THE SILLIEST GUY TO EVER SILLY!!! mr ring a ding I love you so much you absolute icon. not only did he break the 4th wall he also made and broke a fifth wall

the diner guy's acting was so bad that it ends up being good. he was the absolute best part aside from mr ring a ding and deserved far more screen time . the halfway 1950s voice he does is absolutely awful I love it so much

Odd how this series feels like a complete reboot of the previous, taking the same format for it's first two episodes exactly. Episode one, sci-fi world. Episode two, fights against actual gods in a historical setting; this time it even has the same dressing up scene. This isn't a shock, RTD always used a formula for a the beginning of a series (and it was quite similar to this one, actually), just it does feel almost like a retelling, in a way. A second attempt. This naturally invites comparison, and, to be frank, while I did like "The Devil's Chord", this is a far better exploration of the exact same concept, more akin to "The Giggle". This was, I think, the first episode of the Fifteenth Doctor's era that actually justified the budget attached to it. There's not really anything negative to say, this is just peak Who. Imaginative, unique, the kind of things that makes you want seconds. Delights me to know there's a Target novelization on the horizon (wink, wink).

Very impressive animation overall, and a pretty solid story.  I like how the 1950s was portrayed pretty honestly - with some time spent on the period's gross flaws around segregation, but also acknowledging these people are human and still care for one another.  Mr. Ring-A-Ding was impressive as a villain in how he looked, but also in how production made him both silly and scary.  I love the scene where he was talking about how learning about perspective is slowing him down as he has to climb what are now giant steps to him - this episode is full of humour and ideas like that and it really works well.  I maybe didn't respond as strongly to this one as others, but I still very much enjoyed it and had a good time.

I like how RTD is still featuring godly characters for the Doctor to go up against.  They are fun villains who add a new dynamic with the Doctor we don't often see.  However, it does feel like RTD has no means of ending these kind of stories in any satisfying way.  The Toymaker, Maestro, and Sutekh all had pretty disappointing endings, and Lux hits that trend hard.  He literally just floats away in space at the end of the story and that's that.  It's a deeply and profoundly lame way to end an otherwise fun and fine story.

Still, along the way we get a lot of good character work with Belinda and 15, which makes a big difference in a positive way.  I really like the scene where our protagonists become a 2D, simple animation, and have to "give themselves depth."  That's some really fun and memorable writing which definitely helps make up for that lame ending.

dont think i can get over the 4th wall breaking

Wow, such an interesting concept. Animation and illustration has been such an engrained part of Doctor Who, given the amount of animated remasters of lost serials, spinoff animations like Scream of the Shalka, and as many graphic novels and comics as there have been. I've always wanted the live action series to incorporate animation, and I even had a dream a few years ago that the 60th would include stop-motion models and sets, so this theoretically is everything I've been wanting for a while.

This is definitely my favourite episode so far since RTD took back the reins, and possibly my favourite since Moffat left. You can feel that the writing team has changed, everything seems a bit more concise, and the dialogue has markedly improved in quality. The introduction of Mr Ring-a-Ding was pretty standardly spooky, but it did its job, and his character is equally charismatic to Maestro from last season.

In a similar manner to Thin Ice and Rosa, they actually acknowledge racism and segregation in a realistic manner, not like how it's brushed off callously by the Doctor in the Shakespeare Code, or where in the same episode, Shakespeare's ignorance is played for laughs (Martha deserved better).

The scene in the diner with the mother was quite striking, and it's there that I first noticed that the soundtrack this series seems more memorable than the last, I'm actually being able to pay attention to not only the grandiose pieces of music that draw attention to big moments, but the tracks that play in the less high-energy scenes, like in the diner. I think the best acting in the episode might be from Mrs Lowenstein in sed scene: she nails the exasperation of a mother with a missing son who has almost lost all hope, her performance seems to have more human subtlety than the other characters (including the Doctor and Belinda unfortunately).

