Doctor Who Season 14 Episodes 2 & 3 (Doctor Who review)
Doctor Who: Season 14: episode 2: Space Babies by Russell T Davies
Today is not a good day for reviewers. Even those of you who can binge watch are not likely to want to watch and write at the same time and might miss something, not to mention BBC3 not channel 250/red button for extras afterwards, hence all reviews are likely to be later in the evening. Can’t even select JPGs early without seeing the episodes. Oh, IMdB is messing around. Access these episodes by going through Ncuti Gatwa’s entry because it has yet to be added to the second ‘Doctor Who’ run.
The numbering of the episodes are confusing things a little as I used the numbering a carry-on from the specials so had to spin the numbers back.
While waiting, are there any thoughts running through my head? The Gatwa Doctor is going to be the first to really change clothes and wigs significantly every episode. What will that do to the toy range? Are we going to get a basic Doctor outfit and a wardrobe or blister pack of assorted clothes and wigs to change it into? To have a differently dressed Gatwa for each episode would take a lot more space. I’m also wondering how he’ll be identified? The Hip or Soul or Jive or Dancing or Loving Doctor? Time will tell.
Mention of the Rani? Are we going to see a regeneration of her at some point? The Doctor really needs more than one Time Lord nemesis and he’s hardly the last one. A lot of firsts going on, including what to do with stepping on butterflies. Thing is, considering all those invasions and such the Doctor has stopped, stepping on a butterfly is the least of his worries. The TARDIS tour looks like its for a new audience.
A spaceship of babies. OK, so who changes their nappies? Ah! It gets very spoiler.
In many respects this feels like a bottle episode so early in the season. So what are they keeping the money back for although the special effects budget is there from the ‘Doctor Who Unleashed’.
As they are running one after the other, I’m putting them all under one banner.
Doctor Who: Season 14: episode 3: The Devil’s Chord by Russell T Davies
Doesn’t Maestro (actor Jinka Monsoon) look awfully like Bette Midler in the 1983 film ‘Hocus Pocus’? Gods, the Beatles have gone ‘Father Ted’, long before he was born. The dance has gone out of reality since Maestro played the devil’s chord which is really the lost chord. How much am I referencing here? Parents will be sending their sprogs for all kinds of references they know or might not even know. Reference to Susan. Is she another one going to come back at some point? Too many loaded guns here.
This Doctor turns out to be less of a know-it-all. I’m surprised the duet didn’t do ‘The Devil Came Down To Georgia’ but that’s the wrong decade.
One thing they should avoid is never run two new episodes on the same night again. It makes comparing them and deciding which is better without meaning to purely by contrast. ‘The Devil’s Chord’ is certainly superior and loaded with energy, even if Maestro does feel like a female Toymaker and that’s referenced, too, because she’s his daughter. I do hope Maestro isn’t going to be a one-off villainess. Anyone spot Jimmy Clitheroe? I’m of the right age to spot subtle references. They could have touched on ‘The Navy Lark’ where some actor called Pertwee had his gig.
The Doctor facing god-like beings and winning is going to become gold-like himself which might be a mistake.
This ends up becoming ‘Doctor Who: The Musical’. So much spoiler. In fact, that is a problem of doing this review. How much to say and where to stop and I’m not really satisfied because its been like a roller coaster of so much detail going on.
Extras
That’s interesting for ‘Doctor Who Unleashed’, no red button but BB£ on channel 23. That should make it easier for those who want to record a copy. They give away a lot of the secrets here. I liked the education of what it is to be a runner and hair stylist. I can see the applications going in now but would recommend not to start with ‘Doctor Who’ and get some experience elsewhere first. These extras are not the old 12 minute length but 30 minute length each. Are you all surviving three hours intense viewing?
I do think with this double episodes and is not quite the same as two-parters, there was too much to digest and type in one go and I’m going to watch each on separate nights to see how right I was so expect some more comments for each during the week.
Geoff Willmetts
11 May 2024
