WEBVTT NOTE This transcript was created on 2026-06-07 at 11:58:28 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.259 Hello, dear listener, and welcome back to the 2nd great and bountiful Human Empire. 2 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:09.480 The only Doctor Who flash cast, which is beginning to wonder if war is really such a good idea. 3 00:00:09.539 --> 00:00:11.160 I'm Nathan. 4 00:00:11.220 --> 00:00:12.240 I'm Brandon. 5 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:13.500 I'm pizza. 6 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:15.240 And I'm Todd. 7 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:29.820 Well, Russell seems to have the week off this week, and so we're here with Stephen, who, as well as writing this episode for the 1st time since, what, 2017, I think, is also executive producer. 8 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.619 He gets an executive producer credit along with the director Julianne Robinson. 9 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:44.340 And so I gather that Russell just kind of handed this one over to him completely, even more completely than he used to back when he was writing silence in the library. 10 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:51.840 So how do we think he went in the executive producer's chair, and in the writer's chair, for boom? 11 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:53.640 Let's start with Brendan. 12 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:58.020 So I think he's done really well here. 13 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:13.140 And I think Steve, Stephen Moffatt has done what I loved him so much for from 2005 to 2008, which is he's just turned in a really good single story. 14 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.859 It's not massively arc driven. 15 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:22.319 And also, he's done what I think he does best a lot of the time, which is he's gone. 16 00:01:22.379 --> 00:01:24.000 What haven't I done before? 17 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:29.879 And he hasn't done a sort of single location story. 18 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:34.500 And when he has done stories set in one place, There's still lots of sets and lots of action. 19 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:36.780 And here, you know, he talks about it in interviews. 20 00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:42.659 He's like, I wanted, you know, a story where the doctor is standing in one place and it's an amazing idea. 21 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:44.700 What about you, Tom? 22 00:01:45.540 --> 00:01:51.060 I liked it a lot, and I liked it even more the 2nd time I watched it. 23 00:01:51.180 --> 00:02:06.780 And I kind of think, you know, as you said, he hasn't written the show in a while and he's come in with these 2 new characters and uh, he's, he's had a really good stab at it and I think he, I think he's done. 24 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:07.859 I think he's done a very good job. 25 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:09.539 I enjoyed it immensely. 26 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:10.919 Peter? 27 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:15.060 And if you wanted to do a story about the doctor standing in one place. 28 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.159 He could have just gone back and watched the space museum, you know. 29 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:21.479 But I did enjoy it. 30 00:02:21.539 --> 00:02:25.139 I thought it was a big step up from the 1st 2 episodes of the season. 31 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:30.180 Um, one of which I didn't particularly enjoy and the one which I thought was sporadically enjoyable. 32 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:33.180 This was a good solid Doctor Who episode. 33 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:36.960 And Brendan, you said it's a chance for Steven to do things that he hadn't done before. 34 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.780 There was also plenty of chances foreign students that he had done before. 35 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:44.340 It felt very, very familiar moffat in many ways. 36 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:46.080 And you know, that's not a terrible thing. 37 00:02:46.139 --> 00:03:10.500 I think Moffat mentioned in his interview with Tom Spielsbury for TV choice, I think it was, that there was some consideration given to this being the opening episode of the season, and I actually think that might have been really good if we'd thrown the doctor and Ruby into a tense dramatic situation like this and made them kind of bond over it and sort of find their way out of it when they didn't particularly know each other. 38 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.439 But that said, as an episode three, I'm glad it's there. 39 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:17.879 Yeah, I'm a massive fan of Moffat and I thought he was really great. 40 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:23.580 And, you know, it is new ground for him, but as you said, Peter, it's old ground. 41 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:39.120 And if you think about his 1st episode ever, like there's some talk and, you know, rule one is Moffat lies, so you can never be sure, but there's some talk that this is his final, um, normal episode, his final just kind of non-special episode. 42 00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:51.240 And in that case, um, villain guard is in his 1st episode and the problems are caused by out of control ambulances in both stories. 43 00:03:51.300 --> 00:04:06.539 You know, there's a lot in common a lot that he's going back to this time while doing that sort of wild formal experiment, which he did from time to time, but, you know, particularly, I think, in heaven's sand. 44 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:13.500 And he's placed the same or placed very similar constraints on himself. 