He Who Moans Reviews: Doctor Who: Kerblam!

Um...so what if: the opposite of what looks like is happening IS HAPPENING??

[@Stubagful]

So yeah...comments on this one are gonna be fun aren't they? .....Kay I'll get you started: "zomg!! Stubagful is a communist! He wants to smash western civilization with a really big hammer!!"

[@Stubagful]

I'm disappointed, everyone's being calm and reasonable. You call yourselves internet-dwellers!!! :p

[@igrok__1]

So basically we are gonna copy/paste Oxygen Review comment section...

[@carealoo744]

3:20 Thank you! Phew! For a moment I thought you were going to end this review series claiming that series 11 was wonderful!

[@liamjay6844]

That's the communal hammer! Gotta share it!

[@benjeyemanp1742]

😂

[@lostuser1094]

Personally found this one particular egregious due to Amazon warehouses being actual dystopian nightmares for the workers.

[@denvaldron8466]

Honestly, it felt like Amazon's lawyers were involved in writing the episode.

[@timthememer2785]

The funny thing about Kerblam is that the ending twist was what ruined it for me. Doing an episode that looks like anti-corporate satire and turns out to be pro-corporate for the most part is like making a romcom that ends with the characters sad and alone- it'd be different, but being different doesn't make it not suck.

[@craydogdog1530]

lost in translation is a romantic comedy that has a sad ending. Also, blue valentine.

[@dante6985]

Or you go to a superhero movie and he/she ends up failing to stop the villain and ends up depowered returning to his/her boring original job.

[@dante6985]

@Craydog Doctordroobe @TheBobBrom OP was speaking generally. "For the most part..."

[@ShamrockParticle]

It's not the first time this season is going after its own fanbase, it's hilarious!

[@ShamrockParticle]

@@craydogdog1530 blue valentine what?

[@DarkLordoftheMeme]

I thought the big failing of this episode was Kira's treatment. The Doctor jumps down the boss's throat when he's rude to her, but when Kerblam's AI freeking *killed* her just to make a point to Charlie, the Doctor is still on the system's side. Human is rude to sweet teenage girl: the doctor's reaction "oi, leave her alone!" Computer kills same teenage girl: "Meh, bitch had it coming" Also, the prospect of an AI, who's first instinct when confronted with a murder plot is to kill an inocent bystander just to try and make the conspirator feel guilty, having control over an entire economic system is fucking terrifying!

[@craydogdog1530]

'Meh, bitch had it coming' lol

[@gallohalt]

I saw it more as the bad guy had hacked the system to test the bombs on a random employee but the system chose kira to show the kid how bad it feels for someone close to you dying, like the test was going to happen anyway the system just picked who it was going to be

[@adamsmart1075]

Yeah, the Doctor just brushing over her death really bothered me as well near the end. Probably one of the highlights of Series 11 for me as an episode (although since I was quite disappointed with it for the most part, that's not saying much).

[@gametrollerprime1594]

Difference is that the boss is supposed to be an empathetic human but is a dick and had no real reason to be rude to her vs a computer trying to defend itself and save people by calling on Charlie's hunanity.

[@MrAllallalla]

I'm okay with the company not being the bad guy. That is a pretty good surprise but I really don't understand why the doctor is just okay with the way people are treated there or with large groups of people being unhappy about their working conditions and her speech at the end just made me a bit angry. "The system isn't at fault, it's people like you abusing it" Is she saying that the workers are to blame for their poor working conditions?

[@craydogdog1530]

It was in reference to him using the system to kill the customers rather than him being working class.

[@necordektox879]

To add to Craydog's point, by "the system" the Doctor probably means the robots. Automation isn't itself bad. But I do agree with you that I disagree to whom the Doctor shifts the blame. It's not the fault of ordinary Kandokans who just want to live, or activists who want to change that. Nor is it really the fault of the companies. Their main purpose is to make a profit. Now, we don't know much about Kandoka (I hope this changes, lots of possibilities!) but it looks like to me a society that is desperately hanging onto capitalism in a post-scarcity society. Their failing was in not preparing for the inevitable collapse of capitalism when there are not enough workers to be consumers to fuel the economy. I suppose they are relying entirely on Kerblam! for their economy, probably taxing it highly to parse out a meager wage to keep the people alive, but it is completely unsustainable. I wish they would dig deeper into this fascinating society!

