Kerblam! Impressions | Look Who's Talking

[@stephhbennett]

For me, Kerblam looks great relative to the rest of the season, but compared to the show as a whole it's mediocre at best. That's really damn concerning considering we're halfway through now.

[@lyricbot8513]

Over halfway, there are only ten episodes this season. Chibnall isn't cut out to be show runner. He says "a season per year in unsustainable" and is threatening to walk out. And I'm saying this as someone who didn't have much of a problem with this season.

[@stephhbennett]

​@@lyricbot8513 That just makes me wonder why he agreed to do it in the first place. I know there's been gaps between previous show runner changes, so maybe if they'd taken another year between 12 and now it would've been better.

[@lyricbot8513]

@@stephhbennett honestly; none of his writing for the show prior to this was any good so I went in trying to be open minded, but not very surprised when it turned out to be mediocre at best. Next season might be better if he gives the reigns over, but it very much seems like he wanted more of an opportunity to *write* than to actually *showrun* at all.

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

@@lyricbot8513 Chibnall needs to hit the road if he can't manage a Christmas Special and a series per year. I mean OMGgggggg Man, get it together! In my opinion, some of thee worst Doctor Who episodes were written by Chibnall pre-series 11. He just doesn't bring it. #Goodbye

[@h0bg0blin95]

the whole series looks mediocre. none of the episodes are really memorable if i'm being honest. i didn't really care for any of the stories. Not only did none of the characters seem affected in any way or have really grown as characters, but the whole series seems slow. like it's still figuring itself out.

[@creepytiki5342]

Kerblam! to me at least felt like a Doctor Who episode. It didn’t feel like a great one, just a cheesy mediocre one. However, compared to the rest of the season, it’s definitely up there near the top. Like you guys said, I also think The Woman Who Fell To Earth is probably going to be the best of the season, which isn’t a good sign...

[@lyricbot8513]

I hated the woman who fell to earth.

[@liammargetts]

I preferred the Ghost monument over the woman who fell to Earth. Still not a good sign though.

[@sharp14x]

@@liammargetts I hated the ghost monument. It felt like it had no direction, and no conflict. Probably because it had neither.

[@creepytiki5342]

ThatGuy Really? Why do you like it? I’d love to know as personally, though it’s very beautifully shot and the Doctors reunion with the Tardis is sweet, the ‘death planet’ didn’t seem deadly to me?

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

I’d argue that Rosa and Demons of the Punjab top the season.

[@Enzophanis1892]

If Doctor Who was a wall that each showrunner was allowed to decorate, Chibnall would definitely paint it beige.

[@V-grandraccoon]

Enzophanis1892 actually it would be a nicked up wall painted eggshell

[@Rocksteady72a]

The screwdriver is literally a small wand; I really hope this episode puts the Doctor in a hostile situation because of this. In all of New Who really, the crowd is usually just ok with the Doctor's shenanigans, so it'd be interesting to watch I think.

[@ThePonderer]

I really liked this one a lot. I think comparing to Smile is doing it a disservice, but that’s just me. I know a lot of people disagree with its politics, but I think it’s message of not fearing technological progress while still holding corporations accountable for doing more than the bare minimum to provide jobs is pretty admirable.

[@lyricbot8513]

The only way I would compare it to Smile is in the fact that the set design looked a bit similar. Smile was alright, moffatt was just getting really boring.

[@ThePonderer]

Geo Globe granted Moffat didn’t write Smile, but yeah that episode really suffered for having a pretty slow pace.

[@ThePonderer]

stephen noonan agree to disagree

[@swiftlymurmurs]

I preferred Smile, honestly

[@ThePonderer]

Floris Bordewijk I found it slow, and it’s resolution pretty weak.

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

I didn’t even mind the individualist, system reaffirming politics of this episode because I was so excited to have my “People actually die” Doctor Who back-specifically people we’ve been made to care about. I didn’t see the optimistic working girl’s death coming in this one and was actually shocked that they did it. It gives me hope for the future if they’re willing to not pull their punches when it counts.

[@FullFatVideos]

a body count was a nice change, although wasnt it odd how much lee mack was pushed and then he just dropped out of the ep?

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Full Fat Videos Not really, you could say the same about the lady. Building people up is important for making you care when they get killed. And Lee Mack’s setup was important for the final moment of the episode with his necklace from his daughter to have any weight.

[@FullFatVideos]

@@UltimateKyuubiFox he was pushed as a guest star but he ended up having an extended cameo. compared to people guesting like Frank Skinner it seems a little small- not that he shouldnt have died!

