Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for the most recent season of Doctor Who
Season 14 of Doctor Who concluded last Friday on Disney+ and The Beat’s Team Tardis gathered to share their thoughts.
What did you think of “Empire of Death”?
Dean Simons: I quite enjoyed it. It made a good deal more sense than the Jodie Whittaker finale “Power of the Doctor” (which is probably a fairly low bar) and it hit the right notes on an emotional level – really good character moments, with many opportunities for the actors to stretch their legs. I hear a lot of criticisms that the ending itself didn’t quite add up but I had fun.
Johanna Draper Carlson: I am not a fan of hand-wavey “death is reversed” endings. They use the emotional punch of killing characters too cheaply. (Cue the Toymaker: “Well that’s all right then!”) The effects were impressive, as I expect from a Disney-funded season, but “dragging death reverses it” didn’t make a lot of sense. Before then, it reminded me a bit too much of the Thanos Avengers movie plotline.
Nor do I care much for mopey Doctors (although I’m sure the actors enjoy playing the range – but Ncuti Gatwa is so appealing when smiling!). I did really like the deathtrap remembered TARDIS, though. And it was great to see so many supporting cast members, particularly Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave – how cool to see a legacy play a legacy).
As for the comment above, why the need to denigrate Whittaker episodes just to enjoy this one? What will stick with me about the episode is seeing Ruby find her mother. (Although I cringed at the use of the term “real mum” instead of “bio mum”.) That idea of appreciating and valuing and loving anyone, whether they’re “special” or not, is a great theme for this season and this show.
Derrick Crow: I liked it more than most people. I absolutely have issues with the season-long mystery stuff that was either deliberately misleading or not thought out enough when structuring it through the season. That culminated in lackluster answers, but I think I emotionally resonated with the performances of the Doctor and Ruby enough that those faults didn’t penetrate my analyst brain as much as they normally would. I like the answer to Ruby’s mother, I don’t like how we got there. I like Sutekh being attached to the TARDIS, I don’t like the explanation of how he got there, etc., so on and so forth with basically all the reveals. The core emotional stuff worked for me in a way that still allowed me to enjoy it. Plus it was pretty exciting at times, really made my brain go brrr.
Kelas Lloyd: I’m gonna echo the cringe at real mum vs bio mum. Ruby had a very good mom; the woman who gave birth to her isn’t her ‘real’ by default. The episode by itself was fine, but other than finding Ruby’s mother there was a lot left untied-together that was a bit unsatisfying. Knowing the relevance of 73 yards is interesting, but that doesn’t overcome the notable lack of explanation for Ruby making it snow. I’m also a little disappointed that there wasn’t something about not watching their step in the finale.
D. Morris: Since I reviewed the finale already, I won’t say too much more about the episode than I’ve already said. While the reveal of Ruby’s mom and her origins were a little frustrating, the episode is a lot of fun. I liked seeing the Memory Tardis being used as an actual Tardis. There was a moment where I legit thought Kate Lethbridge-Stewart was a goner and my spouse said they would get upset if anything happened to Mel. I worried on the rewatch it would be less thrilling but nope, it’s just a blast of an episode.
Which episode was a favorite for you?
JDC: “Rogue”, easily. So much fun! The dancing! The Doctor singing “Pure Imagination” as someone discovers the TARDIS! (And the Kylie track!) The costumes! The evil bird people! The flirting! The games with vocabulary as Ruby brings her modern-day self to the Bridgerton setting! All sorts of wonderful moments and reveals. I hope we see Jonathan Groff again next season. (And that it annoys the old boy fans is just the cherry on the sundae. This is not the same old Doctor Who, and that’s a fabulous thing.)
DS: Ooo tough one. I think it might be “Dot and Bubble”. I thought I would hate it but ended up having a huge amount of fun. It made me feel like a kid again, while at the same time enjoying the social commentary about Tiktok, social media, and increasingly invasive/intrusive tech culture.
DC: “73 Yards”, “Dot and Bubble”, and “Rogue” were my three favorite episodes of the season. “73 Yards” is just an incredible folk horror episode. “Dot and Bubble” had some great commentary on social and political issues, plus was just visually interesting. And “Rogue” was so much fun, I really hope we get Jonathan Groff back at some point.
KL: “Rogue” was everything I could have wanted and more. I’m a sucker for Regency vibes, and it tied well into the themes of mythology and storytelling this season. It’s also fun to have cosplay introduced to a wider audience, and having some delightfully queer moments in Who was excellent.
DM: Was a big fan of both “Rogue” (the cosplay jokes had my cosplay veteran spouse and “73 Yards” (especially the explanation in “Empire of Death”) but I want to shout out “Boom”. Bottle episodes are a staple of Doctor Who and I really loved the whole concept of the Doctor being trapped in one place. The way the stakes just getting higher was great and what a fun way to introduce Varada Sethu! Will we see more of her as Mundy Flynn next season?
What was your favorite moment from the season?
DS: Really tricky but maybe the little nod to Cilla Black in the Beatles episode, “The Devil’s Chord”. A contemporary of the Beatles, Cilla had a solid music career before transitioning to TV presenting – and I have fond childhood memories of watching Cilla presenting Blind Date and Surprise Surprise with my grandmother, in the 1990s. Cilla’s music career didn’t make it far beyond British shores, sadly, but she was a huge cultural figure in Britain – and that nod took me back.
https://youtu.be/o6drD2SCwHE?si=qpiixtF1RGJCsvKi
JDC: Assuming we’re not counting the specials as part of this season (cause I adored the stellar performances in “Wild Blue Yonder”), I think the musical number “There’s Always a Twist at the End.” It was so joyful and colorful and cheeky and fun.