[@dipassignment6037]

fuck the entirety of planet of the oods i guess

[@dante6985]

The message of this is so muddled it doesn't even know what point it's trying to make. "The System" straight up murdered Kira to show Charlie it's not okay to kill people. So the system can murder innocent people to make a point but it can't send a message "Employee, Charlie _____, is killing innocent people"? Weird, weird episode.

[@aristidetwain9117]

My biggest problem with this episode is that the whole "automation taking away jobs" thing doesn't work on its own terms. It's a concern in the real world - but in the world of "Kerblam!", where fully sentient artificial intelligence has been achieved and robots are mass-produced, it feels like human society could finally do away with menial work altogether without anybody risking starvation or anything. The robots would provide.

[@gamerboiiiiiii]

FR. Its not like they had SHIPS delibering the packadges. The robots just TELEPORTED to the destinatons!

[@pettytyrant2720]

The morality of this episode is all over the place. Kerblaam is treated as a good thing, the workers plight largely ignored. The System murders a girl just to try to make a point (which it fails at but still kills her) and the Doctor doesn't mind at all seemingly and thinks Kerblaam is great. And her resolution to the problem is, well it's murder, and for no reason. The problem is that the robots are going to deliver bombs to everyone that when opened will kill them. The Doctor gets them instead to rematerialise exactly where they were- so they dont deliver the bombs. So why does she then order the robots to denote the bombs, murdering the terrorist as well? The danger has been averted, those bombs could just now be deactivated or safely disposed of- why does she blow everyone up? What's the reason? What's the point? She not only murders the terrorist this way, she blows up all those Kerblaam robots which at the start of the episode she was espousing robot rights about and accusing people of being robo-phobic towards. Do robots have rights or not or are they just machinery you can blow up? Who knows? This episode certainly doesn't. And what does it say about the Doctor when she then casually blows them all up and kills someone when its not the only, or even the sane, option to take?

[@patrickmcgann2673]

You mentioned how strangely okay the Doctor was with Kerblam's methods, but I'm surprised you didn't touch on how wholly unnecessary the Doctor's killing of Charlie was.

[@robd9413]

Two problems with this one: 1. Bad guy lost me with the whole "it happened while we stared at our phones" makes me think, "Well then it is your fault isn't it. You were dumb enough to let it happen and now you are whining about it after it did." 2. Are we to believe that not a single one of the bubbles of the exploding bubble-wrap ever got ruptured during packaging. First spikey thing that got ordered would pop one or two and blown everyone up. Kind of a give away when that happens. That said, Kerblam is one of the few S11 Episodes I still remember 4 months later, so that's something.

[@DakNJaxter]

Pretty much agree with everything you said. I did enjoy Kerblam's who-dun-it story for it's funny dialogue and tone, and I didn't have as much of a problem with the Doctor's enthusiasm towards Kerblam. But yeah, the fact that worker mistreatment is just a complete red-herring and doesn't get any acknowledgement at the end is a pretty big issue.

[@iain9757]

I liked how this episode was also quite meta with the bubblewrap

[@Lego1upMushroom]

La La early access Mabey ?

[@iain9757]

Lego1upMushroom i get these comments every dw review I was gonna make some kinda of prostitution pun but I can’t think of a good one

[@BucketThinkTank14657Nerd]

The episode just makes me want to listen to the audio "Davros" again

[@Jedi_Spartan]

I'm pretty sure that Kerblam's warehouse was based on plans for Big Finish's moon sized warehouse which they plan to start constructing in under a decade... apparently they're thinking about dedicating the Sea of Tranquillity to storing their Doctor Who audios.

[@09philj]

This was probably the best generic Doctor Who episode in the series... not that that says much. Next time, Alan Cumming makes a valiant but not entirely successful attempt to camp a mediocre story to greatness.

[@edward4840]

Hasn't this idea been done before? The concept of robots being controls by a human to cause death? Almost as though they were robots of death

[@highvoltage7797]

Jimmy Brown They where referencing the classic Doctor Who episode Robots of death.

