Doctor Who 14x05/1x05 "Dot and Bubble" Reaction

[@HonestlyAccurate]

"By the end of this, I won't lie, I was slightly team slug." Had me HOWLING in agreement.

[@OldManFerdiad]

The Dot said "Eat The Rich" and the slugs obliged. Team Slug.

[@ihateunicorns867]

#teamslug all the way. Eat those yummy white supremacists.

[@scottgodfrey7118]

i was siding with the slugs halfway thru the episode.

[@mcborge1]

Yup, those people made me want to slap the screen.

[@briangonigal3974]

Oh, I was leaning heavily Team Slug (and actually used that term in my head) by about the second time she walked into the light pole. Betraying Ricky was just the final confirmation that allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief that I didn’t need to feel guilty about washing my hands of her. …Or at least, I *thought* t would be the final confirmation, because how much worse could she possibly be?

[@celicynd]

"Everybody dies, Ruby. Just this once! Everybody dies!"

[@somerandomguy2073]

Thank God!

[@pinpingarou]

You had me laughing, thank you xD

[@ThePonderer]

Someone pointed out the horrible dramatic irony of this story- if any all-white TARDIS team had experienced this adventure, they’d have helped Lindy and her friends survive to build a racist ethnostate on a new planet with barely an inkling for them or the audience that that’s what they’d done. The ending is the Doctor realizing for the first time that they are subject to people who see him as a skin color first and “the Doctor” second. It’s a moment of his self-image shattering slightly, and it’s heartbreaking.

[@marshsundeen]

This story was originally written for 11. I am glad it was told now instead. Much more powerful.

[@scottboswell6406]

I think with an all white TARDIS crew the twist would be taking them to a mixed/multiculti society and them rejecting it, but it wouldn't hit nearly as hard.

[@ameliacraiig4193]

It _is_ heartbreaking. I like to think that the Doctor was right and they don't survive the wild. So hopefully, no opportunity to build a white-supremacist, elite society.

[@ThePonderer]

@@ameliacraiig4193it’s a foregone conclusion. These kids barely knew how to *walk* 3 hours ago. They have no living skills, and also no genuine sense of community or loyalty needed to survive even in a “regular” harsh world, let alone one *actively* out to get them.

[@flaggerify]

And if they did build a racist ethnostate? Are you saying it would better if they were dead?

[@davidjrandall1979]

The Doctor Dances - Just this once, everybody lives Dot and Bubble - Everybody dies This episode was dark, and I loved it.

[@melchoryanez6469]

character arc, donna asking the doctor to save anyone in pompei doesnt want to, saves a family. this doctor wants to save everyone left, people dont want to be saved lol.

[@12chapin]

Well, we don’t know if they survive the outside world.

[@Jim_The_Fish]

@@12chapinthey 100% don’t last more than a week. The Doctor knew they would die. He straight up told them.

[@ashleypaine7846]

A bit like the horror of fang rock!

[@Joey15811]

@@12chapinthis. Its left open. They could have survived or they could have died. It just more likley they died having depended on that bubble thing. Its not confirmed but either way everyone but Ricky deserved to die tbh

[@Faction.Paradox]

We had angry Moffat writing in Boom & now angry RTD writing in this, we eating so good right now.

[@The_Cold_Slither]

I think Boom and Dot and Bubble are connected. Space Babies too.

[@Tconlon251_2]

Everything is connected since everything has a twist in the end

[@jacobhogan3208]

While watching this episode I kept going "Am I reading too much into this." I was not.

[@ihateunicorns867]

I was the opposite. Total facepalm. I was going ”Hmmm. Everyone’s white. They need to be more diverse with their casting.” … “‘They look the same’? That was some racially insensitive script writing.” … “Voodoo?!? Oh come on Russell! Be a bit more racially aware!” D’oh!

[@ameliacraiig4193]

Same. In my head I was dismissing all those subtle indicators I noticed from the beginning, not realising until the end that they truly _were_ racist micro aggressions.

[@charlescole645]

"Am I reading too much into this." The story is written in that way, but in real life, you may actualy be "reading too much into this", racism exists in real life, but at the same time, not everything is going to be racist in real life. Gotta be careful with that.

[@ameliacraiig4193]

@@charlescole645 ....Until the end where, if they were all said in real life (the contamination, you are not one of us & the voodoo comment), would be a clear indication of racism. Yes, be careful not to accuse people willy-nilly, but also be mindful not to immediately dismiss the clear signs.

[@bobm4378]

@@ihateunicorns867 well I guess it is the Tardis microbe translator getting it a bit wrong??

