Do you think Season 1 is off to a good start?

For me, the first true companion moment for Ruby was when she just starts making lots of noise to get the bogeyman away from Eric. It's the same way she just jumps onto the ladder when the goblins got the baby. There's a protective element to her. She's not reckless without purpose.

Strange how Elle did not find The Devils Chord scary enough, in the opening a guy literally had the life drained from him and his essence eaten and a child vaporised. Plus the main villain was a extreme psychopath destroying the whole fabric of the universe.

I think the defining trait of Ruby is how she is a protector. In her first two epsiodes the moment a child is in danger she sprints headfirst into danger

I am suprixed you did not talk about the twist at the end of "Devil's chord", the fact that the Harbinger shows up during the dancing scene in the hallway coming out of one of the doord

Tardis travel times are like Star Trek turbo lifts. The travel time is exactly the length of the ongoing conversation.

"There's Always a Twist at the End" 's melody sounds an awful lot like the notes of The Giggle.

There's a reason they dropped two episodes. Because even they knew Space Babies would not draw new audiences in on its own.

Clearly the best musical number was I've Got a Dog. I need that on Spotify. Also I like the new vibe. I don't mind that there's less intensity (at the moment), we've been ramping up in scale since 2005 for the most part. The Doctor has been facing higher and higher stakes and (like mentioned at the end of the giggle) carrying around all that trauma for so long. I'm so relieved to see some episodes where The Doctor is vibing and more carefree with a companion, when not in immediate danger, rather than the constant jaded feeling overhanging them.

I don't think the first Doctor really would have cared about the music being gone. Susan would have brought it up to him, but he'd shrug her off and say they have to keep their heads down.

I feel with Ruby is that they may actually be revisiting the idea from Sarah Jane adventures. Where Sky was going to be the child of the Trickster. Ruby is the Trickster daughter and the trickster is the one who waits.

The 'Is this real Dr Who?' narrative is as old as the hills. Bear in mind, when I started watching seriously in the 1980s, you got something 'Caves of Androzani' and something like 'Delta & the Bannermen' - about three years apart. They don't feel like part of a continuum. In a few years it will be different again.

Introducing my 7&9 year old to doctor who, they were enthralled and entertained, pretty much did its job perfectly!

A commenter on another video said that the older lady who was attacked playing piano, was the costume designer during Tom Baker's time.

I feel like there was a missed opportunity in not putting Susan Twist in the musical number for "There's Always a Twist in the End".

The reason Rose can call her mom is that the signal is being routed through the Tardis. Timelord rates apply

You may have gotten Amy Pond vibes from the scan of Ruby, but I got Amy vibes from 'the one who waits' 😉

I think Fifteen having gone through his rest period as fourteen, the whole exposition scene was a great way to show he's over the last of the time lord brooding era, cementing the timeless child so just being adopted by the time lords, and just dumping what they needed in that first scene so we could get going.

I think Ellie hits on it when she says the reason it feels different is because the writers seem too scared to kill anyone. It's not just side characters, but also monsters too. It seems more common recently for the monsters to be exiled, to go their separate ways, or to be redeemed, rather than being killed off at the end of an episode. It was very noticable in the Chibnall era; Stenza - exiled, Krasko - exiled, Spiders - redeemed/trapped, Pting - exiled, Thijarians - redeemed, while Manish escapes justice, Morax - imprisoned, Solitract - redeemed/exiled, Stenza (again) - imprisoned. From memory, the only antagonists killed were the Remnants and Charlie Duffy. Compare to this 2005, when we saw the apparent deaths of the Nestene/Autons, Cassandra, the Slitheen family, the Metaltron Dalek, the Jagrafess, the Game Station robots, and multiple Daleks including the Emperor. It's seems to be common recently for the enemies just to get away. There's no impossible choices for the Doctor anymore. It's like the grittiness and drama that made it feel more adult has been taken away, leaving just Doctor & companion going on adventures where everyone (including the villain) lives happily ever after. The Doctor once exclaimed "just this once, everybody lives", but now it seems to be all the time. Even when something dramatic does happen which should have consequences on the plot e.g. the Doctor losing his memories of Clara, going blind, or Bill being upgraded, it always gets reversed. There's just no sense of danger anymore. And now, with the focus on fairytale magic and dance routines, that's never been more apparent.

