'Space Babies' is a standard RTD opener - Doctor Who review

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[@CouncilofGeeks]

You may notice this video has some jarring cuts. That's because the BBC copyright claimed a bunch of almost 4 weeks after it went live and rejected my dispute. So I had to cut a bunch out of it. The original uncut version is available on my Patreon. A playlist of videos covering the issues with the BBC and transphobic reporting: kzbin.info/aero/PLmWFOeT2jEofVIDW9X3OL7GqWuX3Dxopu

[@herbivarsawus4359]

They JUST encountered creatures who eat Human babies in the previous episode! It's been a few hours for Ruby!

[@paulhammond6978]

Yeah - I had a double take when the Doctor said "they EAT them?!" like that was a horrific idea Ruby had come up all on her own without having just encountered the goblins who managed to eat her before the Doctor went back in time to save her. Even without that, having a place called a "baby farm" is suggesting that you are growing food for something, possibly.

[@HuntingViolets]

@@paulhammond6978 And it's not like real baby farms were an innocent thing, although not a food source.

[@MetalheadSean666]

I too found it very odd that they made the one baby who always looked like they were on the verge of tears to be the main baby we see

[@gearmachine_4885]

"I love you too Ruby", he said, looking like he was mere seconds from bursting into tears

[@joxclever]

I too was won over by Ruby when she yelled Bogeyman and clanged that pipe. It was the way she didn't even frickin HESITATE. The baby was in danger. Right. BANG. I'm going in. When in a previous scene she'd been screaming in terror at the thing.

[@kellygingrich4302]

^^ This. She turned on a dime to be protective of the children. It's a great theme/character trait that I'm really enjoying in Ruby. Doctor Who episodes about children are usually excellent, so I'm looking forward to them exploring it more.

[@MutantProductions]

The butterfly effects has affected the doctor in the past. Doesn’t anyone even remember Pete?!

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Who’s Pete? 😉

[@davidmoncholi6746]

Rose dad ​@@CouncilofGeeks

[@calebfairchild1830]

@@davidmoncholi6746it’s a different Pete. They’re making a joke about how the 12th Doctor said that the butterfly affect got rid of his friend Pete.

[@davidmoncholi6746]

@calebfairchild1830 ah sorry

[@CritterKeeper01]

Remember, when Twelve and Bill and Pete went to the Frost Faire?

[@OziJo1]

Ruby running head first into making noise to save Eric, was the point that made The Doctor decide to give her the Tardis key.

[@aamelia001]

Yeah I agree with this and that it showed her bravery and loyalty, but I would've preferred for us to get to know them both individually over a couple of weeks/episodes and see them grow a better connection first? I liked how he asked her to travel with him in that first episode, but it would've been cool to save giving her a key for a bit later to show he made the right choice in trusting her, or to just give them another nice moment together.

[@inspectorwhoreacts]

the Doctor being like 90% up front with Ruby about his past is a nice

[@DoctorMysterio15]

Wasn't that too much exposition? Because for older fans it's like "yadah yadah I already know this bit so it won't be that relevant for the episode". Or at least that's what people in other reviews have been saying.

[@Moho_braccatus_]

@@DoctorMysterio15 There are a lot of new viewers for a new series. I think it makes sense here.

[@HuntingViolets]

Her analogue seems to be Rose (19, blonde, working class, name beginning with R that is also used to delineate a shade of red), but I have to note that that the actress looks facially a lot like Jenna Coleman.

[@christianwise637]

Her style of clothing and general demeanour also put me in mind of Clara, particularly series 7B Clara, as well as maybe a little hint of Amy thrown in there (considering Millie Gibson is a big fan of the Smith era, that wouldn't surprise me)

[@HuntingViolets]

@@christianwise637 Yeah. I saw a thumbnail awhile ago and thought, "Why is Jenna Coleman blonde?" Then I realized it was Millie. The outifts are a little Clara, Amy, and Rose almost ("Tooth and Claw"?).

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Ncuti doing the "Nobody grows up wrong" monologue had me bawling!Screw all the assholes who doubted him as the Doctor, with that monologue, he Doctored on the same level as the best of them!

[@armondtanz]

i found it very cheesy writing?

[@watsername]

I found it a but cheesy, but he did perform it fantastically. I'm definitely feeling capaldi vibes of could be better writing sometimes but he's got the gravitas needed for the doctor.

[@pun-inator6075]

Video idea from this review: Each moment you fell in love with each respective Doctor.

[@SamuelDoherty]

I think the doctor gave ruby a TARDIS key because she was willing to run straight into danger to save Eric and had ideas without listening just to the doctor. She showed him she could be a partner and not a sidekick

[@dylanotto949]

As someone who did not like this episode at all, this was the one scene I did like. It's also hilarious to think that Rose, Amy, Clara, Bill, and Yaz never got TARDIS keys but Ruby does after 2 adventures.

[@alexandertaylor7316]

Rose got one. Clara got one. Victorian Clara got one. It was also implied that Bill and Nardole each got one.

[@JustChrisWillDoTa]

​@@alexandertaylor7316Yeah, Rose got hers in the Aliens of London episode didn't she? When she was worried about him leaving her while she smoothed things over with Jackie and he went off investigating. I don't remember the others getting theirs, but I thought Clara had one.

[@steve-0493]

Yh my girl Martha,left out..😔bummer..

[@Venemofthe888]

@@steve-0493 Martha got one at the end of the Lazarus episode

[@WhitneyAllisonGG]

Ruby Sunday is a foster child and is part of the system. While I don't think it needs to come back for this episode the lack of services for babies will circle back to her character arc.

[@AspelShuyin]

Yeah, Babies in general seem to be a massive theme.

[@JohnBainbridge0]

I feel like Ruby is a lot more bouncy and high energy than most companions, which pairs really well with Ncuti's manic energy.

[@lucypreece7581]

She's what I call sparky.

[@Countgreenhorn]

Personally I find that dynamic a bit exhausting; ruby and the doctor have essentially the same emotional reaction to everything which means the two characters can't bounce off each other and are instead just feeling the exact same thing all the time. Their dynamic can be fun but there isn't a point when one is having a really different emotional reaction to the other and are instead just running around being zany together a lot. When they do have a negative emotional reaction to something it's the same reaction.

