DOCTOR WHO "Dot And Bubble" REACTION!! 14x5 Breakdown & Review | Ncuti Gatwa | Disney+ Season One

DOCTOR WHO MEETS BLACK MIRROR! Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 5 Full Reaction Watch Along: / thereelrejects
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Doctor Who 1x5 Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, Spoiler Review, Theories, & Ending Explained! Watch us before WhoCulture! Join us as we break down this episode's Black Mirror-esque themes and unexpected twists. Ncuti Gatwa continues to impress as the 15th Doctor, and this episode, written by Russell T Davies, explores the dark side of technology and celebrity culture. We've passed the midway point in this season of “Doctor Who,” and the show’s ambition shows no sign of subsiding. After playing with themes of religion and politics, it’s artificial intelligence, already touched on in the earlier episode “Boom,” that’s the topic du jour in “Dot and Bubble.” With its slick visuals and clear anti-technology viewpoint, Episode 5 has echoes of “Black Mirror,” as noted by showrunner Russell T Davies in a recent interview. The episode critiques and parodies capitalism, KZbin, and celebrity worship, culminating in a genuinely unexpected twist in the final act. The cast consists of Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor, Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, Callie Cooke as Lindy Pepper-Bean, Tom Rhys Harries as Ricky September, Susan Twist as Lindy's "Mummy", & Niamh Lynch as Hoochy Pie.
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0:00 - Leave A Like!
1:03 - Doctor Who Reaction
26:06 - Doctor Who Dot And Bubble Review
27:06 - Social Commentary
28:03 - Themes of AI and Celebrity Culture
28:50 - Black Mirror
30:20 - The Doctor’s Role and Limited Presence
30:57 - Lindy Pepper-Bean
33:07 - Commentary on Social Media Addiction
34:21 - The 1% and Escapism Themes
37:09 - Emotional Impact of the Doctor’s Outburst
39:14 - AI Sentience and Technological Commentary
41:09 - Final Thoughts
45:15 - Speculations for Future Episodes
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[@celicynd]

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

[@ChristyAbbey]

I saw someone else (or maybe you) say that on another channel. It's almost where I'd go, too. The Doctor has always hated willfully stupid. And cruelty.

[@celicynd]

@@ChristyAbbey If it was Sesska, it was me. :)

[@ChristyAbbey]

@@celicynd Yep! Cool!

[@ChristyAbbey]

@@celicynd Team slug!

[@SmellsLikeTeenZebra]

"I blocked you... I thought you just looked the same"

[@christianschoff2490]

GOD. It sounds so fucked up now!

[@drakmaaaaa2729]

The way i had to pause to just look at my partner when that line was said

[@ThePonderer]

“When this is over he is gonna be SO disciplined. I can’t wait.” Holy fuck. Holy FUCK that line. I could write a thesis paper on this episode: the way Ricky is written to be so similar to the Doctor, how Lindy trusts him more but ultimately views him as just as disposable, and even the really mean ways that Lindy talks about *herself.* Her society, like ANY society build on an idea like racial purity, so discourages basic compassion and empathy that she can’t even direct it toward herself.

[@alanalexander7560]

IIRC, she uses the word PUNISHED!

[@ThePonderer]

@@alanalexander7560pretty sure it’s disciplined.

[@amayadomani2383]

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who noticed Ricky was so similar to the doctor

[@Happymama12]

See on my first watch through when she says he’s going to be disciplined I thought it was because he was breaking the rules. Because she told both Ruby and the doctor they were criminals and was talking about how unblocking himself was against the rules. Then when she emergency calls her friends her friend tells her she’s going to be punished for it. So I just thought they were really strict on their rules of how they use these bubble things. Idk though the Ricky September thing makes sense. He is a celebrity, most people would probably trust their favorite celebrity and want to go with them lol. Also he’s the only person actually inside Finetime offering her any help. But I was actually shocked she killed him off lol that one I did not see coming I figured they would both get through the door. She literally had the door open and killed him for basically no reason.

[@janechoy2073]

I had NO idea what she even meant by that and didn't think much of it.... until the end of course!!!

[@Ronariverah]

On the rewatch, the microaggressions are not as micro.

[@SNMG7664]

macroaggressions

[@Velociraptour]

it's amazing what we can forgive from strangers. And then you get home and go "wtf was that?"

[@BangDman]

on a rewatch this episope is still trash like greg said

[@trueblaze84]

The series often has characters ignoring or poking jabs at the Doctor as a joke so even long time fans don't really notice it on the first run.

[@Senkoau]

"We know everything and you know nothing." In this season tearing strip's of the doctor is so common I'm surprised people even notice it any more.

[@f4571NG]

The leader guy at the end sounded just like a colonizer too. He didn't want to just survive and build a new life for himself and his people, he wanted to take over and control everything.

[@Maleegi]

they don't know how to walk; you think they'll survive out there?

[@saucermcfly]

​@@Maleegi I hope not.

[@lunacouer]

@@Maleegi I'm shocked they could even get in the boat, so no, not at all. And that would be great.

[@bertramgibbs9159]

‘It was your ‘duty’ to save me’ gave me chills.

