Official Doctor Who Discussion

Episodes 1 and 2 are available now on Disney+ and BBC I-Player. Binged both at Midnight.

Devil's Chord really ought to have been the premiere. Easily the stronger of the two, while Space Babies was an average RTD series opener. If you're in no mood for what it's trying to do, it's cringe, but your mileage may vary of course.

I didn't mind it, even with the gross out toilet humour-based twists and resolutions, but it reminded me a lot of some of the less funny episodes from the DAVE era of Red Dwarf. What saved it was the excellent chemistry between Ncuti and Millie, and there are some peculiar things that connect to Ruby's overall story, such as the Snow from the Church on Ruby's day of discovery following them into their present time and place, or bleeding from memory into reality.

There's an interesting discussion involving The Doctor saying his name was chosen for him by the Time Lords...which walks back on what he told Clara in The Name of the Doctor that he chose it like a promise

Devil's Chord is the show's next big 'myth arc' story, a direct sequel to The Giggle, with nods to lots of Classic Who. Susan. Totters Lane. Toymaker's family. Pyramids of Mars. And a further hint at the twists to come in Ruby's story. She has a song in her heart which makes her 'all kinds of wrong'....and Maestro suspects that another ancient being may have been present at Ruby's birth.

And if we're to expect any more of The Toymaker's legions, they will identify themselves with the Toymaker's giggle...and The Doctor will notably soil his pants and high-tail it

Also sounds like The Doctor can't afford to go through another bi-generation as this one almost splintered him mind, body, and soul

Maestro's scenes with Ncuti were so good, and it's Ncuti's most mesmerising performance yet as The Doctor

My nitpicks:

Why only use Lennon and Mc Cartney as your last minute heroes? What about George and Ringo? Couldn't they have all played together? Maybe on the roof like how they finished their careers so it was a nice book end? That's what I thought the piano being set up for Ruby earlier. Paul was also an arse to The Doctor and didn't even apologize to him at the end.

That song and dance twist at the end may seem random....but if you pay attention, the "Twist at the end" is the re-emergence of Maestro's child, Harbinger, at the close

Just finished watching episode 2. A very solid episode. So it's nice to get a nod to Susan his grand daughter and what not. It was also neat to have the Beatles in the episode and Paul and John save the day. Also I enjoyed the actress who played the maestro. She was so over the top. But it totally worked for her character. And interesting angle all these big baddies being tied to the toymaker. Curious to see how rest of the season goes. And what they do with Ruby.

Boom by Steven Moffat

Terrific episode...well...until the ending, which was just Moffat in smug "I'm back" mode.

-The Lesbian reference was more in the spirit of a Red Dwarf style gag than any sincere attempt to be inclusive

-"I'm not even a Doctor" seemed like that was a jab at all the accusations thrown at the programme and the character that he just doesn't do much in the way of healing nowadays. Mind you, Moffat's view is The Doctor stands for warrior.

-Susan Twist is becoming more and more of a full on antagonist here

-The whole thing about fanatics flooding the algorithm with things that can harm you and creating meaningless wars that don't neccersarily need to involve a real external enemy to combat was appropriate commentary. Get ready for the grifters online to flood the YT and twitter algorithms, proving the episode's points to a precise science.

-New companion Verada Sethu made her DW debut. There's a brief interview with her in Doctor Who Unleashed where she reveals she was hired based off the strength of this episode, but with her character's name here being "Monday" it's obvious this might not be quite the whole truth

Cons

-Story did admittedly peak at Ruby being shot

-Final ten minutes were just explaining everything to the characters and the audience like they couldn't process anything on their own

-Moffat kids with the exception of Young Amy are still irritable and void of acting ability. No girl that age talks like that either.

It's a rehash of Turn Left and Sarah Jane story Curse of Clyde Langer through a Years and Years/Black Mirror lens. I love it when RTD writes characters you're meant to like as awful, highly flawed human beings, really tests the metal of the leads when they aren't fawned over and revered

Too bad Gillium wasn't shown to be as much of the monster the hype and whispers in the episode suggested he was. He's certainly nowhere near the political figure glimpsed in Years and Years

I knew about the racism twist going in from spoilers, but my take on it was I thought The Doctor would have only been represented by his voice or something with Pepper-Bean gradually growing a brain and bonding with him over that. A good way to do it probably would have been after the initial block of The Doctor's face before he can say anything to foreshadow the ending and give the audience a clue.

The end of the episode is super bleak even without the racism, with the Man Traps still devouring people in the Finetime city, and The Doctor convinced the population are just not gonna make it out there rather than be optimistic that the human race can thrive out there in the wild woods.

I think RTD did a masterful job with the lead...there's one point where you think she's developing a brain and becoming a character that'd make for a more interesting companion than Ruby, and then she pulls what happens with Ricky (who RTD does a great job of building as another character you'd like to see as either a companion or The Doctor himself)

Yesterday episode was interesting. And fun plot with the doctor and Ruby trying to stop the aliens in 1813 earth. It was fun to see the bounty hunter guy. And his relationship with the doctor. Was sad to see he sacrificed himself so Ruby could live.