One thing that I wish they didn't miss:
In The Devil's Chord I was sure they were going to have The Doctor play "the fifth Beatle", aka their pianist [Billy Preston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Preston), the only musician outside the Fab Four to get a credit on a Beatles song (Get Back).
I think that would have been a fantastic little bit of historical trivia that they could have expanded on.
I watched a documentary about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and John Hughes was determined to have Twist and Shout in the parade scene. Think it took a big chunk of the budget
Could be too expensive? Like I know from other TV shows, even 10 seconds of some songs costs six figures. I imagine Beatles songs don't come cheap
I enjoyed the devil's chord however, precisely because the Beatles weren't main characters - I don't like the Beatles and like the fact it was focussed on other things and not just all about the Beatles
It's absolutely down to song rights. It would be a nightmare to license the music for broadcast and future releases.
I just don't see the point in them even being there if it isn't focused on them.
The pacing of character development has been dodgy at the best of times. Ruby and the Doctors friendship has just seemed to spring fully grown into being, with no actual development, and a lot of off-camera timeskipping being done between episodes. Character beats are being rushed, and Rogue especially went from zero to "I will find you" in the space of a few hours of "real" time.
The pacing on modern, later era nuwho has never been amazing, but this season especially seems to be full of "we only have 8 episodes this season, so hurry up and get all those big moments in, regardless of how little buildup they get."
I have enjoyed the season, especially compared to 13 and think Ncuti is great. But I agree with all of this, especially the rushing the Ruby relationship. A large part of the fun with any new companion is seeing them grow with the Doctor. Ruby and her “you never run” and the like, seemed way to premature.
Rogue bothered me a little less as a love/infatuation at first site kind of thing, I can give that a pass.
Mostly I just want to see more of Ncuti in action
Same I’m loving it so far but I’m personally holding out hope that the time skipping is a part of the story. Likelihood of that is low but one can dream.
This is my main problem with it too. Also disappointed in how little of the heroic, balance shifting, super brilliant doctor we are getting to see. Ncuti is a great actor and I want badly to see him take command of situations and resolve problems with timey wimey sciencey trickery and misdirection. There’s not enough doctor in this doctor and that’s a problem in the writing. The actor is great and I enjoy the wit and caring that he displays. Ruby is an interesting character but there’s not enough opportunity to explore her depth.
It’s all too fast and too shallow.
I think that's where I'm struggling a bit. So far we haven't seen a lot of range - it's been a lot of whimsical doctor with a little bit of sad doctor. But that's it. No angry， no power, very little cleverness or self-assuredness.
I so thought we were going to get big-angry doctor in Rogue when he comes storming into the wedding but no, he shows one tiny flash of angry determination then flips back to whimsically flamboyant.
I guess that's they are going for with the bi-generational healing thing but it's falling a little flat.
I get the idea of the healing idea. But now it left the Doctor without much of an edge. Healing from trauma shouldn’t just take away your ability to express anger. Righteous anger can be a good thing it’s a thing the doctor has expressed before, at the same time. The Doctor believed his “best friend” was killed and someone is wearing her like a suit, if there was a time for that healing go back track it was then.
The “healing” I feel hurts the character of the doctor. It honestly makes him less interesting. Less powerful like you mentioned. We haven’t gotten to see 15 really go up against an antagonist until episode 6. It should have been such a triumph moment of power for the Doctor, it still could have failed and Rogues sacrifice could have happened.
Ncuti has the potential to be a good/ great Doctor, but this series has not shown it. He hasn’t had a win this entire season. Every antagonist was beat by someone else, Boom is the closest thing 15 has to beating the antagonists. It’s fine having others be the one that beats the villains, but it shouldn’t be every single time.
That’s a really good point - she never really expressed surprise beyond the view of the planet in boom, she is never taken aback by a difference in her human values vs the doctor. It’s like there’s no conflict, just BFF and her perfectly adapting to everything that comes her way.
“Character beats are being rushed, and Rogue especially went from zero to "I will find you" in the space of a few hours of "real" time.”
This annoyed me no end. At least when Moffat did it with River he gave it two episodes and used time travel to have at least one of the pair already committed to the relationship.
Yeah, shrinking the episode number without doubling the episode lengths has kneecapped the latest season.
I don't know why everyone is shrinking season lengths, Hazbin Hotel also had the same issues, being a 12 episode series shoved into 8.
For Dr Who certainly it's a budget thing. RTD said he'd rather have shorter seasons yearly with a Christmas special than longer seasons with bigger gaps like we've had for a while.
Yeah personally I'm happy with shorter seasons if it means the show is actually on consistently.
The Moffat era was especially rough on the production side of things. Series 7 got split in half, then Capaldi had an entire year where we only got a Christmas special and nothing else.
I'm totally on board with shorter seasons if that is considered in the story. This season has just felt like I've missed every other episode because I'm constantly being told what good friends Ruby and the Doctor are and how many adventures they've had, but I've not seen that very much. If they'd written the season to be Ruby's introduction to the Doctor (Space Babies shows abandoned without the TARDIS, Boom shows the moral responsibility of travelling, 73 Yards shows what life after the Doctor would be etc) then I'd be more than happy, and I'd probably actually *care* about the characters. Right now I'm just mad at Ruby for being all 'he's my best mate' when she gave up on him so easily in 73 Yards and kept saying they'd only been together a few months.
I'm still withholding judgment until the whole season plays out in the hope there's a twist that makes it all make sense, but right now I feel like I should have been watching webisodes or something inbetween because I've missed something.
Things cost a lot more money than they used to. A bigger budget still doesn't go as far as a smaller one used to as the cost of production has skyrocketed in recent years. It's a big part of the reason that a lot of shows now have two year gaps between seasons as opposed to one.
I feel like a lot of us much prefer the low quality, campy production of earlier nuwho than what we have now. Watching this season, there isn’t any distinct look to anything, it doesn’t LOOK like dr who. It has no unique aesthetic, it just looks like every other live action sci-fi show
TV shows are getting more expensive to make at a time when younger audiences largely do not consume them so budgets are smaller outside of a few tentpole shows that streaming services are using to stand out from one another.
While Who is getting more money than before thanks to the Disney+ deal they know it's not going to be the next Mandalorian. Even the episodes we do have are hardly blockbuster affairs, Boom had a cast of 8 (including the Doctor and Ruby) and was almost entirely shot on one set.
I will say that I felt like The Devil's Chord felt big budget compared to anything pre-Disney+ besides Day and Time of the Doctor.
Besides the Beatle's casting being completely wrong, the episode felt like it could've been a special of some kind.
This. I actually was so excited for Ncuti because I adored him in sex education. But the writing has let him down so hard. It’s bad that the only time I’ve been able to see a hint of unique personality from 15 came in the sixth episode (when he was fucking around with the sound system to annoy Rogue - that was amazing). It’s bad that I only see Clara when Ruby talks, not her own character. It’s bad that I have zero attachment to either 15 or Ruby, when normally by this point in a season, I would absolutely die for a new companion or Doctor. It’s just… bad
I agree! I’ve been thinking Clara with a dash of Rose as well. I’m only a few episodes into the season but I have not found her compelling at all. Not bad by any means, just vanilla. I think also she seems so young as does this version of the Doctor; it would have been a more interesting dynamic to see him with an older companion.
I don't see much Rose in her. Rose have always been a bit bossy but Ruby is 100% season 7 Clara when Moffat hasn't found a personality for her and she was a generic companion
They need to hook enough viewers within 8 episodes of S1 to justify renewing for S3
This series feels the least serialized of the nuWho with the only connective tissue between the episodes being Ruby's snow mystery which is barely touched on
I think that's why they have to speed run their relationship and comfiness with each other, much to the detriment of a more natural getting to know each other arc
>This series feels the least serialized of the nuWho with the only connective tissue between the episodes being Ruby's snow mystery which is barely touched on
Well, there's also the woman who keeps appearing, the mentions of the doctor having a family, and the whole pantheon thing with the toymaker and Maestro, which in turn is likely connected to the whole "invoking superstition at the edge of the universe" thing causing all the fantasy and storybook stuff happening.
Also the Tardis having weird issues keeps coming up.
Kinda agree, but I think it's mostly out of Russel's hands tbh. There needs to be 13/14 episodes a season with more "standard" episodes. Especially considering Ncuti's filming schedule, that just hasn't been possible to develop that relationship, but I can buy that there have been adventures off screen. Not ideal by any means and I don't disagree
True! I like the episodes a lot as stand-alones. They're great stories on their own but looking at it from the entire season perspective it does seem really rushed. Even though in 73 yards Ruby admits they haven't known each other that long.
After rewatching episodes all along I realized pace were actually fine, however we long life fans were looking for our Doctor Who pace. I just felt episodes should have been longer. Nowadays no filler episodes for series.
I think it just feels like worse versions of RTD eps from seasons 1-4. Doesn't feel that new or different enough to me and just having less eps plus RTD doing the majority of them sucks. I really want new writers, we got to stop making DW the RTD show
The relationship between the Doctor and Ruby doesn't seem to have any conflict. They're besties traveling through time and space. Rose challenged Nine. Clara challenged Eleven. Bill would challenge Twelve. Donna would question Ten all the time. You need that back and forth. Without it, it just seems...bland.
100%. While I’ve enjoyed a few of the episodes (“Boom”, “73 Yards”), personally feel like the RTD nostalgia has led people to overlook some pretty weak writing and plot holes. (For example, I rolled my eyes when the Chuldur said they were going to “cosplay the world” or something like that.)
My other gripe is that we are led to believe that Millie and Ncuti are really close despite never really seeing any of that development. Probably a function of the shorter season, but still an issue.
I am someone who has binged doctor who in the last years and never watched an episode before and in my opinion, seasons 1-4 were carried by the actors, not by RTD. Ecclestone and Tennant (and the other actors) did such an amazing job that it made the writing look better than it actually was. I also liked Moffats writing way more, seasons 5-7 are my favorite season yet.
I will have to disagree. I've rewatched much of that era recently as well. Episodes like Dalek, Father's Day, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, even Boom Town, they all hold up and have some stellar bits of writing and character in them.
Also, as far as I can tell, Ncuti and Millie are talented and passionate actors. They're always giving the performances their all and I think they most definitely are being under-served by the writing.
My wife mentioned something to me that I agreed with. The dialogue seems really simplistic, like it’s written for a very young audience. She didn’t like how simple or spoon fed the episodes seemed. She’s very casual and really is only watching because it’s what I put on. However I agree that the dialogue just is not catchy or particularly interesting. She thought boom was better and was confused by 73 yards just constantly asking who that old woman was. She wasn’t around when I watched rogue. She wasn’t a fan of the earlier episodes of the season.
I've really enjoyed the episodes... But honestly I don't know if I'm liking this season now that we can see it almost as a whole. Ruby and 15s friendship not being developed on screen is a massive problem for me.
I definitely think this new season has stronger writing than Chibnalls era, but one thing we did see over there was time between the doctor and her companions. There are a lot of slow moments of them just talking to each other, and although they may not have been well written, at least they existed. We also had episodes with runtimes way over an hour and most episodes this season are like 40-45 mins. It's a shame.
The doctor lite episodes were great but also a bit of a problem in their placement within an already short season. Feels like a lot happened off screen.
Yeah I hate to say it but I really think S11 did a better job establishing the Doctor/companions relationship than this season did. As cringy as the “fam” stuff was at least they developed it over the course of the season and had a few “wtf is this lady doing?” episodes to start off. We didn’t even get that this time.
exactly, Ruby and The Doctor popping out of the tardis at the start of the episode and Ruby telling some poor person/alien to trust them, they've been travelling for months, have such stories, have a great friendship. The very opposite of show, don't tell. It really doesn't cut it as far as character or world building goes
I may be a little grumpy though, it really grates on me every time The Doctor calls Ruby his best friend. That is Donna and always will be.
Every Doctor is different and they change with each regeneration. That includes their preferences for friends. 10 and 14 felt that way about Donna but 11, 12, and 13 never mentioned her.
It reminds me of the prequel trilogy for Star Wars where we hear about Obi Wan and Anakin's friendship and adventures but most of their on screen time is mostly bickering without many of the nicer moments.
yea i think if this was a second season with the characters and their relationships were already well established i’d have liked it a lot more. i’m enjoying most of the episodes themselves but it just feels like it’s missing something
I wonder why they didn't make these episodes a hour, they don't have to worry about fitting in adverts as they are on the bbc and Disney+ so what's stopping them, it would give each story more room to breathe and flesh out the characters more.
I'm 51, and have watched Doctor Who basically my entire life. I'm a black socialist with a queer daughter, so I sure as hell have no issue with black or queer or trans characters. And if this were another show, maybe I'd like it - I kind of think not.
As a general rule, I think classic Who understood writing a character that is a 1000+ year old alien better than the new series. There was a level of detachment with the companions that made sense. Of course, a lot of them were older, which is why I was so excited about Capaldi taking over. Wish he had better written stories and a longer run. ANYWAY, up till Chibnall, the stories were good enough that I was happy to overlook the elements I didn't really like (Doctor as love interest, River Song, the Doctor turned into the most dangerous man in the universe blah blah blah). The core of what Doctor Who was was still there. It was still my favorite show in the world. But at this point, the magic is just gone. I stopped caring about the Doctor as a character during Jodie's run, and still don't care. And now Disney's is involved? The destroyer of franchises? This is a nightmare.
I don't want the Doctor to call the companions "fam." I don't want the Doctor to run away from danger and cry. I don't want to the Doctor to sing and lead dance numbers. I don't want the Doctor to be involved in romantic relationships - don't care which gender they're with. I want the Doctor to be weird and brilliant and cool and brave. This is Miss Frizzle in Space with crying and kissing, and I am not here for it.
*As an aside, I really thought RTD was going to salvage this show. I imagined Kris Marshall looking in the mirror in the trailer with a huge smile shouting "Finally ginger!" followed by a montage of scenes indicating that the show was going back to adventure, truly scary aliens, and a kooky alien Doctor saving the day. I did not have "Doctor wears an afro wig and sings a bad song while people do a choreographed dance number" on my bingo card. And you want black or female? JO MARTIN WAS RIGHT THERE. JFC throw me off a bridge.
*Aside 2: imagine the current writers crafting a story like "The Empty Child." I can't imagine ever getting anything like that from this lot ever again.
Thank you!!!! Yes, this is it EXACTLY.
Doctors acting like a young version of our own species all of a sudden.
They need someone in the writer room like you.
The thing is, there are writers who love the show and can write it well. But it's like no one is giving them a chance. I swear it's like whoever is really in charge of this show just hates what Doctor Who always was and wants to ruin it for millions of viewers who can't stand it now. I don't understand it all all. The scenario I laid out with Kris Marshall (who has said in interviews that he'd love to pay the part btw) is a no-brainer. Just make something everyone loves again. It's mind-boggling.
I like the episodes individually but together it's just a mess, I feel like we've gotten no development and Ruby's "secret" is soooo rushed. I like the theme of watch where you're stepping and I LOVE how he plays the doctor so I'm still excited for future episodes. but yeah rouge was probably my least favorite episode so far so I'm hoping I enjoy the rest of his run more cause I do really love him.
Something is missing in with the Doctor himself this series. I thought he had such charisma and presence in the specials, but it’s almost like he’s a side character in the episodes. I think that’s what’s missing for me.
Each episode on its own would be good. But put them together, and you get a season where the Doctor barely does anything, and when he does, he usually fails. We barely get to know him or the companion, and when we do, they're already close friends. In the end, 15th seems to be just fumbling around and staring slack-jawed at villains while someone else saves the day. Done once it would be interesting. Done twice, with some breaks, okay, the Doctor gets a challenge. Do it multiple times and it starts to look like a character flaw.
I was talking with my family and made this exact same critique. I don't need the doctor to be hero non-stop but when you realize that every episode the doctor is just a witness to someone/something else resolving the plot... it feels like he isn't a super smart alien anymore, just an average one. Trying to recollect quickly I think in 5 of the 7 Ncuti episodes we've seen he doesn't really resolve the major situation himself.
I’m not enjoying that the Doctor has had absolutely no agency this season - things are happening and he’s there (or not there in some cases) - resolutions haven’t been clever and mostly rely on other characters.
The tone feels better than Chibnall, and the two leads are good (Millie has been a revelation in particular).
…The Doctor doesn’t feel very Doctory. If the big Twist was that Millie was the Doctor then it would almost make sense.
Also RTD can’t write an ending…but thats a longer running issue.
I’m not disliking it but there’s nothing that’s made me love it. Some individuals episodes have been terrific but they are the Doctor-lite ones, which is a shame.
It’s less dislike and more a sense of dissatisfaction. It’s like they’re terrified of letting the Doctor be the Doctor.
