Character-lite episodes. Penultimate suspense. Companion characterisation. Gods and science. Was this episode worthy of a wish? (00:00:00) What we liked (00:12:49) Doubts, plot, storytelling, villainy (00:19:50) Omega, gods, science, mythic register (00:25:42) Belinda companionship, garbling, drama confusion, Nursedoc (00:33:50) Ruby in 2025 S2, S1-S2 links (00:42:30) Conrad, wish baby, Flood hugs, political commentary, encampment (00:53:19) Non-politics, generational differences (01:03:49) Production design, aesthetics, Belinda screaming (01:13:50) The Ranis (01:23:35) Episode structure, Chibnall era comparisons, Omega reveal (01:32:01) Poppy, family, adoption, motherhood, wishes, Vindicator, sci-fi power (01:39:30) Ncuti's wishes, season 2 development (01:47:35) Visual storytelling (01:56:28) Ending countdown, contrived suspense, Harry Potter, doubt (02:00:37) Too early to judge, Belinda's doubts… Continue reading →

'The kind of episode you should never do a sequel to'. Continuing mining, drama avoidance, gun storytelling, script development…was The Well a diamond in the rough, or a worthy sequel? (00:00:00) The episode's identity (00:04:15) Contrasts with Midnight (00:13:56) The entity's physical form and methods (00:21:48) Aliss and the entity's escape (00:27:33) Misremembered throwback to RTD1 (00:34:53) Avoidance of Belinda drama (00:40:19) Militaristic stories with a sonic mouse (00:44:52) How the script came to be (00:50:29) Being "classic" Doctor Who (00:57:50) Visual and musical moments (01:03:44) Warriors of the Deep (01:09:52) Metatextuality (01:15:14) Flood, signing on screen, sign off … Continue reading →

New storytelling, ghostwriter mythos, dialogue density, clipshow climaxes, different approaches to gods...how does The Story & the Engine do Doctor Who differently? (00:00:00) New writer, Dot and Bubble comparisons, Doctor outside Doctoring (00:08:42) Hose, tie-in short story, Omo, commercialised storytelling (00:11:17) Haircuts, barbershop, African setting, density of ideas (00:18:13) Dialogue focus, place in Doctor Who, continuity, Doctor returns (00:27:47) Storytelling, Belinda, Gods, science (00:38:55) Generational trauma, reproducing exploitation, Omo betrayal (00:45:18) The Barber villain, 'ghostwriter', web, villain forgiveness (00:53:57) Pacing, 'hurt people hurt people', companion dialogue, Ncuti performance (01:01:29) Captain Poppy, clipshow climax, life stories, fan responses… Continue reading →

UNIT politics, grifting, didactic Doctor, conspiracy confusion, youth movements, valuing the ordinary, conventional heroism...who is Lucky Day's audience, and what is it saying to them? (00:00:00) Refreshing episode (00:06:23) Overdosing on doccy who, UNIT critiques to come (00:14:11) Episode structure, conspiracy confusion (00:23:13) Grifting, psychoanalysis vs ideology (00:30:05) UNIT politics (00:44:50) Kate, moralising violence, justifying secrecy (00:56:21) Didactic Doctor speech to Conrad, ordinary & extraordinary (01:05:37) Think Tank, conventional protector heroism (01:12:30) Family, housemates, Belinda, Flood, Missy (01:28:09) Youth movements, mundanity, rationalisation (01:35:21) Awkward climax, Brigadier, romance Conrad, readings (01:44:13) Closing thoughts… Continue reading →

Torture, honey, morality, physicality, camp, regression, edginess… there’s lots to discuss in Juno Dawson’s Eurovision episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who. (00:00:00) Thoughts, plot, Die Hard (00:06:19) Belinda, character interiority (00:11:34) ‘Wonderful’ cool Doctor, sidelining morality drama, gendered characterisation (00:21:21) Eurovision context & politics (00:35:27) Honey, Hellia, sponsorship, ideology (00:46:49) Fifteen characterisation, novelty vs regression, ‘scary’ Doctor (00:58:51) Torture scene, neutralising drama, The Good Doctor (01:08:05) Imagery & physicality in the torture scene, icy heart (01:22:16) Cora’s song, resistance, Andor (01:30:11) Camp, writing Belinda & the Doctor, RTD stasis (01:41:35) The music (01:57:46) Susan Foreman, brink of death, Anita Dobson (02:09:30) Technobabble, side characters (02:19:34) The Ranis (02:28:38) Another bigeneration, another Delta Wave (02:37:08) Spectacle, horns, protector, the Doctor’s rage, Nursedoc shipping (02:45:53) Leak Zone: villains, future, casting, telos… Continue reading →

