Babies! ... SPACE Babies!! | Doctor Who Series 14 Ep 1 | Space Babies | Ncuti | Millie | Season 1

[@AlmightyCRJ]

"You can't keep putting Space in front of everything" Twelfth Doctor.

[@joeygauvin2765]

I thought the same thing 👍

[@AlmightyCRJ]

"I can't believe I'm running away from a bio-synthetic Bogeyman!" [/Red Dwarf]

[@gwinnellheald8592]

I KNEW i got red dwarf vibes 😂

[@watsername]

My own mum even said that! 😂 tbh red dwarf is great so yeah.

[@pikehead1]

Do you think Rimmer , Lister and the rest exist in this universe.....oh let it be so.😅

[@gwinnellheald8592]

@@pikehead1 theres a lot of references in both shows to suggest so 😅

[@solitarymaninblack]

That message from The Doctor to Poppy was definitely meant for all the children watching.

[@jennifermedicus2735]

Not just the kids. Dang it hit a friend of mine hard - he was crying.

[@mpg272727]

DINOSAURS.. ON A SPACESH- No wait.. BABIES, ON A SPACESHIP!

[@ihateunicorns867]

Snakes on a Plane. Dogs in a car.

[@ashbridgeindustries380]

The Bogeyman gave me major Vindaloo Beast vibes (and since you've watched Red Dwarf you can now appreciate that reference!)

[@IceMetalPunk]

The Star Trek joke is a reference to a comic in which the Doctor does, in fact, crossover with Star Trek 😂

[@M-E_123]

And RTD has openly talked about how during his first time as showrunner he'd wanted to pitch a crossover with Enterprise (which was the series on around then), but it got cancelled and there was no Trek TV show for the rest of his run. But now, Trek has had something of a TV revival with various shows (some less serious than others) - so unless being funded by Disney puts a block on it, he could be teasing a future pitch, or just joking about his previous comments on the topic.

[@prodestrian]

Given that Lower Decks is animated (and ending soon), and Discovery and Picard have both ended, I guess that leaves Strange New Worlds for a crossover? I'm onboard with this idea. I think the Doctor could have some great conversations with Pelia. Edit: And both shows have had musical episodes.

[@kivimik]

I didn't get the impression that they were "baby geniuses." Despite being able to talk, they still behaved pretty much like babies, except with the mentality of six year old's.

[@cardsfanboy]

That was the saving grace for me. They came up with a reason to make them babies, while also giving a reason to explain their intellect.

[@liamkc1998]

Its funny that you mention it’s own Bad Wolf of something in every episode, because there’s definitely something in every episode that’s been picked up on 👀

[@DaveWeston]

It would have been obvious, but I still wanted one of the babies to say "are you my mummy?" Had so much fun with it, had to postpone episode 2 because we were running behind and Eurovision was about to start.

[@qa1327]

2:10 yeah about that… 3:27 I agree. This was well done for a new audience The baby thing was a bit much for me. Still enjoyed the episode overall but hope the season doesn’t have too many whimsy episodes.

[@Will-nn6ux]

Remember when 10,11 and 13 were each very briefly happy and angst-free? 😂

[@PaulaDeming]

SO BRIEF

[@DaleRibbons]

'Robots Of Sherwood', from 12's first season, wasn't very angsty.

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

"Just this once, Rose, everybody lives!" (Which Rose repeated in her fashion at the end of Eccleston's run.)

[@InternetStorm]

...Didn't 10 literally execute an alien after he awoke from his regeneration coma? Followed by single handedly taking down a government official after she obliterated a ship full of surrenderers.

[@Will-nn6ux]

@@InternetStorm He did, but it didn't seem to eat him up inside. ;)

[@ihateunicorns867]

That was such a crazy episode that I was debating about what I thought of it. It was ridiculous and stupid and fun and brilliant and poignant and political… but then I realised: I’m completely sold on Ruby and 15.

[@rnw2739]

In other words, your indoctrination is complete.

[@markfuston2714]

@@rnw2739 ...Liking something makes them indoctrinated? I could use the same argument for you, and say your indoctrination into the "I hate everything because I'm so cool" cult is complete..see how that's kind of a dumb argument?

