So, the popular theory this season is that the Doctor would discover he is naught but fiction. And “Wish World” plays with that idea, for sure. But it’s so much more than that. This season makes 15 season of New Who over the course of 20 years, so of course, Russell T. Davies and friends want to give us something big to celebrate that. And boy, do they ever give us something big. There are connections big and small to stories of the distant past and the recent present.

As the Tenth Doctor would say, “Allons-y!”

Yes, Conrad is back. That slimy little worm has been freed from his prison, but it seems he may be trapped in a bigger prison, a gilded cage where his every wish comes true. With a price. He now serves the Rani, the renegade Time Lady from Classic Who. She faced off against both the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, and now she’s back to do battle with the Fifteenth. But what is her plan this time? In the past, the Rani has been a chemist, a bioengineer of unmatched intelligence, seeking to manipulate humans and aliens alike.

Now, she’s after something different. Something much bigger. The Doctor has disrupted the Pantheon of the Gods, and the Rani is taking full advantage of that disruption to bring about the end of all things. Or possibly a new beginning. Gallifrey was lost, destroyed by the Master. And I really thought the Master’s return was the goal. Oh, no. This is way beyond the Master. Way beyond most threats the Doctor has faced.

The Time Lord engineer Omega is returning. Omega was a threat so powerful that the Third Doctor required the help of the previous two incarnations for the classic show’s 10th anniversary. He later returned to face the Fifth Doctor in time for the 20th season. He is as twisted as he is powerful, and he represents a grave threat to Earth and the Doctor. His return is tied to the Doctor’s disbelief in the reality created by Conrad and the Rani,

But the biggest reveal is that the Doctor’s false reality with Belinda Chandra in Conrad’s Wish World might not be as false as it first appears. When told that their daughter Poppy is a lie, the Doctor tries to tell the Rani that they do have child, a daughter named Poppy. Could this be true? Could this be Susan’s mother? And how is this tied to Susan’s return?

Even with all that going on, the episode continues to shine a light on the supporting characters. Shirley and Ruby team up to try to stop Conrad from spreading his lies. They aren’t affected as deeply by his wishes. Ruby because she’s lived an entire alternative life where she saw 2025 come and go without the world being destroyed or controlled. And Shirley and her camp of friends notice there is something wrong because they are all disabled and therefore overlooked by Conrad. There’s a lot to unpack here about ideal worlds without people with disabilities. It’s empathetic social commentary at its finest.

Mel, Kate, and Colonel Ibrahim also get small but memorable appearances. I’m sure they’ll be important in the finale next week. However, I am most interested by the character who returns to the Doctor to remind them of his love. Yes, Jonathan Groff makes a beautiful cameo as Rogue, reaching out to the Doctor across the universe from whatever Hell Dimension he fell into. The fact that he is there to “remind you of my love,” as his King George III from Hamilton might say does not feel accidental or tacked on. RTD is a huge geek, and he believes in the power of love. I can’t help but wonder if he cast Jonathan Groff specifically for this scene or if he came up with it after Groff was cast. Either way, it’s a joke with a poignant punchline.

And that romance between the Doctor and Rogue, indeed, this Doctor’s entire queer nature, is called out in a way that Doctor Who rarely does. The Doctor calls Ibrahim a “beautiful man.” They refer to their affection for Rogue. each time the idea of men loving each other or finding each other beautiful comes up, the whole world stops as if something terrible is happening. Conrad didn’t just wish for a world without the disabled. He wished for a world without LGBTQ+ people. Again, this is no mere attempt to bach straight white men by RTD. He’s pointing out the very real danger of homophobia and transphobia. There are those in this world who look at two people who are the same gender being in love and cannot grasp that Love is Love. This is “woke” Who at its absolute allegorical best.

Or maybe allegory is too strong a word. Allusional. Representational. RTD, Ncuti Gatwa, and Jonathan Groff let those of us who are not so queer in on the secret horrors they experience every single day.

This is a phenomenal episode with a lot to do and say in a very short time. Thankfully, we’ll get to see how it all plays out in next week’s “Reality War.”