A playlist of videos covering the issues with the BBC and transphobic reporting: kzfaq.info/sun/PLmWFOeT2jEofVIDW9X3OL7GqWuX3Dxopu

one thing gotta give props to is that neither the daleks or the cybermen showed up this season.

“It’s not a twist, it’s a reveal” is such a good bit of commentary

Dot and Bubble is up there for my favorite episode of all time. I've never been one to obsess over TV shows, but for the entire following week I could not stop thinking about it. There's just so much to chew on

Space Babies is genuinely my single least favourite episode of the entire show. 73 Yards is one of my favourites. Mixed bag of a season...

I think the main issue is that the characterization and emotional aspects here just aren't as strong as they were in RTD's first era. I've honestly never had an issue with the deus ex machinas or time resets, those resolutions all worked for me because I was so invested in the characters and their journeys. The difference with Empire of Death is that the season hasn't really done enough to make me care about Ruby or any of the supporting characters at UNIT, so I wasn't all that invested in what happened to them.

1 - 73 Yards (eerie and mesmerizing) 2 - The Legend of Ruby Sunday (energetic, innovative and amazing) 3 - Boom (great writing) 4 - Rogue (so much fun - first time, this season, laughing out loud) 5 - Dot and Bubble (very well done + shocking) 6 - The Devil's Cord (beautiful) 7 - The Church on Ruby Road (silly, but fun) 8 - Empire of Death (underwhelming; maybe I'll like it better on second watch - time heals broken hearts ) 9 - Space Babies (it's ugh, just ugh!!! Why? Why? Wasn't the eye dust monster enough?!)

I've followed your channel for awhile, over the years I lost track of it but with this recent Doctor Who season - I found your channel and love your refreshing and honest opinions. I usually watched Doctor Who with my dad and we'd talk away theories and ideas. But this year was the first Doctor Who season, with a new Doctor - that I saw since he had passed on. Your page is - bringing such a closure to that loss, as if he is still here watching the show with me. Beautiful video as always!

Doctor Who is still a family programme in the UK so of course it has a child like sensibility. I an delighted to find that in Britain , the show is watched by parents and children sitting together. RTD needed to bring the show's viewing age down. That was a priority for The BBC

9. The Legend of Ruby Sunday: Felt like it was juggling two sets of keys in front of us, one was Ruby's mother, the other was Susan, only to hit us with Sutekh. All setup, no substance. 8. Empire of Death: Typical finale, except making even less sense than usual. Still some great emotional moments though. 7. The Devil's Chord: This one felt weirdly empty, like it didn't have anything to say other than "music good, no music bad". 6. Space Babies: It's...fine, I guess? Not a spectacular plot but I like some of the character moments. 5. Rogue: Also quite empty but more fun. 4. The Church on Ruby Road: Great introduction to our leads, really enjoyed it. 3. 73 Yards: Heartbreaking, love the themes, I just like science fiction more than fantasy in general. 2. Boom: This one had a lot to say, with some fantastic moments throughout. 1. Dot and Bubble: I thought this was gonna be the bad one. But it ended up being my favourite. Every time I watch, I notice something different. Wish more episodes had this much thought into them.

A spaceship full of refugee babies who are actually just a giant Roe V Wade allegory making their way to a planet that will take them in via a giant depository of nappies creating a source of flammable gas is something Douglas Adams wish he could've come up with (I'm being facetious, I love Douglas Adams, but I genuinely don't get what's so wrong with Space Babies, beyond any creepiness one might feel at the talking babies)

Thank you for all the videos you've done to cover this season! It was so good to wait for each one of them. It made the experience of watching the season so much better. Thank you! And thank you for always sending that lovely message at the end. It warms my heart to hear it. Have a lovely day! kisses from Brazil

Ok, so I also really loved 73 yards but I do have one critique that is less the fault of the episode and more the fault of the season being so short. That is 73 yards I think would have only been helped if it was a 2 parter. It feels similar to the 13th doctor episode it takes you away where yeah it works as a single episode but it can only be improved by making it two parts and allowing it's ideas to have more room to breathe.

I think you might have missed part of the point of Dot and Bubble. I missed it myself. During the episode, there are multiple instances indicating the pervasive (systemic) racism. Part of the point is that some of us (me) missed that while we were watching until the end. I watched the second time with my son. Not only was it not a surprise to him, after about ten minutes in he said "Wow. I can't believe RTD went this hard on racism." I think part of the point of the episode is for each of us to analyze our assumptions that it's just "normal" issues, and how we missed the racism. This, I think, elevates the episode even higher - challenging our assumptions is something I hope for from Dr Who.

"... and that will distance some people from 73 Yards", how fitting for this episode 73 Yards is hands down my favourite of the season btw, great atmosphere

My worst is Space Babies and I think Dot and Bubble might be the best, but only just. If 73 yards hadn't ended while leaving some important narrative related questions totally unanswered then that would've been my number 1.

I just finished my rewatch of the season a little over 12 hours ago, and your videos were fundamental in my experience watching each episode. While I tried to analyze the shit out of them, I got some serious insight in each and every video of yours. Especially Dot and Bubble’s. As someone who tries to make critical analysis my thing, props for doing it so well. Oh yeah and the season is just standard schlock. Some wonderful episodes, Boom and 73 Yards, some alright episodes, Devil’s Chord, Rogue, some flawed episodes like Space Babies, Dot and Bubble, and The Legend of Ruby Sunday, and a truly terrible episode with Empire of Death. What were we supposed to expect with the show being so short? Everything they had to go for was so compressed and they didn’t do anything with that fact, just tried to go as usual but in a shorter format and it severely damaged it. It’s not the worst seasons of the show, but it’s somewhere in the middle.