[@Suryal]

"everything is connected; nothing is also connected." Dirk gently

[@paulflux5892]

"Three episodes in she's going to go 'oh this isn't just fun and games!" Yep. Third episode is the Stephen Moffat one! 😏

[@elvwood]

"It's booger on the inside!" I love this episode: yeah, refreshing is the word! And there are so many reflections of past episodes, most clearly _The_ _End_ _of_ _the_ _World,_ _The_ _Beast_ _Below,_ and _DNA_ (oh, wait, wrong show). Loving the Doctor/Ruby dynamic, and the "don't care" attitude. Eager for more...

[@josefschiltz2192]

First Doctor: "Sheer poetry, my boy! Sheer . . . It's made of what? Sniff, hmmph! Don't be ridiculous!"

[@seanred7681]

Well, I will say this, I enjoyed your reaction as always, and I WISH I liked this episode. But my reaction to the space babies was the same as Paula's, and for me sadly, it didn't get better. We knew the space babies would be in an episode from the trailer, but I didn't think a whole episode would be about them. I have to be honest, I HATED this. So much of it was just The Doctor & Ruby having conversations with babies!! It just didn't work for me, and then the bogey monster, and them getting to the planet via 'gas release', and I was like 'Okay, next episode'.

[@PaulaDeming]

haha yeah I think it's totally fair to feel that way and I definitely get why you do. On to the next!

[@UKJesterVids]

the rescue was literally a pile of cr-p

[@markfuston2714]

I saw someone mentioned them already, but if you're a comic fan the Star Trek/Dr. Who crossovers are actually a ton of fun..lol, I'm pretty sure there were two separate ones, and I enjoyed both of them quite a bit.

[@PianistTanooki]

23:11 Nobody credible actually said she was fired. A bunch of KZbin Whovians wrote that in their titles because clickbait. If you read the original source that all of these people were reading, it only said that she’d be done after one season and then would depart, only appearing in part of season 2. Basically… a Martha Jones situation.

[@zemoxian]

First rule of space babies. We do not talk about the bogeyman!

[@zvimur]

2:19.... Yeah, there's apparently a finite number of ideas. Also, fully expected Nan-e to be a replicant as another nod to Ray Bradbury ("I sing the body elctric"), like "Sound of thunder" (Dinosaurs, squashed butterfly, time ripple).

[@alexsimpkin5620]

For a second I thought the snowing onboard that space station was a reference to Big Finish. As in the Stranded Boxset, the Doctor said snow is caused by the presence of a sad time traveller.

[@mariana.b.r]

I also thought of Baby Geniuses when watching this episode! I'm glad you mentioned it.

[@multiverseguy1239]

In the extended who universe the 11th Doctor Rory and Amy actually met the Next Generation crew so Star Trek is real.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

There was a crossover with Star Trek: The Next Generation in the comics. It had Matt Smith's Doctor and Picard's crew facing off against Borg and Cybermen.

[@Ostermond]

You two gave each other the same look I gave my screen when The Doctor brought up "visiting" Trek. Mind you, I shouted "EY???" at the TV when I did :P

[@PaulaDeming]

I want a crossover episode so bad

[@fuchsiebabe]

I mean, in comics the 11th Doc, the 4th Doc, Amy and Rory all visited Picard's Enterprise, crossing paths with everyone from Guinan to Data.

[@Newbunkle]

This one wasn't really for me, but the next... Hell, yes.

[@dvdmike007]

Kat secretly saw it 3 months ago and is just a great actor

[@LabradorIndependent]

Above and beyond anything else, this does feel like an odd place to start their rebranded 'Season 1'. The first half felt like it was rushing to get through all the usual exposition beats, rather than letting it happen organically. If this was being launched as "Series 14", I'd get it - but as the supposed first episode? 2005's S1E1 "Rose" isn't perfect, but it's a much better tonal snapshot of what the show would go on to be. In this episode we have some of the most tonally strange Doctor Who I've seen in a long time. Doctor Who is often pretty camp, but this felt outright silly quite a lot of the time, and not in a fun way. I don't expect to resonate with every single episode, but I'm worried a lot of new viewers will not stick with it after this episode.

[@therealpbristow]

I wonder if that's why we got the 2nd ep the same day? They looked at the finished ep 1 and thought, "this not going to persuade first time viewers to come back next week".