Pantheon rules, companion dynamics, rhymes with the past, fandom commentary, liminal nights, aesthetic choices, dodgy lyrics — we discuss all that, & more, in covering Lux, Russell T Davies' second episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who. (00:00:00) Similarities to Devil's Chord (00:07:30) Rules of the Pantheon genre (00:14:12) Belinda and 15's changed dynamic (00:22:03) Choices of music (00:28:21) The fans sequence (00:35:34) What audience? War Between tangent (00:41:18) Visuals and details we appreciated (00:46:25) Belinda's nursing expertise (00:48:55) Handling of racism (00:53:21) Liminal, marginal, Scooby Doo camp (00:57:38) "Planned leaks" delusions (01:02:13) Issues with Pantheon & vibes storytelling (01:12:15) Dodgy lyricism (01:13:50) Mr Pye, PoV for the Target novel (01:20:15) Performances of the two leads (01:24:31) Spoons arc & outro … Continue reading →

The #GetBelindaHome arc, companion dynamics, new aesthetics, mechanical pathos, and the looming future of the show — we discuss that, and much more, in covering The Robot Revolution, Russell T Davies' 2025 Doctor Who Season 2 premiere. (00:00:00) Intro & initial thoughts (00:02:29) Belinda & her dynamic with 15 (00:12:47) #GetBelindaHome ‘arc’ (00:22:37) Belinda's character arc in the episode (00:27:32) Time fracture contrivances (00:33:55) The unreasonably cool visuals (00:39:02) Handling of themes (00:47:49) Bizarrely convoluted plot (00:51:21) Belinda's mature response to the Doctor (00:58:47) 15 being told off; implications of Mundy (01:04:55) Sasha-55, mechanical pathos (01:13:17) X-ray blanket; Sutekh noise (01:16:58) The spectre haunting Who (01:31:21) Leak zone begins: Season 2 leaks timeline (01:40:30) Leaks: Episode 3 (01:43:56) Leaks: Mrs Flood (01:48:27) Leaks: Eps 3, 5, 2, 6 (01:52:00) Leaks: Finale antagonist (02:04:06) Leaks: Ending surprises (02:12:21) Leaks: Critique of the idea (02:19:32) Leaks: Aftermath, spinoffs (02:23:40) Outro… Continue reading →

How did characters develop in the 2024 season? Promises of novelty, universe expansions and contractions, character conflict, audience relationships, storytelling worlds, & much more is discussed in this look at the second year of Russell T Davies' return. (00:00:00) Overall feelings on S1 (00:05:12) Expectations & reality of RTD’s return (00:11:20) Promises of newness vs. the outcome (00:15:21) Considering 2024 S1 against other seasons (00:19:56) Tracking S1’s narratives (00:21:01) Church: Ruby & 15’s worlds (00:28:34) Church: character conflict (00:32:48) Space: story & arcs (00:40:03) Space: character conflict (00:42:30) Chord: Ruby & 15’s development (00:46:45) Boom: Moffat’s take on Ruby & 15 (00:52:42) Boom: character conflict (00:54:48) Yards: Ruby’s acceptance (00:59:03) Bubble: Ruby’s acceptance (01:03:43) Rogue: heart-to-heart moments (01:07:27) Legend: arc focus & Susan (01:12:57) Empire: story, arcs, character (01:26:06) Strengths of 15’s character (01:32:46) Fourth wall + editing (01:39:23) Comic-Con: canon, friendship, Star Trek (01:42:51) Comic-Con: RTD reflections (01:56:08) Comic-Con: Whoniverse, announcements, IP, acting, leaks (02:20:06) Mel, family, VHS (02:23:32) Doctor Who at the Proms (2024) (02:57:44) Bubble’s premise, 15’s characterisation, Yards’ ambiguity, S1’s shape (03:13:37) The spinoff (03:30:19) Season 3 + reflecting on the revived series (03:35:20) Wobbly empire + audience relationship + streaming bubble (04:09:31) Individual seasons as individual ‘worlds’ (04:22:12) Looking forward … Continue reading →