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Full Fat Videos Ah, I thought you meant pushed as in “made important in the episode”. I would assume that’s entirely the marketing department thinking “Guys, we got Lee Mack. Let’s pretend the role he got was important.”

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

No, having that particular character Kira die didn't do anything for the plot so it's pointless. She is sacrificed but what for? It proves the system is as bad as Charlie the villain which contradicts what the Doc says. Kira doesn't develop as a character - she thinks she's lucky to have a crap job and thinks she's not much use, then dies. This proves she really was useless. Why didn't they have her die as a result of doing something that transcends her thinking, die a hero in some way? Yes, it's good to dare to kill off a character, but do it for a reason that counts.

[@Alex-nl5cy]

"It's not the system it's the people" is an individualist take that could come straight out of Thatchers' mouth*. The politics of the episode are awful and refuse to meaningfully engage with what work and automation actually mean, which is why you get this ending where the compromise is that more people now have to do meaningless unfulfilling labour. Put it this way; who owns Kerblam? That may seems like a silly question but it doesn't have an answer, the only people we see are employees, and "the system" seems to operate independently, so where is the value created by the company going? The reason that you can't answer this question is that the writers is again because they took their knowledge for granted and had this preconceived notion that jobs=good and that automation=no jobs. The problem with automation isn't that there are no jobs(there is always work to be done), it's that the value created is not owned by the people. Another interesting thing they seems to believe is that the only meaningful work is that which comes when you sell your labour someone else(for instance the girl in the packing part is shown as quite content), not even considering that the most fulfilling work would be work that is self guided and that could actually be enabled by full automation. Note that even the "terrorist" still subscribes to this idea that jobs are an unquestioned good, which is why in the ending he basically wins, because he doesn't actually believe in systemic change, he just wants more jobs. *Demons of the Punjab had this problem as well, where the cause of violence is purely individual hatred that comes from nowhere, allowing them to avoid talking about systemic causes like colonialism or anything like that.

[@lyricbot8513]

I agree. Which is why saying this epsiode is "anti amazon" is lazy analysis.

[@lyricbot8513]

I thought the rude guy was meant to be the CEO, but then it turned out he wasn't, so I assume the guy in charge was on the planet Kandoka

[@greghawkins59]

I couldn't work out why I hated the message of this episode until I saw this

[@greghawkins59]

@stephen noonan best idea I've heard on the subject tbh

[@NathanGatten]

Love this and its so true. In my experiance its always the system thats the problem and not the person. Especially when it comes to large things like governments and corporations.

[@ishaandw]

An Adventure in Time and Space written by Mark Gatiss is incredible.

[@FullFatVideos]

Its alright

[@lyricbot8513]

Aside from the ham-fisted "I don't want to go" at the end, that was completely immersion-breaking and pissed me off a little.

[@iz723]

wut? That was the best bit

[@mudcrab3420]

I wanted to hate that one because I honestly believe Mark Gatiss shouldn't be allowed to write anything longer than his own name, but I actually liked it. Gatiss I feel does not remotely 'get' the Doctor. Maybe this one was watchable because it wasn't directly about the Doctor but the people involved so he couldn't arse it up.

[@ThePonderer]

Ishaan Basu definitely the most solid thing Gatiss has ever written, in my opinion.

[@charliedawson4877]

Nitpick here, but it really got on my nerves. Considering this was clearly a mirror of Amazon they were working really slowly.

[@lyricbot8513]

They were given far to many actual breaks for it to be amazon. The most concise criticism was that of Sports Direct.

[@stephhbennett]

When Yaz kept trying to talk to that worker with the daughter, I kept thinking "has this girl ever had a job like at least talk AND work, jesus christ".

[@thomaslaing7114]

Kira got more character development in 20 minutes of screen time than has Kaz in 7 episodes. You just can't make this up

[@ishaandw]

Pretty good. Best of the season. This tells you everything about my opinions.

[@josephmorrison8447]

When the season finishes, I'm gunna miss these discussions... Any chance of doing these with older new who episodes/ series discussions; if you're stuck for video ideas 😉

[@FullFatVideos]

Hi Joseph! We will be keeping Look Who's Talking going in a fresh new way. Matt has barely watched classic whereas Chris has watched all of it so we'll be going through Classic Who with Chris' opinions as a veteran watcher and Matt's opinions as a newbie. We will poll certain episodes after each instalment so you guys can choose. We won't just pick obvious ones like Genesis of the Daleks but try and cover a broad range of Classic to average to the outright terrible. So don't worry. We aren't going anywhere!

