A lot of sci-fi would make commentary on the evils of racism. This episode was about the *stupidity* of racism. These idiots are absolutely going to die out in the wilderness. They are not prepared. Ncuti's performance at the end was so heart-breaking as he understood why they refuse to let him save them.

@bemasaberwyn55

Ай бұрын

Fun fact that was his first scene with Millie

@Johz318

Ай бұрын

How in an all white society did they develop a concept of racism? And if Lindy was being racist she would have specifically said. She doesn't exactly seem the sort to hold back!

@TorIverWilhelmsen

Ай бұрын

@@Johz318 Presumably there was racism on Homeworld (which apparently also the AIs extermiated the population of) which they came for. After all they grew up there before being sent off.

@Sturmjaeger

Ай бұрын

@@Johz318 Racism isn't always blatant. Lindy had a lot of mirco-aggressions. They way she first blocked the Doctor without listening to him. She was constantly dismissive of everything he said, but was willing to listen to Ruby saying the exact same thing. Saying things like "hes not as stupid as he looks" or "when this is over he is so getting disciplined"

@matthewhewitson80

Ай бұрын

@@Sturmjaeger And not realising he was the same person she had previously blocked

I don't normally condone people being eaten alive, but this episode made some compelling arguments.

@silentsoul2196

Ай бұрын

The Dots feel justified too😒

@charleslee8313

Ай бұрын

Aerosmith's song "Eat The Rich" is a fair point.

@ChristyAbbey

Ай бұрын

Team slug!

I loved that Ruby realized they were racist before the Doctor did. She grew up in a black household. She knows. The Doctor has been white-passing for a long time and hasn't had to deal with this. The Doctor's realization that he wasn't going to get through to these people because they had already prejudged him, and the frustration of that realization... Beautifully played by both of them. Oh, and I don't think we'll be seeing these people again. They're not going to survive one day out there.

@teowachowski1143

Ай бұрын

he has been WHITE for a long time, not "white passing"

Ruby’s reaction in the background was almost as heartbreaking as the Doctor’s reaction. Millie and Ncuti were killing it in this episode.

@JeshuaSquirrel

Ай бұрын

Ncuti's performance at the end, showing all those conflicting emotions at once. So incredible.

@seamusburke639

Ай бұрын

Ruby was raised by a black mother. She arguably knew what was happening before The Doctor did, and it made her sick.

@Jim_The_Fish

Ай бұрын

@@seamusburke639I didn’t even think of that aspect. That’s actually a really great point to make. Ruby has had a black mother for a lot longer than the Doctor has been black. This is the first time we see the Doctor on the receiving end of racism, but Ruby would know exactly how and when to clock that.

@matthewhewitson80

Ай бұрын

@@JeshuaSquirrel And it was the very first Dr Who scene he filmed

@mjm3091

Ай бұрын

Mind you this was allegedly first episode Ncuti filmed for this season.

So in case nobody's told you, the scene on the dock is the first scene Ncuti shot of the series. That's his first scene and he just blows it out of the park. Phenomenal. But also watching Millie Gibson in the background of any scene is my new hobby. Her reactions in scenes where she's not the focus are quietly brilliant.

@BassandoForte

Ай бұрын

The art of acting is reacting... 😉👍

And at the end RTD asks us, the viewer. What bubble are you in if you didn’t notice the amount of red flags throughout the episode?

@NicoleM_radiantbaby

Ай бұрын

I do love that it's causing a lot of people to examine their privilege.

@AlaskanWhovian

Ай бұрын

It was really a wake up call for me, I strive to be anti-racist and I didn’t notice until the end and it has made me do a lot of thinking this week.

@KathrynwithaY

Ай бұрын

@AlaskanWhovian I honestly didn't notice until the end, but I think I was looking for something to suddenly happen. That's usually what happens in Doctor Who. I was looking out for the unexpected.

Of all the episodes to be re-watching with Paula, somehow this is exactly the one. All those little signs that they're a bunch of racists are easily missed on a first viewing, but when you know to look for them they really stand out.

@txsportsfreak02

Ай бұрын

In the words of the doctor. Do you get do you get it don't you get don't you get it?

@ksnotrollin.

Ай бұрын

@@txsportsfreak02close enough

@ihateunicorns867

Ай бұрын

I can’t think of another episode that changes so much on a rewatch. What a kick up the ass from RTD. Hey, white people, this is how your own privilege blinds you to racism. Major reality check.

@Jim_The_Fish

Ай бұрын

@@txsportsfreak02Do you get get get it?

@chrisgannon4691

Ай бұрын

Not just racists, white supremacists.