Digital ghosts, emotional logic, character regression, James Bond, four-point stars — how does Steven Moffat's fiftieth episode of Doctor Who hold up? (00:00:00) Moffat's fiftieth episode (00:03:28) Vignette structure + recalling past eras (00:09:37) Joy's hotel room (00:12:51) COVID confrontation + Joy's characterisation (00:19:38) Repeating themes & development across the show (00:28:37) Regression intentionality (00:37:01) Many companions + James Bond (00:42:32) Anita (00:48:28) Time Hotel premise (00:52:42) Same writers + digital ghosts (01:04:20) AI inspiration + four point star (01:11:50) Endings & Dracula (01:18:12) Religion's role in the episode (01:24:11) Music of the episode + big emotions (01:37:30) Direction of the episode (01:46:15) Romance, wood, heaven, mortality… Continue reading →

Moral misdirection, cancel culture, perspective shifts, ‘male feminism’, weaponised incompetence, theatrical pacing, generational differences, interlocked bullying, & much more are explored in this discussion of Steven Moffat’s 2024 TV series. (00:00:00) Expectations (00:06:20) Genesis of the story (00:22:04) Padding & elongation (00:30:37) Cliffhangers & perspective shifts (00:32:35) Attitudes towards Moffat (00:43:02) Morgan & geekdom (00:52:44) Toby & feminism (01:04:33) Douglas & morality (01:10:55) Daughter Claudia (01:16:40) Cancellation misdirection (01:21:01) Moffat & cancel culture (01:26:16) Timeliness & generational differences (01:35:06) Self-deprecation & nullification (01:43:22) Moffat tropes (01:47:35) Morality, cancel culture, weaponisation (01:55:05) Bullying (02:01:37) Social media (02:04:50) Incompetence + Madeline’s ending (02:19:36) Audience takeaways (02:22:11) ‘Equal rights’ (02:27:48) Theatricality & form (02:31:19) Aesthetics (02:34:13) The cast (02:38:40) What’s next… Continue reading →

Investing significance. RTD finales. Whistles. Ropes. Spoons. Dogs. What story did the finale tell? (00:00:00) Preserving 73 Yards’ mysteries (00:05:10) Ruby rejecting the Doctor's advice (00:10:19) Designs and vibes we liked; praise for Bonnie Langford (00:14:30) VFX & concept of the climax (00:17:51) Linking Timeless Child with Susan (00:20:08) The 'distracted Davies' thesis (00:26:24) Alternative theories about RTD (00:29:45) Inspired first album vs. second set of songs (00:35:27) Format of NewWho breaking down in S1 (00:40:32) 15 & Ruby's lack of drama/arcs (00:44:54) Repetition & reduction of old themes (00:48:48) Deep symbolism of the black dog of death (00:57:08) Treating themes like puzzles (01:01:12) Sutekh’s hollow usage & lack of character (01:05:22) Fanfiction-esque language & fake moral dilemmas (01:10:54) 'Anti-nostalgia' readings of a nostalgic story (01:17:36) Cultural appropriation jab (01:20:33) Rewriting Pyramids of Mars' ending to make it bad (01:24:26) Redundancy & parallels (01:27:27) The dog whistle and the removed ‘origin’ (01:38:19) The unsnapping & whether it had impact (01:41:38) Residual Sue Tech confusion (01:45:41) Investment of the Significance (02:05:55) Attempted Last Jedi homage (02:09:49) Lingering plot strangeness & spoons (02:13:06) Ruby & the Doctor's farewell (02:21:44) End of main discussion (02:25:14) Cinema viewings of the finale (02:55:49) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