[@V-grandraccoon]

Full Fat Videos this sounds amazing

[@frazzlesreviews5379]

Full Fat Videos I’ve been rewatching old look who’s talking and miss it loads. Could you do this any time soon?

[@StetsonDoctor]

The Crimson Horror is great! Best episode of Series 7.

[@lyricbot8513]

I'm always confused that these guys hate it so much, but The Crimson Horror has some amazing acting in it, especially from Smith.

[@FullFatVideos]

Chris: I LOVE The Crimson Horror. I think it's super fun. Matt: Shut up, Chris.

[@charliedawson4877]

I really enjoyed the section with the mute, Frankenstein Doctor. Once it got to the 'rocket into space' it became a bit rubbish.

[@FullFatVideos]

It's camp fun. Like, it's not groundbreaking stuff but it's v entertaining

[@charliedawson4877]

Full Fat Videos To be fair, I don't know how I'd of wrapped it up. It's just a shame such a fun concept as Frankenstein Doctor was weighted down by a bland finale. It just feels like the writer wrote the memorable parts, then went _Shit, this needs a climax._

[@SpectrumStorms]

The way I see it, Jodie's era can go 1 of 3 ways: 1. The McCoy Route: Have a terrible first season, but the rest of her era turns out to be pretty good. 2. The Davison Route: Have meh to mediocre stories, but her final story would be her best. 3. The Smith Route: Be a waste of everyone's time and money.

[@scalpingsnake]

Perfect comparison this episode was just like Smile which I didn't enjoy but we have to end up liking this one because it's better than most of what we have already got.

[@haiimharry]

This series has been a let down for me to be honest...

[@V-grandraccoon]

Personally this series is my least favorite of the entire show. Previously that was season 24 but not only do I have to cut that slack for being in a really turbulent time for the show when the producer wasn’t planning on being there, the doctor had refused to appear and a new one was still needing to be cast until the last minute, and they were stuck with only 14 episodes (7 of today’s modern episodes), an insanely tiny budget, and with the BBC desperately trying to cancel them. Series 11 hasn’t really had any struggles. The show runner knew he would be doing this for over 2 years, the doctor was revealed over a year before the thing aired, they still have an ok budget, they had a lot of time to get the best possible scripts, they have a great composer, some relatively good directors, and a lot of public interest. Yet season 24 is at least interesting (especially with the Rani popping up and clearly having a great time) and some episodes are so bad they are amazing. Meanwhile series 11 has claimed to be amazing for so long and now we see it’s episodes are either painfully boring and poorly conceived or at best the epidodes are tolerable. Before series 11 doctor who (even at its worst) was still interesting which seems to be the opposite of this series.

[@kathrynclune7951]

I think you're a bit harsh on Mark Gatiss. His episodes may not have been great, but they were all solid. I really liked The Crimson Horror. And whilst Sleep No More was stymied by having a ridiculous villain, the fact that he was willing to experiment with the format & explicitly show the Doctor failing is commendable imo. His performance in Twice Upon A Time was really nice too - poignant & understated. In fact, I've reached the point where I would be as happy to have him as showrunner as I am with Chibnall. Even hating the odd episode would be preferable to the bland, generic stuff we're getting in this season. & at the very least, I feel the show would still have felt like Doctor Who rather than Scooby Who.

[@WiloPolis03]

Mark Gatiss gets too much hate imo. Night Terrors is probably one of my 30 favorite new Doctor Who episodes, not just because of the building tension, but also because of the character interaction, humor, and even cinematography.

[@jenglishmann2355]

Mark Gatiss did An Adventure in Space and Time, which was some god-tier television

[@FullFatVideos]

"god tier"

[@jenglishmann2355]

@@FullFatVideos I absolutely loved it don't @ me

[@mathieuleader8601]

this episode should have been episode 2 great fun with the creepy bots

[@callumgray8545]

“Ryan is Susan confirmed” made actually laugh out loud

[@WrittenByThomasGentile]

I also LOVE The Crimson Horror! Always good to see more of us out there...

[@connorhuested2048]

I loved the shitty green screen on the conveyer belt. Nothing warms my heart more than shitty green screen in Doctor Who ❤️

[@caitie226]

This warms my heart. For me, low budget doctor who is the best doctor who. It forces the writers to rely on creativity instead of production value.

[@markpostgate2551]

Mark Gattis' "First Men on the Moon" was good. "Crooked House" was rather good. The Lucifer Box novels are good. "Cold War" is a pretty solid episode. I think Mark Gattis as showrunner would probably be pretty awesome; even though a lot of his stories don't quite come together they've always got something to recommend them conceptually. The Unquiet Dead was held in very high regard at the time.