[@PerovNigma]

Racism twist foreshadowing: *[1]* Everyone in this society is white. Doctor Who always prefers to have diverse casts, so this is an immediate red flag. *[2]* Lindy is immediately displeased when the Doctor appears a second time. Since we later find out she didn't recognise him, this isn't her thinking "Him again?!", it's her going "Another black person?!" *[3]* When Lindy does finally realise that the Doctor is the man she blocked earlier, she says that she'd just assumed he _"looked the same."_ *[4]* When Lindy realises that Ruby and the Doctor are in the same room, she is apalled. Since she had coworkers in the same room as her, it's not like this is a society where no-one is allowed near each other. What disgusts her is that Ruby is near a black guy; she's _"contaminated",_ as Lindy's friend warns. *[5]* When Lindy is made to introduce the Doctor to her friends, she says _"I know, just listen to him"_ (because they're all seeing a black person and don't want to interact with him) and _"He will be disciplined"_ (which feels very controlling, as if he's a slave or servant acting out of line). *[6]* Ruby is frustrated that there are still battery problems in the future, showing that this future still has issues that plague the present (like racism). *[7]* Lindy looks uncomfortable when Ruby and the Doctor start approaching her by the river. On first watch, this seems to be out of guilt, for getting Ricky September killed, but she never seems upset about it. Plus, we saw her learn how to hug and that she likes to do it now, so not hugging the people who saved her life means she doesn't want to be near them. *[8]* Right before the penny drops, Lindy is only antagonistic to the Doctor, not Ruby. If she were prejudiced because they're lower-class, she'd address them both, especially the girl who'd annoyed her with lots of questions.

[@umcarafilipino]

[6] seems like a stretch, but I agree with the rest.

[@notbubu]

Think she also says to her friends something like "he isn't as stupid as he looks". Plus the moment when the Doctor very first appears, where at first glance it looked like she was just annoyed that someone she didn't know was in her feed, on a rewatch her reaction looks more like disgust.

[@ConnorEllisMusic]

1 is a stretch as well. Maybe recently but Doctor Who has been quite white.

[@Johz318]

@@ConnorEllisMusic They're all a stretch, coloured by the poster's own prejudices!

[@frankshailes3205]

@@Johz318 No, pretty much all confirmed by RTD and others on the Unleashed.

[@AlbertSquareAfterDark]

I think Ricky was the one person in that world who wouldn’t have been racist. He takes his head out of the bubble, he reads, he’s clearly the most intelligent out of any of them.

[@fourth_wall_broken3550]

I mean, to be fair. The books he would be reading would be supplied from the Motherworld, so I can't imagine them being too nice to POC. Also I can't help but feel like the way he talks to the Doctor, when he tells him he knows how Pulse Codes workz, is slightly off. Just his awkward facial expression, then cutting him off, then his tone when he talks to him sounds sorta dismissive. The problem is I can't tell if it's because he just wants to leave quick or doesn't want to be talked down to by a black man. Half the difficulty of microaggressions is figuring out if they're happening

[@trueblaze84]

He would have had the best chance but whether or not he would, we'll never know. And it's that very reason the Doctor will always keep trying, because, you'll never know if what could reach them. See the Orville and Rodolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

[@unclekarl5219]

I think Ricky may have been poor initially and his fame is what made him rich.

[@schauseil187]

@@fourth_wall_broken3550 The fact that she meant it in a racist way is just your interpretation. She never said that. I see it this way that she saw everyone who doesn't belong to Fyneman (i.e. all outsiders, Ruby is white too) as strangers and therefore as below her standards.

[@nicholasforbeck8615]

@@schauseil187 1. It’s finetime 2. She treats ruby way better than she treated the doctor. She didn’t block her right away, like the did the doctor 3. The fact she was racist is obvious and confirmed by the writers! I know media can be interpreted in different ways but this is something the creators of the episode confirmed! It’s ridiculous that’s people are still arguing about whether one of the main messages is legitimate. Even if it isn’t, why do you care so much! 4. Personally I think Ricky September, while nice, was probably still racist. He lived in finetime afterall. He’s at least complicit

[@ryanpollard1166]

Dot and Bubble was definitely a bold story where our "protagonist" was the real, true villain of the story all along. Funnily enough, the original title for this was "Monsters, Monsters Everywhere", which is definitely a fitting title given the story's context. It starts as story in the vein of The Macra Terror (a seemingly happy, idyllic community getting invaded by monsters) until it slowly but surely unveils itself as an exploration of racism, white supremacy, elitism and echo chamber mentality. That final scene was Ncuti Gatwa's "Capaldi moment"; stunned, heartbroken and frustrated after being faced by the worst of humanity (or lack thereof). It's knowing you can't do anything, even when you have the power, means and sense. The society he wants to save treat him with nothing but contempt and bigotry, but he doesn't become angry and upset until he realises they genuinely don't want to be saved and would rather take their chances and idiotically go off to face certain death rather than accept help from someone they deem inferior. What a truly bold and haunting ending.

[@colemacgrath2005]

Honestly, the title Monsters Everywhere is much better and more clever

[@HuntingViolets]

@@colemacgrath2005 _Dot and Bubble_ gives less away, I think.

