'Doctor Who' Finale "The Reality War" Shakes Up the Franchise All Over Again

Russell T. Davies wraps up the second (and possibly final) season of Doctor Who on Disney+ with an hour that goes for broke in every respect. "The Reality War" is an epic spectacle of the sort that Davies has always loved as a showrunner — a finale that brings fan-favorite characters together for a final stand against the potential end of the world and sees the universe saved by the power of love and friendship. We've seen this before in various forms; however, for the most part, the emotional beats work, even if the plot is held together by little more than spit and a prayer.

A bonkers hour that features everything from the (ridiculously easy) defeat of a classic foe to a surprise regeneration for star Ncuti Gatwa, "The Reality War" has well, everything. Virtually every character from Gatwa's run (even Nicola Coughlan in a roundabout way) makes an appearance as the story tears through plot points at breakneck speed, meaning that most of its reveals and twists are more underwhelming than they should be.

(The return of Omega kind of sucks, and we should say so.)