“The Reality War,” the grand finale of Doctor Who season 2, inspired heated discussion for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the episode’s treatment of companion Belinda Chandra and her daughter, Poppy. What was meant to be a happy ending left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, as the show seemed to inadvertedly turn Poppy and Belinda’s story into a parable on abortion.
The debate over Belinda and Poppy has been further confused by fans who misunderstood the nature of Poppy’s character. Many felt that she was born of the original timeline that existed before the events of Doctor Who season 2. However, one version of Poppy made her first appearance one season earlier, in the second episode to feature Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Poppy was introduced in Doctor Who: Space Babies
The Doctor Who episode “Space Babies” found the Doctor on a most unusual ship designated Baby Station Beta. It was intended to create new children to help populate a distant colony world. However, a combination of budget cuts and bad planning led to the station being abandoned by the adult crew and the babies having their brains artificially accelerated to adulthood mentally.
This resulted in a space station run by super-intelligent babies, led by one Captain Poppy. The Doctor helped the babies deal with the “boogeyman” that haunted the lower decks of their ship and helped them get home. This marked the first appearance of Poppy, but it would not be the last.
The Robot Revolution establishes Belinda as a no-nonsense nurse
The first episode of Doctor Who season 2, “The Robot Revolution,” also marked the first appearance of new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu). A nurse by trade, Belinda was kidnapped by robots from the future, to be the queen of a distant world. This was ultimately revealed to be the result of a convoluted chain of events, involving her first boyfriend, Alan, naming a star after her, and later becoming the Great AI Generator who ruled the robots.
Belinda Chandra was a different sort of Doctor Who companion. Most who encountered the Doctor were intrigued by the chance to see other times and alien worlds. By contrast, Belinda just wanted to go home. This set up the central conflict of Doctor Who season 2, as the Doctor was unable to return Belinda to the night she was kidnapped.
In most of her appearances, Belinda was defined by her desire for an ordinary life and her low tolerance for fools. She was particularly annoyed by men who talked down to her or tried to make decisions for her. For instance, Belinda called out the Doctor for scanning her DNA without her permission. This immediately established her as an independent career woman.
Wish World turned Belinda into a Stepford Wife
“Wish World,” the first part of Doctor Who season 2’s two-part finale presented a drastically different version of Belinda Chandra. This one was a happy housewife, married to the Doctor, with a daughter named Poppy. She had no concerns beyond being a good wife and mother.
This “Wish World” was the creation of Conrad Clark; a conspiracy theorist given the power to rewrite reality and create his perfect heteronormative world. While the Doctor eventually broke free of his programing, Belinda did little but scream about saving her baby. This posed a problem, as Poppy’s existence outside of Wish World was impossible.
The Doctor revealed that all Time Lords were infertile, due to the actions of the Master. The only thing that was keeping Poppy alive was the wish energy. Specifically, the Doctor’s wish to have a brilliant baby like Captain Poppy.
Doctor Who steals Belinda’s agency for “happy ending”
The Doctor was able to alter reality and save his Poppy’s life. However, it did not come without cost. Using his life force, he jolted the Time Vortex by one degree. This rewrote history so that Belinda Chandra was a single mother. Poppy was now the result of a romance with a man named Ritchie Akingbola. Furthermore, history was changed so that every time Belinda previously expressed a desire to return to work, she now said she needed to get back to her daughter.
The cruel irony of Doctor Who season 2 is that the Doctor makes the decision to save Poppy without consulting Belinda. The Doctor argues that “I saved the world at the expense of one person and that is no world at all,” The fact that he saves the world and Poppy at the expense of the original Belinda Chandra’s life is apparently not worth consideration.
Doctor Who Season 2 is now streaming on Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer.