DC: Either the TARDIS pulling Sutekh through the Time Vortex on a leash, visually that was astonishing to me, or the moments in “The Devil’s Chord” where Ruby was playing the piano/the Doctor makes the world go silent to hide from Maestro.
DM: It’s a really small moment in “Empire of Death” but there’s a shot of Mel in the Memory Tardis. She fondly sees her old hair bow and then touches the Sixth Doctor’s coat. It’s a quiet moment in a very bombastic episode but it really spoke to me as a fan of older Doctor Who. That said Ncuti Gatwa at the very end of “Dot and Bubble”. The way he pleads to the survivors that he can save them but they reject his offer of help. Then he loses it in a way that only the Doctor would because he knows loss so well. It’s an incredibly powerful moment.
KL: I really liked the rotation of all the doctor’s faces in “Rogue.” It was nice to have that hit of nostalgia out of the blue.
What did you think of this season of Doctor Who in general?
JDC: Continuing from my previous answer, fun has been a theme this year. I gave up watching the show halfway through Matt Smith’s run, because it was just dark and depressing too often for me, although I came back for Jodie Whittaker’s portrayal. While I intellectually appreciated what Chris Chibnall was trying to do and the choices he made, it didn’t make me want to watch nearly as much as this season did.
Yes, it skews a bit younger, and bits are silly – I liked the “Space Babies”, fight me – but that’s something the show should have. It’s always been for kids, not only for them, but including them, and that’s an important thing to keep alive. This season has been diverse (in tone and subject and genre) and overall, enjoyable. That’s what I want.
DS: I am a casual watcher of the show. I don’t know every bit of lore. I tend to dip in and out when the Doctor (and showrunner) change hands. It had a bit of an uneven start, but it remained an entertaining one, it really hit its stride from episodes 3-5 (“Boom”, “73 Yards”, “Dot and Bubble”), and I had good solid fun with “Rogue” and the finale. The fact I made it from start to end of this season is a strong indicator that it was a good one. The last time I managed that was all the way back in the Matt Smith era (which ended way back in 2013!).
DC: I like it overall. The season-long story was more or less a wet blanket, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that most of the individual episodes throughout this run are great. We have several stand-alone episodes that are really well-made and will be easy to re-watch on their own. I think it’s just also nice to be having fun with and being excited for Doctor Who again.
DM: I didn’t think it was possible but Doctor Who is fun for me again. Watching episodes no longer felt like homework. Though it’s been queer coded and queer friendly in the past and let’s give Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor credit for being the first queer Doctor, that this season has been unabashedly queer has been a breath of fresh air. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are what the show really needed; an injection of fresh perspectives for a show that constantly reinvents itself. That the series really went all over the place from the goofy fun of “Space Babies” (Doctor Who is allowed to be silly folks) to the universe shattering “Empire of Death”. Also the monsters and aliens were so much fun (the giant people eating slugs in “Dot and Bubble”!) this year. In the end, the show reminded you would want to run away with a gender non-conforming alien who flies through space and time in a tiny blue box.
KL: I stopped watching during Matt Smith’s run with the dinosaurs on a spaceship episode when Nefertiti gets talked down to by a guy the whole time and then is suddenly in love with him despite how awful he was/is. I just had no interest left. Coming back to the show to an energetic, queer doctor and an enthusiastic companion has been a fantastic welcome back and I’m hooked again.
With a new companion and Christmas special already announced, any expectations or hopes for next season?
JDC: Well, see above about Jonathan Groff. Other than that, to keep being enjoyable and watchable (and re-watchable). I like episodes that comment on the world or make me think, but I like better those that make me laugh and gasp.
Oh, and I found myself disliking Ruby Sunday a bit, so while I know Millie Gibson is returning, I’m not upset that we get someone else next season as companion. The whole “making it snow” thing is a bit too magical for me.
DS: I am hoping we maybe see Rogue come back. Such a fun character that would be fun to see again. The Mrs. Flood mystery is a fun one that I am looking forward to seeing the direction of travel on. No real expectations or hopes other than that the show remains as fun, accessible and kid-friendly as possible (with as many timey-wimey random mysteries and twists thrown in).
DC: I don’t know. I’m very excited for Varada Sethu to join the team. I guess my hopes are that Russell T Davies doesn’t string us along again for no reason, and gives us a more well-thought out season arc, as well as a satisfying answer to who Mrs. Flood is. We know he’s capable of both of those things. And just more fun, and somewhat experimental episodes like this season had. I would love a follow-up to the Timeless Child eventually, but who knows if we ever will. For the Christmas Special I just hope to enjoy it. Steven Moffat has said it might be his final work for Doctor Who so that’s already setting pretty high expectations. Finally, I’m still holding out hopes for a UNIT spin-off show.
DM: Again, I’m excited to see what Varada Sethu brings to the show as the Doctor’s newest companion. Since Skaro was mentioned in the finale, I’m kind of hoping next season is not a deluge but at least one of the classic villains sneaks into the show. I don’t need the Master coming back but it would be fun to have a story featuring the Daleks, Cybermen, or my beloved Sontarans. I do hope that the mystery of Mrs. Flood plays out in a way that is more satisfying than the one that surrounded Ruby. Also I’m really intrigued how the show will continue to explore the Pantheon of Discord. We know who a few are explicitly named (I never thought I’d ever hear someone mention The Mara on the show again) but the other identities are a mystery. Will they be new villains? Could they be old villains? Maybe they’re allies? Only the future knows.
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