I do appreciate the effort to add depth and purpose to most of if not every character. It hurt me in Monster House (2006) when Mr Nevercracker had a dead wife being kept alive by supernatural forces, so it hurt me here when they did a similar thing with Mr Pye. I do think that this can be faulty at times, but I'll get into that more when I address the fourth-wall break later on in my review.

Mr Ring-a-Ding's introduction to the Doctor and Belinda is great, I love him and may possibly have to bookmark him as a potential Halloween costume. The ye olde sound effects and rotoscope-reminiscient animation style is really good at paying homage to the point in time where animation really started to feel alive. He is so engagingly unhinged as a villain, and goes to prove that we don't need the Master constantly in order to have camp psychos bouncing off the walls like personified fireworks. Speaking of camp psychos, I kind of enjoy that the Pantheon of Gods feel like JoJo bosses, I know some other people don't, but it's working for me personally.

I wish the part where the Doctor and Belinda were animated went on longer, maybe even for half of the episode; it would avoid that clunky trauma dump about Gallifrey at least. It would be so cool if we stayed in the animated world and they spent a bit of runtime trying to figure out how to break out other than just being vulnerable. Then you could keep in the scene with the police officer in the theatre afterwards as a live action layer that they have to break out from and (in my personal opinion) completely cut out the fourth-wall break.

Okay, so, might be a controversial opinion, I don't know, I don't really follow tons of Doctor Who discourse online. I really didn't like the fourth-wall break. And I understand it, that within this universe, Mr Ring-a-Ding could appeal to one of the Doctor's flaws (narcissism) to convince him to stay in a trap where he is the main character of a big TV show and that there are notable pieces of iconography from his subconscious that these fictional fans could hypothetically be drawn to: fez, scarf, cyberman, meep, etc. but everything about this scene is so hyper-specific to real life. And I really don't think this scene serves any purpose outside of fan service, or a gotcha moment where RTD has baited us into thinking it's real life but it actually isn't. It is so upsetting to me because it seems ultimately meaningless. And even if I did feel happy about the meta-ness of this plot point, it offers a pretty reductive view of Doctor Who fans for the most part: overly critical, annoying, having unanimous opinions about episodes, even saying #RIPDoctorWho is cringily twisting the knife, given that a post series 15 hiatus is more likely than not. If we remove what these characters are supposed to represent (us), and just see them as characters who have only been on screen for a few minutes, it really doesn't make sense why they've chosen to score the scene with A Sad Man With a Box either, because that song is supposed to represent an unconcievable amount of yearning and loneliness, incomprehensible pain suffered by a heavily flawed and traumatised near immortal, it represents the Doctor's sadness and guilt, of which we could never even begin to understand, and it represents these emotions so beautifully, and so it then feels cheapened by its reprisal here for characters who aren't real, have only existed for a few minutes, and we have no prior knowledge of. Like for comparison, Ross in the Sontaran double-episodes is a more developed character, his death is sadder, and it would still feel wrong to play A Sad Man With a Box in that moment. There's a similar vibe about how the Doctor keeps crying every episode, there is an aspect of being told when to be sad as an audience member, instead of actually being given something substantial to cry to. 'We love you so much' did make me cry, but that's because it appealed to my specific life experiences and how they link to this show. If I wasn't already a massive fan, it wouldn't sit the same way, and I keep remembering how Russell T Davies said that he wants this era starting with Church on Ruby Road to appeal to the younger generation, but he keeps seeming too hung up on trying to appeal to the children he already raised with his original run, people like me, which is nice that he's still thinking about us, but the younger generation should have their own experiences with the show and be able to get what I did from watching revival.

The 3D modelling of Mr Ring-a-Ding when he gains power is really awesome, and so well-done, there are times where I do really appreciate parts of what they've been able to do with the Disney budget, even if I wish Disney had less input. The goodbye between Mr Pye and his wife was beautiful, and it could have been even better if we learned a bit more about their relationship, the simple everyday things about loving another person that you take for granted until they're gone. Again even Mr Ring-a-Ding's ending made me quite teary, the whole thing was quite ethereal and evocative.