[@FlamingoSandwich]

You know the pitch meeting for this started with "eat the rich"

[@derpyslurp8779]

Is that bad? Lol

[@Happymama12]

I literally laughed when Lindy revealed they were all rich kids and I said “omg they’re eating the rich” 😂😂😂 I thought that was hilariously literal. Like we didn’t even need any more explanation which was also another reason I thought this episode was going to be more about classism and the rich people living in bubbles and whatever. It was before they revealed why some people were getting left alone I thought they start off with the richest and work their way down lol Having it alphabetical order was…meh. I mean there was a lot of “omg why is it ignoring you it has a list how does this list work” blah blah and immediately any time I’m trying to figure out a pattern to something alphabetical is probably the first thought I go to so I feel the doctor should’ve seen something that simple immediately.

[@ChristyAbbey]

I was this minute old when I got that. And I'm supposed to be a leftist. Sorry for letting down the side.

[@lunacouer]

They needed to give us some catharsis after how they acted 😂 Except for Ricky. Ricky was a gem and I hope Lindy's pathetic attempts at colonization end up with her getting some previously unencountered virus that turns her into goo. Well, all of them, but especially Lindy.

[@Condor-gb1xp]

The Doctor should’ve used his special anti-racism move, Capaldi Punch

[@mrcritical6751]

Feel like that would have resulted in him getting linched

[@Condor-gb1xp]

@@mrcritical6751 Not if he knocked them all out first

[@HellfireComms]

@@Condor-gb1xp When you pop that super you never know if they're gonna be standing after.

[@soundgal_sine_qua_non]

That's part of the point. The white privilege the Doctor has had for centuries is gone.

[@Condor-gb1xp]

@@soundgal_sine_qua_nonYeah but in a fight against a bunch of racist zoomers, I’m placing my bets on Gatling Gatwa just as much as I would Punchy Peter

[@DeversonBasilio]

THE DOT WAS RIGHT

[@jessimarim_m9387]

This. Always burns more when the computer is right about us when it decides to terminate us😅

[@LordLOC]

I saw Whoculture do their review for the episode and called the dots "evil" and I sat here thinking, seriously? They made it very clear in the episode why the dots are doing what they are doing, whether you agree with it or not - but I wouldn't call them evil.

[@klaxoncow]

@@LordLOC I mean, the dots were still killing people and feeding them alive to slug monsters. There's at least a teeny tiny bit of "evil" there, surely? No matter how "Heil Hitler" Lindy might be. Like, understandable or even necessary evil, sure. But it's still evil.

[@alexp601]

@@LordLOC Well, to be fair, it wasn't clear that the dots were killing them BECAUSE they were racist. We don't actually know why they were killing them. Like, maybe the dot wanted to rule the entire planet with its bugs, and the people just happened to be all racists.

[@ChristyAbbey]

Team slug!

[@CainMason-uh1ep]

Did anyone notice how freaked out Lyndy was that The Doctor and Ruby were both in the same room?

[@lilachodan4941]

I don't get why?!

[@francisco_m7849]

😮 of course now it makes perfect sense. It’s not that they were both in the same room as because the doctor was with Ruby. One is because I don’t think anyone has had any actual physical contact with another so far in that place and also the doctor and Ruby being who they are physically without actually saying what I mean

[@jasonpaulbaker1]

@@lilachodan4941cos they are… *gulp*… MINGLING 🤣 an episode designed for a rewatch 👏 puts everything in perspective

[@jwsel]

@@francisco_m7849Bear in mind that when she freaks out about them being in the same room, she is at her work where she is usually in a room with five other people. So it’s not the fact two people are in the same room that would cause her to freak out. It’s something about those two people being in the same room. When you realize that, the only explanation is race.

[@joevictor53]

And she blocked the Doctor but not Ruby

[@davey2487]

Now I'm wondering how Ricky would've reacted to seeing the Doctor irl. He had actually read books and, at least compared to all the others, educated. He also seemed to show no negative response to the Doctor at all in the brief moment they spoke to eachother. I believe he actually would've seriously considered going with the Doctor.

[@alanalexander7560]

Yeah, everybody loves RIcky but he is the only character who never interacts with the Doctor. We don't know whether he was a racist, classist POS either. Merely that he has little to no interest in social media and spends his free time reading books. Presumably he is a trust fund kid like the rest of them but perhaps he's part of the 1% of the 1% that actually develops decency and character despite great personal wealth.

[@joevictor53]

I'm really curious if Ricky would've gone with them or with the Doctor if he made it to the end

[@LordLOC]

Considering everyone in "Finetime" were horrible nepo baby racist pricks, one has to wonder if the parents sent them there to get away from their own kids, or to seperate them from "the others" of their society. Ricky, I don't know. It seems he's a nice guy and not like the rest of them, but considering everyone else who knows. Though the point that he read books etc. might have me feel he is a better person than them.

[@connorblack99]

@@alanalexander7560 he did interact with him briefly and was much more normal about it than anyone else, I think there was one bit people are picking up on but to me it read as more of a “please don’t lump me in with them” reaction to something the doctor said.

[@pettyofficerdan1807]

To address what you guys said at the very end, when Ricky spoke with the Doctor about pulse cryptography, he remained pleasant and affable, and assured the Doctor that he could do the job at hand. That is to say, he didn't act bigoted or arrogant or condescending, the way everyone else did when seeing the Doctor. And the fact that Ricky changed his surname might show disagreement with his parent's beliefs. (In fact, it's entirely possible the AI knew Ricky changed his name and deliberately skipped him, and only killed him in the end in self-defense since Ricky kept trying to smash it into the pipes.)