Anyone else think that Ricky was written to sound 'Doctor-esque'? Even that scene where he takes Lindy's hand and they run looks like Nine and Rose running across the bridge in the very first Nu-Who ep in 2005.

@ComedicRick

Ай бұрын

He's literally the white version of the Doctor, so Lindy trusts him implicitly while being rude to The Doctor the whole way through.

@Jim_The_Fish

Ай бұрын

That was completely intentional. He was a white-coded Doctor-like character for Lindy to hang off his every word (until she basically kills him), while almost completely ignoring the Doctor.

@OldManFerdiad

Ай бұрын

@@Jim_The_Fish glad other people are seeing it too. I thought he was a deliberate contrast too.

@Jantzku

Ай бұрын

I actually thought The Doctor was in a Ricky disguise there.

I think we may have missed a major easter egg. Kat, see in this sounds familiar...a far future civilization with two separate species. The first, bright happy shiny people, without a care in the world, everything provided for them -- but no skills, no learning, no industry or anything requiring knowledge, focus and learning. Childlike, and childish. The second, a horrible-looking subterranean people, nocturnal, hating the light who maintain all the machines that allow the first group to live without that care in the world. Smart, dangerous...and of course, hungry. And their food? The first group. They're both offshoots of humanity, from the upper and lower classes of society, as theorized by a visitor (who is unnamed) The first group is called the Eloi and the second, the Morlocks. And one other fascinating coincidence, the Eloi encounter a strange outsider...with a time machine. From a novella of the same name by Herbert George Wells, in 1895. The first story to popularize the idea of a machine or device to travel in time.

@Ostermond

Ай бұрын

oh. my god.

@TYANTOWERS

Ай бұрын

I read The Time Machine long ago, but I never would have linked it with this episode. Thank you!

I have to give credit to Lindy's actress for being SUCH A REPREHENSIBLE character in 40 minutes. Also I legit snorted when Lindy walked into the pole

Even the Doctor is powerless against the Arrogance of Ignorance. It's actually really clever how it was woven in. Watch it again and pay attention to what she says/how she acts when the Doctor contacts her vs when Ruby does. It looks like, 'arrogant little rich girl' rude, but the reveal at the end makes you realise how much deeper it is and that you don't notice immediately when it's not directed at your demographic or at the very least are willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. In an interview Russel T Davies said "When we cast Ncuti as The Doctor everyone asked, what happens when he goes to the past and ends up having to deal with Racism? Will you address it?" and his response was "What makes you think Racism is only something that exists in the past?"

I for one welcome our new slug overlords.

@mikenelson3632

Ай бұрын

Don't blame me I voted for kodos

'Who are really the monsters' is a theme that pops up in DW from time to time; not sure I’ve ever seen it done so fantastically. I never saw the betrayal of Ricky coming, let alone the final moments of the episode. Great episode.

@NicoleM_radiantbaby

Ай бұрын

It makes me wish they'd kept the original working title 'Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere'.

Re the walking thing... Psychological/perception experiments have been done where people wear distorting goggles, with prisms instead of lenses in them. They take some getting used to (it's difficult to walk properly, and you bump into things), but eventually your eyes and brain adjust. However, once you're acclimatised to the goggles, removing them causes the lack of coordination to return. It does wear off after a while, once your eye/brain combo realises that normal service has been resumed. I imagine that, what with the bubble shielding you from the real world, and you relying on it for navigation, similar effects would apply.

It wasn't just about racism - Finetime had virtually (pun intended) every kind of tribalism: class, wealth, age ("no stinky old people") and cultural - all dangers of living in a bubble (an echo chamber with only people who think and look like you). Oh, and of course not so subtle warnings about social media, AI and transhumanism. Excellent episode. Thanks for the reaction Kat - looking forward to seeing Paula's take.

At first I thought it was silly writing that she couldn’t walk without the arrows in the Bubble… until I realised that the screens are always constantly rotating around her head. If anyone’s ever played something like Guitar Hero for a while and then suddenly looked away from the screen, you might notice how it messes with your vision and orientation. I guess the arrows in the Bubble circumvent that, that and it’s also a long-established movement habit.

@JeshuaSquirrel

Ай бұрын

That is an interesting point. Simulating that in my head, yeah that makes sense.

@liddad

Ай бұрын

That makes perfect sense actually! And would also be why Lindy always goes to the right when she tries to walk, not both directions.

@chazo1367

Ай бұрын

It’s also her safety net, she is so used to the arrows that without them and in such a stressful situation she is disoriented.

