This is a pretty fun episode. Not only did I enjoy the Weakest Link parody, though it does date Bad Wolf severely, it's also a great pay-off to the season arc in a way I found the show would always struggle with more in the future. Here, it feels a lot more organic and I get quite a bit out of the growing dread that occurs in the Doctor as events unfold around him. We go to a silly retread of The Long Game into some really solid set-up to the finale. A good episode that I find really replayable.

New Who Review #12

Bad Wolf

This episode was good. It serves as a good first part of the series 1 finale. The deadly game shows are really cool and a fun idea. The scene where rose gets shot with the disintegrater beam was a shocking one. The reveal that the daleks are behind all of this hiding in space controlling the games is scary and the fact there's half a million daleks is truly terrifying. This is a strong 9/10

📝7/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"Bad Wolf: Reality Bites"

The penultimate episode of Doctor Who Series 1, Bad Wolf, brings the Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack back to Satellite Five, first seen in The Long Game. This time, the station has been transformed into the Game Station, a dystopian haven for deadly reality TV shows inspired by early 21st-century hits like Big Brother and The Weakest Link. With Russell T. Davies taking a sharp jab at media culture, this episode aims for satirical critique, though the commentary already feels somewhat dated.

The story centres on our heroes navigating these bizarre and lethal game scenarios. While the premise is intriguing, it leans heavily on both comedy and drama, sometimes overplaying each to the detriment of its social commentary. It’s a far cry from the nuanced media critique of classic episodes like Vengeance on Varos. That said, there’s undeniable entertainment value in watching Captain Jack strut his stuff in a fashion makeover segment or the Anne-Droid delivering cutting quips in her robotic rendition of The Weakest Link. Anne Robinson’s cameo as the voice of the Anne-Droid is a delightful touch, adding a layer of authenticity to the absurdity.

Christopher Eccleston shines as the Ninth Doctor, delivering a performance brimming with intensity and wit. John Barrowman’s Captain Jack is reliably charming and resourceful, while Billie Piper’s Rose takes a bit of a backseat until the shocking climax. The guest cast does well, with particular praise for Jo Joyner as Lynda, affectionately known as “Lynda with a Y.” Her cheerful resilience makes her a standout and leaves viewers lamenting that she never became a full-time companion.

The return to Satellite Five offers a chance to revisit the consequences of the Doctor’s earlier interference. In The Long Game, he freed humanity from oppressive manipulation, but here we see how that victory has soured. A century later, humanity is still enslaved, now by the darker forces running the Game Station. However, this exploration of cause and effect doesn’t get the depth it deserves, overshadowed by the episode’s quirky tone and game show antics.

Visually, the Game Station feels less grand than its earlier incarnation. The sets are serviceable but lack the awe-inspiring scale of The Long Game. However, the atmosphere shifts significantly in the final act, with the eerie Controller (an unsettling but underused character) revealing the true villains behind the chaos: the Daleks.

The episode builds to a stunning climax. Rose’s apparent disintegration is a gut-punch moment, leaving the Doctor visibly shattered. Eccleston’s performance in the final moments is unforgettable, as he transitions from despair to fiery resolve. The reveal of thousands of Daleks waiting to attack is chilling, and the Doctor’s bold promise to save Rose sets the stage for an epic showdown in the finale.

Final Thoughts:

Bad Wolf is a mixed bag. Its satirical edge feels blunted, and the tone sometimes wavers between goofy and grim. However, strong performances and a gripping conclusion make it a worthy lead-in to the series finale. The sight of the Doctor standing defiant in the face of impossible odds remains one of the season’s most iconic moments.