45 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:15.780 How do people think that works as an idea? 46 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.480 We've kind of heard from you, Brendan, but did you want to add anything? 47 00:04:18.540 --> 00:04:36.660 Yeah, in terms of the concept, what I what I love about it is we've had so much talk over the last, however long it's been since the Disney co-production deal has been announced and we've had so much talk about how the budget's increased and Russell has specified, yes, the budget is bigger due to Disney money. 48 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:46.980 And then Stephen Moffatt comes to Russell with this idea of how about we set this story 90% in one gravel pit. 49 00:04:47.579 --> 00:04:57.839 And, and of course, Russell goes, it's 1983 all over again, you know, where, where um, we're chasing around cybermen in a gravel quarry. 50 00:04:57.899 --> 00:05:20.399 Um, but, I think it's important to have a story like this where it's this single concept and exploring everything around that because I know there was concerns with Doctor Who having Disney Money in Disney influence that it might lose its identity of trying new things and what have you. 51 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:34.800 And so straight away in this season, we've had a musical number, we've had talking babies and snot monsters, and now we're having a story which is like, yes, we know we've got more money than ever before, but we're going to put you in a pit and you're going to like it. 52 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:39.720 It was, to be fair, a pretty expensive gravel pit, wasn't it? 53 00:05:39.779 --> 00:05:40.620 Yes. 54 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:45.420 So it's the volume, isn't it? 55 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.600 Which is what they shoot things like the Mandalorian and stuff on. 56 00:05:48.660 --> 00:06:04.920 So, um, while a lot of it does just look like a studio, uh, the skyscapes and things, which are visible to the actors, I think, look amazing and are sort of crisp in a way that special effects haven't been for the last few years. 57 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:06.300 Peter. 58 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:11.639 I can't for the life to me really see what they've spent the money on this season so far. 59 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:28.500 I mean, it always makes me laugh when people say Disney money, Disney influence, it puts me in mind of Candace Bergen from the Sex and City movie where she's talking to Carrie about her wedding dress and she's like vogue styling, vogue photography, vogue airbrushing just makes me think Disney money, Disney influence, Disney airbrushing. 60 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:30.839 Apparently not. 61 00:06:30.899 --> 00:06:37.439 I'm yet to see where all this Disney money is gone because the 1st 2 episodes of the season looked quite cheap to me in many ways. 62 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:47.639 I did think this was a very well staged episode and I liked that it had the courage of its convictions because you could see that this is the kind of thing that they could have done back in the classic series. 63 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:57.839 He could have had a Peter Davidson 2 parter where he was standing a corner of the studio and it was on a time flight style heath and would have been done, but they would never have had the courage to have done a story like this. 64 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:05.220 Likewise, they could have done it in sort of 2008 by going out on a night shoot to a quarry for a couple of nights. 65 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.819 Well, you know, maybe a week or 2 weeks and getting David Tennant the flu again. 66 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:11.579 Um, and they could have shot it there. 67 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:15.540 But they've embraced the new techniques and sort of restricted themselves to this. 68 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:16.800 And I kind of applauded that. 69 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:19.439 I think it's good that they've got the courage to go to small scale. 70 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:20.639 Todd. 71 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:29.639 I love the fact that it was just in that one place and having Shoot, he just standing still, like his presence is just phenomenal. 72 00:07:29.699 --> 00:07:31.259 Like when he says honey. 73 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:33.540 You know that you're in trouble. 74 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:36.360 Reminds you, this is Remington, you know, honey, you know. 75 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:50.160 Um, back from someone's nurses, and he just had so many powerful moments and quiet moments and just gave him, rather than all movement and all that sort of stuff, to distract you, you were just focussed, and I really, really adore him. 76 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:52.740 And I love the ambulances. 77 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:58.560 They remind me of this, the, the survey robot from, um, The mysterious planet, really. 78 00:07:58.860 --> 00:08:02.519 I'm going to say the server robot from the wheel in space. 79 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:03.720 I was expecting. 80 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:06.899 You know, the service robot from that. 81 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:13.139 And all of the landscapes and all that, I thought it looked brilliant, you know? 82 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.339 Doctor Who can now afford to stage its own quarry inside the studio? 83 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:18.420 amazing. 