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My huge Doctor Who episode marathon.


The Friendly Dalek
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World Enough And Time- Wow. This episode is about as perfect as Doctor Who can get. I absolutely adore it. 

The acting is brilliant all around. Michelle Gomez really gets to shine, and Pearl also gets an excellent role. This episode has a small cast, but everyone is utilised perfectly. Moffat provs he is more than capable of building a story around a somewhat complex concept and still making it understandable, and the time dilution idea created by the black hole is very intriguing. It also serves as an excellent plot device, as it allows Bill to undergo a lot whilst the other characters experience almost nothing in comparison.

Bill's story here is actually rather tragic. For those of you who are concerned this is about to go into major spoiler territory. Shooting Bill very early on in the episode certainly helped raise the stakes, and the fact that she spent so long waiting for the Doctor to come to her rescue, combined with the fact that he never did, is very impactful. If their relationship wasn't very strong, it wouldn't have been as effective, but the two of them developed a great bond over the course of this series, so it definitely works. 

I can't talk about this episode without talking about the villains. The Cybermen haven't been this creepy in years, and I love the Mondasian Cyberman design. Bill's conversion was a very risky move on Moffat's part, and I think it worked amazingly. John Simm's return is also excellent done, and he instantly clicks back into his role. This episode is perfect in every way. Acting, pacing, dialogue, I can't fault it.

Overall- 10/10.

The Doctor Falls- This one isn't as good as the previous episode. However, it is still a very strong finale. 

This is Peter Capaldi's episode, and he carries it effortlessly. As far as his performance goes, this is definitely one of the best in my eyes. His speech to the two Masters has rightfully gone down as one of the best. Simm and Gomez also excel as two very different, but equally interesting, Masters. It was nice to go back and see what these two were like after recently seeing another very different yet amazing Master in series 12. I am still hoping we get an answer in series 12 as to where the current Master comes from chronologically, as this still seems like a perfect death for this character. It doesn't fit in my eyes to go from Missy to the completely unhinged Dhawan Master, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens there. 

Pearl Mackie also gives a great performance, and it's very impressive that we can tell how Bill is feeling even when we're seeing her as a Cyberman. Despite the emotionless face, we know enough the character beneath to understand her. That reveal shot in the mirror is great as well. Nardole gets his moments, but he is side-lined in favour of the Masters. It makes sense, but I had hoped for a better ending for this character. That small romance sub-plot he had also seems like a waste of screen time to me.

The direction is very good, and most of the action is well shot. Some sequences could have been removed or shortened, and there are some lines I could have lived without hearing, but for the most part this episode is very well structured. I have some issues with a couple of the plot points here. Firstly, what exactly was the plan for Nardole and other people on the ship? They just had to keep on going up to a higher floor of the ship, although it is re-iterated multiple times that the Cybermen will inevitably reach them. Are we to assume that no one survives this, and Nardole and the others will eventually be reached and killed? I'm also not a fan of the Heather plot. Personally, I think it would have been far more tragic and impactful if Bill died protecting the Doctor, but stayed dead. Moffat can't seem to allow companions to remain dead though, so any potential impact is gone. Instead Bill is now flying around somewhere as a puddle creature. 

This is a very strong episode, and as a finale to series 10, it is near perfect. There are a few problems with some of the writing, and the supporting characters could have done with better development, but overall I really like this one.

Capaldi's Doctor has undergone a complete arc, going from a morally questionable man in series 8 to one who will willingly lay down his life for a few people he barely knows, despite not even knowing if they'll survive, instead doing it simply because he believes it is the right thing to do. That is The Doctor. If any Doctor was to question regeneration, I have no trouble accepting that it would be this one, considering how much this particular incarnation has gone through throughout series 9 and 10. His refusal to regenerate is a very interesting idea. That was previously explored with 10, but I think it is handled much better here. Seeing David Bradley appear as the 1st Doctor at the end of this episode is wonderful, and it leads perfectly into the next episode.  