@daved2352

Ай бұрын

When I was at university I spent a lot of time playing tetris when taking breaks from work and eventually had to delete it from my computer cos I was seeing tetris block shapes everywhere and it was really intrusive in my daily life. So having a constant bubble being suddenly gone would be very disorientating for sure.

@BaldusCattus

Ай бұрын

I thought it might have worked better if she'd been scared to move because nothing looks familiar and she has no idea where to go or how to get out, but your explanation does make sense of what was shown!

I think the walking thing is more a psychological block due to not having her "comfort blanket" with her. Obviously poor little Lindy has enough muscle memory to know how to walk straight. It's the lack of the guide she's used to and the stress of the dangerous situation that make her falter. And in fact, when Ricky is with her, she's suddenly more agile because she feels confident again.

@stark_harshly

Ай бұрын

It's a visual metaphor for her needing her bubble telling her how to behave.

Presumably Dot was keeping them alive long enough to get the Eater Slug things from Homeworld to the Entitled PoS Kids World. We did see one of the Slugs on screen when the single good character in the episode (Ricky) saw Homeworld. The parents had already been eaten is what I interpreted from that.

Viewers, at the start of the episode: "Oh! It's like 'Black Mirror'. Okay. This should be fun." Viewers, at the end of the episode: "Let's go, Dot! Let's go, Dot!"

There we are thinking she's just a social media obsessed annoying brat, and then BAM!!! The real truth hits us. I was so focused on being annoyed at Lindy and her "friends" for being so annoying, that their lack of diversity didn't even register. So well written, acted, and scored. !! Great solo reaction Kat!!!❤

@stormyjlb

Ай бұрын

Same thing happened to me. And I think as a white person I might not be so quick to notice when everyone else in a show is also white. That realization at the end that they were a racist society made be realize I had not noticed the lack of racial diversity (they did a good job tricking us by showing a degree of gender identity and personal lifestyle ie Goth Paul diversity. And the fact that so many of us (white people) were slow to recognize it is a striking social commentary on its own!

@brynmilford1343

Ай бұрын

@@stormyjlb agreed, but also from a personal standpoint, although I grew up in a relatively small town, my school mates from a very early age included Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Jamaican kids..so I always considered them as just kids, a sort of colour blindness I suppose.

One reactor admitted that, by the end of the episode, they were on Team Slug, due to the attitude of the survivors. :D Was anyone else really annoyed by the fact the Doctor did absolutely nothing to prove he was sane, even if it just meant opening the TARDIS doors? Five seconds to convince them they could really go somewhere else, and neither the Doctor nor Ruby could be bothered? By the end of this episode I was convinced Finetime was some sort of sanctuary. The adults on the home world knew they were going to eventually lose to the slugs, and set up this off-world Ark to try and preserve the species. The whole thing was likely sold as saving the "best and brightest", when the reality would have been only those who could afford it sent their kids off to be saved, while,being sold to the kids as a temporary summer camp style of situation. It would explain the intense security, the idyllic lifestyle, and the fact no one there really knows how to do anything. As for where they are, I think they're some weird offshoot of Vulcans or Romulans based on the green blood they behind. :D Unless that was from the slugs, then they could be from anywhere humans settled which, based on the history of they show, is everywhere. NB: having rethought things, I'm now convinced Finetime is the Who equivalent of the ship of useless Golgafrinchams in Douglas Adams' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. ie simply a way to remove a generation of people who have no skills, either social or vocational, so the rest of the planet could thrive. That both planets ended up being destroyed is simply a delightful coincidence. :D

This episode definitely deserves a rewatch once you've figured it out. Even though I noticed early on that everyone was white, I still didn't pick up on all the racist microaggressions on my first watch. And that's 100% due to my white privilege. This episode has shown me that even though I know I'm not in any way consciously racist, I still need to take a look at myself. Well played RTD, and thank you.

@fibrown444

Ай бұрын

There is also the blue blood when they're killed showing us something too.

@chazo1367

Ай бұрын

RTD showed me I can miss the micro aggressions and I’m glad that I can improve somewhere like that. I’ve never experienced racism and the only racism I’ve seen is blunt with things like slurs, so this was an eye opener.

@SNSWoTClan

Ай бұрын

How do you call them microaggressions? They all just seem to be aggressions to me.

@therealpbristow

Ай бұрын

@@SNSWoTClan They *are* aggressions... But they're not "shoot rather than negotiate", "kneel on his neck"-level aggressions. I dunno where the borderline between micro- and not-so-micro aggressions is generally be considered to be, though. Is it "things small enough that you can pass them off as not intentional" (until somebody notices the recurring pattern)...?