Content generation. Penultimate pacing. Spoiler culture. Characters arcs & mystery boxes. Villain visuals. Time Window meanings. What story does this episode tell? (00:00:00) Moments, music, & cast members we liked (00:08:34) Time as a VHS memory (00:13:16) Tales of the TARDIS link (00:16:52) Handling of UNIT favourites (00:19:50) Susan Twist "generates content" (00:30:20) RTD character arcs vs. mystery boxes (00:39:07) How penultimate episodes usually work (00:43:48) Lack of dramatic cohesion (00:51:15) Villain's questionable characterisation (00:58:31) "Epicness" vs. compelling villains (01:06:51) Lawrence Miles' interpretation of the villain (01:13:36) Villain's visual design (01:17:13) Chanting about the Pantheon (01:23:12) Being old enough to know what VHS is (01:28:06) The BBFC spoilers incident (01:36:22) How early on did fans solve the reveal? (01:38:36) Ruby's few moments & time window filler (01:43:22) Pet peeves & Susan's strange parentage (01:47:55) Impactful moments lacking impact (01:51:41) Mrs F candidates & the Deca effect (01:56:09) Prospects for the last ep & Nitwit Tower (01:59:13) Music of the episode (02:35:03) RTD on the opening & pun… Continue reading →

New writers! What's that like? Evoking past eras, generational nostalgia, romance pacing, valorising tradition, iconic characters, 'real Doctor Who', & much more gets discussed. (00:00:00) New writers, cold open, ‘real Doctor Who’ (00:06:28) Captain Jack Harkness + the kiss (00:14:23) Genesis of new writers + Loki controversy (00:20:32) Rogue (the character) (00:26:25) Romance speed (Gig departs) (00:32:58) Fifteen characterisation (00:37:42) Confusion + Rogue morality (00:45:53) Ruby in the episode + Sunday flashback (00:55:05) Derivative storytelling + production tidbits (01:02:13) Music of the episode (waltz, TARDIS) (01:11:58) Evoking eras + enemies to lovers (01:16:45) Music & mystery + finale expectations (01:25:54) Bridgerton (Gig reappears) (01:31:56) Bounty hunting + moral ambiguity (01:38:20) Good moments (01:40:05) Doctor faces / Shalka scene (Tyler departs) (01:51:37) Shalka VFX Twitter (01:58:21) More musical moments (Shalka, Twist, proposal) (02:06:02) RTD on the Shalka Doctor… Continue reading →

Is this an unprecedented kind of story? What does the ending say, & what does it avoid saying? How well does the Doctor-lite majority of the episode work? What meanings does the aesthetic & music suggest? (00:00:00) General impressions (00:01:59) Premise disguising the real point (00:09:28) Misdirection & hints (00:15:30) Ricky the surrogate Doctor (00:18:50) Who is "the audience"? (00:23:31) End of history setting & antagonist (00:27:51) Tech industry AI paranoia (00:30:35) Nostalgic Fallout-y aesthetics (00:32:47) Disturbing moments & Ricky's fate (00:37:24) Slug design & backstory (00:40:44) Slugs representing narrative's breakdown (00:43:27) Doctor-lite episodes (00:46:26) The ending & what it avoids (01:01:20) Ncuti's performance & characterisation at the end (01:05:54) The Doctor's decision to leave (01:11:23) Questions about the Homeworld (01:13:53) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

Does 73 Yards present a new RTD approach, uncluttered from the old? Does nightmare logic suit the show? What do we project onto the episode’s mysteries? Is the episode, as RTD says, one of the best things he’s ever written? (00:00:00) Nightmare Who (00:09:28) Audience projection (00:11:14) Mad Jack (00:13:23) Wales & politics (00:18:39) Spinoffs & UNIT (00:21:52) Carla & season pacing (00:25:01) Resolutions (00:33:28) Old Ruby after the climax (00:41:30) Absence of the Doctor (00:44:13) Journey of a life (00:50:32) Best of RTD (00:58:40) Power & what ifs (01:06:30) Complicity & ambiguity (01:13:29) Music of the episode (01:54:44) Reflections & interview clarity… Continue reading →