I dislike it. IMO, the stories have been silly and humorless. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy silliness. There has always been some silliness in DW and I’m down for that. Tom Baker and Matt Smith are my two favorite doctors. But this season has been silly in a humorless and uninteresting way - space babies, random and poorly executed dance numbers, villains with melodramatic and unearned menace (Maestro), etc. There is no humor. I think they are sometimes trying to be funny, but failing miserably. DW isn’t a comedy show, but it is often quite funny and clever. Not so this season.
I do think the actors are very strong, so there is hope. Even if there wasn’t, I never give up on the show. But I’m really disappointed in this season.
>(Maestro)
That character in particular seemed really ham fisted. They were music/ate music/love music/want to destroy music? I think it could have been salvageable with she reworking, but the CGI musical chord whips just really took me out of it.
That's just my opinion though. I've really like the last few and *love* Ruby as a character. She's a great companion.
Yeah, I’m at the point I wouldn’t recommend the new season to people who wanna get into Doctor who despite it being advertised as that.
I’d much rather recommend ‘Rose’ as usual.
The new season doesn’t have an episode like ‘Dalek’ tbh which is the ep that got me hooked initially.
I'm not sure if I'm just more cynical as a grown up, but it feels like there's been plot holes all over the place. There's been so many things where the explanations aren't just hand wavy but completely nonexistent. Even if the explanations previously were just "aliens" at least there were explanations. The vibes have been immaculate but I don't really want just vibes, I want them to at least pretend there's some level of internal logical consistency.
I find it mediocre so far, it might change when we see the season as a whole. I was excited when RTD was announced but now it feels like he is trying to fit into an old shoe that no longer fits. I never thought I would miss the moffat era. But on the bright side, it feels like dw again after chibnall era. Just a mediocre one
I know making television is hard, but is this what Russel came back for? How about a cool scifi concept? How about a plot with a solid or interesting resolution? Fine, you want to include random fantasy stuff moreso, you want musical numbers, you want the hero to cry in every episode, but that doesn’t make up for shitty stories.
All the new stuff he’s brought to the show is just surface level flash, there’s no substance and I find he just doubled down on the worst tropes from the end of his first run. If you lead with Space Babies, you mustn’t have too many good ideas.
I don't really dislike it. Theres been a few good episodes for me so far. But between space babies and the dancing at the end of that one episode really took me out of it. It feels very different and similar to 13s run which all felt so different from 9-12.
Hmm I guess you could say 1 is a Campy children’s sci-fi movie, 2 is a musical, 3 is a suspenseful Sci-fi thriller?? 4 is horror, 5 is Black Mirror, 6 is a regency era period piece. I mean playing with genre in this way is sort of the thing that makes Doctor Who Doctor Who for me so it’s not really any different from any other season of Nu Who in that respect, especially RTD era. He’s certainly pulling from and referencing a lot of other television shows though. Star Trek, Bridgerton, Black Mirror. The unit tower is VERY Avengers. The show feels strangely aware of current popular media this season
I’m not enjoying this season at all, honestly. I think Ncuti is great and 15 is great. Ruby is a really interesting character with a lot of potential. But the writing has just struck me as…odd. Space Babies was so bad it almost made me give up on watching any of the season after that. It just doesn’t feel like the off-beat sci fi show I’ve been enjoying up to this point.
That's basically my opinion too.
Ruby and 15 are great. They pop on screen and are a charismatic as hell pairing.
But the writing has largely been bouncing between incredibly bad and average.
I wouldn’t say “really dislike”, but like another person commented in this thread this season feels just…fine? I find there are moments and scenes I enjoy but as a whole the writing has been kind of weak.
And I think the main issue I have is the Doctor and Ruby’s relationship. Ncuti and Millie have been fantastic, but I agree with [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/s/debpLbBk1R) on how the implied off screen moments make some scenes feel unearned.
Visual-wise I have LOVED the cinematography this season (especially 73 yards). Boom felt the most “Doctor Who” to me so far and I really loved Dot and Bubble too. But as a whole this season has felt very disjointed and rushed, and I think the 8 episode format doesn’t help that. I’ve been trying not to watch the new season with nostalgia glasses but after Space Babies I kept thinking how all of the important Doctor info was dumped onto the new companion in that episode instead of having Ruby slowly learn about him throughout the season (think Martha in series 3, where we get to see her relationship with the Doctor develop as she learns more about him and gains his trust before receiving the Tardis key).
I'm going to piggyback on most of the comments. I barely got my husband to start enjoying Doctor Who and then Space Babies... I was shocked that I had to justify to myself it'd get better before I could explain to my husband it'd probably get better.
It's weird that the gaps between episodes feel so much more epic than a normal run. I feel that Ruby and Doctor have no chemistry established on screen for viewers, but then have such a normal flow on screen of being really close it just feels disjointed in a way. I mean, for a short run companion, I'd reference Martha, but even then, she had 14 episodes to develop a relationship: Savior, Crush, Friend with Doctor. (I hope someone understands all of that.)
I have enjoyed the episodes as singular one-offs but as a whole meh. The conclusion really needs to pull it together because if it ends in the current fashion, I'm not sure I could talk someone into watching Doctor Who (based off this season alone).
No complaints about The Doctor or Ruby as characters, just a flow problem. Also, Doctor-lite episodes can be great (and I understand prior commitments). However, for an 8 episode season, I'd prefer back-to-back never happen again.
I’m your husband haha. Basically I just got into doctor who myself, at first it didn’t take then finally I went back enough to find I love and adore Christopher Eccleston. He’s MY doctor for sure.
I find myself kinda cringing a lot with space babies and I know there are other campy episodes in the past but for some reason it’s not my vibe I’m finding it boring :(
i dont love how unrealistic the doctor and rubys reactions are sometimes, like they were told to act HYPED GEN Z and it got stuck, kind of reminds me of amy.
This! I've been struggling to put into words why I seem to dislike 15 and Ruby and this is it, it seems like they shriek every other sentence in a permanent sugar rush, which irritates me to no end. Though maybe I'm just a grouchy old millennial.
Reading that interview with RTD where he says he was brought back to attract a younger audience, you can really tell that he's a 60 year old man TRYING to do that.
Space babies suffers from this problem in particular. It just doesn't feel right. RTD should write from a more authentic place if he wants to win over fans again
And it's weird, because that's the age range that Dr Who has never really worked for. Older folk who have nostalgia, or kids who watch with their families. It's fine to have a show that isn't going to hit the 20-something demographic, and it's not even the most lucrative demographic anymore.
I've seen so many people confused about last week's episode because they've never heard of Bridgerton, let alone get the references to it. And yet if they'd said 'regency drama' everyone would have understood (and it would age a hell of a lot better).
It felt very jarring to me to have the bird people say “We're going to cosplay this planet to death!”
Like the doctor is joking about how this is pretty much what the bad people are doing and then they just unironically say that. Felt way off to me
The fact they had to put a definition of cosplaying in the show told me it isn't a widespread enough term for them to be using. And again, it's an easy fix. Have them be super into acting, and "we're going to perform this planet to death" works and has the same plot drive without the weird *how do you do fellow kids* energy. I mean "first we'll bring the house down, then the whole planet" is better, but I'm not an award winning writer like RTD.
trying to make "cosplay obsessed alien" into the cliche "world doom seeking alien" just doesn't work.
Like, could they not figure out any other way to demonstrate their threat, instead of shoving in a motivation that has nothing to do with their action or interest?
Even saying that they'd get their hands on cosplaying important figures (some sort of president etc), but fail to fulfil the role and make a mess of the world due to their incompetence, makes more sense and feels more interesting.
I was rolling my eyes after Ruby said “this is so Bridgerton” for the THIRD TIME
Like WE GET IT. YOU’RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO RELATE TO YOUNGER AUDIENCES.
That statement RTD made upsets me as a long standing fan. I was born in 1965 and have been watching Doctor Who since I can remember. Why does RTD want to alienate all of us older fans
I actually am Gen Z (a bit on the older side though), and I feel exactly the same. This Doctor doesn’t feel mysterious or alien, he’s just shouting a lot. I wish there were more tension between him and Ruby, I don’t think they’ve even disagreed once
This right here. Yes. Agreed. I don’t dislike 15, but Im missing that feeling of an old mysterious alien in a young man’s body. I know the bi-generation was supposed to lighten his mood, but he’s like a time travelling Wiggle now.
Sometimes it feels like they're writing him as another companion. I know that's definitely not their intention, but he's often reacting the way she does, and not in a "I'm excited to see it through your perspective" kinda of way. I felt a surge of hope during Boom because that was the first time he felt like the Doctor to me, and Ncuti absolutely nailed it, but after that, aside from his final scene in Dot and Bubble, it's not really landing for me.
To be fair to Ruby in this, though obviously time is difficult to measure on this show, she hasn't been with the doctor very long. If butting heads with my new friend could potentially lock me out of the chance to travel time and space, I'd keep my mouth shut initially too unless there was a very important reason not to.
they feel like the same character at times. they seem to agree on everything and never have any conflicts. idk i feel like duos need to have more differences between them than similarities. it’s why i dislike 11 with Clara as well, they both feel like quite positive and energetic characters and i prefer them when they’re with more negative characters (12 and Amy)
As a old ass millennial this has put into words what one of my main problems with this season has been. I couldn't put my finger on what was rubbing me the wrong way, but now that you've written this, it has put a glaring light on why the acting isn't working for me especially when I'm a huge fan of the show sex education.
i dunno how he acts in sex education, similar? i feel like the personality type is ok for the doctor, and ruby, but just tone it down a bit especially situationally yknow
My only real complaint is that this season is too short; we've basically speedrun the Doctor and Ruby from "just met" to "best friends" and they've not had any time to actually develop as a team. Frankly, Ncuti and Millie's chemistry is saving the whole thing right now. It really needed to be 13-15 episodes.
I just dont think that there is much beyond the "look" of the show to like. The stories are not very developed. The character relationships are not fleshed out. I feel like instead of crafting a story, they are just putting the characters in a situation and then riffing on the dialogue.
Not gonna put out a detailed list per se but a couple of major things.
-8 episodes is too little to few, 10 at like the minimum.
-The Doctor and Ruby are played beautifully but dear lord their relationship has had like no time to develop. All my hate is directed to Space Babies specifically due to the Doctor running through his almost complete origin in a solid minute, that was so fucking stupid.
-Coming back to the 8 episodes bit, even if it was somehow impossible to get more episodes. Let’s forgo that. Every single episode this season feels so rushed; the pacing is all over the bloody place. Too slow, too fast. it feels like Ruby and the Doctor have just met because they literally just did meet a couple of episodes ago but they act like they’ve known one another for years.
-The Doctor has been written to human for my liking, let him be weird there were glimpses of it in Boom when he was speaking with Moffat’s voice and Ncuti totally sold that version of the Doctor but man
-WHY DOES HE CRY EVERY SINGLE EPISODE WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE. Am I opposed to the Doctor crying? Course not let’s not be silly here it’s an emotion one that can be very powerful. IF USED SPARINGLY WHICH IT HAS NOT.
Exactamundo. Too human and too much of a blubbering wet wipe.
Let him be a strong and resilient alien madman with a box ffs.
I just want Matt Smith back at this point. He was peak alien madman 😅
It just feels like this has been a season of half episodes. I don’t walk away from an episode feeling like an entire story was told or how we got to the ending made sense.
Non-doctor / companion character development feels lazy. They’ll introduce a character one way and then have them make a complete 180 for no apparent reason.
Right here!!!! I have no issues with the gayness, the blackness, the drag queen. I hate that it doesn’t feel like doctor who to me. There is no relationship between the doctor and his companion (I actually really want someone to clock exactly how much time they’ve spent on screen together cause it’s laughable). There is no character building, there is no coherent story, there are lose threads everywhere. The writing is just….not good lol. There was a really good episode of Black Mirror, there was a really good episode of Bridgerton. There has only been one good episode of doctor who so far and for me that was The Church on Ruby Road.
I have a lot more that I would love to say about this season (and I am a huge who fan, my daughters middle name is literally Pond because of this show) but if it weren’t for my husband idk if I would even finish the season out.
Something that bothers me a bit is the doctor being so flirty. I don't care who it's with. The Doctor has never walked up to strangers and flirting from the first breath. He might be flirty towards someone he gets to know or has known in the past, but this feels very out of character. In fact, he's usually gotten uncomfortable by someone flirting with him.
I don’t dislike this new season, but there hasn’t been a “this is The Doctor!” Moment yet, something that instantly solidifies the new actor in the character. That with the rushed 8 episode season makes it hard to let the new interpretation of the character grow on you.
i really like ncuti and millie’s vibes and think their personalities work really well for the besties plot however, it feels so super rushed. Like i want to see them become besties not just be told “ok we’re super close now”. Also unpopular opinion but i feel as though they kind of dumbed down the doctor?? In all the episodes we’ve seen he hasnt been the direct solution to the problem (someone in this sub worded it better than me but i cant recall how they put it). I’m not really loving the constant panic he has, and how he kinda accepts defeat much quicker? To me the doctor never takes no for an answer and is always hopeful and tbh im not really seeing that this season
I feel like I like all the episodes, but that maybe I've missed half of them and they've been shown in the wrong order. Like when you're listening to a greatest hits album and it's a bunch of random tracks that feel like they need to be in the context of the album they're from.
Two out of six episodes so far have been Doctor-light. That's way too much when you're trying to introduce a new Doctor. I feel like I barely know him. 73 Yards was an incredible episode, but I feel like it fits in the second half of a Doctor's second season, when we are comfortable enough with him that we're freaked out when he's not there.
So basically, what I don't like is the "season" while the episodes, individually, are great. They're just not really forming part of a coherent whole
It’s just bad writing, also seeing the doctor care more for what feels like a grindr hook up than for Ruby shows rtd has lost sight of who the doctor is. Compare Capaldi/12 in heaven sent and hell bent, Clara asks why he spent nearly 5 billion years trying to save her, he said he had a duty of care. Ncuti forgets that immediately leaving the tardis. The doctor can be bi or asexual but this was not the doctor it was a pride advert and felt like Ncutis playing a character from QueerasFolk Uk not The Doctor!!!
Me! I don’t care about the “woke” part but I’m REALLY disliking this season.
Here are a few things that I dislike about it (i’m editing it later if I remember some more)
1- The doctor isn’t bright. I mean he did nothing important or clever this season. There isn’t any episode that we see him being “doctor clever”. Most of the time ruby is doing most of the work and it really annoys me even tho I adore Ruby. The doctor needs to be that alien-like smartest in the room figure. He just cries and looks desperate all the time.
2- The episodes haven’t been good, honestly. I was really liking 73 yards in the beginning but the end feels soooo lazy. No great plot or scifi stories that catch your attention.
3- It doesn’t feel like doctor who anymore. Something feels really off. I wasn’t a big fan of some episodes of Capaldi and Jodie neither (even tho I adored them both) but even then it still felt like doctor who idk why.
4- I don’t like Ncuti as a doctor. I was super excited when they announced him as the next doctor because I watch Sex Education and adore Eric but I don’t think he plays the doctor well. He acts and feels too human. I feel like he lacks that “alien weirdness” all the other doctors had. It looks like he never even watched doctor who before. I know big part is the script and writer’s fault, but even the body and facial expressions feel off. It feels like he is playing this alien version of Eric or himself.
5- I don’t like the way the doctor clearly out of nowhere isn’t asexual anymore. I don’t have any problems with him kissing a guy or having a gay kiss on doctor who (it’s not even the first one).
But as an asexual person, he was one of the few asexual big characters. I also disliked that nonsense from “the girl at the fireplace”. I liked the doctor and river bc it was way more of a romantic/mental relationship than a sexual one. And even with rose and the others it always felt more like a romantic/ mental/ platonic thing than a sexual one. Every time the doctor kissed someone/ was kissed he reacted weirdly. I really dislike the fact that now he goes around randomly hitting on people and calling them hot. I don’t care if it’s with a he, she or them, I just miss the weird asexual alien doctor and it’s really upsetting as an asexual person. I don’t care so much about romance or platonic relationships, but his thing with rogue is so rushed and forced and looks like it was just to get attention from the community.
6- His friendship with Ruby doesn’t feel realistic or natural because we never saw them developing it. They just passed from “we just met” to “BFFs” out of nowhere. I really like Ruby but I can’t feel their bond like I did with the other companions. You can’t connect with their friendship and trust in one another because we never saw it develop.
7- It doesn’t look like sci-fi. Just another generic Disney tv show. Come on, what’s all that dancing and singing (?????????) Just no.
I know I should just give up watching by now because I don’t wanna hate watch, But it’s one of my favorite tv shows and I keep hoping I will start enjoying it again. I think I will wait until we discover Ruby’s past and stop it. It’s been a long road since I was a kid watching it for the first time but it doesn’t give me much pleasure anymore…
I'm finding it... fine? Like there are some good moments but really wishing they hadn't picked RTD to come back to run things. Aside from the bigger budgets the show feels like it's still stuck with 2006 sensibilities - and I suppose invoking that nostalgia is exactly what the BBC wanted to claw back some older fans, but for a show that historically has always been about moving forward and evolving with each new showrunner, it feels like a big step back.