[@White.Rabbit.Productions]

@@Countgreenhorn I feel exactly the same way. I don't see a difference in character between Ruby and the Doctor. They both have the same reactions, the same high energy, and I feel exhausted watching them both. They just need to tone it down a little and also I need to see complimentary differences between them rather than all the similarities.

[@Countgreenhorn]

@@White.Rabbit.Productions When traveling or doing something fun with someone you care about there is always going to be the possibility that one person is going to end up having a better time than the other. One person might be bored or tired or upset while the other person is having a great time and that can happen an hour after something both people really enjoy. It's a key part of what it means to go traveling with someone else and I like doctor who best when that tension exists. Ideally there should be times where The Doctor is having a great time and their companion is miserable or the companion might want to do something the doctor thinks is boring or for whatever doesn't want to do it and so when they are both on the same wavelength and having a good time it means something because the possibility of both of them not having a good time always exists.

[@thehandoflenin]

Don't like the character reminds me of a 90's boy band fan.

[@EmerRaph]

Every time The Doctor said "Space Babies!" it made me smile. He was getting so much enjoyment out of the concept of there being Space Babies.

[@thebitterfig9903]

I also love how he keeps saying “the Bogeyman” even after he knows the Space Babies are afraid of it. 15 seems like someone who can’t help being a bit playfully mischievous.

[@lcflngn]

His attitude made the whole insanity work for me.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

I like the episode but it was a bit too fast passed which ended up confusing me but I did really love the line "nobody is grown up wrong" especially as someone who has autism and was bullied for it

[@lcflngn]

💯 that was beautiful. We all feel wrong somehow, and it’s reminders like this that help us keep that ish out of our heads. Thx for the comment, I’d almost forgotten that was actually my favorite moment

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

@@lcflngn thanks I appreciate it

[@BulbasaurRepresent]

One moment I really, really liked, for reasons I'm not entirely sure I can describe, was when 15 asked which year Ruby wanted to go to. Instead of just saying a year, the choice to go one digit at a time was just... I really liked it! I don't know! It's like, I get to see her thought process - "2" okay, not too far into the future... "1", roughly 100 years, I see you... "5" okay not exactly 100 years but "0" a round number, makes sense. And then just seeing her excitement as she says "6," as though it only just occurred to her that she could go SO MUCH FURTHER into the future. Something about that scene just set off all the right signals in my brain, I don't know! That being said, I would have liked to see how 15 would have wiggled his way out of taking her to 2150 considering that's The Dalek Invasion of Earth... (and where he left Susan, interesting...) I also called the bogeyman twist so early, basically as soon as the bogeyman was mentioned lol. It just seemed like the exact sort of thing RTD would do. Speaking of the bogeyman, I really, really liked the scene where he saves it. I feel like the Doctor has been quite passive recently (not 15), and so I was somewhat expecting him to just look on in despair and then get really, really mad - when the theme kicked in and he actually went into the airlock, that was the moment I really started loving the episode. Without that moment, it would probably be like a 5/10 - that single moment elevated it a ton.

[@CountLilac]

Yeah as soon as they said bogeyman instead of boogeyman and NEITHER the doctor nor Ruby brought it up I knew where it was going lol

[@paulhammond6978]

@@CountLilac That's probably a bigger clue if you are American, because "bogeyman" is how we say it in British English. Though having said that "Fungus the Bogeyman" the Raymond Briggs comic book might also be a significant point of reference - lots of dirty humour in that too.

[@HuntingViolets]

@@paulhammond6978 Didn't even know "bogey" was the same as "booger" (boogeyman has certainly been turned to "booger man" in my hearing before (kids), and also the boogying boogeyman/bogeyman of _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ has been around for a while, so this is the obvious other pun to go with. I knew it was bogeyman in England, though. I read and watch a lot of British stuff (but maybe they just don't deal with snot, etc., that much).

[@CountLilac]

@@paulhammond6978 yeah I’m British that’s why. Never heard boogeyman pronounced bogeyman before so I immediately assumed it was a pun

[@TheWaterPokemon]

It's only the movie adaptation of the Dalek Invasion of Earth that's set in 2150, actually; The actual serial is set some time after 2164. Though it does make you wonder whether Russell might have been thinking about the misconception caused by the movie's title

[@Dobcool]

29:20 did you notice in the background that the doctor tries to use the wrench he's holding like a sonic screwdriver to make a noise until he realises it's not his beloved sonic?

[@ezraramon9593]

Haha I didn't notice 😂😂

[@albineigengrau3212]

It felt like a Red Dwarf episode written for a young audience, with even the Bogeyman reminding me of Red Dwarf's vindaloo-monster. So my main gripe would be that I wished they had leaned into the comedy and absurdity even more.

[@stevetayler9518]

😂 I’d forgotten about the vindaloo monster. You’re so right.

[@B-MC]

When Nan-E hit the pipe I thought 'hernunga, ratoot, squelookel'

[@MeredithDomzalski]

I think the reason the political point was hit so hard is because writers have observed how low media literacy is these days, and it's the only way for certain people to not miss it. I hate that that's where we are, but I think that's where we are.

[@koivunen2489]

Throughout the episode, I was distracted thinking what an absolute nightmare the set must have been. ...human children aren't my favourite thing in the world.

[@mrdr0161]

The unleashed episode is actually adorable. Surprisingly, the babies hardly cried

[@robertsutton7949]

It’s the bogeyman. No, it’s snot. I’ll get my coat.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

* ba-dum, TISH! *

[@VonPatzy]

BIG AGREE on talking babies. I think it would have been 100x better if the babies had some tech to speak their thoughts - which still would have been super dumb - but anything to get rid of the mouths. Also RECAST the main baby for a baby that doesn’t look confused. It would be easy enough to keep filming u til you get a take where a baby looks happy and content when it says “I love you”. There were many babies no need to focus on 2 of them only like they did.

[@intergalactic92]

I’m not sure there was ever any explanation as to why they were super smart to begin with. It’s almost like they deliberately didn’t offer an explanations to allow for more focus on other stuff.