"You're evicted...from life"

Happy twenty year anniversary to just a banger of an episode. Honestly, this is a 4 or 4.5 but I give it a 5 just because of that epic cliffhanger. The parody of reality tv shows hasn't aged a day, and the hilarity of the Ninth Doctor in the Big Brother house is great. Eccelston is fantastic, his complete horror when he learns that he is responsible for the rise of the Game Station and his quiet fury at Rose's death. Billie Piper does great work as well with her initial laughter at the ridiculous set-up turning into horror, but the real breakout star is Lynda with a y who is instantly a likable potential companion. Even the two technicians running the station have their moments. Really, it all builds toward that crescendo where the Doctor tells the Daleks he's coming for them. "No weapons, no defenses, no plan!" It's the perfect cliffhanger.

A lot people, myself included, agree that while Bad Wolf is an excellent part one, it's is more of a setup and the real meat of the story is all in the finale. But that doesn't mean we should overlook a lot of what Bad Wolf offers that makes it an all-timer in its own right. The highlight of course being the game show setting where all these game shows we're familiar with are now used to kill contestants. It builds to my favourite scene of the story where the Doctor learns about the consequences of his actions in the past that unintentionally shaped the Earth into the nightmare world it is today. It’s something that doesn’t come up a lot in Doctor Who where they reveal that while the Doctor in the moment may have saved the day, in the long term he actually made things worse because he was too busy flying off to his next destination instead of cleaning up the mess.

The other highlight of course being the reveal that the Daleks had been pulling the strings this entire time, slowly building their fleet for an invasion of Earth. Which leads to an hell of a cliffhanger and one of Eccleston's best scenes setting the stage for one massive battle in the finale. It's an excellent part one to one of Modern Who's best series finales

Bad Wolf is mostly set-up for the second half of the finale, but fair play it's good set-up. More than that, it's a solid story in its own right - tearing apart the mid-2000s reality show zeitgeist, introducing my beloved Lynda-with-a-Y, and really allowing Christopher Ecclestone to show just how good he is as an actor.

Disclaimer: If you read this Review, then I highly advise you to give my "Parting of the Ways" Review a Read, since that one directly continues from this, due to the Nature of this being a Two-Parter.

Series 1 already stands out as an odd-one under the NuWho seasons, not only because its Eccelston only, but also it feels so tightly thought-out (and no I am not talking about the Bad Wolf “Arc”, it’s cool that it got mentioned through the Season, but I don't really get why this arc and to some extent others of the RTD Era are so beloved). Series 1 I do describe as a speed run to get to know the mechanics of Doctor Who, ending of course with a regeneration. As much as I would enjoy seeing more televised Eccelston, if it’s similar to series 2 then I kindly decline it.

One of my biggest issues with a lot of RTDs Finale is that maybe the first half will be pretty solid and then the pay-off being pretty underwhelming, that’s how I feel with Empire of Death. With “Bad Wold” basically being a big spoof on reality TV, as well as some other popular TV formats, it does have its own identity and stands on its own in my eyes, unlike Legend of Ruby Sunday for example. And while of course it did age in some regards, I would lie if I didn’t say I enjoyed it quite a lot. It’s very charming!

2025 Rewatch (Will post on both episodes)

• I love the wild and bold choice to bring iconic reality shows of the time and turn them into deadly games. still such an iconic idea, and it feels dated as well, but beautifully so. It would be so weird trying to do that today. What shows would they use? Love Island? The Chase?
• However, overall, I didn't feel much interest in the story as I used to. I wonder if that's because it doesn't have that grandeur most finales I'm expected to have. It has that feel of just another adventure. I know that changes by the finale episode, but vibes don't always be there
• During my classic rewatch I can't help that this feels a little like a combination of Vengenace on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks for certain plot points. which is interesting because they are very separate, but I can't help but think of them
• The Daleks are pretty great in this story, killing tons of people, a bit insane
• 2 minor points I don't feel so set with
  • Why did the Doctor have to kiss Rose?
  • Why didn't the Doctor put Lynda on the TARDIS, too? Felt like he was interested in having her onboard but only decided to save Rose fully? RIP LYNDA we love you

The episode begins with Nine, Rose, and Jack all respectively waking up in three separate futuristic game shows, which is a little absurd but doesn’t do all that much to impact the tone of the episode. When each quickly learns that the games are deadly, that’s when things get interesting. With our plucky side character for the story Lynda by his side, the Doctor manages to escape and try to figure out what’s going on at Satellite 5. The story works as both a criticism of reality TV and the passive culture surrounding entertainment but also served to further the “Bad Wolf” storyline. This is when we get the proper return of the Daleks with all their might and it does well at building the tension of what will happen next.