84 00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:36.779 I think it's quite funny that like we've had like Stephen as a former showrunner and then we've had 6 episodes from Russell and then we had 13 episodes um and 2 co-writes with Chipmull. like it's been the showrunners showrunners for quite some time. 85 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:42.240 But I think that makes you appreciate all their strengths and weaknesses even more. 86 00:08:42.299 --> 00:08:42.960 So, yeah. 87 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:56.100 So I'm going to talk about one thing that I think I'm really glad to see back and it's something that's been a feature of this era ever since the Starbeast, which is having a very definite political position. 88 00:08:56.220 --> 00:09:01.500 And this, I think, is the most political story that we've had in a very long time. 89 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:03.960 And I'm thinking perhaps since oxygen. 90 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:08.159 We haven't had a story as angrily political as this. 91 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:14.519 And one of my beefs with the cymbal era is how it didn't want to be particularly political. 92 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:18.419 And therefore, it was just a little bit less interesting to me. 93 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:41.700 But here, like in this era already, we've had a major character who is trans and whose transness helps to resolve the plot, we've had Drag Queen Story Hour, which is a big culture war, touchstone, both in America, and here, our drag, Queens, you know, appropriate for children's entertainment, and his jinx monsoon to say yes. 94 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:52.620 We had a conversation in space babies about abortion, and here we have a very, very angry script. 95 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:59.100 Not just about militarism, but also about religious faith. 96 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:07.139 And I've seen a few people online, a few people of faith who were not particularly happy with it. 97 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:16.440 But I have to say that I'm glad that the show's aboutness is back, and I think it's been a long time between drinks. 98 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:18.000 What do you think, Brendan? 99 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.720 Yeah, like, going back to what you said about space babies. 100 00:10:21.779 --> 00:10:23.639 I wasn't here last week for that. 101 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:31.379 And yeah, it struck me the political commentary in that being so upfront. 102 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:42.240 Whereas, as you say, the tubing lyric could very much sort of equivocate on things and and, you know, have Jodie Whittaker just sort of ruminate that, oh, isn't this sad? 103 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:44.759 and then stare off and the episode ends. 104 00:10:44.820 --> 00:10:51.419 Um, And yeah, I, I felt the themes in this episode were very well explored. 105 00:10:51.539 --> 00:11:15.899 On the topic of the themes about faith, I'm just trying to find something I sent to you earlier today, Nathan, someone on Twitter, Father Edward Barlow, who summarises the attitude of faith in the story as because if faith is a reason to blindly charge into holy wars, you can keep it, but if faith is the reason a grieving child in a big universe can know that they are loved, then that's an entirely different game. 106 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:19.500 I think Edward there has nailed it on the head. 107 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:25.379 You know, the story is not anti-faith, as I think some people are purporting it online. 108 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:29.820 It is like anything in the human experience. 109 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:35.279 It's how you use the thing, you know, and even though the doctor criticises faith at the end. 110 00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:39.059 He, when he's talking to Splice, you know, he praises her faith. 111 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:52.200 And I thought that that moment at the end is in years to come going to be regarded as one of shootings defining moments and it's not overblown. 112 00:11:52.259 --> 00:11:59.399 It's not overplayed, and it wouldn't have worked without the mission statement of the episode from earlier on. 113 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:05.639 The way that he calls Monday faith gal, you know, with that accent is so gray. 114 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:22.259 And it's the moment where he realises where he hears that she will fight and die without proof of any enemy existing, but when it comes time to lay down her arms, that's when she needs proof and just how incredulous he is about that. 115 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.019 I just think it was really properly strong. 116 00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:26.940 Todd? 117 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:33.419 It doesn't worry me one way or the other if the show decides to be political or not, you know? 118 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:37.320 Sometimes it goes further than I'd like. 119 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:38.639 Sometimes it doesn't go far enough. 120 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:45.480 And I thought, Brendan, summed it up that you have those 2 sort of views throughout the episode and I think that's really great. 121 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:50.700 Like if you just come in saying it's criticising it, you're wrong because the ending disproves that completely. 122 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:53.340 And that's the strength of Stephen's writing. 123 00:12:53.700 --> 00:13:11.399 I had no particular reaction to that theme of the episode because I think the classic series, Dealt with it quite well in the face of evil, where it's just a couple of lines where saying when you start to have evidence, you stop believing and Piccarriage turns around and says when you're given evidence, you don't have to believe. 