For the most part a fun season with a likeable Tardis team. Sadly it suffers from consistent pacing and tone issues whilst feeling derivative of previous seasons. If I were to rank the episodes: 8/9 Legend of Ruby Sunday and Empire of Death: I went in with zero investment in the mystery boxes so had more fun with the finale than most, but it's still messy and should have been saved for a later season and given more time to flesh it out. 7 Devil's Chord: Almost great with multiple creative moments but doesn't live up to being a musical about the Beatles. 6 The Church on Ruby Road: A fun character intro but the story is over before it begins 5 Space Babies: It's fun, a little low brow but has enough heartfelt moments with 15 and Ruby to make it work. 4 Rogue: very witty and has a rare Doctor romance I can in theory see growing , however it doesn't earn a somber ending. 3 73 Yards: I love it but mostly thanks to head canons. 2 Dot and Bubble: Russell's most solid script of the season with a fascinating ending. 1 Boom: Everything I love about Moffat's writing and gives Ncuti a unique acting challenge.

7: Space Babies 6: The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death 5: Rogue 4: Boom 3: The Devil’s Chord 2: Dot and Bubble 1: 73 Yards

Absolutely Dot and Bubble. Perfectly crafted to completely unnerve and devestate you at the end.

Depending on whether Moffat writing the Christmas Special is counted, there will be 4 or 5 guest writers for the next series. Which ones is not known yet.

I found something to like in every episode so for me, it was the best season I’ve watched since forever, not including the 60th specials. I will always lament that Whitaker didn’t get better writing. My ranking for now: 1-73 yards 2-Dot and Bubble 3-Legend of Ruby Sunday 4-Boom 5-Empire of Death 6-Rogue 7-Church on Ruby Road 8-Devil’s Chord 9-Space Babies Also for the first time in forever, I’m optimistic about the future of the show. There’s a palpable new energy. Not everything is perfect, but nothing ever is. We need at least 3 or 4 more episodes, though.

This series was quite hit and miss for me with some episodes i quite like but others i really didnt. Here's my rankings: 8/9 - Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death: This two part finale for me fell a little flat in its second part and tbh its carried by the first part for sure. I didnt totally hate it since there are things there that i quite like but they dont outweigh the bad 7 - The Church on Ruby Road: it the first episode and i wasnt expecting too much from this one anyway but it feels like the story just ends kinda quick almost like there was a chunk missing. I do think it introduces Ncuti as the doctor in his first solo story quite well and i like him but theres not a lot else for me. Its not bad but not good just ok 6 - Space Babies: Its a good first episode as a lead on from the Church on Ruby Road and i still think its a good introduction episode for any new fans joining the show with this series. I do think thats a little lost on the older fans but i didnt mind it and helping people understand and getting through it quick was kinda the best of both worlds. The Story overall is fine too. 5 - Devil's Chord: I like Maestro in this episode and i know a lot of people think the character is a little over the top and thats fine i understand but for me i quite like Jinkx in this role. Other than that its a ok episode and its kinda all about Maestro and only 2 of the beatles are even featured properly 4 - Rogue I find the chemistry between the Doctor and Rogue a little rushed but i still think it works well especially the kylie music scene being quite funny. Theres also a lot of great lines in the episode and for the most part its kinda fun. I do hope the doctor looks for rogue in this time inbetween cause otherwise why was he introduced. Also i didnt mind the kiss and tbh it made Ncuti hot to me for some reason like my second awakening lol 3 - 73 Yards I actually like how theres a lot of lingering questions for this episode cause to me not knowing all the answers can leave a story a little bit like a mystery. Plus it slightly comes back in the finale and to a point where it fits. Also Millie Gibson carrying this episode since Ncuti had other filming commitments and she does well. Like the no opening credits too. This episode is meant to unsettle you and i do find a lot of people miss that 2 - Dot and Bubble This episode makes you hate the main character (forgetting her name right now) and that is exactly the point which people also seemed to miss too. Justice for Ricky September lol. Overall i think its a great episode and i do think its good to watch yourself to see how good it is. 1 - Boom Best episode and the one i enjoyed the most. Keeping the Doctor in one space and how scared he is is very relatable to anyone in that situation and Ncuti's best performance or at least i think so. I also like the callbacks to older episodes and lines. 9th Doctor burned down one of the factories and theres a banana grove there now. Bananas are good. Anyways apart from the kid character i think everyone is quite good in this

The Devil's Chord and Dot and Bubble are my two favorite episodes from this season

I agree with this ranking. The only ones I'm wavering on is whether Boom or 73 Yards gets second place for me as they are so close.

ooo amazing video, I love your discussion!

Glad to see someone else love Dot and Bubble as much as I do and for similar reasons. I actually think it might be my favorite episode of Doctor Who. I don't think any other episode sticks in my mind like this one does

My ranking is: 1. Rogue 2. Boom 3. Dot and Bubble 4. The Church on Ruby Road 5. The Devil's Chord 6. Space Babies 7. The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death 8. 73 Yards

Perfect Ranking! 🎉 love this!

My ranking exactly. Good review!