[@alexp601]

The AI only attacked Ricky AFTER it was told what his real name was. There's no reason why it would have skipped him before that.

[@geetee4459]

Didn't like her from the beginning as she was so shallow & stupid but was prepared to forgive her if she became braver (like Lynda-with-a-Y) from interaction with a saviour. But when she betrayed Ricky she was dead to me. And then her character became even more horrible. Kudos to the actress who played such a nebulous character well.

[@wendyheatherwood]

I thought of Lynda-with-a-Y too at the start too, but by the end she was more of a Rickston Slade, the businessman from Voyage of the Damned. Why did they have to be the ones that the doctor managed to save?

[@geetee4459]

@@wendyheatherwood possibly the most horrible character the Doctor ever saved (or tried to) though she had plenty of opportunities to redeem herself.

[@bertramgibbs9159]

When you think about it, if you do, the creatures, killing them in alphabetical order, were systematically removing the planet’s pestilence. The aliens were the good guys.

[@Reece_Hart]

I liked that there were clear signs that ending was coming. First the shock that Ruby and the Doctor were in the same room and then the comment about she thought she blocked the Doctor but they all looked the same. I don't think I've ever wanted a monster on Doctor Who to win as much as this episode, first because it was a case of "These people are stupid to the point of it being infuriating" then after the twist was a case of "I hope the wilderness kills because you're even more infuriatingly stupid then I first thought."

[@davey2487]

You could already see it when the Doctor first showed up in the bubble.

[@alexmoore8441]

Fun fact. That end scene was the first thing he had filmed for this season

[@Jodey_DeLaurentlis]

I was wondering why it took them this long to see these costumes when they were the first ones revealed 😂

[@minecraftrotisseriechicken]

Yep! Over a year and a half ago at Cardiff Bay

[@noondarkly]

😮😮😮 geez. 😢😢😢

[@alexp601]

It felt like he and Ruby were filmed separately to the other characters. Like the Dr and Ruby were against a green screen or something. There was a bit of a disconnect between the characters.

[@lilachodan4941]

Them crying at the end when she refused the help. Doctor literally loosing his mind Ruby crying and feeling sorry for Doctor. When he said I don't care what you think, you can say whatever you want I thought wow he is such a noble person

[@GoliathWarfare]

I totally thought we were gonna get a speech talking about how wrong they were, but the Doctor's reaction was so effective and in-character given the situation.

[@cuppajoememes4834]

@@GoliathWarfaredidn’t really need a speech behind it. His reaction really hits home how stupid racism really is when you think about it. He just couldn’t believe these people would throw away their lives all because they couldn’t accept his skin colour.

[@GoliathWarfare]

@@cuppajoememes4834 no I agree, that was just my expectation in the moment. His reaction was way more effective.

[@LordLOC]

Ruby didn't feel sorry for the Doctor, she was repulsed by Lindy and the other people and wanted to comfort the Doctor yes but didn't feel sorry per se.

[@ambrosialyra1365]

John's face at the final reveal was me. That last scene was heartbreaking😭 Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson's reactions to that final revelation were just amazing. I felt for them both, especially for the Doctor, but Ruby looked sick to her stomach, too🥺. Sad thing is, people like those kids really do exist🤦‍♀. Great episode.

[@rockwellknuckles9425]

When she said “I thought you all just looked alike….” I knew something was up.

[@scotthewitt258]

I missed that line. Like every Disney show now, the captioning just stops after a few minutes. And I am hearing-impaired.

[@Swenglish]

@@scotthewitt258 Let me guess, you're on Windows? I've noticed this too, the captioning on Disney+ is super glitchy lately. The Windows D+ app is basically just a thinly veiled web browser. I think it might actually just be Microsoft Edge under the hood, since the last major "update". For some reason, the captioning just doesn't load properly.

[@scotthewitt258]

Ricky not telling Lindy the truth about Homeworld was so compassionate.

[@LordLOC]

People are forgetting though; Ricky was probably also a racist pos like everyone else. He was just less of an asshole and prick like the others were outright. Now, Ricky might have been a good person, but the entire point of the episode is that everyone in Finetime were white pieces of dreck basically, either sent there by their parents because they didn't want to deal with them or sent there specifically because they wanted to separate their kids from the "others" of society. My guess is Ricky was also a not great person, but compared to everyone else was so much better than them.

[@yanahhelton4867]

The way the Doctor has lost Gallifrey,Multiple times, and these people knowingly/willingly excepting death with a sheep mentality…moments ago they couldnt even walk by themselves!! The Doctor crying from frustration and devastation is felt heavily! One of the best episodes!!

[@DiamondFire]

The racism all throughout the episode was wild to see come to a head at the end

[@flowersrainbows9703]

Where ? I didn't see any

[@monkeymanbob]

@@flowersrainbows9703 Really? Watch it again.

[@One_Odd_Ood]

Blocking him but listening to Ruby, wondering how he was allowed in, saying it was his duty to help her, being disgusted that they were in the same room together, etc.