124 00:13:11.460 --> 00:13:18.779 Um, and also I think the discussion of religion in the Satan pit for me is really on the money. 125 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:22.320 I really enjoyed the way that that story approached it. 126 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:25.740 So this didn't mean much to me, but I'm glad that it was there, like I said. 127 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:45.840 I thought that the, uh, that the most brutal line was not the one that everyone's complaining about, but the doctor's observation to Ruby, that, um, when she says, when she says, but the church isn't an army, and he says, well, it was, and you're just living in a blip, you know, it'll be an army again soon. 128 00:13:45.899 --> 00:13:53.820 And given what's happening in America and how strongly supported that is by white evangelical Protestants. 129 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:59.039 I think those are things that the show could profitably say. 130 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:15.120 And particularly if it has a big American audience, you can kind of, I think, see both Russell and Stephen looking over their shoulder at a new American audience, which is why I think, for instance, that abortion thing appeared in space babies, you know. 131 00:14:15.179 --> 00:14:18.360 So, yeah, like I'm super in favourite. 132 00:14:18.419 --> 00:14:19.620 I'm really happy that it's back. 133 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:27.179 I somehow think the crossover between us, perspective Doctor Who audience and evangelicals is probably quite small. 134 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.879 Yeah, getting smaller all the time, probably. 135 00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:39.539 All right, so we've heard a little bit from Todd about how he saw Amelia and Shooty in this episode. 136 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.639 What did you think, Brendan? 137 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:47.580 Oh, I I am just loving them more and more every episode. 138 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:57.480 And even even space babies, which I'm currently sitting on a 6 out of 10, I want to find a reason to give it a 7 out of 10, so on my next viewing, it might get that. 139 00:14:57.539 --> 00:14:59.759 Can I give you a reason to give it a three? 140 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:05.519 Because that's where I'm at. back there again. 141 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:42.360 But even, even with that six, um, I can't really fault 1000000 shooties performance there, and it's just, it's just coming on in leaps and bounds, particularly the moment where, um, he's trying to get her to throw him the remains of uh, Splice's dad and she argues, but not in a sort of Donna Noble kind of way, but in a really compassionate way of yes, I know it's dangerous, but you're in danger too, and we face this together because we are mates. 142 00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:53.220 And The hardest thing to do for any new companion is to establish what makes this relationship different. from previous relationships. 143 00:15:53.220 --> 00:16:01.500 And, you know, I think a lot of us love it when the doctor and companions are on some kind of equal footing, you know, like Romana or Sarah Jane or Donna. 144 00:16:01.559 --> 00:16:06.720 And I feel like Um, 1000000 shoot, he put the characters on equal footing. 145 00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:15.899 In a different way, in a more human way than has been done before because we have a doctor who has dealt with their trauma. 146 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:24.539 Um, And we have Ruby, who is, you know, dealing with being adopted and not being able to find out who her birth parents are. 147 00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:30.779 But at the same time, she's dealing with that in a really sort of healthy way as far as we can see. 148 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:34.620 It's just, there's such an energy and a crackle between them. 149 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.019 And they, but they're also just really lovely. 150 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:46.200 The thing about Shooty's doctor is something that we haven't seen before in the new series is that he isn't closed in any way. 151 00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:48.059 He is so open. 152 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:57.779 And you know, I think Russell or Moffatt, like in some of the sort of, um, you know, publicity talks, it's like the doctor has, you know, too hearts. 153 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:00.360 And so he feels everything more keenly than other people. 154 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:02.100 You kind of think, yeah, no, he doesn't really. 155 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.640 He's kind of, you know, shut down or she is shut down as well. 156 00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:07.319 You know, you don't get that openness. 157 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:11.460 And there is something really just surprisingly open about shooty. 158 00:17:11.460 --> 00:17:24.720 And having the 2 of them under stress for the entirety of the episode means that they get some really, really great material and he's just terrific. you know I think this is his best performance so far in the role. 159 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:30.119 I think he was given some material that was worthy of him in this episode. 160 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:38.039 I'm not sure he's had all that much so far, but this was the episode where I saw green shoots and thought that he could turn out to be a heavyweight doctor. 161 00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:40.920 And I'm looking for more of that this season. 162 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:42.900 Um, I think. 