[@charlespettit7149]

So from what I've heard, that final scene with ncuti was his very first scene he filmed when he joined as the doc. Kinda crazy to think. Also, I feel calling it his "capaldi moment" takes away from him I feel saying his first true doctor moment is more fitting :) it really is a haunting scene and was really his first no win scenario. One thing I don't really see talked about in this episode is, there seems to be a commentary on sociopathy and psychopathy from lack of human contact, using tech, etc. the characters all show narcissistic traits. Also probably superiority complex, it's really layered in a lot of different messages and themes in really scary ways

[@flaggerify]

She was A villain. Hardly the true one. I think devouring everyone on a planet makes you pretty villainous.

[@bobm4378]

@@flaggerify no, she was very young.. check the last scene where the guy say we are going out there to the wild woods.. father figure...

[@chlloolou]

it was so good to see you picking up on lindy’s micro aggressions - people were saying that the ending came out of nowhere but it really didn’t. i had a bad feeling as to why she was acting that way towards the doctor but that ending felt like such a punch to the gut. i haven’t stopped thinking about this episode

[@Mrhullsie2]

Oh, definitely well observed that the ending shouldn't have been a surprise, there were numerous hints towards her attitude right from the start, no one of colour amongst her "friends", her quick dismissal and blocking of the Doctor, her more tolerant behavior towards Ruby even when the Doctor rejoined, her response to realizing that the Doctor was the same person she blocked previously, "I thought you just looked the same". It will be an interesting rewatch and I suspect I will find more examples.

[@CRINOTH]

@@Mrhullsie2 Her shock that the Doctor and Ruby were in the same room.

[@SNMG7664]

I was so happy to see her catching it. So many people on here are acting like it was a big surprise at the end. Nah, she was awful throughout.

[@scottboswell6406]

This is a story that needs to be seen at least twice!! It is all there, and actually just the way she reacts to Ruby instead of The Doctor shows what's coming.

[@stevenmcmullan409]

"I suppose I should thank you."

[@elliotblabla]

At first I thought it was silly writing that she couldn’t walk without the arrows in the Bubble… until I realised that the screens are always constantly rotating around her head. If anyone’s ever played something like Guitar Hero for a while and then suddenly looked away from the screen, you might notice how it messes with your vision and orientation. I guess the arrows in the Bubble circumvent that, that and it’s also a long-established movement habit.

[@shaunmale6566]

It was so heartbreaking seeing The Doctor breakdown like that. All I wanted to do was give him a hug. Despite how horrible Lindy and her friends were to him, he still wanted to help them. Better a broken heart than no heart at all. Justice for Ricky September!

[@elgroucho]

Simply adored you flipping her off at the end! Gold. 😂

[@Orange_Pear]

The racism throughout the episode is more obvious on the second watch. You can tell through the little interactions between the characters, such as Lindy being offended that the Doctor and Ruby are in the same room together, or her not noticing that the Doctor was the same person from before (thinking they were two different people that just looked alike), Lindy immediately blocking the Doctor but not Ruby, etc. There’s at least like 10 more things that I noticed but it’s great to rewatch the episode with this added context.

[@ihateunicorns867]

Oh god, yeah. “I thought you were someone who just looked like him” … “That’s voodoo” … “It’s your duty to save me” … “You are not one of us”

[@cutthr0atjake]

​@@ihateunicorns867 "When this is over he'll be punished!"

[@Johz318]

@@ihateunicorns867 So RTD is a racist then. Because he wrote this stuff!

[@thenamesgould]

I feel like that's what makes it so great, those things can pass you by and as a white person it makes me wonder how much of that stuff I don't pick up on in my real day to day life. But I've heard from people of other ethnicities who watched it that they noticed them all straight away. Such an eye opener! And I usually consider myself pretty switched on about these types of things.

[@UltimateLordMonkey]

"Is that thing... Does it has something to do with you?" Perfectly acceptable question on the first watch, though slightly offensive "jumping to conclusion", but with the context on the second watch: she just immediately assumed the black dude got some kind of connection to the monster that's devouring everyone...

[@frankshailes3205]

27:36 - as Peter Capaldi would say, "fuckety-bye!". This is Millie and Ncuti's first scene they filmed together. Incredible, isn't it? Really flipping the bird to the "Doctor Who is too woke now" racist brigade.

[@ThomasCorp]

Jess: “Listen, Doctor, I feel like, for this one, you might have to put on your patient pants. You know what I mean?” Me: “Oh, I’m afraid that the patient pants will be quite ineffective whilst dealing with Lindy and the other Finetimers.”

[@bemasaberwyn55]

*emperor cackle*

[@anonagain]

It wasn't just about racism - Finetime had virtually (pun intended) every kind of tribalism: class, wealth, age ("no stinky old folks") and cultural - all dangers of living in a bubble (an echo chamber with only people who think and look like you). Oh, and of course not so subtle warnings about social media, AI and transhumanism. And bonus points for the slug monsters that looked very classic Who. Excellent episode. Thanks for the reaction !