[@optimisticwhovian1726]

The show is over 50 years old, yeh its been done before as have most of it's stories, that's a pretty superfluous point.

[@edward4840]

Optimistic Whovian yeah it wasn't really a point against the episode, I more just realised that it's a similar premise

[@ThePonderer]

I actually quite liked the plot for this one. I think the little details building up to the twist at the end and the way they’re all dolled out with only some of them being explicitly framed retroactively is more clever than you give it credit for. The politics are certainly...iffy. I personally don’t read the story as quite so absolving of late capitalism as its detractors, but the potentially problematic elements do subtract slightly from my enjoyment on a rewatch.

[@Stubagful]

Eh, fair enough :) I just didn't feel it offset how I spent most of the runtime feeling towards it, maybe its just me. Yeah I was unsure about going in so hard on the political angle in this video cause all media's open to interpretation and I recognise that a lot of what's been on my mind reading news coverage lately might have overblown my reading of it to a degree

[@Jack-Oates]

This warehouse is probably the future of Big Finishes warehouse. Also the twist of Kerblam not being an evil company was probally too surprise people for once.

[@ZakJordan98]

Kryten's bretheren went to work for Jeff Bezos

[@AurumEtAes]

The Doctor’s attitude towards the dehumanising corporation was totally out of character. But this is not the Doctor. It’s some mindless babbling cosplayer. she loves shopping and so she gives Kerblam a free pas

[@iain9757]

“When the commentary is given in a speech at the end” Hello Stuart and Welcome to 21st Century Doctor Who Remember every Capaldi speech

[@optimisticwhovian1726]

I don't think that's just 21st century Who, a lot of the old episodes end with speeches, people keep highlighting New Who as though its somehow dramatically different from old Who and its really not. The elements of the show are always there.

[@thegd2567]

I don’t know if you’re already planning this, but I’m interested in seeing an editorial on this series when you’re finished.

[@kingcrimson1467]

Why did The Doctor have to blow up all the bombs in the end? Congratulations Doctor you've saved the day with one sentence to one droid and your magic buzzy thing but you don't have to blow them up!

[@georgeetboom7719]

Oh yh the doctor straight up lets the bad guy die. She could have stoped the explosion but she dosnt for some reason.

[@necordektox879]

I like the fact that someone is taking a stab at the issue of automation. I feel like they were trying to say that automation isn't inherently good or bad it just simply is, and our response to it will end up making it good or bad. But the message got pretty muddled. I agree they didn't show the stakes Kandoka was facing if the status quo didn't change. Show Don't Tell. Show us what happens when 90% of the population is unemployable. We would need to visit Kandoka itself to get the full impact.

[@SamyulDavis]

Best one yet.

[@TheSkully343]

One of my biggest gripes with this episode (and the season in general) is that Nu Who stilll hasn't shaken off the 45 Minute syndrome that the supposed extra five minutes was supposed to rectify for the cut down to 10 episodes. I do generally like Kerblam as my second favorite episode of the series (Demons of the Punjab just edges out of it slightly) but this is an episode that would've worked much better as a Classic Who serial given the scope and the themes its trying to contend with. We never get to see its effect on the people who live in this mechanized workplace future, only told by the few characters we meet before they're killed off by Bubblewrap and even in that sense the mixed signals given by how Kerblam is in the right for having a mechanized workforce but also isn't because they're trying to work for efficiency and people seem to like them anyway made for one hell of a jarring ending. Charlie I think could've been the very thing that would've made the ending work had they not butchered his characterization with the whole "The ends justify the means... Until it killed the girl I had a crush on" which is ultimately symptomatic of a writer trying desperately to end the episode before the 50 minute run time concluded. Admittedly I do hope this is expanded on in future seasons but I did like how The Doctor reached out to save Charlie before turning back to her friends saying that she gave him a chance before leaving him to die. Could make for an interesting character arc about how the Doctor learns to deal with being kind in a universe that doesn't give a single fuck about you. (I doubt it though, in fact I'm sure anything from the Capaldi era would likely be jettisoned, including the "Am I a Good Man? character arc from Series 8 - 10) Needless to say, I'd just love to see how it tests her patience before snapping into the Oncoming Storm. Kerblam is still an episode that if I had to select an episode of Series 11 to watch again would be on the list, but upon rewatch this wasn't quite the gem I remembered it being.