[@fakudan]

​@@One_Odd_Ood Also "he's not a stupid as he looks" and not realizing he was the same man she blocked earlier

[@DiamondFire]

@@flowersrainbows9703 either media literacy is dead or you need some self reflection 💀

[@GingerGeek7567]

Lindy was annoying but I was rotting for her then she got Ricky killed and the end, she’s now become my most hated who villain. Ncuti at the end broke my heart. Loved the reaction, Greg and John love you guys xx

[@lilachodan4941]

Yes when she killed that guy with the kindest heart I was like she is evil

[@HuntingViolets]

Ricky had an attitude towards the Doctor too. Not saying he was irredeemable, but he definitely was looking down on him too.

[@anthonyschroeder8776]

​@HuntingViolets yeah but only for a second at the beginning of the conversation. It wasn't so much a racist attitude but rather a we don't have time for this give me the door codes so we don't die attitude. Which you know... fair

[@HuntingViolets]

@@anthonyschroeder8776 I think almost everything could be interpreted in two ways until you get to the end. It's kind of like a murder mystery in that regard. Ricky might be better than the others, but it's a lot to hope that he's completely untouched by these attitudes, though. Since he doesn't make it to the end, it will always be ambiguous.

[@anthonyschroeder8776]

@HuntingViolets true, but I think it's worth pointing out how different he was compared to the rest of the population i.e. he liked spending time out of the bubble. He put his life on the line to save what's her name. He actually knew her name and stepped in when she was in distress. I think it's clear he's meant to be the mirror to main character of this episode, which means he was probably a good guy because she was awful.

[@ddevil0511]

Ricky September, you will be missed as the most likeable in this episode

[@JojoTheVulture]

I didn't recognize the racism until after a second watch with my brother. At first I thought she was looking at them strange cus they were outsiders, they weren't a part of the bubble ecosystem. Maybe cus ruby was also being treated unfairly at the end that I didn't catch it right away but Jesus is it obvious

[@lilachodan4941]

Same

[@r00ni37]

Same here, it just started to click for me at the end. I just thought the girl was just an asshole (she still is). At first i thought the reason why she listened to Ruby more was because she tried to "blend in", complimenting her and being "bubbly" like them, while the doctor straight up just warned her ar first. But damn this was definitely an interesting episode

[@NankitaBR]

Yeah, also because she isn't very open to Ruby at first, but on a second watch I could see the difference between how she treats the Doctor and Ruby. Like with the doctor she's mean and angry and with Ruby she's just a bit rude, because she sees Ruby as a worker (aka someone lesser than her 1% self but still a human being), and with the Doctor she acts as if she's talking to am annoying talking animal.

[@HuntingViolets]

@@NankitaBR Ricky September is the same way to the Doctor, but a little more understated.

[@Leo_Pard_A4]

You do know who wrote this episode, right?

[@ryanbest9445]

Probably my favourite Who episode they've ever done that revolved around "social commentary", making it subtle and in hindsight obvious, Ncuti Gatwa acted the hell out of that 1 scene they were actually present for, just amazing

[@LordLOC]

The problem is it wasn't subtle at all, and the anti-woke nut jobs are going to have a field day with this one. I thought it was bad when The Devil's Chord came out and Jinkx Monsoon was in the episode etc. but oh boy, an actual episode dealing with not only commentary on social media being a plague on humanity (which it is lol) but also horrible, horrible racism even in our supposedly amazing future. Yeah, anti-woke X is probably having a meltdown over this one. AND, I bet the headlines from Nerdrotic and his ilk are going to be "RATINGS KEEP TUMBLING DOCTOR WHO IS WOKE AND DEAD" etc.

[@LKGerhold]

I have been waiting for someone to point out Lindy's job was "correcting errors in the substacks" is another way of saying "censoring the public knowledge".

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Holy shit

[@Limegreenyummyyummy]

I noticed the micro aggressions throughout but I wasnt sure the show was going that till the end. Wow.

[@scotthewitt258]

I thought the "problem" was they were all under 27, and The Doctor, even not knowing his background clearly was a Grup!

[@serixskylark]

@@scotthewitt258should we start expecting sores on his arms and aggression soon?

[@scotthewitt258]

@@serixskylark Not sure what you are referencing, so unable to reply

[@scotthewitt258]

Oh. I'm half-asleep and have a headache. Now I get it!

[@serixskylark]

@@scotthewitt258 I figured you were referencing star trek and went with it 😅 glad it seemed to click eventually

[@mohzayd1234]

All the characters in the episode where white, even to how Lindy treated the doctor the entire episode it was present it just depends how long it took you to realise it

[@jaxr2958]

What makes it tricky is it's sci-fi, so realistically on some other colonized planet in the future, people might have more limited genepool and all look the same. Probably not the blond northern european though.

[@sonicsean34]

Always thought that in future-based episodes, humans when presented with aliens would prob forget about their own differences and just go full-on against the rhino and tree ppl for being even more Other than them

[@Leo_Pard_A4]

Well, they lived in a utopia.

[@Happymama12]

There are many episodes in doctor who where all the characters are white. Did you notice those too and immediately think they are from racist societies? Or did you JUST notice it in this episode after the ending was revealed?

[@mohzayd1234]

@@Happymama12no I’m just saying behind the scenes russel t Davies said they made sure all the other actors were white, and he said he wants to see how long it takes the audience to realise it

[@juliusjud117]

I just love how so many "fans" have been doing their best to manifest this show's downfall ever since Ncuti was announced and the show went to Disney Plus, yet, we're getting some of the best episodes we've had in years. This was a brilliant episode.