[@therealpbristow]

[NODS] But the thing about racism being the "final boss level" of all their many prejudices is that that's where the Doctor discovers *HIS* bubble: He's never experienced this phenomenon head-on before. He's always had white privelege. Consequently, he never noticed the racist micro-aggressions either... Ruby figures it out before he does.

[@charlescole645]

"only people who think and look like you" That means that people can disagree and give a different opinion and criticism with some elements from the message and messages, within the fandom, othewise, it would be ironic.

[@TwistedReality13]

​@@charlescole645😂 finally.. you can't criticize this show without being called a bigot or racist.. buzzwords RTD himself spews who also happens to live in a bubble.. the irony

[@therealpbristow]

@@TwistedReality13 And yet, several people have. So... maybe it depends what exactly your criticism is?

[@matthewb9621]

​@@TwistedReality13is someone calling you a bigot?

[@darkphoenix6807]

What I love is that when Ncuti became the doctor I wondered how they were going to deal with racism in the past. Yet, I love that RTD deals with racism in the future because that never goes away.

[@TreyMcDonaldAnimator]

I've been all over the internet about this episode lmao I can't add anymore that people haven't said already. What I _will_ say is if you've watched it once, watch it again. You will pick up on clues that Pepper Bean was always disgusting from the start. One thing I'll note is everyone said Ricky September acts like the Doctor. Pepper Bean followed his lead no question, and made it an effort to question and belittle the actual Doctor. And it definitely feels like commentary on Tennant and Smith's era - had it been them, she would have followed the Doctor in a heartbeat. But because the Doctor is now Black, she feels justified in judging him and refusing his hand to help, proving himself since first interaction. Dot and Bubble is something else.

[@rachelz57]

honestly until she turned the bubble back on, i thought the doctor had somehow made himself look like ricky september and broke into the city, so that she'd be more inclined to accept his help 😂

[@flaggerify]

Makes her one-dimensional though. Suggests only all-round bad people can be racist.

[@jeckjeck3119]

Plot twist at the end: *Finetime turned out to be all of Nerdrotic and Bowlsteak fanbases*

[@XanderHarris1023]

I'm going to start calling him Bowlsteak. That's hilarious even if it was probably autocorrect.

[@jeckjeck3119]

@@XanderHarris1023 At least it was not Nerderotic this time, lol.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

😂😂😂

[@ThomasCostigan]

Based. Love Nerdrotic. White people hanging out together isn't a bad thing lol.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

​@@XanderHarris1023 I have to manually correct his name every time, my autocorrect auto-corrects it to 'bowels streak' every time, and while that's hilarious (to me, at least) it makes it less clear who and what I'm trying to talk about.

[@stacyp2186]

I saw a behind the scenes and they filmed this in January. They knew the weather was going to be bad so they added the line about the weather satellite not working.

[@JackBarrugon]

25:30 - if you want to rewatch it, that's the moment the penny really drops for Sesska! It's been said before, but I'll say it again, that the prejudice in this episode becomes clearer and clearer on every rewatch.

[@almightykellus2585]

There's sort of a realisation at 11:51 as well

[@jacobhogan3208]

I love watching reactions to this season because they make the time between episodes fly by.

[@stanleysmith2221]

I am a 60year old black man from Chicago. I see the doctor as an Alien Timelord so the subtext went over my head most of the episode. I was just rooting success 😮

[@JackBarrugon]

LOLOLOL!!!

[@scottboswell6406]

I'm a 57 y.o. black man and I get you. We're so used to some things that we can see but take things for granted.

[@charlespettit7149]

​@@scottboswell6406 wait so Lindy was acting like that towards him because he was black? That went over my head as well I guess since I don't really think to treat people differently for something as silly as that but now that I read your comments I get what other people meant by the racism.

[@SeanWheeler100]

Yeah, the racism went over my head as well. When telling the story about a future alien planet where everyone's stuck in social media, the reveal about Lindy and the Finetimers being racist would really need to be spelled out. Like seriously, all the clues about racism seemed too ambiguous. Not one of us? Of course not. He's a Time Lord. Or whatever the Timeless Child was. He's not from Finetime. Bigger on the inside being voodoo? Yeah, I totally understand that's impossible, so maybe it could be "voodoo" to some aliens who don't understand Time Lord technology. Contaminated? Well, it makes perfect sense for a society of people so dependent on their social media bubbles to be germophobic. And Lindy not realizing the Doctor being the same guy she blocked because she thought he just looked the same? Well, I do have trouble telling new faces apart too. It's not even a race thing because I could confuse white people too. Isn't that a reason why Clark Kent's glasses worked so well? And when Lindy blocked the Doctor, I thought she mistook him for an ad. I had to find out from TV Tropes that the ending was about racism. But since it was originally written as a Matt Smith episode, I wonder how Lindy would have treated the Eleventh Doctor differently?

