With the news of Kate O’Mara’s passing this past Sunday, a little dream of mine died. Her character the Rani was one of my all-time favorite Who villains, and I’d really wanted to meet her and get her autograph. She’d been scheduled as a guest at Gally this year, but had to cancel at the last minute.

I saw many other fans also expressing their dismay at her death, most for similar reasons. We admired the character she played, her own personality, and the strength she projected in her very carriage. And I believe many of us hoped, deep down, she’d eventually return to the show.

As my own way of coping with the loss, I returned to speculation about how the Rani could be shoehorned back into the modern narrative. I’ve suggested before that certain baddies might return with enough plot twists, but I’m pleased with the greater feasibility of my latest scheme.