With Anita Dobson’s Mrs Flood set to take on a greater role in Doctor Who season 15, showrunner Russell T Davies has teased the character’s presence and addressed speculation about her true identity. The character made her debut in Ncuti Gatwa’s first full story, “The Church on Ruby Road”, as the neighbor to companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who seemingly has knowledge of the Time Lords. Flood would later return in “73 Yards”, though her appearance in the Doctor Who season 14 finale saw her show more of her knowledge of unearthly things and her desire to challenge gods.
With Doctor Who season 14 ending on one last tease for Mrs. Flood, Davies opened up to SFX Magazine (Via GamesRadar+) about what viewers can expect from her expanded season 15 role. Alongside opening up about working with Dobson on season 14 and teasing her performance in season 15, Davies addressed speculation surrounding her true identity, including whether she may be a certain returning classic-era character. Check out Davies’ full response below:
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? 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.
Did Davies Just Reveal Mrs. Flood’s Identity?
Is the showrunner misleading theorizing viewers?
Davies’ tease could be a red herring, with Flood’s identity potentially being a character teased much earlier in season 14.
With Davies’ latest tease, viewers may be taken slightly aback to hear the showrunner tackle the speculation head-on and mention the possibility of her being Romana. For many fans familiar with Doctor Who’s classic era, the large fur coat Flood was seen donning in “Empire of Death’s” final moments saw them note the resemblance to Romana’s first on-screen incarnation (Played by Mary Tamm), narrowing her down to potentially being the former companion. However, Davies’ tease could be a red herring, with Flood’s identity potentially being a character teased much earlier in season 14.
In “Space Babies”, the Fifteenth Doctor (Gatwa) mentions The Rani when discussing the Time Lords, a foe from the Seventh Doctor’s (Sylvester McCoy) era who was a merciless scientist who conducted horrific acts to forward her goals. The Rani has yet to appear on-screen in Doctor Who’s revived series, with Dalek voice actor and Big Finish contributor Nicholas Briggs revealing in 2021 that securing the character’s rights for appearances had been difficult following creators Pip and Jane Baker’s passing. However, with the character’s latest television mention and Flood’s diabolical power-hungry goals, perhaps the Time Lord may be due for another TV appearance.
While Davies has played into fan speculation and even worked theorizing into the events of “The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death”, him addressing speculation surrounding Flood should not go unnoticed. While fourth-wall breaks are becoming more commonplace beyond her character, her knowledge still singles herself out as a character to look out for in Davies’ new tenure. However, with roughly a year to go until Doctor Who season 15 debuts, viewers may learn more about Mrs. Flood between each season that shapes her as a force to be reckoned with.