Overall- 8/10. 

Overall rating for series 10- 9/10.

That high rating doesn't mean I love every episode in this series. The Lie Of The Land is one notable example of that. I gave it that rating because I find the episodes consistently enjoyable, and I often find myself revisiting episodes from this series more than most other modern ones. All of the lead characters are given interesting arcs, and it's a joy to watch them all grow and develop over the course of the series. 

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World Enough and Time - This certainly ranks in my all time favourites list. The acting, pacing, writing, production and direction are all first class.

I agree with your review. The time dilution is an excellent plot device. It's an interesting concept - what is a few hours for The Doctor, Nardole and Missy is years for Bill and makes her fate more poignant. (Also interesting that as a companion Bill has theoretically spent more time with The Master than The Doctor).

Mackie really shines here. It was a risk to kill her at the beginning but that definitely paid off. Gomez, Capaldi and Lucas are also excellent.

The comedic moments fit perfectly with the overall darkness of the story.

It's a pity the BBC chose to reveal Simm's return as The Master. However on first watch I still had one of those "OMG moments". It shows the acting skills of Simm as well as the prosthetics that I did not realise The Master was in the whole episode!

The Cybermen are at their best in this episode. I always prefer them when they are upgrading humans. The hospital scenes are suitably scary. The Mondassian Cyberman design is good.

This episode has a brilliant cliffhanger. And I always like the little touches Moffat uses - making Bill's tear part of The Cyberman design is a masterstroke.

Overall 10/10

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The Doctor Falls - As a regeneration episode (as basically this is) it's one of the best.

The country scenes at the beginning were a bit concerning after the darkness of the previous episode and you're left wondering what direction Moffat was going to take. But this leads to one of Doctor Who's most iconic images - The Doctor being carried by a Mondassian Cyberman!

I like the flashbacks to the hospital - they worked well within the story. 

The pacing, production, acting and direction are again excellent. Talalay again proves to be one of the best directors Doctor Who has ever had. She makes each scene flow effortlessly to the next.

Nardole is a bit sidelined here but definitely has his moments. I actually love his ending. It's quite moving. You presume he dies along with the humans. Lucas proves he can do serious as well as comedic acting.

Mackie is brilliant. What a brilliant idea to switch between Bill and CyberBill. It enforces her fate.

For me Moffat really does understand the character of The Master. Gomez and Simm work perfectly together. Although they portray The Master in different ways you can truly believe they are the same character. I never had a problem with The Master being female. The character was well written and Gomez performed the role admirably. I think Simm gives a far better performance here than previously. But that's more down to the writing. You do feel this is The Master he always wanted to portray. The Master's character arc is one of my favourites. And for me the ending is perfect. As my favourite character I would have been happy not to have seen him/her again. Here's hoping Chibnall does not undo the whole arc with the new portrayal but we shall see.

With stiff competition Capaldi still manages to make this episode his. He has some great interactions with Bill and Nardole. His Doctor's overall arc was fantastic. He embodies what it is to be The Doctor. Helping out even when it's futile. Amongst the many fantastic speeches Capaldi's Doctor has given his kindness speech to the two Masters is his best. (It's why I have part of it in my profile signature).

I don't mind Bill's ending as it fits with the next episode.

As you say The Doctor's refusal to regenerate works here. Capaldi's Doctor has endured a lot of loss. And as the first of a new regeneration cycle he knows there is more to endure. Don't know why but when Capaldi says "I don't want to go" it sounds strong but when Tennant did so it sounded soppy.

Overall 9.5/10 Let down by a bit of dodgy dialogue!