[@Domihork]

@@SeanWheeler100 Thank you! I was starting to think I was going mad. Good to see that someone can see those microaggressions the same way as me. It was just a little too subtle.

[@danielkiran8174]

Doctor could be like "I've met literal babies that were more capable than you!"

[@aaroncrilly2005]

This is was the first episode after his introduction that Ncuti filmed

[@benjamindavis4974]

THE LAST SCENE WAS THE FIRST SCENE HE FILMED

[@JosiahTT]

first scene he filmed after the bigeneration!

[@jamesanthony3072]

@@JosiahTT no this was filmed before the giggle, so that amazing performance at the end was Ncuti first as the doctor, this and 73 yards were filmed at the same time too… Doctor literally eps as Ncuti had to finish filming Sex Education…. 😅👍🏼

[@SlyAceZeta]

@@jamesanthony3072 No, The Giggle came before. This was his first scene _for this series._

[@fleason771]

​@@jamesanthony3072 No this was shot after "The Giggle" Ncuti & David's bigeneration was shot on 21st & 22nd of June 2022 (Ncuti's first days) & the Dot & Bubble end scene here was shot on December 17th 2022, Ncuti's first appearance in this season as the lead is more accurate a statement (but that doesn't diminish his incredible powerful performance 👏) Both 73 Yards & Dot & Bubble were part of the same filming block with the same director Dylan Holmes Williams filmed between Dec 2022 & Jan 2023 while Ncuti's time was limited due to Sex Education to be on the set of Who full-time

[@Randomaited]

Doctor Who said eat the rich, the slugs were the good guys

[@GedUK]

Them being rich wasn't really the issue.

[@frankshailes3205]

@@GedUK Just another part of their sense of entitlement.

[@artoriusrex6370]

Just wanted to comment for once to say RIP William Russell. Our beloved Ian Chesterton died Just yesterday at the age of 99.

[@MrRosebeing]

No, no...your comment regarding Lindy wasn't really mean. It was more than well-deserved.

[@JustB3NJI]

It's the best kind of episode because you can say we've never seen anything like that before.

[@flaggerify]

Except in Black Mirror.

[@keith.morgan]

Murray golds music at the end made it even more dramatic.. *chefs kiss* #teamslug

[@rodanandme]

The Rings of Akhaten motif!

[@bobert8685]

I was searching for this reaction over and over again thinking I missed the notification! Your reactions are so good!

[@ericreese7792]

Lindy Pepper-Bean, you would make a good Dalek.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Woof. That's horrifying

[@isaactraister317]

Okay, okay but the best thing about this episode? Those monsters? They were SLOW 👏MOVING👏 The greatest tribute to Classic Who of all time

[@josefschiltz2192]

"Doctor Who legend William Russell has died aged 99, according to reports. The actor rose to fame in 1956 in ITV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, before his most prominent role as Ian Chesterton opposite Doctor Who’s William Hartnell from the BBC sci-fi show’s first episode until 1965. Russell also held roles in The Great Escape, 1978 film Superman and as Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street. He reprised his Doctor Who role in 2022 in special episode The Power of the Doctor, 57 years after his character’s last appearance" Source: Metro.

[@davidmckie7128]

The scene at the end was the first one that Ncuti filmed. His first scene before the other episodes that we have watched and 73 yards was the first episode that Millie filmed (back in December 2022 whilst Ncuti was still filming Sex Education.

[@SKIP-yj3xp]

In 47 years of watching Doctor Who, I have never seen anyone as despicable as Lindy.

[@JamesNixon-b7p]

I don't think I've hated a character this much since Geoffrey Baratheon or Dolores Umbridge.

[@ajandrianjafymusic]

I wanted to throw something at my tv watching her😂

[@TheNovaBridger]

With respect, we did have literal Adolf Hitler in an episode. Lindy's a close second.

[@LondonCelt]

The scene at the end was Ncuti’s first day, we have a truly tremendous actor as the Doctor. I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us👏🏻

[@bemasaberwyn55]

I have to give credit to Lindy's actress for being SUCH A REPREHENSIBLE character in 40 minutes. Also I legit snorted when Lindy walked into the pole

[@uniquesimulacrum]

This episode hits so different on a rewatch if you always keep in mind, that the Doctor is a person of color and Ruby is white. The micro aggressions are there the entire episode. I didn't even realize that there wasn't another POC in this entire episode right to the very end.

[@Johz318]

If it was meant to be a commentary on colour prejudice it wasn't very well done because the girl was simply an obnoxious brat and seemed to me to be rude to both Ruby and the Doctor equally.

[@kaizoisevil]

@@Johz318I think it was a mix of racial and class prejudice

[@cameronjosephvideos5942]

@@Johz318 She was rude to both, but you can't get much more definitive than the ending where she singles the Doctor out. She tells the Doctor specifically, not the Doctor and Ruby, that he isn't one of them. The point of her being rude to Ruby is to keep things subtle enough that the ending can catch you off guard, but its still clear on rewatch that there is more aggression towards the Doctor than Ruby and she's much more patient with Ruby as well. On first watch I thought it was because Ruby tried to fit in and be friendly first while the Doctor just went straight in with a warning, but its easy to recontextualize it as racism.