[@LilySaintSin]

Yes! He'd make a great show runner!

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

This episode was quite fun, although like all stories this season is feels extremely small scale. I never got the impression that it was a factory of 10,000 workers, nor even that they were very overworked! Did you see the speed they were boxing up those goods? ;-) I suppose the biggest head scratcher for me was what the message was supposed to be. Despite Lee Mack's MESSAGE to the audience about spending to much time on their phones to notice the rise of automation, are we meant to think that automation is a bad thing? Wouldn't a more technologically sophisticated world lead to less dependence on manual labour, shorter working weeks, higher quality of life etc? Did the Doctor forget that she herself flies around time & space in a prime example of this kind of technological epitome? Nonetheless, it was an entertaining tale, although not one I'd feel the need to revisit any time soon.

[@benandpolly1322]

in the new doctor who book 'combat magicks' the doctor and Yaz are both mistaken for witches (it's really good btw) so maybe this is an idea that will crossover into The Witchfinders. 'The Good Doctor' was also great, a story where a community believes that Graham is a God ha ha. 'Molten Heart' I wasn't a fan of but at least there have been some good stories, some better than the televised episodes :).

[@FullFatVideos]

graham is a god!

[@TheEldritchGoth]

Something Mark Gatiss has done by himself that’s good... hm, maybe “An Adventure in Space and Time?”

[@spaceman5017]

Really liked it until the last 10 minutes.

[@markpostgate2551]

The really ironic thing about the teenage Chibnall footage is when The Tsunguska Conundrum came out some of the drum-beaters for season 11 were saying they liked it because it reminded them of Terror of the Vervoids! Specifically THE story that teenage Chibnall was having a go at Pip and Jane Baker about!

[@dojokonojo]

I found it entertaining up until the twist. After that it fell flat to me. Yeah, they needed to work on synergizing the mixed messages this episode sends. I thought they should have done more buildup to the janitor guy being a baddie. Drop hints of his bias maybe, but I guess realistically an undercover terrorist will keep that to themselves. Maybe it was just me because I didn't suspect him at all. The dialog was fun. Small nitpick, they didn't look like they were working at Space Amazon, too relaxed. They gave Ryan more to do yay! I think this new Who series does mystery better than Moffat. Moffat gives you a mystery box and then beats you over the head with it. I wish they gave Lee Mack more smartass dialog but oh well. It doesn't bother me that the setting is not in a fantastical Sci-Fi place.

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

I agree - they didn't foreshadow Charlie being the villain at all, and that is basically a cheat - it has to be the kind of twist that makes you go 'What?' and then when you look back you see the clues were there all along. And the message 'it's not the system, it's humans' is contradicted a few times. Who killed Kira? The system. Charlie getting the robots to deliver the packages to kill all the customers is like a waiter killing the customers because the boss is evil. I would have killed the boss? Kira dying that way just shows she is useless, just as she thought. Let her die by being a better human in the process, like saving the Doctor. I don't like the mystery because it's revealed to be red herrings - if they're going to do a mystery it's not satisfying that the reveal is duller than the speculations.

[@savannahkrystall2698]

On the Mark Gatiss thing I actually liked the Unquiet Dead. And on the series three thing I actually feel it drops in the middle (4/5 is a bad Dalek story with decent concept whilst 6 and 7 are crap I never rewatch). I actually think Series three has one of the stronger first three episodes (for me personally) though it helps that I like Martha. Episode one introduces us to Martha’s character so well, having her at work, juxtaposing the chaos of her personal life with the calm of the moon, showing her calm and regional even in an unfamiliar situation. I really love that as a series opener with the main focus just on the companion, and I think it’s the best introduction to a companion of New Who. I always love going back in time and the Shakespeare Code is nice because it takes you to the lower class, normal experience of Tudor Britain. With Shakespeare. Though the gawking at Shakespeare and constant referencing gets quite annoying, I still like the threat and the humour, and it’s defiantly better than previously mentioned Gatiss episode of the same nature. Gridlock’s always been quite funny to me, and I like that they’re stuck in this eternal traffic jam. Love the characters they meet, love the little hint to later events. I enjoy the first three of the series, even if the next four suck.

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

This episode was ok. Not great, not awful. 7/10 Average. Interesting that it was a total bash on Amazon right before Black Friday.....Chibnall the Social Justice Warrior in Full Flight! P.S. Dudes, did you realize you had an AMAZON ad run on your current video?! LOL What timing!