[@LabradorIndependent]

@@therealpbristow Wouldn't surprise me at all. I see they've also reframed the Christmas Special as S1E1 on both iPlayer and Disney Plus. Feels like there may have been some late stage decision making that Space Babies wasn't likely to land well as a new series premiere.

[@markfuston2714]

Honestly it reminded me of Amy's first "real" episode a lot, the space whale episode, except a more fun version. He picks up a new companion, they fly and meet future humans, moral dilemma..this episode just leaned a lot harder into the "fun" aspects and less into the moral dilemma and seriousness of The Doctor.

[@TheBreadthatcausedLesMis]

"does this mean in the who universe star Trek's real." According to the Assimilation² comic with Eleven/Picard and Four/Kirk, Yes.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

Which makes things even weirder when you find out that the '70s X-Men had a crossover with Kirk's Enterprise and the '90s X-Men had a crossover with Picard's Enterprise...

[@alexfletcher5192]

The modern government of Britain cancelled a thing called 'Surestart' that benefited couples with children (I know, it's incredible) and it is telling that this episode leaves an accountant in charge of their welfare. Isn't it? Because behind the bogeys, Russell is always working on another level. That, of course, is a Dr Who tradition. The other great joy is the gelling of the regular cast. Ncuti is the first Doctor in probably 50 years to personify both morality and the idea of the 'self'. And that's actually very important in the context of not merely modern Britain but, I think, the wider world.

[@therealpbristow]

There was also the "they won't let you stop the babies being born, but they don't look after them once they are"... A comment on the hypocrisy of many "right to lifers".

[@rnw2739]

I've never read such utter bollocks. RTD is on crack and this 'story' had nothing remotely interesting to say.

[@alexfletcher5192]

It's important to remember that, for a British audience, Millie was part of a very grounded northern soap opera, where realism was and is key. This is a dynamic shift for her. And it actually shows off her skill in a more expansive expression.

[@obiwankenobi687]

Doctor who used to be grounded realism, 2005 - 2010 was incredibly real

[@Catastrophic_31]

​@@obiwankenobi687 which is not always why the episodes are loved though

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

Yes, but British viewers of new-who quickly forgot that Billie Piper was a pop singer shortly after the first episodes with Rose aired, too.

[@obiwankenobi687]

@@TorIverWilhelmsen because she was a phenomenal actress. Millie just isn’t

[@robertwareham8466]

@@obiwankenobi687 Billie Piper was not a phenomenal actress, what are you talking about? As actresses go, Millie is absolutely fine, it's just what she's being asked to do that's making her look bad. The start of this series has been really bad, high production values, but just bad apart from that, which is exactly what I was worried would happen.

[@kevenpinder7025]

Re the disgust'ometer, there is a superb episode where the Doctor and his then companion get swallowed by a huge creature, so he makes it ralph so they can escape, and they end up covered in sick. Worse than bogeys in my book.

[@StillABigKid]

Here's some little kids, it's important to make stories for them. I get it, Russell. Now bring back the killer wheelie bin.

[@bryter00]

Doctor Who hasn’t been this bat sh*t crazy since the days of talking space rhinos and little lumps of walking fat. God I’ve missed it and I absolutely love that it’s back. If there is one thing we should all know about Russell T Davies by now is if he starts of a series this fun, camp, and weird - then things are going to get damn dark and heartbreaking come the finale.

[@PaulaDeming]

gotta soften us up to make us most vulnerable to the coming heartbreak

[@GreyPilgrim_Mithrandir]

"Are you my mummy? " Where's my gasmask?

[@IsiahBradley]

THANKS for this!!! Great to be back!!!! Oh, wow, and you two are physically together! YAY!!

[@knitcrochettiger361]

this season is most certainly about myths.....Starbeast, a cute little creature falls from the starts, the Human-Timeloard Criss that cannot exist is solved.....Wild Blue Yonder, the NOT THINGS and the blatent Myths the Doctor invokes beyond the edge of the universe....The Giggle, the Celestial Toymaker triggers a BI-Generation that has never happened.....The Church on Ruby Road, Gobins....Space Babies, the Bogeyman......The Devil's Cord, a lost cord of music that summon Maestro, the god of music

[@endymionsrage]

Susan Twist...