163 00:17:43.259 --> 00:17:47.579 Ruby is scarily generic for me at the moment. 164 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:50.819 I think that Millie's doing a reasonable job. 165 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:57.299 Um, but I'm waiting for her to be given the same kind of material that, um, shooty has been in this episode. 166 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:07.500 I just thought this could have been any companion and I sort of didn't really buy the, The crackle between them, as you said, Brendan. 167 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:11.279 I thought that was a little bit absent, but I'm willing to be impressed. 168 00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:12.359 I'm waiting for that to happen. 169 00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:15.180 I agree with you, Peter. 170 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:19.019 Um, Millie's doing a, okay, or a fine job. 171 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:22.259 I'm just not buying her as much. 172 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:31.619 I really am impressed with shooty and to me, she has, she does some, she does some of the emotional stuff quite well. 173 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:37.980 I like that, but other times I just feel, for me, it's the Nicole Kidman effect where I don't buy her. 174 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:44.220 Um, and that's not a bad thing, but I just, I think they've got a nice dynamic. 175 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:45.000 Like I do. 176 00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:50.400 Um, I was very impressed with um, the other female guest star actually. 177 00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:51.839 Yeah, yeah. 178 00:18:51.900 --> 00:18:52.619 Monday. 179 00:18:52.619 --> 00:18:53.220 Monday. 180 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.839 And the little girl was good too. 181 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:01.380 High paced, high paced. phrases you rarely hear. 182 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:24.240 So, I actually think that the ruby thing is the weakest thing about the season so far, because when I think about the 3 previous RTD companions, you have Rose, you have Martha, and you have Donna, and admittedly, we've known them for years now, and they've kind of, you know, we've lived with them and thought about them for ages and ages. 183 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:30.599 But I think they arrived far, far more fully formed than Ruby's character did. 184 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:46.619 And I can't help feeling that I'm getting a little bit of Series 7 Clara here where Millie is a mystery and we're not looking at her as a person. 185 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:50.099 And so I think Russell has learned some lessons from Moffat. 186 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:51.779 But maybe this isn't the right one. 187 00:19:53.220 --> 00:20:08.339 I think it was telling that we, again, got the mystery that is, like, who is her kin and all that sort of thing, and that's what she is mystery wrapped in an enigma or whatever those particular lines are, and perhaps that's coming to the fore a bit more. 188 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.940 Calling it now, I think Jinx Fon soon is going to end up being her father. 189 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:16.859 Yeah, well, they're little Henry Arbinger's father. 190 00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:32.400 So I thought as well, like the idea of having her unconscious for a 3rd of the episode where this looked like the episode where they would get to stop and talk, everything had been at a fairly breakneck pace in their 1st 3 episodes and I thought, here, we're going to get some character stuff. 191 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:40.380 And we do get character stuff in the sense that we get to see how they react under pressure, you know, not in the sense that they get to sit and talk about their relationship. 192 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:42.720 But then having her unconscious at the climax. 193 00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:49.980 You know, one of the problems with the chipel era is that not once does the companion or any of the companions solve the story. 194 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:51.720 They never save the day. 195 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:56.279 And that's not true either of Russell or Moffatt. 196 00:20:56.339 --> 00:21:00.119 But Millie's not really getting the hero moments here either. 197 00:21:00.180 --> 00:21:03.599 And I guess that there's always next week. 198 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:07.680 I suppose, given what the trailer looks like, it's saying. 199 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:12.359 I think character wise, she's being slightly let down by the writing so far. 200 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:20.160 Russell's and Stevens, and I think there's moments for her to react like a living breathing person where she doesn't. 201 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:23.160 She comes across as a little bit of a constructed character. 202 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:31.319 So to give an example this week, where the doctor's just stepped on the landmine and she's hunting around to do the Harry Sullivan thing and find rocks put under it. 203 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:38.039 She sort of pauses to look at the, you know, the fact she's on an alien world with wonder in her eyes and I just didn't buy that. 204 00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:47.160 There was another way that that could have been written or maybe performed using the same script, which would show the urgency and the panic at the same time as she was getting that. 205 00:21:47.220 --> 00:21:54.420 I didn't quite buy that a regular person would just stop their hunt or something to stop their friend being blown up to admire the sky. 206 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:01.019 I loved the doctor's reaction to that, though, where he kind of goes, oh yes, sorry. 