Doctor Who Season 2 is finally here, and while it’s not rewriting time and space, it might just be the return to form some of us have been waiting for. There’s new companion energy and a robot uprising that’s more than just flashy lights and funny voices. Whether that makes it the bold new beginning the series needed, or just another loop around the TARDIS console, is what I’ve been chewing on.
We’re talking about what they’re calling Season 2 on Disney Plus, which is the whole new Disney Plus numbering and not the classic era stuff, and specifically episode one, “The Robot Revolution.” This is our reentry into the Gatwa era after the not so subtle reboot that came with last year’s three specials and the inaugural season. Let’s just say I had really mixed feelings. You can go back and check those episodes, watch the playlist, and you’re going to know exactly what I’m talking about.
This week’s episode is already shaping up to be a more confident start. I don’t necessarily like every single choice they made, but they definitely felt like choices that were more familiar to me. And while this episode didn’t blow me away, it did something Season 1 rarely managed to do, which is make me curious about what’s next. Legitimately, I’m excited for next week’s episode. I’ve seen the trailer and the promo, and hopefully you have too. No spoilers. But I’m sitting here going, oh, okay, let’s see. Last year I didn’t really care too much. So there’s that.
Queen of a Planet, Thanks to Her Ex
Belinda Chandra (I’m sorry, Miss Belinda Chandra), our brand new companion, played by Varada Sethu, is accidentally named queen of a planet thanks to a star registry gift from her ex. Yeah, you heard that right. This planet is home to a society of pretty helpful, increasingly erratic robots. They’re a little cartoonishly designed, and I’m totally here for it. The planet takes that star registry literally and welcomes her as royalty.
That does several things right out of the gate for me. This is definitely Russell T Davies, the showrunner and writer, doing that thing where he lays groundwork, because we never know why or for what reason the robots started on this mission. We just know there’s a lot of time shenanigans happening with it. So it’s a very Doctor Who premise: quirky, a little silly, grounded in something that ultimately goes sideways. Very sideways.
Belinda doesn’t want the crown. She doesn’t want the responsibility, and she definitely doesn’t want to be stuck in this ridiculous position. The Doctor, of course, being the Doctor, is half amused and half deeply concerned. As things unravel, what starts as bureaucratic comedy turns into kind of a cautionary tale about coercion, identity and control. Or, as Belinda so succinctly pointed out, Planet of the Incels.
The Doctor and Belinda are forced to confront the real power behind the throne, and it’s no surprise when things turn dark. I won’t spoil how it all plays out, but let’s just say things escalate from an awkward sort of marriage proposal, if you will, to the sort of existential threat that exists in true Time Lord fashion.
A Doctor Finally Written for This Doctor
Tone is where this episode really distinguishes itself from last season. Ncuti’s Doctor finally feels like he’s being written for this Doctor, not someone else’s leftovers. He’s still emotionally transparent. Yes, he cries again, but it’s not overdone. His performance is very, very layered. I would dare say almost nuanced. He’s charming, he’s energetic, but with that simmering undercurrent of something darker, and it’s a welcome evolution for sure. He’s doing his own thing, with no David Tennant in it and no Matt Smith impression, and it’s starting to finally click.
Kind of. I say kind of because it’s very difficult to peg who he is as a Doctor. When you sit here and try to pin it down, when you try to say, okay, this Doctor is this, I don’t know yet. It still feels more like he’s Ncuti Gatwa than the Doctor. Ncuti’s a very charming person, and if you see him in interviews, junkets and things like that, he very much comes across as that character. Meaning his own character, not the Doctor.
Call Her the Nurse
The dynamic with Belinda is definitely fresh, that’s for sure. She’s not the wide-eyed recruit. She doesn’t instantly fall in love with the magic of the universe. She’s very skeptical, she’s grounded, and she pushes back. After what we went through with Ruby last season, who often felt more like a cipher than a character, that’s a welcome change.
There’s that whole scene where they’re underground in the rebel encampment, so to speak, and it’s really just kind of a glorified tunnel. Belinda jumps right in and does the introduction thing. That’s the part we saw in the promos where she’s like, “Well, you can call me the nurse.” Because she’s actually a nurse, which I thought was really cool. And what does she do? She doesn’t sit there trying to figure out what’s going on. She’s just like, hey, is this basically human physiology? Okay, cool. I’m going to go do my job now. And she runs around trying to help people. I thought that was really clever. I thought it was good.
Visually, the episode leans into retro sci-fi stylings. The robot designs feel intentionally dated, which I like. I actually think it works really well. Charmingly so, to be honest. The sets are very colorful, and there’s a lot of green screen happening here. They’re not cartoony, but they border on cartoony, if that makes any sense. Ultimately the world feels very tactile, and the direction this time doesn’t rely on a flurry of editing to sell emotion. It allows moments of breathing, which I thought was kind of cool.
Where It Loses Its Footing
Not everything lands, mind you. There’s a subplot with the workers, there’s an allegory here, and it veers a little bit too close to what I lovingly call Planet of the Incels. It’s not overly toxic, but the commentary is muddy, only because the whole episode isn’t so much about that. And I’m okay with that, too.
They did this last season also. I’m thinking specifically of the internet, social media episode that ends with this very clearly racist undertone, or overtone rather. While there were things that seeded it through, it’s almost like the episode wasn’t about that. Same thing here. There’s definitely stuff going on, and the metaphor about toxic control is kind of clear, but the execution loses its footing. It’s not really enough to sink the episode. It’s definitely noticeable.
The pacing drags a bit in the second act. Once the core mystery’s revealed, once we know what they’re dealing with, the momentum stalls. By that I mean we spend an awful lot of time in that underground bunker, where the Doctor’s talking to her, trying to figure some things out, and she’s rebuffing him. It felt like it should hit harder. Then all of a sudden the climax happens and things wrap up a little too neatly. The stakes that kept being presented to me didn’t feel genuine, either. At no point was I afraid of what was happening.
I feel like that’s always been the nature of Doctor Who and this episodic thing, you know.
Classic Structure, Modern Sensibilities
What makes this premiere really work, I think, is that it feels like classic Doctor Who structure with modern sensibilities. The themes are bold, the performances are confident, and most importantly, it made me want to watch next week, which I feel like is what these are actually all about.
So look, this isn’t the best season opener the show’s ever had. It’s definitely not “The Eleventh Hour.” It’s not “The Pilot.” It’s not even “Rose.” But I would argue it’s a solid start, and after a first season that often felt unsure of itself, that’s kind of a big deal.
Ncuti Gatwa is growing into the role beautifully. Varada Sethu is a great addition who brings grounded tension to the dynamic. She’s not doe-eyed, and she’s not waiting to be taken to the stars.
So while the episode has its bumps for sure, it also has a pulse, if that makes sense. It’s alive in a way the show hasn’t really felt in a while. The show still has a lot of growing to do under this new era, and who knows if it’s going to get the opportunity or not. I don’t know. But at least it’s moving forward instead of spinning its wheels.
If this is the new normal, I’m cautiously optimistic, and I haven’t really said that about Doctor Who in a long time. Take it for what it’s worth.
The Verdict
Doctor Who Season 2, Episode 1, “The Robot Revolution,” gets a 7.5 out of 10 on the Know-It-All Index.
It’s confident and clever, and it’s just weird enough to feel like Doctor Who again.
Did Belinda win you over? Is this the energy you want from Ncuti’s Doctor? And if you had a star named after you, what planet would you accidentally rule? The conversation lives in the comments on the video above.