[@ameliacraiig4193]

@@Johz318 It was very well done. All the subtle indications are there to be noticed, even upon its first watch. Rewatching just cements her specific interaction with the Doctor (now we know the end) as being racist. Masterfully done imo.

[@Johz318]

@@cameronjosephvideos5942 Maybe, but if I was the Doctor I wouldn't care what this girl said after the way she spoke to Ruby whether she was being racist, colour prejudiced or just generally unpleasant. And the Doctor is a colour-fluid ancient time-lord who's seen and heard it all before so why would it bother him anyway?

[@rodanandme]

27:39 did anyone else notice the Rings of Akhaten motif popping up? That’s always been my favorite piece of Doctor Who OST

[@chazo1367]

God the ending was a gut punch…

[@marksturmey1892]

Just read that William Russell who played Ian Chesterton has died aged 99 😢 RIP William Russell.

[@suzannehammer4944]

Lindy was the real monster

[@flaggerify]

I think the slug monsters who committed genocide were somewhat worse.

[@Joey15811]

@@flaggerifynope Lindy amd her society were. Slugs saring universe from A racist, ageist, classist, self absorbed, fake society.

[@nikogarcia201]

I have a hard time feeling sympathy for rich entitled white supremacist that are so out of touch that they can’t walk outside without an AI guiding them. Can’t blame the AI for becoming sick of serving those pile of trash.

[@alwillcox]

Ain't nowt wrong with being Team Slug,

[@flaggerify]

Genocide is OK?

[@ThatCzechGuy]

In this case, it is necessary.

[@flaggerify]

@@ThatCzechGuy The nazis probably thought that.

[@knavehart]

Just saw that William Russell, Ian Chesterton, passed away. Thought of you immediately. So sad. But so glad he was able to return the one last time in Power of the Doctor.

[@bryn6411]

"The slugs were just hungry" i'm dyinggggggg 😂

[@conorcrilly1304]

'Team Slug, Bitch! TEAM SLUG!' - Sesska, if you ever make merch, please put this on a shirt! 😂

[@ameliacraiig4193]

I can see during the reaction that you picked up on a lot of the micro indicators of what she revealed herself to be at the end. I love that. Ncuti's heartbreaking performance in the final scene was phenomenal.

[@seanbarron2890]

Ricky was the absolute best of them, every one in Finetime worshipped him but he had no ego whatsoever! I'm hoping he would have treated the Doctor better than the rest of them and I suspect he would have!

[@ianstopher9111]

Perhaps with his broad reading he wasn't just a horrible racist. We will never know if he was capable of bucking the trend.

[@ameliacraiig4193]

​@@ianstopher9111 I think we do know. Ricky's first interaction with the Doctor was very different to Lindy's. The Doctor gave him instructions about the codes (AND flirted with him), but at no point was Ricky angry about it. He was a goodun.

[@ArthurChappell]

Ricky did like and respect the Doctor, just saying hello and taking in the instructions to punch in the number codes. He wasn't exhibiting signs of racism, or so self absorbed and privileged as the others.

[@grumpysphinx4911]

Yes! In that world I think it's unlikely he wouldn't have developed racist prejudices or not experience discomfort around POC in person but he seemed to me like the type that would be incredibly open to learning and changing for the better, and eventually realizing how messed up the society he was raised in was. The saddest part is that we'll never get a chance to find out if he was truly good or horrible because of Lindy's selfish apathy

[@rogercomix5648]

I thought at first Ricky was going to be the Doctor in disguise, he acted so much like him. even grabbing her hand and running like 9 and Rose. He did not end up like the others but took off his blinders and did not drink the cool-aid. Much like the Doctor did on Gallifrey and so did not become like the Time Lords but was persecuted by them instead.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Tragic

[@rodanandme]

It showed that Lindy would have followed someone with the same energy, charisma, and working towards the same goal as The Doctor if he was a white man

[@ugolomb]

Persecuted by the Time Lords -- yet also tainted for being one. The Doctor faced anti-Time-Lord prejudice on several occasions, usually from villains, but not always; the most tragic example is Cass preferring to die rather than being rescued by a Time Lord in Night of the Doctor

[@Look_Over_There]

Although it’s clear the finetimers are gonna die of exposure in a matter of weeks I kinda would’ve loved it at the end if the doctor travelled in the future to a run down camp with Lindy being the only survivor and then just turning his back and closing the door, but I’m petty that way.

[@gregx5096]

"Just this once, everybody dies." *closes TARDIS door, dematerializes*

[@lordhoot1]

Lindy gives new meaning to the phrase "the banality of evil". Love it.