[@writeonshell]

The same "fans" going around saying "this episode isn't about racism, not everything needs to be about race" like what???

[@torchwoodboy5564]

That ending sure did make the episode. By god…

[@celescole9918]

This was by far my favorite episode of the season. That ending was bone chillingly good and disturbing. Such a strong episode.

[@gabriellafreund3793]

There are so many subtle signs to show that Lindy is racist you see on rewatch: immediately blocking him but letting Ruby talk, "You look the same," being shocked he and Ruby are in the same room. I'm embarrassed I didn't notice that everyone in FineTime is white. It's the real thing that someone seems fine for a long time and then "bam, you've been this the whole time."

[@Happymama12]

In fairness she almost blocked Ruby too until Ruby said she loves her top. But Ruby also didn’t come on being like “omg monsters are going to eat you! RUN!” Like the doctor did lol she seemed a bit less insane tbh and that would’ve worked better for me personally. I block pretty much any man I don’t know who tries to talk to me on social media truthfully. Much more likely to talk to a woman.

[@gabriellafreund3793]

@@Happymama12 that’s true. She does look disgusted of him and just skeptical of her.

[@official_wonnie]

From all the events that had happened, Ricky and Paul were the only ones that truly listened

[@hollyvanwye9294]

If Ricky instead of Lindy had been the one to survive he might have persuaded the kids to go off with the Doctor and Ruby. He actually had some brains! Now, deprived of his guidance, what's left of this snobbish/racist society will quickly go extinct. 10/10 is my rating for the episode.

[@HuntingViolets]

@@hollyvanwye9294 He might have, although he was giving a look when the Doctor was telling him about the codes too. He hadn't escaped being a product of the culture.

[@davey2487]

​@@hollyvanwye9294Because he was educated. In the real world, at least the modern world, racism usually mistly exist within the lower strata of society. So that would generally be the least educated people.

[@chazo1367]

@@hollyvanwye9294 yeah this lot will be dead within a week. They could barely do a job standing still for 2 hours. They are done when trying to build a house or one is going to eat a poison berry or get eaten by wildlife

[@Leo_Pard_A4]

​@hollyvanwye9294 well, they lived inan utopian society so they would have never met any blacks.

[@prez9942]

Did not expect them to really do that at the end, glad they aren't just ignoring that it could happen tho.

[@Ronariverah]

Cause It kinda does.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Yeah. And obviously the Doctor wouldn't really even have thought of this.

[@Marvelousgamer7697]

Ncuti gave an absolutely incredible performance in the last few minutes of this episode. The Doctor, for the longest time, always took command of the room, and people always made sure to follow his lead so they could guarantee their safety and survival. This was the first time that people had refused his help for absolutely no legitimate reason, and he doesn't know how to deal with it. For a Time Lord like him he can't grasp the idea of people refusing his help over something so trivial as preconceived class, appearance, and downplayed intelligence. Like the microaggressions these full of themselves rich kids were giving him despite him being the only reason why any of these people escaped the city alive were infuriating to hear yelled out to someone as patient as The Doctor. The physical performance Ncuti gave was masterful, especially with his facial expressions. At first I was confused why they made the situational main characters such big assholes in this episode but I'm glad they did go in this direction because they definitely went somewhere with it by the end of the episode. RIP Ricky. 😔 Gone but not forgotten. There's no resolution to the racism in Dot and Bubble. No big Doctor Who speech and no redemption; even the Doctor can only cry in anguish against the self-inflicted stupidity of it all. That's harrowing. Incredible episode! I'm giving it a strong 9/10!

[@achohelelwhy]

Ncuti at the end absolutely gutted me. You just wanted to scream with him, hug him- Ruby's helplessness encapsulated a lot of that. I'm very interested to hear Ncuti's thoughts on it all, because that was SO visceral, so well done. The Doctor's joy in showing Ruby new worlds is inspiring, and his heartbreak and frustration with the worst of humans (something The Doctor has tackled before) is so real.

[@inkpenavengerYT]

I'm reminded of this exchange during Twelve's run: "I just want you to think. You know what thinking is? It's just a fancy word for changing your mind." "I will not change my mind." "Then you will die stupid."

[@alisonbarnes3488]

I didn't even clock the racism until you guys mentioned it 🤯. My ears perked up when Lindy said 'I thought you looked the same' and thought that was weird thing to say.

[@GedUK]

I missed a lot of it too. But if you watch it again, you'll get so many.

[@shanedbunting]

When the girl says ,you i thought you just looked the same but your the one i blocked earlier , or something very close. It was then i suspected.

[@SNMG7664]

It is absolutely fascinating to me that people who missed it at the start could go right up until that end scene without noticing. I wonder if they would catch it all when watching a second time. It really was just non-stop.

[@keit99]

​@@SNMG7664I didn't notice it until that racism reveal in the end. But then it all made sense and was absolutely obvious (in hindsight)

[@vrindam1247]

​@@SNMG7664 I noticed the aggression but thought it's classism. Because Ruby did tell her they were outside. It took some time to realise it's also racism.