[@TheDistressedSetlist]

I interpreted the tardis key rush as purposeful, like he was gonna wait but he saw her fight so fiercely for those who were in trouble and couldn't help themselves, and on top of that she was on the same page immediately about saving the boogie man

[@SarcyBoi41]

I think the abortion/childcare metaphor carried on throughout the episode beyond that one moment. Specifically I think Jocelyn was supposed to represent the childcare system - she's doing her best but flawed especially since she has also been abandoned by the government (who give less than minimal funding for childcare systems). And when the Doctor said the Bogeyman "is one of the babies" I thought maybe it's supposed to represent kids who are basically abandoned even by the childcare system and demonised by society as troublemakers. However, I feel like social commentary like this belongs in an episode with a more serious tone. The trampling of reproductive rights and the failure to look after guardian-less children are very serious issues and putting them in an episode with such a jokey light-hearted feel kinda feels like if they had made Oxygen (which you brought up, and is one of my favourites) a light-hearted jokey episode. No matter how well written the episode and commentary could still be, the tone still wouldn't match the themes and the episode would be lesser for it. In my mind that alone drags this episode down a lot.

[@bigspongeyfan1]

That’s an interesting reading of it. I will say that I think humour is a very effective gateway to getting your audience to engage with things they might otherwise feel uncomfortable with or label “too preachy”. For instance, AoL/World War Three kills Tony Blair, labels the incumbents as a bunch of aliens in skin suits, and then draws direct parallels with Blair’s foreign policy… all in the space of fart jokes and Jackie Tyler being hilariously camp in the kitchen. Are they tonal shifts? Yes. Do they work? Also, yes (in my opinion). In WW3 we have the scene where the ongoing motif of watching events play out on TV leads to a somber sequence in which Mickey relays the “Weapons of Mass Destruction” speech to the Doctor and we take a breath and see the Doctor’s reaction. Similarly, in Space Babies, the episode takes that moment to breathe in the control room scene so we can do that shift effectively, before heading back into the high energy madcap episode. I think people’s mileage for tonal shifts may vary but I find RTD very adept at them and he loves to do it (Love and Monsters wants to encapsulate all of life and so does it all the time). Doctor Who in general is well suited to them as the Tardis is a time machine which travels more between genres than places and times. Whilst the Doctor is generally a mercurial disrupter who makes jokes when in the darkest situations and can similarly bring the mood down when the vibe is jovial if something isn’t right.

[@docweidner]

I was surprised neither you nor Jesseie mentioned the best scene to me. Where the Doctor and Captain Poppy were talking, and she asked if they were born wrong. We adopted my older son when he was 10 months old. This was a topic of conversation my wife and I had with him from time to time and again when he came out a few years ago. He will be 21 in a couple of weeks. I told him I wish I had RTD to write my dialog for those, and he told me his mom I did juat fine on our own.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

That monologue had me bawling!

[@dianalindsay1103]

Best scene for me too. As a gay woman in my 70s, I know all about being told you were born wrong. And as the parent of a gay 40 something guy, I know what happens when you are told you are magnificent as you are!

[@DanTheElevator]

Church on Ruby Road is the analog to Rose, Space Babies is the analog to The End of the World, the second Eccleston episode. Church on Ruby Road was our proper introduction to the 15th Doctor and the emotional themes of the season. Space Babies is the “now let’s have some fun with the premise” episode, just like The End of the World. We even get a repeat of the soniced phone to call home and a scene marveling over a view of a beautiful planet from a space station. I think the most important aspect of this is that it’s giving us the ethos of the show at this point: It’s a focus on stories as magic come to life. The Giggle and Church on Ruby Road (especially Church on Ruby Road) both lean into magical realism and this episode basically says it out loud that this is the realm we’re in now. Frankly I loved it.

[@OziJo1]

Well said.

[@HarvesterYT]

I understand the 'this is not the introductory episode' but it's frankly not true. US TV has marketed it as such and most casual viewers in the UK tune in not necessarily having watched the Christmas Special. The episode constantly dumps exposition about the Doctor so the US audience understand, so clearly it is supposed to serve as an introduction.

[@saundersfilms]

@@HarvesterYT On Disney+ when you select the series Church is listed as the first episode in the series. No international viewer is going to watch this first.

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

@@HarvesterYTon Disney plus space babies is episode 2

[@marionbaggins]

@@HarvesterYT And Australian Fans already know about DW too.

[@Venemofthe888]

First of all i actually really appreciate you doing individual reviews for the episodes instead of both together cause it gives it a clean focus on the specific episode you want to talk about without them getting bundled and merged so i must thank you for doing this. I had a good time with this episode and honestly its possible getting new Doctor Who might have impaired my judgment a little bit but i will always say i like to enjoy episodes instead of picking at every little thing and moaning about everything like other channels do (not including the outrage channels). I also like how the Doctor got the basic things out of the way first like updating the mobile phone, the bigger on the inside explanation and all those bits cause even though im a old viewer i think its good to re-establish those tropes for any new viewers that might be joining on with this new Doctor. Speaking of the Doctor, Ncuti has so much energy here and i absolutely love it and seeing his smile throughout the episode is a little contagious like when hes on screen having a good time the energy to me makes the episode feel a little more fun and his chemistry with Ruby makes it even better. The Space babies themselves are a little strange but im here for it and the reason they are running the ship along with the nanny is a little sad since everyone abandoned them but they are lovely characters. I think this episode is good but nothing outstanding but its fun and i had a good time with it and while i like the second episode more i still found this episode fun and thats all i need

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

Baby Geniuses IN SPACE! I think the one thing I would change about this episode is that to avoid uncanny valley Baby Geniuses effect, they could've easily changed the space station into a space kindergarten/nursery where the crew were played by six-year-olds. The baby farm could still be there to make a point.

[@HuntingViolets]

So many kids to work with, though.

[@mrdr0161]

The funny thing is that they were voiced by 6 year olds

[@gregf9160]

Thanks, Vera. Yes, even as a 12-14 year old, the Pertwee era was _loaded_ with political commentary and I _noticed_ it! That went on for decades after as well, and it was spot-on.

[@foreverdone2433]

Your reviews the ones I've waited on the most especially with the ruby stuff having echoes of past companions 😅

[@xlinnaeus]

Yeah me too!

[@billsbrothertv5701]

While I enjoyed Gatwa in the special, he really convinced me in this episode. His early line of "There are no monsters, only creatures I haven't met yet" is a great ethos to see him having, especially after Chibnall's less emaphetic take with a lot of Whittaker's Doctor.