How does Boom measure up to past Moffat episodes? What’s confronted, and what’s evaded, in the story? What does the episode say about faith, AI, fatherhood, Doctor mystery, companion casting, and war profiteering? Do the aesthetics work with, or against, the story? What does it mean for an episode to be a 'sinister farce'? (00:00:00) Return to the Moffat era (00:03:27) Echoes of previous Moff characters (00:06:07) 15's moon and the president's wife rhyme (00:11:46) Smithesque season arc teases (00:14:20) Moffat arcs vs RTD2's arc (00:18:17) Messy third act (00:24:31) Splice and the ensemble (00:30:18) Inside Man and frustrated catharsis (00:36:11) Dissipating tension (00:41:59) Cleverly structured cold open (00:47:07) Expensive visuals & cool costumes (00:54:12) Moffat's role as exec producer (00:56:40) Varada Sethu paratext (01:00:47) Cheating your audience (01:06:53) Proof and faith (01:10:51) Hedging criticism and overlapping concepts (01:19:52) 'Thoughts and prayers', 'we come in peace' (01:23:27) Evasive approach to algorithms and politics (01:30:59) Direction notes and challenges (01:34:56) Tinelime confusion continues (01:35:27) Stray thoughts & Skye Boat scene (01:38:50) Music of the episode… Continue reading →

What's new and different about the RTD2 approach? What does a post-Giggle Doctor Who look like? When is a chord not a chord? What does a 'twist at the end' really mean? How is 15's first run taking shape as a season? (00:00:00) Cartoon episode + Maestro + opening theme (00:05:03) Direction + sustained sequences (00:09:14) The lost chord (00:12:34) Wonky premise + music battle (00:22:14) Maestro villainy + 15 characterisation (00:26:40) Susan (Foreman) + Time Lord genocide ellision (00:31:24) Six month gap (00:36:17) 'Saxon theme' + subtitles (00:39:47) There's Always A Twist At The End (00:53:43) The ending (00:55:21) Carol of the Bells + secret song + Pantheon (00:59:55) Tone of the episode + 1960s (01:02:15) Maestro's music (01:04:37) RTD comments on The Devil's Chord (01:11:11) 'Media literacy' (01:22:58) RTD2 season 1 arcs… Continue reading →

How is this era being differentiated from those prior? How is music telling the story? What’s new about this Doctor’s characterisation? What’s familiar, and what’s novel, about this new Disney Who? (00:00:00) General impressions (00:03:45) Self-conscious overexplaining (00:08:13) Clever rejigging of the Timeless Child (00:10:49) Lack of breathing room (00:15:39) Doctor not needing a purpose (00:18:06) Empty exposition (00:20:46) The bizarre ending & Moff callbacks (00:24:10) Snow attack (00:26:07) Time to talk about the babies (00:27:36) Baby lips vs. Rose's carnivorous bin (00:31:02) NSA-quality idea (00:34:55) Flashbacks within the same episode (00:42:41) Secretly Kill The Moon? (00:45:26) The "Disney scene" at the start (00:50:28) The Ruby Road ending recap (00:51:50) Millie elevating the material (00:56:32) Ncuti's handling of bad lines (01:03:11) Jocelyn/NAN-E and her filter (01:06:38) RTD comments on season airing & structure (01:17:09) RTD Space Babies + adoption comments (01:22:56) Music from Space Babies (chromatic descent) (01:25:31) Entering TARDIS (opening music, drums) (01:28:14) Wondrous music + chromatic descent (01:31:51) This is Gallifrey + Fifteen's theme (01:35:18) Silly TARDIS music + Ruby's theme (01:38:41) Fifteen's theme variation (TARDIS vworping) (01:39:51) Baby unveiling music + other composers (01:43:57) They Took The Baby (01:47:37) Action music (monster dying) (01:50:51) A Good Man (saving monster)… Continue reading →