Not to end on a pedantic note, but old film stock isn't explosive, it's flammable. Sorry if that's nit-picky, but the explosive nature of it does play a part in the climax.

Every now and again my crazy journey through Doctor Who in order of it’s relationship to the chronology of Earth (as charted in Lance Parkin’s seminal A History volumes), meets a brand new episode in the same time zone I am working through. At the moment, I am working through the 1950s and last week, the 15th Doctor and his newest companion, Belinda, arrived in 1952 in the story, Lux.

I struggle a little to review stories as brand new as this in my marathon. Most of the stories are ones I have watched or listened to before, sometimes more than once (especially in the case of the classic series) and therefore I already have thoughts and opinions formed in my head.

A new episode is a different beast. I’m still formulating my thoughts on the episode as well as reading what everyone else thought. On the whole, this is an episode which seems to have gone down pretty well in general. The combination of animation and live action is unique for Doctor Who and the meta elements of the story, while obviously dividing opinion as that sort of thing often does, have at least made a relatively positive impact.

As a story set in the 1950s, but in Miami, this story evokes more the episodes of Quantum Leap I’m currently watching set in this era, than it does the stories from Doctor Who I’ve reviewed from this time – The Idiot’s Lantern and The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith are stories more rooted in the previous decade, and so are some of the audio stories like An Ordinary Life and The Creeping Death are ‘drab’ and ‘working class’ in their aesthetic.

Lux is vibrant and flashy. The bright colours of the diner; the magic of cinema with the deep reds of the upholstery and the curtains and the flickering images; and of course Mr Ring-a-Ding himself, bursting out of the cinema screen in all his technicolour glory. It’s a huge contrast from something like The Idiot’s Lantern which also sees an image on screen start to talk to its audience. In that, the Wire more or less stays black and white for the entire story (with a couple of brief exceptions) and this is in keeping with the focus on television which, of course, wouldn’t see colour for quite a while after the 50s. Lux, however, is about cinema and the sparkle of the USA at this time. Even when the story is showing us black and white films or Mr Pye’s wife steps out of a movie in black and white, colour is never far away – the films are always framed in the context of the red, plush auditorium and Mr Pye’s wife gently turns to colour as they dance (in a scene which has echoes of the film Pleasantville).

The mirroring of The Idiot’s Lantern continues in the fate of Mr Ring-a-Ding’s victims which isn’t a million miles from the fate of the Wire’s victims in the former story. All are pulled into the screen and condemned to a living death inside the TV or filmstock. And then it also happens to the Doctor and Belinda as they are dragged into the animated world.

I was very excited when it was revealed that the Doctor and Belinda were to be animated in this story. Obviously, it’s been done before in sci-fi and fantasy TV, notably in Farscape and Supernatural, and it also formed the whole basis of the 8th Doctor novel, The Crooked World, but it was still exciting to finally have scenes like this on screen in Doctor Who.

And I wasn’t disappointed – well, not completely. I was a little disappointed that the animated Doctor and Belinda stayed in one scene (a cool, night-time Miami) but the rest was what I had hoped for, even if, ultimately it was quite a short sequence. The most striking thing for me was how Gatwa and Sethu subtly adapt their performance style to suit the medium they are in. It’s ever so slightly stylised and forced and fits perfectly.

The story then takes a further sharp turn into being fully meta as we reach the, no doubt heading for infamy, ‘fan scene’. Pushing out of the screen, the Doctor and Belinda find themselves in an ordinary sitting room confronted by three Doctor Who fans who have been watching them on the television. The scene is packed with easter eggs and it’s fun but, on reflection, doesn’t really work in the narrative. It very clearly starts with a ‘the Doctor and Belinda are fictional characters’ perspective but then switches partway through with no lead in or narrative indication to the fans are fictional and part of the trap. It’s a switch that doesn’t work because it’s just a complete change from what it starts out establishing and there aren’t little clues or hints leading up to it. The perspective just changes because the story needs it to change and it means the scene loses some of its impact, charming though it is.