Go slugs! Go slugs!. Dot, could you make them move a little faster, please? 😆

There are none so doomed as those who will not be saved.

This was pretty well written episode, because it wasn't obvious they lived in a racist world. Some people have said the Doctor was over the top at the end. The people who go on about agendas being rammed down their throats still complain even though they had no idea it was about racism until the end. It was well disguised as wary of outsiders, rich entitled people.

obviously love how wonderful the writing was, especially with all the microaggressions seeming more obvious on a second watch. But I’m also loving the literal ✨eat the rich✨ that goes along with it😂

@bemasaberwyn55

Ай бұрын

I completely forgot about that 😂😂

what an episode to do a first solo reaction.

It's not just to do with wealth/class, more to do with skin colour. Everyone in Finetime was white. She is just non-stop awful to the Doctor. She blocks him immediately then only listens when Ruby talks. When he pops back up she couldn't even tell he was the same black guy because they all look the same to her. She asks if he is responsible for the monsters. She is almost appalled that the Doctor and Ruby are in the same room. "I was so right to hate you", She introduces him to the group chat by saying he isn't as "stupid as he looks" and is happy, she "can't wait", for him to get "disciplined" for talking to them all. She's even uncomfortable being near him at the end before she goes on her full on racist rant. Genuinely fascinating to me how some people aren't picking up on the racism until the the end, or at all, until they are told it is there and it becomes blindingly obvious on re-watch. I love that you clocked her being awful early on though. Can't wait to see all the eye-widenings you have on re-watch! ha. I think it's great writing that Ruby catches on to the racism before the Doctor. You see her looking around the room figuring things out as soon as lindy starts talking. She grew up in a black family, the Doctor is new to not being able to walk in to a room and work in to a position of power immediately.

@Johz318

Ай бұрын

No it's not racism. At 5:20 when Ruby has only just introduced herself the girl is straight away rude to her. They're just bratty rich kids who happen to be white.

@JB-ys8ct

Ай бұрын

The whole thing about some people not noticing the racism stuff until the end is exactly what RTD had in mind when writing the episode. It's intendedly written like that because for the people that don't pick up on it straight away, it makes them realise that they have white privilege and it encourages them to step outside their 'bubble' and learn about how people different from them experience life.

@daved2352

Ай бұрын

@@Johz318 Russell T Davis literally said he wrote it to be about racism. It's about racism. The only people denying this are either remarkably stupid, racist, or both. So please reassess your position before appearing to be a person of terribly poor character

@JB-ys8ct

Ай бұрын

@@Johz318 How can you say it's not racism LMAO. So Lindy saying that the Doctor 'isn't one of us', the guy at the end saying the Doctor will 'contaminate them', the girl at the end calling the TARDIS 'voodoo magic' isn't racism?

@ComedicRick

Ай бұрын

​@Johz318 RTD spoke at length in Unleashed about how they only cast white people specifically because it was a race issue. There's lots of little hints to segregation, like Lindy calling them criminals for being in the same room, and the doctors request coming with a warning but Ruby's not

I think what sets this apart from previous “I can save you” moments from the doctor, is that when they’ve offered to save enemies or hostile forces and those forces have been unwilling it’s always been more of a good faith gesture more than anything else. I think this is one of the first times the doctor has ever gotten this far into saving a group and essentially been told “thanks for that but you’re beneath us so we’re gonna just go” without like shooting or something. It’s a funny old world where the Daleks are technically more respectful by having the courtesy to at least hate the doctor for being the doctor. They’re also racist against everything in the universe but because we tend to see them against the Doctor, they have the courtesy to at least hate for a specific reason.

@chazo1367

Ай бұрын

The major difference between these people and the Daleks is that the Daleks are genetically engineered to hate others, these people are taught it growing up. The Daleks are arguably more respectful because they don’t hate a specific race, they hate everything and everyone equally because that’s how they are designed. It wouldn’t matter if they met a black or white human, both die because they hate both.

@robert_bbiii

Ай бұрын

The Doctor will try to save people. Even if they don't want it, appreciate it, or be changed by it.

@Jim_The_Fish

Ай бұрын

“He’s not who you would have chosen to save, is he?” -Mr Copper

@connorblack99

Ай бұрын

@@Jim_The_Fish see but that guy was just a dickhead, kinda similar to the one in flatline. And let himself be saved

Make sure you have plenty of snacks for Paula during the re-watch. There's going to be a lot of stress eating.

