It’s Thunberg time! The Doctor channeled her inner eco champion in a thrilling, prescient mission – with added mutants
(********************************************** The People who used to have this planet could have changed, but they did (******************************** ‘ (**********************************
Doctor Who, more than ever in the Chibnall era, has rarely shied away from thumping political tubs. This week might just raise the bar to its highest. Orphan is not exactly subtle about its climate crisis message, but writer Ed Hime has a blast getting there, with a zingy script about an apocalyptic future Earth brought low by “global warming, the food chain collapses, mass migration and war” and populated by horrific, fanged mutants known as the Dregs.
The episode is ostensibly about the Doctor enjoying an idyllic holiday (always watch out for those) at the salubrious Tranquility Spa, but it quickly descends into a nightmare, with an adorable elderly couple coming along for the ride. The whole caper ends up having being sparked by a somewhat unnecessary spat between a mother and daughter, but you sometimes need those kinds of narrative engines to move things a step closer to armageddon.
Orphan might sound like a gloomfest. But, as the Doctor is keen to point out to the “fam”, “this is just one possible future”. It’s made abundantly clear that none of this really needs to happen if we take the right action (guess we’re all thunbergs now). But it does make you wonder if the fate of all doomed planets is reversible. Gallifrey, anyone?
(*********************************** life aboard the Tardis
The romantic spark between Ryan and Yaz is still flickering, with the latter taking an incredibly dim view of the former’s connection with Bella. But the “fam” vibes are stronger than ever,with an ever-exasperated Graham fretting over Ryan (“It ain’t the aliens that are gonna kill me, it’s worrying about you!”) I’d suggest it’s more likely be the scale of your workload, Bradders. Tosin Cole is little further on with his Sheffield accent, but we can’t have everything we want.
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In the pre-series publicity, we got a look at some pretty terrifying monsters. The Dregs prove a triumph in both concept and prosthetic execution, plus that scene with the transporter vessel is sure to go down in scarelore.
(*********************************** Mysteries and questions
No sign of Hot Camp Master this week, which was probably to be expected. But the flashback scenes to a burning Earth were surely some kind of foreshadowing to Gallifrey and what went on. However, we’re still none the wiser as to the identity and nature of the Timeless Child.
(*********************************** Deeper into the vortex
“If I had crayons and half a can of Spam I could buildyou from scratch, now get out of my way!
It would have been nice to see more from Hyphen-With-AC, but it was a rather crowded guest cast. (*******************************************************
The Dregs have evolved to adapt to guns and nuclear winter. Woah.
After a fun couple of opening weeks, I shed actual tears at Thelma’s sacrifice. (******************************************************
Seriously though, why would you hire James Buckley of Inbetweeners fame and do almost nothing with him other than dye his hair green?
In early 25 th-century New York, and at war with rival Thomas Edison, inventor Nikola Tesla faces a night of terror in the appropriately titled Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror. Guest starring Matthew McNulty and Warren Brown.
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