It's a bit of a mixed bag for me but I will NEVER complain about new Doctor who ❤ Anyways here's how I'd rank it 1. 73 Yards 2. Dot & Bubble 3. BOOM 4. The Devils Chord 5. The Legend Of Ruby Sunday 6. Rogue 7. Church On Ruby Road 8. Space Babies 9. Empire Of Death

There are definitely similarities between your ranking for this season and my own. Some of the placements are different for sure, but some are the same and some may have different numbers but are in a similar order. I also have the Xmas special on this list but you can remove it and nothing about the ranking would change outside those below it moving up a number. 1 - The Devil's Chord (Just felt like fun old school style Who) 2 - Dot and Bubble (One of THE BEST subversion and message episodes I've seen) 3 - 73 Yards (Eerie, mysterious and just fun) 4 - The Legend of Ruby Sunday (Mostly good setup episode for a 2-part finale) 5 - Boom (Was happy to see Moffat back, love a good bottle episode, the kid was mildly annoyingly written) 6 - The Church on Ruby Road (A fun Christmas special, good setup to lead into the new season, not the strongest writing but fine all around) 7 - Rogue (It's a fun popcorn episode, nothing of real substance, enjoyed the character of Rogue, overly sick of the Doctor having romances) 8 - Space Babies (Flawed episode, childish in nature as far as the writing at times (hello again fart joke), bad choice to do CGI baby lips, still fun to watch) 9 - Empire of Death (The ONLY episode in the season that left me feeling disappointed after watching, no tension, no stakes, loved the scene with the woman in the tent and loved Mel, HATE the conclusion of the Ruby's mom mystery box)

My ranking goes: 1. Dot & Bubble - This... this episode I compare to something like 'Vincent & the Doctor'. Its an incredibly powerful story with a powerful message & while there are certain nitpicks which can be made, I feel like its above all of those. It is a master class in writing & easily the episode I found myself being most rewatchable. 2. Boom - I am a Moffat fan more then RTD. This episode was Moffat at his best & was the moment I fell in love with 15. It truly showed off his acting ability & it legit shocked me with the Ruby fake out death. 3. 73 Yards - I love the mystery & the message of this thing scaring off everyone who see's you being an alogory for people in the LGBT+ community but I have to put it here because of the side point of the other assistant feeling cruel & unneeded. Which is why it fell down to this spot for me. 4. The Devils Cord - While I'm not usually a fan of drag shows, I also find them very draining. This performance was one I could truly enjoy as the rest of the show brought it back down from 11. I do hope we get Maestro back one day because this episode was fun & I thank them for it. Just wish it had been more of a Beetle's story given their minor role in the story. 5. Legend of Ruby Sunday - This felt like a decent build up to the second part. I usually prefer the first of two-parters due to the build up. While there was a sort of disjointed feeling between the Susan Triad story & Ruby's mum story, its no worst then other finals RTD have used before. 6. The Church on Ruby Road - The was a fun little xmas adventure... no big complaints but nothing forces it up further. 7. Empire of Death - I... have issues with this episode. The reverse everything finally I called as soon as Kate died & it felt very lack luster on the emotional beats. I have a lot of nickpicks with this finale but unlike other episode which have nitpicks, I don't have anything to stop me looking for them. 8. Rogue - This is the episode which is person for me. I don't like the Doctor having romance, never have. Rose, Martha, Amy, River, Yaz... as someone who is ace, I always connected to the Doctor as an ace icon. I understand the need for representation & support it (my favourite Torchwood episode is 'Captain Jack Harknass') but it doesn't help if you bring in one type of representation by changing another. The episode also felt very.... bland, outside of the romance, coming off as a "unicorn & the Wasp" type story. 9. Space babies - I have high standards for openers as they set the tone for the series & luckily the series wasn't in the same tone as this mix-match episode. It felt like "Idiots lanturn" type episode & I'll likely skip it on future episodes... I did like the one Ruby moment though.

My ranking runs thusly: *1. 73 Yards* *2. Dot and Bubble* - 1 and 2 are interchangeable. Both are well-executed, and leave you thinking (and feeling) about them long after they're over. *3. The Church on Ruby Road* - Great intro for a new Doctor and a new companion. I wish more of the season had this energy. I'm counting it as an episode because that feels right to me, and Disney+ counts it that way. *4. Rogue* - A more formulaic story with exceptional acting, music, and interesting fun twists although how does a guy who plays D&D not know what 'cosplay' is? And how could a scriptwriter who knows about D&D, and cosplay not know that what the aliens were actually doing is called 'LARPing'? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ *5. The Legend of Ruby Sunday* - Most of my praise of this episode is down to the eerie time window scenes. I kinda hate that all the gods in "God Club" have matching H. Arbingers that apparently get handed out like group business cards. Also, I don't really like that Sutekh is card-carrying member of God Club. _Why?_ *6. Boom* - This, 5 and 7 are all sorta interchangeable for me. My "average" episodes this season. _Boom_ itself is a fine episode with a very limited set and kinda feels like a Doctor Who dinner theater because of it. *7. Empire of Death* - A bit of a hot mess. I don't agree with most common complaints about mom wearing a hood and pointing. The reason for which can be summed up by the presence of CCTV cameras all over as evidenced by the VHS recording and the fact that someone was going to have to look and see if they could ID the person who dropped the baby off on the church stoop and so would see mom pointing and have to follow up. Also, none of the clues _ever_ pointed to mom (or dad) being particularly special in any way, they point at Ruby... who is due back next season. There's a lot of good in this episode. I'm marking it down this low on the list mostly for pacing and logistical reasons. Love the return to the _73 Yards_ story without this script spoiling any of the mystery shrouding it. *8. The Devil's Chord* - No freaking Beatles music in the Beatles episode!? _For shame!_ You have Disney money and not even a _Love me Do?!_ You had music by Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish in _Rogue!_ Jinkx saves this one from being ranked number twelve out of nine. Also, why was this the second (or third) episode and not the fourth or fifth? This comes too soon after Ruby and the new Doctor's intro, so I don't really believe it when Ruby states the Doctor always has all the answers. I guess, six decades later, _The Chase_ remains the definitive Beatles episode. So much wasted potential here. *9. Space Babies* - Why did he save the Boogieman again? It's my biggest problem with this episode. There's not any believable reason given and the Doctor has dispatched many a unique monster before. I would have totally bought it if he had even mused out loud about how lonely it must be to be genetically engineered to induce a fear response in everyone around you. Had that happened, this episode would jump up in my standings by at least a spot. It's not terrible, but _Boom_ is the "average Doctor Who story" for me this season.

