Ah yes, part one a Big Dumb Finale by RTD. At this point, I'm not sure why people are necessarily expecting more. Counting The End of Time on RTD's finale ledger, they've pretty much all been like this to varying degrees, and his best one is still the first one he wrote for Eccelston. However, there are usually very good ideas and themes bubbling under the surface, and this episode was no exception.

I would go as far to say the first half of this episode is basically perfect. We have the opening with the Rani kidnapping a baby in 1865 and turning the baby's family into flowers and animals. From there on, the Doctor is here in a Stepford Wives world with Belinda as his wife. Them waking up next to each other and kissing: definitely a sign of the apocalypse. The whole world is incredibly realized with some very clear 1984 inspiration. Over all this world, Conrad is here, reading a storybook about 'Doctor Who' as all the men of Earth do their jobs and (most) of the women stay home. Ruby can vaguely remember the past world due to her experiences in 73 Yards, makes me quite happy that episode has come up in two season finales now. Still, the Doctor calls the cops on her because she's 'expressing doubt'. Any time someone starts to wonder about the fabric of this reality, a coffee cup shatters on the floor. Meanwhile, the Rani and Mrs. Flood are in some insane-ass bone palace with giant bone creatures wandering around (I think just to try and make people doubt?). There is a very Dune-esque humanoid creature reading out everyone's doubts, and the vibe is creepy and bizarre and amazing. Certainly one of the best sets of all time. When we learn this is Conrad's ideal society, it makes perfect sense. Men working hard, women staying home. Not only is Belinda the Doctor's 'wife', she's also the mother of his 'daughter'...Poppy from Space Babies. What's going on there? We don't know! Eventually, the Doctor sees a flash of Susan but then a message from Rogue on his tv screen telling him: tables aren't supposed to do that. The cups that keep crashing are slipping right through every table. This was weird, experimental Doctor Who at its absolute best: creating a conservative 1950s false nostalgia hellscape of a society with an unscrupulous mad scientist profiting off the carnage. All this is to say, I was at a 5/5 through 60% of this episode.

Ruby ends up meeting with Shirley, and we learn because Shirley and others in this society have disabilities, they're not able to be perceived by Conrad because he doesn't consider them as part of society at all. I thought this was rather genius and a very effective bit of political commentary. Unfortunately...that's about it for part one with Ruby and Shirley. The Doctor is brought aboard the bone palace when Belinda reports him for expressing doubt, but this is exactly what the Rani wants. You see, they want people to break apart this reality, the Doctor most of all. The Doctor's scene where he starts to gradually learn everything all the audience knows...it goes on several minutes too long. The Rani even directly calls it exposition! Then the fabric of reality unwinds and the Doctor is ejected off of the ship, saying Poppy is actually his daughter. Considering that we know Poppy from Space Babies...I don't think she's the Doctor's biological daughter, but more that the titular Space Babies are his children in a way. The last few minutes in particular were quite messy, and ended up dragging this a whole star down for me.

The Rani's great big plan is...to free Omega! That's right, RTD is officially bringing back everyone who people keep saying should be brought back: Susan, the Rani, and now Omega. It's the latest surprise reveal, and I will judge this completely based on what happens next. I must admit, the destruction of reality to find the one living underneath it...it does check out. I really don't know why the Rani would care about Omega though, I guess that's for next time.

Overall, the alternate conservative pipe dream reality was truly incredible stuff that it feels like only this show could do. It's RTD at his best. The lengthy reveals on top of reveals on top of reveals? RTD swinging too hard for the fences, as he's been doing really since 2005. I didn't despise Empire of Death, but it was undoubtedly a letdown. Let's hope The Reality War is no such thing.