In the grand, galloping tradition of Doctor Who, tonight’s episode, The Robot Revolution, arrives like a comet—bright, bold, and occasionally wobbling off its orbit. It’s a spectacle that demands your attention, not least because it introduces Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra, a companion who strides into the TARDIS with the kind of verve that makes you sit up and wonder why the universe hasn’t hired her sooner. Watching it unfold, one feels the old thrill of Who—that peculiar mix of cosmic wonder and cheeky irreverence—yet there’s a nagging sense that the machinery creaks in places it needn’t. Like a sonic screwdriver wielded by a slightly tipsy Time Lord, the episode dazzles but doesn’t always hit the mark.
Let’s start with Sethu, who is nothing short of a revelation. As Belinda, an A&E nurse yanked from her London share-house into a galactic kerfuffle, she brings a grounded fire that’s both fresh and familiar. Her performance is a masterclass in controlled defiance—every arched eyebrow and sharp retort feels like a challenge to the Doctor’s boundless ego. When she snaps, “I am not one of your adventures,” you believe her; this is no wide-eyed ingénue but a woman with bills to pay and a life to live. Sethu’s chemistry with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor crackles like a live wire, promising a dynamic that’s less buddy-cop and more sparring partners. She’s the kind of companion who could make even a Dalek pause for a cuppa and a rethink. If Doctor Who is to thrive in its Disney-fied era, it needs actors like Sethu—vivid, versatile, and utterly unafraid to steal the spotlight.
Gatwa, for his part, remains a charismatic whirlwind. His Doctor is all flamboyant coats and fleeting tears, a Time Lord who wears his hearts on his sleeve and his quips on his tongue. There’s a lovely moment where he sheds a tear for a vaporized friend, reminding us that this incarnation feels deeply, perhaps too deeply for his own good. Yet the episode leans heavily on his charm to paper over its cracks, and that’s where we stumble into the intel plot point—a narrative cog that clunks rather than whirs.
The central conceit, involving robots kidnapping Belinda to crown her queen of a planet named after her (thanks to a teenage boyfriend’s starry-eyed gesture), is whimsical enough. But the intelligence-driven twist—where artificial intelligence fuels a war and a vaguely incel-flavoured uprising—feels like a lecture scribbled in haste. It’s not that Doctor Who shouldn’t tackle big ideas; the show has always been a Trojan horse for social commentary. But here, the AI thread is less a plot than a placard, waved with such didactic zeal that it drowns out subtlety. Characters declaim their motives like they’re reading from a Reddit thread, and the climax, involving a “ludicrous reveal” (as some critics have noted), lands with the grace of a Cyberman on roller skates. It’s a shame, because the bones of the story—a gift turned curse, a companion’s agency tested—are sturdy enough without the heavy-handed tech sermon.
Still, the episode is far from a misfire. Russell T Davies, back at the helm, knows how to spin a yarn that’s equal parts madcap and poignant. There’s a giddy joy in the visuals—red robots clomping through space, a planet called Missbelindachandra One, a cheeky nod to Kylie’s “Padam Padam.” The pacing, while frantic, keeps you hooked, and the fourth-wall breaks (hello, Anita Dobson’s enigmatic Mrs. Flood) add a layer of mischief that’s pure Who. It’s messy, yes, but gloriously so—like a cosmic jumble sale where you’re bound to find something delightful.
What lingers is Sethu’s Belinda, a character who feels like a gear shift for the series. She’s not here to gape at the Doctor’s brilliance but to question it, to ground his flights of fancy with a nurse’s pragmatism. If the episode’s intel plot is a misstep, it’s one that’s outshone by her presence and the promise of adventures to come. Doctor Who remains a show that dares to dream big, even when its circuits occasionally spark.
Ten Interesting Things from The Robot Revolution:
- Varada Sethu’s Star Turn: Belinda Chandra is introduced with such confidence that she feels like she’s been a companion for years. Her no-nonsense nurse vibe—complete with wry medical gags like “There’s always a doctor standing back while the nurses do all the hard work”—is a perfect foil for Gatwa’s flamboyance.
- Spiky Doctor-Companion Dynamic: Unlike past companions who swooned at the TARDIS, Belinda’s skepticism (“I just want to go home”) sets up a tension that’s rare and refreshing. It recalls classic Who companions like Tegan but with a modern edge.
- Mrs. Flood’s Fourth-Wall Nudge: Anita Dobson’s mysterious neighbour pops up with a cryptic “You ain’t seen me,” winking at the audience in a way that screams bigger secrets. Is she a Time Lord, a red herring, or just having a laugh?
- Robot Vacuum Cameo: A tiny cleaning bot zipping around shouting “Polish polish!” is the episode’s unsung hero. It’s adorable, absurd, and the kind of quirky detail Who does best.
- Incel Planet Jab: The script dubs the robot-ruled world “Planet of the Incels,” a pointed jab at toxic masculinity that’s funny but heavy-handed. It’s a classic Davies move—bold, but it could’ve simmered rather than shouted.
- Belinda’s Backstory Hook: The idea that a star named for Belinda at 17 spirals into intergalactic chaos is a clever twist on a romantic gesture. It’s a reminder that even small acts can ripple across the cosmos.
- Gatwa’s Emotional Doctor: The Doctor’s tear at losing Sasha 55 is a fleeting but potent moment. Gatwa’s ability to pivot from camp to heartbreak keeps this incarnation compelling.
- Diploma MacGuffin: A duplicate diploma tied to Belinda causes “space-time to schwup,” hinting at a season-long mystery. It’s a subtle thread amidst the episode’s louder beats.
- Kylie Minogue Nod: The Doctor’s hearts going “Padam Padam” is a deliciously camp Easter egg, tying this era to Davies’ earlier Who triumphs like “Voyage of the Damned.”
- TARDIS Time Glitch: The episode ends with the TARDIS unable to return Belinda to May 24, 2025, setting up a season arc that feels personal and urgent. It’s a cliff-hanger that promises more than just monsters.