[@theanyktos]

Y'all, am I insane, or was the old neighbor lady from the christmas special one of the people who used to work on that station? The camera lingered on that last person's video message for a weirdly long time and it was an older lady, but I couldn't tell for sure if it was actually the same person.

[@markfuston2714]

I immediately thought the same thing.

[@theanyktos]

@@markfuston2714 Spoilers (kinda? not any plot stuff, just some meta I have learned since making this comment) So the lady on the screen is _not_ Mrs. Flood, but it _is_ significant in some way, seeing as she is played by Susan Twist, who has been in every episode this season as well as the second of the 60th specials. Always as some minor role, always as someone that has a weird amount of focus put on them. Also, since she has been in all the credits it's entirely possible (if not likely) that the whole musical number in episode two ('There's alway a Twist at the end') is also a reference to her.

[@Newbunkle]

Since you mentioned it, there is something that seems to be showing up in each episode, including some of the previous specials. I'm not going to spoil what it is though.

[@12chapin]

Hello ladies. That would be the perfect crossover, Who and Trek. But, will it be Discovery?

[@TheLibrarianOG1]

The mother is pointing at the Doctor, maybe to say, "You are her father." That would be something.

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

He is curious enough to run DNA tests at least.

[@whobp8]

Of course the Doctor saved the Bogeyman. After all, he's snot so bad once you get to know him. 🤭

[@kevenpinder7025]

They never sorted out the whole 6 year old 1 year old thing.

[@darklorddysart]

I think the point was that it’s just how they grew, wasn’t supposed to happen but nothing to fix.

[@ianstopher9111]

They were timeless children

[@osnatashtaralevin8944]

I loved this episode sooo much! Not everything about it was for me (I literally cringed at the boogie-man reveal) but I was so disappointed with Christ Chibnal's writing that it was just so much fun to see an episode that _felt_ like Doctor Who again..

[@hmenon2003]

The episode had its moments but overall not what I would started a new season with, especially when you also are trying to bring in new fans through Disney+. This episode would have been better placed as the 3rd or 4th episode of the season.

[@EvHervey]

Alright just watched it. 3:12 Absolutely. This is how you do exposition. You don't need to stretch it out, drip... drip... through the first episode, or even two. 75% of the audience is already up to speed and everybody else watching doesn't want it stretched out. Solid, tight, 2 minutes. 5:25 Monster looks great. 7:20 Yep... we're doin this... Thanks, Russell... Glad to see no one ever grew a spine enough to tell you the words "bad idea"... welcome back, dude. 8:19 Emotional, without being overly sappy. Great. 10:32 Debatable. I'm pretty sure there have been realized reality memory leaks and indoor snow... probably not at the same time... I'm gonna give that one a pass. 14:36 I feel like this was a missed opportunity to slip in a cyberman reference. I can't have it all. 16:23 Yeah, it's just a dog now, because whatever. It definitely didn't kill all of them the second this episode ended. There is precedent for that. All in all. Pretty good. However, I think you guys are being overly generous with saying all of the things worked at the same time. I think it was really all over the place, tonally. It wouldn't be that unusual for a regeneration episode... this reminds me of "The End of the World", actually. As I was typing this, I just remembered the phone thing... That was also The End of the World... huh. Great reaction.

[@CyberNatasha]

Your opinions of the episode basically mirrored mine, I was really worried this episode was gonna be bad, but I was generally rather impressed, and I teared up when The Doctor said his speech about "no one grows up wrong". I couldn't help but think of Red Dwarf around the Boogeyman, it reminded me of the Vindaloo beast from DNA 😂 Except this time it survived!

[@PaulaDeming]

Oh yes, I loved the line about "no one grows up wrong"

[@gregevigan]

@@PaulaDeming the one highlight

[@mickylove76]

There’s an 11th Dr comic book where 11 and Amy land on the TNG enterprise. The cyber men and the borg team up. The art is very nice too, looks painted.

[@knavehart]

They've discussed a Star Trek crossover for a while, I hear it almost happened in the Matt Smith era. What I would like to see is them showing up on the Set of a Star Trek series (maybe TNG or VOY) and getting mixed up with the making of the show...