[@carealoo744]

3:20 Thank you! Phew! For a moment I thought you were going to end this review series claiming that series 11 was wonderful!

[@peterthompson1989]

Its an interesting episode with some nice clues. The doctor was originally chosen to work in maintenance where the guy was but changed it. This was probably the system trying to point them in the right area. For me like you mentioned it felt too short. I've mentioned it a few times but I feel this series had lots of good ideas that never ended up being fully realised. I also feel like lee mac was wasted

[@lucifersdevilishdetails.]

The only complaint I have for Amazon is you buy a teaspoon and get it in a box size for a bed

[@maldon3659]

the tv that says consume on it reminds me of they live! also in a previous episode the doctor said she loves a good conspiracy but in this episode she says she doesn't like conspiracy, theres a tonal and character incosistancy for you.

[@charliedawson4877]

Wow, off handed one liners by the Doctor being contradictory? Since when?

[@MaskofMandarin]

Thank you! I felt like I was watching a Kablam! sponcered episode of New Who. What with the ill thought out villian and an episode that ends up feeling like a bargain bin ROBOTS OF DEATH I regard this as one of Series 11's turkeys.

[@georgeetboom7719]

Big thing i dont get is how did no one pop any bubble wrap before we found out its dangerous . Like what if ryan decides to just pop some bubble wrap when he starts working??? Or some accidently exploding??

[@patrickmcgann2673]

I do reviews as well, and one thing I've found is that my opinions on recent episodes often change with time. For example, I hated The Impossible Planet when I first watched it, but then as time went on it became possibly my favorite episode of all time. I'd be interested to see you do a video in a year or two briefly touching on each of the season 11 episodes and seeing if your thoughts or opinions have changed on them at all in the intervening time.

[@BenS-dy9eq]

I reminded me a bunch of The Sun Makers. I have nothing else to say about that.

[@optimisticwhovian1726]

The Sun Makers was a commentary on tax though not manufacturing companies.

[@BlackEsqShogun]

Its weird because there are tonnes of examples to suggest that The Doctor is either anti-Capitalist or Capitalist critical (such as "Davros" from Big Finish or "Oxygen" from series 10) seeing the Doctor this cuddly towards a massive corporation seems massively out of character to me.

[@Witzke231]

Watching Chibnall's DW is like watching Steven Universe.

[@arthurspudgun2664]

Good review! The 'Ugh!' moment for me, was when there was deadly bubble wrap. I thought, here we go again. Another everyday object that has been made deadly. I'm kinda bored with all that now.

[@TheJaviferrol]

Only episode of Series 11 where i felt i was watching Doctor Who if im honest

[@mayotango1317]

Series 2 never feel Doctor Who for me, is more a soap opera.

[@mathieuleader8601]

this episode would have good if 13 met Eleven and took down Gus the enemy of Mummy of the Orient Express

[@GiratinaofFury]

I kind of enjoyed this episode. It set up a premise that would lead you to believe it's one thing, but then attempts to misdirect you. It could have served as commentary of the scapegoating of minorities as being the root of unemployment when it's automation that has been doing that, how individuals will often target the problems of society and those responsible without offering a real case for the alternative, or how tearing down the system may seem a decent idea, because you see it becoming the oppressor, when its absence may lead to an even worse entity, and that you change the system, not break it, and I feel the Doctor could have done just that when she was trying to talk down the young man from taking his life and destroying the company.

[@DemetriusSorvo]

Invasion of the Dinosaurs? Nobody seems to draw the parallels between the stories.

[@carealoo744]

Is it? What's similar? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just can't think of any parallels, off the top of my head...

[@MidnightChimey]

"I understand your ideals. In many ways I sympathise with them. But this is not the way to go about it, you know. Take the world that you've got and try and make something of it. It's not too late"

[@Daelyas]

Hadnt thought about it but true. Also a more traditional "left wing" message being the "bad guy" in an episode.