[@rosalie.e.morgan]

It's really nice to see the doctor back after such weird choices like don't you dare euthanize that spider we all have to watch it slowly suffocate to death

[@booradley8895]

@@rosalie.e.morgan I hated how the first doctor was going to bash that caveman's head in.

[@ryno1509]

I think Ruby’s line about it not being strange was more about the fact she was abandoned as a baby and her adopted mother is a foster mother so she’s seen the ways a child could be let down but I agree it was made at the wrong time

[@ianresc3615]

I want to be brief. I did not like this episode. This was a sub par episode at best and they chose this to introduce an entire new audience to Doctor Who. You could make the argument that those who stuck around for episode two, will probably stay till the end, but Space Babies as a season opener was an odd choice to say the least.

[@Altmetalpunk]

It was pretty on par for a second outing in the RTD era. The first episode they'd watch is church on ruby road which was awesome

[@VonPatzy]

So many people who got hooked watching Mickey get eaten by a CGI trash bin want to talk about the quality of first impressions.

[@Tillyard86]

I was on board until the end when they revealed the monster was literally made of snot, and the ship was powered by poo. That’s too much juvenile grossness for me.

[@literaltruth]

Inside Russel T Davies there are two wolves. There is the wolf that wrote Aliens in London and approved Love and Monsters, and there is the Wolf that wrote Midnight and approved The Empty Child. Space Babies was definitely a product of the first wolf. And it's a BAD wolf.

[@kensukadventures628]

The inside of Russel T Davies is the same as the stuff powering the spaceship. @@literaltruth

[@user-jr4mw9wi1c]

she said for food because her last outing with the doctor was literally babies for food, how did every reviewer miss that?

[@supremeoverlorde2109]

I actually liked Space Babies. I've seen a lot of people hating on it, but I thought it was a pretty decent story with some strong emotional moments and excellent performances. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are great together.

[@brobs0463]

I feel sometimes people forget not every episode can be heaven sent or blink or the giggle. It’s space babies, babies space. It’s funny and cute and that’s ok

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

Yeah, but I didn't think it was funny, either? But then I've never been keen on toilet humour, so...

[@brobs0463]

@@NicoleM_radiantbaby Not every episode is for everyone and that’s fine

[@cfsfilms5091]

I was *just* refreshing your channel waiting for this, amazing timing, can't wait to hear your thoughts. Edit: Yeah that's pretty much my thoughts on the episode, not amazing but honestly better than I expected given the title and premise. Even if you can't get past the talking babies, Ncuti and Millie are so enjoyable to watch in their parts that it carries the whole thing. I do think it's pretty funny that I seem to be the only person in the world who wasn't really bothered by the mouth effect though, not sure why.

[@ClaraFinn]

I’m so glad both episodes became available at the same time. Really didn’t like space babies but the devil’s chord was great, so would’ve been a long and nervy wait for episode 2

[@alicedownes7056]

That's so interesting I have the flipped opinion on the episodes but I do feel they were quite different so am excited to see where they go with them :)

[@richardd9938]

I wonder whether RTD himself might even agree with you and that's an extra motivation for releasing them together xDD Though it's also something he wanted to back when he brought back Doctor Who in 2005 but it didn't work on time

[@literaltruth]

Yeah - I was a LOT less positive than Vera on Space Babies. I was sitting watching it alone at midnight and actually said "Oh no" and "Russel, what are you doing?" out loud to an empty room at several points. The Devil's Chord was so much better - although I had a little bit of a problem getting past the fact that I am so familiar with the work of (and parasocially love) Jinkx Monsoon and I couldn't quite see past Jinkx to the Maestro and was worried that she was going to get flack for being so OTT. But it seemed like the vast majority of people who watched it loved her.

[@codyofathens3397]

Same exact sentiment. Did not care for space babies at all, and I am normally super positive on basically all doctor who episodes. The devil's chord was amazing, though (except for the song at the end. Not my fave). And Maestro was incredible, and I'm glad to find a new actor to adore.

[@binkey3374]

I think Space Babies would have been fine as a filler episode around say episode 3 or 4, but as a season premiere it fell a bit flat.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

I liked this episode, it is enjoyable though The Devil's Chord is definitely the better of these first two episodes! Also one of my favourite aspects of this episode was the "Nanny Filter" filtering out any swearing, that was genuinely so funny!

[@keelanbarron928]

Honestly, I'm worried since this episode is verily similar to the last one: a monster whose name is a pun and eats babies? That's two in a row. Maybe if it was spaced out, but it isn't.

[@tidalblue2739]

This a grounded (bit campy) episode (very New Earth-esque to me). It gets me to click with Gatwa's 15 well and his chemistry with Ruby Sunday. It gets their dynamic going from the start (goofy cold open with the Butterfly Effect btw) but their interaction with the Gran-E and the Space Babies is wholesome. We've seen computers and machines interpret something 'wrong' before (Smile, Face of Evil etc.) but it was a fairytale touch. Overall: 7/10

[@paulhammond6978]

the nanites in Empty Child/Doctor Dances also - that's "medicine goes wrong until the Doctor gets them to correct it by giving them Nancy as the template"

[@intergalactic92]

@@paulhammond6978 girl in the Fireplace was repair droids going wrong. Not enough spare parts? What about the crew? they don’t need their eyes or lungs.

[@rare437]

The CGI babies were terrible, the pacing of the episode was all over the damn place, the monster started off awesome with it's kickass design and roar, but then it's ruined by being revealed as a silly "snot monster". It felt like a stupid Cbeebies episode, and not a good beginning for a new series. Devil's Chord was much better, and hopefully the rest of the series is too.

[@timrob12]

25:30 - Not "almost" from the beginning. Make it FROM THE BEGINNING, because Doctor Who was political since the very first story. You have a clan of cavemen with one caveman being the leader, but another caveman is jealous because he wants to be the leader. And he even murders another character and blames it on the first one to have him cancelled. Doctor Who was political from the very beginning.

[@intergalactic92]

The entire conflict revolving around this scary new technology (fire) that they all want but know could also be dangerous would have been extremely topical, considering the debates around nuclear weapons that were happening at the time.