It’s interesting how you mentioned Ncuti’s moustache looking good, cause as far as i’m aware it was a fake moustache at this point as he’d just finished filming Sex Education (citation needed)

"Doctor Who legend William Russell has died aged 99, according to reports. The actor rose to fame in 1956 in ITV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, before his most prominent role as Ian Chesterton opposite Doctor Who’s William Hartnell from the BBC sci-fi show’s first episode until 1965. Russell also held roles in The Great Escape, 1978 film Superman and as Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street. He reprised his Doctor Who role in 2022 in special episode The Power of the Doctor, 57 years after his character’s last appearance" Source: Metro.

I had assumed that the slugs existed on the planet the dot just let them in the forcefield, then they just sat and waited for the dot to feed them the kids.

@TorIverWilhelmsen

Ай бұрын

But it also seemed from the screen from the devastated Homeworld that the AIs had bred the slugs there, too, and wiped out the humans.

Such a strong episode. This and 73 Yards justify RTD's return in the showrunner position alone for me - I had previously been... Concerned... that it was going to feel like retreading old ground rather than pushing into a new direction, but... Yeah, no, I'm very happy to have been fully proven wrong on that one.

We're all so media savvy that we've seen redemption arcs so often that we expect them. And RTD teases one, here - so close and we're right with her, hoping she'll learn and grown and THEN,.... SLAM. Nope. Not happening. She's an utter monster and WORSE than we'd expected! Beautiful writing. Top tier writing. Wonderful stuff and a straight 10/10 score from me.

At this point, I'm taking Daleks and Cybermen over Lindy Pepper-Bean...

And then right after all that, boom: Birdgerton.

out of all the "enemy aliens" the show has proposed, these are the first I actually would want to be real

What I love about this one is how, even with the clues I spotted, I put them down to things other than (direct) racism. It really made me thing about my privilege blindness, which is quite something in a "silly little sci fi show"!

Incredible twist where you find out who the real villains and it ain’t the slugs.

The dot let the slugs in from the wild and is controlling them, that’s why it’s alphabetical because no matter how clever AI is it’s still a computer.

That being a uni campus near me makes this hilarious. IIRC Beach is not five minutes walk east of there.😂

If people watched this and saw themselves in the people of Finetime, and got offended by that, they really need to spend more time understanding why people take issue with them.

Just a few thoughts, bear with me, I'm old :) To the haters out there who say "Dr Who hates the fans, Dr Who has become woke" I'm a fan, I don't feel hated, and way back with the first Dr, Verity Lambert, a woman, was the first producer, and Waris Hussein, a gay Indian man, was one of Verity's directors. Also, snippets of dialogue by today's standards would be considered "woke". If woke means not being asleep, or in a coma from "drinking the Kool-Ade overdose, then I'd rather be woke.

@simonbeaird7436

24 күн бұрын

Other old person here, agree 100%.

I wont pretend that I watch Dr Who (Tom Baker was my Dr I'm so effing old) but my best friend tweeted they're Team Slug, and it made me happy to see you are too. It shows you to be girls of excellent taste.

Definitely curious to see Paula's reaction to this episode, I can imagine a lot of rage coming from her end once she seeing the last 5-10 minutes. And I'm interested to see how you'll find the episode Kat, now you know the twist and can spot all the signs of the Finetimers' causal bigotry. Regarding the next time trailer, the actress who caught your attention is Indira Varma, a fairly notable character actress who's appeared in shows like Torchwood, The Legend of Vox Machina, and yes Game of Thrones. Also, you were correct in that she has appeared in the Star Wars universe - she was in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series that most people probably forgot existed, where she played a rebel who was secretly part of an Underground Railroad type thing for young Force sensitive people

Turns out the Dot and Slugs were the hero's all along

@fallofcamelot

Ай бұрын

I'm Team Slug

@anonagain

Ай бұрын

I was rooting for the lamp post.

@BubuBORG

Ай бұрын

Sometimes you gotta trust the algorithm.

Kat needs a companion? I never realized they were The Doctor. Should we start a petition now to make them the next Doctor after Gatwa's run?

Imagine if Paula's absence had come along with last week's episode. Given the themes and Ruby's experience during that episode, watching alone would have been terrifying.

Who else thought Ricky September was one of the slugs using a psychic trick like the alien that tried to eat Dave Lister's brain by making him think it was a childhood crush? Great episode. Like the Doctor sang, there's ALWAYS a twist

@bemasaberwyn55

Ай бұрын

I thought he was the Dr

Kat asked "Where are they getting their resources?" Ever seen the movie Soylent Green? Also, during Eccleston's run the Dr and Rose went to a space station, thought they solved the problem, went back later...new problem.