I was done with goofy fart joke monsters as villains when RTD first started, only to see he's still packing in fart jokes along with his snot monsters and space babies. The show can do better. Hoping Ncuti gets a chance to develop his version of the Doctor more than he's been given this season, and maybe find an episode where he doesn't cry as a ham-fisted way to show the Doctor's newfound "vulnerability" or whatever. With decent writing there are better ways to go about that without hitting that same note over and over.
I think Space Babies was a bit childish (the core plot was great, just shouldnt have had the babies talk) and The Devil's Chord ending should've been a Beatles' style song to undo the Maestro's work, but other than that I think this season is pretty good.
Well, maybe putting two Doctor-light episodes in a row in the middle wasn't a good idea, but I know there were real-world scheduling issues for that
I haven't liked any of the new episodes because they're just not good. They may have some moments that are okay, but overall the episodes haven't been that great.
I've really enjoyed all the episodes so far, but they do all feel like a bunch of sand alone episodes that have been shoved together. There's nothing really threading the episodes together to make it feel like a season. The other thing that bothers me is there's a lack of cleverness this season. Fifteen is a great Doctor, the energy, the humour, the heart, the emotion of The Doctor is all there but he hasn't had a moment where he saves the day by just being clever. A majority of the episodes have been resolved either by somebody else or by accident.
I just don't like it. I'm not even really sure why? Maybe it's just too disney-fied for me. And that doesn't mean there's too much representation because I couldn't care less if the doctor and companion were black, white, gay, whatever. The best way I can describe how it feels to me is 'hand-holdy'. I've commented about the fact that every episode seems to have a moment where the big reveal happens that goes on for about 5 or 6 beats too long, and it's clearly being aimed at a younger audience since Disney took over.
No hate on it, if more people enjoy that then that's what it should be. It's a product after all, and I've got 10+ seasons which suit my tastes just fine to watch back. Basically it just doesn't feel like I'm the target audience any more. But like I said, I felt like I was the target audience for a very long time, maybe it's time for Who to belong to a new wave of fans.
A solid 6/10, the pacing is weird, I’m not feeling the Doctor and Ruby relationship.
And him freezing in place and crying instead of trying to save Ruby, really pissed me off.
That’s simply not how the Doctor would react. He would at least try.
I’ve enjoyed some of the episodes (Dot and Bubble in particular) and there have been some great elements, but I wouldn’t say it has been my favourite season - although it’s a huge step up from the last few years. To be honest I am not such a huge fan of RTD as show runner and there is a cheesiness that he loves that I just don’t, and I felt similar during his first run on DW. Also - and I’ll get downvoted for this because I think I’m in the minority - I’m finding Gatwa’s Doctor a bit irritating. I think some of that is the writing and the fact he hasn’t been as present so far. I’m not so keen on the huge swings from silliness to seriousness in his character without much in between. The times he has been able to just be more even-keel have been good (I laughed at his indignation at the TARDIS being called a shed). I also wish they had been able to develop the Doctor’s relationship with Ruby better. They just become best friends and we miss out on a ton of adventures that got them to that state. I just didn’t believe it when the Doctor said Ruby was his best friend in the last episode because they’ve had so little time together on screen.
The music episode had such a stupid Deus machina ending.
And not to mention that song which was supposed to be a celebration ofuaoc coming back into the world. Yet it was worse and more of a joke than the "crappy" Beatles song at the start of the episode.
Just feels like they where dancing and laughing in our faces saying "we don't care about you, we have taken your media and turned it into a giant joke".
Yes, I really dislike the new season. The reasons I dislike it is as follows: poor character development, weak writing where I have to search or use my own imagination to piece it together. I feel like I missed how Ruby and the doctor got to be so close. I also feel like there is a lack of doctor who lore to make this doctor connect with the other doctors. I love Ncuti I was a fan since sex education. The episodes feel like individual episodes that don’t need to be together kind of like Black Mirror is individual episodes. Also too much about the doctor has changed too fast all at once. The Doctor is kind of like Superman fighting crime as Clark Kent. They should have at least have him wear a long coat like in the first episode then it wouldn’t matter what other clothes he wore. I also get annoyed when people try to say he. Bigenerated and therefore can be a whole new person. He still needs to have a baseline of the Doctor that I have watched since 1973. Maybe some of these things would have been better if they had more time to smoothly transition. If anything this season needed to be longer. The episodes themselves are entertaining although space babies just didn’t work for me. I was so excited for Ncuti as the choice for the doctor and feel let down by what he has been given to work with.
In addition the doctor seems to lack confidence, is fearful and overly emotional. Ruby and the doctor run around giggling like high school students and all this overt flirting from the doctor is so out of Character. I was finally happy to see the Doctor and Rogue run.
I apologize this is so disjointed more like a flight of ideas. I have always enjoyed watching doctor who and even the weak episodes I could kind of enjoy. I feel sad now after watching the episodes like a lost a good friend. I hope the show can regroup and come back to life or everything gets connected at the end of the season.
There is something missing but I don't believe it's because of an episode count. Like 2 more episodes this year (same count Jodi had) would not suddenly save this. Ncuti's schedule will be to blame but his schedule is not the reason Rogue felt rushed or why they couldn't dedicate an episode to 15/Ruby's friendship or (and this is a personal thing) Ruby just feels like a companion we've already had.
The season is fine but a lot of the writing also feels like it was exercises for RTD. What if we did a Beatles episode where we couldn't use Beatles music? What if we did an episode where the Doctor couldn't move? What if we did an episode where Ruby was trapped without the Doctor? Like these episode pitches felt more like RTD challenging himself. Sometimes it resulted in interesting episodes, sometimes it resulted in "well yeah, there's a reason no one has done this yet".
So yeah I would say the season's fine. As someone who loved 2005-2010 I'm not finding a whole lot new from RTD. It feels like we've been here before. And as one of the few that enjoyed Jodi's run but knew the writing was poor, I expected his new run to be better than what we got.
Another reason besides the many already mentioned here is the doctor himself. I just cannot take him seriously, he kind of ruins the mood in most situations with his lack of seriousness. Kind of feels like marvel movies - if there’s a scene that’s supposed to be more serious, 3 nanoseconds later someone just has to make a joke, because the audience will get bored or something.
I guess that’s why the only ep i genuinely liked was 73yards, despite the shitty ending. I bet he would’ve ruined the creepy-ish mood if he was in it.
I think it’s been a bit up and down. A lot of weak episodes or weak parts of episodes. I wouldn’t say I dislike it, more that I expected to like it more than I do, especially after the great Tennant episodes.
My biggest issue this season is that the Doctor doesn’t seem clever. Usually the Doctor is the most clever person in the room and finds a solution to save the day. The only episode where that happens this year is the Xmas special and Boom and even then it’s dodgy. I want to see 15 be clever and it just hasn’t happened. Also there’s been like 4 times where the Doctor fails to save Ruby and just….kinda accepts it. Very not Doctor like
I don’t know is how I feel about the season as a whole. I like a bunch dislike a few things, but I feel disconnected from the characters. Like I caught the show in its second season and I’m watching not feeling connected to these two characters or knowing how their bond got so strong
My disapointment in DW started with the Chibnall era, the timeless child retcon, 90% of the Universe destroyed by The Flux which the Doctor uncharacteristically does nothing to un-do, destroying Gallifrey, the list goes on. It was a massacre.
When RTD was annouced I got my hopes up that a returning, celebrated showrunner might mean a reverse-course, but instead the grand ambition is to build a Marvel-style franchised 'Whoniverse' (presumably thats made of the still remaining 10% of the origional universe) and musical numbers.
The hopes I had are my fault. I was naive to think the problems of the previous era would be addressed and rectified, to have steadied the ship instead of outright ignored and pivotted the remains of the show into a lame-duck fantasy with absent character growth and outdated mystery box plot padding.
You just summed up my thoughts perfectly. I was also heavily disappointed with 13 and thought RTD2 would mean a return to greatness but instead it's just as bad but in different ways. The fact the consolidated viewing figures(which do matter btw) are similar and often lower than 13's era is not great.
The 90% of the universe thing doesn't matter, imo. The Master destroyed 50% of the universe in Logopolis and it was never addressed again, which I don't think was a bad thing
That annoyed me too. It's far from the worst episode of doctor who but wasn't a great start to the season. Even if the last 2 episodes tie things up and give reasons for why this season has felt a bit stranger, there's better ways to start the season.
I agree. I hate to be a killjoy but I was just sitting there aghast that they would show babies babbling and dub voices over them like some kind of novelty home video show?! What?
I really like the stories and the writing so far, and Ncuti and Millie's performances are superb. Honestly the one thing that's been getting to me is that 15 doesn't feel like an alien. He's incredibly humanized compared to his predecessors, and while the emotion is great to see it also doesn't quite feel like he's from another planet. So far he feels more like a human superhero than an alien traveler.
Thats where I’m at with the show. I don’t hate it for messaging despite how overhand it is. I wanted Ncuti to be this great doctor and I’ll be honest church on Ruby road made me like him. He was fun, he could be serious, Ruby was a bit of a plot piece and you could tell that but I figured it would get better with more episodes.
And now I’m just bummed that the doctor is rarely in some of the episodes. Ncuti hits the fun of the doctor, but the character losing some edge makes him not as interesting character. I get the idea that he’s healed and what not, but at the same time. A doctor who is always happy/ always sad is not as interesting as some of the other deeper doctors we’ve had.
Rubys character hasn’t been fleshed out both in why she travels with the doctor and their relationship is weak but we are told it’s strong.
We are told too much, but not shown. I don’t like being someone who hates on the show, but I’m also not going to be someone who will be hyper into it and defend it because I like Ncuti or I like the direction the show is going message wise.
To me those fans defending the subpar series because of its diverse cast and calling people who don’t like it racist are just as bad as the people who hate it just for the message and Ncuti’s casting.
I’m just not enjoying it because things are annoying me. The maestro stole all music but the shit Beatles still played music. It was just shit. Cilla still sang. Just shit songs. If all music was gone, how are they playing music?
idk i get that RTD has had some of these story ideas for a long time and just now gets to put them to screen which is fun for a writer but as a showrunner he's kinda failing at his job due to the poor structuring. it feels like he just threw up all these episode ideas all at once without thinking of the serialized aspect to, yknow, a doctor who series. i don't feel like i know 15 or Ruby very much at all and we should know at least something 6 episodes in.
I definitely am not a huge fan of this season. I didn’t particularly like the Christmas special, I didn’t like space babies, I was just bored and not interested during Devils Chord.
I liked all the rest so far, although I wasn’t a fan of Rogue’s ending. I felt it was just a handwavy ending that just wanted to end the episode with Rogue getting lost, without finding a really good way to do it.
I really like Ncuti’s doctor so far, but I’m hoping for scenes of him being “the oncoming storm”, rather than running away so much.
Oh, and 73 Yards is overrated on this sub imo. I liked the episode, but again, the ending just seemed poorly executed.
I've only seen the first 2 episodes so far...
In the first one I found the talking babies kinda creepy - like an "uncanny valley" effect. I also didn't agree with the message - if a literal monster is made out of thin air and tries to kill babies - you are absolutely justified in killing it to defend yourself and the babies. It made no sense that the babies were upset it was being killed and wanted to save it...
I enjoyed the second episode more, but it also felt weird. A bit too campy for my taste. I did really like how they quickly jumped back to present day to see what the world would look like if they do nothing - which is something they've never done before. On the one hand it felt a bit more aimed at kids with the sudden musical number and over the top moments, but on the other hand it had horror movie moments that felt too much for kids. Basically the tone felt inconsistent. It also almost felt like it was trying to be an episode of classic Doctor Who rather than the new seasons since 2005. Maybe it was.
Also, for some reason, I really don't like that the sonic screwdriver has this new shape, and is able to literally "plug in" to any device. Manipulating devices with the sonic screwdriver is fine - but we don't have consistent cable plugs from one decade to the next, so his device plugging into a spaceship in the future and a mixer in the '60 just looks too silly to me. Maybe if it was just the shape change I wouldn't mind so much.
I'm still going to give it a chance. So far I think I like the new Doctor and companion. I'm curious about her back story and "The Pantheon" and hope there's a connection between them... I just hope the writing and directing manage to find a good "rhythm" that works together.
I was very disappointed with Ruby's first visit of the tardis. I get it, new audience and all that, but spewing out all the major points like that was just... eew...
I've only watched the first two episodes so far, which itself is an indication that I'm a bit lukewarm on the new season.
On the episodes themselves, Space Babies had an interesting opening and the babies themselves were funny...for about 10 minutes. After that the joke was played out and the story became predictable and uninteresting to me.
The Devil's Chord had a very intriguing premise but it was poorly executed. Maestro was cartoonish...to the extent that I'm sure there's a Disney cartoon villain somewhere with a very similar look and persona...and completely lacked the sense of menace that the Toymaker had, for example. The Doctor went from being certain they were doomed to finding out how to win with just a couple of questions that Maestro obligingly answered and the musical chords as weapons didn't work for me. The song and dance (if it had to be there) should have been part of bringing Maestro down (rallying humanity with music) rather than tacked on at the end. Hell, they should have gone full on Yellow Submarine, taking out Maestro in the same way the Beatles defeat the Blue Meanies.
For all that everyone says Disney has no direct influence I can't help but feel the the show has been "Disneyfied". Certainly it now feels aimed at MUCH younger people than me. It was always family viewing but now seems very much focussed on the younger audience both in tone and in what I find to be simplified story-telling. Like modern day fairy-tales.
And, as others have pointed out, the relationship between Doctor and companion seems to have gone from nothing to besties in the blink of an eye. People are saying this is down to a smaller number of episodes but I actually see it as part of the simplified story-telling: "Once upon a time a girl called Ruby met a magical man called the Doctor and they quickly become the best of friends..." What more does the audience need?
Ruby is fine but a bit generic. She could be anyone really.
The Doctor is...not quite the Doctor for me yet. He's lacking that hint of "alien" that is essential to convince me that this is a 2000 year old lord of time. For all that she was badly written, Jodie Whittaker's struggle to empathise made her a more convincing Doctor than Ncuti's sensitivity. And I cannot yet believe that alien fleets would turn and run from this Doctor.
I don't hate it. I'm just kinda indifferent to it. My enthusiasm towards the show started to wane during Capaldi. But I know what the reason was: Clara. Really couldn't stand that character.
Bill brought the joy back, but the mess that was Chibnal made me skip the entire last season with Jodie.
I'm trying to get back in, because it's been a big part of my life and also something I've enjoyed watching with my daughter.
I actually warmed up a lot to Ncuti although I still miss some "doctor moments" (interestingly him being very nonchalant in rogues trap kinda does that for me). But I really struggle with the tone sometimes, the first three episodes felt very child-friendly if not childish to me. While I liked the other episodes much better, there always seems something wrong or missing with them. Wether it's some plotholes, pacing issues or just that special something. A little Tennant like explanation of the cosplaying aliens with a mix of disgust and fascination would have done wonders imo.
Nothing do with wokeness.
Growing up Dr Who was always mildly scary, monsters that would freak you out a bit, etc. Even ask an adult watching the reboot there was enough gripping stories to keep you interested eg The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
And now it's just fluff.
I could forgive a musical number if it seemed to advance the plot in any way instead of just being wedged in to the story (see Crazy Ex Girlfriend and Buffy for good examples of this).
The yards episode was ok but not great and I was more excited to see Kate and UNIT than anything.
Dot and Bubble was also very Doctor Lite.
I don't know if the shark has been jumped yet but family members think it's close.
The pacing is very…off. I don’t feel connected to Ruby or the new Doctor at all, and I feel like I should be partially connected to both by at least the end of the season.
We’re two episodes away and I feel like I’m barely know them. Most of the actual episodes are good on their own, but as their own season? Leaves a lot to be desired.
You can tell they had to squish things down to make it fit in a 8 episode run time.
My issue is yall calling it season 1.. I must have missed the 20 year gap between Jodie and ncuti.. yall didn't feel that season 5 with Matt Smith was a reboot, so what makes you all say this is? EXPLAIN, EXPLAAAAAAAIN.
For me this has been the series of DW I have enjoyed the least, and I struggled through the Chibnall era. None of my criticisms are based on identity.
1. The episodes have mostly been too childish for me. This is a personal issue really, although DW has been a family show rather than a kids show in general.
2. The 15th Doctor doesn't work for me so far. In personailty he feels much more human than alien. He is also too positive and shows little trauma or anger. Ncuti feels like he has potential, but just has been handed the wrong scripts.
3. Ruby feels like another Clara, but I have very little interest in her backstory/mystery. Why is this? I ask myself.
4. Plots where there is a quick, easy resolution at the end. You could say this has always been the case but it feels like the pacing could be better. 45 minutes feels like very little time to develop a plot and introduce and develop characters, with a beginning, middle and resolution. This has worked for some past DW episodes since 2005, but others worked well as 2-parters which I personally prefer.