[@mrcritical6751]

Then a couple stories later you have Keys Of Marinus which is essentially an analysis of what will happen if law and order fails by showing four different outcomes of worlds where it’s fallen

[@bendream544]

That doesn't make RTD's writing any better. Just the fact that it had political leanings from the start. I'm just glad I'm only sticking to some reviews of the show rather than watch it all because it just isn't Dr.Who any more. Yeah I know sad old me doesn't know what I'm missing.....yes I do know, same stupid fart jokes and idiotic excuses for 'monsters. 'We've had it all before and don't get me started on that Jinx whatever.

[@timrob12]

@@intergalactic92 Ah. Good observation.

[@c17sam90]

@@bendream544I don’t think when RTD goes political he’s always that good he often kinda feels very heavy handed and kinda simplistic

[@danielbillingsley8073]

As a Doctor Who viewer who started in 2005, I have mixed feelings about this episode. I have no issues with Space Babies as a concept, and I thought it was a really fun idea. But the CGI mouth movements really pulled me out of the episode, and once my attention was drawn to it the more distracting it felt. Telepathy would have been a much better choice in my opinion. Ncuti's excitement and joy is great throughout the episode, I love his interaction with the babies, and I loved the interaction between him and Millie. The only thing that grated on me was the amount of times 'Space Babies' was said. It was OK the first few times, and then I was like, "OK, I get it RTD. They're babies and they're in space... And that's the episodes title... Very clever..." I liked the mystery box element, even if it did give faint echoes of the fake Amy storyline. I liked the Bogeyman as a monster, although Im not too sure the resolution of it being locked away forever is the perfect ending for it. Overall, it was OK. Not the best story wise, but the bit that really shines is setting up The Doctor and Ruby's relationship...

[@hannibalshappymeal1855]

The biggest thing that got me really is the speedrunning - especially given that, and although I know you’re not talking about it in this video but, the next episode has a 7 month gap between this episode - it feels like they’re trying to fast forward their relationship to a point where they’re already in a pre-established relationship as opposed to letting them discover each other on screen. Part of my favourite aspect of getting a new companion is seeing the companion discover the Doctor, and the universe as a whole. It’s very true that, after a while, the companions almost seem to get jaded by travelling, that they take it for granted like anyone else would after you’ve done it so much. You get less impressed by a massive planet in front of your eyes after it’s the 7th one you’ve seen this week, y’know?

[@AspelShuyin]

I didn't mind the line about "not that odd" because I thought the same thing at the same time. Roomie and I were jokingly going "I wonder if that's a metaphor or something"

[@FixTheWi-Fi]

ngl I interpretted the "butterfly compensation switch" as a joke on the Doctor's part just so she doesn't ask further. 'course if it actually ever comes up again i'll be wrong there.

[@TreatmentRoom2639]

I did too, but I hope Vera is right

[@literaltruth]

I think it was a way of getting out of the exact problem that Vera was worried about before it aired. It's also kind of a Star Trek reference - where people pointed out that transporters were impossible because of the (real life) Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics making it impossible to scan things and recreate them exactly on a quantum level.....and so they added a line to one of the TNG episodes where Chief O'Brian had to fix the "Heisenberg compensators".

[@OmegaII]

Honestly, if you overthink it for a second... Remember past episodes where the 9th mentioned that Time Lords would fix big time paradoxes or the Master turned the Tardis into a paradox stabilizer machine. It makes sense that every Tardis has a anti-paradox system, it just works on little things inherent in time travel.

[@CouncilofGeeks]

A few people have brought this up but Ruby didn’t look to me like she even realized anything had happened so she wouldn’t have asked anything anyway.

[@HuntingViolets]

I think it's something that just appeared and he suddenly knew after Ruby changed or after he resuscitated the butterfly -- because of the change in the universe since "Wild Blue Yonder." That's just my theory, though. Because they talked about it, it happened (unlike in previous episodes when it was brought up) also -- because it would be pretty unusual to step on a butterfly, really.

[@nairrdlairrd]

I was wary of the rushed exposition and the rushing of the Doctor and Ruby’s relationship in general, but I bought it in the context of these characters. From what we’ve seen of Ruby’s club lifestyle, preexisting relationships, and general characterization, she seems very much like the type of person to go out and make a “new best friend for the night” (ironically something Ncuti just mentioned he does in an interview with Seth Meyers), so I buy that she would instantly form a strong bond with the Doctor. On the Doctor’s end, after a long bout of communication issues with 13 and then getting some healing with 14 and the bi-generation, it makes total sense to me that he would choose to get everything out in the open right away, having learned from his mistakes.

[@poppywilliams3660]

FINALLY- I needed to hear your view on this

[@GENERIC_CHANNEL_HANDLE]

● 15 and Ruby are fun. Love 'em, looking forward to more of them. ● The gag with the butterfly was wholly unexpected and pretty great, but I'm bummed they didn't make her a Silurian. It was an interesting way to show that the baked in rules we're used to are changing. ● The idea of hyper-intelligent babies running a spaceship they've been left to die on its actually incredible, but the execution of that idea is incredibly distressing. Putting them all in strollers - prams - and using unconvincing cgi on there faces felt goofy in a bad way and also slammed the Uncanny Valley button in my brain. ● Nan-E was great. No notes. ● The monster was spooky and scary and then they explained what it was and I hated everything to do with it. Now it's just gross for the sake of gross humor. Great little mystery destroyed by the twist. ● The space babies were so terrified of the monster that even mentioning it sent them into hysterics, but they felt sad for it in the very last few minutes? What? I can see the Doctor and Ruby seeing parallels with themselves and out, but this felt as forced and objectively wrong as telling us to care about mutant man-eating spiders the size of large dogs and a van. It was especially forced for Jocelyn who goes from "it's a threat to my children" to "oh no, what have I become" for no other reason than that the script said so. ● ...how did the Doctor avoid from getting shot into space? I don't think he grabbed on to anything when he was pinned against the airlock, but I could have missed it. I'm not watching this episode _ever_ again, so I can't check. ● I don't generally care for the hyperbolic "my all ages show isn't dark enough, it's for babies now" screaming into the void that some fans do, but cripes did I ever feel that when I saw an inexplicably cheeked up space-station _fart_ it's way to refuge. ----- This is, in my opinion, one of the worst episodes in the entire history of the franchise. It had astonishing potential with fantastic _adult_ actors but immediately threw it in the bin, lit that bin on fire and farted on it. I can see this being a strong start of they hasn't used literal babies, didn't make the monster a pile of literally snot, didn't hit us with the "oh it's also a special snowflake and we love it now" and didn't end on a _fart joke._ I never liked fart jokes to begin with and this felt especially awful given the shaped of the ship. It really does feel like "Babies First Doctor Who" with how it glories in juvenile plot points.

