The Eleventh Doctor interrupts some Pizza, Booze, Telly in this incredibly polarising episode of NewWho
Doc cranks the flirting up to Fifteen while some posh birds hatch a plan for homicidal Bridgerton cosplay
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Oh, my Bridgerton, doesn’t 1813 Bath seem a wee bit familiar? With the dances, scandals and old-timey modern music, you might be mistaken for thinking you’ve fired up the wrong subscription service. But that’s our Doc on the dancefloor, about to cut a rug with that handsome chap from Mindhunter. So put the remote down, grab your hand-embroidered 13th Doc and Yaz cushion, and get ready for the most flirtatious ride of Doc’s life!
You see, Doc and Ruby aren’t the only people out of place in this setting. First up, there’s the roguishly charming bounty hunter called, well, Rogue. 1 out of 10 for name choice but 10 out of 10 for looks, wit, and fancy spaceships. This debonair chap oozes such confidence you could cut the sexual tension twixt him and Doc with an ermine glove. And wait, he’s a nerd, too? Someone please change my seat cushion because I just wet myself in with excitement! Obviously, Rogue quickly turns Doc’s head, and their flirtatious banter is flying so fast you’ll have to duck to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Rogue’s bounty is some cosplaying birds, aka the Chuldur, who haven’t so much crashed this party as crashed a handful of the unwitting attendees. Once the drama of this soiree has run its course, these shapeshifters intend to take their body-snatching show to London, Europe, and the rest of the British-hating world. So, the question on everyone’s lips is, can Doc and Rogue tear their eyes away from each other long enough to stop them?
[I’m away at the mo, Podcastland, but I’ll pop your fabulous minis here below as soon as I’m back! Big Hug /Leon]
Alright, Alright. I’ll admit that despite my amazing track record of being so right so often, that MAYBE, just maybe there’s something off in the fact that everyone, everywhere loves this episode and I hated it. Quite possibly it was me. Maybe I was tired or grumpy when I said it “wasn’t Dr. Who” and others can be quoted saying it’s a “return to form”. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.
SO, I’m willing to give this episode another chance… just not today. We’ll see
Liked it.
No notes.
Love pod.
xoxo,
Joseph
L.A., California
Rogue: Daft as a Regency chimney-brush, with Millie given nothing to do except repeat ‘Bridgerton’ for the trailers, but somehow it works. Gatwa is just so damn good here: utterly convincing and moving. 3.9 dastardly cads out of 5.
I’m excited to see what other listeners (and you guys, of course) think of this episode if they aren’t Bridgerton fans. As a big fan of the ‘ton, this episode is wonderful and joyous, a pitch-perfect episode of Bridgerton elevated by the invasion of some angry birds and a heart-wrenching space romance. I’m not sure if non-subscribers to Lady Whistledown’s column will have enjoyed it on the same level, but I think that, even if taken as just a Doctor Who episode, this is great!
The big highlight of the episode is Doc and Rogue, which plays out so sweet and so wonderfully. Their chemistry and the way they move from enemies to team-up buddies to hot, scandalous heartbreakers in 45 minutes made this episode the diamond of the season! I really hope we see more of him in the future, and I hope it’s still written by a guest writer; If there’s one main thing Dr Who needs going forwards, it’s more writers. Maybe that’s too harsh of me, but still.
4.6 as a Bridgerton fan/4.2 on the basis of it as a Dr who episode. So 4.4?
Ok starting off strong with this one. Even though the cold open immediately reveals the bad guy, this one exudes scary mystery, and I’m on board.
We get a very Doctor-y moment when he warns Ruby not to accidentally invent tarmac.
HfA recognizes King George from Hamilton as Rogue. I love the interplay between Rogue and Doc. (yes I’m going to call him Doc, I’m out here in podcastland and he can’t hear me) I didn’t realize how much I needed this Harkness type of vibe again.
A lot of references in this one. Maybe too many?
1. The Kylie Minogue music nods to her guest appearance with the 10th Doctor
2. Modern music arranged as string quartet, including a song literally from a Bridgerton episode
3. Everything goes dark around the focus characters is a Bridgerton move
4. The song Pure Imagination when they enter the flying elevator- I mean TARDIS
5. OMG are the villains The Featheringtons??
Complaints:
I’m actually really surprised Doc didn’t immediately decide to search for Rogue. The dude made a direct request: “Find me.” Matt Smith would have sought out five people who owed him a favor, twisted the arm of a sixth, then enlisted them all into helping him track down this guy. I get that he has a time machine so he can do this whenever, but he really doesn’t act like he’s going to, and that’s disappointing as a character trait.
