Character-lite episodes. Penultimate suspense. Companion characterisation. Gods and science. Was this episode worthy of a wish?

(00:00:00) What we liked

(00:12:49) Doubts, plot, storytelling, villainy

(00:19:50) Omega, gods, science, mythic register

(00:25:42) Belinda companionship, garbling, drama confusion, Nursedoc

(00:33:50) Ruby in 2025 S2, S1-S2 links

(00:42:30) Conrad, wish baby, Flood hugs, political commentary, encampment

(00:53:19) Non-politics, generational differences

(01:03:49) Production design, aesthetics, Belinda screaming

(01:13:50) The Ranis

(01:23:35) Episode structure, Chibnall era comparisons, Omega reveal

(01:32:01) Poppy, family, adoption, motherhood, wishes, Vindicator, sci-fi power

(01:39:30) Ncuti's wishes, season 2 development

(01:47:35) Visual storytelling

(01:56:28) Ending countdown, contrived suspense, Harry Potter, doubt

(02:00:37) Too early to judge, Belinda's doubts…

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'The kind of episode you should never do a sequel to'. Continuing mining, drama avoidance, gun storytelling, script development…was The Well a diamond in the rough, or a worthy sequel?

(00:00:00) The episode's identity

(00:04:15) Contrasts with Midnight

(00:13:56) The entity's physical form and methods

(00:21:48) Aliss and the entity's escape

(00:27:33) Misremembered throwback to RTD1

(00:34:53) Avoidance of Belinda drama

(00:40:19) Militaristic stories with a sonic mouse

(00:44:52) How the script came to be

(00:50:29) Being "classic" Doctor Who

(00:57:50) Visual and musical moments

(01:03:44) Warriors of the Deep

(01:09:52) Metatextuality

(01:15:14) Flood, signing on screen, sign off

…

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New storytelling, ghostwriter mythos, dialogue density, clipshow climaxes, different approaches to gods...how does The Story & the Engine do Doctor Who differently?

(00:00:00) New writer, Dot and Bubble comparisons, Doctor outside Doctoring

(00:08:42) Hose, tie-in short story, Omo, commercialised storytelling

(00:11:17) Haircuts, barbershop, African setting, density of ideas

(00:18:13) Dialogue focus, place in Doctor Who, continuity, Doctor returns

(00:27:47) Storytelling, Belinda, Gods, science

(00:38:55) Generational trauma, reproducing exploitation, Omo betrayal

(00:45:18) The Barber villain, 'ghostwriter', web, villain forgiveness

(00:53:57) Pacing, 'hurt people hurt people', companion dialogue, Ncuti performance

(01:01:29) Captain Poppy, clipshow climax, life stories, fan responses…

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UNIT politics, grifting, didactic Doctor, conspiracy confusion, youth movements, valuing the ordinary, conventional heroism...who is Lucky Day's audience, and what is it saying to them?

(00:00:00) Refreshing episode

(00:06:23) Overdosing on doccy who, UNIT critiques to come

(00:14:11) Episode structure, conspiracy confusion

(00:23:13) Grifting, psychoanalysis vs ideology

(00:30:05) UNIT politics

(00:44:50) Kate, moralising violence, justifying secrecy

(00:56:21) Didactic Doctor speech to Conrad, ordinary & extraordinary

(01:05:37) Think Tank, conventional protector heroism

(01:12:30) Family, housemates, Belinda, Flood, Missy

(01:28:09) Youth movements, mundanity, rationalisation

(01:35:21) Awkward climax, Brigadier, romance Conrad, readings

(01:44:13) Closing thoughts…

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Torture, honey, morality, physicality, camp, regression, edginess… there’s lots to discuss in Juno Dawson’s Eurovision episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who.

(00:00:00) Thoughts, plot, Die Hard

(00:06:19) Belinda, character interiority

(00:11:34) ‘Wonderful’ cool Doctor, sidelining morality drama, gendered characterisation

(00:21:21) Eurovision context & politics

(00:35:27) Honey, Hellia, sponsorship, ideology

(00:46:49) Fifteen characterisation, novelty vs regression, ‘scary’ Doctor

(00:58:51) Torture scene, neutralising drama, The Good Doctor

(01:08:05) Imagery & physicality in the torture scene, icy heart

(01:22:16) Cora’s song, resistance, Andor

(01:30:11) Camp, writing Belinda & the Doctor, RTD stasis

(01:41:35) The music

(01:57:46) Susan Foreman, brink of death, Anita Dobson

(02:09:30) Technobabble, side characters

(02:19:34) The Ranis

(02:28:38) Another bigeneration, another Delta Wave

(02:37:08) Spectacle, horns, protector, the Doctor’s rage, Nursedoc shipping

(02:45:53) Leak Zone: villains, future, casting, telos…

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Pantheon rules, companion dynamics, rhymes with the past, fandom commentary, liminal nights, aesthetic choices, dodgy lyrics — we discuss all that, & more, in covering Lux, Russell T Davies' second episode of the 2025 season of Doctor Who.