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

SO. MUCH. THIS. 👏👏👏

[@soundgal_sine_qua_non]

I loved the way Ncuti handled the Gallifrey discussion. It's such a relief to see a post-therapy Doctor be open about things. After watching Thirteen stay emotionally closed off from her companions for SO LONG, it's nice to see the Doctor talk honestly and even bluntly about past events and trauma.

[@CodeAndGin]

The repetition of "Space Babies" really grated on me by the end, and the "Push the Button" stuff was confused, especially with the knowledge that there may have been a cut scene that set it up. That aside, I found this fine. The toilet humour was a very big "Yup RTD is back wahey" moment, for better or worse.

[@scg7442]

"Eh" is how i can describe this episode. That and also "gross" and not fun gross, just gross gross.

[@dawgy444]

My thought when the Doctor gave Ruby the key, was that he made a promise to keep her safe. Then if anything happens to him, when the Tardis has to flee to safety, Ruby has a key to get inside for when that happens, thus saving her.

[@Jay32954]

I honestly half expected when the Doctor says he can never take Ruby to the Church where she was found, for her to beg to just do recon, and then when he says no, she meekly asks to go home.

[@thefragrantwookiee]

I loved that the Doctor kept saying 'babies' and then immediately correcting himself to say 'space babies', simply because he clearly thinks 'space babies' is more fun.

[@AllThePiecesMatter_]

I found that irritating, like when someone chooses to tell the same joke over and over again.

[@thatotherted3555]

I actually really liked how Eric looked constantly worried. I hope you'll forgive the reference, but he very much felt like the Neville Longbottom of the group.

[@mirawest8510]

I loved this episode. Some of the pieces individually didn't work for me but they all came together really well. The antagonist felt more like a general lack of empathy rather than any character or creature. All of the problems come from someone not caring or being too afraid to show that they care. And then the Doctor and Ruby show up and save everyone just by being kind to whoever's in front of them, even the Bogeyman. Even the babies being really unsettling with their CG mouths kinda worked for me because it's another parallel between them and the Bogeyman

[@abbeywho5730]

I just couldn't get over the terribly designed, creepy babies. One of the worst episodes for me because of them and because of the over-explaining this episode did. I'm actually terrified of the rest of the season...

[@obviouslyme3950]

Surprised that you didn't mention that in the end of the episode The Doctor was going to reveal his name to Ruby but gets cut off as the episode ends. Eleven's era was BUILT on him never revealing his name. I mean he literally has an episode called The Name of the Doctor. Also regardless, The Doctor just in general NEVER tells people their name or entertains a conversation surrounding it. But here we have 15 EXPLAINING Gallifreyan naming conventions which as a nerd and a sociologist, I LOVE those kind of miscellaneous bits of lore that most folks overlook. 15 is by far the most open Doctor and I think that's a brillant character trait for his Doctor to be known by. Like you said, Martha had to press Ten about his origins (in series 3 in the episode called Gridlock) after he lied to her about them. Nine is honestly the most closed book Doctor I've ever seen within the main regen line (so excluding the War Doctor and Jo Martin's Doctor). So ultimately I view both 15 handing Ruby the TARDIS key extremely early, telling her the footnotes of his life, and discussing his name and culture so openly as evidence of this Doctor finally being the one that "moves on" so to speak. And that the Doctor is also more comfortable with sharing this with Ruby due to them both being adopted.

[@MrDeadhead1952]

The refugee biz has a particular resonance in the UK, as we have a law that requires a person to be in the country to claim refugee asylum, but our benighted Government has just passed a law to make it illegal to enter the country to do so. On a lighter note, I really enjoyed all the Alien/Aliens references in the Boogey man chase.

[@HarvesterYT]

It's a shame the social commentary is so incredibly tacked on and superficial. I've not got an issue with Doctor Who being political, but it's social commentary for the past 6 or so years has just consisted of writers lazily tacking on their own beliefs without any idea of how to organically weave it into a story. The result is half your audience eye-rolling at the feeling of being preached to

[@marcoliver625]

Yes - They'll end up losing the audience that you need to actually reach with the message - and risk losing other people by breaking their immersion in the story - bad all round really.

[@ultimatedbz2]

The difference i'm seeing right now between Ruby and Clara is that Clara was a mystery first and a companion second while for Ruby, at least right now, is a companion first and a mysery second. Ruby became a companion before The Doctor realized that there's some greater mystery going on meaning that Ruby gets to prove herself as a companion and as a character while getting to have a greater mystery in the background. With Clara by the time she was finally on board the Tardis we met and saw two versions of her die which The Doctor was hyper focused on and early on she didn't really get to be a character, she didn't really get to prove herself as a character or to the doctor in her first (or third?) episode or first outing for THIS Clara, and that carries over until basically her mystery is resolved and she had to stop being a mystery and start being a character.

[@minmach]

I had such fun with this episode. And I'm with you 100% on how the Doctor talks abt Gallifrey. It reminded me immediately of how I talk abt a painful loss in my life. I recognized it instantly. I'm so impressed with the depth of emotion Ncuti Gatwa already puts into his Doctor. Cannot wait for more.

[@JulianDanzerHAL9001]

a few moments feel al ot like they're rushing through points they think they need to go through with new companions

[@davehall7041]

I have been waiting for your review with great anticipation so thank you for a great video in advance

[@Frequincy100]

A disabled companion would be incredible. They've even already had a disabled character.

[@CountLilac]

Heartbreakingly funny how forgettable Ryan is

[@grumpysphinx4911]

Lol his disability was handled so poorly, like it essentially just vanished after the first episode 😅

[@dickottel]

I'd love an autistic woman 🙂

[@IceNixie0102]

My favourite thing about the Butterfly Effect joke was that it enables the show to explain why time travel DOESN"T regularly have those types of impacts.