1. 73 yards 2. Dot and Bubble 3. The legend of ruby Sunday 4. Rogue 5. Boom 6. The devil’s chord 7. Empire of death 8. Space babies But honestly 1&2 could swap around anyway ayday, 3-6 constantly rearrange themselves. The episodes that hit they HIT, usually I would do two parters together as one story but I’ve never experienced such different feelings watching the parts in a two parter before than this finale

Mostly agree only 2 main differences w/Rogue & Empire. For me: 8: Rogue (It plays like a historical soap opera, and it was meant to be that, and that doesn't work for me) 7: Space Babies (It has flaws to it, but at least it was fun in places) 6: Devil's Chord (It feels like a Sarah Jane Adventure, not Doctor WHO. Resolution is too easy) 5: Empire of Death (It's Last of the Time Lords all over but not as good. Road sign thing is dumb) 4: Legend of Ruby Sunday (great build-up, love the tone) 3: Boom! (I love how this proves you don't need to threaten all creation to have real stakes. I LOVE the angry line about Faith!!) 2: Dot & Bubble (I love this for how harsh is toward all the worst people, more please!) 1: 73 Yards (This episode gave me my only real Punch The Sky Doctor WHO moment with Ruby taking down the bad guy, and I LOVED it! She took what made her different, what made her ostracized, and made it her super-power! EXCELLENT!!)

I find it interesting that NO ONE is agreeing on rankings for this season because it was so different and experimental so it all depend on peoples individual tastes which I think is great that it’s creating discussion! Mine is 8. Space Babies 7. Rogue 6. Empire of Death 5. Dot an bubble 4. The devils chord 3. 73 yards 2. The legend of ruby Sunday 1. Boom

My ranking would be 1. Boom 2. Rogue 3. The Devil’s Chord 4. 73 Yards 5. The Legend of Ruby Sunday 6. Dot and Bubble 7. The Empire of Death 8. Space Babies Overall I was kinda mixed on the season. Ncuti Gatwa was putting in an excellent performance along with Millie Gibson but I didn’t feel like I got a great grasp on either of their performances and most of the stuff I dislike about RTD’s first era is here but worse (which is probably why my two favorite episodes of the seasons are the ones he didn’t write).

I would like to point out the subtlety in Gothic Pat's outfit. Goths are known for wearing all black or at least dark attire. He's in almost all white.

Is there a possibility that Dot and Bubble is a new origin of the Daleks? At the end of the episode, the thought popped into my head and I couldn't shake it...

I agree with you that "Dot and Bubble" is probably the best-written episode of the season - if it doesn't get a Hugo nomination, I'll be surprised - and it is definitely the most dark and disturbing Doctor Who has been in a while. I'm not sure how I'd rank the season - I'd need to rewatch. But I like the mixed bag of genres and styles we get. I like that RTD is playing with format and not holding back on his ideas and opinions. I found the series overall very fun to watch from week to week, and I'm looking forward to the next season with Ncuti as the Doctor.

1 - Dot and Bubble 2 - 73 Yards 3 - Boom 4 - The Devil's Cord 5 - Rogue 6 - The Legend of Ruby Sunday 7 - Empire of Death 8 - Space Babies OK Strangely this is not how I would have thought I would have ended up thinking about things. When I first watched The Devil's Chord after Space Babies in a double bill I was kind of disheartened. But looking back on it and watching it since I think it is a really good setup for what the whole season is about, and I like Monsoons over the top campness... The Finally two parter just had too many pacing issues for me, Legend of Ruby Sunday felt horribly drawn out so they could end on the Sutekh reveal, and Empire of Death felt rushed and the ending not earned. I'm of the opinion that it should have be cut differently, It shouldn't have ended on the Sutekh reveal, the first episode should have ended with him on the doorstep of the TARDIS looking at a dead Universe.

It just occurred to me that 73 Yards might be an example of "making virtue out of necessity". I'm not sure RTD would have normally done a Doctor-lite, companion-heavy episode in the first season of a new companion (and a new Doctor), before their pairing really got estbalished. He seems to have been forced into that by Gatwa's filming schedule (it was either that, or find another Doctor, or postpone the start of the new season), which meant Gibson was much more available for filming. The result, however, was a chance to delve deeply into Ruby's character predominantly on her own, and introduce us to just how extraordinary she is --- without the Doctor, without the mystery of her parentage guiding her, etc.