(00:00:00) Similarities to Devil's Chord

(00:07:30) Rules of the Pantheon genre

(00:14:12) Belinda and 15's changed dynamic

(00:22:03) Choices of music

(00:28:21) The fans sequence

(00:35:34) What audience? War Between tangent

(00:41:18) Visuals and details we appreciated

(00:46:25) Belinda's nursing expertise

(00:48:55) Handling of racism

(00:53:21) Liminal, marginal, Scooby Doo camp

(00:57:38) "Planned leaks" delusions

(01:02:13) Issues with Pantheon & vibes storytelling

(01:12:15) Dodgy lyricism

(01:13:50) Mr Pye, PoV for the Target novel

(01:20:15) Performances of the two leads

(01:24:31) Spoons arc & outro

…

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The #GetBelindaHome arc, companion dynamics, new aesthetics, mechanical pathos, and the looming future of the show — we discuss that, and much more, in covering The Robot Revolution, Russell T Davies' 2025 Doctor Who Season 2 premiere.

(00:00:00) Intro & initial thoughts

(00:02:29) Belinda & her dynamic with 15

(00:12:47) #GetBelindaHome ‘arc’

(00:22:37) Belinda's character arc in the episode

(00:27:32) Time fracture contrivances

(00:33:55) The unreasonably cool visuals

(00:39:02) Handling of themes

(00:47:49) Bizarrely convoluted plot

(00:51:21) Belinda's mature response to the Doctor

(00:58:47) 15 being told off; implications of Mundy

(01:04:55) Sasha-55, mechanical pathos

(01:13:17) X-ray blanket; Sutekh noise

(01:16:58) The spectre haunting Who

(01:31:21) Leak zone begins: Season 2 leaks timeline

(01:40:30) Leaks: Episode 3

(01:43:56) Leaks: Mrs Flood

(01:48:27) Leaks: Eps 3, 5, 2, 6

(01:52:00) Leaks: Finale antagonist

(02:04:06) Leaks: Ending surprises

(02:12:21) Leaks: Critique of the idea

(02:19:32) Leaks: Aftermath, spinoffs

(02:23:40) Outro…

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How did characters develop in the 2024 season? Promises of novelty, universe expansions and contractions, character conflict, audience relationships, storytelling worlds, & much more is discussed in this look at the second year of Russell T Davies' return.

(00:00:00) Overall feelings on S1

(00:05:12) Expectations & reality of RTD’s return

(00:11:20) Promises of newness vs. the outcome

(00:15:21) Considering 2024 S1 against other seasons

(00:19:56) Tracking S1’s narratives

(00:21:01) Church: Ruby & 15’s worlds

(00:28:34) Church: character conflict

(00:32:48) Space: story & arcs

(00:40:03) Space: character conflict

(00:42:30) Chord: Ruby & 15’s development

(00:46:45) Boom: Moffat’s take on Ruby & 15

(00:52:42) Boom: character conflict

(00:54:48) Yards: Ruby’s acceptance

(00:59:03) Bubble: Ruby’s acceptance

(01:03:43) Rogue: heart-to-heart moments

(01:07:27) Legend: arc focus & Susan

(01:12:57) Empire: story, arcs, character

(01:26:06) Strengths of 15’s character

(01:32:46) Fourth wall + editing

(01:39:23) Comic-Con: canon, friendship, Star Trek

(01:42:51) Comic-Con: RTD reflections

(01:56:08) Comic-Con: Whoniverse, announcements, IP, acting, leaks

(02:20:06) Mel, family, VHS

(02:23:32) Doctor Who at the Proms (2024)

(02:57:44) Bubble’s premise, 15’s characterisation, Yards’ ambiguity, S1’s shape

(03:13:37) The spinoff

(03:30:19) Season 3 + reflecting on the revived series

(03:35:20) Wobbly empire + audience relationship + streaming bubble

(04:09:31) Individual seasons as individual ‘worlds’

(04:22:12) Looking forward …

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Digital ghosts, emotional logic, character regression, James Bond, four-point stars — how does Steven Moffat's fiftieth episode of Doctor Who hold up?

(00:00:00) Moffat's fiftieth episode

(00:03:28) Vignette structure + recalling past eras

(00:09:37) Joy's hotel room

(00:12:51) COVID confrontation + Joy's characterisation

(00:19:38) Repeating themes & development across the show

(00:28:37) Regression intentionality

(00:37:01) Many companions + James Bond

(00:42:32) Anita

(00:48:28) Time Hotel premise

(00:52:42) Same writers + digital ghosts

(01:04:20) AI inspiration + four point star

(01:11:50) Endings & Dracula

(01:18:12) Religion's role in the episode

(01:24:11) Music of the episode + big emotions

(01:37:30) Direction of the episode

(01:46:15) Romance, wood, heaven, mortality…

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Moral misdirection, cancel culture, perspective shifts, ‘male feminism’, weaponised incompetence, theatrical pacing, generational differences, interlocked bullying, & much more are explored in this discussion of Steven Moffat’s 2024 TV series.

(00:00:00) Expectations

(00:06:20) Genesis of the story

(00:22:04) Padding & elongation

(00:30:37) Cliffhangers & perspective shifts

(00:32:35) Attitudes towards Moffat

(00:43:02) Morgan & geekdom

(00:52:44) Toby & feminism

(01:04:33) Douglas & morality

(01:10:55) Daughter Claudia

(01:16:40) Cancellation misdirection

(01:21:01) Moffat & cancel culture

(01:26:16) Timeliness & generational differences

(01:35:06) Self-deprecation & nullification

(01:43:22) Moffat tropes

(01:47:35) Morality, cancel culture, weaponisation

(01:55:05) Bullying

(02:01:37) Social media

(02:04:50) Incompetence + Madeline’s ending

(02:19:36) Audience takeaways

(02:22:11) ‘Equal rights’

(02:27:48) Theatricality & form

(02:31:19) Aesthetics

(02:34:13) The cast

(02:38:40) What’s next…

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