[@sammcbride4305]

Honestly surprised there’s been no crazed headlines saying Doctor Who says Free Palestine

[@danderson601]

I think Rubys a brave companion and earned the key. She ran into danger more than once to save the baby, when the doctor wanted her to go to safety she refused not allowing him to go into danger alone, and stopped Nan-e from killing the bogman. She stood out for me more than the doctor that's rare for a companion

[@StephenMatrese]

33:30 I think, in his eyes, she earned the key when she charged into danger to save an innocent (banged on the walls and generally made a lot of noise to save the baby).

[@Jay32954]

Regarding political messaging in the Jon Pertwee era, I vividly remember the Doctor telling Sarah Jane to "sort out" the queen of the planet Peladon, which she interprets to mean, teach her about feminism, to build up her confidence. Its a weird, and almost dismissive line, but his hearts were in the right place.

[@lgoamity]

So was the Settings in 14's TARDIS also the same? A possible "serious" reason/explanation for "Mavity"?

[@literaltruth]

Personally I really hated the quick lore dump at the start. Yes, I understand it was there to catch up the audience but I feel like we were really robbed of that fun thing Doctor Who does where we see each companion discovering more about the Doctor and the universe in their first proper adventure. There's a lot of really good, free character work you can do in Doctor who by finding out "Okay, what does this companion ask? What do they intuit? How do they react" and you just don't get that with this kind of infodump approach

[@CountLilac]

Agreed. Can’t say I hated it but I did kinda groan out loud at it

[@literaltruth]

@@CountLilac Then it's even worse in the second episode where Ruby casually mentions they've now been travelling together for 6 months....so we are literally never going to see the building up of their relationship.

[@bigspongeyfan1]

I think this was a continuity error / effect of having the show air later than originally anticipated, rather than a deliberate choice. I think RTD previously said he wanted to air s1 after the Xmas Special but the post production was still underway. So the dialogue would have been “January” and ADR’d, rewritten, or remounted later

[@DuskyPredator]

CGI talking babies was never going to work. I kept thinking that they could have something like dummies/pacifiers that could have spoken for them.

[@jedisalsohere]

if somebody started watching doctor who with the christmas special, and then watched this and told me they were never going to watch doctor who again, i would honestly get it

[@chrisj617]

Throughout the whole episode, I was thinking that it would've been better if the space babies were non-human because of that mismatch between the facial expression and the lines being read. The telepathic headband idea as a possible solution is interesting, but I don't know if that would've worked any better. The faces still wouldn't match what was being said.

[@scroogledoogle3028]

Thanks Vera for producing this review, I've been looking forward to it! Your nuanced, well voiced and well thought out comments help a lot in my own processing of the show, regardless of my agreement on specific subjective points. I especially appreciated that you took the time to approach elements of this episode from multiple perspectives and interpretations; Ruby's "not so strange" line and the infodump, in particular.

[@georgeashley6643]

I also noticed the reproductive rights point immediately, but I felt that Ruby’s comment was quick, but poignant enough that it didn’t feel too heavy handed, whereas I did think that the refugee line later was too on the nose despite agreeing. Just my opinion

[@GinPixie]

see i thought the pacing of 'exposition' in this episode made a lot of sense, i always felt like it took companions a while to ask question i would've had right away, like 'does the tardis cloaking device work for you too or do your people just look like humans?' and 'so where is home for you ayway? or 'how DOES this thing fly?' an besides every time a new Doctor answers these questions we get new information or at the very least a new take on the character development, so i love that we constantly have a new audience-insert character in the form of new companions so they can keep asking and the writers can keep giving us little nuggets. and if i were a companion i'd be asking shit Right Away so i liked this pacing all in all 19:57 AND THIS AIRED ON DISNEY IN THE US

[@RedClaw87]

My general feelings about Space Babies is the same. There were two things that took me out of the Episode. The first is the disconnect between the emotions of the babies and the stuff they are saying. It's not the CGI. I don't tend to notice that. But saying one thing and the Baby portraying it clearly feeling another thing is there and noticeably so. The second thing is a clearly me thing. It's when the Doctor goes to rescue the Bogeyman. He opens the door and lets go and "falls" on the door. That's not how physics work. He would be sucked towards the hole that drags the air out. And here it's portrayed working like mavity. It bothers me, but most people might not notice it. The point I clearly got into Ruby was when she makes clear to the doctor she won't let him wonder of alone. I like her delivery of that scene I liked her characterization. It simply felt good and I learned a lot about her character. I think the episode in general did a good job of characterizing the doctor and Ruby and even Joslyn. It's very effective in that department.

[@dickottel]

"I love you Ruby 🥴😵‍💫"

[@danieljames6899]

I like this episode a lot, and I agree with you that some things were a bit rushed. you can see that this episode was conceived with the idea that it would be seen right after the Christmas episode and not in May, I have yet to see it again but I'm convinced that by watching both the Christmas episode and this one in a row, the latter comes out better

[@TreatmentRoom2639]

Yay! I've been so creepily watching for your reviews of these 😆

[@maldaror7097]

Those Babies where audience surrogates, Eric was RTD watching Who as a kid, they where even watching the monster on TV for most of the episode and Ncuti was adorable dealing with them. Also first problem the Doctor solves by healing something, the final thing was sorted with empathy. This was Who distilled to it's essence, at least as RTD sees it.

[@MRdaBakkle]

I guess I'm confused about your thoughts on the butterfly effect joke. You said you don't like it, but the TARDIS having a butterfly compensation switch that was off is the payoff of the joke. So if you like the payoff, I guess I don't know how the setup was different. Of course just seeing the setup could mean you don't like it. But altogether I thought it was a fun jab at a common sci Fi joke and also that the TARDIS Regenned so the controls were different. Which we've seen before.

[@prettyoriginalnameprettyor7506]

I think the joke is meant to be ruby being a weird alien. The butterfly compensation switch is the explanation

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I don’t agree that the switch explanation was the payoff, but even if I did a solid ending doesn’t mean I like the set up and would feel it’d be better to just not do at all.