I started off ( as a pre internet oldie ) thinking this is just where we are heading . Lindys character was so subtly revealed , from helpless airhead to throwing Ricky - who was very Doctor like rescuing and reassuring her -under the bus to save herself . She and her compatriots true colours revealed at the end , prejudice and total lack of gratitude don't really come close and the Doctor and Rubys disbelief , and frustration were really well acted .After a rocky start I'm really enjoying the series now , another good episode - Hope the boat sinks . Interesting to see a Kat only reaction to this one , I certainly thought it probably the best yet ,it will be interesting to see what Paula makes of it .Hope you can manage to show that one too .

Lindy is conditioned to follow instructions: She is only obeying orders. We know how badly that has been in history.

@Viperuk80

Ай бұрын

thats the TQ+ lot right now

The woman you recognized from the Next Time IS in Game of Thrones, but she also played Susie in Torchwood. She was one of the original members who died in the first episode and was temporarily resurrected in another episode.

@NicoleM_radiantbaby

Ай бұрын

That's also the second Torchwood person this season, as we had the woman from 'Countrycide' in last week's episode as the bartender/pub owner. P.S. I really love Indira Varma, though! I especially have a softspot for her in 'The Quatermass Experiment' remake with her, Mark Gatiss, and David Tennant (who found out he got the role of the Doctor -- the first time, that is -- while making that film).

@therealpbristow

Ай бұрын

@@NicoleM_radiantbaby Well, it's a "film" now. I watched it go out as a live performance, just like it had been done in the '50s - The first time that had been attempted with a major drama on British TV in decades! =:o} IIRC, there was only one slight line-fluff in the whole thing.

@NicoleM_radiantbaby

Ай бұрын

@@therealpbristow Yeah, they did pretty well with it, I thought (but then I'm easy for Quatermass stories!). I do know that they run a bit under time though, because the cast said they were all a bit nervous, so rushed through many of their lines. 😆

As a newish follower from the UK after your Red Dwarf reactions i've been waiting for this since watching it on Saturday!

Thank you so much… watching this reaction made me slow crawl through the whole episode to re-evaluate the story. And then I caught it. The subtext. What a great camouflage plot. Totally distracts from the real story. I’m placing this alongside episodes like Heaven Sent.

Amazing episode to re watch. The villain is so apparent from the start if you know what to watch for.

The Actress who said wedding was Suzie in Torchwood the killer with the special knife and the magic gloves.

It's takes good writing and acting to make me hate a character as much as I hate Lindy Pepper-Bean.

They won't immediately die but that AI will go after them eventually. It has an incomplete list and it already conquered their homeworld.

Paula’s incandescent apoplexy at the end of this episode is going to be able to power three small towns all by itself 🤣 Serious, incredible banger of an episode. Ncuti and Millie’s performances at the end were transcendent

Two more things I thought about their society; 1. I think their 'jobs' are just busy work set up by their parents to give them something to do, get them out of the way. What kind of work would You trust them to do? Give them 2 hours of 'work' then let them do whatever. 2. Do they have sex? If you've never had a hug, how do you . . .? They literally stay in their bubbles and go on and on about empty things all day, no physical contact. Oh, they're going to die off out there.

Kat! Thanks for the great solo reaction to this episode. Looking forward to seeing you react in real time to Paula's reaction to this one, especially that ending. And, very excited to see some Acolyte reactions from you and your partner.

A point I heard about the walking without the bubble can be equated to when you're using a VR headset for 4 hours and when you take it off, you're ability to walk can sometimes be a little janky until you re-acclimate your bearings. Like your depth perception is off-kilter for a little bit. The same thing could easily happen here except it's on a very long-term scale.

This wasn't just a great Who episode, but a great piece of scifi. Loved our reaction and I cannot wait to see Paula's disgust at the end of her reaction.

This is the first time (at least that they remember) that the Doctor has been the victim of racism. He's witnessed it, he's fought against it, but he's never been the subject of it.

@BassandoForte

Ай бұрын

You're saying the Daleks aren't racist..?? 🤔 They even describe themselves as "the master race" - Very Naziesk...

@MST3K56

Ай бұрын

The Dr was the focus of this racism, the Daleks hate everyone. *shrugs*

@Jim_The_Fish

Ай бұрын

@@BassandoForteI get what you’re saying, but that still doesn’t make the Doctor a victim of racism. This episode however very much did.

@NicoleM_radiantbaby

Ай бұрын

Really hoping for the Martha and Mickey Apology Visit from the Doctor after this.