I think you are pretty right with your analysis. Thank you!

Totally agree about your top 8. The top 2 episodes were outstanding and makes this season a joy to revisit. To me, this season (14) comes in a 5th place, behind series 4, 10, 3 and 5, but before series 1 and 8. Thanks for a fantastic channel 🎉

With what you said at the start about things getting more mature, I feel like he is doing what happened in RTD1, as you got into series3/4 it started dealing with more mature scripts, with human nature, turn left and midnight being some examples. So I feel like as we get into season 3 and 4 THATS when we will get more mature scripts, but for now as it’s only the first season we won’t

11:40 is why I literally love your videos

How good can a season or doctor be if your top 2 episodes are a doctor lite and a no doctor episode?

Given how you gushed about 73 Yards (to each their own, it'd be far lower in my own list) I actually said "whoaaa!" outloud when I saw you put it at #2. I expected it to be bang on for your favourite of the season. Was an interesting twist.

One of the downsides of making a second season before the first is even out is that theres no way to respond to feedback about the first season; so they might end up doubling down on the "weeping Doctor", for ex, Not realizing that people were already getting tired of that...

I almost entirely agree with you - almost! My biggest deviation from yours is that I would move Boom! down a place or two. While I think it contains some of the best - and scariest - ideas in the whole season, it just has so many flaws.... there were just too many moments when I said 'what on Earth?'... the child was ludicrously naive, for one. Too many badly moving parts (pointless romance) and a whole lot of unearned love between the Doctor and Ruby - I guess some of this is fixed moving its viewing order to sixth from third, but RTD didn't do that, so should we? Anyway, funny season - too short, too much stuff unearned/oversold, but honestly better than anything Chibnall did. That's a very low bar, indeed. Maybe season 2/15 will be better.

ya, i agree with a lot of what you said. i loved devil's chord though, i adore a totally over the top performance every once in awhile if done right. here's my current ranking from best to worst at the moment: dot and bubble, 73 yards, devil's chord, boom, rogue, legend of ruby sunday, space babies, empire of death

I thoroughly enjoyed this season. Well written great characterisation, I liked the Character of Ruby and 15. However one thing did get tired was the constant crying from Ncuti's Doctor. His energy otherwise was amazing and very Matt Smith style (and I loved Matt Smith for his energy) my final question is to you. You don't have to redo the video where you put all the Doctors into Hogwarts houses (and we all know your feelings on she who will not be named so you won't give her the dignity of a new video) but where would you put Nuti? Like I said maybe seeing his Matt Smith style would he be Hufflepuff?

Overall I feel this was a really good season and I’m looking forward to seeing what Ncuti’s Doctor has in store for us in the future. I enjoyed aspects of every episode with my top 4 being four of my favourite Who episodes in a long time. Knowing very little about Sutech, the ending was a let down but really didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment of the season. 1: Dot & Bubble - brilliantly constructed. 2: 73 Yards - mesmerising storytelling. 3: Rogue - gorgeous and heartbreaking. 4: The Devil’s Chord - fabulous fun. 5: Boom - tense and exciting. 7: The Church on Ruby Road - goofy introduction. 6: The Legend of Ruby Sunday - fascinating buildup to a… 8: The Empire of Death - …disappointing end. 9: Space babies - silly start.

Forgive me if I have missed it in a previous video, but I remember during your reviews of Capaldi/Whitaker stories, you made a lot of references to their respective "I am the Doctor" moments. With both, you made comment that they took a while to get them (whereas Smith got his in his first ep), sooooo has Gatwa had his for you? If so, what was it?

The most emotional Doctor. Glad the young 20 year old Ruby taught the 900 year old Doctor about being a better Human.

I mostly agree with your rankings. I'd put Space Babies over Devil's Chord because they didn't use the setting well. And Legend of Ruby Sunday right above Empire of Death (but that's just because I had no attachment to Sutekh). Dot and Bubble sends chills down my spine when I think back on it. It's fantastic.

Thank you for the video, Vera! Overall, I did really like this season! As I mentioned multiple times before, my biggest problem was the pacing being too fast ("73 Yards" and "Rogue" both felt "slow burn" and self-contained episodes to me, fortunately). The small number of episodes also did not allow to explore more the relationship between the Doctor and Ruby (I blame the streaming service model for that). I understand how the season finale being bad could make a bad impression on someone's general opinion (in good faith), but Doctor Who is not perfect (and it should not be). Most of the series/seasons starting at the 2005-revival era have their lows and highs. I do have very good expectations for the next/second season, but I do hope for a bigger number of episodes!

While I thoroughly enjoyed the finale myself, I can't tell anyone who ranks it bottom that they're missing the point. That point is that the answer to a mystery can be less important than that there's an 'answer' to be found at all, and that's aimed at us fans who overanaylise everything. But whether it lands is entirely dependent on how the viewer takes it. In that sense it's much like Love & Monsters. Love & Monsters however can benefit from a rewatch if you look past the 'joke' and see the heart underneath. Empire Of Death doesn't hide the emotional heart it does have, and thus doesn't have that luxury. And as I've said elsewhere, Sutekh was a bad choice of big bad to bring back first. Being the idea of the threat of apocalypse, he only has palpable menace when he's caged and it's implied what he can and would do. But we had that story already in 1975, and once he gets out and actually *does* anything, that's all there is to him as a character and very little else you can use him for narratively. An epic lengthy confrontation and battle of wits was always going to be impossible.