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18 hours ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

Just one more episode to go and then we enter the Chibnall/Whittaker era... :lol:

Even your reviews of the Capaldi era seemed over far too quickly just like the era itself. They have made for some very enjoyable reads. It will be interesting to see when you re-watch Series 11 whether you feel any of them are better than you originally thought. I confess I have not re-watched any again and am sad to say I have no desire to do so. But maybe a really positive review by you might make me change my mind..... :lol:

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14 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

Even your reviews of the Capaldi era seemed over far too quickly just like the era itself. They have made for some very enjoyable reads. It will be interesting to see when you re-watch Series 11 whether you feel any of them are better than you originally thought. I confess I have not re-watched any again and am sad to say I have no desire to do so. But maybe a really positive review by you might make me change my mind..... :lol:

Thank you for staying through all of these gaps in the reviews, I've been really bad with them recently, only one or two a week. I should have finished the Capaldi era way sooner than I have. Hopefully I can get through series 11 faster. I do hope I enjoy them more this time but I'm not getting my hopes up. :lol:

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Twice Upon A Time- A charming epilogue to The Doctor Falls. Personally I would have preferred to have that story as Capaldi's last, but this is still a good one to end his era with. 

Much like the previous story, Peter Capaldi owns this episode. This gives his Doctor a contemplative, quiet final story, which I think works as a nice contrast to his often angry and explosive demeanour which he had when he first started out.

David Bradley also does an excellent job as the First Doctor. I think he captures Hartnell's performance very well, but still puts his own spin on it to avoid it feeling like a lesser copy of what Hartnell did. Although David's acting is brilliant, Moffat's writing lets him down at points. He has some very well written scenes, but there are a lot of jokes which don't land at all. Most of these are sexist jokes which he makes. Personally, I'm not too fond of this. There were some moments in Hartnell's era which had questionable lines, but they're only questionable when viewed through the lens of our current society. Context is key, and I think that reducing this Doctor to a joke because of this really hurts him, and may even turn off some new Who viewers, who may see this as their introduction to this Doctor and think he was always highly sexist. For example, the "slapped bottom" line. When this was used in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, The Doctor said it to scold his own grandchild. Whilst this is questionable behaviour nowadays, in 1964 this wouldn't have been at all out of the ordinary to say to one's relative. To use this line, and have the Doctor say it to someone who is a complete stranger to him, annoys me. It is irritating because it removes the very important context of the scene in question, and makes this Doctor seem far worse than what the original line would ever have done. Despite this, David Bradley still manages to give an entertaining performance, which is a huge credit to his acting. 

I love the interactions between the two Doctors. The First Doctor feels like The Doctor when he is interacting with Twelve. I love the idea that both of these Doctors are struggling to come to terms with regenerating, and they both help each other to figure it out. Plus, it makes sense that this Doctor would be worried about it, as it's the first time he'd have ever regenerated (at least as we currently know it...), so it doesn't change the character at all to now know that he was concerned about it.

The rest of the cast all do a good job. I'm not a fan of bringing back Bill in the way they did, but Pearl still played it well. Mark Gatiss really steals the show as The Captain. The return of Rusty was nice to see, but he (?) was pretty much just an exposition dump. 

My main issue with the story comes with the lack of a villain/ This is a very common criticism I have with Christmas specials. I understand why there was a very small villainous presence, as this episode is more concerned with progressing the story of the Doctors rather than create a compelling villain. 

The last 10 minutes of this episode are pure gold. From the start of the Christmas truce sequence onwards, this episode is near flawless. The armistice serves as a very effective emotional moment, and that kind of joyous, heartfelt moment is what I want to see in Christmas specials. After all is said and done, Twelve gets visited by his companions. It is a beautiful moment, and it was nice to see Clara one last time (I know it isn't really her but it's still a nice moment to see Twelve's reaction). Twelve's final speech in the TARDIS is another one of his best, and this was a Doctor who has become known for his speeches, so the fact that this is one of his best is testament to Moffat's skills as a writer. He understood The Doctor. Twelve finally accepts his regeneration, and Thirteen arrives. It's a very short scene with her though, so I'm not going to judge her at all based on this. 

Overall- 8/10.