@joshuajoshua2732

Ай бұрын

Have you not seen "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" the Doctor was a victim of almost being robotised which I think is worst.

I loved those few notes from “The Long Song” during 15s Theme in that closing scene. Murray Gold is a genius.

@KatAlysha

Ай бұрын

He. Is. UNREAL.

@DavidSmith-cx8dg

Ай бұрын

It's making a difference , his music sets the theme of the show so well .

@DerekHartley

Ай бұрын

It definitely hit me hard. It's been so great having Murray back.

The little piece of spittle that comes out of Gatwa and lands on his coat. Justice for Ricky September. They did fo a good job with him. Don't trust him but he shows he understands consent, reads, learns. He'd have gone with the Doctor Also now two episodes with people never being hugged. Wonder if that is connected. Still a sign. A baby never being hugged is sad, an adult explains a lot.

Sooo... Fine time is just a planet of Young Republicans. I for one welcome the slug overlords.

@bemasaberwyn55

Ай бұрын

😂😂 a literal eat the rich planet

Knowing that the final scenes were among the first scenes that Ncuti and Millie shot and Ncuti was still filming Sex Education which limited his availability (reason for there being 2 Dr lite episodes) makes the on-screen chemistry between them even better

The setup gave me Black Mirror : 15 Million Merits vibes but more family friendly, although I was surprised this ended up being almost as dark!

the only bad thing i can say about this episode is the robbed us of the satisfaction of seeing the racist rich kids get got. that would have been so nice to witness. but its more heavily implied then the racism which apparently went over a lot of peoples heads

Indira Varma (who you rightly recognized from Game off Thrones) is also from Torchwood. She was Suzie who was a member of the team in the first episode.

The "WEDDING!" lady is Suzie from Torchwood. She gets shot in the head by Jack in episode 1, I believe? Paula is going to enjoy this episode, but she's going to have an "OMGWTF!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" reaction at the end, isn't she?

This is listed as episode 6 on Disney+ because they are including the Christmas special from this past December on this season list. We still have 3 episodes left in this season

For me this episode pays off my main gripe with 1x01 with 15 saving the bogeyman. Yes it’s a monster, but it’s the first and last of its kind. That repeats here with the finetime kids. The timeless child and death particle stuff still plays on the character to the extent that this renewed value for life is now a core part of them.

Of all the episodes I’m so glad we get to watch you react to this one twice

@KatAlysha

Ай бұрын

Honestly wild that it timed out this way because I am PUMPED for our next watch of it!!!

I highly doubt we will ever see Lindy again, since I thought the implication was pretty clear that they were going to their deaths. There's no way these young, rich kids who never even learnt to walk or think for themselves, are going to survive out there alone in the "wild woods".. Hence why the Doctor tried so hard to get them to go with him instead. However, they literally chose death, over being saved by a black person. It was so awful and so brilliant at the same time, and the Doctor's reaction was heartbreaking. I absolutely loved it.

My first thought on where this episode was going was Logan's run

I totally missed that ending as it was being foreshadowed...I can't believe I missed it as it was happening... Lindy betraying Ricky: I do wonder if the Dot transmitted that because it seemed like Ruby and the Doctor really were on to her...

Great solo reaction. Obviously long live Paula, but you can definitely handle a solo review if the opportunity ever arises again. And what an episode to do it on. A brilliant piece of television. Can’t wait to see Paula’s reaction.

Great job Kat!!❤ Can’t wait for Paula’s reaction 🤬 and I’m loving the BSG, Lower Decks and all the other reactions! This episode just crushed me. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since Friday. Ncuti and Millie are just killin it so far this season.

It was so heartbreaking seeing The Doctor breakdown like that. Even when they were horrible to him, he still wanted to help them. That's one of the things I love about The Doctor, better a broken heart than no heart at all. Justice for Ricky September!

@TorIverWilhelmsen

Ай бұрын

At least he died quickly, though shocked at the betrayal. The others will perish in a more Lord of the Flies fashion.

I’ll be honest, I hated this episode on the first watch. However, taking time to see what other people said, including in the behind the scenes stuff, I reassessed it. I thought it was mainly a satire on over-reliance of social media and technology. But, you then realise all the characters have been white, which is why they won’t listen to the Doctor, but will listen to Ruby more. Massive applause to Ncuti for that powerful ending, full of rage and frustration.

In fact it was not fine. Very much so not fine. LOL it's going to be revisiting and paying attention to the hints Pepper Bean drops. This is one of the wildest episodes of DW to date.

“I normally have a Companion to watch my Dr Who with” we see what you did just there Kat 😉

Gallifrey Gal

@Concreteowl

Ай бұрын

Hurray for the genocial AI driven Slugs.