[@JustinWatson23]

I was thinking if he visited vulcan and the real reason Gene rodenberry got the idea for Star trek was because he met a Vulcan whose disguise failed while on a research mission to Earth.

[@StarkRG]

Ncuti in that sweater, though! God damn, I wish I could pull something like that off. Must take a lot of maintenance.

[@Suryal]

You didnt think youd feel bad for snot, remember that time we waved at fat?

[@stevewilliams7880]

I really enjoyed this, but liked the next episode more. There are a few people complaining about the new feel of the show, but for Doctor Who to survive it has to change, to evolve for a new audience. My 9 year old loved both episodes so maybe RTD is getting this exactly right... Oh and you are gonna love Jinx in the next episode!

[@j.rileyindependentproductions]

Paula going off saying she would hate it if "Space Babies" is the Doctor Who version of "Baby Geniuses"... Meanwhile years ago, "Snakes on a Plane" came out and Doctor Who said, "Hold my beer." lol "There's going to be something that we're going to look back and that was in every episode" ... I love the fact that they have remained out of the fandom stuff enough to not know it yet. As for why the memory is seeping through, I suspect it has to with the most powerful of the ones who were let in by the salt... still hate that fact, but anyway... of what-have-you. And while I don't like the idea, I now suspect "the one who waits" is Susan.

[@Faction.Paradox]

Ncuti & Millie have such sensational chemistry, like best friends but somehow in a fresh new way. I never saw the whole "forced babies" angle coming, RTD is the best at sneaking that stuff in and really isn't pulling any punches anymore.

[@Riverwolf1489]

Star Trek.... Read the book, My Enemy, My Ally

[@Skeezer66]

Is that the one where someone is watching a Tom Baker Doctor story?

[@Riverwolf1489]

Yes lol

[@Skeezer66]

@@Riverwolf1489 I read that book nearly 40 years ago, but that part always made me laugh!

[@travisboyle285]

Yay. The Gals are back!!!

[@TenebrousFilms]

There have been Doctor Who / Star Trek comics in the past...

[@nicksavage567]

was it just me getting serious Alien vibes from the Bogeyman ?

[@SweenyTodd98]

Says a lot about this show that for a moment I had to legitimately question if they would actually kill off a baby… and I couldn’t one hundred percent say no.

[@alexfletcher5192]

Much has been made about Russell's adherence to 'The Timeless Child' idea, but this episode alone feeds off many former episodes - by wildly different show-runners, which continues with the next episode - and can potentially appear new because it now going out there to a new audience. This is no different to any of us who had to experience and learn about the past of this show from scratch. By the time I saw my first instalment (as a small child) it had already been running on the BBC for 15 years. My brother is 11 years older and still can't remember a time before it.

[@GreyPilgrim_Mithrandir]

When Ncuti pressed the button to save the bogeyman all I heard was Christopher Eccleston saying "nobody dies today! EVERYBODY LIVES!".

[@robert_bbiii]

I had the same reaction to the babies. My heart ask and said why. Then the story convinced me. The concept of the babies and the fart moving them knocked several points off of it. Can deal with the bogeyman being mad of bogeys. It had a lot of the bad in RTD. Was saved by Gatwa and Gibson. Ruby was given me character and Gatwa's Doctor shines. Happy he still had his trauma it isn't all erased. I love his energy. I'd give it a low 7/10

[@johnpaullogan1365]

Agreed it had tons of the worst parts of rtd. Take heart though as it was clear the whole episode it was rtd so hopefully we'll get the rest of rtd in the rest of the season

[@SimonProctor]

I liked the political commentary just dropped in there.

[@scottsmartky]

My only concern with the episode was that was a whole hell of a lot of money to throw at what was essentially a throwaway scene with the dinosaurs, and the BBC has no money thanks to the stupidity of Brexit. So I just hope that it has many more seasons to go. I thought the whole episode was excellent, though I would have picked the boogeyman over a room full of talking babies. They're way scarier. But you can tell those two are just having a blast, and that smacks you through the screen so you have fun too. Just a good thing we don't have governments telling people to produce more babies without funding them at all. /s

[@KatAlysha]

SPACE. BABIES.

[@willparks3429]

Are you my mummy

[@muppetsstoogesfan1]

George Clooney was on Baby Talk, the tv adaptation of the movie Look Who's Talking very early in his career. Cancelled after like a season and a half.

