Doctor Who is back!

I know it hasn’t actually been all that long since we last had new Who, but I love this show so much. It waned a bit during the Chibnall years, and the Moffatt era was inconsistent. But I have loved this show in every incarnation since the 80s, no matter how weird and wild it got. Now, Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor is back with a new companion in a delightfully relevant season premier that speaks to the relationships between men and women.

The story itself is a nice timey-whimey tale of the Doctor and his new friend Belinda meeting and getting to know one another under, frankly, horrific circumstances. Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu (Andor: A Star Wars Story) have chemistry together even better than last season’s pairing of Millie Gibson with Gatwa. They click instantly. The Doctor is out to save Belinda and a planet from AI run amok. Even with all the wonder she sees in him and his adventure, she still isn’t afraid to call him on his bullshit at the end. Bravo for that, Russell T. Davies!

But what really got me was the timeliness of the plot’s resolution. Spoiler alert! The main antagonist, thought to be a sentient computer known as AI Generator, turns out to be Belinda’s controlling ex-boyfriend. And Davies nails the writing here. Allan is a “nice guy” who dotes on Belinda in the beginning. But through flashbacks throughout the story, we learn that he is not only controlling in the worst ways, but he is emotionally abusive and self-centered. He thinks he is a good person who does good things, but when given the chance to do whatever he wants, he chooses violent control.

Not a very nice guy.

But here’s the kicker: the Doctor is shown to be a bit of a control freak as well, ignoring Belinda’s bodily autonomy and right to refuse when he scans her DNA without permission. When she calls him on it, however, instead of making excuses like Allan did, the Doctor owns his mistake and misbehavior. He admits he got carried away in the excitement of the moment and violated her, however slightly, without her consent. It’s a beautiful juxtaposition of two male characters who both claim to care about Belinda and her well-being. Only the Doctor realizes he is out of line. Allan never gets that moment because he doesn’t see beyond his own nose.

Where does that leave us for the rest of the season? Well, there’s a new mystery involving why the TARDIS can’t land on Earth on May 24, 2025. The implication is that it is gone, destroyed somehow. The Doctor says he’ll get Belinda home by taking “the long way ’round,” a nice nod to Peter Capaldi and Matt Smith’s turns as the Doctor. Then there’s the big mystery of Mrs. Flood, the nosy neighbor who keeps breaking the fourth wall. She’s been an interesting one since the 15th Doctor’s first full episode (Christmas Special 2023, “The Church on Ruby Road”). I have no idea who she is going to turn out to be, but the teases have been tantalizing.

I think I’m back to where I can write my thoughts again. For so long, I was busy or unmotivated. But in recent weeks, I’ve been looking for an excuse to write again. Don’t expect two posts in one day like this, but do look for one or two a week. So, check out my review of next week’s episode “Lux” almost as soon as I’m done watching it. Share your thoughts in the comments below!