How has RTD relaunched Doctor Who? How has he remixed and rejigged the previous eras of the show? How to sell the magic of Who? How do the aesthetics of this era compare to what’s come before? What’s present, and what’s missing? And what do the extras and the novelisation add? (00:00:00) Thoughts vs. Specials 1-3 (00:06:48) Awkward 'Special 4' positioning (00:10:59) Doctor dancing in club scene (00:15:59) Remixing the foundling lore (00:23:03) Attitudes to adoption & Ruby's family (00:30:23) Dark Carla scene and its implications (00:40:24) Goblin controversy (00:44:45) The direction, editing and composition (00:56:00) Visual storytelling issues in climactic scenes (01:12:11) The Flood reveal & her identity (01:19:06) Liminal checkpoints vs. jumping-on points (01:29:15) Experiencing media the 'right way' (01:32:51) How to sell the magic of Who (01:38:16) Ruby's motive for entering the TARDIS (01:41:58) Showrunners' interest in the TARDIS (01:46:59) The "Disney scene" (01:51:19) "I finally saw him as the Doctor" (01:53:17) Music in the show's DNA (01:58:35) The Goblin Song (02:04:29) Cringe, insecurity & sincerity (02:11:11) Goblin Song stylistic choices (02:13:43) Darkness, diegesis, magical church & fake snow (02:19:27) The missing Goblin King attack sequence (02:24:54) Overcompensating CGI over practical effects (02:31:31) Photos on the fridge (02:33:40) Praise for Millie and Ncuti's performances (02:41:21) Costume design & companion comparisons (02:49:46) The mysterious musical motif (03:01:41) More musical highlights and parallels (03:13:42) Interview quotes about the new TARDIS (03:18:53) The new sonic's design and usage (03:30:17) Most and least exciting future episodes (03:38:00) Millie Gibson interviews (03:43:41) Millie rumours & the online outrage industry (03:52:00) Influencer ideology (03:57:43) Janis Goblin (03:59:32) Novelisation: author backstory (04:06:30) Novel: Opening (04:10:25) Novel: Chapters 2-3, writing style (04:13:42) Novel: Dance scene, chapters 5-6 (04:17:29) Novel: Action scenes & Ruby internal monologue (04:21:48) Novel: The ship escape & room for authorial liberties (04:27:29) Novel: Cut psychic paper and jargon (04:31:47) Novel: "I've got no-one"; Drastic Transgression (04:34:56) Novel: Ruby's family & 15's emotions (04:40:24) Novel: Crack in time (04:43:14) Novel: Spiking the ship & Doctor's motivations (04:52:44) Novel: Ruby entering the TARDIS (04:58:08) Novel: Overall thoughts… Continue reading →

Was the regeneration satisfying? What’s a Doctorverse? How is the show reorienting to fantasy? Why do people feel so differently about the bigeneration? How is the Toymaker’s legacy handled? What’s different in the novelisation? What does this finale say about the show’s past and future? We discuss The Giggle in depth, while also covering the novelisation and the bevy of extras. (00:00:00) Journey to France (00:06:34) ‘There’s no such thing’ (00:08:03) Impressions & attitudes (00:16:29) Goals of the episode (00:27:51) UNIT, lasers, journalists (00:32:28) Unleashed racism (00:49:08) Music + Toymaker origins (00:58:23) Giggle thematics + giving fans tools (01:14:12) Music, Moffat, montage (01:35:54) Social commentary (01:44:42) Mel (01:52:20) The Ruminant (02:02:07) Ball game (02:09:21) We can be celestial (02:13:49) Bigeneration: qualifiers & The End of Time (02:25:00) Bigeneration: time loop & Tales of the TARDIS (02:33:09) Bigeneration: opinions & Oliver (02:45:51) Bigeneration: inquiries & Ingiga (02:55:28) Bigeneration: Doctors as different people (03:03:52) Bigeneration: guilt, continuity, baggage (03:11:14) Bigeneration: emotions, finality, family (03:21:40) Bigeneration: retirement, cheating, two TARDISes (03:36:54) Bigeneration: I stay there, he flies off (03:46:09) Bigeneration: affording a house in France (03:52:07) Bigeneration: spectacle, toys (04:00:07) Bigeneration: costume handover across regenerations (04:07:41) Doctorverse (04:42:52) Novelisation: appeal, politicians, UNIT (04:48:58) Novelisation: Toymaker perspective, hashtag Donna reasons (04:57:15) Novelisation: choose your own adventure + Flux (05:03:22) Novelisation: musical sequence (05:11:03) Novelisation: bigeneration + defeat (05:15:10) Novelisation: third act expansion (05:26:57) Novelisation: ending (05:51:20) Books, brands, the future, pop (05:57:51) Addendum: bigeneration — behind the scenes (06:06:56) Ncuti’s casting + TARDIS talk (06:10:09) 14’s house, parallels with Mel, actor expectations (06:17:03) Script details + regeneration handovers (06:23:26) Outro… Continue reading →