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“DOT AND BUBBLE: A PASTEL DYSTOPIA INFLUENCED BY IGNORANCE AND ENTITLEMENT”

Following the surreal and unnerving 73 Yards, Dot and Bubble continues Season 1’s bold experimentation with format and tone. It’s another episode where the Doctor and Ruby are largely absent – or at least physically – and instead places the story in the hands (and bubble interface) of one Lindy Pepper-Bean, a chirpy influencer navigating a perfectly curated society that’s slowly crumbling behind the scenes.

Lindy is part of Finetime, a hyper-managed human colony that could be described as “Instagram-core.” Its pastel colour palette, sterile perfection, and app-controlled society form one of the most visually striking settings in Doctor Who history. But beneath the surface lies a horror story both sci-fi and sociological, where killer slugs roam freely – unseen and unacknowledged by those too addicted to their social media interfaces to notice anything real.

THE DESIGN OF A SOCIAL NIGHTMARE

The worldbuilding here is sharp and creative. Finetime feels like the logical (if horrifying) end result of algorithmic culture – every citizen lives inside a literal bubble, a floating screen interface that tells them where to go, how to behave, what’s trending, and even whether they need the toilet. It’s as funny as it is disturbing, and Lindy’s repeated collisions with lampposts because her bubble fails to warn her are some of the better physical gags of the episode.

But the style is in service of substance. The colony is designed to be consumed through filters, making it a potent metaphor for how digital life removes us from the real world. Even as friends vanish and bodies pile up, Lindy’s bubble reassures her that everything is perfectly fine.

LINDY PEPPER-BEAN: FROM VICTIM TO VILLAIN

Callie Cooke plays Lindy with brilliant precision, balancing the role’s comedy and creeping horror. Initially, she seems like a fish out of water – a well-meaning but slightly clueless young woman manipulated by her environment. But as the Doctor and Ruby try to help her (via video feed), her ignorance becomes increasingly frustrating… until we realise it’s not just ignorance. It’s wilful blindness, entitlement, and prejudice.

Her slow turn from unwitting protagonist to outright antagonist is handled expertly. From casually disregarding the Doctor to outright betraying Ricky September, Lindy’s actions make clear that, deep down, she’s not just a product of her society – she upholds its worst values. The final nail in the coffin is her refusal, and that of her fellow colonists, to accept rescue from the Doctor simply because he is Black. It’s a chilling and powerful moment, made all the more effective by how gradually it dawns on the audience.

RICKY SEPTEMBER: POP STAR, TRUTH SEEKER, TRAGIC HERO

Ricky September deserves a special mention – Finetime’s local pop icon and arguably the only character in the colony with any depth. With his glittery outfit, star power, and optimistic outlook, he appears like a parody of pop culture – but turns out to be its conscience. He’s the only person who has stepped outside his bubble to see the truth, and his efforts to help Lindy escape show real bravery.

Which is why his sudden, brutal death at the hands of Lindy’s AI-controlled interface – just moments after he saves her – is so devastating. It’s a death that mirrors her selfishness, and a bitter gut punch to a rare spark of hope in an otherwise bleak society.

DOCTOR WHO DOES BLACK MIRROR (BUT MEANER)

There’s been no shortage of Doctor Who stories that satirise technology (The Bells of Saint John, Smile, The Ark in Space, etc.), but Dot and Bubble digs deeper. Its themes start with the dangers of overreliance on tech, but evolve into something far more uncomfortable: a takedown of systemic privilege and implicit racism.

Every person in Finetime is young, wealthy, and white. The dialogue is peppered with subtle microaggressions, which might be missed on a first watch – but once you catch them, they become glaring. Lindy’s casual dismissal of the Doctor, her eventual rejection of Ruby, and her blatant discomfort with voices that don't match her worldview speak volumes. This is a society built not just on curated perfection, but exclusionary values – a soft dictatorship of aesthetic and race.

And when the Doctor finally offers salvation – the chance to escape in the TARDIS – the colonists' decision to decline because they don’t like who’s saving them becomes the real horror. It’s one of the most quietly devastating scenes Doctor Who has ever delivered.

A DOCTOR WHO PRESENCE FELT THROUGH SCREENS

Although the Doctor and Ruby are physically removed from the action, their presence is cleverly handled through video calls and occasional cut-ins, reminiscent of Blink’s interaction between Sally Sparrow and the Tenth Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa gives a restrained but quietly passionate performance, particularly in the final confrontation, where his offer to help is met with hatred and silence.

Ruby fares similarly well – a calm, grounded presence, gently trying to reach through to Lindy before realising, like the Doctor, that some people don’t want to be saved. Despite the minimal screen time, their characters are felt throughout, and their frustration becomes the viewer’s.

CREATURES OF THE WEEK – SLUGS OF DOOM?

The killer slugs stalking Finetime are beautifully designed – simple, menacing, and gooey in the right ways. There’s a definite echo of the Tractators (Frontios) in their slow, lumbering crawl and grotesque aesthetic, though no explicit connection is made. Still, in a season of strong creature design, these are among the most memorably creepy – especially as their attacks are barely acknowledged by the bubble-blinded populace.

A FINAL SCENE THAT HITS HARD

The climax of Dot and Bubble is quietly earth-shaking. Lindy stands alone, safe and smug, having condemned everyone around her with her choices. The Doctor’s frustrated realisation – that he’s been refused not for what he’s done but for who he is – is heartbreaking. The final image of Lindy, untouched and unchanged, serves as a biting condemnation of complacency and systemic prejudice. The monsters weren’t just slugs – they were the people all along.

📝 VERDICT: 10/10

DOT AND BUBBLE starts as a Black Mirror-esque satire of social media culture but builds to something darker and far more daring. Underneath its bubble interface and pastel palette lies a disturbing portrait of privilege, prejudice, and the kind of soft horror that feels all too real. With one of the most unsettling character arcs in recent Who, stellar design, and a finale that hits like a punch to the gut, this is modern Doctor Who at its most provocative – sharp, stylish, and deeply unsettling.