More successful, I thought, was the scene where the Doctor and Belinda think they’ve escaped back into the real world only to be confronted by a police officer and a bucket of racism. The Doctor realising the details are wrong meaning they are still trapped works well in a way the fan scene doesn’t.

The ‘meta’ element is obviously also reminiscent of last season’s second story The Devil’s Chord and this works as a companion piece to that not least from the fact that Maestro and Lux are both members of the Pantheon. But the fourth wall breaks, the Doctor and companion getting kitted out to a contemporary soundtrack and the general tone of the whole thing are very similar and echo the way that during his first tenure, RTD would often start each series with thematically similar stories (a present day, a future and a celebrity historical start Series 1, 2 and 3 and even though The Fires of Pompeii doesn’t have ‘celebrity’ status, Series 4 still follows that format). There definitely seems to be a style similarity, again, between the three stories at the start of Season 1 and Season 2.

The special effects in this story are excellent – Mr Ring-a-Ding is realised incredibly well in both his ‘Roger Rabbit’ 2D form and his ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ 3D form. Indeed his three-dimensional transformation is a thing of nightmare. Other effects such as the Doctor and Belinda approaching the screen and pushing against it to escape into the ‘real world’ are so convincing I was actually a little unsettled by the thought that they were about to climb into our living room. There was something about the clarity of the image and the stark white background that really worked.

The rest of the production is suitably polished as well from the performances, especially Linus Roache as Mr Pye, to the period trappings of the cinema, diner and costuming.  And of course, Alan Cumming is utterly brilliant as Mr Ring-a-Ding!

Historically, the fact that the story doesn’t shy away from the systemic racism of the time and the segregation of public spaces is great, particularly with our two leads now both being ‘of colour’. It’s handled really well by the script and builds a little on Dot and Bubble’s blunter and deliberately rug-pulling, but no less effective, inclusion.

The ending is, possibly, a little unsatisfying (especially with the echoes of ‘death + death = life’ from last year’s finale) with Mr-Ring-A-Ding ascending to the heavens and becoming light (brought to life by the God of Light as he was) and it remains to be seen where the Pantheon arc is taking us, but I have no issue with Gods in the Doctor Who universe as they have been a feature since the 60s so are not some anathema to the show’s central conceits.

Overall, though, this was a gorgeous, funny, exciting production which pushed at the edges of the envelope of what Doctor Who can do ever so slightly and continues to build around the brilliant relationship already struck up between Gatwa’s 15th Doctor and Sethu’s wonderful Belinda Chandra.

A lot of really great effects make for a very inventive episode. Very bizarre and very experimental. Right now, I think I liked it quite a lot, but that might change in month.

A. Maybe B.

Lux is pretty good, although certainly not great. It's admittedly plagued by a lot of issues common to this era: bad expositional dialogue, a rather rushed third act, etc. Still, I really quite liked the concept here. Cumming is great, Mr. Ring-a-Ding looked great, and I quite liked the animated segments. Of course, that brings me to the elephant in the room: the fourth-wall breaking and the actual fans. On one hand, I found most of the dialogue to be pretty poor, and it felt almost question-begging in its assertions about the fandom. On the other, it was kinda sweet in an odd way, and seeing the Doctor physically come out of a tv was fun. Overall, this wasn't anything super amazing as an episode, but it's certainly a big step up from The Robot Revolution.