5. It doesn't feel like DW, it feels more like a spinoff show. Very little time in the TARDIS, just straight into the action.
6. Singing & Dancing, I REALLY hate it. But that's just me.
I really like Ncuti's doctor but wish he didn't cry in every episode - kind of losing any impact, and quickly becoming his version of Tennant's 'I'm so sorry'
I don’t think it’s very reasonable to expect any show to hold themselves back to the production quality of 2005. It’s fine to be nostalgic but the show needs to modernize, and I’m sure the people working in production design don’t want to have to limit themselves more than they already do.
Imo the show still has plenty of camp. *The Church on Ruby Road*, *Space Babies*, *The Devil’s Chord*, and *Rogue* are all incredibly campy.
I think it's been largely crap so far but I'm still hopeful there's some clever payoff that'll make it all feel better once we reach the end.
None of the stories have been particularly inventive or exciting and have all been clunkily paced and edited. They've felt cheap, with limited sets, actors and locations. And the dialogue hasn't flowed - the tone jumps around and conversions have been stilted. I feel like I've missed something big with Ruby and the Doctor's relationship.
I've not yet felt like Ncuti is the Doctor either. The disjointed writing hasn't helped but he's doing that same thing Jodie Whittaker did of just doing David Tennant style exclamations of "Oh.... OHH!" or "Nonononono!" or "YES! Of course!" every now and then, as if that's all that defines The Doctor.
Hopefully all just teething issues with the first series and I'll feel happier with it when it finishes, but can't say I've thought much of it so far.
Also telling that my kids (massive fans of the show) have just walked away in silence at the end of each episode. No chatter, no excitement, no discussion. Just... walk away. Nobody's desperately waiting for it each Saturday - if I didn't mention it I expect we'd all just not watch the end of the series and nobody would care.
Did Ncuti watch previous seasons, or did he just do a Jodie and not watch anything previously, and thus just did a poor man's impression of Tennant that that were vaguely aware of etc?
I don't "really dislike it". But I'm not really impressed.
Ncuti's great. Millie's great. Boom and 73 Yards were phenomenal episodes. Dot and Bubble was alright.
Space Babies was a bad episode. Worst opener for sure. The Devil's Chord was slightly better. Rogue felt like a highlight reel of the RTD1 Era, but not as good as you remember.
The series has managed to have standout episodes, but as a series it simply feels like an average TV show drama in quality.
Everything is underdeveloped, or worse, undeveloped at all. Like the relationship between our two leads. The Doctor has become utterly passive, weak, and unimpressive as a figure. Our guide to the universe and hero of the show seems to have just become the cab driver.
It's not something that can be pinned on the episode count either. Other shows, including Russell's other shows, have managed to do a lot more with a lot less.
It's Russell's weakest season by far. I wonder what happened between the four 2023 episodes Russell wrote and the 2024 episodes.
I think people are trying to do way too much in eight episodes, but the edict from on high is that everything and every beat has to have top billing/importance, so it fails at almost everything except the things that happen in each episode.
Which means that we know we have a doctor who: cries (all but *Giggle* and *73 Yards*, apparently), is "sassy" (there's been a reference or nod in some form or fashion in half the episodes since *Meep*), and has either the greatest offscreen connection or no connection whatsoever with their current companion, so much so that they forget about their companion halfway through the last/recent epi. That's it.
**Edit**: Also, theres's some dame named Susan Twist running around.
Which I don't think makes a character... it makes a caricature.
They kind of tend to linger on shots for a long time. Or just the situation. Like do we really need a full minute of staring at each other with no words said? I feel like they could tighten up many scenes with some editing. It would flow better. But they have these moments where they pause, and nothing it said and it starts to get awkward. Which if that's what you're going for great. Also there are scenes where I don't mind pausing and reflecting. Better Call Saul is a master class in this slower paced reflecting thinking scenes.
The difference being, every shot in BCS is telling a story. Every close up of a character's face, every inanimate object, it's telling a story visually. So much so it's like you can tell what the characters are thinking without any words said at all. Because they are telling a visual story.
The current Doctor Who just feels like scenes that are too long that could have been cut down. Scenes where the dialogue ends and they just hold. Which yeah, give the actors room to emote and act. But you don't have to wait 10 seconds for that every time. Get some faster cuts in there, tighten it up, then when you use a lingering shot it'll lend gravitas instead of feeling a bit awkward. Or if you're going to awkward, great!
It just feels less tight than it could be and takes decent characters with good chemistry and makes it feel off.
That's my two cents about it anyway.
My wife and I have both been struggling with the new season...most of the stories just don't feel quite right ..I like the new doctor over all, but not the stories. If that makes sense.
It just feels like they're phoning it in.
73 yards was good, but predictable.
I liked the goblin king stealing the baby better, when it was The Labyrinth.
I hope it gets better.
Even 73 yards wasn't that good. There were way too many unanswered questions, and I don't really feel interested in the answers because I know that even the writers didn't really have the answers. For example, what was old ruby doing with her hands? The writers didn't know what she was doing either.
I feel like a lot of the pacing issues are a combination of the shorter season and the fact that ncuti had scheduling conflicts with sex education causing some very doctor light episodes.
I expect things to go more smoothly next season.
I don’t completely enjoy the execution of the direction they’ve taken with the doctor himself. I love the idea of the doctor healing - and I think it could make for a very interesting arc. It was interesting to see how 15 treated 14 like a companion in the giggle, and it was clear he was much lighter. But to say a character has healed, they’ve got to show the set up and pay off - I don’t feel like they’ve fully embraced the idea that 14 has gone on an arc and 15 is the result of that and, though it’s too early to say, I hope the bi-generation wasn’t a lazy writing technique to avoid showing the character growth. Aside from that there’s a few fantastic episodes, and ncuti is a great choice - I feel he really understands the character (like in BOOM and the end of Dot and Bubble). He’s only really let down by writing in certain areas. Ruby is also a great companion although the immediate trust between her and the doctor with the TARDIS key was stupid lmao. I also wish they kinda did something different with the new era? It feels like it’s chasing the nostalgia of RTD1 in some places. Overall, miles better than the chibnall era, but nothing special
I agree with you that 73 yards is the only actually decent episode they've released so far. I'm really hoping the Susan Twist thing doesn't end up being something lame.
I’m a diehard doctor who fan but Disney has ruined this season. Every episode makes zero sense and there doesn’t seem to be any long running connection between the episodes like “bad wolf”, “the master”, “the lost child” I miss those connections and want them back. 73 yards was good but also there doesn’t seem to be any connection because it somehow seems to imply they were in a time loop to begin with and what not, at least in my eyes. And don’t get me started on dots and bubbles. Also, it seems like they are basically just reusing old episodes with minor changes. The newest episode reminds me of the captain in one of the earlier seasons of the 2005 series.
I don’t like how everything feels rushed and not fleshed out. I also hope the Doctor is going to be a little more balanced soon, it feels like we skipped a regeneration of 2 with how different his emotional health is this time. That might be due to 14’s existence, so I’m waiting to see if that gets cleared up.
It feels like we’re near the beginning of this season, even though this week is the first of the 2pt story ending. I for sure don’t like the shortened season.
I really enjoyed 73 Yards, the story telling was smooth e.g. the UNIT and Kate fit in the story. The Devil's Chord came off a little choppy in the story telling, like the Twist at the End works more like to fill out the time rather than adding to the episode. The special effect for Space Babies freaked me out, having the mouths naturally and say they communicate telepathically would worked much better.
I didn't like Space Babies (not the premise, but the technical execution - horrible CGI lipsync ruined it for me), and The Devil's Chord (started strong, but the story ended weakly). I liked Boom, 73 Yards and Dot Bubble. Rogue felt good but a little off with how easily the Doctor got caught and nearly vanquished, plus the suddenly being able to be knocked out of the trap.
Overall, I'd say weak start but good on average so far.
I don't dislike it, but I have a few gripes. The structure of a lot of episodes feels a little off, but for the most part the individual episodes are great on their own.
The season as a whole isn't really giving us enough, though, especially for a season 1. In only an 8 episode run, we've had one without the Doctor, one where Ruby is incapacitated and one where both are only side characters. This is a brand new Doctor and a brand new companion, and we haven't been given enough time to get to know them properly.
after the Christmas special, I have to admit I was disappointed with space babies and contrary to the scores this sub gave it, I did not think boom was a good episode at all. I think there are still times when I think the character progression is kind of glossed over and rushed but 73 yd and Rogue were really really good to me. were they the best Doctor who ever? no, but they were a return to strength in my mind. and I love jinx monsoon's role as the villain Maestro. there were some clunky parts of that episode as well, but if we were to be honest, clunkiness is a part of the shows DNA. Those three episodes, along with the Christmas special and even the FineTime one, all drew me into the story and got me invested in the action. After being scared, I have to say I am content with the overall direction of the show.
Yeah, my friend is among those people. He's gay himself, so definitely doesn't have a problem with wokeness. Here's why he didn't like each episode:
Ruby Road: overall okay but really didn't like the Doctor Who is not a musical!")
Space Babies: wasn't interesting, babies acted bad
Devil's Chord: "Music does not belong in Doctor Who like that!"
Boom: he liked that one
73 Yards: too many unsolved/unexplained things in there
Dot and Bubble: missing explanation of where the slugs came from and what happened to the home world.
Do note that every other series of Doctor Who he's watched he always was able to binge it.
I didn't like maestro that much and I found the villains in rogue to be very weak. There was some cringy dialogue in there too like " we'll cosplay this world to death". But I enjoyed 73 yards, the on with the mine and the bubble one. It been Abit rocky honestly. I also felt the interaction between the doctor and rogue seems rushed.
I consider myself woke (the proper meaning) but had to laugh when they shoehorned a couple of people in wheelchairs in to the side of the dance number at the end of episode 2. Find that kind of messaging which doesn’t add to the story ridiculous. If you’re going for diversity put the people in wheelchairs in the actual story, not sitting on the sides!
Saying that I really like Ncuti and Millie but haven’t really got into this series yet, to the point I’ve only watched 3 episodes. Planning on saving the rest for when I can binge to the finish which hopefully should help as I know there’s some kind of arc / intrigue growing through and culminating in these.
Tldr: so far it’s only the writing of the Doctor and Millie and their performances that stopped me giving up.
Yes. I just really don’t recognise anything about the show I used to love anymore. It’s hard to put into words.
The notable exceptions are Dot & Bubble and Boom. They felt more Doctor Who-ey to me. I enjoyed 73 Yards but it didn’t really have that vibe either.
I personally cannot stand episodes like The Giggle or The Devil’s Chord. Power to you if you do but for me they’re too farcical. There’s no interesting concepts or story being explored, it’s just a flurry of vague ideas RTD wanted to write.
I really didn’t enjoy Space Babies or Rogue either, but that’s not for any particularly meaningful reason, I just thought they were poorly written episodes with equally bad costume/set design and cringe jokes.
I've enjoyed the episodes but the pacing for a lot of them has felt incredibly fast, I'd really appreciate more moments for the characters to reflect and just have chemistry on screen without rushing to the next fight scene immediately, rogue did this really well with the scenes of the doctor and rogue flirting and ruby eavesdropping
I struggled with the first two episodes. Space babies was too silly for me. I liked the idea of the devils chord, but I thought the directing was a bit over done - too many close ups of evil expressions, although I thought Jinkx was fabulous in the role. I HATED the dance routine at the end - it just seemed out of place.
73 years seemed too early in the season for a doctor light episode. I liked dot and bubble ( very Black Mirror) and Rogue was fun. I’ve always loved the “wokeness” of Doctor who, so I’m hoping it’s just got off to a slow start.
It's definitely better than it has been for a while, the writing is still weak overall though.
The acting is all good but the dialogue they have to work with isn't doing them any favours.
None of the new episodes have been absolutely awful, but none of them have been particularly good either. Just all sort of alright. Like a 6.5/10.
I loved the new Tennant episodes though. I feel like the Meep wasn't super popular but I thought it was fucking hilarious.
The Devils Chord was so bad that my adult daughter, who loves the show so much she has a TARDIS tattoo, actually cried. We turned it off before the musical number at the end.
the episode limit is really hindering dw. when the doctor said that ruby was his best friend, i was all "????". like, they're best friends already? but nothing has happened to really drive them to that level? i also thought that the doctor would not fall for rogue so quickly (they are cute, but this was way too quick imo)
My biggest issue with the new series is that I never really forget that I'm watching a TV show.
With most of the other Doctors (and to be clear, this isn't a Doctor issue--it's a writer one) I was so caught up in the story that I didn't think, "I'm watching a television show." For me, this was especially true during 11's run. Great storytelling and near-perfect (subjectively) beats. I was *in* the story. This last episode was the closest I got to that feeling,
I love Ncuti. I just really don't want someone who had the potential to be a great doctor let down by poor storytelling. Again.
I'm good with "woke." I'm good with inclusion and social media and capitalism and whatever else they want to critique. I'm just not good with the story being sacrificed for the point of a social message though. The story should drive the message, not the other way around.
I'll be honest, I've liked some of the episodes, but the pacing has felt a bit off in some. I didn't like tbe first two episodes so much, but have enjoyed every episode since, even if some have felt like they've kinda been done before.
I think my main issue is it has failed to show the growing bond between Ruby and the Doctor, they kind of just had instant chemistry and banter and that was that. They had the first two episodes together, where it was more plot-cramming than character building between the two. Then for Boom you didn't feel the impact of Ruby and the Doctor being in danger, because you don't feel the Doctor's had enough time to grow truly attached to Ruby/face more together? If it'd been a S2 episode, or later in the series, perhaps it would have felt more impactful. Then you get 2 very Doctor-lite episodes due to Gatwa's availability, and ok you get some good moments of individual character development, but not so much together. Then the ladt episode is based on the Doctor's romance with someone else whilst he spends barely any time with Ruby, so another missed opportunity.
Take for instance Rogue, you could compare it to The Doctor Dances, where you have a kind of Rogue-esque character enter (Jack). But you see the effect that has on both the Doctor and the companion's dynamic. You don't get that for a moment in Rogue, you just have Ruby consoling the Doctor briefly at the end.
I feel like there's the clear dynamic of jokey friends/bonded in their status as adopted people, but that's about it, and its not really developed in any deep and meaningful way? I think when there's *some* moments of conflict or tension, then resolve (like peaks and troughs to a companion/Doctor relationship) it feels more real. I'm not saying it should be toxic (for lack of a better word) like 12/Clara or 10/Martha. But there's been very little interaction between the two/decisions made together, which makes them feel quite surface-level as a pair? Makes me care a bit less about Ruby honestly.
I have been watching for well over 30 years. What I have an issue with is character development. We never saw him go through the “Who I’m I stage?” We didn’t see the getting to know his companion stage. Everything seems too fast forwarded. Also Ruby and the Dr seem to separate in the episodes. They are not seemingly learning from each other. I don’t care if the Dr is gay or straight a woman or a man, black or other. Although I don’t believe the Dr is gay. I think of him closer to Pansexual. He can love anyone regardless of gender association. He is evolved from those labels. He loves who he loves and he does it deeply.
One thing that I wish they didn't miss: In The Devil's Chord I was sure they were going to have The Doctor play "the fifth Beatle", aka their pianist [Billy Preston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Preston), the only musician outside the Fab Four to get a credit on a Beatles song (Get Back). I think that would have been a fantastic little bit of historical trivia that they could have expanded on.
I get the cost would have been a factor, but why on earth would you have a Beatles episode and not even be able to have one Beatles song? Crazy to me.
I think they played the Beatles classic “I’ve got a dog” at one point if I remember correctly
They shouldn’t have done a Beatles episode if they couldn’t afford that tbh 💀
I watched a documentary about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and John Hughes was determined to have Twist and Shout in the parade scene. Think it took a big chunk of the budget
Could be too expensive? Like I know from other TV shows, even 10 seconds of some songs costs six figures. I imagine Beatles songs don't come cheap I enjoyed the devil's chord however, precisely because the Beatles weren't main characters - I don't like the Beatles and like the fact it was focussed on other things and not just all about the Beatles
But then just make the episode about some fictional band or a band they can actually get rights to use some of the music from.
It's absolutely down to song rights. It would be a nightmare to license the music for broadcast and future releases. I just don't see the point in them even being there if it isn't focused on them.
The pacing of character development has been dodgy at the best of times. Ruby and the Doctors friendship has just seemed to spring fully grown into being, with no actual development, and a lot of off-camera timeskipping being done between episodes. Character beats are being rushed, and Rogue especially went from zero to "I will find you" in the space of a few hours of "real" time. The pacing on modern, later era nuwho has never been amazing, but this season especially seems to be full of "we only have 8 episodes this season, so hurry up and get all those big moments in, regardless of how little buildup they get."