We had to make it through Plastic Micky, they have to make it past CGI baby lips and a boogermonster. I think they'll be fine =)

Eric was funny, you could tell that baby had no idea what was going on 😂 In regards to the music in 1963, I think Devil's Chord happens before An Unearthly Child, so everything is back to normal by the time Susan listens to Chris Waites and The Carollers.

The funny thing about it is that Disney in the show ordering is encouraging people to watch the church on Ruby Road first, that's actually listed as episode 1.

Space Babies was wild, funny and cute. I've seen some commentary about not "getting" the boogeyman save, but it was a baby the same as the rest of them. It was basically a gross sibling. I thought the "we all do an awoo!" bit at the end was adorable.

I'm wondering / hoping they introduce Hecuba (Toymaker's Sister / Queen of Time) into the main story. To me it makes sense as to why the TARDIS was acting up, it also obviously lines up with the Pantheon. It would be a nice touch if Susan Twist's Character was the Queen of Time who in the Audio Story liked playing games with The Doctor and Riddles, is it possible that she's trying to see if/when The Doctor will notice the same face in all of these places?

Something is definitely up with the TADRIS, it's not just a change to how it operates for the sake of it. When Maestro started controlling the TARDIS lights and sounds, as they make it back in 1963, Ruby notes that something is still off about it and The Doctor says "that's something else" but he doesn't seem to know precisely what and they don't say it's the lingering effect from Maestro. And don't forget that red has said there's a reason for the TARDIS dragging on the sides of the time vortex in the new credits. Also, for your Devil's Chord Easter Egg breakdown, the billboard The Doctor leans against on the rooftop after Maestro is defeated (and has just said "The One Who Waits") is an advert for Chris Waites and the Carollers. Waites? Carollers? It's an obvious hint at The One Who Waits and the mystery of Ruby.

The doctor can hear the soundtrack! Still can't get over that "I thought it was non diagetic" means he must have always been able to hear the non diagetic! What does this meaaaaaan

21:05 ps i hope the scan doesn't show her arms are too long!

The space babies immediately made me think of the baby from My Hero (that hero sitcom from the early 00s)

14:29 the thing that bugged me about the flamethrower is actually more of a technical thing. later in the episode they explain the pressure issue as a massive buildup of methane. The entire station was basically a bomb and they had way too much fire down there, way too close to a cloud of methane. And to the people saying "but the methane wasn't everywhere in the basement, only part of it". the Doctor says "no wonder it smelled so bad down there", and the monster was still burning as it ran back into the bowels of the ship post flame throwing. Not to mention that methane is famous for seeping trough cracks and seals. Any of those instances could have literally blown the entire station.

The creepiness part, I agree soooo much. I used to get the chills watching dw. But now I don’t feel that anymore. But hopefully it will come back. It’s not even about killing. Technically weeping angels don’t kill, they just put the person back in time BUT the pace, the cinematography, the intensity of the story, the characters make it so creepy. I’m really hopeful for moffats eps 🤞 I need complex, hard to solve/guess episodes. Bc it was really easy to guess what’s gonna happen in these past eps

I'm surprised no one has brought up the basically shot for shot reference to the 4th Doctors, Pyramids of Mars, where 4 shows Sarah what will happen to the future if they leave

I love how RTD teases the ongoing mysteries and makes references. For example Ruby's mum pointing, Maestro doing the giggle, and the Christmas song coming from Ruby all gave me chills. Doctor Who hasn't made me react like this since "What's that on your back?" with Donna in series 4.

I disagree with what you said about ruby, saying "typical companion that panics and follows the doctor" the instant she found at Eric was in trouble no questions asked she strutted in to go face the bogeyman and save Eric. That scene I feel was that moment you were asking for

I'm of the opinion that the musical number at the end was similar to right after the Doctor banished the Toymaker, where reality is settling back to normal, but the characters can get away with relevant chaos. Toymaker goes bye-bye= Doctor can bonk a new TARDIS out of the original; Maestro goes bye-bye= characters break out into the musical number.

I really enjoyed the first two episodes. Space Babies was fun. The Devil's Chord was much more serious but still fun. The chemistry between The Doctor & Ruby is excellent already and Maestro is such a brilliant new villan

Anyone notice that ‘theres always a twist at the end’ is the same melody as the giggle?