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

“LUX: A CINEMATIC CREEPSHOW WITH CARTOONISH CHILLS AND META MAYHEM”

Lux opens with a bang—perhaps the most striking, cinematic, and genuinely eerie first act in the series since it returned. Set in a nostalgic 1950s Miami cinema, the cold open is a masterpiece in atmosphere and tension, as the story transitions from retro Americana charm to creeping horror. The mysterious picturehouse, the chained-up entrance with flowers laid for the dead, and the brilliant twist of having the cartoon villain literally step off the screen all serve to perfectly tee up Mr Ring-a-Ding—one of the most imaginative and unsettling antagonists modern Doctor Who has introduced.

With hand-drawn animation that evokes Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, and a disarmingly jovial yet chilling performance by Alan Cumming, Mr Ring-a-Ding is a standout creation. He’s goofy, grotesque, and grotesquely goofy, shifting from slapstick menace to pantheon-level threat, all while crooning a disturbingly catchy theme tune. His evolution from two-dimensional cartoon to 3D monster is a brilliant visual metaphor for the story’s themes of emotional depth and humanity—and one of the most technically impressive things Doctor Who has ever pulled off.

SEGREGATION, GRIEF, AND GROWING HUMANITY

At the heart of Lux lies an emotionally charged and thematically rich narrative. The Doctor and Belinda, both people of colour, are thrust into the reality of America’s 1950s segregation, experiencing the prejudice of the time first-hand. The episode doesn’t centre its plot on race, but it does use the context to reflect on broader themes of identity and belonging. One of the most poignant scenes takes place in a segregated diner, where a grieving white mother turns against the very people trying to help her because of the colour of their skin. It’s a quietly powerful moment, highlighting how recent and raw these issues are.

Meanwhile, Belinda’s background as a nurse finally gets to shine—she instinctively helps tend to the Doctor’s injuries, only to be shocked by the excess bigeneration energy that allows him to heal himself. Her continued insistence on returning home also threads through the narrative, though she’s increasingly swept into the Doctor’s world, and perhaps a little too quickly loses her reluctance established earlier in the series.

The supporting cast is strong, even if some, like projectionist Mr Pye, could’ve used more screen time. His story—a man haunted by grief, manipulated by Lux with promises of reuniting with his late wife—culminates in a gorgeously realised scene where the two dance, and she slowly turns from black-and-white to colour. His decision to destroy the film reels and free Lux’s victims provides one of the episode’s most touching moments.

LIGHT, LAUGHTER, AND LORE

The mythology of the Pantheon deepens as Mr Ring-a-Ding is revealed to be none other than Lux Imperator, the God of Light. His method of trapping people in reels of film and feeding on the light of nuclear war cleverly links to both Cold War fears and the destruction of old media—a sly nod to the BBC’s own history with junked Doctor Who episodes. The theme of light is present throughout—from Lux being born of moonlight and projector bulbs to his final destruction via exposure to sunlight. It’s as clever as it is cheeky.

And then there’s that fascinating metaphor about escaping animation by gaining emotional depth—literally going from flat drawings to complex, three-dimensional beings through confession and vulnerability. When the Doctor admits his sorrow over Gallifrey, and Belinda shares her own fears, it becomes a moment of profound emotional honesty wrapped in a gloriously mad concept.

MEETING THE FANS AND BREAKING THE FRAME

Then the episode dives deep into metafiction, daring to break the fourth wall. The scene where the Doctor and Belinda meet Doctor Who fans inside a TV screen is likely to split viewers. The fans—complete with fezzes, scarves, and knowing references—are affectionate caricatures, and the writing here is full of love and wit. There's even a gag about leaks that makes it clear RTD is poking gentle fun at the real-world fandom. But while the sequence offers a sweet emotional crescendo, where the fans say they’ll vanish once the Doctor leaves but will always love him, it also halts the plot’s momentum. It’s clever and heartfelt, yes, but just a little long, and some viewers might wish for more time exploring the TV realm rather than this respectful pause.

Still, the framing of the fans as part of Lux’s fictional trap cleverly sidesteps full-on real-world crossover. These aren’t “real” fans—they’re characters created by Lux to distract and unsettle the Doctor, keeping the meta narrative just safely within fiction.