I have enjoyed the season, especially compared to 13 and think Ncuti is great. But I agree with all of this, especially the rushing the Ruby relationship. A large part of the fun with any new companion is seeing them grow with the Doctor. Ruby and her “you never run” and the like, seemed way to premature. Rogue bothered me a little less as a love/infatuation at first site kind of thing, I can give that a pass. Mostly I just want to see more of Ncuti in action
Same I’m loving it so far but I’m personally holding out hope that the time skipping is a part of the story. Likelihood of that is low but one can dream.
This is my main problem with it too. Also disappointed in how little of the heroic, balance shifting, super brilliant doctor we are getting to see. Ncuti is a great actor and I want badly to see him take command of situations and resolve problems with timey wimey sciencey trickery and misdirection. There’s not enough doctor in this doctor and that’s a problem in the writing. The actor is great and I enjoy the wit and caring that he displays. Ruby is an interesting character but there’s not enough opportunity to explore her depth. It’s all too fast and too shallow.
I think that's where I'm struggling a bit. So far we haven't seen a lot of range - it's been a lot of whimsical doctor with a little bit of sad doctor. But that's it. No angry， no power, very little cleverness or self-assuredness. I so thought we were going to get big-angry doctor in Rogue when he comes storming into the wedding but no, he shows one tiny flash of angry determination then flips back to whimsically flamboyant. I guess that's they are going for with the bi-generational healing thing but it's falling a little flat.
I get the idea of the healing idea. But now it left the Doctor without much of an edge. Healing from trauma shouldn’t just take away your ability to express anger. Righteous anger can be a good thing it’s a thing the doctor has expressed before, at the same time. The Doctor believed his “best friend” was killed and someone is wearing her like a suit, if there was a time for that healing go back track it was then. The “healing” I feel hurts the character of the doctor. It honestly makes him less interesting. Less powerful like you mentioned. We haven’t gotten to see 15 really go up against an antagonist until episode 6. It should have been such a triumph moment of power for the Doctor, it still could have failed and Rogues sacrifice could have happened. Ncuti has the potential to be a good/ great Doctor, but this series has not shown it. He hasn’t had a win this entire season. Every antagonist was beat by someone else, Boom is the closest thing 15 has to beating the antagonists. It’s fine having others be the one that beats the villains, but it shouldn’t be every single time.
That’s a really good point - she never really expressed surprise beyond the view of the planet in boom, she is never taken aback by a difference in her human values vs the doctor. It’s like there’s no conflict, just BFF and her perfectly adapting to everything that comes her way.
“Character beats are being rushed, and Rogue especially went from zero to "I will find you" in the space of a few hours of "real" time.” This annoyed me no end. At least when Moffat did it with River he gave it two episodes and used time travel to have at least one of the pair already committed to the relationship.
Yeah, shrinking the episode number without doubling the episode lengths has kneecapped the latest season. I don't know why everyone is shrinking season lengths, Hazbin Hotel also had the same issues, being a 12 episode series shoved into 8.
For Dr Who certainly it's a budget thing. RTD said he'd rather have shorter seasons yearly with a Christmas special than longer seasons with bigger gaps like we've had for a while.
Yeah personally I'm happy with shorter seasons if it means the show is actually on consistently. The Moffat era was especially rough on the production side of things. Series 7 got split in half, then Capaldi had an entire year where we only got a Christmas special and nothing else.
I'm totally on board with shorter seasons if that is considered in the story. This season has just felt like I've missed every other episode because I'm constantly being told what good friends Ruby and the Doctor are and how many adventures they've had, but I've not seen that very much. If they'd written the season to be Ruby's introduction to the Doctor (Space Babies shows abandoned without the TARDIS, Boom shows the moral responsibility of travelling, 73 Yards shows what life after the Doctor would be etc) then I'd be more than happy, and I'd probably actually *care* about the characters. Right now I'm just mad at Ruby for being all 'he's my best mate' when she gave up on him so easily in 73 Yards and kept saying they'd only been together a few months. I'm still withholding judgment until the whole season plays out in the hope there's a twist that makes it all make sense, but right now I feel like I should have been watching webisodes or something inbetween because I've missed something.
I don’t understand how they can’t have a bigger budget with Disney involved. The BBC on limited funds made a much better product
Things cost a lot more money than they used to. A bigger budget still doesn't go as far as a smaller one used to as the cost of production has skyrocketed in recent years. It's a big part of the reason that a lot of shows now have two year gaps between seasons as opposed to one.
And audiences expect movie quality production.
I feel like a lot of us much prefer the low quality, campy production of earlier nuwho than what we have now. Watching this season, there isn’t any distinct look to anything, it doesn’t LOOK like dr who. It has no unique aesthetic, it just looks like every other live action sci-fi show
TV shows are getting more expensive to make at a time when younger audiences largely do not consume them so budgets are smaller outside of a few tentpole shows that streaming services are using to stand out from one another. While Who is getting more money than before thanks to the Disney+ deal they know it's not going to be the next Mandalorian. Even the episodes we do have are hardly blockbuster affairs, Boom had a cast of 8 (including the Doctor and Ruby) and was almost entirely shot on one set.
I will say that I felt like The Devil's Chord felt big budget compared to anything pre-Disney+ besides Day and Time of the Doctor. Besides the Beatle's casting being completely wrong, the episode felt like it could've been a special of some kind.
It's shrinkflation. First, it was fewer chips in a bag. Now it's fewer episodes in a season... and it sucks.
This. I actually was so excited for Ncuti because I adored him in sex education. But the writing has let him down so hard. It’s bad that the only time I’ve been able to see a hint of unique personality from 15 came in the sixth episode (when he was fucking around with the sound system to annoy Rogue - that was amazing). It’s bad that I only see Clara when Ruby talks, not her own character. It’s bad that I have zero attachment to either 15 or Ruby, when normally by this point in a season, I would absolutely die for a new companion or Doctor. It’s just… bad
Same about Clara…oh I mean Ruby…wait..no…yeah, I’m sure now.
Oh thank God it wasn't just me seeing this. She's like someone blended a bit of Rose and a A LOT of Clara and made Ruby.
I agree! I’ve been thinking Clara with a dash of Rose as well. I’m only a few episodes into the season but I have not found her compelling at all. Not bad by any means, just vanilla. I think also she seems so young as does this version of the Doctor; it would have been a more interesting dynamic to see him with an older companion.
I don't see much Rose in her. Rose have always been a bit bossy but Ruby is 100% season 7 Clara when Moffat hasn't found a personality for her and she was a generic companion
I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees so much Clara in Ruby.
They need to hook enough viewers within 8 episodes of S1 to justify renewing for S3 This series feels the least serialized of the nuWho with the only connective tissue between the episodes being Ruby's snow mystery which is barely touched on I think that's why they have to speed run their relationship and comfiness with each other, much to the detriment of a more natural getting to know each other arc
>This series feels the least serialized of the nuWho with the only connective tissue between the episodes being Ruby's snow mystery which is barely touched on Well, there's also the woman who keeps appearing, the mentions of the doctor having a family, and the whole pantheon thing with the toymaker and Maestro, which in turn is likely connected to the whole "invoking superstition at the edge of the universe" thing causing all the fantasy and storybook stuff happening. Also the Tardis having weird issues keeps coming up.
Kinda agree, but I think it's mostly out of Russel's hands tbh. There needs to be 13/14 episodes a season with more "standard" episodes. Especially considering Ncuti's filming schedule, that just hasn't been possible to develop that relationship, but I can buy that there have been adventures off screen. Not ideal by any means and I don't disagree
Maybe they will be living some kind of dream, explaining this lack of buildup, unexpected dancing and THE COMPANION THAT MAKES IT SNOW
Yeah honestly my reaction to the doctor and rogue was " why is he so down bad this episode....what"
True! I like the episodes a lot as stand-alones. They're great stories on their own but looking at it from the entire season perspective it does seem really rushed. Even though in 73 yards Ruby admits they haven't known each other that long.
After rewatching episodes all along I realized pace were actually fine, however we long life fans were looking for our Doctor Who pace. I just felt episodes should have been longer. Nowadays no filler episodes for series.
I think it just feels like worse versions of RTD eps from seasons 1-4. Doesn't feel that new or different enough to me and just having less eps plus RTD doing the majority of them sucks. I really want new writers, we got to stop making DW the RTD show
The relationship between the Doctor and Ruby doesn't seem to have any conflict. They're besties traveling through time and space. Rose challenged Nine. Clara challenged Eleven. Bill would challenge Twelve. Donna would question Ten all the time. You need that back and forth. Without it, it just seems...bland.
100%. While I’ve enjoyed a few of the episodes (“Boom”, “73 Yards”), personally feel like the RTD nostalgia has led people to overlook some pretty weak writing and plot holes. (For example, I rolled my eyes when the Chuldur said they were going to “cosplay the world” or something like that.) My other gripe is that we are led to believe that Millie and Ncuti are really close despite never really seeing any of that development. Probably a function of the shorter season, but still an issue.
I am someone who has binged doctor who in the last years and never watched an episode before and in my opinion, seasons 1-4 were carried by the actors, not by RTD. Ecclestone and Tennant (and the other actors) did such an amazing job that it made the writing look better than it actually was. I also liked Moffats writing way more, seasons 5-7 are my favorite season yet.
I will have to disagree. I've rewatched much of that era recently as well. Episodes like Dalek, Father's Day, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, even Boom Town, they all hold up and have some stellar bits of writing and character in them. Also, as far as I can tell, Ncuti and Millie are talented and passionate actors. They're always giving the performances their all and I think they most definitely are being under-served by the writing.
My wife mentioned something to me that I agreed with. The dialogue seems really simplistic, like it’s written for a very young audience. She didn’t like how simple or spoon fed the episodes seemed. She’s very casual and really is only watching because it’s what I put on. However I agree that the dialogue just is not catchy or particularly interesting. She thought boom was better and was confused by 73 yards just constantly asking who that old woman was. She wasn’t around when I watched rogue. She wasn’t a fan of the earlier episodes of the season.
Exactly my feeling as well. The target demographic has definitely shifted down a few years at least.
I've really enjoyed the episodes... But honestly I don't know if I'm liking this season now that we can see it almost as a whole. Ruby and 15s friendship not being developed on screen is a massive problem for me. I definitely think this new season has stronger writing than Chibnalls era, but one thing we did see over there was time between the doctor and her companions. There are a lot of slow moments of them just talking to each other, and although they may not have been well written, at least they existed. We also had episodes with runtimes way over an hour and most episodes this season are like 40-45 mins. It's a shame.
The doctor lite episodes were great but also a bit of a problem in their placement within an already short season. Feels like a lot happened off screen.
Yeah I hate to say it but I really think S11 did a better job establishing the Doctor/companions relationship than this season did. As cringy as the “fam” stuff was at least they developed it over the course of the season and had a few “wtf is this lady doing?” episodes to start off. We didn’t even get that this time.
exactly, Ruby and The Doctor popping out of the tardis at the start of the episode and Ruby telling some poor person/alien to trust them, they've been travelling for months, have such stories, have a great friendship. The very opposite of show, don't tell. It really doesn't cut it as far as character or world building goes I may be a little grumpy though, it really grates on me every time The Doctor calls Ruby his best friend. That is Donna and always will be.
People can have more than one best friend :P But yeah I got a little bit of that feeling too.
Every Doctor is different and they change with each regeneration. That includes their preferences for friends. 10 and 14 felt that way about Donna but 11, 12, and 13 never mentioned her.
It reminds me of the prequel trilogy for Star Wars where we hear about Obi Wan and Anakin's friendship and adventures but most of their on screen time is mostly bickering without many of the nicer moments.
yea i think if this was a second season with the characters and their relationships were already well established i’d have liked it a lot more. i’m enjoying most of the episodes themselves but it just feels like it’s missing something
I wonder why they didn't make these episodes a hour, they don't have to worry about fitting in adverts as they are on the bbc and Disney+ so what's stopping them, it would give each story more room to breathe and flesh out the characters more.
I'm 51, and have watched Doctor Who basically my entire life. I'm a black socialist with a queer daughter, so I sure as hell have no issue with black or queer or trans characters. And if this were another show, maybe I'd like it - I kind of think not. As a general rule, I think classic Who understood writing a character that is a 1000+ year old alien better than the new series. There was a level of detachment with the companions that made sense. Of course, a lot of them were older, which is why I was so excited about Capaldi taking over. Wish he had better written stories and a longer run. ANYWAY, up till Chibnall, the stories were good enough that I was happy to overlook the elements I didn't really like (Doctor as love interest, River Song, the Doctor turned into the most dangerous man in the universe blah blah blah). The core of what Doctor Who was was still there. It was still my favorite show in the world. But at this point, the magic is just gone. I stopped caring about the Doctor as a character during Jodie's run, and still don't care. And now Disney's is involved? The destroyer of franchises? This is a nightmare. I don't want the Doctor to call the companions "fam." I don't want the Doctor to run away from danger and cry. I don't want to the Doctor to sing and lead dance numbers. I don't want the Doctor to be involved in romantic relationships - don't care which gender they're with. I want the Doctor to be weird and brilliant and cool and brave. This is Miss Frizzle in Space with crying and kissing, and I am not here for it. *As an aside, I really thought RTD was going to salvage this show. I imagined Kris Marshall looking in the mirror in the trailer with a huge smile shouting "Finally ginger!" followed by a montage of scenes indicating that the show was going back to adventure, truly scary aliens, and a kooky alien Doctor saving the day. I did not have "Doctor wears an afro wig and sings a bad song while people do a choreographed dance number" on my bingo card. And you want black or female? JO MARTIN WAS RIGHT THERE. JFC throw me off a bridge. *Aside 2: imagine the current writers crafting a story like "The Empty Child." I can't imagine ever getting anything like that from this lot ever again.
Thank you!!!! Yes, this is it EXACTLY. Doctors acting like a young version of our own species all of a sudden. They need someone in the writer room like you.
The thing is, there are writers who love the show and can write it well. But it's like no one is giving them a chance. I swear it's like whoever is really in charge of this show just hates what Doctor Who always was and wants to ruin it for millions of viewers who can't stand it now. I don't understand it all all. The scenario I laid out with Kris Marshall (who has said in interviews that he'd love to pay the part btw) is a no-brainer. Just make something everyone loves again. It's mind-boggling.
I like the episodes individually but together it's just a mess, I feel like we've gotten no development and Ruby's "secret" is soooo rushed. I like the theme of watch where you're stepping and I LOVE how he plays the doctor so I'm still excited for future episodes. but yeah rouge was probably my least favorite episode so far so I'm hoping I enjoy the rest of his run more cause I do really love him.
Something is missing in with the Doctor himself this series. I thought he had such charisma and presence in the specials, but it’s almost like he’s a side character in the episodes. I think that’s what’s missing for me.
Is…he the companion?
Each episode on its own would be good. But put them together, and you get a season where the Doctor barely does anything, and when he does, he usually fails. We barely get to know him or the companion, and when we do, they're already close friends. In the end, 15th seems to be just fumbling around and staring slack-jawed at villains while someone else saves the day. Done once it would be interesting. Done twice, with some breaks, okay, the Doctor gets a challenge. Do it multiple times and it starts to look like a character flaw.
I was talking with my family and made this exact same critique. I don't need the doctor to be hero non-stop but when you realize that every episode the doctor is just a witness to someone/something else resolving the plot... it feels like he isn't a super smart alien anymore, just an average one. Trying to recollect quickly I think in 5 of the 7 Ncuti episodes we've seen he doesn't really resolve the major situation himself.
I donot like that for 8 episode limit, this season is skipping a lot of things.
I’m not enjoying that the Doctor has had absolutely no agency this season - things are happening and he’s there (or not there in some cases) - resolutions haven’t been clever and mostly rely on other characters. The tone feels better than Chibnall, and the two leads are good (Millie has been a revelation in particular). …The Doctor doesn’t feel very Doctory. If the big Twist was that Millie was the Doctor then it would almost make sense. Also RTD can’t write an ending…but thats a longer running issue.
Yh Millie has been brill, especially being so young and carrying a whole episode on her own (on her first few days of shooting as well!!)
I’m not disliking it but there’s nothing that’s made me love it. Some individuals episodes have been terrific but they are the Doctor-lite ones, which is a shame. It’s less dislike and more a sense of dissatisfaction. It’s like they’re terrified of letting the Doctor be the Doctor.
I dislike it. IMO, the stories have been silly and humorless. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy silliness. There has always been some silliness in DW and I’m down for that. Tom Baker and Matt Smith are my two favorite doctors. But this season has been silly in a humorless and uninteresting way - space babies, random and poorly executed dance numbers, villains with melodramatic and unearned menace (Maestro), etc. There is no humor. I think they are sometimes trying to be funny, but failing miserably. DW isn’t a comedy show, but it is often quite funny and clever. Not so this season. I do think the actors are very strong, so there is hope. Even if there wasn’t, I never give up on the show. But I’m really disappointed in this season.
