Doctor Who: Season One (Series 14)

As I said previously, I had not had a chance to watch all of the new episodes of Doctor Who before this week. However, now I have! I am able to give more context to opinions I have!

And I am going to rate the hell out of these episodes! From 1 (worst) to 10 (best!)

Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who Season One. You have been warned.

Series 14 (Or Season One as they call it) is made up of the Christmas Special and eight episodes. It stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday. As a whole, I loved the season. There was an overarching story that was fun to follow, and so many threads and questions that for the most part were tied up neatly at end of the season. There are amazing performances from the main stars of the series, and supporting guest stars. And the stories were enjoyable as well.

The Church on Ruby Road: 9/10
This was our first solo introduction to Ncuti as the Doctor, and his vibes as the Doctor are on point. (As are his outfits.) It was probably the episode that emotionally resonated with me the most. Ruby Sunday is already a super likeable character, and her story as a “foundling” as most refer to her in the episode really resonates with where the Doctor is in his life (post-Chibnall writing.) Their on-screen chemistry is already pretty solid, which is amazing to see, because if the Doctor and his companions don’t have that stellar chemistry, it hurts in the long run. Ruby’s foster family is also a high point of this episode (Carla and Cherry are played by Michelle Greenidge and Angela Wynter respectively) as Cherry has a few moments of comic relief, while Carla really adds that emotional punch when the story takes that turn. This episode had me celebrating way too early, because I realized that things had been solved but there were still twenty minutes left. And those twenty minutes… OOF. The song in this episode was very expected of goblin time-pirates, and I enjoyed it more than the twist song that happens later in the season. Plus, this song better showcases Ncuti and Millie’s singing.

Space Babies: 6/10
As an episode of Doctor Who goes, this was a fun and light-hearted one! As one that is the first official episode of the season though? It’s a bit odd, right? Like, for people who missed the previous specials, they’ll see this episode and be like “WTF?” It threw me off a little. But I did like a few things in the episode. The small exploration of the butterfly effect was really fun, and a silly nod to when Martha and Bill questioned their Doctors. (RIP Pete. You’re missed by all.) The monster concept was a bit weird to me, but I love that the Doctor reacted to it, and then immediately set about trying to figure out why. The babies were adorable, especially Captain Poppy! And I could not help but giggle at the baby actor for Eric who just had the same face for the whole of his screentime. Nan-E/Jocelyn (Played by Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte herself, Golda Rosheuvel) was a highlight of the episode, both with the language filter and just how comedic her part was for the most part. This episode marks the part where people probably started to notice that actress Susan Twist was showing up more often than most actors in Doctor Who do normally. Overall, it’s not a bad episode.

The Devil’s Chord: 9/10
This episode is possibly one of the strongest this season had to offer, with maybe one or two exceptions. This is thanks to absolutely stellar performances from Ncuti, Millie, and the villain of the week Maestro (played by two time Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon.) Jinkx Monsoon commanded every scene they were in, and looked damn good doing it. The Maestro was actually a terrifying villain. Having this episode be directly related to The Giggle was such an amazing choice, because it showed The Doctor really was messed up by The Toymaker’s attack with the laser. The motivation and the impact of Maestro stealing all music really was a solid element to this episode and I really enjoyed it all. Ruby being a musician who wrote a song as a character for heartbroken lesbians was actually wonderful, and that song and scene were so good. It also went to establish how fucking terrifying Jinkx Monsoon can be when she gets into a role. Now for the things I didn’t like as much? The song “There’s Always a Twist” was not my cup of tea. Also, having the Harbinger foreshadowing in this episode feels a bit clunky (though Jinkx mostly distracts from this here.) I feel like there’s a much sneakier way to hide Harbinger in a name? But that’s a nitpicky thing and really doesn’t affect my opinion of the episode. Also, the dues ex Beatles feels like too easy, with how little they were in the story, but I did enjoy the parts where they were on screen. I just wish they were better utilized.

Boom: 10/10
Moffat can really write good episodes. This episode was not one I thought I would like as much as I did. It’s another really strong episode that has very anti-capitalist messages from near the beginning. Having the Doctor be in such a compromising state, in an environment where it is impossible to keep your nerves in check, made for a stressful episode. I feel like with most Moffat episodes, this one should be experienced for ones self, but I will still say what I can. The technology turning the unlucky soul who steps on it into a bomb is horrifying and clever on the part of Moffat (especially with the Doctor’s non-human physiology.) The twist of the marines fighting with themselves, against their own technology, was a devestating thing to learn (as it had to have been for Mundy Flynn.) Speaking of Mundy Flynn, Varada Sethu is great in this episode and it is not hard to see why she was chosen to be the next companion. And this episode has Susan Twist playing the Ambulances which I feel that the Doctor and Ruby start to see the threads she has across their timelines. I do not have any problems with this episode at the moment. It may be one of the strongest of this season.