[@Alex-nl5cy]

This episode is very much pro-Amazon, the Doctor fucking loves Kerblam, all the employees are happy, all the managers are well intentioned, and "the system" is actually good. edit: Chibnall and whoever wrote this episode is clearly a liberal centrist who loves next day delivery more than the workers who have to pee in bottles and so on. Hardly an SJW.

[@lyricbot8513]

Wasn't particularly anti Amazon. Wasn't written by chibby, either.

[@lyricbot8513]

@@Alex-nl5cy Good take, Alex. I'll also note that an "SJW" would probably have ensured that all the supporting cast weren't white, whereas the only people of colour in this ep were Rian and Yaz. Something problematic about the episode was that Kira only existed to be eyecandy for Charlie & ended up with very little agency of her own, which is a mistake that a feminist showrunner would probably catch and at least consider prior to that. I was glad to see that Yaz got more to do in the episode, it seemed fairly well-balanced for once.

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

@@lyricbot8513 - It most certainly was "anti-Amazon" timed to hit before Black Friday/Cyber Monday and while Peter McTighe wrote it, Chibnall is the showrunner and has all script authority.

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

Chibnall oversees all scripts. But apparently, the BBC also has a "checklist," I suppose to tick off certain boxes. Apparently this frustrates the hell out of Chibnall, if behind the scenes buzz is to be believed.

[@Enzophanis1892]

I enjoyed the episode and thought it was good. It was the first episode where each companion actually did something. However, this sort of episode should not be my highlight of the season, where if put in every other season wouldn't make it near the top.

[@paulpeartsmith]

Thanks for being critical without being political👍🏾

[@LloydEWatson1983]

I turned the episode off after 10 minutes and did the ironing instead. Much more entertaining.

[@FullFatVideos]

I always suspected you were an Iron Man

[@ThePonderer]

Full Fat Videos boooooooooo! Get off the stage!

[@The95Lol]

The last two episodes and to some extent "The Tsuranga Conundrum" have actually felt like Doctor Who episodes, that said they feel like generic filler from past seasons.

[@HerohammerStudios]

If I had to rewatch an episode from this season it would be Kerblam!

[@lyricbot8513]

I agree with the concerns over Chibnall wanting to leave. He's fucking terrible but I also sort of want him to stay for 3 seasons. Jodie needs to stay for 3 seasons too so maybe Chibby should fuck off and a more competent writer can give Jodie more to work with. Honestly at the end of the day I'm just pissed off at how hard it is to write for doctor who. The BBC makes it very difficult to submit a script so I would say "just hire more newcomers", but they've shot themselves in the foot there.

[@FullFatVideos]

Chibnips can go without any protest from us as long as Jodie gets a proper shot after

[@lyricbot8513]

@@FullFatVideos Agreed.

[@CaesiusX]

Quick question ─ _What are you drinking?_ I agree with your overall assessment. I am often intrigued by the more positive reviews from fans. I could be wrong, but I tend to think these fans are bringing that with them before the episode is presented. Similar to when big fans of Star Wars can get carried away with the crowd, and cheer for ewoks (yes, I was there in '83). I think the fans _want_ these episodes to be really good that they do not apply their critical eye. Even as I write that, I wonder if that is a bad thing, if it means they enjoy it. I think it is detrimental to _what we should expect_ from our genre fiction in any medium. We, as a whole, seem to expect less than we should. I heard that _Chibnips_ didn't want to be show runner. Something you might want to look into.

[@WiloPolis03]

I really enjoyed Kerblam but you can't help noticing how much Chibnall loves having like a billion characters in each of his episodes I guess it wasn't really a problem for this episode but I thought it'd be worth noting

[@soundsoffiction2456]

It suprised me. I feel this was the best episode so far.

[@brionosullivan1992]

Can you link to that interview you mentioned at 11:20?

[@FullFatVideos]

In the description now :)

[@jcharpak]

You forgot to rate the episode on the milk rating system! (ok we all know it's partial skim, just like every episode this season). Btw I think the rating should be: Soy Milk (1-2) Skim milk (3-4) Partial Skim Milk (5-6) Full Fat Milk (7-8) Cream! (9-10)

[@Midsussexrailway]

I thought it was great.... Amazon goes wrong crossed with heathrow airport! Definitely one of the better episodes. Also love the kerblam man to return later on!