[@scotthewitt258]

I just watched the "Ups & Downs" video, and it us anazing how many people thought the message was "Social media is bad". I mean, really? It might have been kinda "underneath" for a lot of the episode, but at the end, the message was not hidden. Not even subtle. Hint: Rose 2.0 was "okay". The Doctor was "not okay".

[@Newhorizons4u]

Saaaaame. I’m surprised that the host was soooo surface level and missed the entire point.

[@HuntingViolets]

"Who cares-zuh?" "You do, obviously." I don't think she does, really.

[@francisco_m7849]

😮 oh my God I just realized, if in fact, Ricky was well read, and we were sad that he got betrayed at the end that got him killed, but if he survived, and he was well read and intelligent, but comes from this planet of supremacist he could become the leader of this group and who knows where it would lead to in the end. Oh my God applications are wild at this point.

[@alanalexander7560]

I was struck by the fridge horror that Ricky only died because the Doctor explained the "alphabetical order" bit to Lindy and she used it to turn the Dot against Ricky.

[@ProfessorWhooves11]

Never has a fictional character irritated me as badly as Lindy did. You know the writing and acting for a character is so good when you genuinely hate them to the point where you root for the slugs instead.

[@writeonshell]

Yes! Love or hate are both great reactions from writing, so long as it's compelling. The worst thing a character can be is boring.

[@aaroncrilly2005]

Well this episode sure did take a left turn off a cliff. That ending. Also, this was the first episode Ncuti filmed for the season.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Kinda crazy honestly that this was his first scene.

[@kordei-7839]

@@HishamA.N_Comicbroe Racism straight off the bat in his first scene … Jesus

[@JohnM...]

Thought you were going to say ‘…where he didn’t cry’…🤣

[@HOTD108_]

​@@JohnM...He literally does.cry in that scene though... How did you miss that?

[@chazo1367]

@@HOTD108_ like it’s something to cry about. These people are literally going to die because they are too racist to take his help

[@gavinhenderson7250]

I never thought I'd see the day when I was watching an episode of Doctor Who and was thinking 'Fuck it, let them die'. Wild.

[@HuntingViolets]

Did you notice how Ricky reacted when the Doctor was telling him about the codes?

[@scotthewitt258]

But, could his reaction be read two ways? 1} Racist 2} "I know this, we can skip the tutorial." Maybe he was the ONE person who rose about his upbringing? Hopefully? Or, just one more jerk in a world of seven billion jerks?

[@HuntingViolets]

@@scotthewitt258 I think the idea is that we'll never know. Even a lot of Lindy's microaggression could be read two ways (the Doctor comes in saying monsters but Ruby comes in with a cover story, etc. -- I mean, who would believe there were monsters?) but they start to pile up pretty fast.

[@mojoshivers]

This episode went from like a 6 to like a 9 because of that ending. The main heroes acted their asses off in that ending scene and it really hits its message of the pervasiveness of racism and ignorance going hand in hand forcefully. Also, someone needs to start a Justice for Ricky campaign. My god, that was such b.s.

[@jamesfennell4224]

On second watch of this episode I am rooting for the slugs.

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

Real

[@harveyburton7]

Justice for Ricky September

[@nandaoliver1992]

"Are you ready?" "I'm so ready" Poor summer children

[@lilachodan4941]

How could I not see the racism. I saw her being mean. I was so into the story and the character.

[@scotthewitt258]

Because, it could have been another "-ism", like classism, until the reveal. The whole Finetime city was young, rich kids. Lindy, and others, could have just been expecting to be served because of their "station" in life.

[@GoliathWarfare]

If you watch while the Doctor is explaining the escape plan to the other Finetime citizens, they're all shaking their heads and giving looks of confusion like they're not really listening to them and later its mentioned that they remained at work, ignoring the Doctor's plan completely. I love the clues that are laid throughout that these people suck lol

[@jamesbaxter1667]

This episode was subtle on racism and classism dim the light during the whole episode then when Lindsay got to the tunnel to meet up with the rest of her citizens the full isms came into being

[@kay-jay1581]

Also ageism. They have people that are older than 29 or something like that. What a fascinating episode I loved it. Still my favorite episodes.

[@BrookeM6-ni3ht]

It was so sad thinking this can happen to all future generations only live in social media

[@Hazmonk]

The Doctor has observed racism from afar (Rosa Parks) and shook his head in disappointment. But while one can observe, study, and understand the act of racism. To experience it yourself is completely different. And never until now has the doctor truly experienced it. Altering timelines proves to be a lot easier than the human condition, it's really sad.

[@ReelRejects]

What'd Ya'll Think Of That ending?

[@LauraGS564]

Very good.

[@flowersrainbows9703]

Loved every episode of Dr who so far from 60s ones , fourth doctor, 2005 to 2024 , I love all the lot I'm not picky like others

[@SiriuslyBlack7]

I'm a bad person..I was sad for The Doctor for a mo, but chuckled at the thought that they deserved their fate.I wouldn't be a "crying Doctor",I'd be more of an "oh well,f**k you lot" type of Doctor. smh.

[@HellfireComms]

Pretty good, Nctui killed it.

[@samanthamaclean1430]

10 out of 10 for me I was curious where it was going and surprised by that ending

[@TychoCelchu]

With it being a British show, there’s also probably a lot of classism, as well as the racism. Lindy treats them like ‘the help’, in much the same way as servants used to be treated. She views them as being required to help her because she’s from a rich family.