A CLEVERLY LIT CLIMAX

Thankfully, the episode snaps back into gear with a thrilling climax. With the Doctor drained of energy, it’s up to Belinda and Mr Pye to take action. Lux, a creature of pure light, is finally defeated not through shadow or trickery, but via sheer exposure to natural sunlight. This poetic irony—light defeating light—is underscored by the visual metaphor of overexposed film stock, and it doubles as a nod to Doctor Who's real-life history of lost episodes.

Lux’s apocalyptic ambition to feed off nuclear energy ties everything neatly into a Cold War backdrop, anchoring the surreal story in very real fears. And once Lux is vanquished, the return of the missing people to their families delivers a beautifully cathartic close—topped off by another teasing appearance from Mrs Flood, keeping us all guessing about the show’s impending climax on May 24th.

As a final treat, the mid-credits scene brings back the fans for a brief, bittersweet farewell—or perhaps a setup for their return in the finale? Either way, it’s a reminder that this show still knows how to surprise, delight, and pull at the heartstrings all at once.

📝VERDICT: 10/10

Lux is a tour de force of ambition, style, and emotional depth. Its inspired blend of retro horror, animated fantasy, and metafictional reflection delivers one of the boldest and most inventive Doctor Who episodes in years. A few pacing stumbles aside, this is a dazzling showcase of what the series can achieve when it dares to colour outside the lines. Mr Ring-a-Ding is an instant classic, the visuals are groundbreaking, and the themes resonate long after the lights come up.

“I’m a two dimensional character you can’t expect backstory!”

Really enjoyable episode, the meta commentary worked far better than I expected with a really lovely but mad scene in the middle that worked. The villain is a great idea, and there’s some great moments for the Doctor and Belinda. It still feels quite rushed however, with some awkward dialogue choices and exposition, but certainly a lot better than last week.

Trying to do a "professional" review on this;

Characters: Fifteen and Belinda, on account of being the main characters, hold up strongly as characters. The side characters hold pretty strongly too, the lack of any actual racism from them seems a little unbelievable to me, and I adore Mr. Ring-a-ding. The Mr. Pie guy was a great character, genuinely felt for him and how Mr. Ring-a-ding had manipulated him, his death was fairly sad.

Costume & Set: Lovely costuming and set, it did feel typical 1950s and as a lesbian I can safely say I'm in love with Belinda and her outfit this episode. Maybe not a costume but I don't really have a rubberhose animation section to say Mr. Ring-a-ding's animation was amazing, much better than I expected.

Story: Amazing cold opening. The diner scene and brief mention of segregation without much actual racism being shown was a little eh. But either way, onto the cartoon of the hour, Mr. Ring-a-ding.

Now, as a hater of The Pantheon and how its being handled, I can't say I liked the Mr. Ring-a-ding being the God of Light reveal, the pantheon just seem too easily defeated. The Toymaker worked because rules were set up; Game defeat. Maestro worked... well enough because of the chord being set up, but for Mr. Ring-a-ding no rules got set up to defeat him. It seemed like a cop out to have him become light but I guess I can accept it, I loved the Toymaker laugh reveal it was bone chilling.

Very meta episode, fans of The Doctor appearing and all agreeing on Blink kinda seems unrealistic. Nowadays Day of The Doctor and Heaven Sent seem like the likely answer (or Hell Bent for me cough cough, but I'm just a sucker for Gallifrey actually being shown), and the fact Fifteen knew which of his adventures were episodes? Maybe a subtle fourth wall break, maybe a mistake.

I loved the brief animated segment but I did hate how they've already revealed, again, that The Doctor is the last of the Timelords. Better than Ruby's episode where he just lore drops it all.

