zero Room with Poppy, knowing full well the risk involved. What follows is a gut-wrenching fakeout: the door opens, and only Belinda is seen at first, prompting a moment of devastating silence. But then, Poppy is revealed. Relief, briefly. That relief is undercut by one of the episode’s most poetic sequences. As the Doctor and Belinda cradle Poppy aboard the TARDIS, they gently pass her tiny coat between them. With each fold, the coat shrinks — and with it, so does the memory of Poppy. In a hauntingly quiet moment, the coat vanishes entirely, and so does Poppy, forgotten out of existence. All except for Ruby. Thanks to the glitch left behind by 73 Yards, she remembers everything and watches in real time as Poppy disappears before her eyes.
It’s Ruby’s heartbreak, along with an unexpected and powerful reunion between The Doctor and her thirteenth self, that leads to the final resolution. The Doctor, now fully integrated with the TARDIS and drawing on regeneration energy, bends reality once more, bringing Poppy back into the world, not as a child of fantasy, but of newfound permanence.
In this rewritten reality, Belinda’s arc is reframed. Her series-long desire to return home now takes on fresh meaning: she simply had to be back by May 24th at 7:30pm to take care of Poppy so that her mother could go on a trip to Manchester. A beautiful twist of mundanity. Ritchie, Poppy’s biological father, is no longer part of her life, and while the question of whether The Doctor is Poppy’s father lingers in ambiguity, it’s no longer the point. As a viewer, I found Poppy’s story deeply affecting. The stakes weren’t about the end of the universe this time — they were about memory, motherhood, and the fragile power of choice. I rooted for a happy ending for all three: The Doctor, Belinda, and Poppy. And while the ending does slightly flatten Belinda’s character by looping her back to the role of a single mother, there’s a quiet nobility in that choice, too — a reminder that domestic stories can be just as cosmic, and a whole lot better than the resolution of Ruby’s mother in last season’s finale.
Oh-Mega. The Villains of “The Reality War”
As for the villains, The Reality War certainly packed them in — but not all of them stuck the landing. Omega, having been revealed as the big threat last week, made a grand entrance… and then was gone in a blink. His design was striking once we saw the full skeletal form, but that initial shot — just a floating head and two arms — had me worried we were about to witness Skeletron from Terraria. Still, I liked the reimagining of Omega as a fallen god, a being warped by grief and delusion, desperate to unmake reality. Shame he was dispatched so quickly by the Doctor, grabbing the nearest Time Lord weapon off the wall and firing.
The Rani, meanwhile, met an even funnier end — unceremoniously devoured by Omega the moment she achieved her goal. Archie Panjabi absolutely ate up the role (before the role, well, ate her), and I can’t help but admire the comedic precision of her exit. She’s spent the finale monologuing about purity, legacy, and superiority, only to be swallowed whole mid-sentence. Not exactly the redemption arc fans expected for the character, but undeniably memorable. Thankfully, Mrs Flood got out alive, slipping through the cracks with a time ring — here’s hoping her story’s not over. Anita Dobson remains a scene-stealer with universe-altering potential, and I’d hate to see that potential wasted.
On the other end of the spectrum, Conrad’s ending worked surprisingly well. Jonah Hauer-King’s scenes with Millie Gibson were among the episode’s highlights, grounded and emotionally resonant. That she forgave him — or at least wished him happiness-was both classic Doctor Who and completely in character. Ruby, who grew up in emotional limbo herself, sees the value in mercy. Even if Conrad began as a manipulative architect of false realities, his arc ended on a note of unexpected grace. It might be unconventional to let a villain walk away with a happy ending, but here it felt earned — and a subtle nod to how kindness can be just as disruptive as vengeance. It’s a shame the series relied on two enormous CGI gods back to back, and yes, the climactic confrontations were a bit rushed. But there was humour, surprise, and a rare bit of emotional intelligence in how these characters were handled — even when they were being chewed up and spat out.
Welcome Back Thirteen!
RTD wrote Thirteen better in one scene than Chris Chibnall did in three years. There, I said it. In just a few beautifully written minutes, The Reality War gave Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor the closure and character depth that her entire era often struggled to land. Her surprise appearance alongside Ncuti Gatwa was unexpected, heartfelt, and electric.
The chemistry between Ncuti and Jodie was off the scale. Their shared energy — the playfulness, the warmth, the wry smiles — instantly sold the idea that these two are the same person, but from different corners of time. Watching them banter about “timey-wimey” nonsense and reflect on past regrets was like watching two old friends who’d never properly met finally click.
A Farewell To Fifteen: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu and Millie Gibson All Depart.