I think ever single episode in this season felt like it needed a 1 Hour Runtime rather than 50 minutes. It all just felt like "I understand what's going on here but we're moving through it very quickly in places".

I’m still wondering what point showing us the Tardis doing a scan of ruby in early episode and now pay off for it as such

When I want thoughtful reviews and discussion of the latest Doctor Who, your channel is always the first place I think of. Even when my opinions differ, I always appreciate where you're coming from with yours... and often come away with a new perspective on the episode(s). My ranking, including the Christmas special, of a wildly uneven and often brilliant season: 9. Space Babies - The Doctor/Companion bonding on fast forward at the beginning is very bad... like they're checking boxes of what a companion (or audience?) has to learn without giving anything time to breathe. Talking babies have always been one of my least favorite things in media, and the way it's done here is takes me to Uncanny Valley and right out of the episode. More bodily-function humor... something that took the otherwise good Aliens of London/WWIII down a couple of notches. I came away from this thinking I'd rather watch Underworld twice. 1/10. 8. The Devil's Chord - I'm with you on OTT drag performance. This made the series 2 for 2 with episodes where the central focus felt aggressively 'not-for-me.' Some individual moments were great. Ruby playing the piano on the rooftop really got to me. The scene where they hide from Maestro played in silence had some nice tension. I couldn't get behind the music battle, or the solution being a basic chord played by a Lennon/McCartney duo who had not been caught up in events and just dropped in at the end with no possible way of knowing the stakes. Felt very messy, and ended with a pretty terrible music number. I'd prefer significantly less "Glee" in my Doctor Who in future! 4/10 7. The Church On Ruby Road - The setup of Ruby's Family is decent. It's better than Martha's, but not as good as Donna's... and nowhere near as good or as genuine as Rose Tyler's. I enjoyed Ruby and The Doctor meeting and interacting, but the baby-stealing goblins and their ship was a miss for me. My toes were curling during the entire musical number. The Christmas episodes haven't been my favorite either, but this oscillated wildly between good stuff and things I couldn't stand. Ends up average. 5/10 6. Empire of Death - I was firmly on board for about 5 minutes. I even believed they might kill off Kate. But as soon as Ruby's mom, grandma, and Mrs. Flood were dusted, I knew it was all going to be undone so the stakes and tension were all gone. After adjusting my expectations, I was able to really enjoy the scenes in the Memory TARDIS. What a fantastic set -- and one I'm so happy they integrated into the main show. I liked the idea of Ruby's mom being nobody important -- but the threads weren't set up to make that reveal a satisfying one. Instead, it felt like a cheat. The scenes of Ruby meeting her biological mom and Ruby saying goodbye to The Doctor were played so well. Heavily mixed bag of an episode, but I still enjoyed it. 6/10 5. The Legend of Ruby Sunday - It felt too self-aware from the beginning. "Hello, UNIT! We've been noticing these mystery boxes develop and today we want to figure out what's happening!" Once it got past the awkward setup it did a pretty good job of building tension. The reveal of Sutekh (anagram-cheating aside) was excellent and definitely got me. I enjoyed it, but after a few episodes that worked on multiple levels, this by-the-numbers finale-setup exercise felt a little thin. 6/10 4. Boom - This episode saved the season for me when it aired. Several things felt very familiar for Moffat, including the love-saves-the-world ending. This was the first time I really felt like Ncuti Gatwa was able to give a great performance. Doctor Who is often at its best when characters are stuck together in a small space and can just talk. 8/10 3. Rogue - Part of me wishes this had been the 2nd episode. It's the only one of the entire season that felt like standard Doctor Who done really well. The character of Rogue was easily my favorite guest turn of the season, and I really hope The Doctor does find him. I had a quibble or two with the odd line of dialogue (Cosplay this planet to death), and the cheating way they hid Ruby's escape wasn't even necessary. Knowing she'd escaped and watching the Doctor's actions almost cause him to lose her would have been tension enough. More like this, please! 9/10 2. Dot & Bubble - Few pieces of media have made me think about them as much as Dot & Bubble. It's actually ingenious how the gradual reveal of the racism inherent in the society was portrayed so it became clear to the viewer at different times based on their own life experience. I didn't get it until the very end... and wasn't even sure I had understood what I'd just seen until I compared notes with other viewers online. The story brilliantly uses audience expectation as misdirection at every turn. I vastly prefer the surprise revelation that what I'd just been watching had extra layers of meaning to Empire of Death's surprise revelation that I had been assigning meaning where none existed. 10/10 1. 73 Yards - You've already described exactly all the reasons this episode is one of my favorites of all-time. Millie Gibson is asked to carry this episode, and she does it brilliantly. I think the entire thing can be seen as a metaphor for how you must work to find meaning in your life when something unexplainable and horrible has happened to you that affects your relationships with people. I've seen it suggested as a metaphor for SA and I think it works in this way. This takes it over Dot & Bubble simply because I enjoyed watching it more. 10/10

Quite agree with your list, only "Boom" would have to be lower. Not bad, but did not quite work for me. And I rather liked "The Devil's Chord", better than you did, apparently. Anything with music gets a plus from me.