This is a very nice little story. It goes along at a nice pace, and the acting is great. The lack of a proper villain pulls it down, but if that was to give the Doctor's more screen time then I understand why it was done like this. Bradley is great in the role of The First Doctor, even if the writing doesn't always live up to his ability. Peter Capaldi gives a grand performance here, he really gave his final story his all. Twelve's story is one of my favourites to discuss with my Whovian friends, as he has a clear arc over his whole era. I wish Capaldi stayed in the role for longer, and hopefully either Big Finish will convince him to make some new stories, or he can return for a multi-Doctor story (the 60th anniversary perhaps?). 

We now move on to the Chibnall/Whittaker era, this should be fun. :lol:

Edited by The Friendly Dalek
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Twice Upon A Time - The Doctor Falls is an excellent regeneration episode. But this story makes an almost perfect epilogue to the 12th Doctor's arc.

Firstly my only negative is some of the writing for the first Doctor. As you say - what worked in the 60's seems very out of place now. I presume Moffat was going more for a comedy element rather than to disrespect 1. However it just didn't work. That aside the rest of the comedy works well in the overall story.

The pacing of this episode is spot on. Talalay proves again to be a very competent director. Murray Gold's music is perfect. The production is fantastic. For a Christmas special I don't mind the lack of a villain. The idea of Testimony is a clever one. A lighter feel is much needed when saying goodbye to your favourite Doctor. It's nice to see Rusty again but really they could have used many other past characters. 

So on to the main cast. This definitely works best to be more character centered. Mackie is brilliant as usual. I do feel Bill was necessary in this. A companion was required for the story and it works so much better with one already known.

Mark Gatiss puts in an excellent performance as The Captain. However it was pretty obvious from the beginning his connection to The Doctor.

David Bradley does his absolute best with the material he is given. He is certainly very like the 1st Doctor with his own spin. He works well with Capaldi but does nothing to take the emphasis away from 12 which is exactly how it should be. Their interactions together help you believe that they are both struggling with their upcoming regenerations for different reasons but they help each other through.

Again in the face of strong acting competition Capaldi totally owns this episode. I love how the character of his Doctor progresses across the 3 series and this is the perfect showcase to prove how far he has come. 

The final 10 minutes are perfect. From the Christmas Armistice through to the regeneration everything is faultless. Capaldi gets to say a touching goodbye to his three companions. His regeneration speech is beautiful. The acceptance that it's time to move on and his account of what the Doctor stands for. This has become my favourite regeneration. Jodie's part was too short to comment on.

Overall 10/10. I even forgive the sexist dialogue!

 

 

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And so ends another era.

Goodbye to Murray Gold. His music always enhanced each episode.

Farewell to Steven Moffat. He didn't always get it right but you always felt he cared about Doctor Who. And I felt he knew exactly where he was going with his main characters.

So long to Peter Capaldi* At the time a very underrated doctor but I think with the passing of time many more will see him for the excellent portrayal he gave. I am glad he left when he did (yes you did read that correctly). He went out on a high. And I don't think even a Doctor with his gravitas could have saved some of the episodes in series 11. I really hope he does Big Finish or can be persuaded to return for a future anniversary special. :D

 

 

 

 

 

* sobs quietly in the corner.

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The Woman Who Fell To Earth- A surprisingly strong start to Series 11. 

I'll start with the new characters first. Tosin Cole, Bradley Walsh and Sharon D. Clarke are great. There's chemistry between these three actors, and whenever they were on screen together I liked what I was seeing. Walsh and Clarke are excellent for the whole episode, and I really bought the relationship between the two of them. Unfortunately, Cole is at his best when bouncing off of Walsh, and whenever they were separated I wasn't really interested in his character. The grandfather/grandson dynamic is one that works well, and that was the best material that Cole received. Yaz feels forced into this story, and she is clearly the weak link here, character wise. She is the least interesting by a good margin, and Mandip Gill didn't do anything unique here. The rest of the supporting cast are fine for what they do, but they are all forgettable.

