This week's episode seems to be getting mostly positive reviews so far, with the show taking its biggest step into Black Mirror territory so far.

 

And this is also the episode Ncuti teased a while ago that he pulled everything out the bag for to deliver a MOMENT in the final scene that will 'stay with everybody' :o

I'm really excited for this episode! I think it does have the potential to end up being a Love and Monsters type episode as some people are suggesting :kink: but I think the concept sounds amazing and visually from the trailer/promo pics it's looking excellent! It just seems a shame that it'll be 2/8 episodes in Ncuti's first series that are Doctor-lite.

The trailer looked good for this; also loving Ncuti having a different outfit for near enough every story but it being a variation of some kind on Orange.

 

Really enjoyed the last 2 eps... in fact I keep thinking about 73 yards to the point i'll probably give it a rewatch at some point this week - hopefully this makes it three in a row.

This was weird and kinda pointless besides the brief acknowledgment of Twist

I'm trying to unpick that ending, which was definitely the best bit of an otherwise odd episode. Don't get me wrong, the undertones of the story were really good but the monsters? Nah. Some Susan Twist acknowledgment was good too.

 

Ricky was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise abhorrent set of characters, Lindy especially, but then I guess that was the point of it all to show how selfish (and very much racist) they were.

 

Somone on Reddit said "AI gets fed up of privileged racist society and decides to kill them all with slugs" and yeah that was it in a nutshell.

Edited June 1, 20241 yr by lewistgreen

I enjoyed it and Ncuti at the end was fantastic!

 

 

Thought this was good. Acting was annoying at the start and the monsters still shocking/ big budget and that's all they can come up with. But storyline and the pace was good. They are seriously lacking in having a goof monster/alien so far, I know Daleks and Cybermen are overdone but st least bring some things back to have some continuity.

The monsters reminded me of the Tractators from Frontios

 

But on a bigger budget :D

I was going into this episode expecting high camp and potentially something a bit cringe, but hoping to love it at the same time. It absolutely delivered.

 

The surface-level commentaries on everybody being in their own bubble, not paying attention to what's actually happening in the world around them because they're so consumed by meaningless shite online, and then of course the racism/classism aspect fully unveiling itself at the end after so many very subtle hints throughout was just all so well done. And then the more nuanced commentaries to unpack too about even larger issues, there is SO much to unpack from this episode.

 

My only niggle with the episode is that ultimately the slugs were just there to provide some sort of familiar Doctor Who monster element to the story, because they weren't even dealt with in the end and the Doctor just walked away knowing that he'd 'saved' (?) one group of people succumbing to that fate. The actual monster of the story being the people would definitely have stood just fine on its own, I reckon.

 

All in all, a really enjoyable episode, strong guest cast, and it all certainly took a very dark turn at the end. That performance from Ncuti was so powerful.

This was really great actually - I'm glad they didn't go for the obvious "those kids and their phones :angry:" route that TV shows tend to do, and instead went for criticising echo-chambers which I think is a less examined trope. Having such an unlikeable main character was a brave choice but obviously by the end it pays off. Apparently the scene at the end was the first scene Ncuti filmed as the Doctor and what a scene to start with - the darker tone in the last few episodes is really working for me.

 

Ngl though it's a shame we've had 2 Doctor-lite episodes in such a short series, it's kinda hard to believe we used to get 13 episodes and now it's just 8. Hopefully future seasons get a bit longer again.

Well, after last weeks almost outstanding episode, we're back to familiar territory.

In its premise the story certainly had a number of interesting threads to pull on but in every case it fell short of really tackling them, preferring to lightly reference them with giving any depth or nuance to the ideas in play. Not to mention a number of plot inconsistentcies and some ridiculously stupid ideas (not walking without the bubble for example, was really pushing the idea beyond believable)

Every single character in the episode was a thinly veiled sketch - they're rich = they're shallow and obnoxious, and I know it was the point but they were so hateful that the slugs (I too hoped they were relatives of the Tractators) were the actual heroes of the story, which probably wasn't the intention... but actually would have been a better idea than what we were given.

And Gatwa's big moment really wasn't anywhere near the level of Capaldi's war speech, and still very short of the best of Smith, Tennant or Eccleston. It kind of just was... and I lay the blame not so much in the delivery but the script, editing and direction were all off pitch for the moment. Not only that the audience by now wants the idiots dead anyway.

Just out of curiosity, how else would you have had him react in that moment besides being in utter shock and disbelief at how the people he had just saved turned out to be in the end? I don't think it would've gone down too well if they had him completely fly off the handle.

 

side note too, the more I think about it the more it seems fair enough that there wasn't a resolution/fix to the slugs doing what they were doing. If that's the type of people they're eating, then bravo to them becoming the heroes of the story, as you pointed out Severin.

Just out of curiosity, how else would you have had him react in that moment besides being in utter shock and disbelief at how the people he had just saved turned out to be in the end? I don't think it would've gone down too well if they had him completely fly off the handle.