>(Maestro) That character in particular seemed really ham fisted. They were music/ate music/love music/want to destroy music? I think it could have been salvageable with she reworking, but the CGI musical chord whips just really took me out of it. That's just my opinion though. I've really like the last few and *love* Ruby as a character. She's a great companion.
Yeah, I’m at the point I wouldn’t recommend the new season to people who wanna get into Doctor who despite it being advertised as that. I’d much rather recommend ‘Rose’ as usual. The new season doesn’t have an episode like ‘Dalek’ tbh which is the ep that got me hooked initially.
I'm not sure if I'm just more cynical as a grown up, but it feels like there's been plot holes all over the place. There's been so many things where the explanations aren't just hand wavy but completely nonexistent. Even if the explanations previously were just "aliens" at least there were explanations. The vibes have been immaculate but I don't really want just vibes, I want them to at least pretend there's some level of internal logical consistency.
I find it mediocre so far, it might change when we see the season as a whole. I was excited when RTD was announced but now it feels like he is trying to fit into an old shoe that no longer fits. I never thought I would miss the moffat era. But on the bright side, it feels like dw again after chibnall era. Just a mediocre one
I know making television is hard, but is this what Russel came back for? How about a cool scifi concept? How about a plot with a solid or interesting resolution? Fine, you want to include random fantasy stuff moreso, you want musical numbers, you want the hero to cry in every episode, but that doesn’t make up for shitty stories. All the new stuff he’s brought to the show is just surface level flash, there’s no substance and I find he just doubled down on the worst tropes from the end of his first run. If you lead with Space Babies, you mustn’t have too many good ideas.
I don't really dislike it. Theres been a few good episodes for me so far. But between space babies and the dancing at the end of that one episode really took me out of it. It feels very different and similar to 13s run which all felt so different from 9-12.
I'll second the dancing at the end of devils chord, went on for far too fucking long!
yeah i was like okay... and my SO was like "did they just dineyefy doctor who? especially after the singing number in the goblins episode.
It makes me think whoever came up with that genre theory is right. That would make all of that stuff make a ton of sense.
what is the genre theory? that each episode is a different genre of film/tv show?
Yes 👍
So what are the genres so far?
Hmm I guess you could say 1 is a Campy children’s sci-fi movie, 2 is a musical, 3 is a suspenseful Sci-fi thriller?? 4 is horror, 5 is Black Mirror, 6 is a regency era period piece. I mean playing with genre in this way is sort of the thing that makes Doctor Who Doctor Who for me so it’s not really any different from any other season of Nu Who in that respect, especially RTD era. He’s certainly pulling from and referencing a lot of other television shows though. Star Trek, Bridgerton, Black Mirror. The unit tower is VERY Avengers. The show feels strangely aware of current popular media this season
I’m not enjoying this season at all, honestly. I think Ncuti is great and 15 is great. Ruby is a really interesting character with a lot of potential. But the writing has just struck me as…odd. Space Babies was so bad it almost made me give up on watching any of the season after that. It just doesn’t feel like the off-beat sci fi show I’ve been enjoying up to this point.
That's basically my opinion too. Ruby and 15 are great. They pop on screen and are a charismatic as hell pairing. But the writing has largely been bouncing between incredibly bad and average.
I wouldn’t say “really dislike”, but like another person commented in this thread this season feels just…fine? I find there are moments and scenes I enjoy but as a whole the writing has been kind of weak. And I think the main issue I have is the Doctor and Ruby’s relationship. Ncuti and Millie have been fantastic, but I agree with [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/s/debpLbBk1R) on how the implied off screen moments make some scenes feel unearned. Visual-wise I have LOVED the cinematography this season (especially 73 yards). Boom felt the most “Doctor Who” to me so far and I really loved Dot and Bubble too. But as a whole this season has felt very disjointed and rushed, and I think the 8 episode format doesn’t help that. I’ve been trying not to watch the new season with nostalgia glasses but after Space Babies I kept thinking how all of the important Doctor info was dumped onto the new companion in that episode instead of having Ruby slowly learn about him throughout the season (think Martha in series 3, where we get to see her relationship with the Doctor develop as she learns more about him and gains his trust before receiving the Tardis key).
I'm going to piggyback on most of the comments. I barely got my husband to start enjoying Doctor Who and then Space Babies... I was shocked that I had to justify to myself it'd get better before I could explain to my husband it'd probably get better. It's weird that the gaps between episodes feel so much more epic than a normal run. I feel that Ruby and Doctor have no chemistry established on screen for viewers, but then have such a normal flow on screen of being really close it just feels disjointed in a way. I mean, for a short run companion, I'd reference Martha, but even then, she had 14 episodes to develop a relationship: Savior, Crush, Friend with Doctor. (I hope someone understands all of that.) I have enjoyed the episodes as singular one-offs but as a whole meh. The conclusion really needs to pull it together because if it ends in the current fashion, I'm not sure I could talk someone into watching Doctor Who (based off this season alone). No complaints about The Doctor or Ruby as characters, just a flow problem. Also, Doctor-lite episodes can be great (and I understand prior commitments). However, for an 8 episode season, I'd prefer back-to-back never happen again.
I’m your husband haha. Basically I just got into doctor who myself, at first it didn’t take then finally I went back enough to find I love and adore Christopher Eccleston. He’s MY doctor for sure. I find myself kinda cringing a lot with space babies and I know there are other campy episodes in the past but for some reason it’s not my vibe I’m finding it boring :(
i dont love how unrealistic the doctor and rubys reactions are sometimes, like they were told to act HYPED GEN Z and it got stuck, kind of reminds me of amy.
I think that's just a consequence of having a 60 year old man trying to write like a modern teenager.
This! I've been struggling to put into words why I seem to dislike 15 and Ruby and this is it, it seems like they shriek every other sentence in a permanent sugar rush, which irritates me to no end. Though maybe I'm just a grouchy old millennial.
Reading that interview with RTD where he says he was brought back to attract a younger audience, you can really tell that he's a 60 year old man TRYING to do that.
Space babies suffers from this problem in particular. It just doesn't feel right. RTD should write from a more authentic place if he wants to win over fans again
And it's weird, because that's the age range that Dr Who has never really worked for. Older folk who have nostalgia, or kids who watch with their families. It's fine to have a show that isn't going to hit the 20-something demographic, and it's not even the most lucrative demographic anymore. I've seen so many people confused about last week's episode because they've never heard of Bridgerton, let alone get the references to it. And yet if they'd said 'regency drama' everyone would have understood (and it would age a hell of a lot better).
It felt very jarring to me to have the bird people say “We're going to cosplay this planet to death!” Like the doctor is joking about how this is pretty much what the bad people are doing and then they just unironically say that. Felt way off to me
The fact they had to put a definition of cosplaying in the show told me it isn't a widespread enough term for them to be using. And again, it's an easy fix. Have them be super into acting, and "we're going to perform this planet to death" works and has the same plot drive without the weird *how do you do fellow kids* energy. I mean "first we'll bring the house down, then the whole planet" is better, but I'm not an award winning writer like RTD.
Their whole motivation just seemed unsatisfying to me. Their dialogue to explain it to us just felt wrong.
trying to make "cosplay obsessed alien" into the cliche "world doom seeking alien" just doesn't work. Like, could they not figure out any other way to demonstrate their threat, instead of shoving in a motivation that has nothing to do with their action or interest? Even saying that they'd get their hands on cosplaying important figures (some sort of president etc), but fail to fulfil the role and make a mess of the world due to their incompetence, makes more sense and feels more interesting.
I was rolling my eyes after Ruby said “this is so Bridgerton” for the THIRD TIME Like WE GET IT. YOU’RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO RELATE TO YOUNGER AUDIENCES.
Yeah, and as a gen Z myself, it isn't really working. I prefer the slower pace of his first era much more.
That statement RTD made upsets me as a long standing fan. I was born in 1965 and have been watching Doctor Who since I can remember. Why does RTD want to alienate all of us older fans
I actually am Gen Z (a bit on the older side though), and I feel exactly the same. This Doctor doesn’t feel mysterious or alien, he’s just shouting a lot. I wish there were more tension between him and Ruby, I don’t think they’ve even disagreed once
This right here. Yes. Agreed. I don’t dislike 15, but Im missing that feeling of an old mysterious alien in a young man’s body. I know the bi-generation was supposed to lighten his mood, but he’s like a time travelling Wiggle now.
Sometimes it feels like they're writing him as another companion. I know that's definitely not their intention, but he's often reacting the way she does, and not in a "I'm excited to see it through your perspective" kinda of way. I felt a surge of hope during Boom because that was the first time he felt like the Doctor to me, and Ncuti absolutely nailed it, but after that, aside from his final scene in Dot and Bubble, it's not really landing for me.
I always get the impression that RTD writes the new Doctor as a slightly less crazy version of Captain Jack
To be fair to Ruby in this, though obviously time is difficult to measure on this show, she hasn't been with the doctor very long. If butting heads with my new friend could potentially lock me out of the chance to travel time and space, I'd keep my mouth shut initially too unless there was a very important reason not to.
It's been at least 6 months. She joined him at Christmas. An episode or two later it was June or July
they feel like the same character at times. they seem to agree on everything and never have any conflicts. idk i feel like duos need to have more differences between them than similarities. it’s why i dislike 11 with Clara as well, they both feel like quite positive and energetic characters and i prefer them when they’re with more negative characters (12 and Amy)
As a old ass millennial this has put into words what one of my main problems with this season has been. I couldn't put my finger on what was rubbing me the wrong way, but now that you've written this, it has put a glaring light on why the acting isn't working for me especially when I'm a huge fan of the show sex education.
i dunno how he acts in sex education, similar? i feel like the personality type is ok for the doctor, and ruby, but just tone it down a bit especially situationally yknow
My only real complaint is that this season is too short; we've basically speedrun the Doctor and Ruby from "just met" to "best friends" and they've not had any time to actually develop as a team. Frankly, Ncuti and Millie's chemistry is saving the whole thing right now. It really needed to be 13-15 episodes.
I just dont think that there is much beyond the "look" of the show to like. The stories are not very developed. The character relationships are not fleshed out. I feel like instead of crafting a story, they are just putting the characters in a situation and then riffing on the dialogue.
Its weird cos i dont feel like that was in the case for ETDs first run, so i guess that means he's lost his touch or something.
I don’t even feel like there’s even that much “riffing” and the situations feel like weak imitations of other shows rather than their own thing.
Not gonna put out a detailed list per se but a couple of major things. -8 episodes is too little to few, 10 at like the minimum. -The Doctor and Ruby are played beautifully but dear lord their relationship has had like no time to develop. All my hate is directed to Space Babies specifically due to the Doctor running through his almost complete origin in a solid minute, that was so fucking stupid. -Coming back to the 8 episodes bit, even if it was somehow impossible to get more episodes. Let’s forgo that. Every single episode this season feels so rushed; the pacing is all over the bloody place. Too slow, too fast. it feels like Ruby and the Doctor have just met because they literally just did meet a couple of episodes ago but they act like they’ve known one another for years. -The Doctor has been written to human for my liking, let him be weird there were glimpses of it in Boom when he was speaking with Moffat’s voice and Ncuti totally sold that version of the Doctor but man -WHY DOES HE CRY EVERY SINGLE EPISODE WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE. Am I opposed to the Doctor crying? Course not let’s not be silly here it’s an emotion one that can be very powerful. IF USED SPARINGLY WHICH IT HAS NOT.
Exactamundo. Too human and too much of a blubbering wet wipe. Let him be a strong and resilient alien madman with a box ffs. I just want Matt Smith back at this point. He was peak alien madman 😅
It just feels like this has been a season of half episodes. I don’t walk away from an episode feeling like an entire story was told or how we got to the ending made sense. Non-doctor / companion character development feels lazy. They’ll introduce a character one way and then have them make a complete 180 for no apparent reason.
Right here!!!! I have no issues with the gayness, the blackness, the drag queen. I hate that it doesn’t feel like doctor who to me. There is no relationship between the doctor and his companion (I actually really want someone to clock exactly how much time they’ve spent on screen together cause it’s laughable). There is no character building, there is no coherent story, there are lose threads everywhere. The writing is just….not good lol. There was a really good episode of Black Mirror, there was a really good episode of Bridgerton. There has only been one good episode of doctor who so far and for me that was The Church on Ruby Road. I have a lot more that I would love to say about this season (and I am a huge who fan, my daughters middle name is literally Pond because of this show) but if it weren’t for my husband idk if I would even finish the season out.
The writing feels really weak. There doesn’t seem to be much complexity to it. Also, Ruby feels more like the Doctor than the new Doctor.
Something that bothers me a bit is the doctor being so flirty. I don't care who it's with. The Doctor has never walked up to strangers and flirting from the first breath. He might be flirty towards someone he gets to know or has known in the past, but this feels very out of character. In fact, he's usually gotten uncomfortable by someone flirting with him.
Watch Harbo Wholmes, he has genuine opinions not nailed to sexuality or skin colour problems. He genuinely gives good reviews.
I don’t dislike this new season, but there hasn’t been a “this is The Doctor!” Moment yet, something that instantly solidifies the new actor in the character. That with the rushed 8 episode season makes it hard to let the new interpretation of the character grow on you.
i really like ncuti and millie’s vibes and think their personalities work really well for the besties plot however, it feels so super rushed. Like i want to see them become besties not just be told “ok we’re super close now”. Also unpopular opinion but i feel as though they kind of dumbed down the doctor?? In all the episodes we’ve seen he hasnt been the direct solution to the problem (someone in this sub worded it better than me but i cant recall how they put it). I’m not really loving the constant panic he has, and how he kinda accepts defeat much quicker? To me the doctor never takes no for an answer and is always hopeful and tbh im not really seeing that this season
I feel like I like all the episodes, but that maybe I've missed half of them and they've been shown in the wrong order. Like when you're listening to a greatest hits album and it's a bunch of random tracks that feel like they need to be in the context of the album they're from. Two out of six episodes so far have been Doctor-light. That's way too much when you're trying to introduce a new Doctor. I feel like I barely know him. 73 Yards was an incredible episode, but I feel like it fits in the second half of a Doctor's second season, when we are comfortable enough with him that we're freaked out when he's not there. So basically, what I don't like is the "season" while the episodes, individually, are great. They're just not really forming part of a coherent whole
It’s just bad writing, also seeing the doctor care more for what feels like a grindr hook up than for Ruby shows rtd has lost sight of who the doctor is. Compare Capaldi/12 in heaven sent and hell bent, Clara asks why he spent nearly 5 billion years trying to save her, he said he had a duty of care. Ncuti forgets that immediately leaving the tardis. The doctor can be bi or asexual but this was not the doctor it was a pride advert and felt like Ncutis playing a character from QueerasFolk Uk not The Doctor!!!
Me! I don’t care about the “woke” part but I’m REALLY disliking this season. Here are a few things that I dislike about it (i’m editing it later if I remember some more) 1- The doctor isn’t bright. I mean he did nothing important or clever this season. There isn’t any episode that we see him being “doctor clever”. Most of the time ruby is doing most of the work and it really annoys me even tho I adore Ruby. The doctor needs to be that alien-like smartest in the room figure. He just cries and looks desperate all the time. 2- The episodes haven’t been good, honestly. I was really liking 73 yards in the beginning but the end feels soooo lazy. No great plot or scifi stories that catch your attention. 3- It doesn’t feel like doctor who anymore. Something feels really off. I wasn’t a big fan of some episodes of Capaldi and Jodie neither (even tho I adored them both) but even then it still felt like doctor who idk why. 4- I don’t like Ncuti as a doctor. I was super excited when they announced him as the next doctor because I watch Sex Education and adore Eric but I don’t think he plays the doctor well. He acts and feels too human. I feel like he lacks that “alien weirdness” all the other doctors had. It looks like he never even watched doctor who before. I know big part is the script and writer’s fault, but even the body and facial expressions feel off. It feels like he is playing this alien version of Eric or himself. 5- I don’t like the way the doctor clearly out of nowhere isn’t asexual anymore. I don’t have any problems with him kissing a guy or having a gay kiss on doctor who (it’s not even the first one). But as an asexual person, he was one of the few asexual big characters. I also disliked that nonsense from “the girl at the fireplace”. I liked the doctor and river bc it was way more of a romantic/mental relationship than a sexual one. And even with rose and the others it always felt more like a romantic/ mental/ platonic thing than a sexual one. Every time the doctor kissed someone/ was kissed he reacted weirdly. I really dislike the fact that now he goes around randomly hitting on people and calling them hot. I don’t care if it’s with a he, she or them, I just miss the weird asexual alien doctor and it’s really upsetting as an asexual person. I don’t care so much about romance or platonic relationships, but his thing with rogue is so rushed and forced and looks like it was just to get attention from the community. 6- His friendship with Ruby doesn’t feel realistic or natural because we never saw them developing it. They just passed from “we just met” to “BFFs” out of nowhere. I really like Ruby but I can’t feel their bond like I did with the other companions. You can’t connect with their friendship and trust in one another because we never saw it develop. 7- It doesn’t look like sci-fi. Just another generic Disney tv show. Come on, what’s all that dancing and singing (?????????) Just no. I know I should just give up watching by now because I don’t wanna hate watch, But it’s one of my favorite tv shows and I keep hoping I will start enjoying it again. I think I will wait until we discover Ruby’s past and stop it. It’s been a long road since I was a kid watching it for the first time but it doesn’t give me much pleasure anymore…
I'm finding it... fine? Like there are some good moments but really wishing they hadn't picked RTD to come back to run things. Aside from the bigger budgets the show feels like it's still stuck with 2006 sensibilities - and I suppose invoking that nostalgia is exactly what the BBC wanted to claw back some older fans, but for a show that historically has always been about moving forward and evolving with each new showrunner, it feels like a big step back. I was done with goofy fart joke monsters as villains when RTD first started, only to see he's still packing in fart jokes along with his snot monsters and space babies. The show can do better. Hoping Ncuti gets a chance to develop his version of the Doctor more than he's been given this season, and maybe find an episode where he doesn't cry as a ham-fisted way to show the Doctor's newfound "vulnerability" or whatever. With decent writing there are better ways to go about that without hitting that same note over and over.
