I loved 99% of that, and this is soooo close to a 5 star. We will get back to the 1% shortly.

This is a rare RTD2 episode with perfect pacing. It didn't feel too rushed, nor too slow. Just right. The first 10-15 minutes are gripping tension, and once the action starts it is so wild and kinetic! Love it!

All performances are electric here, with Gatwa occasionally adding menace to the role, and having plenty of gravitas. When he spoke to Belinda in the diner, it felt like his 7, or his 11 was showing and I got minor chills.And of course, Sethu was still amazing as Belinda; playing her distrust of The Doctor super well while still showing heart and enjoyment in the adventure and the mystery. What a fantastic companion! I'm loving her dynamic with The Doctor so much.

But the star of the show was, of course, Alan Cumming. He puts in a fantastically fun, campy, and at points even chilling, performance as my favourite RTD2 villain yet. I was so excited for Mr Ring-A-Ding and I'm happy to say they nailed it between his performance and the effects.

And oh, those effects! What a love letter to rubberhose cartoons, and I love how his "human" form was essentially a parody of "realistic" cartoon characters and that ugly artstyle. The special effects team deserve so much credit and props for their hard work here in how well they did the mixed media.

The dialogue was also golden throughout, and other than the 1%, I think all of it flowed beautifully and was fun!

Final positive: think they found the perfect balance for having segregation in the setting. Present enough to not be brushed aside, but not so present it distracts from the main story with Lux, or makes the episode too dark. Great balance!

So, we come onto the one thing I don't like.

I'm glad some folks got enjoyment from the meta scene with the fans but to me that felt indulgent and fan-wanky. I didn't really find it as mean spirited as I feared, so I appreciate that. But something about Doctor Who referencing itself being a TV show (past the brief tease in Remembrance of the Daleks) just feels like a little too much for me. I don't mind meta stuff or poking the fourth wall but this just felt a step too far for me and took me out of the episode. 

But thankfully, not enough to ruin it. I loved this so much otherwise that I'll give it a 9/10.