207 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:03.480 That's what this is like for you, isn't it? 208 00:22:03.539 --> 00:22:15.359 You know, that he stops and drinks in her reaction to being on a on an alien planet for the 1st time and stops thinking about the very urgent landmine that he's standing on for a second. 209 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.799 Let's talk about what we expect to come. 210 00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:24.779 We had Susan Twist at the end, another twist at the end this week. 211 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:37.980 And Russell did announce that they'd been in touch with equity and that there weren't really very many actors and so they just keep employing Susan because they really like her and they think she's really good. 212 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.819 It's just possible that he's not telling the truth. 213 00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:46.799 See, that was in the envision commentary, which was available as well. 214 00:22:46.859 --> 00:22:50.700 He was explaining why Susan Twist was appearing quite so often. 215 00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:51.720 And this is her. 216 00:22:51.779 --> 00:22:56.400 I was wondering why they were getting the queen to play the ambulance for a while, you know, but... 217 00:22:57.539 --> 00:23:01.019 She's very good Yeah, yeah, she is great. 218 00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:02.940 You can see why they keep asking her back. 219 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:25.799 And look, you know, I think there is some truth to what Russell is saying because all of all of the ladies who sort of match Susan's description inequity are currently filming the last season of Vera, where the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Vera, along with the war era, team up to tackle the AI reconstruction of Inspector Morse. 220 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:26.519 Right. 221 00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:26.880 Okay. 222 00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:27.720 Well, that explains it. 223 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:31.980 And look, I don't think anyone listening has watched Vera, so you can't tell me I'm wrong. 224 00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:39.000 So what do we think is coming from all of this is there's just no way of saying, I think. 225 00:23:39.059 --> 00:23:41.039 There's so much stuff in the air. 226 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:43.140 I've got no idea. 227 00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:53.400 I'm hoping that we're building something really big and I hope that we are because given that that's 8 episodes in the season and the last story is a 2 parter. 228 00:23:53.460 --> 00:23:57.359 I'm really hoping there's going to be some kind of serious defining event there. 229 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:19.259 Um, if it turns out that all of these little hints that are dropped in and the discussion of Susan Foreman last week, um, and the all stuff about Millie, if it turns out there is more there, um, then I'm quite willing to go back and say, oh, okay, I misrepresented all of these things where I thought maybe she wasn't a fully constructed human being or whatever. 230 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:21.299 She's not a fully constructed human being. 231 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:22.980 But I am looking forward to finding out. 232 00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:25.259 That's to be a payoff. 233 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:32.220 If the payoff is there, then I think it will just tie in these episodes and improve them probably in the long run. 234 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:37.079 We can't just do the hybrid was just the friends we made along the way again, I think. 235 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:54.839 Well, I was just thinking back to 2005 and I remember, because, you know, this is in the age before Twitter, on, um, Gallifrey Base, or possibly outpost gallifrey, as it was, then, there were heated debates as to whether Bad Wolf meant anything. 236 00:24:55.740 --> 00:25:07.559 You know, if it was just an inside joke for fans to go, oh, they're using the words bad wolf over and over again, but a very vehement proportion, saying, no, there is no plot. 237 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:11.039 There's nothing going on. production company in Wales, isn't it? 238 00:25:11.099 --> 00:25:11.640 Yeah. 239 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:23.400 As for what to expect, I've had a realisation of an idea Russell abandoned that could be happening, but I kind of want to keep my powder drowned because if other people haven't thought of it. 240 00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:24.599 I want to put it in their heads. 241 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:29.700 So come back to me on episode 8 and see if, see if I'm right there. 242 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:33.779 But I have noticed a pattern that has emerged over the last 3 episodes. 243 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:38.400 So space babies are by definition, unearthly children. 244 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:40.140 Oh my god. 245 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:43.200 The devil's chord showed us a dead planet. 246 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:47.400 This week, the doctor was on the edge of destruction. 247 00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:49.140 So what's next week? 248 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:52.259 Doesn't go well for episode 7 with the sensorize. 249 00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:55.680 What is the next story? 