Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who episode "Wish World." Stream it with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!
"Wish World" was just about the wildest Doctor Who episode yet since the series' move to Disney+, and characters from the past popped back into the story for a twisted plot concocted by The Rani. Jonah Hauer-King's Conrad returned as he promised, and we even saw Millie Gibson again as Ruby Sunday, but the biggest cameo of the episode for me was a complete blindside that bummed me out a bit.
Jonathan Groff's Rogue was last seen saving The Doctor from being trapped in a hellish alternate dimension, not long after they shared a steamy kiss. There was a big setup hinting these two could be a romantic item should they cross paths again, and the penultimate episode of Season 2 on Disney+ reminded me that the chances of them seeing each other again might be slim.
Jonathan Groff's Rogue Made An Unexpected Appearance
The Doctor and Belinda awoke in a world where they were a married couple, and despite a bit of "doubt" that wasn't what their lives were supposed to be, they were largely oblivious to anything being wrong. While Doctor began to realize the world he was in wasn't quite right, it took Rogue intercepting Conrad's broadcast from his alternate dimension via television to drive the point home.
Thanks to his tip that tables don't just let objects slip through and break, The Doctor was able to figure out that something was wrong with the world. Unfortunately, his doubt was all a part of The Rani's plan, and it paved the way for the return of Omega, one of the first Time Lords who is one bad dude. If people thought Sutekh was a tough enemy, it won't hold a candle to this guy. Unfortunately, I wasn't really thinking about that as the episode ended.
If Ncuti Gatwa Leaves, This Will Be The Last Scene We See Of These Two
What I was most concerned with was the rumor that Ncuti Gatwa is leaving Doctor Who at the end of this season, which The BBC casually avoided talking about when they dismissed cancellation rumors. We don't know for sure whether the actor will go on for another season or not, but the fact that unexpected reshoots happened and there is no concrete season renewal at this time makes it feel more likely than not as far as I'm concerned.
If that is indeed the case, "Wish World" might be the last episode in which we'll see Gatwa's Doctor and Jonathan Groff's Rogue again. I guess he could swoop in and help save the day in the eleventh hour of next week's season finale, and now that I've written it, I do hope that's the case. We need some resolution to that storyline if Gatwa is leaving as The Doctor, because it just won't hit the same to have Groff start another romance with someone else.
All that said, nothing is set in stone and there is some chance that Russell T. Davies is feeding false speculation to tabloids that Ncuti Gatwa is leaving before a new season of Doctor Who. After all, if Doctor Who is guaranteed to be taking a year off should Disney walk away from its partnership with The BBC, it'll take a while for a new season to get made anyway. That will give Gatwa time to do that play he's been announced for, and maybe another project before he has to appear again as The Doctor.
We'll see what happens to The Doctor in the upcoming season finale of Doctor Who, which is set for Saturday, May 31st on Disney+. If The Doctor is able to get through this season finale without regenerating, I think there's a solid chance we'll see Gatwa survive for another season.
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