WARNING: SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR WHO SEASON 2!

Hoo boy, well, this week's episode ended on quite an interesting cliffhanger. Fresh off the Doctor’s latest foray into dark territory, we were treated to the reintroduction of one of his classic villains: The Rani, and it has been Mrs Flood all along, played by Anita Dobson!  That’s not all, because Mrs. Flood undergoes a bi-generation of her own at the episode’s conclusion. The second Rani, played by Archie Panjabi, establishes herself as "The" Rani whilst Mrs Flood is more than happy to play second fiddle. The villainous disgust from the new Rani towards the old one is readily apparent, leading us into the two-part climax of the season airing next week.

Who is The Rani?

But just who is The Rani exactly? Well, she was a renegade Time Lord, much the same as the Doctor and The Master. However, her exploits generally involved scientific research that pushed ethical boundaries, usually of a chemical nature. An obsessed Time Lord who simply wanted to do things because she could, believing the ends always justify the means. She was cruel and manipulative, at one point posing as companion, Mel (Bonnie Langford), to influence a recently regenerated Doctor. She's also mentioned in the audiobooks with the Eleventh Doctor, believing her to be dead with the rest of the Time Lords.

Her relationship with the Doctor is one of exploitation. She believes the Doctor's traveling and antics could be used to further her research, looking for ways to use his intellect for her own gains, and usually with dire consequences for those around him. The Doctor, of course, sees her experiments and machinations as needing to be stopped.

What you can expect from The Rani is an opportunistic personality. Someone who knows what's going on, observes, and then uses current events to her own benefit. Usually, she has her own Tardis and can employ her considerable intellect for particular cruelty to anyone who gets in her way.

Whilst the Doctor mentioned that Bi-generation is a Time Lord legend, a scientist like The Rani would absolutely be able to replicate the circumstances after having confirmed its existence. This is a cruel but calculating villain. You can always count on her to be laser-focused, and that obsessive nature has led to her downfall in the past.

Predictions for the Finale

What I believe we can expect from the last two episodes is that the events on May 24th may not actually be the Rani's doing. She is following the Doctor to gain access to that day, the day we were just told is the day the Earth disintegrates.

What we can deduce is: 

• Ruby Sunday is involved, as The Rani has been following her for a year now. Her plan requires Bi-generation, which was unlocked due to the Doctor's fight with the Toymaker. 
• Mrs. Flood's monologues were aimed towards her future self ("I told you we would bring the Doctor terror").
• Whatever's about to happen, it involves using the vindicators to set her own plan in motion as the Doctor struggles to get Belinda home. 
• Finally, Conrad, Ruby's extremist ex-boyfriend, is involved somehow. 

This level of preparation has me hyped for her grand scheme to come to fruition.

I’m sure it will be an exciting finale, as this season has been amazing from start to finish. I would like The Rani to swoop in and save the day, only to use the catastrophe befalling Earth for her own ends. I would love to see a season end with a villainous victory, but one that ultimately sets up the stakes for the future. A new Gallifrey, perhaps? Or even The Rani using the revelations from previous episodes to insert herself into the wider narrative. Only time will tell.