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

Personally i dont like it because yes it was a semi funny joke about time travel, but it kind of fs with the concept of time travel that doctor who has ran with up until now which is everything is pretty much predetermined all the way from Hartnells Rome episode they imply that. Nothing in doctor who before this series has ever toyed around with time being rewritten. if things were off with the timeline it had always been that way and the correction that we all know was the doctor coming back and course correcting it and it was always meant to have happened that way. With this new era, time is actively changing and being reset for nonsensicle reasons. Before it made sense because the implication is that they cant f anything up because it always plays out that way

[@MRdaBakkle]

@@CouncilofGeeks I can appreciate that, still quite like the joke. I agree that Ncuti overall fits well in the role, and seems to have healed because of 14 taking care of the trauma, but it still being something that doesn't have to be talked about. The whole vibe is light while still allowing room for some darker moments. And a bit of a seriousness.

[@ninelie2996]

Honestly I really enjoyed Space Babies, it was nonsensical science fiction/fantasy type of episode that I was absolutely on board with. The episode commits to the idea and doesn’t shy away from the morality of the concept of genetically engineered babies being abandoned in space by the crews. And I adored Ruby and Fifteen’s dynamic here, it has a bounciness (and at the end of the episode a view of equals as partners/friends in space) to it that feels like youthful but with them both having their own unique experiences that matured them so that both characters have the young and mature aspects of them. And it’s more personal moments like the “nobody is born wrong” touch me, so it still gives me something I can relate or appreciate. I do really love your take on the episode despite the differences in taste, because you always phrase and articulate it in ways I understand so I’m excited for Devil’s Chord review just as much as this one was for when the episodes dropped

[@velaethia6]

I also really like the follow-up to the butterfly effect joke. Because they are TIME lords. Right? It's implies that time is way more messy and complicated without time lords there to bring "order" to the universe.

[@joeyunderwood]

i agree with what you had to say on RTD openers. this is fairly standard for them.

[@CritterKeeper01]

Jocelyn reminds me of someone… "Where's the crew?" "Teleported off." "But you stayed?" "Someone had to teleport them." "Why you?" "Everyone else was screaming." (Doctor grins) "Welcome aboard!" Gotta love the people who do what's gotta be done in a crisis!

[@sparshjohri1109]

Which episode was this? I vaguely remember the exchange, but I can't for the life of me remember where it's from.

[@Sara_TheFatCultureCritic]

I had fun with it, and that's what I most want from DW. And the "no one grows up wrong" was lovely

[@MrGrim88]

The talking baby effect(s) could have been avoided entirely as it's well established that The Doctor speaks "baby" language. They could have have just said that the TARDIS is now able to translate it for companions as well like it does with nearly every other language and moved on from there.

[@ghlmk5931]

Thank you for doing a video for each episode! I know it’s a lot more work but I look forward to your reviews and it’s much appreciated. From the moment I heard the title of this episode I was not looking forward to it, and while it wasn’t great, it was solid. I would rank it a (very) distant third behind Partners in Crime and Smith and Jones as far as RTD season openers go. I wasn’t as distracted by the mouth CGI as I thought I’d be, although it definitely seemed to work better on Poppy than on Eric. I think you explained why. Loving the chemistry between the Doctor and Ruby, the rapid fire exposition, the subtle changes to the opening titles, there was a lot to like. Memorable? Not really, more like middle of the pack, but ok. Hope to go up from here. Looking forward to your review of the Devil’s Chord, you said you didn’t want to give anything away, but you were smiling ear to ear…just sayin’. A quick comment on the 2-episode drop. I think it can be a double edged sword. I know there’s been times when I watch the first episode of something, and I’m really sure I’m not interested, then watch the second, and I’m hooked. But the opposite has also happened. So while I’m also annoyed by the 2 episode drop tactic, I think Disney hopes that if the first episode doesn’t hook you, the second one does. I don’t like it either but from a marketing standpoint, I get why they do it.

[@thomasrdiehl]

Yeah, I don't like Ncuti gatwa in this at all. Much too manic for me. I don't like his being all grabby and huggy, I really hated when he deliberately scared a bunch of babies as a joke. I was annoyed at him constantly correcting "babies" into "space babies". He's just really obnoxious to me and a person I couldn't stand to meet irl. There was a point in this episode where I was prepared to finally give up on Doctor Who just because of how much that guy got on my nerves with just being too much this past three episodes. The episode was also riddled with stuff that by itself is a lot of nitpicks, but when it's this many things to nitpick, the heap of things becomes a mountain in itself. Like, why does the TARDIS translate stuff into English, but the name of the planet is in Spanish? Why does opening a huge door in an airlock slowly lower the oxygen instead of emptying it immediately? If the station doesn't have engines, how did it get where it was and how did it control its orbit? Where did the sudden empathy for the monster come from? Yeah, I didn't enjoy this one. At least nobody rapped, though Church on Ruby Road was much better in every other regard.

[@evabright8735]

The cosplay costume is fine, Vera.

[@carpevinum8645]

So, maybe not the intent, but these kids never had humans to learn facial expressions from. So, they wouldn't have "normal" facial expressions.

[@sortascouseace]

After watching both episodes, i feel like ruby is one of the toymakers 'children' maybe an unitended child. we have had play, we have had music, maybe ruby represents memories?

[@bastardcatz]

I also was worried if this Doctor could sell the sadness of the character. The pure Tennant/ Smith giddiness yes. But talking about being the last Time Lord in a way that shows the processing of trauma really got me

[@babablacksheep506]

Easy fix for the babies - make them telepaths

[@PsyrenXY]

I understand why they opened with this one, because RTD wants to lean into the Timeless Child reveal of the Doctor being a foundling and what that means for the character. I agree that the babies were crazy uncanny valley and didnt like them, but there were very solid Doctor moments and Companion moments in this one and that kept it on the north side of "good' for me. Other recurring things you didnt touch on are the Susan Twist cameos and the persistence of the "Mavity" gag

[@insert-name-here3651]

How did the space station create the boogeyman? Like, are the babies made out of nothing or human embryos? Is the boogeyman part human?

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Well it's a baby farm station so presumably the raw materials to create the babies were already onboard. And one could probably make an argument that the Bogeyman is part human since he's derived from a substance created by the human body.

[@apupnamedLeo]

The only true thing that threw me off about this episode is the babies. Automatically wanting to save the boogie monster. They spent their entire lives afraid of it, and not all of a sudden, it's like yea. He's our friend. 🤷‍♀️ You're going to have to explain something to me!!! You're going to have to make me okay with this and who's taking it home not me!!!.