[@carealoo744]

I still don't quite get it, but that may have to do with the fact that I haven't seen invasion of the dinosaurs for a while, or it may just have to do with me trying to forget everything that happened in series 11.

[@Daelyas]

@@carealoo744 the villain was an environmentalist/elitist/humanist kind of guy convinced humans were killing the planet so he wanted to travel back in time with a select few to make a new and better future down the line... therefor not "killing" all humans but kind of? In a way? It was odd. But I like it - cheesy dinosaur models and all :D

[@benw4409]

Maybe it's the fact I'm politically a bit in the middle but I really liked the twist. Doctor Who has done the "evil corporation" twist before and it's a bit tired so I really appreciated an episode that tried something different and subverted a standard plot whilst offering a really entertaining and imaginative piece of sci-fi.

[@Fancy_Lebowski]

But what did you think of the enthusiastic albeit anxiety ridden Twirly?

[@pixeltreason2968]

This is a pretty good episode. It’s very sad though.

[@JohnAShort]

I thought of it like the message in 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs'. The writer of that story is Mac Hulke who was at one time a member of the Communist Party... He couldn't be more left leaning. And yet 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs' villains are lefties who have taken their activism too far.

[@menwithven2862]

I thought that it was pretty solid. Although it could be better with the 9th doctor and jack as that's the kinda story witch the series 1 tardis team would really thrive In.

[@MG-fv4oj]

Do a video on Savalon Glitz

[@soarel325]

God this episode is a mess. I honestly think that there was some sort of conflict behind the scenes writing this episode and they couldn't really agree on what message it should have.

[@optimisticwhovian1726]

Sorry what's a "Rockpool Moment" exactly? Or did I hear that wrong? The captions call it Rock Paul but that cant be right either, please explain?

[@Stubagful]

Rug-pull moment, as in pulling the rug out from under your feet

[@optimisticwhovian1726]

Ohhhhh, gotcha, sorry @@Stubagful

[@maxeyre2024]

I quite liked this episode, felt like classic who

[@syndex9373]

I felt this should have been done by big finish, theh are more heavyweight at this

[@Izelikestea]

if 90 percent of humans are poor and jobless, then who is buying all of the stuff from kerblam? its a trope that gets used in dystopian fiction a lot. but its always confused me, cause...economies generally need people to buy things.

[@roguebritgravy1]

So it's good and bad?

[@hobbythebear5337]

Corporation was also a problem but these time they decided to focus on terrorism instead.I mean they already did the bad company thing last series so yeah...🙃

[@thethinkingcatakaneonormie3527]

I hated this story it was the Sun Makers done wrong the corporation should have been brought down and the computer replacing the the corporate greed creating a utopian society terrible writing, this was what made me give up on this show.

[@michaelhatton2477]

Hmm, I’m noticing a running theme with your Series 11 reviews. And quite honestly, I don’t think the rest of this series’ episodes will entice you. Plus knowing how you’ve been generally down on Doctor Who for the past six years or so, with the exception of most of Series 10, it might just be the case that the show isn’t exactly for you anymore. And it probably never will be again sorry to say. At least on TV; there’s still Big Finish to enjoy. Also I’m a bit confused with your final thoughts on this episode. I know you wanted more but aside from that did you like it, were you eh? I don’t know.

[@flashrobbie]

Does weird mean balanced? There's bad guys everywhere.

[@DoctorWhoHome1]

Ehhh I enjoyed this one but I think it was more just the best of a bad bunch? I don’t know it felt like doctor who at least but did just kind of exist and then it was over?

[@casualcraftman1599]

One stupid negative criticism for Kerblam I have seen is using the scene where the 13th Doctor kills the Kerblam antagonist to radicalize the 13th Doctor as a blood thirsty psychopath. The first reason this is ridiculous is that ever incarnation of the Doctor is inconsistent on killing. Ever incarnation of the Doctor tries to go for Aang killing morality and Kyoshi killing morality. So it's ridiculous to act like the 13th Doctor is the only one that is a hypocrite with a inconstant killing morality. The Second reason this is stupid out of all times to hate the Doctor for killing an antagonist, it's odd to hate the one time where the Doctor killed a mail bomber. An issue the show has overall is that the show only uses mercy as a excuse to not kill off popular recurring antagonists which creates odd moments where the Doctor shows mercy to Daleks after commenting genocide but kills one time antagonists that have killed less than the Daleks without hesitation. If you got a problem with The Doctor killing an antagonist, then criticize the moment beyond using it to justify hating that incarnation of the Doctor.