[@liddad]

Ive been watching a bunch of reactions to this episode to see how many people picked up on the clues throughout the episode (Lindy blocking the doctor but accepting help from Ruby, everyone being white, thinking the doctor caused it, thinking he was a different black guy and just the constant mean comments towards him). But congratulations on being the first one ive seen who caught on to what was happening at "You sir, are not one of us". Most reaction channels are catching on on either the comment about screen contact being barely acceptable, or the "voodoo" comment. And then some just don't catch on that it's racist at all. You could practically see the gears turning in your head and putting parts together as it was said 😂

[@thenamesgould]

She picked up on like all the clues during the episode as well. And that is why this is the only reaction channel I watch! Definitely the best one going around :)

[@Stephen-Fox]

"I would say I hope you don't die, but that would be a lie" If it makes you feel better, if Linda Pepper-Bean is representative of this society, they demonstrated zero survival skills throughout the episode.

[@verdurite]

Not to mention they never actually defeated the dot. That AI is going to hunt those humans down, but they will have no doctor to help them

[@bemasaberwyn55]

​@user-pi8pi3wj7h interesting point

[@ugolomb]

@@verdurite That's possible. But either way, they're dead. My own vision of their future featured a brief period in which they turn on each other, Lord-of-the-Flies style, before dying of starvation (or of poisoning, since they wouldn't have a clue what's safe to eat and what's not)

[@jazzydragon4498]

Our species survival depends on cooperation and adaptability. The Finetimers are too racist, selfish, and stupid to survive. Any society like that it doomed to fail

[@marcelito9347]

This episode's rewatch value is 👌🏿

[@SophieRose1986]

"When I first saw her friends list I was like "Oh Jesus all white friends" but I got the whole "being in an echo chamber / you own bubble" message and perhaps its her own little bubble of friends, then at 11:55 I had a similar expression when she said "I just thought you looked the same" and in the back of my mind I was like.... this is a little....Aryan, and then when the last 5 minutes happened, I was like "Oh shiiiiit, it's space Nazis" I'm 100% Team Dot / Slug

[@steve8510]

The Slugs knew what they were doing.

[@fadikhoory5350]

The fact that you can even see Ncuti's saliva out of his mouth shows what a damn good actor he is.

[@talgoren2246]

If Lindy would have convinced herself that Ricky wanted to die to protect her, she would have simply told the Doctor that the dot tried to kill her and Ricky jumped to her rescue and was killed. the fact that she lied about it show that she was fully aware of what she did.

[@ashleyj97]

Can always count on you to give the BEST reactions! Glad you're feeling better ❤❤

[@Cornberry]

You ALWAYS catch on to things that a lot of people don’t, including me, for like every show. I love that!

[@jackbassindale4336]

Never apologise for being ill Jess 😌 glad you’re feeling better

[@tank2045]

I do hope these people survive long enough for the Doctor to return and see how they make out...The looks that the Doctor and Ruby give Lindy when she shows up has me convinced that the Dot transmitted her betrayal of Ricky to them...

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Oh damn......

[@trunksGav]

I feel like one of those creatures got petrified and became art in the house in Beetlejuice .

[@stanleysmith2221]

😆 🤣 definitely 😊

[@doctorson7026]

I love Ncuti's Doctor when this more serious and dark part of him comes out

[@dylanthompson5421]

‘The slugs were just hungry’ 😂😂😭😭

[@daviddickson5477]

the scene at the where the twist was revealed was apparently his first scene shot of the season witch makes it even better

[@RandomRoss]

It was in that final act that the people of Finetime revealed to be the real monsters of the story.

[@pandorawombat]

So glad you're feeling better!

[@crystalfire5564]

Oh the look on your face as she betrayed Ricky! Fierce

[@GoodKingMort]

LOOOOVE the variation on his theme at the end. Intertwined with The Long Song from Rings of Akhaten as well. Murray Gold 🎉

[@psychoticpenguin6694]

Been looking forward to this! No need to apologise for the later upload, always take care of yourself.

[@johnnyrocketed2225]

It was so great to see your reaction to Lindy turning on Ricky September. You really liked him… I knew it was gonna piss you off, and you didn’t disappoint. 😂😂😂 love the channel!🥰

[@RoseWasX]

the bubble in your face aspect of this episode had me saying out loud "oh wow, i would be soooo overstimulated and unable to speak" the people in this are insufferable, the doctor is better than I am because the people of finetime are sooooooo awful. like, oh you are too good to be saved by the doctor, get eaten. I like to imagine how the 12th doctor would've reacted to these people... ALL HAIL THE SLUGS. Also JUSTICE FOR RICKY SEPTEMBER

[@FacePimpd]

They would have gone with the Twelfth Doctor.