For myself: 1) 73 Yards 2) Legend of Ruby Sunday 3) Rogue 4) Boom 5) Devil's Chord 6) Dot & Bubble 7) Empire of Death 8) Space Babies

I rewatched the specials and viewing them as part of “season 1” - it’s ~13 eps long and thematically solid

I guessed space babies would be 7th, every other entry threw me a bit. Fun list!

Dot and Bubble makes my top spot too - I couldn't get it out of my head (or the fact that I didn't clock it).

My ranking of this season: 9. The Devils Cord 8. Space Babies 6. Empire of Death 5. Church On Ruby Road 4. Rouge 3. 43 Yards 2. The Legend of Ruby Sunday 1. Dot and Bubble

I agree, Dot & Bubble #1, 43 Yards #2, Boom #3

My ranking: 7. Space Babies 6. 73 Yards 5. Legend of Ruby Sunday / The Empire of Death 4. The Devil's Chord 3. Rogue 2. Boom 1. Dot and Bubble

I am hopeful for a better series 2 but i am content with this..14 really shone through with his character and Ruby was fun and energenic. My biggest issue was a lack of consistency in the story but they have the foundations for a good doctor who series moving forward.

one thing that dot and bubble really made me notice is that there isn't really a lot of media that confronts racism in that way that I have seen, that actually makes you think about and notice what's going on without spelling it out while still making it clear

1 Devils Chord 2 Boom 3 Rogue 4 The Giggle/Church of Ruby Road 5 Space Babies 6 Dot and Bubble 7 73 Yards 8 The Legend of Ruby Sunday 9 Empire of Death

My rankings are going to be v different from Vera's.... great-none above average-the Legend of Ruby Sunday ok-Empire of Death; Dot & Bubble; Devil's Chord; Boom; Rogue meh-73 Yards, Space Babies bad-none overall? an ok season; glad others enjoyed it more

Even though I dont agree with a lot of your opinions, I like watching you because you have the ability to explain why you have those opinions which does not dismiss other peoples opinions. I must admit I could not do a list. I simply ask myself was I entertained, did it make me feel and did it make me think for most part they all did to a certain sense except for Rogue which seemed to give me least to think about but still enjoyed it.

I saw more of comparison between Turn Left and 73 Yards

I really liked this season overall! Ruby was a great companion and Ncuti Gatwa was very good as the Doctor. After many years, I'm once again super excited about the show! Still, a few nitpicks: The season was so short, and it bothers me that the Doctor stood completely still one episode, was nowhere in 73 Yards, and was mostly a video call character in Dot and Bubble (all great episodes!). I just wish we had more Ncuti. This Doctor also failed a lot (as in Dot and Bubble, Rogue, Devil's Chord), and though it is refreshing, for such a short season there were too many instances, I think. My ranking: 1) 73 Yards (just amazing portrayal of Ruby, and of maybe a sickness/mental health issue that sends people away from you; really cool idea and chilling scenes) 2) Rogue (I loved Rogue the Character and hope he comes back; additionally the cosplaying thing spoke to me personally :D) 3) The Devil's Chord (cool idea; after Space Babies this made me believe in the show again) 4) Boom (great acting, I love bottle episodes) 5) Dot and Bubble (the ending is really well done and I like bits and pieces, but overall I can't get over the design of the worms... still, an important episode.) 6) The Legend of Ruby Sunday (the ending is really sinister, and I like the vibe, though it didn't pay off later; plus I'm never a fan of UNIT) 7) Empire of Death (low stakes despite the whole world dying since we knew they had to bring it back, Sutekh was not scary, the pacing was weird) 8) Space Babies (almost unwatchable, I was so worried after this) For me, this season overall ranks high!

There wasn't a bad episode for me, all had things I really liked so even the most flawed would come out as average/okay. 73 Yards or Boom were my favourites but Dot And Bubble is really close because of it's themes and how it all played out. I can't decide which was best and I also went back and forth with it. My suggestion, which you've likely thought of for when you rank the seasons, is to look back at the split seasons and see if their shorter episodes was factor. If not, ignore this one being shorter and rank the content, if it was a factor then apply that to this season.

Think I am going to rewatch Dot Bubble when I get home

I'm bad a lists, so will just say: Rogue was the best romp. Despite not liking the romance, it was the episode where I had the most fun. Dot and bubble: best bit of world building and probably the best written. Legend of Ruby Sunday: Yes, it's set up and yes, the resolution was a big stumble, but I was on the edge of my seat for most of it and appreciated how much RTD was messing with us. 73 yards would be at the bottom. I get what RTD was trying to do, but it was all so unsatisfying that it's an episode I don't care if I ever watch again.

This season had exactly one episode I didn't finish. I didn't even make it halfway in. That episode was 73 Yards. There is a point at which the whole "it's not about the mystery, but about the characters' reaction to it" turns in on itself, and 73 Yards blew right past that point. In fact, I think the episode would work better with *less* explanation given - that scene with Old Ruby at the end turns it from "okay, this is just mindf*ck, accept it" into "what the *hell* was that, and how does it make any goddamn sense even on its own terms?!" for me. (I also hate "let's put this character through hell"-type episodes, but that's more of a personal thing.)

For me, RTD used to be someone who had bad plot ideas, but was so good at relationships and characterisation that he made it work (for the most part). Now, he just has bad plot ideas.