[@rhyanbennett2629]

ZoMg!! StUbAgFuL iS a CoMmUnIsT! He WaNtS tO sMaSh WeStErN cIvIlIsAtIoN wItH a ReAlLy BiG hAmMeR!!

[@DT-od3hd]

Irresponsible and ethically disgusting episode. The twitter dwellers crowing that S11 is some kind of entryist plot are kidding themselves.

[@jefferyjones8399]

I mean yeah, it's basically neoliberal nonsense but I enjoyed the episode. It's definitely in my top half of the season.

[@joshbostock_2040]

I see where you come from but I personally thought this was the most enjoyable. When's the next big finish review.

[@johnwhittington2998]

My favourite episode

[@ender7278]

I thought it was brilliant.

[@bostao4216]

And this is one of the best things Season 11 has to ofer Huray now i feel the regret of feling optimistic about Season 11 I am not proud of it. But i miss Mofat

[@bostao4216]

Do you remenber the worst episode of Doctor Who Hell Bent And do you remenber that at least the episode that came before it was the best episode of New Who, and not a gigantic ball of boring fluff Good times

[@silvaanabeatriz07]

This episode makes me so angry

[@tardisnet9487]

Love this story and one of the best of Series 11. I have a review of every episode of the Series if anyone wants to check it out.

[@toasterhead79]

I think you’re missing the point. Nobody was supposed to be the bad guy in this story. The corporation was wrong for overusing automation and mistreating their employees, while the terrorist obviously shouldn’t have been killing people. They're both bad, but also have good reasons for respectively using and wanting to destroy the autonomous workforce. The point is to present the good and the bad side of automation, and the end reflected that with a compromise rather than, ‘let’s destroy all the robots!’, or ‘robots are the best, screw humans!’.

[@zakjaggs9761]

Best of series 11

[@ysthafellgynghori8423]

A story ending with an unexpected twist is no bad thing, surely? Agatha Christie did it all the time. The only problem I had with this story was the fez, a reference to the Matt Smith era which I don't particularly want to be reminded of.

[@Daelyas]

Right... but isnt the point kind of that in this specific society "worker" and "management" and even "corporation" have lost all meaning anyway? Its human beings struggling with our own technology. In a very different (and much preferred version for me :D )* than the Cybermen perhaps but its the same issue at heart. The "boss" was just as helpless as anyone else there including the maintenance guy. Its not like the robots were not under control or anything. If the human race just collectively decided to shut them down and replace them with workers (gradually of course) everything would be fine.... but since they are humans (or aliens or whatever) it probably boiled down to "maybe later" or "but its so convenient" or even the classic "somebody should do something... and that somebody is not me". I suppose someone on that world must be really profiting somewhere down the line... but as you said we did not find out enough about the world this played in. EDIT: *Much preferred version in terms of experiencing it first hand - Rather a factory drone than a ... well.. drone

[@danielross5292]

Oh This Episode is a Major Ripoff South Park Season Twenty-two Episode Unfulfilled That Chinballs is a Joke!😕

[@casualcraftman1599]

The Sci-fi genre dose overuse corporations being cartoonisly evil. If any sci-fi story has a cortoonisly evil corporation get punished by governments and authorities, that sci-fi story would defiantly be consider a subversion of expectations by default.

[@iain9757]

It was very witty

[@kadette]

Unpopular opinion. I love this episode. I thought season 11 was pretty soulless and hard to watch. Worst consistent season so far. But this episode is provably one of my favorite ever.

[@ontos8534]

Best one of the season but that doesn’t say much as it’s basically a mediocre RTD episode

[@MissTomi]

This was the only good episode of this season, but it would be even better if the Doctor wasn't potrayed by someone who acts worse than high school students.