Baffling:
There are a few things in this episode that are just not possible unless this is a TV show. Modern music should not be able to just play while they are back in time. The room should not actually go dark as we focus on two characters. Doctor Who visited fourth wall breaks once with Hartnell in The Feast of Steven and kind of left them behind until this season. I’m still undecided on how I feel about this.
Favorite line:
“I know the word okay”
Rating:
I misidentified Poker Face as Polka Face, the Weird Al cover. (No lyrics featured means technically I’m correct?…)
The episodic algorithm dumps us in a Shonda Rimes joint where Space Birds of a feather frock together; Ruby A. Anderson totally knows Kung-Fu, and The Doctor gets his knickers in a Twist for Agent Smith 2.0.
Strange men “lying” in triangular ponds distributing swordy looking rings is no basis for a system of romantic entanglement. But gosh – that Johnnie Groff – what a honeypot!
“Rogue” is a tale about changing faces, swapping identities, the power of lust and the friends we lose along the way.
It’s quick. It’s fun, and it’s got just a hint of intent to commit mass murder.
I really enjoyed this episode. Everything from the Top of the Pops Top 40 to the Birds of Eat/Prey/Love. Shalka. When the floor fell.
I do find it interesting that The Boss’s Bounty Hunter opted out of the Hot Mail quick drop at the sight of a Wild Tennant. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
4.7 out of 5. No more trauma, but only last-minute Millie could help The Doctor face his sad thoughts. Literally no one else.
Hi everybody,
Sound the New Writer(s) klaxon, everyone. Hooray!
UPS:
• Rogue was a fun character and his interplay with the Doctor was entertaining.
• The mostly light-hearted, frothy tone.
• I enjoyed the Chuldur as a monster species with their daft yet amusing plan to cosplay the Earth to death. Indira Varma’s theatrical performance as the Duchess was particularly entertaining.
• Ruby was great in this episode. Millie Gibson has been a delight to watch throughout this series.
• The Doctor was fun to watch in this episode as well.
• I liked the inclusion of Richard E. Grant amongst the Doctor’s past incarnations, presumably referencing the Doctor from the animated Scream of the Shalka. I haven’t actually watched it yet but this was an effective reminder.
DOWNS:
• As strong as Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff’s performances were, the Doctor – Rogue romance wasn’t fully convincing to me. It just felt out of character for the Doctor to be flirting so overtly with someone and falling in love with them after a few hours at most.
• It’s a nit-pick regarding the script, but several references to Bridgerton and none to Jane Austen? Are the writers assuming that younger Doctor Who viewers today are only familiar with Regency England romantic literature because of Bridgerton (I’m in my early 30s and have never watched Bridgerton)? I feel that pointing out similarities to a currently popular TV series will only cause this episode to age very poorly in the future.
Overall, this was an enthusiastically performed and entertaining romp of an episode but with a romance that left a lot to be desired.
RATING:
2.9 Bird Alien Head Twitches
Hi folks
What’s this? A normal Doctor Who story, in this series/season? Good grief. That feels nice after two Doctor lite eps. A big issue with series is the reduced episode count making the series feel squashed with no time to let things breathe.
Haha, Rogue is named himself after D&D. Just thinking, the Doctor would have a very high high stats and Ruby would just pass her roles. Rogue himself feels sort of like captain jack and does seem a good fit for the Doctor, particularly this one. As for Doctor and Rogue, why not? I personally feel the Doctor should either be nearly asexual or pan, not the very heterosexual version we had under Moff. The Doctor keeping the ring feels like a reference to the Aztecs where the First Doctor accident gets engaged.*
The Chuldar are interesting and I like that they are just there to have fun and mess around. Even if that gets lots of people killed, they don’t care.
As someone who hasn’t watched Bridgerton, I did find the constant references slightly annoying and wonder if it might people some people off.
My score after one watch is 4/5 rolls of d20s
*Another podcast I listen to has pointed out each episode this series has referenced the corresponding story in Hartnell’s first season. The Aztecs is the sixth story and Rogue is sixth episode.
Cheers
Kieren