I haven't been overly enamoured with many things this season and there were still a couple of minor quibbles around the characterisation but that was an absolute belter of an episode and so well paced and put together that I'll happily overlook them. Even knowing what was coming didn't spoil it, in fact it heightened the expectation. Probably my favourite episode from the pen of RTD and it just goes to show how effective a well written villain is. Admittedly that relies on prior episodes as they're barely in this one but whatever

Edited June 15, 20241 yr by Severin

It was a really epic episode, I was on the edge of my seat especially in the final 10-15 minutes! So many red herrings and plot strands that ended up going in a totally different direction to what I expected. So much focus on Susan Twist over the series that the TARDIS groaning almost escaped my attention entirely! Really great stuff. The Time Window scene was superb too, can't wait to see what happens next week.

Whew, what an episode! I confess I'm ignorant to Sutekh as I haven't delved into the archives of older Doctor Who yet, but they looked pretty terrifying and that Disney budget is finally showing itself in a good way, a great pay off to that Susan Twist storyline (so this is already doing better in pay-offs than the last showrunner x), some great attention to detail too as I never actually noticed the TARDIS groans being lower pitched than normal, but they were probably there. Some genuinely incredibly tense scenes towards the end there and in the time window reenactment as well, reminded me a lot of Army of Ghosts overall which was one of my favourites growing up so a very good thing indeed.

 

It was a little exposition heavy at times, pacing was a bit off in the first half before it relentlessly hurdled to the finish in the second and FFS Russell, stop trying to make super intelligent babies a thing, they never will be :arrr: But I'm willing to overlook those this time with the strength of that climax, and am just praying he can stick the landing to make this even better!

 

Was great to see Mrs Flood again too and I'm still wondering how she fits into all this x

Excellent episode - looking forward to seeing how things all pan out in the next ep!!

Mrs Flood has to be a Time Lord now surely? The Doctor explained regeneration to Ruby as a way of ‘hiding themselves away’ and then moments later Mrs Flood says to Carla that she’s always ‘hiding herself away’. That absolutely cannot just be accidental repetitive dialogue on RTD’s part :lol: I don’t think she’s Susan, but certainly intrigued!!

Don’t forget the Rani was mentioned several times at the start of the series. Perhaps that’s who Mrs Flood is?

Don’t forget the Rani was mentioned several times at the start of the series. Perhaps that’s who Mrs Flood is?

Would be good to finally have the Rani back so every mysterious woman that pops up in the show isn’t guessed as the Rani automatically by the fans :kink:

 

2.02m in the overnights for the episode! A shame it’s the lowest overnight figure of the series, but hopefully it’ll pick up big when consolidated given it seems to have everyone talking!!

The Euros on ITV likely would've took a lot of viewers away, fortunate that England weren't playing!

I hadn't noticed any of this with the TARDIS!

 

 

Yes please at The Rani coming back. Some of my favourite 80s episodes have her in them *.*

One think I'm intrigued about is that during a conversation when discussing whether Susan was his Grandaughter, Ruby said something like 'so you have a daughter too', to which he replied 'not yet', and made refence to some guff about time, which seemingly contradicts previous Doctors (I think it was 10 or 11) who said they'd been a father and a grandfather once before.

 

 

I'd normally bash the low overnight rating but perspective needed here with the Euros being on ITV means it was always going to be the lowest rated episode of the series.

I'd normally bash the low overnight rating but perspective needed here with the Euros being on ITV means it was always going to be the lowest rated episode of the series.

 

Also its not the full picture anyway as its an overnight rating which is pretty pointless these days

One think I'm intrigued about is that during a conversation when discussing whether Susan was his Grandaughter, Ruby said something like 'so you have a daughter too', to which he replied 'not yet', and made refence to some guff about time, which seemingly contradicts previous Doctors (I think it was 10 or 11) who said they'd been a father and a grandfather once before.

 

I can definitely see there being a few more twists in next weeks episodes. Something's going on with Mrs Flood and Sian Clifford is playing someone called 'Kind Woman' next week :D

 

With Susan being mentioned so much and even the whole hiding of a Time Lord (like Human Nature etc), there's got to be something going on.

Susan is either returning, or Ruby is Susan’s daughter, or Varada Sethu will be a regenerated Susan. Too many theories

It's this kind of "omg what's going to happen" hype over a finale I don't think I've felt since Matt Smith's tenure. Here for it

I would just have liked Carole Ann Ford to have one last scene in the show before they recast Susan, assuming her health is up to it, she is after all an iconic actor in the shows history.

I would just have liked Carole Ann Ford to have one last scene in the show before they recast Susan, assuming her health is up to it, she is after all an iconic actor in the shows history.

 

I guess she could have a cameo - maybe they'll be a flashback or something?

I would just have liked Carole Ann Ford to have one last scene in the show before they recast Susan, assuming her health is up to it, she is after all an iconic actor in the shows history.

If she does get a cameo appearance, surely they would leave her out of the cast list sent out in advance to keep it as a surprise.

I feel like if Susan is returning Carole Ann Ford will be there somehow - it would feel strange for her to have been involved in a lot of the marketing for the 60th and attending the premieres just… because?