73 Yards: 8/10
As a fan of the Sarah Jane Adventures, I have to preface this by saying If you loved this episode, check out the episode of SJA titled “The Curse of Clyde Langer” as “73 Yards” is very reminiscent of it. Millie Gibson leads this episode with one of her best performances of the season. This episode introduced us to a looming threat in Roger ap Gwilliam (played by Aneurin Barnard.) I loved the tie-in with the “Mad Jack” aspect of the broken fairy circle. The emotional highpoint of this episode comes in two-fold where Carla Sunday approaches the woman and flees, followed by a similar outcome with Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Lethbridge Stuart. It really hurts to see Ruby kind of hit her breaking point when the people who are supposed to care for/help her leave. The resolution seems a bit rushed, but the path to it is pretty solid. How cool is it that she decided to use this curse on her to bring down a horrifying future dictator. This was a great episode, though some of it was a bit confusing.

Dot and Bubble: 7/10
I get the criticisms on this episode, however I still believe that this was a good episode. First of all, mad props to Callie Cooke for playing such a unlikeable character that we had to kind of root for in this episode. Lindy Pepper-Bean was absolutely awful as a character, in one of those “love to hate” kind of ways, which I am sure was the point. And then you get to the end and just feel so justified in hating her. The episode concept, itself, was also so good and topical. These young adults are all so reliant on their dot and bubble (Haha! Episode title!) that it makes so much sense that some can barely function without it. Ricky September was done so dirty by Lindy, buuuuut with how the others turned out, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was just as much of a bad person as the others. Maybe less so? But still bad. Some parts of the episode really irk me. Like the question of “How did the slugs arrive?” or “Do they just sit there while all this is going on? Like are they just really slow?” And while there are some complaints that The Doctor is a bit too emotional at the end, I feel like his emotions are just right. He saved this bunch, and he wants to continue to save them. Then the truth hits him and he is just… devestated by it all. It’s another example of Doctor Who presenting a group of folks who don’t want (or deserve) to be saved.

Rogue: 6/10
This episode was such a mixed bag, because I loved everything except the Chuldur. The idea of these shapeshifting aliens, really just trying to create their own Bridgerton was really kind of a let down for me? Is that weird to say? Like everything else in the episode was nice. Rogue and The Doctor falling for each other was so nice. Jonathan Groff plays the mysterious Rogue so well, and it was a refreshing sight amidst the Chuldur. If you think they fell for each other too fast, you’re wrong. I mean, maybe it was a bit fast, but I still enjoyed it. Cut me some slack! The last on screen relationship I saw a Jonathon Groff character in was with Rachel Berry! Plus, Gatwa and Groff have such good on-screen chemistry with each other, which is so amazing and cool. The earrings having a combat setting was a wonderful touch. And Ruby pretending to be a Chuldur was a smart move. That ending though. OOooooh. I was so sad with the ending. It was so noble, and I really REALLY need an episode that sees The Doctor find Rogue. Because wowie, wow, wow! I need that in my life.

The Legend of Ruby Sunday: 9/10
This episode ties pretty much every loose thread from the whole season together in one big scary tapestry. There are a lot of characters that shine in this one, but my favorites (aside from The Doctor and Ruby) are Susan Triad (played by the ever present Susan Twist) and Melanie Bush (played again by Bonnie Langford.) The connections between all of the past depictions of characters played by Twist made for an interesting mystery that culminated in tease for a possible companion return (the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan) but ended up being so much worse. Having Susan just be a normal and kind woman was a great choice, because it added more confusion to the mystery. Melanie shined as only a former companion could and reminded people of why they loved her. (I love herrrr!!!) Jemma Redgrave also returns, but I feel like she has more of a backseat amongst the other twists and meat of the episode. But the clincher of this episode is the big reveal. I kind of don’t want to say it here because the last five minutes of the episode are so iconic and just change absolutely everything.

Empire of Death: 6/10
This episode did not live up to the amazing cliffhanger from the previous episode. It wasn’t bad. It just had some things that didn’t make sense. Or things that felt a bit rushed. Once again though, there were some solid performances. In a controversial twist, I don’t hate the reveal of Ruby’s mother. I think it makes sense, and while the explanation seems like a copout… it still makes sense to me. Plus, it’s a real thing that some people never are able to find even one of their birth parents after being abandoned. I am just happy they ended up resolving that plot point. The Memory Tardis making its debut in the show was a nice nod to the anniversary and I liked it a lot. Seeing the Doctor, Mel, and Ruby sitting around and talking made me happy. Gabriel Woolf voices our villain of this two parter, “The One Who Waits” and does a fantastic job. Once again, Mel is a standout thanks to Bonnie Langford. It almost made me cry when I realized she’d succumbed. While I think the resolution was so rushed, I also believe that the scenes that lead up to the resolution were nice. Especially when it came to the “Great big god of nothing” scene. Unfortunate that I wasn’t a huge fan. But it happened, and it works as a finale. Ruby leaving the TARDIS made sense, and it still hurts.

There are other thoughts I have but didn’t want to fit them in one episode. Susan Twist’s role this season was one of the best parts by far. This season’s classic villain reveal is one best in the whole show. Leaving the mystery of Ms. Flood up in the air really makes me anxious for the next season. I am a bit curious as to how the “bring death to death” will work in the continuity of the show. Because actions that big will surely bring back something from the dead. Or someone.

Eight episodes and a special was way too damn short for this season and I need more time with Ncuti’s Doctor. DISNEY. GIVE ME MORE!

What did y’all think of this season? Let me know! I need people to chat with about Doctor Who!