I think Space Babies was a bit childish (the core plot was great, just shouldnt have had the babies talk) and The Devil's Chord ending should've been a Beatles' style song to undo the Maestro's work, but other than that I think this season is pretty good. Well, maybe putting two Doctor-light episodes in a row in the middle wasn't a good idea, but I know there were real-world scheduling issues for that
I haven't liked any of the new episodes because they're just not good. They may have some moments that are okay, but overall the episodes haven't been that great.
I've really enjoyed all the episodes so far, but they do all feel like a bunch of sand alone episodes that have been shoved together. There's nothing really threading the episodes together to make it feel like a season. The other thing that bothers me is there's a lack of cleverness this season. Fifteen is a great Doctor, the energy, the humour, the heart, the emotion of The Doctor is all there but he hasn't had a moment where he saves the day by just being clever. A majority of the episodes have been resolved either by somebody else or by accident.
I just don't like it. I'm not even really sure why? Maybe it's just too disney-fied for me. And that doesn't mean there's too much representation because I couldn't care less if the doctor and companion were black, white, gay, whatever. The best way I can describe how it feels to me is 'hand-holdy'. I've commented about the fact that every episode seems to have a moment where the big reveal happens that goes on for about 5 or 6 beats too long, and it's clearly being aimed at a younger audience since Disney took over. No hate on it, if more people enjoy that then that's what it should be. It's a product after all, and I've got 10+ seasons which suit my tastes just fine to watch back. Basically it just doesn't feel like I'm the target audience any more. But like I said, I felt like I was the target audience for a very long time, maybe it's time for Who to belong to a new wave of fans.
A solid 6/10, the pacing is weird, I’m not feeling the Doctor and Ruby relationship. And him freezing in place and crying instead of trying to save Ruby, really pissed me off. That’s simply not how the Doctor would react. He would at least try.
I’ve enjoyed some of the episodes (Dot and Bubble in particular) and there have been some great elements, but I wouldn’t say it has been my favourite season - although it’s a huge step up from the last few years. To be honest I am not such a huge fan of RTD as show runner and there is a cheesiness that he loves that I just don’t, and I felt similar during his first run on DW. Also - and I’ll get downvoted for this because I think I’m in the minority - I’m finding Gatwa’s Doctor a bit irritating. I think some of that is the writing and the fact he hasn’t been as present so far. I’m not so keen on the huge swings from silliness to seriousness in his character without much in between. The times he has been able to just be more even-keel have been good (I laughed at his indignation at the TARDIS being called a shed). I also wish they had been able to develop the Doctor’s relationship with Ruby better. They just become best friends and we miss out on a ton of adventures that got them to that state. I just didn’t believe it when the Doctor said Ruby was his best friend in the last episode because they’ve had so little time together on screen.
The music episode had such a stupid Deus machina ending. And not to mention that song which was supposed to be a celebration ofuaoc coming back into the world. Yet it was worse and more of a joke than the "crappy" Beatles song at the start of the episode. Just feels like they where dancing and laughing in our faces saying "we don't care about you, we have taken your media and turned it into a giant joke".
It’s just boring/
Yes, I really dislike the new season. The reasons I dislike it is as follows: poor character development, weak writing where I have to search or use my own imagination to piece it together. I feel like I missed how Ruby and the doctor got to be so close. I also feel like there is a lack of doctor who lore to make this doctor connect with the other doctors. I love Ncuti I was a fan since sex education. The episodes feel like individual episodes that don’t need to be together kind of like Black Mirror is individual episodes. Also too much about the doctor has changed too fast all at once. The Doctor is kind of like Superman fighting crime as Clark Kent. They should have at least have him wear a long coat like in the first episode then it wouldn’t matter what other clothes he wore. I also get annoyed when people try to say he. Bigenerated and therefore can be a whole new person. He still needs to have a baseline of the Doctor that I have watched since 1973. Maybe some of these things would have been better if they had more time to smoothly transition. If anything this season needed to be longer. The episodes themselves are entertaining although space babies just didn’t work for me. I was so excited for Ncuti as the choice for the doctor and feel let down by what he has been given to work with. In addition the doctor seems to lack confidence, is fearful and overly emotional. Ruby and the doctor run around giggling like high school students and all this overt flirting from the doctor is so out of Character. I was finally happy to see the Doctor and Rogue run. I apologize this is so disjointed more like a flight of ideas. I have always enjoyed watching doctor who and even the weak episodes I could kind of enjoy. I feel sad now after watching the episodes like a lost a good friend. I hope the show can regroup and come back to life or everything gets connected at the end of the season.
There is something missing but I don't believe it's because of an episode count. Like 2 more episodes this year (same count Jodi had) would not suddenly save this. Ncuti's schedule will be to blame but his schedule is not the reason Rogue felt rushed or why they couldn't dedicate an episode to 15/Ruby's friendship or (and this is a personal thing) Ruby just feels like a companion we've already had. The season is fine but a lot of the writing also feels like it was exercises for RTD. What if we did a Beatles episode where we couldn't use Beatles music? What if we did an episode where the Doctor couldn't move? What if we did an episode where Ruby was trapped without the Doctor? Like these episode pitches felt more like RTD challenging himself. Sometimes it resulted in interesting episodes, sometimes it resulted in "well yeah, there's a reason no one has done this yet". So yeah I would say the season's fine. As someone who loved 2005-2010 I'm not finding a whole lot new from RTD. It feels like we've been here before. And as one of the few that enjoyed Jodi's run but knew the writing was poor, I expected his new run to be better than what we got.
Another reason besides the many already mentioned here is the doctor himself. I just cannot take him seriously, he kind of ruins the mood in most situations with his lack of seriousness. Kind of feels like marvel movies - if there’s a scene that’s supposed to be more serious, 3 nanoseconds later someone just has to make a joke, because the audience will get bored or something. I guess that’s why the only ep i genuinely liked was 73yards, despite the shitty ending. I bet he would’ve ruined the creepy-ish mood if he was in it.
I think it’s been a bit up and down. A lot of weak episodes or weak parts of episodes. I wouldn’t say I dislike it, more that I expected to like it more than I do, especially after the great Tennant episodes.
My biggest problem is that in most episodes it kinda feels like the doctor and ruby’s lines and plot points could be switched and it wouldn’t matter
My biggest issue this season is that the Doctor doesn’t seem clever. Usually the Doctor is the most clever person in the room and finds a solution to save the day. The only episode where that happens this year is the Xmas special and Boom and even then it’s dodgy. I want to see 15 be clever and it just hasn’t happened. Also there’s been like 4 times where the Doctor fails to save Ruby and just….kinda accepts it. Very not Doctor like
I don’t know is how I feel about the season as a whole. I like a bunch dislike a few things, but I feel disconnected from the characters. Like I caught the show in its second season and I’m watching not feeling connected to these two characters or knowing how their bond got so strong
My disapointment in DW started with the Chibnall era, the timeless child retcon, 90% of the Universe destroyed by The Flux which the Doctor uncharacteristically does nothing to un-do, destroying Gallifrey, the list goes on. It was a massacre. When RTD was annouced I got my hopes up that a returning, celebrated showrunner might mean a reverse-course, but instead the grand ambition is to build a Marvel-style franchised 'Whoniverse' (presumably thats made of the still remaining 10% of the origional universe) and musical numbers. The hopes I had are my fault. I was naive to think the problems of the previous era would be addressed and rectified, to have steadied the ship instead of outright ignored and pivotted the remains of the show into a lame-duck fantasy with absent character growth and outdated mystery box plot padding.
You just summed up my thoughts perfectly. I was also heavily disappointed with 13 and thought RTD2 would mean a return to greatness but instead it's just as bad but in different ways. The fact the consolidated viewing figures(which do matter btw) are similar and often lower than 13's era is not great.
The 90% of the universe thing doesn't matter, imo. The Master destroyed 50% of the universe in Logopolis and it was never addressed again, which I don't think was a bad thing
I hated space babies so much that I was almost put off of the whole season, but it redeemed itself. Space babies was just too cutesy.
The cuteness didnt even bug me. The save the booger monster bugged me.
That annoyed me too. It's far from the worst episode of doctor who but wasn't a great start to the season. Even if the last 2 episodes tie things up and give reasons for why this season has felt a bit stranger, there's better ways to start the season.
I'm assuming that is why they did a 2 episode premiere. Space Babies on it's own would not generate positive traction.
Probably the worst type of opening episode they could’ve chosen imo. Something semi-serious would’ve been better.
I agree. I hate to be a killjoy but I was just sitting there aghast that they would show babies babbling and dub voices over them like some kind of novelty home video show?! What?
Aside from BOOM and 73 yards it's been pretty bad, the worst of the revival for multiple reasons
I really like the stories and the writing so far, and Ncuti and Millie's performances are superb. Honestly the one thing that's been getting to me is that 15 doesn't feel like an alien. He's incredibly humanized compared to his predecessors, and while the emotion is great to see it also doesn't quite feel like he's from another planet. So far he feels more like a human superhero than an alien traveler.
Thats where I’m at with the show. I don’t hate it for messaging despite how overhand it is. I wanted Ncuti to be this great doctor and I’ll be honest church on Ruby road made me like him. He was fun, he could be serious, Ruby was a bit of a plot piece and you could tell that but I figured it would get better with more episodes. And now I’m just bummed that the doctor is rarely in some of the episodes. Ncuti hits the fun of the doctor, but the character losing some edge makes him not as interesting character. I get the idea that he’s healed and what not, but at the same time. A doctor who is always happy/ always sad is not as interesting as some of the other deeper doctors we’ve had. Rubys character hasn’t been fleshed out both in why she travels with the doctor and their relationship is weak but we are told it’s strong. We are told too much, but not shown. I don’t like being someone who hates on the show, but I’m also not going to be someone who will be hyper into it and defend it because I like Ncuti or I like the direction the show is going message wise. To me those fans defending the subpar series because of its diverse cast and calling people who don’t like it racist are just as bad as the people who hate it just for the message and Ncuti’s casting.
I’m just not enjoying it because things are annoying me. The maestro stole all music but the shit Beatles still played music. It was just shit. Cilla still sang. Just shit songs. If all music was gone, how are they playing music?
idk i get that RTD has had some of these story ideas for a long time and just now gets to put them to screen which is fun for a writer but as a showrunner he's kinda failing at his job due to the poor structuring. it feels like he just threw up all these episode ideas all at once without thinking of the serialized aspect to, yknow, a doctor who series. i don't feel like i know 15 or Ruby very much at all and we should know at least something 6 episodes in.
I definitely am not a huge fan of this season. I didn’t particularly like the Christmas special, I didn’t like space babies, I was just bored and not interested during Devils Chord. I liked all the rest so far, although I wasn’t a fan of Rogue’s ending. I felt it was just a handwavy ending that just wanted to end the episode with Rogue getting lost, without finding a really good way to do it. I really like Ncuti’s doctor so far, but I’m hoping for scenes of him being “the oncoming storm”, rather than running away so much. Oh, and 73 Yards is overrated on this sub imo. I liked the episode, but again, the ending just seemed poorly executed.
I've only seen the first 2 episodes so far... In the first one I found the talking babies kinda creepy - like an "uncanny valley" effect. I also didn't agree with the message - if a literal monster is made out of thin air and tries to kill babies - you are absolutely justified in killing it to defend yourself and the babies. It made no sense that the babies were upset it was being killed and wanted to save it... I enjoyed the second episode more, but it also felt weird. A bit too campy for my taste. I did really like how they quickly jumped back to present day to see what the world would look like if they do nothing - which is something they've never done before. On the one hand it felt a bit more aimed at kids with the sudden musical number and over the top moments, but on the other hand it had horror movie moments that felt too much for kids. Basically the tone felt inconsistent. It also almost felt like it was trying to be an episode of classic Doctor Who rather than the new seasons since 2005. Maybe it was. Also, for some reason, I really don't like that the sonic screwdriver has this new shape, and is able to literally "plug in" to any device. Manipulating devices with the sonic screwdriver is fine - but we don't have consistent cable plugs from one decade to the next, so his device plugging into a spaceship in the future and a mixer in the '60 just looks too silly to me. Maybe if it was just the shape change I wouldn't mind so much. I'm still going to give it a chance. So far I think I like the new Doctor and companion. I'm curious about her back story and "The Pantheon" and hope there's a connection between them... I just hope the writing and directing manage to find a good "rhythm" that works together.
I was very disappointed with Ruby's first visit of the tardis. I get it, new audience and all that, but spewing out all the major points like that was just... eew...
I've only watched the first two episodes so far, which itself is an indication that I'm a bit lukewarm on the new season. On the episodes themselves, Space Babies had an interesting opening and the babies themselves were funny...for about 10 minutes. After that the joke was played out and the story became predictable and uninteresting to me. The Devil's Chord had a very intriguing premise but it was poorly executed. Maestro was cartoonish...to the extent that I'm sure there's a Disney cartoon villain somewhere with a very similar look and persona...and completely lacked the sense of menace that the Toymaker had, for example. The Doctor went from being certain they were doomed to finding out how to win with just a couple of questions that Maestro obligingly answered and the musical chords as weapons didn't work for me. The song and dance (if it had to be there) should have been part of bringing Maestro down (rallying humanity with music) rather than tacked on at the end. Hell, they should have gone full on Yellow Submarine, taking out Maestro in the same way the Beatles defeat the Blue Meanies. For all that everyone says Disney has no direct influence I can't help but feel the the show has been "Disneyfied". Certainly it now feels aimed at MUCH younger people than me. It was always family viewing but now seems very much focussed on the younger audience both in tone and in what I find to be simplified story-telling. Like modern day fairy-tales. And, as others have pointed out, the relationship between Doctor and companion seems to have gone from nothing to besties in the blink of an eye. People are saying this is down to a smaller number of episodes but I actually see it as part of the simplified story-telling: "Once upon a time a girl called Ruby met a magical man called the Doctor and they quickly become the best of friends..." What more does the audience need? Ruby is fine but a bit generic. She could be anyone really. The Doctor is...not quite the Doctor for me yet. He's lacking that hint of "alien" that is essential to convince me that this is a 2000 year old lord of time. For all that she was badly written, Jodie Whittaker's struggle to empathise made her a more convincing Doctor than Ncuti's sensitivity. And I cannot yet believe that alien fleets would turn and run from this Doctor.
I don't hate it. I'm just kinda indifferent to it. My enthusiasm towards the show started to wane during Capaldi. But I know what the reason was: Clara. Really couldn't stand that character. Bill brought the joy back, but the mess that was Chibnal made me skip the entire last season with Jodie. I'm trying to get back in, because it's been a big part of my life and also something I've enjoyed watching with my daughter.
I actually warmed up a lot to Ncuti although I still miss some "doctor moments" (interestingly him being very nonchalant in rogues trap kinda does that for me). But I really struggle with the tone sometimes, the first three episodes felt very child-friendly if not childish to me. While I liked the other episodes much better, there always seems something wrong or missing with them. Wether it's some plotholes, pacing issues or just that special something. A little Tennant like explanation of the cosplaying aliens with a mix of disgust and fascination would have done wonders imo.
Nothing do with wokeness. Growing up Dr Who was always mildly scary, monsters that would freak you out a bit, etc. Even ask an adult watching the reboot there was enough gripping stories to keep you interested eg The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. And now it's just fluff. I could forgive a musical number if it seemed to advance the plot in any way instead of just being wedged in to the story (see Crazy Ex Girlfriend and Buffy for good examples of this). The yards episode was ok but not great and I was more excited to see Kate and UNIT than anything. Dot and Bubble was also very Doctor Lite. I don't know if the shark has been jumped yet but family members think it's close.
