Doctor Who | Series 15 | Episode: 1 | ‘The Robot Revolution’ | Duration: 46 minutes | Writer: Russell T. Davies | Director: Peter Hoar | Starring: Ncuti Gatwa, Varada Sethu, Jonny Green

“There’s a Doctor looking for you.”

IN MODERN DOCTOR WHO, A DOCTOR’S SECOND SEASON IS WHERE FANS EXPECT THEM TO HIT THEIR STRIDE. No pressure for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor then, especially when reduced episode counts make it feel all too soon. 

As it’s showrunner Russell T. Davies’ second time steering a Doctor into their second year, fans may expect some callbacks. Even so, the similarities with Series 3’s ‘Smith and Jones’ (2007) are striking. Like the story that kicked off David Tennant’s second year, ‘The Robot Revolution,’ features a hospital, a lumbering, deadly police force, and most importantly, a companion who can give the Doctor a run for his money. 

But by the end, it’s clear how much water has flowed under the bridge between those stories.

Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra may be just the shot in the arm this era needs. Instantly established as an older companion than Ruby Sunday, she’s a hard-working NHS nurse, and as we find out, a woman who’s learned to look after herself. She’s an excellent foil for Gatwa’s ever-smooth, energetic and tear-prone Doctor. She arguably pulls a broader range from him than we saw at any point in his first year, and quite possibly fundamentally changes the way we see his Time Lord in the space of 45 minutes. While he sits, she tries to help. While he plots, she takes action to save lives. When he cheekily extracts some DNA, she calls him out for what he is: dangerous.

It all feels fresh and ensures what starts as a fairly comedy romp (despite some tonally awkward jokes as the Doctor shits down a hospital and a cat gets vapourised) soon reveals plenty of edge. 

RTD seasons tend to build up from comic or light-hearted openers, and while The Robot Revolution has the hallmarks of that, there’s far more swirling below the surface. 

A rewatch reveals the script cunningly hints at coercive control up to the revelations on the distant planet, and the Great AI Generator’s grand plan, with brilliantly laid breadcrumbs. Although it’s kept at timey-wimey arm’s length for the moment, it’s good to have time and space play such a big role in the domestic drama.

Two highlights include the Doctor and Belinda’s introduction, where the Time Lord exploits a nine-word break in the robot’s processing to publicly address her in code. Then there’s the Blinovitch Limitation Effect, the in-universe principle controlling identical objects from different times occupying the same space. Here, it saves the day thanks to the star certificate acting as a MacGuffin to solve an impossible dilemma. The effect dips into 2001: A Space Odyssey and recalls early-1970s psychedelic meta-scenes from the Third Doctor era, as well as the Fourth Doctor story ‘Planet of Evil.’ 

When Belinda drops the astonishing ‘Planet of the Incels’ line it effectively combines the Planet of the Apes time anomalies at play, the show’s storied history, and RTD’s commitment to tackle topical storylines in extraordinary ways. Signs are good that the Disney era of Doctor Who has found a way to marry quality production (stylised as it is, it definitely pops with the tone) and narrative focus. 

‘The Robot Revolution’ feels like the most exciting Doctor Who has been for some time, with RTD serving up a confident script with a strong message. If there’s a concern, it’s that it leaves so many strands to tie up. Modern Who’s mysteries have often been delivered best with the slightest hints – Series One’s light Bad Wolf arc is the prime example. Now that the show is limited to eight episodes, there’s less space to resolve deeper mysteries without tying knots or reaching for the scissors.

The first mystery is who told the Doctor that Belinda was important. Then, how the star certificate somehow ended up in the distant past to create Belinda’s legacy. Following that, there’s the confirmation that Mundy Flynn, whom we met in Series 14’s ‘Boom,’ is genetically similar to Belinda. 

The episode concludes on the cliffhanger that the TARDIS is being bounced away from Earth on 24th May 2025. Oddly, viewers are left in no doubt that the planet’s been destroyed while the TARDIS crew is left oblivious. Has anything quite like that happened before? Add to that the mysterious Miss Flood, breaking the Fourth Wall once again, as a carryover from the previous season.

That many question marks are a worry, even when it comes to the enigmatic Doctor. But there’s an awkward thrill to the new companion’s story that shines through, and it’s brilliantly uncomfortable for us all. There’s no doubt how Belinda calling out the Doctor lands; She’s just escaped one controlling man promising her the stars, only to be trapped with another.

‘THE ROBOT REVOLUTION’ VERDICT

‘The Robot Revolution’ is one of the strongest series openers in some time. RTD continues to forge an international social juggernaut out of the show conceived initially (checks notes) as a tea-time educational programme. It’s an unexpected commitment for a BBC-Disney Plus co-production, and a sign it’s not afraid to court controversy in its prickly fan base in the pursuit of great stories. 

While it’s great to see Gatwa’s Doctor challenged and a move away from “isn’t space and time travel fun” adventures of last year, there’s just a nagging feeling, as intoxicating and fun as it all is, that the mysteries are just coming too thick and fast.