Now onto The Doctor. Allow me to make it clear: I do not have an issue with a female Doctor. I've just been underwhelmed by Whittaker's acting and the scripts she's been given so far. That being said, she gives a good first impression here. Why do I like what she is doing here more than other episodes? It's because this is a post-regeneration story. The Doctor is always more over-the-top than usual immediately after regenerating, just look at a story like Spearhead From Space as evidence of this. Due to that fact, it make sense that The Doctor would act like she does here. She still has some irritating moments (forgetting the word tongue stands out as one of those moments) but for the most part her performance works for this episode. She also gets a great Doctor moment when she confronts Tzim-Sha on the crane. We'll discuss her performance much more over the coming episodes, but as a standalone performance here, Whittaker does a good job.

The whole episode looks fantastic, and the blu ray is worth getting for this reason. Doctor Who has never looked this good. The editing is snappy, and despite its increased running time, this episode is far better paced than others. 

We now come onto the negatives, and most of them all come from the script. Chibnall's writing for Who has never been highly regarded by me, and this episode doesn't do him many favours. He did manage to succeed in creating some likeable new characters in Graham and Grace, but otherwise the new characters are relatively bland. The Doctor herself has no established unique personality either, feeling more like a jumble of elements from other Doctors rolled into one, although to be fair to Chibnall this is her first story so I wasn't expecting too much development from her.

The weakest element of this episode by far in my eyes is the villain. I think he looks stupid (seriously, a tooth monster?), and I can never take him seriously. The characters make a joke out of him at every opportunity, and as a result he never feels like a serious threat. Oatley does a decent job playing him but the dialogue is so uninteresting that I just didn't care, and his defeat was far too easy. 

Overall- 6/10.

There was a lot of hype going into this episode, and it was never going to live up to that hype in my eyes. Watching it again now, it is flawed, but it certainly isn't an awful episode. Jodie does a good job as a post-regenerative Doctor, and Walsh and Clarke really do steal the show. Ryan became more and more uninteresting as the episode progressed, and Yaz wasn't interesting to begin with. The weak villain and side characters also further bring this one down. Despite these issues, it is still a rather enjoyable, well paced episode, and it's visually excellent.

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The Woman Who Fell To Earth - OK. I am going to start with a little bit of honesty. I didn't like the decision to make The Doctor female. That coupled with some of the worst publicity for a new series gave me very low expectations despite all the hype. I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

The production is fantastic. A very cinematic feel to it.

Bradley Walsh and Sharon D Clarke are excellent as Graham and Grace. Tosin Cole is OK as Ryan. His character works best with Graham and Grace as you say. Mandip Gill as Yaz is definitely the weakest of the new TARDIS team. It probably would have been better if the character had been introduced in episode 2 or 3 with her own storyline.

Writing wise this is one of Chibnall's better efforts. Tzim-Sha is a very underwhelming villain. As a one of appearance he probably would have worked as this episode needed to concentrate on the new characters. Really no need to bring him back.

And so to the new Doctor. I have always thought Jodie Whittaker to be a good actress. But I always seen her as a more ensemble actress rather than the lead. She was actually quite good in this. Nice bit of comedy. Great Doctor moment on the crane. Slightly channelling her inner Capaldi (maybe it was the outfit). The usual post regeneration kookiness. 

Not a bad series opener but definitely not the best either.

Overall 6/10

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The Ghost Monument- This episode starts decently, but really loses momentum as it progresses. 

The pacing is pretty poor in his one, I was bored for a lot of the second half. The planet Desolation is well realised, and as a whole this episode looks very good. The race plot reminded me a lot of Enlightenment, but it's no where near as interesting as that story was. 

