Watched Apr 12th 2025

There's genuinely a lot that could elevate this story above the usual RTD season opener. The premise is an idea that is so 'Doctor Who' that I'm surprised not even comics or Big Finish haven't gotten to it first, the dynamic between The Doctor and Belinda is engaging and leaves me wanting more, and the visuals are a step up from the previous season where I can certainly see the increased budget justified.

Sadly, this is where my praise mostly ends. Much like previous RTD 2 episodes, you can certainly feel the limitations of the 45 minute episode constraint to where things are rushed, particularly in the second half where it becomes especially muddled with characters making decisions seemingly just for the plot to move along. There is little time to dwell on Sasha's death or Belinda's decision to reveal the location of the resistance apart from a few lines. The episode could give good commentary regarding how the promise of generative AI can be used to influence populations or how a critique on incel culture leads to authoritarianism, but fails to properly explore either for the sake of combining both into the twist reveal.

Overall a decent episode, but one I don't plan on consciously going back to apart from a few scenes.