Doctor Who Review: Bringing the Whimsy Back to Time and Space

The new era of Doctor Who continues its strong start, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson bringing a sense of joy and whimsy to the long-running sci-fi series. On Christmas Day, BBC and Disney+ kicked off the new era of Doctor Who, the seminal TV series starring the last of the Time Lords, with the Doctor picking up a new companion and a new mystery to unravel. Doctor Who returns with new episodes this week and while not as strong as the season premiere, the new episodes are a joy to watch, largely due to the unbridled joy and unmatched emotion of its two leads.

The previous run of Doctor Who, led by showrunner Chris Chibnall, was largely seen as a low point for the 50-year old franchise despite a strong performance by Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. BBC brought in Russell T. Davies to revitalize the series similar to how he brought back the series in 2010 after a lengthy hiatus. Davies closed out the previous "era" by bringing back fan-favorites David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the 14th Doctor and Donna Noble respectively and using the duo to establish a new status quo over the course of three specials that both respected the past storylines but also drew a soft line to separate the old from the new. Gatwa was brought in at the tail end of the third special as the 15th Doctor unencumbered by the immense trauma that previous Doctors' have been burdened with. 

The next two episodes of Doctor Who that were made available for review build on the chemistry of Gatwa and Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, a well-adjusted teen with a mysterious past. The Doctor and Sunday have an instant connection, not built upon a hinted romance but rather the shared joy of enjoying the wonder of the universe. While the pair are faced with some weighty threats during the two episodes, Gatwa and Gibson spend most of their shared screentime smiling or smirking as if the pair are in on a secret joke. The two bring an infectious energy to the screen and it's hard not to smile when they do. 

Gatwa's Doctor is a bit more reactive and cool than most of his predecessors, oozing with a sort of charm that can only come from someone who has traveled to the beginning and end of time. It's amazing how effortlessly he's slotted into the role of the Doctor and made it into his own, and he'll likely be on the top of many fans' list of favorite Doctors before his time on the show ends. What I enjoyed most about Gatwa is how he acknowledges all of the pain, hurt, and trauma that comes with being the Doctor without letting it define the character. Honestly, he reminds a lot of David Tennant's 10th Doctor, but without the brooding that version of the Doctor was burdened with.

Besides the new cast, this new era of Doctor Who also seems to have shifted a bit away from science fiction and more towards the realm of fantasy. After years of facing Daleks and Cybermen and various other alien species, the first few episodes of Doctor Who instead explore more nebulous theories and ideas such as the power of coincidence or the effect of music on history. It's not that Doctor Who hasn't played around with these kinds of "big ideas" in the past, but they've rarely been the focus of the series like before. And by focusing more on the existential, Doctor Who is also given some more freedom to be a little goofier and whimsical than it was in the past. Some of this whimsy is a bit over-the-top at times, but most fans will find it to be a breath of fresh air after the slog of the previous series. 

Another interesting note from the first new episodes is how Davies pays homage to his last stint while teasing what could be coming in the future. Ruby Sunday shares a few similarities with Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper during Davies' first run on Doctor Who) and there are a couple of story beats, especially in the second episode, that seem like homages to early moments from Rose's introduction in the series. There are also a couple of tantalizing Easter eggs and references in the episode, especially regarding the Doctor's past incarnations and the Time Lords, that feel a bit too on the nose to not play a factor in the rest of the season. The new era seems to be a conscious separation from what came before, but Davies is still a big Doctor Who fan and the show doesn't abandon its storied history even though it is clearly aiming for a new audience. 

If you enjoyed the Doctor Who Christmas special that introduced Gatwa and Gibson, you'll be pleased to know the new series of Doctor Who continues to shine with the same charm and energy. Even if you didn't enjoy the more whimsical take on the Doctor, there are still plenty of mysteries hinted at in just the first few episodes that could set up storylines for years to come, some of which seem to touch upon neglected parts of Doctor Who lore not really visited since the show came back almost 15 years ago. This is a new era of Doctor Who and the show looks to be must-watch television once again. 

Review Score: 4.5 out of 5