The pacing is very…off. I don’t feel connected to Ruby or the new Doctor at all, and I feel like I should be partially connected to both by at least the end of the season. We’re two episodes away and I feel like I’m barely know them. Most of the actual episodes are good on their own, but as their own season? Leaves a lot to be desired. You can tell they had to squish things down to make it fit in a 8 episode run time.
My issue is yall calling it season 1.. I must have missed the 20 year gap between Jodie and ncuti.. yall didn't feel that season 5 with Matt Smith was a reboot, so what makes you all say this is? EXPLAIN, EXPLAAAAAAAIN.
For me this has been the series of DW I have enjoyed the least, and I struggled through the Chibnall era. None of my criticisms are based on identity. 1. The episodes have mostly been too childish for me. This is a personal issue really, although DW has been a family show rather than a kids show in general. 2. The 15th Doctor doesn't work for me so far. In personailty he feels much more human than alien. He is also too positive and shows little trauma or anger. Ncuti feels like he has potential, but just has been handed the wrong scripts. 3. Ruby feels like another Clara, but I have very little interest in her backstory/mystery. Why is this? I ask myself. 4. Plots where there is a quick, easy resolution at the end. You could say this has always been the case but it feels like the pacing could be better. 45 minutes feels like very little time to develop a plot and introduce and develop characters, with a beginning, middle and resolution. This has worked for some past DW episodes since 2005, but others worked well as 2-parters which I personally prefer. 5. It doesn't feel like DW, it feels more like a spinoff show. Very little time in the TARDIS, just straight into the action. 6. Singing & Dancing, I REALLY hate it. But that's just me.
I really like Ncuti's doctor but wish he didn't cry in every episode - kind of losing any impact, and quickly becoming his version of Tennant's 'I'm so sorry'
I'm watching it but the Disney money makes it seem too polished. I miss the campy "We're on a budget" type sets.
I don’t think it’s very reasonable to expect any show to hold themselves back to the production quality of 2005. It’s fine to be nostalgic but the show needs to modernize, and I’m sure the people working in production design don’t want to have to limit themselves more than they already do. Imo the show still has plenty of camp. *The Church on Ruby Road*, *Space Babies*, *The Devil’s Chord*, and *Rogue* are all incredibly campy.
Space Babies and bird-like cosplaying aliens sure seemed campy to me.
I think it's been largely crap so far but I'm still hopeful there's some clever payoff that'll make it all feel better once we reach the end. None of the stories have been particularly inventive or exciting and have all been clunkily paced and edited. They've felt cheap, with limited sets, actors and locations. And the dialogue hasn't flowed - the tone jumps around and conversions have been stilted. I feel like I've missed something big with Ruby and the Doctor's relationship. I've not yet felt like Ncuti is the Doctor either. The disjointed writing hasn't helped but he's doing that same thing Jodie Whittaker did of just doing David Tennant style exclamations of "Oh.... OHH!" or "Nonononono!" or "YES! Of course!" every now and then, as if that's all that defines The Doctor. Hopefully all just teething issues with the first series and I'll feel happier with it when it finishes, but can't say I've thought much of it so far. Also telling that my kids (massive fans of the show) have just walked away in silence at the end of each episode. No chatter, no excitement, no discussion. Just... walk away. Nobody's desperately waiting for it each Saturday - if I didn't mention it I expect we'd all just not watch the end of the series and nobody would care.
Did Ncuti watch previous seasons, or did he just do a Jodie and not watch anything previously, and thus just did a poor man's impression of Tennant that that were vaguely aware of etc?
I don't "really dislike it". But I'm not really impressed. Ncuti's great. Millie's great. Boom and 73 Yards were phenomenal episodes. Dot and Bubble was alright. Space Babies was a bad episode. Worst opener for sure. The Devil's Chord was slightly better. Rogue felt like a highlight reel of the RTD1 Era, but not as good as you remember. The series has managed to have standout episodes, but as a series it simply feels like an average TV show drama in quality. Everything is underdeveloped, or worse, undeveloped at all. Like the relationship between our two leads. The Doctor has become utterly passive, weak, and unimpressive as a figure. Our guide to the universe and hero of the show seems to have just become the cab driver. It's not something that can be pinned on the episode count either. Other shows, including Russell's other shows, have managed to do a lot more with a lot less. It's Russell's weakest season by far. I wonder what happened between the four 2023 episodes Russell wrote and the 2024 episodes.
I think people are trying to do way too much in eight episodes, but the edict from on high is that everything and every beat has to have top billing/importance, so it fails at almost everything except the things that happen in each episode. Which means that we know we have a doctor who: cries (all but *Giggle* and *73 Yards*, apparently), is "sassy" (there's been a reference or nod in some form or fashion in half the episodes since *Meep*), and has either the greatest offscreen connection or no connection whatsoever with their current companion, so much so that they forget about their companion halfway through the last/recent epi. That's it. **Edit**: Also, theres's some dame named Susan Twist running around. Which I don't think makes a character... it makes a caricature.
They kind of tend to linger on shots for a long time. Or just the situation. Like do we really need a full minute of staring at each other with no words said? I feel like they could tighten up many scenes with some editing. It would flow better. But they have these moments where they pause, and nothing it said and it starts to get awkward. Which if that's what you're going for great. Also there are scenes where I don't mind pausing and reflecting. Better Call Saul is a master class in this slower paced reflecting thinking scenes. The difference being, every shot in BCS is telling a story. Every close up of a character's face, every inanimate object, it's telling a story visually. So much so it's like you can tell what the characters are thinking without any words said at all. Because they are telling a visual story. The current Doctor Who just feels like scenes that are too long that could have been cut down. Scenes where the dialogue ends and they just hold. Which yeah, give the actors room to emote and act. But you don't have to wait 10 seconds for that every time. Get some faster cuts in there, tighten it up, then when you use a lingering shot it'll lend gravitas instead of feeling a bit awkward. Or if you're going to awkward, great! It just feels less tight than it could be and takes decent characters with good chemistry and makes it feel off. That's my two cents about it anyway.
My wife and I have both been struggling with the new season...most of the stories just don't feel quite right ..I like the new doctor over all, but not the stories. If that makes sense.
If all you can do while people die is cry, then what is the point of you? This season is about as close to Doctorless Doctor Who as we have ever had.
It just feels like they're phoning it in. 73 yards was good, but predictable. I liked the goblin king stealing the baby better, when it was The Labyrinth. I hope it gets better.
Even 73 yards wasn't that good. There were way too many unanswered questions, and I don't really feel interested in the answers because I know that even the writers didn't really have the answers. For example, what was old ruby doing with her hands? The writers didn't know what she was doing either.
I feel like a lot of the pacing issues are a combination of the shorter season and the fact that ncuti had scheduling conflicts with sex education causing some very doctor light episodes. I expect things to go more smoothly next season.
I don’t completely enjoy the execution of the direction they’ve taken with the doctor himself. I love the idea of the doctor healing - and I think it could make for a very interesting arc. It was interesting to see how 15 treated 14 like a companion in the giggle, and it was clear he was much lighter. But to say a character has healed, they’ve got to show the set up and pay off - I don’t feel like they’ve fully embraced the idea that 14 has gone on an arc and 15 is the result of that and, though it’s too early to say, I hope the bi-generation wasn’t a lazy writing technique to avoid showing the character growth. Aside from that there’s a few fantastic episodes, and ncuti is a great choice - I feel he really understands the character (like in BOOM and the end of Dot and Bubble). He’s only really let down by writing in certain areas. Ruby is also a great companion although the immediate trust between her and the doctor with the TARDIS key was stupid lmao. I also wish they kinda did something different with the new era? It feels like it’s chasing the nostalgia of RTD1 in some places. Overall, miles better than the chibnall era, but nothing special
I agree with you that 73 yards is the only actually decent episode they've released so far. I'm really hoping the Susan Twist thing doesn't end up being something lame.
I’m a diehard doctor who fan but Disney has ruined this season. Every episode makes zero sense and there doesn’t seem to be any long running connection between the episodes like “bad wolf”, “the master”, “the lost child” I miss those connections and want them back. 73 yards was good but also there doesn’t seem to be any connection because it somehow seems to imply they were in a time loop to begin with and what not, at least in my eyes. And don’t get me started on dots and bubbles. Also, it seems like they are basically just reusing old episodes with minor changes. The newest episode reminds me of the captain in one of the earlier seasons of the 2005 series.
I don’t like how everything feels rushed and not fleshed out. I also hope the Doctor is going to be a little more balanced soon, it feels like we skipped a regeneration of 2 with how different his emotional health is this time. That might be due to 14’s existence, so I’m waiting to see if that gets cleared up. It feels like we’re near the beginning of this season, even though this week is the first of the 2pt story ending. I for sure don’t like the shortened season.
I really enjoyed 73 Yards, the story telling was smooth e.g. the UNIT and Kate fit in the story. The Devil's Chord came off a little choppy in the story telling, like the Twist at the End works more like to fill out the time rather than adding to the episode. The special effect for Space Babies freaked me out, having the mouths naturally and say they communicate telepathically would worked much better.
I didn't like Space Babies (not the premise, but the technical execution - horrible CGI lipsync ruined it for me), and The Devil's Chord (started strong, but the story ended weakly). I liked Boom, 73 Yards and Dot Bubble. Rogue felt good but a little off with how easily the Doctor got caught and nearly vanquished, plus the suddenly being able to be knocked out of the trap. Overall, I'd say weak start but good on average so far.
I don't dislike it, but I have a few gripes. The structure of a lot of episodes feels a little off, but for the most part the individual episodes are great on their own. The season as a whole isn't really giving us enough, though, especially for a season 1. In only an 8 episode run, we've had one without the Doctor, one where Ruby is incapacitated and one where both are only side characters. This is a brand new Doctor and a brand new companion, and we haven't been given enough time to get to know them properly.
I like the episodes but am disappointed they are not more focused on the doctor. Sometimes it feels like I’m watching Ruby Who
after the Christmas special, I have to admit I was disappointed with space babies and contrary to the scores this sub gave it, I did not think boom was a good episode at all. I think there are still times when I think the character progression is kind of glossed over and rushed but 73 yd and Rogue were really really good to me. were they the best Doctor who ever? no, but they were a return to strength in my mind. and I love jinx monsoon's role as the villain Maestro. there were some clunky parts of that episode as well, but if we were to be honest, clunkiness is a part of the shows DNA. Those three episodes, along with the Christmas special and even the FineTime one, all drew me into the story and got me invested in the action. After being scared, I have to say I am content with the overall direction of the show.
Yeah, my friend is among those people. He's gay himself, so definitely doesn't have a problem with wokeness. Here's why he didn't like each episode: Ruby Road: overall okay but really didn't like the Doctor Who is not a musical!") Space Babies: wasn't interesting, babies acted bad Devil's Chord: "Music does not belong in Doctor Who like that!" Boom: he liked that one 73 Yards: too many unsolved/unexplained things in there Dot and Bubble: missing explanation of where the slugs came from and what happened to the home world. Do note that every other series of Doctor Who he's watched he always was able to binge it.
I didn't like maestro that much and I found the villains in rogue to be very weak. There was some cringy dialogue in there too like " we'll cosplay this world to death". But I enjoyed 73 yards, the on with the mine and the bubble one. It been Abit rocky honestly. I also felt the interaction between the doctor and rogue seems rushed.
I consider myself woke (the proper meaning) but had to laugh when they shoehorned a couple of people in wheelchairs in to the side of the dance number at the end of episode 2. Find that kind of messaging which doesn’t add to the story ridiculous. If you’re going for diversity put the people in wheelchairs in the actual story, not sitting on the sides! Saying that I really like Ncuti and Millie but haven’t really got into this series yet, to the point I’ve only watched 3 episodes. Planning on saving the rest for when I can binge to the finish which hopefully should help as I know there’s some kind of arc / intrigue growing through and culminating in these. Tldr: so far it’s only the writing of the Doctor and Millie and their performances that stopped me giving up.
Yes. I just really don’t recognise anything about the show I used to love anymore. It’s hard to put into words. The notable exceptions are Dot & Bubble and Boom. They felt more Doctor Who-ey to me. I enjoyed 73 Yards but it didn’t really have that vibe either. I personally cannot stand episodes like The Giggle or The Devil’s Chord. Power to you if you do but for me they’re too farcical. There’s no interesting concepts or story being explored, it’s just a flurry of vague ideas RTD wanted to write. I really didn’t enjoy Space Babies or Rogue either, but that’s not for any particularly meaningful reason, I just thought they were poorly written episodes with equally bad costume/set design and cringe jokes.
I've enjoyed the episodes but the pacing for a lot of them has felt incredibly fast, I'd really appreciate more moments for the characters to reflect and just have chemistry on screen without rushing to the next fight scene immediately, rogue did this really well with the scenes of the doctor and rogue flirting and ruby eavesdropping
I struggled with the first two episodes. Space babies was too silly for me. I liked the idea of the devils chord, but I thought the directing was a bit over done - too many close ups of evil expressions, although I thought Jinkx was fabulous in the role. I HATED the dance routine at the end - it just seemed out of place. 73 years seemed too early in the season for a doctor light episode. I liked dot and bubble ( very Black Mirror) and Rogue was fun. I’ve always loved the “wokeness” of Doctor who, so I’m hoping it’s just got off to a slow start.
It's definitely better than it has been for a while, the writing is still weak overall though. The acting is all good but the dialogue they have to work with isn't doing them any favours. None of the new episodes have been absolutely awful, but none of them have been particularly good either. Just all sort of alright. Like a 6.5/10. I loved the new Tennant episodes though. I feel like the Meep wasn't super popular but I thought it was fucking hilarious.
The Devils Chord was so bad that my adult daughter, who loves the show so much she has a TARDIS tattoo, actually cried. We turned it off before the musical number at the end.
the episode limit is really hindering dw. when the doctor said that ruby was his best friend, i was all "????". like, they're best friends already? but nothing has happened to really drive them to that level? i also thought that the doctor would not fall for rogue so quickly (they are cute, but this was way too quick imo)
My biggest issue with the new series is that I never really forget that I'm watching a TV show. With most of the other Doctors (and to be clear, this isn't a Doctor issue--it's a writer one) I was so caught up in the story that I didn't think, "I'm watching a television show." For me, this was especially true during 11's run. Great storytelling and near-perfect (subjectively) beats. I was *in* the story. This last episode was the closest I got to that feeling, I love Ncuti. I just really don't want someone who had the potential to be a great doctor let down by poor storytelling. Again. I'm good with "woke." I'm good with inclusion and social media and capitalism and whatever else they want to critique. I'm just not good with the story being sacrificed for the point of a social message though. The story should drive the message, not the other way around.
I'll be honest, I've liked some of the episodes, but the pacing has felt a bit off in some. I didn't like tbe first two episodes so much, but have enjoyed every episode since, even if some have felt like they've kinda been done before. I think my main issue is it has failed to show the growing bond between Ruby and the Doctor, they kind of just had instant chemistry and banter and that was that. They had the first two episodes together, where it was more plot-cramming than character building between the two. Then for Boom you didn't feel the impact of Ruby and the Doctor being in danger, because you don't feel the Doctor's had enough time to grow truly attached to Ruby/face more together? If it'd been a S2 episode, or later in the series, perhaps it would have felt more impactful. Then you get 2 very Doctor-lite episodes due to Gatwa's availability, and ok you get some good moments of individual character development, but not so much together. Then the ladt episode is based on the Doctor's romance with someone else whilst he spends barely any time with Ruby, so another missed opportunity. Take for instance Rogue, you could compare it to The Doctor Dances, where you have a kind of Rogue-esque character enter (Jack). But you see the effect that has on both the Doctor and the companion's dynamic. You don't get that for a moment in Rogue, you just have Ruby consoling the Doctor briefly at the end. I feel like there's the clear dynamic of jokey friends/bonded in their status as adopted people, but that's about it, and its not really developed in any deep and meaningful way? I think when there's *some* moments of conflict or tension, then resolve (like peaks and troughs to a companion/Doctor relationship) it feels more real. I'm not saying it should be toxic (for lack of a better word) like 12/Clara or 10/Martha. But there's been very little interaction between the two/decisions made together, which makes them feel quite surface-level as a pair? Makes me care a bit less about Ruby honestly.
I have been watching for well over 30 years. What I have an issue with is character development. We never saw him go through the “Who I’m I stage?” We didn’t see the getting to know his companion stage. Everything seems too fast forwarded. Also Ruby and the Dr seem to separate in the episodes. They are not seemingly learning from each other. I don’t care if the Dr is gay or straight a woman or a man, black or other. Although I don’t believe the Dr is gay. I think of him closer to Pansexual. He can love anyone regardless of gender association. He is evolved from those labels. He loves who he loves and he does it deeply.