Great episode with the main cast getting some opportunities to perform on their own in an unfamiliar environment. The twist of how the Game Station "kills" its losers was chilling, and Rose's situation added real stakes through the episode. Jack really shines in this episode, both in his game and after the breakout. The episode ends with a good old "EXTERMINATE", and the Daleks are scary here

What's interesting about rewatches is that you already have preconceptions going in. You've seen it already, so whether you remember it vividly, vaguely or just remember a feeling, you go in thinking you know how you'll feel watching it again. Take this episode for instance. My memory was that it had too much annoying reality tv stuff, that wasn't very funny. I was certain this was generally a bad episode, albeit with a good ending. I was wrong though, because watching this again, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

I'm never going to be a big fan of the TV show stuff. It's just not to my taste (I actively dislike most reality television and the weakest link was never a show I cared for) and I don't buy that it's meant to be satire or social commentary. The little of that there is, is so broad and basic that it barely registers. I think this stuff is here because RTD likes these shows and thought it'd be fun.

I don't like these shows, but found that it was for the most part harmless fun that didn't really overstay it's welcome. Doctor Who has been going so long, and the premise is so versatile, that it's rare to start an adventure with the Doctor being somewhere unexpected. Seeing the Doctor in the Big Brother house is such an odd image, that I actually kinda like it as a starting point for the adventure. It helps that he doesn't stay there that long before breaking out. The 'What Not to Wear' stuff with Jack really doesn't work for me, but again there's a lot less of it than I remembered before Jack breaks out, so it didn't really annoy me this rewatch. The Weakest Link stuff goes on the longest, but the show is actually able to draw some tension out of these segments. So honestly, much to my surprise, I found myself liking them.

Rose apparently gets disintegrated on the set of The Weakest Link, with The Doctor and Jack barely unable to get there in time to save her. But this leads to one of my favourite parts of the episode. The Doctor being silent and dejected as he's arrested and imprisoned is great. It truly makes the plight of our heroes feel helpless. Then he gives the order, and he, Jack & Lynda (she is sweet, if a little uninteresting as a temporary companion for this episode) break out. The pace builds, the excitement builds with it and we learn the secret to what was once Satellite 5. Turns out that when the Doctor defeated the Jagrafess in 'The Long Game' and believed that the human race should accelerate back to becoming the 4th Great and Bountiful Human Empire, he was wrong. I love the idea that because the Doctor didn't bother to stick around to deal with the clean up or the consequences of that episode (as he rarely, if ever does), that a far larger threat was able to emerge from the mess the Doctor left. The Dalek's have been secretly rebuilding in the darkness, using television to terrify, pacify and farm humanity in secret.

The end reveals are thrilling. Learning that Rose wasn't disintegrated but teleported is joyous (The Doctor and Jack sell it the joy brilliantly), then we see Rose, but she's soon runs terrified from a Dalek. I'll never tire of seeing a character backing away terrified from the Dalek's POV, just as they did when the Daleks were first introduced. Then we learn that not only do the Daleks have Rose, but they have an army of Daleks. A single Dalek was terrifying, so how can we handle almost half a million. We'll have to tune in next week to find out, but not before a defiant Doctor gives a great speech to the Daleks to leave us hyped for the finale.

It still doesn't all work for me. But I definitely liked more of it than I remembered. The parts I dislike, I dislike less than I thought. Plus, the ending is thrilling.