Ms. Flood's typical apperance confirming she, at least, has some form of time travel. All around it was a pretty good episode. Adds a little fire to the trapped in a TV Show theory, hoping the theorys true. Not a 5/5, but still good nonetheless. Probably one of the best Fifteenth Doctor episode.

This episode is absolutely amazing. Mr. Ring a Ding is a fantastic villain. I knew that he was part of the pantheon going into it but that’s on me and I still enjoyed it. The beginning is creepy and I love it. Them finding the cinema abandoned, the diner scenes, and Mr. Ring a Ding’s introduction. I like that they mentioned racism and how it affects them. This episode is amazing. Mr. Ring a Ding is a fantastic villain. I knew that he was part of the pantheon going into it but that’s on me and I still enjoyed it. The beginning is creepy and I love it. Them finding the cinema abandoned, the diner scenes, and Mr. Ring a Ding’s introduction. The way the Doctor and Belinda got transported into a cartoon was great. I like the idea of cartoons in the real world and vise versa and it was handled well. I like the fan scene but it dragged on for too long. The ending is good. Reggie burning the films elevated it.

best rtd2 ep so far. nursedoc are SO real

Absolute Munchkincore. Nothing else to say.

It's so much fun and it fits perfectly in the 45-minute timeslot! I liked basically all of it, even the fan scenes. It's probably the best episode of RTD2. Mr. Ring-a-Ding is also very fun.

Also makes me want to see RTD cowrite something with Paul Magrs.

I absolutely adore classic and revival who, but as much as I love them, the CGI doesn't always hold up decades on.

The Five Doctors is a story that I think is brilliant, balancing the fanservice, multiple doctors, multiple enemies, lore reveals, brilliantly, with being able to tell a spectacular story, but the one thing that always sticks in my mind when I watch it back with friends, is the time scoop. A silly little triangle floats down on screen, and we get a freeze frame of our characters. It's utterly hilarious how it doesn't hold up, and while I love it, it does take you out of the story a little.

Lux, in contrast, is a story I think we'll be looking back at in 40+ years and be astounded at. Every second Mr Ring-a-Ding is on screen just works. The cold open especially is one of the absolute bests in the show's history, Mr Ring-a-Ding crawling from the screen is spectacular, and really does just show the scale of the villian, you can't not be hooked.

As for the rest of the story itself, I think it's a wonderful blend of Scooby Doo (as the characters themselves point out), and The Giggle. A god-like being trapped in a closed down cinema with a caretaker at night, where 15 people have gone missing, that being using their powers, trapping The Doctor and the companion in a world relating to that medium, it's so so good, I can't help but love it.

I do think the 4th-wall break, while fun, did somewhat bring the episode's pacing to a screeching halt, and used up time that could've been devoted to better fleshing out the ending. I do enjoy Lux's defeat, and I think it's an interesting twist on the way the rest of the pantheon we've encountered so far have been defeated, but I do think that explaining the actual mechanics of it a little more might've helped the story somewhat. The missing 15 suddenly returning as well felt like an obvious ending, but the actual mechanics of how they did aren't really explained. It makes emotional sense, which is what I think should always be prioritised, but less so on the logic front.

As a final note, I do also have to give credit though to the side cast. Everything we get with them in just brilliant. They're no Silence in the Library or Under the Lake, but they've all got very clear characters and motivations, they're entertaining to watch, and none of them are forgettable.

I wish the scene with the Doctor Who fans had either a) been shorter, as a fun bit, or b) been longer, as a more important plot point, because the way it was it felt like we were here too long for the joke but didn't have time to properly get into the implications of it

NEVERTHELESS

I really liked Lux. I love metafictional nonsense and it was so much fun. Mr Ring-a-Ding was a fantastic character and villain, fair play to Alan Cumming he knows what he's doing. The dynamic between Belinda and the Doctor remains really strong and interesting. Can't wait to see where the hell we go from here

OK WOW, THE ANIMATION, THE WHOLE SECTION WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE FILM, THE FASHION, WHAT A GREAT EPISODE.