 

 

I get why they went for the shock and disbelief angle and that's not my main issue with the scene but it rather ignores the details that The Doctor is a centuries old individual who remembers his own history (at least Hartnell onwards) and has had numerous instances of humans and other species being too arogant, prejudiced, stupid or whatever to accept a helping hand when offered. I'd expect more resignation or cynicism in line with someone he's seen ot all before. It's happened in the show many times for many different Doctors and whilst each one has their own personality traits, the current incarnation is being written as incredibly clumsy and stupid, literally putting his foot in it in the last two episodes and generally being all round naive and lacking in situational awareness or critical thought. He'slike the guy who keeps telling how brilliant he is without ever really showing it. Frankly, Ruby seems smarter most of the time.

 

Maybe its an intentional part of the overall plan for the character related to the bi-generation - perhaps 14 kept all the brains during the split - but it's not making me warm to the character or the current scripts.

This was really great actually - I'm glad they didn't go for the obvious "those kids and their phones :angry:" route that TV shows tend to do, and instead went for criticising echo-chambers which I think is a less examined trope. Having such an unlikeable main character was a brave choice but obviously by the end it pays off. Apparently the scene at the end was the first scene Ncuti filmed as the Doctor and what a scene to start with - the darker tone in the last few episodes is really working for me.

 

Ngl though it's a shame we've had 2 Doctor-lite episodes in such a short series, it's kinda hard to believe we used to get 13 episodes and now it's just 8. Hopefully future seasons get a bit longer again.

 

They reduced the season length so they could guarantee a season every year without having take breaks and tide things over with specials. It's highly unlikely that we'll get more episodes per season in the near future.

I liked the episode. The idea of having a central character who was truly horrible was a good twist. Yes, the idea of how vacuous young people can be was overplayed, but exaggeration is a common dramatic ploy.

Interesting episode, not entirely successful but a very unique one in what is proving to be a very unique season. The whole premise didn't quite have enough bite for me as it was essentially a Black Mirror episode (the pastel aesthetic is ripped straight from Nosedive) which we have seen many times before, as with these 'eat the rich' parodies. The lead character being so repulsive was a natural choice and though I did want her so badly to be eaten, I think she played the part well, I wish there wasn't such a reliance on stereotypes though. The lack of ability to walk I think stretched disbelief too much (how did she make it down the stairs on her own in that case?!).

 

The slug/AI control whatever didn't really seem to be resolved by the end and didn't make a lot of sense overall - I'm not clear why the slugs were used at all, and if they had a purpose other than just purely just set up to off insufferable rich kids and their parents. The dot clearly could've wiped any of them out no problem as they were incapable of basic skills so it's bizarre so many of them actually escaped. I'm unsure if this lack of resolution was intentional given the unlikeable nature of the characters, I would find that pretty enjoyable!

 

The ending was the strongest part and I think where the greater underlying themes came in. While other iterations would've certainly just shrugged that off as ungrateful idiot kids that have chosen their fate, this one is clearly more vulnerable and sensitive and I think that was conveyed really well, what they said and the fact there wasn't a single black person in the bubble said all you need to know perfectly without stating it outright. It's a good representation that not every human will appreciate being saved nor deserve it. This Doctor's presentation is definitely lacking some core features of what we think of as the Doctor, I do think it's a good way to show that Flux/Timeless Child timeline (however poorly executed it was) has influenced him if it's intentional.

 

Would probably put this middle of the pack overall.

I get why they went for the shock and disbelief angle and that's not my main issue with the scene but it rather ignores the details that The Doctor is a centuries old individual who remembers his own history (at least Hartnell onwards) and has had numerous instances of humans and other species being too arogant, prejudiced, stupid or whatever to accept a helping hand when offered. I'd expect more resignation or cynicism in line with someone he's seen ot all before. It's happened in the show many times for many different Doctors and whilst each one has their own personality traits, the current incarnation is being written as incredibly clumsy and stupid, literally putting his foot in it in the last two episodes and generally being all round naive and lacking in situational awareness or critical thought. He'slike the guy who keeps telling how brilliant he is without ever really showing it. Frankly, Ruby seems smarter most of the time.

 

Maybe its an intentional part of the overall plan for the character related to the bi-generation - perhaps 14 kept all the brains during the split - but it's not making me warm to the character or the current scripts.

 

100% agreed!!!!

