Something needs to change for Doctor Who

“I’m born. I die. I’m born,” announces the 15th Doctor. It’s an optimistic statement, speaking to both the famous regenerative capabilities of the character but also the programme’s almost immortal quality, returning in 2005 following cancellation in 1989. However, Doctor Who has recently been haunted by rumours concerning its dwindling popularity and even another cancellation. So, does season two live up to the persisting optimism of its protagonist and prove that there is still life in Doctor Who?

As the single explicit constant between episodes, the relationship between Doctor and companion is core to the programme’s success. This year, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor is joined by Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra. Gone are the days of the companion’s excitable subservience to the Doctor’s realistically absurd characteristics as Belinda carries more edge and bite. However, as Belinda ultimately becomes familiarly subordinate to the Doctor, despite her fearlessness in challenging him initially, audiences are failed to be excited in totality.

Similarly, season two’s narrative arcs blandly imitate those which are now tired. Across his prior seasons, showrunner Russell T Davies threaded a recurring motif between episodes – be it a phrase, name, or person – yet the recurring appearances of the mysterious Mrs Flood across Season Two directly echo those of actress Susan Twist across last year’s episodes. Consequently, the eventual revelation of Mrs Flood’s identity is rather soulless due to the mystery’s conceptual sterility.

What does work in season two is the adjacent running thread of the destruction of Earth. Not only does this force Doctor Who’s creatives to push themselves conceptually by removing present-day Earth as a narrative setting, but this thread is also emotionally connected both to audiences and Belinda. With the Doctor’s mission to “get Belinda home” propelling each episode, season two’s overarching narrative is infused with urgency, contrasting with the developing narratives of each episode.

‘The Story and The Engine’ is perhaps season two’s freshest take

The meat of any television season is its episodes. Besides introducing Belinda, season opener ‘The Robot Revolution’ is rather paint-by-numbers Doctor Who, but the colours it uses are engaging and more than satisfying. Gatwa is on top form and the season to come is effectively established. The following episode, ‘Lux’, was hotly anticipated for several reasons, and it more than delivered. Alan Cumming’s performance as cartoonish antagonist Mr Ring-A-Ding is phenomenal; like all good Doctor Who, Cumming mixes humour with menace and thus Ring-A-Ding is propelled into the upper echelons of Doctor Who villains. ‘Lux’ was also rendered immediately controversial for its on-screen portrayal of Doctor Who fans, yet to me it’s a rather sweet scene in highlighting the value that the programme holds for so many people. It may not be to everybody’s tastes, but ‘Lux’ is already a Doctor Who classic in my eyes.

In contrast, the largely popular episode ‘The Well’ left me rather disappointed. It is perhaps the earliest explicit proof in season two that Doctor Who is now running on steam; despite being conceived to feature Nigerian spirits, the episode is ultimately a sequel to Tenth Doctor classic ‘Midnight’. This is troubled by the lack of coherence between both; rather than building upon the timeless concepts explored in the original, ‘The Well’ is designed to enamour viewers through memories of such a strong episode, rather than becoming such itself. Ironically, the elements of it that are disconnected from ‘Midnight’ are what really shine, such as its tangibly eerie atmosphere and phenomenal star turn from Rose Ayling-Ellis. Ultimately, ‘The Well’ falls foul to nostalgic impulse, and this certainly won’t be the last time that season two does so.

Nevertheless, a flurry of strong episodes follow; ‘Lucky Day’ explores Ruby’s character beyond the broad strokes that she was painted in last season by delving into her life after travelling with the Doctor. However, writer Pete McTighe has an unfortunate track record when handling politics in Doctor Who, and these problems persist through the consecration of established authority, which in turn partially dilutes his exploration of Ruby.

Doctor Who’s focus is now unequivocally upon the past. 

 ‘The Story and The Engine’ is perhaps season two’s freshest take on Doctor Who; new writer Inua Ellams blossoms with talent as he pushes Doctor Who to frontiers anew through his exploration of Nigerian culture, consequently deepening the characterisation of Gatwa’s Doctor. However, the originality of Belinda’s character is gradually weakened from here on.

Episode six is a tonally diverse affair, featuring vibrant musical numbers and the Doctor’s torture of a genocide survivor on the brink of murdering three trillion people. The latter scene proved rightly controversial, not least when considering the current international political climate, and the Doctor’s actions demand further repercussions. However, this concern is ultimately forgotten, as season two ultimately collapses at its final hurdle.

The first part of season two’s finale, ‘Wish World’, tackles said final hurdle competently; it’s conceptually engaging, with its original depiction of a far-right dystopia rendered immediately threatening through its manipulation of the Doctor himself. However, its focus on establishing its denouement means the quality is heavily mediated by its successor: ‘The Reality War’. From the perspective of judging purely on its spectacle, ‘The Reality War’ succeeds through the marriage of dramatic dialogue with action-packed direction. What doesn’t work is everything around the spectacle.

Davies is clearly fixated upon honouring the programme’s past and this finale is no different. Davies reveals the aforementioned Mrs Flood as the return of a rather significant character. This should be exciting for fans, but Davies fails to honour or deepen the character, rushing towards their defeat. His focus on Doctor Who’s past also risks alienating more general audiences by focusing such attention on two relatively unknown characters.

Change is an infinitely important part of Doctor Who’s makeup

I previously praised Belinda’s initial characterisation, but her character is warped in ‘The Reality War’ beyond recognition. Belinda’s prior motivations for wanting to return home – her work and parents – are entirely recontextualised here through a series of flashbacks to introduce Belinda’s relationship to a child that audiences were never aware that she had. Not only does this development adhere to rather traditional conclusions concerning motherhood, but to invest oneself in Belinda is now virtually impossible as her entire character is reconstructed, despite Sethu’s best attempts to invigorate her performance.

Unfortunately, ‘The Reality War’ will also mark Ncuti Gatwa’s final regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor. With the episode’s failure to anticipate this departure, the traditional emotional catharsis of regeneration is absent. However, what really besmirches Gatwa’s legacy on Doctor Who is the already infamous surprise return of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and David Tennant. Their return screams of a final desperate attempt to recapture the golden age of Doctor Who. These soulless, reductive attempts at rejuvenation also insultingly overshadow Gatwa. For a programme that thrives upon its unique mechanics of change, Doctor Who’s focus is now unequivocally upon the past.

I introduced this article by ruminating whether there was still life in Doctor Who. Objectively, the answer is yes, and this is reflected episodically through this year’s variety of adventures and the rejuvenation of the companion role through Belinda Chandra. However, change is an infinitely important part of Doctor Who’s makeup. Russell T Davies has repeatedly stated that his first memory is of Doctor Who’s very first regeneration way back in 1963, but the expected impact of such an event has evidently been lost; Doctor Who is shackled to its past.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Disney+.