[@zemoxian]

I don’t think it’s the WORST thing that can happen to anyone. I think hitting the eject button while standing on a giant tongue of a star beast and screaming is worse.

[@glennwhittaker197]

💙🔷🟦🧿🔷🔵👶🏻👶🏾👶🏼💩🛰️ 👍🏻👍🏻 See you gals in the next episode of “WHO”, who? THE DOCTOR…… 🇬🇧🫶🏻🇺🇸

[@Riverwolf1489]

Ruby reminds me of Zoey from the show Eureka (Jordan Danger? , her last names changed once or twice)

[@bemasaberwyn55]

The cursing filter 😂😂😂😂

[@SNMG7664]

never knew about that weird intro during the matt smith era. was that a north america only thing? doctor who was weird during that period. it's like they only realised they were going for a big international push AFTER they had already filmed all of s5 lol

[@solitarymaninblack]

I did think that the monster was made of poop.

[@MrRosebeing]

I thought it was a decent episode, and the babies were phenomenally cute, but I preferred the second episode a lot more.

[@Dhaem16]

A friend of mine calls it Series 14/Season 1

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Or season 40 😂

[@paulwatson9486]

Who took a shot everytime the Doctor said "SPACE BABIES"?

[@WayneFawcett-v1h]

I bet that's a unique concept to most Americans.... The HERO saves the monster, and doesn't kill him.... America NEEDS Doctor Who!

[@andrewroberts299]

It’s great that fans can enjoy different types of Who stories. Having said that, regardless of how whimsical the stories are, there still has to be conflict and drama within them, and I didn’t find any of that in this first episode. There was a bit more of it in the 2nd episode, and I think it would have been better to have made this episode the season opener, with it being a much stronger story than Space Babies was. Not sure this first episode is going to be strong enough to catch new fans who haven’t seen the series before, and keep them watching. Something else that a lot of fans are worried about, is that Russell T. Davies has already told us that this season is going to be more space fantasy led than it being about science fiction. Doctor Who has always thrived on science fiction concepts and whilst many classic and NuWho seasons had their fair share of fantasy episodes, the core of a season would be science fiction led. This is a worry for me, because RTD is writing about 2/3rds of the whole season, so he’s calling the shots completely when it comes to the tone and structure of the season. I also think that RTD has become so powerful in British television now, compared to where he was back in 2005, that there isn’t anyone (especially the BBC), that can say “No” to him, so all the LGBTQ+ references that were subtly referenced during his first tenure as show runner (and were fine, BTW), is now so slap bang in your face, with no disguise, that it’s alienating its core support, i.e. many of the fans, some of which started with the show back in 1963 (I started watching it, aged 6 in 1970), and all they just want to do is watch a good science fiction show with no hard hitting politics and no social messaging which have been so blatantly put in since RTD’s return, starting with the 3 60th anniversary episodes. Fans say, “why watch the show if you don’t like/hate it, and just want to criticise it?” What they don’t seem to understand is that those who criticise it are watching it in the hope that they might see a couple of duff episodes two weeks in a row, then hope that they’ll see a great episode the week after. It’s the hope that kills you, right? I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the first two episodes of this season, but I’ll be watching next week because it’s the return of Steven Moffat and I’m just hoping he’s written a story that is up there with the best of his episodes in RTD’s first run. The worry is, will he be allowed to do his own thing, or will he have to follow the RTD space fantasy mantra? I’m hoping it’s the former but won’t be too shocked and surprised if it’s the latter.

[@captmurdock]

I said to myself, the morning after I saw this episode, "What are Kat & Paula going to make of this?" I'm having a ball with the new Doctor. ❤U both.

[@PaulaDeming]

me tooooo!

[@ABrecher]

I'm amazed how well actualized Ruby is in such a short amount of time. She's like other companions, and yet not, and yet totally her own self.

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

I'm glad you put this out tonight gals and managed to point out some positives in this one . Here in the UK on the BBC it was a big night , the first two episodes of Dr Who followed by the 3 hour + lunacy of the Eurovision song contest - if you think this show is crazy you haven't seen anything - with a rare chance of seeing the actual Northern lights this far South after . Since you are only doing Space babies I liked the references back to Rose at the beginning and the story made some sense in the end , but I thought some of the promise in the Christmas special just didn't materialise in the Tardis this time .