In the end, The Reality War didn’t just mark the end of a season, it marked the end of an era. The departures of Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, and Varada Sethu felt sudden, bittersweet, and above all, undeservedly early. Millie Gibson, who has truly grown into the role of Ruby Sunday this year. Her performance has matured episode by episode, and in The Reality War, she quietly became the emotional core. Whether challenging Conrad with a quiet strength or being the only one left who remembers Poppy, Ruby carried the weight of the story with remarkable poise. There’s a quiet tragedy in the idea that her final moments on screen weren’t defined by a grand farewell, but by the lonely knowledge of what everyone else forgot. It’s a far cry from her bubbly introduction — and a testament to Gibson’s growth as an actor. I hope her future within the Whoniverse remains open, even if it’s from the edges, perhaps in a future UNIT story.
Then there’s Varada Sethu, who started the series with such potential: sharp, grounded, and refreshingly pragmatic in a world of impossible sci-fi stakes. Sethu gave her everything, especially in the earlier half of the season. And yet, the finale disappointingly reduced Belinda to little more than a protective mother figure. While the story of her daughter Poppy had emotional resonance, it came at the cost of Belinda’s agency. It’s frustrating that a companion introduced with so much promise was ultimately sidelined — not just narratively, but literally, standing in a box while the world burned around her.
And finally, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor. What a loss. His joy, his flamboyance, his charisma — all unmistakable. And yet, two seasons somehow felt like nowhere near enough. There was so much more to explore with this incarnation: his queerness, his vulnerability, the lingering threads around parenthood, Susan, and identity. His regeneration was heartbreaking in its understatement — no explosions, no grand declarations, just a reluctant acceptance and a final act of compassion to bring back a life. “I wish we had longer,” he says — and don’t we all. Gatwa’s time as the Doctor may have been brief, but it burned bright, and I can only hope we see him again in some form — perhaps in a future anniversary special, or some timey-wimey reunion down the line. Together, this trio carried much of the emotional weight of the season, and their exits, abrupt or otherwise, leave the show in a place of profound uncertainty. For all the mess that it’s caused online, The Reality War reminded us why we care so deeply about these characters — and why saying goodbye always hurts.
What’s Next? A Look Ahead To ‘The War Between The Land And The Sea’
Following the explosive finale of Doctor Who Season 2’s The Reality War, fans were given their first glimpse at the next evolution of the Whoniverse: The War Between the Land and the Sea. With the trailer now out in the world, the buzz is real, and honestly? It looks like Doctor Who’s very own Andor moment.
Everything about this five-part spin-off screams ambition. The premise alone — an ancient and terrifying species rising from the ocean to confront humanity, plunging the world into crisis — suggests a darker, more politically layered Doctor Who than we’ve seen before. UNIT takes centre stage in what appears to be a grounded, geopolitical thriller wrapped in science fiction grandeur. And with a cast this strong, including Jemma Redgrave, Ruth Madeley, Alexander Devrient, and guest stars like Ann Akinjirin and Hannah Donaldson, there’s serious dramatic weight to back it all up.
But what has me genuinely thrilled is the creative team. The collaboration between Whoniverse architect Russell T Davies and Pete McTighe, whose past writing credits (Kerblam!, Lucky Day) already hinted at a sharp, socially conscious voice, sets the stage for something richly character-driven. Add in Dylan Holmes Williams as director, whose visual style is equal parts lyrical and unsettling, and you’ve got the makings of prestige television.
Billie Piper is The Sixteenth Doctor
Ncuti Gatwa has regenerated into Billie Piper. I’m sorry – WHAT?
I had heard this change was coming, processed it, then seeing it happen on-screen was just an otherworldly experience. I am really not a fan of the decision, but a small glimpse of hope is carried by the fact that Piper is a sensational actress and could bring a huge amount of gravitas to the role; the proximity to David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return to the show doesn’t help whatsoever.
Whether or not Piper sees her tenure out through a full series, or a number of specials, is still up in the air, as the show has not yet been renewed, and I do not see any announcement happening until the transmission of The War Between The Land And The Sea. Will she finally come face-to-face with Susan? Will Rogue return and get his happy ending? Who is The Boss? There is still clearly a future for this show, and whether it’s with or without Disney+, I will continue to watch this show.
‘Doctor Who’ Season 2: “The Reality War” – Final Thoughts
The Reality War is chaotic, heartfelt, and wildly ambitious. While it stumbles in regeneration and exposition, it delivers on emotional payoff, with stunning performances from Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa. Poppy’s storyline is deeply moving, The Rani’s death hilariously abrupt, and Billie Piper’s regeneration twist is bold, if divisive. Not perfect, but pure Doctor Who chaos — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Doctor Who Season 2’s finale The Reality War is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Its upcoming sequel, The War Between The Land And The Sea, premieres later this year. Check out the teaser trailer below.
The Review
'Doctor Who' Season 2: "The Reality War"
The Reality War is chaotic, heartfelt, and wildly ambitious. While it stumbles in regeneration and exposition, it delivers on emotional payoff, with stunning performances from Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa. Poppy’s storyline is deeply moving, The Rani’s death hilariously abrupt, and Billie Piper’s regeneration twist is bold, if divisive. Not perfect, but pure Doctor Who chaos — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.