[@RoseWasX]

@FacePimpd not if bill Potts was there

[@johnblythe6261]

This was less a commentary of Social Media itself, but the people and cultures it creates. We see it all the time nowadays and the bubbles they live in. ;)

[@garycullen7390]

ONE thing is she would make a great Tory

[@ameliacraiig4193]

So true!😂

[@bemasaberwyn55]

You misspelled dalek

[@irritatedandhungry2796]

⁠@@bemasaberwyn55 same thing 😂

[@ameliacraiig4193]

And after yesterday, we mustn't forget she'd make a great member of the Reform UK Party.

[@UnleashtheFiore]

Glad you're feeling better, your videos are always a treat :)

[@Surreality22992]

The final shot of Lindy we see is certainly one for the ages - underneath that smirk is absolute rottenness.

[@dancingmonkey08]

I watch Katie O'Shaughnessy and JustSoShaylas reaction to Doctor Who too....I synced up all 3 of you calling Lindy a bitch when she killed Ricky....I have not laughed so much in ages...as well as being proud of your reaction...its wonderful people like you make me think humanity might just be alright in the long run

[@bemasaberwyn55]

I wanna see that synch up 😂😂

[@stevenorthwick2480]

Just wanted to make clear, which hopefully everyone agrees, that the (correctly) negative reaction to the character of Lindy shouldn't be mixed up with the performance of Callie Cooke who I think has done a fantastic job of portraying her.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

I am not a social-media person, and it took a bit to get into this episode. Yet, it had a 'wow" social message, at the end! This was the earliest episode of the season recorded, due to other acting commits by the main Cast, and the idea was in RTD's mind over a decade ago.

[@odysseusjak]

If you don't know, RTD said that the final scene was the first scene Gatwa shot for Doctor Who.

[@whobp8]

My reaction from the death of Ricky September onwards is virtually identical to yours. I've seen (or listened to in the case of lost stories) the entire run of Doctor Who and I can't think of any other case where I've rooted for the monsters to kill more of the humans. 😂 Don't get me wrong, it's a great story, these people are just the worst. Go, Slugs!

[@sirbluebox3650]

Glad you are feeling better this episode turned out to be not what i expected it was fantastic ncuti is fast becoming one of my favourite doctors

[@benlowe1701]

That scene was the first scene Gatwa filmed.

[@thewhovianwithasmallcollec7319]

Hands down might be my fav ep of the season so far

[@davidmyers5545]

The music at the end, wow. Murray Gold went a bit John Barry, brilliant ❤

[@bobhughes2290]

Team Slug! Team Slug! Team Slug!

[@ninjabluefyre3815]

Guru: "Leave my brother out of this!"

[@pipkin3]

The photo of the guy they used for Danny J looks very familiar to me somehow...

[@mdavies3497]

I came on here to comment about William Russell's passing away. I know how much you loved Ian and how you reacted to his appearance in The Power Of The Doctor 🥺

[@andyjarvis7120]

Very sad news in the world of Doctor Who today. William Russell has passed away at the age of 99 😢😢

[@IsiahBradley]

THANKS for this!!!! Here's my take (and I'm glad to put it here so hardcore Whovians can argue it): This episode breaks two unwritten rules of the show as it pertains to prejudice/racism. First rule, established in Classic and continuing in Nu: collective racism/prejudice must be overcome for our planet to survive. Second rule, established in Nu: individual prejudice is something to be frowned on but will be overcome one day. (TEARING SOUND AS RTD RIPS UP THOSE RULES :) ) WOW....Um, gee.... Who is RTD going after? Anti-immigration movements in Europe? The Right worldwide, including in America? The Doctor Who anti-woke crowd? Everyone? Although the Jordan Peele/"Black Mirror" crowd will not be losing sleep over this, I deeply appreciate RTD's willingness to put up a very big finger at people who don't like his direction. This is very different from his first, more subtle DW take. There will be a lot of criticism of Ncuti crying *again.* But from the point of view of this American, this cry is more out of the tradition of 19th-century Frederick Douglass than a 20th-century British-created Time Lord, recreated in this century to great impact.

[@NotJolyneCujoh2011]

Callie Cooke acted SO well. I hate Lindy so much. This was a very good but very quick episode 😅

[@bemasaberwyn55]

She was AMAZING

[@NotJolyneCujoh2011]

@@bemasaberwyn55 EXACTLY

[@peternolan5501]

"I would say I hope you don't die but... that would be a lie... that would be a lie on my part."

[@cooluncle4242]

Well done, Jess. I think we were all giving Lindy and co the finger at the end with you.

[@DavetheAvatar]

This was a big moment for Ncuti's Doctor, definitely his defining moment as the Doctor so far. Also, can we appreciate how Jess's hair is bigger and more impressive than ever?

[@timaustin2000]

You know you have a good episode when Sesska does @22:42

[@kemmdog4444]

RIP William Russell

[@shestewa6581]

YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS! So I just saw one of your old videos and it brought me to your new ones, and I’ve been enjoying your reactions. The glow up of the hair in your videos is absolutely sickening. You have the parting curves that Ricky September wishes he could have. When I decide to cyclically go for longer hair I wish I could do that with mine too. So good!