The supporting characters are incredibly bland, the acting is fine for the most part but the writing ruins it. Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole are the best parts of this episode, but they still seem like accessories without having much to do. Yaz is completely pointless. Mandip does a decent job but the writing lets her down. Whittaker clearly tries, but much like Yaz, the writing just isn't up to par. Her Doctor is incredibly annoying and over the top, and without the excuse of it being a post-regenerative thing, it just doesn't work in my eyes. I have a lot of friends who really like 13, and that's great. Unfortunately, her performance doesn't work for me. She does improve over time, but watching episodes like this reinforces why I'm not a huge fan of 13. 

The villain element is incredibly poor in this episode. Ilin isn't interesting at all, and the Remnants look ridiculous. I don't know who thought that floating fabric would make for an interesting threat, but it doesn't work at all. The TARDIS reveal at end is great, until we see the inside of it. I love the exterior design, but I'm not a fan of the interior. 

This episode is basically a showcase of wasted potential. A race can make for a very exciting plot if done right, but the execution was way off. The writing and pacing tanks this episode. The leads try their best with the material but there's no saving this. The episode gains points from a production standpoint (good visuals, music etc), and the TARDIS reveal was well done.

Overall- 3/10.

Edited by The Friendly Dalek
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The Ghost Monument  - Your review pretty much says it all. Without the benefit of a rewatch I've not really much to add. Definitely wasted potential. Art Malik is not given any decent material to work with. Whittaker is rather annoying in this episode. Most of the comedy falls flat. Pacing is way off. I do not like the new Tardis interior but then I was never really a fan of the Eccleston/Tennant ones that this resembles. Forgettable alien. This really could of worked with better writing. 

Overall 2/10 

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Rosa- Oh boy, I can't wait to ignite the fires with this one. Now let me make myself clear with where I stand on this. It has a powerful message, and details a story which needs to be remembered. However, a theme is no excuse for a lack of an interesting plot. You can have the best intentions in the world with the messages you are presenting, but your priority should be the story at hand first, and in my eyes, this episode is far from perfect. 

Let's start with the cast. Jodie's still far too exaggerated as The Doctor. This is a story which requires subtlety, and her over the top performance weakens it. It's not just her though. All of the lead's are wasted here. There's one memorable scene between Ryan and Yaz, and Graham gets a couple of good moments, but otherwise nothing stands out. Vinette Robinson, however, does give a very good performance.

Krasko is one of the worst villains I have seen in the show for a while. I don't really want to call him a character, he is a walking caricature, who's only characteristic is that he's racist. In order to make a villain an interesting threat, there needs to be more to them than literally just being racist. Now I'll reiterate, Krasko is there to make a point about how vile racism is, I get it, but that just isn't enough for interesting character development. A good character needs depth and nuance. Make him nasty, someone we're still supposed to dislike, yes, but give us something beyond making his racist attitude his one and only defining trait. This one character alone tanks this episode in my eyes, and I just can't take him seriously because there's nothing to him. 

Speaking about there being nothing to the characters, the supporting characters are exactly the same. They are all walking racism machines, there is nothing else to them. The acting is fine but the material is so weak that I can't get invested in it. It is obvious what the production team are trying to convey here, and once again, it is a message that needs to be shown, but it deserves to be handed with subtlety and respect as it is a serious topic. This episode attempts comedy at points where it isn't necessary, and doesn't allow dramatic moments to take full effect, thus weakening the whole thing. That combined with the terrible characterisation of just about everyone besides Rosa herself really does drag this episode down. Also, who's idea was it to play that cringy pop song over the credits? I get why they did it but that song just doesn't work for me, and somewhat ruins an otherwise effective ending. 

Is the whole episode bad? Not at all. The scene in which Ryan gets slapped in the street towards the beginning is particularly effective, showing us immediately how dangerous this time period is for the lead characters. There are a few other scenes throughout the episode which also manage to be effective. Vinette gives an excellent performance, the episode is well paced despite having an incredibly weak antagonist, and the acting is solid from the entire cast. 

Overall- 5/10. 