So, that song about their dog Fred that The Beatles are recording in The Devil's Chord... that felt so oddly specific to me I thought it's got be a reference. Maybe it is! In real life, Paul McCartney wrote the song Martha My Dear about his Old English Sheepdog :D

Extremely wild theory: Ruby is one of the Doctor's first incarnations (ala Timeless Child), before Hartnell, maybe even the very 1st one. I don't want her to be, but I'm seeing Russell doing this.

I think the trickster from sarah jane could be one of the pantheon

The hooded figure pointing at Christmas gave me "Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come" vibes... I was expecting an image of Alastair Sim to show up...

I think these two episodes was a great way to introduce the show. With going from space babies to a musical-almost-apocolypse episode you give the audience a reason to expect the unexpeted with a show like this and unexpectedness is a key part of Doctor Who. Even if it will not hit home with everybody, they do still show much of what the show is all about. They took a risk and in my eyes it payed off, and that is something I admire them for.

Totally behind Ellie's points about missing the intensity/ massive scares. We definitely need some of that type of episode now to counterbalance these episodes. We need a 'Fires of Pompeii'. That gave Donna the sort of moment you felt is lacking for Ruby so far, plus the whole Volcano Day threat, with the 'just save someone!'.

The thing that annoyed me was the sudden time jump. Last week it was Christmas, and suddenly it's June or July 2024 and Ruby comments on the Doctor acting out of character when he ran away. He did that last episode as well, so it seems out of place to comment on it. I think that there should have been some reference to stuff that's been happening in between episodes. I wonder if Devil's Chord was originally planned to be later in the series.

Current ranking: 3. The Devil's Chord 2. Church on Ruby Road 1. Space Babies

The best season-long Doctor Who mysteries are the ones where you're so shocked but excited in the reveal that you can't sit still

Am I the only one who felt the song was a giant arrow pointing to ‘the twist at the end’ being h.arbinger (I did not read all the comments but I didn’t see it brought up in the ones I did)

I really enjoyed both episodes. but I also have to say that I love these discussions because Sean is so darn gorgeous to watch :) EDIT: also the one scene that hurt my heart was when Ruby stated that she was born in 2004! LOL

I think Devil's Chord feels more like an episode 5 or 6 at the least. There's a degree of escalation in it that to me feels really early for its placement in the season, like the status quo has barely been established and it's already being broken. If you told me the episode order had been swapped around, I would definitely believe it. Also, it felt pretty telegraphed in The Church on Ruby Road that there was more to the scene of the Doctor going back to the day Ruby was born, and we just haven't been shown the rest of it yet. It has a lot of the same energy as when you're watching a heist story and a scene feels just a little short and it's like, oh, we're probably going to flash back to this later, aren't we?

One thing about Ncuti's Doctor that doesn't ring true to me is that he fits in to society too well, eg dancing in a night club in Ruby Road. The big thing about the Doctor is that he's something of a misfit, something that Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi did so well.

One thing I love about the new season tardis is the lights in the interior its so cool and it helps set whatever mood they want. My fav moment in space babies was when the Doctor was talking to Ruby when they were in space. Devils chord was fantastic. When the scan thing of Ruby came up I thought it was gonna show that Ruby is a time lord idk why. The snow Ruby brought through via her memory was interesting also the music from when she was born. I feel like the fourth wall breaking will have a reason. Im so excited for Boom! Great discussion!

I think the term you were looking for is "sense of jeopardy". Up to now it feels like nobody is in any danger, the episodes have felt safe and fluffy. Hopefully this will change.

I heard a suggestion that this could be be a show within a show. That would explain some of the oddities and fourth wall stuff. It's intriguing, but we'll see.

TrekCulture: Sean down to business. WhoCulture: Sean sitting back and relaxing. Always good to see people just sitting back and talking about stuff they love.

The song Ruby was singing before Carol of the Bells layered in sounded almost like the Doctor's Theme in reverse. Probably wrong, and I have no idea how to check.

Good thing they released both episodes at once, with the Christmas episode before.

With all the references to the new audience, you need to remember that much of the new audience (USA) already knows Dr.Who, is already sci-fi/fantasy friendly, the Disney change is that they are now able to get their Dr.Who fix in realtime.

