Let’s see, “Arc of Infinity” and “Remembrance of the Daleks” are both four-parters - I should be able to manage that.

I don’t think this is exactly what you meant, but it’s worth pointing out that this is the first unionized contract in the VFX industry, specifically - hopefully more will follow.

At this point, I think if anything brings down Gatwa’s Doctor, it’ll be scheduling - it looks like an extended break between seasons is all-but-inevitable at this point, and he may simply move on.

This was a pretty informative episode of Unleashed. I’m especially impressed by how involved Ncuti Gatwa was in the creative process - apparently, including the Rani was something he was pushing for. Given that he’s also lobbied for the inclusion of Anansi, he seems to be pretty invested in the show.

The amount of thought that was put into the encampment set - almost all of which goes completely unacknowledged in the show - is also very impressive.

And hey, new logo!

I thought there was going to be more of a payoff to the surname Zufall (“coincidence”), which seems to contradict the wish granting thing we got.

Oh, interesting - I didn’t realize that was the translation. I guess that ties in to “The Church on Ruby Road” and how luck and coincidences can affect reality, in this case leading to Desidirum. A bit of a deep cut that I barely remembered.

The bone beasts were an impressive visual, but I’m not sure what purpose they served other than spectacle?

That’s sort of my issue with episodes of this nature in general - we know it’s not real, it will (probably) be undone by the end of the season, so a lot of it is just there to be weird.

I was not sold on Rogue’s love letter from hell

Me neither, though I was not as high on “Rogue” as many people were last year. Hopefully it’s leading to a more significant return soon, and doesn’t fizzle out like the Captain Jack cameo during the Chibnall run, though I’m sure that one imploded for very different reasons.

Fuck off Conrad, have another pink fat sandwich for the road.

I really did enjoy the ways in which Conrad’s shitty worldview infested this world. I’m sure the Rani was all too happy to let that happen, fostering doubts in those whose lives were less than ideal.

The undercurrent that questioning dominant narratives can crack their grasp on reality is more powerful and relevant than it felt at a first viewing.

Agreed - this is one of those episodes that throws some really compelling ideas out there, without really slowing down to examine them.

And it’s of course very RTD to place one of the perspectives through cracks in (normative) reality with the marginalised dispossessed

The line about Ruby walking past their encampment every day and ignoring it was…not subtle (and that’s a good thing - I’m over subtlety).

Omega

Another classic thing that I’m aware of, but will have to do some homework on.

On the whole, I’m with you. It was a decent episode, I was entertained, but by its nature it’s mostly an exercise in table-setting for the big finale.

“Young Adult”

I assume she’s referring to the day of filming Ford did for that episode.

Right…?

Resurrecting Gallifrey?

Hell yes!

With Conrad as a mold for Rassilon?

Uh…

The indefinite article, you might say.

What makes this Rani and the Fifteenth Doctor’s dynamic different to the past?

Without giving too much away for the finale, this is a Doctor and a Rani of a different time. The annihilation of the Time Lords has affected both these characters in different ways – some of which you can see in my episode. The way the Doctor is affected by the attack on the Arena comes from a place of trauma; and I think that’s something we should expect of the Rani as well.

Rule 1: The Doctor (Who showrunner) lies.

Sure, load 'em up.

I was really just thinking about the mad scientist angle, and how that bit actually works pretty well.

This probably isn’t a very original idea, but…could the Rani be Tecteun?

shakes fist

EHLERRRRRRRRS

Archie Panjabi has oozed attitude in what little we’ve seen of her in the part so far

We haven’t talked about this enough. She’s positively magnetic.

The Rani is famously a scientist, and now she’s a scientist walking into a world where a Pantheon of Gods has been awoken, which is magic in the air. She simply finds it fascinating. To her, it’s a different form of science, she’s not there to reject it. She’s a true scientist with a very open mind. True scientists have open imaginations. Saying, “yes we can go to the moon,” “yes we can travel in time,” “yes, there’s anti-gravity.”

The problem with her experiments and her ideas is that she doesn’t care how many lives she loses along the way. We’ll see her running experiments on a massive scale. The very first scene of the two-part finale will really take people by surprise as to what she’s up to. And from then on, it never stops. It’s a huge extravaganza.

I was glad to read this.

Honestly, I hope not. Even though the stuff with Ruby’s mother didn’t land super well, I liked the ideas behind it.

I feel like this is probably RTD pulling a George Lucas and making sure that like poetry, it rhymes.

Well it’s a good thing it’s the greatest piece of television ever produced, then!

I’ve never heard of these - wot in tarnation…?

A decent chunk of his argument is simply to push back against this…loudly.

Finally, it is time to start calling out a lot of provincial grievance for the rank bullshit it often is.