[@chrismcfetridge620]

Wow, What an ending, Ncuti is killing it yet again, and we got a glimpse of his anger, I always think it's a more interesting side to the character and how the different the actors play it.. This episode will stay with you for a while, and maybe we will get a fun episode next Week?.. Hard To Believe We Only got 3 episodes left! . Cool Reaction and commentary as always. 🇬🇧

[@crystalknighthgaming]

My head cannon is that woman was davros's mom.

[@ReelRejects]

Rate This Episode Out Of 10!

[@LauraGS564]

8/10.

[@jackrichardson7020]

7. Thought there were a few cringe lines but the ending made up for it. Definitely motivated me to rewatch and I picked up on more the second time.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Easy 8 imo. At the least if I have to nitpick a 7.

[@crowcoregames1785]

yes/10

[@DGA_Kenyon]

8.5/10

[@scotthewitt258]

Stupid me. I legit thought that the issue {before the reveal} was because The Dictor was older than 27......

[@jaxr2958]

Proper sci-fi with proper cautionary tale.

[@scudder1968]

Loved it, and I’ll go 8/10 with that ending. Loving your reaction to this series guys - I genuinely thought it was going to be a social media satire with some very twisted humour, did not see that ending coming. The last 10 minutes was such a complete reversal on the expected ending. Ncuti Gatwa’s reaction to their horrendous racism was one of the very first scenes he filmed as the new Doctor. Callie Cooke (Lindy) is a very new talent here on the UK acting scene, the guy playing Ricky September was last in Guy Richie’s latest movie. Loving this series and wondering where we’re heading in the two part finale.

[@HuntingViolets]

Who wakes up and doesn't need to urinate? Is this a thing? Sounds like dehydration.

[@scotthewitt258]

But, were they Human? When the Dot maneuvered Lindy around the body on the street, the blood trail when the body was dragged off was clearly green.

[@HuntingViolets]

@@scotthewitt258 Good point.

[@happycamper6298]

Those creatures were straight out of Lydia’s Mom’s (Beetlejuice) sculpture garden.

[@samfisher6606]

Im going to be completely honest, I was only half paying attention to this episode until like the last 15 minutes. I hated the people in this episode, even before the twist of what I thought was initially classism. I just hate the self-absorbed social media thing. But the end really brought it up and made me hate them even more. And rewatching it looking back it's racism more than classism. And I’m ashamed that I didn’t catch on sooner.

[@path5657]

This one really hits different as someone who uses escapism to cope with trauma. Was a really great episode

[@halogalaxy5612]

Can we get a rip for Ricky

[@paulsardinasify]

Ricky's greatest line was skipped. After Lyndy says this is the best day of her life Ricky says thousands of people are still being killed

[@scotthewitt258]

Ricky could see The Doctor and Rose 2.0 when The Doctor was telling him about the passcode, right? I couldn't really make out if his "frustration" with The Doctor was the thing with everyone else, or more like "I know how to do passcodes, let me skip the tutorial."

[@kuggacouragegx6093]

I think it is about the fact that Ricky is the only smart one out if the others. So he might been the only non racist one. Heck he was the only one that was willing to listen to the doctor

[@writeonshell]

I read it as the skip the tutorial thing, mostly because of how doctor-coded he was. Everything he did in the episode was what the doctor would have done had he been inside the bubble (right down to lying about the homeworld rather than telling the truth and risking lindy breaking down).

[@stevieb635]

The boat at the end looks like an old version of the Jungle Cruise boats.

[@joevictor53]

I was thinking the boat from the 70s Willy Wonka film

[@heatherteasdale9229]

You know what though I'm quite glad that this episode's shown a willingness to 'go there'. Lets be honest, previous series have been patchy at best when it comes to factoring in how different groups would be treated across their timetravelling adventures. Yes, we all remember the Capaldi Punch, but I also remember Ten telling Martha to just walk around 16th century England like she owned the place, and Thirteen similarly facing remarkably little pushback for being a woman.

[@platonymous]

Anyone else realized they are babies like adult babies they even did their makeup to make their skin baby smooth

[@reinrose82]

And again that the children were sent away

[@theprophetessnastacia]

At the end of the day, Lindy was the true monster. She sold out Ricky September and was offended by The Doctor simply for the color of his skin. I hope she gets her comeuppance in future episodes 😖🤬 -The Prophetess Nastacia

[@wendyheatherwood]

Those people didn't know how to walk down a street without a computer telling them how. I give it five days before the last survivor drowns, walks off a cliff, or dies from eating a really pretty mushroom.

[@DmonHiro]

What future episodes? Those people are going to die in less then a weak. Most won't survive a day. They can hardly walk, let alone find food and water.

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

​@@DmonHiroreal

[@anthonyschroeder8776]

Just... Poor Ricky. Probably the only one worth saving.

[@ZachBobBob]

Glad this wasn't just a simplistic "phones and social bad" episode. The ending was a real gut punch and in hindsight all the signs were there. Lindy even o the Doctor at one point that he looks the same as the last guy, not recognising its the same dude and she's disgusted when she finds out the Doctor and Ruby are in the same room together.