Ellie......Millie Gibson did have her moment in Space Babies....when Eric tried to confront the bogeyman and was missing....Ruby asked the Doctor if they made noise, would the bogeyman follow them and the Doctor said Yes.....Ruby picked up the pipe and hit the wall then yelled "OH MR. BOGEYMAN!"....she did not hesitate to go....usually the companion waits for the Doctor in the first few episodes.....here in Ruby's second episode she went before the Doctor did

Do you think the Beast from The Satan Pit could have been a part of the Pantheon, retroactively including him and his being from before Time

I loved the start of the series. I think there was a nice variety in the episodes, one more serious and more wacky. I am very excited for BOOM, seems like it’s going to be the emotional rollercoaster we’ve been waiting for.

The moment for Ruby for me was when she gets the bogeyman away from Eric and protects Eric without really having a plan - at that point in space babies the doctor follows Ruby's lead! Loved that for Ruby

Remember that when the fourth teen doctor split into the fifthteen doctor the TARDIS split into two so it's not the same TARDIS

I apologize Ellie for not being able to comment on your previous "The Devil's Chord", but I wanted to say a special thank you for confirming what I thought I saw… that Was Murry Gold playing piano in the "Twist" song. As always, thank you all so very much for the videos. And even though I've been watching Doctor Who since the 60s, I for one very much appreciate the exposition. I've tried to get my kids to watch the early episodes I have with William Hartnell, and they don't appreciate it. (They are "NewWho" fans.) However I can sit down with my grands and watch Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor, and the grands learn a lot. (Plus at my age a refresh, exposition, and a "deep dive" really helps.) Three things I'd like to see, all which I've mentioned before: (1) I want to see The Doctor's Grandaughter (Susan Foreman - Carole Ann Ford). (2) I want to see the return of Gallifrey (again) ("It's all one title, Gallifrey Falls No More"). And (3) I want Ellie and Seán to warm up their voices and do a Musical WhoCulture video.

31:14 Susan twist, is literally Susan, and it’s a twist. They chose the actor for the meme 🤣

I noticed the sound of no more TARDIS sounds and nothing goes up and down in the middle along with the instant arriving somewhere which I was a bit puzzled by since there's always been it takes some amount of time to get somewhere and the noise of the TARDIS.

There is Hecuba, The Queen of Time from an unmade 2nd Doctor story that has been made into a Big Finish audio drama. She is the Toymaker's sister. So we can get his entire family.

43 Are you fucking joking, 2 episodes in, I thought Maestro was pretty scary, but you're not going to kill everyone in the first few episodes, this doctor will get very serious, I am absolutely sure.

All of the old TARDIS noises went in to the copy that 14 has.

is the line about "having a song hidden inside" actually "having a Song hidden inside" rather than the literal tune that plays?

I feel that the big musical number at the end would have worked better as the music battle. With the idea of bringing in everyone, so many that the Doctor has succeeded in refiring music in the hearts of everyone to defeat Maestro.

Disney+ has added The Church on Ruby Road to the season where it was listed as special 4 before.

I think its going amazing 😍 I look forward too seeing where it goes and it's had me thinking we should get morbious either in season 2 or 3

I liked the concept the good old British toilet humour. Babies looked odd but it was a great episode for newbie whovians. Devil's chord loved jinkx they were amazing & I can't wait for Boom for many reasons mostly that I think we are going to see Ncuti Gatwa acting his socks off & Ruby will have more to do to save the Doctor. I think these 4th wall breaks is part of the reveal of Ruby's origins? Also the TARDIS slamming in the way it does will the TARDIS break that 4th wall?Great review guys ❤

Soooo. Did the first doctor actually experience the lack of music in his timeline or did the timeline change when 14 used the salt and released maestro. And when 15 defeats Maestro does the timeline reset or now has 1st doctor experienced a time with no music? And did 15 remember there being no music? He seems to not have known a 1963 with no music. Brain hurts.