My season ranking (and I'm going by Disney + episode order, which lists The Church on Ruby Road as episode 1): 8. The Church on Ruby Road 7. The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death 6. Space babies 5. Boom 4. Rogue 3. Dot & Bubble 2. 73 Yards 1. The Devil's Chord

Really, the season started with The Star Beast. You only ranked two thirds of the episodes. Am I the only one who noticed that everyone was White (and often blonde) from the very start of Dot And Bubble? It was really obvious to me, because casting like that is nearly unheard of in modern Doctor Who. I haven't looked through all the reviews, but the ones I've seen all seem to have missed that until late into the story.

Interesting ranking, especially with your arguments and choices to swap Devil's Chord/Space Babies and 73 Yards/Dot and Bubble from your own personal reactions. I didn't dislike the finale half as much as most people - it's flawed as anything but it actually kept me engrossed, with the fridge logic mostly holding for me until after the fact. It's a very RTD ending but I think it's better than Last of the Timelords and Journey's End, which I hated on first watch due to Doctor Jesus powered by belief and the self-indulgence respectively. Meanwhile I rank Rogue a lot lower than most people seem to due to just finding it so emotionally hollow and tedious - I barely bought the romance, and the monster plot is throwaway nothing-more-than-the-elevator-pitch to the point of laughability. And Space Babies remains absolutely atrocious! So overall my ranking is, I think: 1. Dot and Bubble 2. Boom 3. 73 Yards 4. Legend of Ruby Sunday 5 - 7. Empire of Death, Church on Ruby Road, The Devil’s Chord 8. Rogue 9. Space Babies Where I really struggle to pin an ordering on the three in that 5-7 range - all of them have bits I like with a lot of problems. Still overall a lot better than Chibnall's series - all three of the top three episodes are the best Doctor Who's been since Capaldi - and better than I feared the series would be. Looking forward to Joy to the World!

I guess I'm the only one who liked Space Babies the best. It was cute and uplifting! Rogue and the two-part finale are tied for second place for me. I can't really pick a least favorite, they were all so good! Dot and Bubble was the most tragic but I didn't dislike it at all.

I'm taking it as a good sign for this season if you've got the Devil's Chord at No.6

"Mature" for Touchwood didn't always mean "Cyberwoman" and sex demons, usually it meant that but sometimes it meant darker and deeper

Individually as episodes I don’t think there’s a single bad episode. They’re all good if not really strong. I think where my issues lie is the overall story RTD was trying to convey and the strings he led us on with ultimately a weak/no pay off at all. Wish we seen the doctor and companion actually solve problems together. Loved Ncuti tho definitely top 3 doctors for me. Season Ranking tho is 1. 73 yards 2. Dot and bubble 3. Boom 4. Devils Chord 5. Church on Ruby Road 6. Rouge 7. Legend of Ruby Sunday 8. Empire of Death 9. Space Babies

I thought this season was a really mixed bag, but if nothing else else, Dot and Bubble floored me

I'm bummed I missed the premier. I thought that this was a decent season and several episodes will end up classic favorites. I'll give my top three: #1 rouge. #2 dot and bubble #3 73 yards.

I feel like some of these were unfortunately very superficial. Writing-off Rogue (for example) as just a period romance or Bridgerton tribute and missing all the thematic elements just seems like missing the point. It honestly seems lazy, and thats sad.

This is my ranking: 1. 73 Yards 2. The Devil's Chord 3. Dot and Bubble 4. The Church on Ruby Road 5. The Legend of Ruby Sunday 6. Empire of Death 7. Rogue 8. Space Babies 9. Boom This is purely based on personal enjoyment of each episode on only one watch. The only one I straight up did not like was Boom, I found myself really frustrated with every character that wasn't Ruby and the Doctor. I also hate how speech-heavy Moffat is in many of his episodes, this one included. (Again these are all based on just one watch)

Yeah UK magazine RadioTimes had an article with Russell confirming a more diverse writing talent for season 15

I thought it had more misses than hits. Lots of hand waving because it’s like the writers just didn’t feel like paying off their premises.

I liked this season.

How far ahead are the Doctor Who seasons renewed, planned and then episodes are produced. Season 15 is completed and ready for 2025. An article; "Russell T. Davies is writing Doctor Who Season 16 (but it hasn't been renewed) Story by Alexandria Ingham" dated 7/2/2024 came out. Again the same problem issues about ratings was floated. So again how far ahead does the Series need to be renewed for all the elements to come together to a make new season. More importantly, who decides who will be the "new" show runner if they want to change them. Is the BBC still in control of Dr. Who, or is Disney? Who knows this? 🤔

Your sign off to your videos always gives me the warm fuzzies🥰 so imma return the sentiment to you, you are beautiful, you are valid, you are loved💖

Dot and Bubble, 73 Yards and Boom were the stand outs, the ones worth watching again. Space Babies, Rogue and The Devil's Chord weren't turn-offs but they didn't really do anything for me. The finale was a mess, but only what I've come to expect from RTD. So it was a very uneven season, nothing unusual in that, but the best of it was encouraging and the worst didn't quite have me hiding behind the sofa. What I don't really have a full sese of yet is who Ncuti's Doctor is. I thought Milly Gibson was consistently good, but Ncuti's pitching of his character seemed to swing quite wildly even withing the same episode. It may be the order in which things were shot or that he came into it without much preparation, I don't know. He didn't always feel like the centre of the show. It will be interesting to see if and how things settle down. What he does have in his favour is massive charm and charisma, which immediately solves one if the biggest problems I had with Jodie's portrayal.

C- Doctor Who is on life support at this point