 

I didn't know what to expect going into this episode but I found myself really enjoying it, and it's stuck with me since. The commentary on social media and technology was expected, and I think it was landed mostly well, obviously delivered in a very OTT way but the vibrant colours and characterisations made for an excellent contrast with the uncomfortable undertones. I definitely noticed some of the microaggressions throughout, including how Lindy was more receptive to Ruby's help than the Doctor's, and how she thought the Doctor's earlier appearance in her bubble was just another man who looked the same, so I found her really difficult to like from early on. I *REALLY* did not expect her to turn on Ricky September like that though, my jaw dropped, what a dark, evil moment. Justice for Ricky, the shining light of Finetime, #bringhimback #ricky4companion etc x

 

Ncuti really delivered in that final scene and I'm glad the undertones of racism and prejudice had such a good pay-off, and it's had me thinking of every other instance that I'd initially missed, from little stuff like how Lindy wanted the Doctor to be "disciplined" to how she immediately accepted Ricky's help when he had quite Doctor-ish mannerisms, but obviously benefited from being white (and a celebrity). Such a powerful message to get across, about society but also about the small subsection of Doctor Who viewers who display racism. Massive kudos to Callie Cooke who was simply brilliant at conveying the complexity of Lindy's character! She really held her own in that episode, and for us to have hated Lindy that much, it means she did her job.

 

The slugs felt a little surplus to requirements, I think the dot killing Ricky could've had a simple extra line of explanation somewhere to say they're gaining the capacity to kill on their own? That'd solve that slight issue. Did notice how Lindy went from barely being able to walk without the bubble, to going downstairs in no time, but I suppose it shows how willing she was to work with the Doctor, compared to how willing she was to work with Ricky (until it no longer benefited her, of course).

 

I keep seeing so much commentary on this episode and it's interesting to see who gets it and who doesn't (obviously different to whether you like it or not), but I think this is another home run for the current series, and we're up to three *BRILLIANT* episodes in a row (and I've liked all five to some degree, as much as Space Babies is basically fluff in comparison to a story like this).

 

This was weird and kinda pointless besides the brief acknowledgment of Twist

I don't think I'd ever call an episode like this "pointless"? :o

I get why they went for the shock and disbelief angle and that's not my main issue with the scene but it rather ignores the details that The Doctor is a centuries old individual who remembers his own history (at least Hartnell onwards) and has had numerous instances of humans and other species being too arogant, prejudiced, stupid or whatever to accept a helping hand when offered. I'd expect more resignation or cynicism in line with someone he's seen ot all before. It's happened in the show many times for many different Doctors and whilst each one has their own personality traits, the current incarnation is being written as incredibly clumsy and stupid, literally putting his foot in it in the last two episodes and generally being all round naive and lacking in situational awareness or critical thought. He'slike the guy who keeps telling how brilliant he is without ever really showing it. Frankly, Ruby seems smarter most of the time.

 

Maybe its an intentional part of the overall plan for the character related to the bi-generation - perhaps 14 kept all the brains during the split - but it's not making me warm to the character or the current scripts.

It's all good saying the Doctor's witnessed it plenty times in the past and must remember it (I'm sure he will), but we're now at a point where this is the first time - as far as the Doctor's memories go and technically for viewers in the starring role of the show - the Doctor himself is on the receiving end as the first black incarnation. Being a bystander in previous situations and now having to deal with it head on being directly affected by prejudices, racism, etc will surely provoke somewhat different reactions and the way Ncuti's Doctor is being written generally in other episodes shouldn't really have any bearing on this.

It's all good saying the Doctor's witnessed it plenty times in the past and must remember it (I'm sure he will), but we're now at a point where this is the first time - as far as the Doctor's memories go and technically for viewers in the starring role of the show - the Doctor himself is on the receiving end as the first black incarnation. Being a bystander in previous situations and now having to deal with it head on being directly affected by prejudices, racism, etc will surely provoke somewhat different reactions and the way Ncuti's Doctor is being written generally in other episodes shouldn't really have any bearing on this.

 

But The Doctor has more than just been witness to prejudice in the past. They have been on the receiving end before, for their race, their gender and for their age. I agree this is the first instance we've seen where the Doctor's skin colour alone is a factor but we're talking about a society/species that although they look human, clearly aren't as their blood is a blueish-green colour, so even though they work as the allegory for the viewers for an in-universe Doctor, you're asking us to believe that a centuries old time travelling alien has never visited a world where he looks different to all the inhabitants and been treated badly as a result.

 

I know this series is being treated as a soft reboot but it's starting to look more like a complete re-write of the whole character's past as and when it suits the writer's message for the story. The reason I mentioned previous episodes is because the latest one has exactly the same character problems previous one have had the year - a pick n mix attitude to the character whose only emerging through line seems to be that it's consistenyl inconsistent with previously established knowledge.

 

It's always been well established that The Doctor was academically poor and considered a bit of a fool in Timelord society but had enough about him to just about get by, and sure he'd look a genius next to humans, which is why , since Romana and Nyssa he's not been given a smart companion.

 

It can still work character wise if the bi-regeneration thing is used to explain away a lot of the inconsistencies but I'm not convinced RTD cares that much. It feels like he's using the character to make statements and messages around the issues he wants to see addressed on TV - which is fine - but quite happy to ignore the show's past to do so - which is fine for new and casual fans but is beginning to slowly infuriate more and more of the older audience, by which I mean those who began watching anytime between 1963 and the last five or ten years