This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of Doctor Who, “Wish World.”
Summary
The Pantheon of Discord has been a driving force during Ncuti Gatwa’s era ofDoctor Who.Ever sincethe return of the Toymaker, the Giggle has haunted the Doctor and his companions across the universe. The gods have taken on many forms: human-esque, a giant dog-like creature, even a mysterious noncorporeal entity. The latest episode, though, features perhaps the most curious portrayal of a god yet: a baby. Born to a seemingly ordinary family, the circumstances of this child’s birth render him the God of Wishes.
At the beginning of “Wish World,“the Rani steals the baby for herself. She’s aware of his power, and wants to use it for her own ends. But throughout the episode, the baby’s will isn’t what’s shaping the imaginary world — it’s Conrad’s. The core concept of “Wish World” centers around a bone-chilling idea: the gods' power is transferable. Or, perhaps, it can be stolen. And that may link the Pantheon to the Doctor in an unexpected way.
Desidirium, The Latest Member Of The Pantheon
According to several European folklore traditions, the seventh son of a seventh son is blessed with certain powers, usually related to luck or healing. In the opening scene of “Wish World,” the Rani appears at a cabin in 19th century Bavaria, addressing the man of the house as one such man, saying he was"born lucky.“The man’s wife has just given birth to a child: the seventh son of a seventh sonof a seventh son. The implication seems to be that this “seventh son” power increases exponentially, resulting in this child being born a god. As the Rani puts it:
Your child is the fountainhead of a power from beyond this universe.
The baby’s status asa member of the Pantheonbecomes clear later in the episode. Conrad, high up in the Rani’s palace, is reading from a book when Mrs. Flood brings him a sandwich. Conrad talks about how hard it is to keep the world in order, revealing to the audience that he is the one in control of the twisted, almost illusory world below. He’sthe one who wished it into existence— but not by himself.
He picks up a baby from a nearby crib, remarking that"he sustains our entire world.“He also muses on how the baby never cries, just chuckles — upon which the baby lets out the telltale “Giggle.” And towards the end of the episode, as the Rani reveals her scheme, she identifies the baby as Desidirium, the god of wishes.
How Is The Rani Using A God’s Power?
As she reveals her convoluted scheme to the Doctor, the Rani explains that the vindicator is enhancing the power that the baby possesses, creating a massive network of power across the universe. However, that alone doesn’t explain why it’s Conrad’s wishes that are coming into reality, not the baby’s. Considering how young the child is, perhaps the mere power of suggestion is enough. Conrad reads stories, announces the weather, and gives people the “news” from his room in the Bone Palace, where the baby lives as well. The language Conrad uses is simplistic, almost dumbed-down — to the point where it sounds like he’s talking to a child. In truth, it seems he is.
It’s also worth noting that, in the episode’s opening scene, the Rani plants a kiss on the baby’s forehead before “wishing” his family into flowers and animals. Later, we see that the baby is kept in Conrad’s room in the Bone Palace, and we see him pick up the child and hold him. Perhaps physical contact, too, has something to do with how his power can be shared.
How Does This Connect To The Doctor?
Accordingto the Timeless Child storyline, the Doctor and Desidirium have one thing in common: other people figured out how to use their power for themselves. When the Timeless Child was taken in by Tecteun, she was the one who figured out how the child was able to regenerate, and applied that to other residents of Gallifrey to create the Time Lords. Though the Timeless Child wasn’t an infant as young as Desidirium is in “Wish World,” they were still very young, making the circumstances even more similar.
But Tecteun didn’t work alone. She was one of three founders of Time Lord society, alongside Rassilon and Omega. Rassilon, the president of the Time Lords, has appeared throughout the classic series, as well as in the Tenth Doctor’s final story. The Rani mentions him as she tries to jog the Doctor’s memory, showing him"the seal of Rassilon.“And Omega, thanks to the Rani, is about to return.
New Who audiences may not know the name,but to Classic Who fans, Omega is a chilling foe. Conrad refers to him as"the creator of the Time Lords,“which falls in line with his classic series appearances. With the context that we have now, this heavily implies that Omega was involved in reverse-engineering the Timeless Child’s power.
With how often he’s been encountering and dueling them,the Pantheon and the Doctor seem to be connectedin a way that feels like fate. And now, there’s a parallel drawn between the Doctor and the “most powerful god of all.” They both had their power manipulated, used by others, when they were too young to understand what was happening.
Is it possible that the Doctor himself is a member of the Pantheon? If so, could this be revealed when he confronts Omega, the first Time Lord, one of the people who took his power and used it for his own gain? It’s unclear what plans the Rani has for Omega, but it’s also possible that she’s not done with the Doctor just yet. The season finale has a lot it needs to pull off, but it has the potential to bring things full-circle: the Timeless Child, the origin of the Time Lords, the Rani’s ultimate goal, and perhaps even the nature of the Pantheon of Discord.