There's so much going on that they're missing how important the Harbinger is!!! He showed up at the end there for a reason 👀

The music at the end was a surplus of Music like the Toymaker and the surplus of play which he doubled the Tardis (and one Jukebox that Maestro played the theme on...).

thanks for this discussion, i would have had (1) church on ruby road (2) devils cord (3) space babies

I kinda agree with some of Sean's points on space babies being a good opener but also it could have benefited from some of the silliness being toned down, the concept of the episode was already wacky enough so having the snot and fart jokes pushed it over the top a bit. Without things like those it would have given a better first impression for the show

0:41 I paused to check the chapter titles and Maestro is staring at Ellie O.O heh One thing that's different I think, is the incorporation of more typically fantasy elements (goblins etc). Which is a theme that started at the end of Wild Blue Yonder with The Doctor "invoking superstition at the edge of the universe" as they put it.

One cool thing about The Devil's Chord, other than the mention that there was something wrong with the TARDIS that The Doctor said had nothing to do with Maestro, is that the tune of the song "There's Always A Twist at the End" is The Giggle.

Was the banishing chord played by John & Paul on the piano the end chord of ‘A Day in the Life’? Plus: The choreography and costumes in the final musical number gave me real flashbacks to the title sequence of the original Austin Powers film. The costumes were a little too later 1960s for 1963?

The myth of a Time Lord god- "A hero? I should have been a god!" Omega, the 3 Doctors. ....

As to Sean's comment about the TARDIS being too cavernous for just two people, just don't forget the TARDIS is supposed to be operated by more than two Time Lords so it needs to be cavernous. If you remember the episode " Journey's End" there are loads of the Doctors friends and companions operating the TARDIS and it did look a bit cramped if that was how the TARDIS was supposed to be operated.

John/Paul saving the day was obvious. I wanted Pete Best to show up and save the day on the drums... ;-P

I find that the Whittaker era feels a lot less like Dr Who than the new episodes, because of how the Doctor behaves. Can't quite describe what it is(maybe a sort of confidence that 13 lacks, or those higher being vibes that others emit?), and we're now back to one companion, which is nice. Also, for some reason, the audience ratings are pretty low so far. And what do you think about the goblin screeches in the Devil's Chord's final music number?

@sean i think you might have picked up on something. The Juke Box. Jinxs can come out of that in the Tardis

Now I'm wondering if the Timeless Child is one of the Pantheon that they lost track of? We know nothing of where they came from and it could explain a few of the headscratchers if the Doctor really was a Time LORD. Maybe it's RTD's attempt to "fix" that plot point.

Boom looks like something closer to Blink

I absolutely agree, Jinx's madness was amazing and scary!

So glad I found Who Culture! You both are right on with my thoughts and feels. Sean, even though we can’t see all of your shirt. I know what it states. Right on! Way to educate and represent. Looking forward to more Ups and Downs from Elle and both of your recap discussions.

My take is THE UNIVERSE IS BROKEN. All that we think isn’t Dr Whoish is because of this.

I absolutely love you guyz... you are our Whovian Fam... ! Thank you xx

Had an idea. What if the way the TARDIS works has changed, as in going through walls rather than materializing, but it is part of the bigger change so not even the doctor noticed. Scary thought.

So, I went back to rewatch this, and I could be wrong, but I the opening scene from Space Babies, there’s a closeup of Ruby’s boots. Didn’t think anything of it other than they were cool boots. But if you look at the hooded figure when the camera shows the entire form, are those the same boots? I noticed that, because I just thought they were unusual footwear for a grim hooded figure.

I think as a new viewer you get examples of what to expect.

Trek reference: where allegory hit you over the head... "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"...

"it used to be scary" and yet i swear when there have BEEN scary episodes in the last decade, people complained was "too scary" even though it was pretty tame, so you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Also my wife and I refer to "Classic Who", "New Who", and now "Next Who".

Space babies felt a tad pointless. Loved the devils chord though

you didn't mention the return of Harbinger during the musical .... that will mean something

My problem with the musical number is how pointlessly tacked on it felt. The Doctor and Ruby are on the roof hearing music flood back into the world, but it's written in such a way it feels like a natural close... and THEN we get the musical number. It would've made so much more sense to have the song and dance slowly kick in, a confused Ruby asks what's going on, and the Doctor explain that it's a flood of decades of pent up music coming back and correcting the timeline. Star Trek Strange New Worlds nailed that tone with the opening tune where they all ask 'why are we singing'. What I find especially odd is that such an obvious and easy 'get' was overlooked in an episode that otherwise made itself completely at home with script, cinematography etc.