[@JimboMountain]

The problem I'm having is that I'm now comparing it with DC's Legends of Tomorrow... Which isn't a comparison I should be making but Legends has actually done some fun intelligent things with time travel, monsters and magic this season. And since both shows have done a Salem witch trials episode this season, it's going to be impossible not to make comparisons. It's a bit sad that out "best television" is starting to get overlooked by mediocre American television

[@spottydog7143]

Depressingly, the possessed dish cloths were the scariest thing. Love watching you guys, and Mark Gatiss did do Victory of the Daleks, which was excellent, in my opinion. I quite liked this episode, but you were right. It's all been okay. Eh. Also, honest question. Midnight and The Family of Blood - I didn't like them. Why does everyone else love them - I'm intrigued :)

[@daniloallen2]

Because different people like different things

[@jackgibson2112]

I think it would be nice if the doctor is on the run all the time (from those who are blaming her to be a witch) so we can get a scale of the area instead if a farm near a forest. They most likely will have her being a accused witch.

[@jefferyjones8399]

I really enjoyed it. I would say it's in the upper half of the series but I think I have a higher opinion of the series than you guys. The only episode I didn't really particularly care for was "Arachnids" but that's just me.

[@iantanner7579]

i feel the Ark in Space utilized bubble-wrap in a far superior fashion...

[@purplehatguy]

My favourite of this season

[@purplehatguy]

Sorry I forgot about Rosa

[@flamingfossa]

How did the end cards display like a minute before the end of the video? (17:09) Isn't it limited to 20 seconds before the end?

[@FullFatVideos]

We have no idea how on earth this glitch occurred but we have now fixed it!

[@flamingfossa]

@@FullFatVideos Very bizarre! Nice quick response-time. Thanks for the videos you make! They're all great even if I don't agree with the conclusions all the time.

[@wellington-rq2br]

The Satan Pit two parter had to be entirely re-written by Russell T Davies. The Matt Jones version had Slitheen in it. Being the nice guy that he is, Russell still let Matt Jones have the writers credit. But he wasn't invited back!

[@FullFatVideos]

thats very interesting- do you have a link?

[@wellington-rq2br]

@@FullFatVideos Hmmm. The Slitheen part is fairly commonly reported. Here is a good link that talks about the major story changes www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/2006hi.html Professional courtesy means that the precise level of re-writes on a particular episode isn't publicly talked about. RTD re-wrote everybody and in fact wrote the final draft of nearly every script. The exceptions being for writers who had been show runners themselves on other things - they were allowed to have the final say on their own episodes. Its just sort of known that this two parter was especially heavily re-written. Matt Jones did go on to write for Torchwood, its not like they fell out over it. The fact he didn't write for Dr Who again is in itself the best piece of evidence I can point to. Gatiss and Gareth Roberts got asked back year after year, although they never wrote anything as good as The Satan Pit. They got re-commissioned because they could be left alone to get on with it, coming back with something on time and in budget that didn't need a lot of extra work from the show runner. Given that RTD and Matt Jones had worked together before and given how good that two parter is, he would definitely have been brought back if the bulk of it had been his.

[@casey_sux]

I took the message as: the obvious capitalist exploitation arc along with Charlie who's activism is an extreme sci-fi'd version of the kind of angry and violent activism you see a lot today, not just in real life but online too. Really enjoyed this one! Probably my favourite of the season???? Hot take?????????

[@erinyoulater]

I liked the episode but I was hoping Lee Mack would be in it more tbh. I hope they pull a capaldi with him and make him 14

[@daniloallen2]

Y’all should just lower your expectations, don’t expect it to be perfect - it’s Doctor Who

[@FullFatVideos]

we want quality Who and nothing less

[@liamtait4845]

I have a feeling they are gonna do the doctor as a witch as if you watch the next time trailer again, there's hardly any footage of the doctor in it, so that almost suggests it. I dunno. I liked the episode but people are entitled to their own opinion.

[@manuluh_]

Kinda boring that the villain is "human all along" is being used again and again through the season, but at least it's better than the previous episodes

[@samuelcarter7827]

I think it was the best episode of the season for me

[@Sherlocklord]

Adventure in space and time

[@concon09090]

Every week when there's a mediocre episode I get more and more worried that the ratings are gonna finally fall enough for the BBC to take DW out the back and shoot it.

[@noobiusmaximus6314]

They should have had the Stenza (spelling?) come back for that janitor's death....or something interesting like that....anything interesting would be good.