An old and crumbling parapet Arose out of the dancing sea - And on it's top there sat a flea For reasons which I quite forget But as the sun descended, and The moon uprose across the sky We were alone, the flea and I, And so I took it by the hand And whispered, "On your parapet D'you think that there'd be room for me?" "I cannot say," replied the flea. "I'm studying the alphabet -" But that was long ago, and Saints Have died since then - and Ogres bled. And purple tigers flopped down dead Among the pictures and the paints. Mervyn Peake

There were soooo many overt and subtle signs of racism and prejudice scattered throughout the episode: 1. Lindy was revolted and blocked the Doctor when he first appeared on her feed. 2. Lindy didnt block Ruby. She was more receptive to Ruby when she appeared on her feed. Lindy spoke to Ruby and believed her over the Doctor. 3. When the Doctor appeared for the second time on her feed, Lindy asked him if the monsters "have something to do with you" (she didnt ask Ruby this, just the Doctor) 4. Lindy told her groupcall to listen to the Doctor and that "i know this is wrong and after this is all over he will be so disciplined, i cant wait, and he doesn't look as stupid as he looks" (of course due to the color of his skin) 5. No person of color lived in Finetime 6. Lindy was shocked to learn that Ruby and the Doctor were in the same room together in such close proximity 7. Lindy told the Doctor "Didnt I block you? I knew it. I just thought you looked the same, but you're the same person I blocked. I was so right to hate you." (Implying all black people look the same) 8. When they met, Lindy told Ruby and the Doctor "Gosh, you two, this is strange." (meaning a white and black person working together) 9. And a few more microagressions towards the Doctor before they met in the final scene AND in the final scene where the racism got blatant.

The ending is stunning. The acting is great too. Ncuti gives a brilliant performance. So does Millie showing her empathy for the doctor and disgust at the way he's being treated largely through facial expressions and body language. I get the impression that Ruby really didn't want Lindy Penniwise, sorry Pepperbean and co on the TARDIS after their behaviour, and who can blame her? Anyway a shocking and brilliantly acted episode and finale.

The best Dr Who leaves you scratching your head, or it explodes, at least for a little while :)

Watch Council of Geeks's video on it. She had a great take on it. I think the slugs might have been creatures used to scrub waste or something.

Say what you want about the 12th Doctor and Clara but they would've taken turns double foot dropkicking the main character the moment they realized

You know, from the teasers, I figured this was going to be one of the episodes I skip after an initial watch because, "ehh". But after watching it, I'll have to skip it whenever I am not in an emotional place to be able to watch it (think like Data's daughter episode of TNG). Lindy was able to do the stairs: 1. Because Ricky became her "arrows". 2. Lindy likely just had to "relearn" how to walk without the Dot's algorithm. I don't think that there "isn't money". As I understood it, as they are all rich kids and their parents are all super rich, that the whole "working for money" is a concept they could never understand. And I am SO GLAD that you realize that maybe the slugs and the AI aren't the real enemy in the episode.

Great job flying solo. Tough episode to be on your own for. Looking forward to the two of you discussing it.

@KatAlysha

Ай бұрын

Thanks so much for that 😊

Ncuti was incredible in the last scene

Conveniently, this is one of the best episodes for an on-camera rewatch / first time watch for Paula. I'll definitely be watching Kat's face for reactions to little hints to the ending through the episode. *SPOILER for this episode* I feel the Dot having *created* the slug monsters is the weakest bit of the plot. Feels to me like a plotpoint from an earlier draft that was kept into the final draft. My headcanon is that the slug monsters are native to the Wild Woods, and the dot merely let them into the city and steer the residents of Finetime into them when their time comes. The only snag with that is the appearance of one slug monster on screen on Homeworld.

Your response at the credits rolling was the same as mine. You feel sure he must find a way. But it just goes to show that some people cannot be helped or guided. Well, I guess we already knew that.

I had noticed that Lindy and Ricky both had the same hair color, and the same blue in their tops, and thought I caught that the other girl who walked past a monster was blonde. So I thought, can they not see blonde? That could be problematic. Maybe it's hair dye? But the blonde was on purpose, just for a different reason. The tone changed so hard when Ricky died, but the second twist was a gut punch. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these elements carry over into the next season. Maybe we will get some key context for the bigger story (with shocking twists and revelations) in the season finale, but not full resolutions?

Oh shit, Kat Solo reaction! I’m here for it And it’ll be fun seeing a new Doctor Who reaction with Paula as the “newb” lol been a long time