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

On reflection I think it was the babies talking that put me off . The lines didn't come close to making them natural or believable and I probably missed a few nuances of the plot because of it . They should have perhaps had some older children who could speak , or the Doctor explaining their thoughts as he ' speaks baby' .

[@alexfletcher5192]

One of the things that should be remembered is that this show was SUCH a busted-flush in Britain before 2005 that they almost didn't want to introduce the past unless they really had to. The UK audience was then divided between kids who had never experienced it in their society and their parents who had, but who had not absorbed the 'fannish' details of it. I suspect if it goes away again, for the period it did back then, it would have to approach that history just as tentatively

[@GamerWho]

But in 2005 there wasn't even yet a "complete" classic run on DVD; in 2024 it's "all" on iPlayer for free, so newbies have access to the source if they're curious.

[@christianschoff2490]

YAY! THERE YOU ARE! I am so excited to see your reaction to Devil's Chord.

[@eglantinepapeau1582]

I stopped Dr who after the David Tenant seasons , however that's what made me discover "Torchwood" . have ou ever watched this show ? if not you should react to it 💁‍♀

[@Stephen-Fox]

I didn't watch it at midnight Friday. Not because I wasn't up at midnight but because I was busy prepping a TTRPG session for today and an update on my main writing project for midnight (Meaning I watched at around 2am. Then the next one. Then finished prepping the TTRPG session. Then went to bed and woke up three hours before the session.) Enjoyed it. If I were to rate it out of 10 it would be an 8.5 for me - I'm a sucker for campy fun which this episode had in spades, and I also enjoy a pun being baked into a premise, as per 'a bogeyman made of bogeys' - That's something I kind of wish I'd have thought of, honestly - And when Doctor Who is working on those cylinders this is kind of exactly what I'm looking for there. The space babies were voiced by child actors, who had their facial (not just mouth) movements modelled in CGI and that movement translated to CGI models of the babies faces, since you seemed surprised by how well that effect worked.

[@fleason771]

TVLine asked RTD after the DNA scan & what Maestro says about Ruby "This creature is very wrong" how worried should we be for Ruby? His immediate answer was "Oh very" A lot of the mystery surrounding Ruby, why it keeps snowing around her will come out in a Titanic finale, he promised it won't be dragged out into mid S2. Something happened to her on that night in 2004 & we will get answers by June 21/22 of 2024

[@benmcgurrell1948]

I dont think this was for me but i see the value in bringing in a new audience so that they can look back to their childhood with fondness about watching doctor who. this was just toooooooo cheesy and childish for me personally

[@BrellaGuy]

Don't forget about the stepping on a butterfly superstition like bit. Superstitions are coming to life and I can't wait to see The Doctor discover new things. Maybe it will tie in with the memories leaking thing

[@The-Cosmic-Hobo]

Am assuming that this is the arc for this season... Apart from Rose#2, err, Ruby's parentage.

[@thegentleartoffisticuffs6983]

The cosensus online seems rather negative but I definitely had a big stupid grin on my face the whole episode.

[@ftumschk]

The online consensus, whether on KZbin, Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB, is skewed by a vocal minority of nay-sayers, so counts for very little. Like you, I was grinning, laughing and sometimes even crying (in a positive sense) throughout this story. By no means a classic, but great fun.

[@robert_bbiii]

It is online which rendsto be haters. While I have criticisms of the episode over all I enjoyed it

[@somerandomguy2073]

There was actually a study not too long ago that showed that audience opinion has bugger all in common with the online consensus. It demonstrably is more negative online than in real life. People that live online are unhappy, weirdly obsessive and not typical of general audiences. You CAN disregard what Twitter says.

[@ftumschk]

@@somerandomguy2073 Doesn't surprise me. Thanks for the info!

[@joshuajoshua2732]

You gals don't have to be polite you can tell us you thought this episode was crap 😂.

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

It wasn't though.

[@robertwareham8466]

@@TorIverWilhelmsen It was, though. And the second episode, too. About as subtle as panto. I don't want Doctor Who to become panto...