[@charlestownsend9280]

this is up with rosa and last weeks episodes as the standouts to me (although the doctors bit about the system in this episode semed a bit weird and not doctor like at all). this series is better than series 7, probally has the same number of standouts (i have huge problems with series 7, like everything with amy and rory who shouldn't have come back after they'd left, the rushed clara story, she needed a full series for what she does at the end, the really bad episodes) but series 7 has some really bad episodes and a few good episodes in it and series 11 has mostly meh to good episodes. i am enjoying this series but i can admit that most episodes are just ok but to me that's normal for doctor who (at least since series 2 of new who). i really do want them to address the doctors gender in the next episode because it would be weird for a woman to be running around with a magic wand (or screwdriver, which at this point is a magic wand) during the witch trials and everyone is just cool with it, that would really take me out of the story and i'll just be sitting there thinking why is everyone just fine with this.

[@shaneg9081]

Please tell me something better than Chibnall leaving means Whittaker leaves. I love her version of the doctor.

[@EasternStandardTim]

Just looking at those glasses of milk is quickening my bowels, damn lactose intolerance

[@FullFatVideos]

the milk is from within, it does not matter if you are lactose intolerant

[@henrymendoza8295]

An Adventure in Space & Time is a great piece of work by Mark Gatiss.

[@SeyMe2]

What's wrong with the Rings of Akhaten? That's arguably Matt Smith's best episode

[@FullFatVideos]

WHAT

[@SeyMe2]

@@FullFatVideos dude it's amazing! Incredibly varied alien species, gorgeous cinematography, moving soundtrack and one of the best Doctor speeches ever. What an enthralling episode and way more spellbinding than the Chibnall dirge of this season. Plus Pat Phelan's daughter being Clara's mum is just epic

[@markpostgate2551]

@@SeyMe2 Well... personally I think The Rings of Akhaten is dross, but that's irrelevant since Mark Gattis didn't write it. Try picking one of the following: The Unquiet Dead, The Idiot's Lantern, Cold War, Night Terrors, The Crimson Horror, Empress of Mars, Victory of the Daleks, Sleep No More, Robot of Sherwood (any one of which is better than The Rings of Akhaten, imo; yes, even Robot of Sherwood though it is incredibly silly)

[@manis1551]

Kerblam! isn't one of the best Doctor Who that I have ever seen and its not Blink or Midnight but this is a very enjoyable episode if you compared it to the other epiosdes in series 11. All of the guests stars were great and I thought the characterisations of all of the side characters were good. The fact that it was the system that asked for the Doctor's help than one of the side characters was a nice twist and that the main villain was one of the workers actually worked for me. I appreciate that it has more of the sci fi elements which I felt has been lacking in series 11.

[@greghawkins59]

Yeah kerblam would have been great as an episode 3 or 4 where they're just getting into the interesting stuff but 3 episodes from the end we should be in the middle of an episode 2 parter or a classic standalone like blink.

[@scalpingsnake]

But... I love Mall Cop

[@FullFatVideos]

How Thor got Blart'd

[@justabitofamug6989]

I thought it was gonna be like a metaphor for capitalism but then it just trailed off and in the end it was the workers who were killing people 😂

[@borjankosarac3645]

Charlie's objective was KIND of fulfilled, but he was definitely an extremist - given he was willing to have hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people horrifically murdered to push his agenda of making people distrust robots and AI, even after Kira died before his eyes in that EXACT way... He had a point, but he was going much too far in making it; and while Kerblam! looks set to take it into account (if to avoid creating more Charlies in the future), I'm not even sure this would have been enough to make him happy per se - even if he and Kira had lived, I'm not sure I saw him as the kind who would settle for compromise like that... it's all or nothing. You don't go as far as he does, heedless of the hurt you're creating, if you're someone who is more willing to listen and concede points to the "enemy". I felt a strong resonance with the message of this episode because Charlie's generation, MY generation is that of young people who are struggling to find work; there's never enough jobs to go around, least of all for those who don't get a CHANCE to get qualified for more than just something like factory work (as shown here). Machines are a small part of the problem NOW, but they are a factor - take note of how self-service is now a thing in department stores and supermarkets/grocery stores, for one thing. There's a variety of factors which can create an unemployed, disenfranchised populace and while Charlie's the extreme end of this, others like Kira and Dan have to suffer yet do NOT harm others... and they paid the price for his actions. I actually found it a little refreshing though, how compared to the earlier episodes this season the corporate figures weren't cold and uncaring - they were both in their own ways flawed, making mistakes that perhaps exacerbated things but ultimately, their hearts were in the right place (unlike in "The Ghost Monument" or "Arachnids in the UK"). Even the AI that was Kerblam! was ultimately benevolent, if somewhat desperate (Kira didn''t deserve to die, however it WAS trying to open Charlie's conscience by showing him the pain he would make others feel... too bad it didn't work), and it seems to continue feeding into the themes of Chibnall's run without contradicting them (for better or worse, given the way many fans still crave some REAL villains, alien and human alike).