[@danielhead8123]

Ncuti was incredible in this episode

[@samuelbattrick8516]

I can honestly see the opening where the doctor tries to warn her off as not racism cos he’s a random guy who popped up on her account going on about nonsense to her. Ruby took a different approach which allowed her to get a little trust in first

[@skyez3038]

I also highly recommend watching this ep a second time cuz it definitely hits different on rewatch lol, I'd give it a 9/10 maybe 8.5 but I round up lol

[@mayssarasak6848]

I think its’ one of the best episodes so far this season. The bright facade was purposeful to get you to think this episode was one thing, then bit by bit you start to see Lindy is not perhaps that redeemable. Then the final bit and then POW!! It made me think well the AI was right…Ncuti was amazing! Once again proving why he was cast. Regardless of how little screen time he had he still makes a major impact. Also the reason some of the episodes have less of him was becuase at that time he was still shooting Sex Education, so they had to work around that.

[@duyvtran1]

The last 10 minutes really make this episode special. And yes, Ricky was probably the only non racist there since he went outside his bubble. I feel like he was also a meta commentary on certain Dr Who fans who wanted a white Doctor only.

[@alexp601]

I guess it's a meta commentary on racism in general

[@marianneroche6137]

Thanks. Your Doctor Who reviews are the best - very intelligent and an excellent job of the deeper issues in play.

[@IsiahBradley]

P.S. A fun Whovian game to play is "Which Doctor would have just walked away at the end?" My votes would be Nine, Eleven and Twelve.

[@mrcritical6751]

Pre-Big Finish Six would have totally just walked away

[@soundgal_sine_qua_non]

It's such a fun game. My favorite version is which Doctor and companion would have survived Boom. Though in this scenario, the kids would have let any other Doctor save them.

[@teenflash19]

Even tho Ncuti is also sweet, cheerful like Matt Smith's character trait. I can imagine how impactful, how he would scream like Ten when he had to save Wilfred just because he's strange. He isn't "normal" and how Matt Smith hand gestures like "I can save you" makes me even tear that it doesn't matter the skin they rather die than hope to find a home with a stranger who has done enough to prove he's an ally.

[@jaxr2958]

The situation needed River. She would have just shot them herself and called it mercy.

[@IsiahBradley]

@@jaxr2958 LOLOLOLOL

[@DGA_Kenyon]

I really enjoyed this episode. The ending hit me in the gut, great performance by Ncuti

[@monsterking1973]

Same I been seeing a lot of vary mix reviews for this episode but I really enjoyed it and the ending was quite shocking

[@samanthamaclean1430]

Yeah, I was really enjoying the episode too and then that ending was like wow

[@badger_shorts7708]

As I’ve said many times in other places. That ending moment, when Ncuti enters the TARDIS, because of the music, I felt like it was hinting at a darker side to his Doctor we may see in future, similar to Tennant who became more darker, (crossing the line to almost villainy in Waters of Mars), as his era went on. I could be wrong, I just had those vibes.

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

I hope he just kinda doesn't give the racists a chance again and just let's them like drown or die or something and Ruby is basically like BRUH that shit not okay or something like that

[@Camlane007]

Ncutis one of my favourite doctors now, this episode was really good and the previous ones... cant wait for the next. Really enjoying this season 😊

[@oldmomj5088]

This actress is amazing. She made us feel so many emotions for her and then we hate her and at the end she has a look a doubt in her eyes that she should have gone with doctor and then she quickly fixes it as they float away.

[@MAORISMURF20]

I'm glad I watched this reaction. The racislm aspect of this episode went right over my head, but parts over again and hearing John outright call it out, it made so much sense.

[@NightRainPanda]

The song Ricky September is dancing to has a lot of significance to the plot as well. It's about a girl who's too scared to leave her comfort zone and eventually dies because of it.

[@laurab7049]

Algo tribalism and living in a bubble make it easier to be and stay racist. The themes being fused make sense. And the loss of Ricky September shows how supremacists turn on even their "own kind." People think they can coast on the advantages of being within the in-group, but really...ANYONE who falls against the very variable dictates of the in-group is immediately expendable.

[@jodds4221]

I rlly think any commentary on social media was more about who implements the social media and not the nature of social media itself.

[@tomkvideo]

RTD is killer with those dark twist endings.

[@SundayMorning91]

I also think you can look at the earlier part where some arent being chosen (until we get the alphabetical explainer) as wh i te privelege. Also being able to go through the world ignorant of the suffering of other people because it doesnt affect you.

[@samesam8017]

If she hadn’t recharged her dot would Ricky be alive?

[@Howdyheyimokay]

He probably would, honestly he deserved to survive that but it makes sense that he dies since good guys come last.

[@stacyp2186]

Sure but for how long? They wouldn’t have gotten the numbers for the door and just starve there.

[@ceceelizabeth527]

I love these reaction videos!

[@scotthewitt258]

Still wanting to save those monsters even after the big reveal. "Of all the souls I have ever encountered, his was the most Human."

[@MasochisticMaiden]

What also got me thinking about this episode, how excitedly they celebrated mummy “gone to the sky”, this is a phase of humanity before the events in Boom. Vator’s daughter says her mother was gathered up and gone to the sky to heaven. They were devotedly religious…and here they go as far as calling the TARDIS voodoo.

[@botz77]

R.I.P. Ricky September

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

I don't think the episode is "anti social media" as I've see said around, it's more staying in your own bubble where everything looks and sounds the same is dangerous. Literally.