This episode, like so many more throughout Chibnall's era, is a victim of wasted potential. The story of Rosa Parks could have made a great episode of Doctor Who. I know a lot of people out there do like this one, and I'm happy for everyone who enjoys it, but it doesn't work for me personally. This episode had good intentions, and wanted to educate on important historical issues, but those topics need to be shown in something with superior writing in order for the story to have the required impact, otherwise those themes are wasted. Story comes before messages, not the other way around. 

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Rosa - As you say an episode of wasted potential. Vinette Robinson gives an excellent portrayal of Rosa Parks. 

For me the pacing doesn't really work. The racist alien has been shoehorned in with no real back story and doesn't feel essential to the overall story. The story of Rosa Parks herself would have been enough. 

The main Tardis crew are a bit hit and miss. The best performance by far is Bradley Walsh. 

There are moments of brilliance. A strong start when Ryan is hit. And a clever ending when showing Graham is the person Rosa should give her seat up for. Well acted all round here. 

Despite it's flaws for me this was one of the stronger episodes of series 11.

Overall 6/10

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Arachnids In The UK- Somehow Chibnall managed to write an episode that is even more boring than The Ghost Monument. I can not stand this one.

I commended the previous episode for having a relevant theme, and how it attempted to explore that. This episode does the same, but fails miserably in actually making that theme relevant or interesting, but more on that later.

Jodie gives what is quite possibly her worst performance here. I really don't like how The Doctor is portrayed here. The scene in which she goes for tea at Yaz's house is incredibly awkward, and just makes for uncomfortable viewing. All of the jokes fall flat, which makes it even worse. Her boundless enthusiasm shows she is committed to the material, but she has been dealt such an awful script that there's no saving it.

The companions are all relatively useless here. Like Jodie, they try their best, but the story does them no favours. Robertson is very similar to Krasko, in the sense that he exists as a political tool, rather than as a fleshed out character. It is clear that he is supposed to be a Trump caricature (there's even a line about him running for president), but that isn't enough for an interesting antagonist. The rest of the characters are all dull and uninspired. The acting is fine, it's the writing that's the issue.

The spiders themselves look great for the most part, and make for a decent threat. The episode is terribly paced, and the comedy is awful (that Ed Sheeran joke comes to mind). The resolution is also rushed, and the use of a Stormzy song is one of the silliest endings I have seen in a while. 

Let's further discuss those themes. Chibnall seems to care more about delivering a message than delivering a good story. Here, he firmly places a stance against animal abuse/testing, and gun control. Those are worthy topics for Doctor Who, if they were in an episode which was actually well written. Here's the main grievance I have with it though. Robertson is made out to be a terrible person because he kills the mother spider. He isn't a nice character for sure, but in his situation, I'd have done the same. The Doctor's idea of "humanely" disposing of these spiders is to lock them in a sealed room and allow them to slowly starve to death. As for the mother spider, it had grown to a point where it was unable to breathe. That spider was suffering, so Robertson did the just thing and mercy-killed it. Anyone who was had to have a pet put down (which includes myself), appreciates that it is better to end them quickly than allow them to continue suffering. The Doctor herself has done this in the past, so her actions here don't work for me. Make her anti-gun, yes, because that fits with what we've seen of this character before, but don't make her decide that allowing creatures to slowly starve to death is morally superior to someone who will give the animals a quick, painless death. This is a controversial topic, but it was so poorly handled in this episode but I can't give it credit for trying to show it. Rosa at least succeeded in properly presenting its themes. This episode can't even do that. The fact that the antagonist is the one who takes the morally just view in my eyes hurts the episode even further. He's supposed to be the one we hate, and yet I agree with his method of dealing with the mother spider. You can't just leave an animal suffering like that, and I dislike how The Doctor decided that she should have been left suffering. That's not what The Doctor would do.

Overall- 2/10.

I'll give credit to the cast for clearly trying, and for the visual effects work that went into creating the spiders, but otherwise I dislike just about everything this episode does.

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