[@robertwareham8466]

@@TorIverWilhelmsen It has nothing to do with adapting to a modern audience, it has to do with quality storytelling. All I care about is decent storytelling, which was very absent from the first two episodes. Writing bad stories is not 'adapting to a modern audience'. And don't tell me to find entertainment more suited to my tastes, Doctor Who IS to my tastes. It's my favourite programme and one I aspire to write for some day. Are you telling me to chuck all that in the bin because I didn't like these two episodes? I didn't like certain episodes of the NuWho era, should I have not watched any more when that happened? Am I not allowed to say Aliens of London, Fear Her, or the Lazarus Experiment were bad episodes?

[@robertwareham8466]

@@TorIverWilhelmsen You literally told me to go watch something else because I criticised the episodes. What else am I supposed to think you're saying? Edit: in fact you said that I wasn't part of a 'modern audience', whatever that's supposed to mean.

[@robertwareham8466]

@@TorIverWilhelmsen Seriously, stop being so dismissive and belittling if you don't want a reaction. Or just stop commenting, that works too.

[@alexanderriley2979]

Unorthodox, goofy and yet endearing. Lotta spheres for RTD to keep in the air. Didn't hate it, not the greatest start though.

[@PaulaDeming]

yeah, somehow it all worked for me? I was surprised, especially after I was like "as long as its not 'baby geniuses' 😅

[@DrakeAurum]

I like that they're committing to this being a more open and communicative Doctor. I hope it lasts.

[@terminatrix92]

You say open and communicative, I say expositional dialogue for newcomers. Which would be fine, but the constant explaining didnt make for a very entertaining scene...

[@joer3720]

1) it’s awesome to have you two reacting to new Dr Who again 😀 2) I ask with love for the show, but why did they start with a mid season filler episode? 😁

[@johnpaullogan1365]

They needed at least one episode between the goblin song and the maestro

[@PaulaDeming]

my thought is that they're trying to appeal to a newer, younger audience with this one - get them hooked before it gets too heavy. It felt very "for kids" to me.

[@christianwise637]

While I am glad to have this brilliant crazy show back with us, I’m disappointed to say that this episode really wasn’t for me. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that “Space Babies” is one of my least favourite season openers, and probably RTD’s weakest episode to date. The gross-out toilet humour was a major turn-off for me, and the space babies themselves just made me feel really uncomfortable in an uncanny valley fashion (proof that even with added Disney money, Doctor Who still can’t get away without dodgy-looking effects). Also, I didn’t like the Bogeyman as a threat - the chaotic editing during its scenes looked really bad, and the reveal of it being a sympathetic and non-malicious creature came out of nowhere and didn’t feel earned. On the plus side, Ncuti and Millie really carried this episode, their natural chemistry is wonderfully endearing and every interaction is overflowing with infectious charm. I appreciate seeing Fifteen portrayed as a more open and honest incarnation, showing that the events of “The Giggle” are going to stick going forward (hopefully). Meanwhile, I enjoyed seeing Ruby’s reactions to all the craziness going on around her, and how she adjusts surprisingly quickly to this new world and lifestyle. It’s early days still, but I think we could potentially be looking at a new God-tier Doctor/companion pairing, and I’m ecstatic to see where they go from here

[@PaulaDeming]

Thank you for this comment! I totally get everything you expressed in the first paragraph and I'm 100% in agreement with you on the second!

[@fibrown444]

Did you spot actress Susan Twist? She's been in a few of the recent episodes.

[@Riverwolf1489]

I did not like the episode at all. But i love the new doctor and ruby is an awesome companion. Ive seen the cycle enough ill give it time. I loved the new doctor and companion. I think disney has too much control (I'll qualify, most likely unpopular opinion)

[@thelivingbarfpoo2363]

😆 how don't people realise the new intro

[@bradheld7927]

Not sure if you caught this, but it was "snowing" in the Tardis at the end.

[@GrumpyOldGit-zk1kw]

'This is where some people will start with Doctor Who.' Well I watched this episode and the Devil's Chord and this is where I'm drawing the line - I'm quitting. Just talking about this episode I was fine with the beginning and the end but the whole 'Space Baby' storylind didn't do it for me. At least I still have the old stories (tv, books, and audio) to enjoy. Good luck with the rest of the series.

[@somerandomguy2073]

Your name is accurate.