250 00:25:55.740 --> 00:25:58.259 Yeah, six, nine. 73 yards. 251 00:25:58.319 --> 00:25:59.579 Marco Polo. 252 00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:03.599 So, um, maybe the doctor will take a nap. 253 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:15.119 Or come back and compare your theory to mine when after upsetting, we're all gathered to talk about how there was a surprise regeneration to the 16th doctor, Susan Twist. 254 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:18.359 There's always a twist of the end. 255 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:20.880 So she was the doctor all the time. 256 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:25.200 The lady who played Monday. 257 00:26:25.259 --> 00:26:28.319 She's the next companion, is that correct? 258 00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:30.539 Yeah, that's right. 259 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:32.220 So she's Verada Sefu. 260 00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:38.519 We don't know yet whether this is an army of ghosts thing or an asylum of the Daleks thing. 261 00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:41.880 I suspect it's an army of ghosts thing. 262 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:49.140 I think that they probably saw her performance this week and when the next companion thing came up. 263 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:51.180 They said, let's get Verada back in. 264 00:26:51.240 --> 00:26:52.859 She's in. 265 00:26:52.859 --> 00:26:56.279 Only because Susan Twist wasn't available, probably. right. 266 00:26:56.339 --> 00:27:00.180 The Vera people had finally got hold of her, I think, by that point. 267 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:05.099 She, she's, of course, in Andor, and he's very good in that. 268 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:05.759 Yeah. 269 00:27:05.819 --> 00:27:06.599 Oh, you should. 270 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:07.259 It's excellent. 271 00:27:07.380 --> 00:27:07.799 Yeah. 272 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:13.200 It was funny because like at the beginning of the episode, I just thought, well, the camera really likes her. 273 00:27:13.259 --> 00:27:25.500 And then when I rewatched it, like I was almost brought to tears by her reaction to her love interest, non-love interest, and I just really loved her performance and the emotion in her face. 274 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:27.720 It's something I took away from it quite. 275 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:31.259 I just really thought, oh, she's really human. 276 00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:32.460 Her scenes were shooting. 277 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:36.420 I just thought the conversation was really natural and very strong. 278 00:27:37.859 --> 00:27:46.980 She, in fact, almost saved one of the things I hate most about Moffatt's writing, which is the power of parental love saving the universe, so I'll give her credit to that. 279 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:53.099 Well, he did it in his 1st episode for the show. as well. many in between. 280 00:27:54.180 --> 00:28:02.220 All right, so it's time for us to plug a few things. 500-year diary finished its 1st season on Sunday. 281 00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:12.660 So there's 6 episodes of that for you to listen to on new beginnings in Doctor Who, and it's spinoff, so you can find that at 500-yeardiary.com. 282 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:16.980 Uh, Untitled Star Trek project is continuing every week. 283 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:27.359 Last week we did one of my absolute favourite Star Trek. episodes ever, disaster, which obviously has the most superb Marina Syrtis hero moment. 284 00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:33.779 So you can go back and listen to that and the other 109 episodes of Untitled Star Trek Project. 285 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:38.039 And Brendan, I believe, released an episode last night as well. 286 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:48.059 Yes, so the latest episode of the BJBJ game show is now out on my husband's suggested game, which is Catquest. 287 00:28:48.119 --> 00:29:02.279 I'd also just like to drop in here My co-host over on that show, BJ is enjoying the new series of Doctor Who, and she was very grateful that I didn't tell her beforehand that Boom was written by Stephen Moffatt because she said she really enjoyed it, but that might have prejudiced her opinion. 288 00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:05.220 She's not the biggest fan of Moffat. 289 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:17.519 And last week, we also released the 3rd episode of The Three-handed Game, finishing off our theme of Reach for the Stars, with the Honour Blackman episode, The White Dwarf. 290 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:20.160 Which hand did you reach to the Stars? 291 00:29:20.220 --> 00:29:22.200 First one, then the other. 292 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.119 And then the third. 293 00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:25.200 And then the 3rd. 294 00:29:25.259 --> 00:29:27.119 It's not a good night. 295 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:30.119 All right. 296 00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:35.940 Well, in that case, all that remains is for me to say, until next time, look up an Arundel tomb by Philip Larkin. 297 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:36.420 It's good. 298 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:40.799 You'll like it, and by the time you hear this, it'll probably have its own TARDIS wiki page. 299 00:29:40.859 --> 00:29:43.440 Thank you very much for listening and good night. 300 00:29:43.500 --> 00:29:44.579 Good night. 301 00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:45.779 Good night. 302 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:47.099 See you soon.