[@stephhbennett]

Also, late addition list of my favourite Gatiss episodes: Night Terrors / Crimson Horror / Empress of Mars (up there because of the great character moments with the captain)

[@sbi168]

i wasnt a huge fan, it felt like a very mid 80s romp and i didnt massively get on with it. Chibnall just isn't tight enough as a writer/showrunner.

[@LUFC-yl2cd]

Mediocrity is the Arc for this season

[@cameron9385]

I think that this episode was either the worst or second worst of the series. Besides the Ghost Monument, I haven't thought that any of these episodes have been good, many mediocre, but only one good

[@bonhll8070]

This episode was okay.

[@drwho6908]

Kerblammo!

[@fredrhys216]

*KERBLAM!*

[@geraldsandoval1113]

Wow, this wasn't a crap episode! It wasn't great but it finally felt like it was touching on Doctor Who. It was still preachy (Amazon is bad), white man bad, can't trust the machines, sonic dildo knows all, the humans that are bad turn out to be good but this was expected and the acting was still very stilled and all were still cardboard actors. 4/10 for this episode. These companions don't make me care if they all disappear tomorrow, while Jodie was a terrible choice and is not up to the part of the doctor.

[@wmiller2811]

Where was "white man bad" exactly?

[@GrubStLodger]

Chris Chibnall was always the most forgettable writer.

[@liftlash98]

This episode was so inoffensively bad and forgettable, you spent half of this video talking about the series in general over this episode.

[@flamingfossa]

I strongly disagree, I was hooked the whole time and kept talking about it afterwards.

[@liftlash98]

@@flamingfossa I know everyone has their own opinion but I have to ask, what did you find in the episode to talk about afterwards?

[@tmp123ful]

Rings of Akhatten was good tho...

[@retercommas]

I'm glad to finally find someone who's been reviewing this season. I agree with everything said. This season has been a bit disappointing and that's a real shame. Would love to see what Whitaker could do with better writers.

[@drwho6908]

Had to see if you're still drinking milk.

[@ese.amador]

Are corporations people now? Is that the moral?

[@davepetasprite7585]

BUBBLE WRAP

[@theTemplar08]

Loved the Matt Smith fez reference

[@mahojohodge5395]

I think the message is more measured and nuanced than a lot of people allow messages to be. I think it's pretty clear that the episode was saying that while activism can be good, you can't use activism as an excuse to commit atrocities. Also, it was trying to get people to remember that computer systems and increasing automation don't exist in a vacuum. It wasn't just 'THE SYSTEM'S GONE CRAZY!' to try to illustrate that at the end of the day the onus is on us to secure jobs and not act like our fate is naturally sealed. Just because over automation can happen, doesn't mean it must. However, there's a rather upsetting fact that many people *ahem* don't understand that a message can have several layers and not just be one point.

[@amelialikesfrogs5778]

i loved demons of the punjab but hated this one also god complex is shit

[@biosonic100]

I’ve been loving this series so far. I LOVE Jodie Whittaker. She’s been killing it so far.

[@jamestiffin5553]

I've seen a lot of people saying the Doctor and Yaz are gunna be a thing

[@spiderjeranimo4992]

One line that annoyed me, "Oi you two thats robophobic, some of my best friends are robots.", umm Doc, some of your worst enemys are robots too, wtf?! I hate to be that guy but some of the writing is bordering on SJW propaganda.

[@HazmanFTW]

Ryan is Susan so The Doctor is Ryan's Grandma and Grandpa.

[@mathieuleader8601]

I thought this episode was going to be a multi-doctor story with the Eleventh Doctor being the one calling for help did anyone else think that was going to happen

[@luissoto4121]

I stopped watching the pilot episode 20 min in because I genuinely thought it was that bad. I knew it was going to be water down with a PC agenda the second I saw a Pakistanian cop and the interracial old couple that remarried. And what was more annoying was when they said she has to pulses a Time Lord doesn't have to pulses the whole Master storyline was that he would hear the heartbeats of a timelord in his ears which was twice as fast as a human heartbeat not two individual ones it's a binary circulatory system not two separate circulatory systems

[@Elcrisso1]

This really sucked. Every week I tend to write paragraphs of analysis that goes more or less unseen so I can’t even be bothered to do that for this episode. Arguably the worst so far

[@tmp123ful]

How?? How was this worse than arachnids???

[@tmp123ful]

@@Elcrisso1 that's pretty impressive. I was shocked at every turn.