That being said, this review is not a 5 star review for two reasons:

1. Was kinda hoping we'd get a bit more of Belinda being cautious/hesitant around the Doctor. Really liked what the last episode was setting up, but she seemed to really put her trust in him at the end. Maybe could've done things a bit more gradually?

2. The ending was just kind of... abrupt? I mean don't get me wrong, it was a neat way to outsmart Lux, but maybe I need to go back and rewatch that part because the victory kinda felt like it came outta nowhere.

In any case, INCREDIBLE episode.

We did not expect that!

One moment we're watching the old Doccy Who on telly and then BAM: he and Belinda walk right out of our screen!

Next thing you know we're all having tea together whilst listening to an incongruous rendition of Amy Pond's theme. I think we should start to question whether Russell T Davies is himself part of this pantheon of his, because that's a bizzare invasion of our privacy. 🤨

Lizzie's thoughts: I'd give it a 7/10. I loved meeting the Doctor, but that doesn't make up for the ending getting spoiled part way through. It was no Blink.

Robyn's thoughts: Like Lizzie said, this episode was quite... obvious? Of course Ring-a-Ding never going outside was going to be relevant to the solution. I think they've noticably dumbed down the Doctor since Fourteen left. #RIPDoctorWho

Hassan's thoughts: Bit silly, it's puppets that want to be boys, not cartoons!!! I fear they'll never achieve the heights of Blink again. Man, I adore Blink.

Conclusion: We love the Doctor so much - we just don't understand why the episode changed to a still image of the Doctor Who logo for five minutes. ❤️❤️

- Lizzie, Hassan, and Robyn xxxxxxx

EDIT:

We're still here? AAAAAAHHH!!!!!!! ❤️‍🔥

I really hope this won't be my highest rated episode of Ncuti's era. This episode was a delight, and in my opinion, more imaginative, fun, and creative than any episode of his run so far.

Mr. Ring-a-Ding has great intentions, his plotline makes sense, and he's beautifully animated, loving his final scene.

For me, the meta jokes were genuinely funny. I loved how when the "Whovian fans" were speaking about "blinking out of existence", the camera cut only to The Doctor and Belinda multiple times - moments where the fans did cease to exist. The animated depth-joke also made me giggle, such an inventive way to include otherwise needless exposition. 

As this was my most-anticipated of Season 2, I'm so glad that it delivers, and I hope I will be similarly impressed by later episodes. ♥️🎥🎩

After the breakneck speed of The Robot Revolution, Lux fixes those issues and slows down a bit with a haunted cinema in 1952 Miami.

This was an episode I wasn't particularly excited for, judging by the promo material and trailers, but after watching twice now I'm surprised to say that it's joining 73 Yards as one of the best RTD2 episodes. Everything comes together and just works brilliantly.

Firstly, the cast are all on top form. Belinda continues to grow on me and potentially become an all timer companion, with her more grounded appeal. Alan Cumming is amazing as Mr Ring-a-ding, he manages to be actually scary throughout, I could imagine myself as a child being *terrified* of him. Ncuti remains solid as the Doctor, but still never really wow's me, but I think I have come to terms with the fact he is never going to reach my number 1 spot, and that's okay.

The plot here feels very deliberate and planned out, with is rare for a RTD2 episode. I'm still deciding how I feel about the whole 'pantheon' idea but it really works in this episode and doesn't distract like it did in The Devil's Chord, where it was too closely tied with The Giggle for my liking. Belinda essentially saved the day (with the help of the cinema guy) which is very refreshing and a return to form. I think the last companion who actually contributed to the solving of the plot was Bill, which was like 8 years ago.

I love the whole sequence inside the cinema screen. The animated bits AND the 'fourth wall break'. The in-show fans could've felt really weird but RTD chose to instead lightly poke fun at calling the fans annoying (remember he himself is a fan) but he also chose to go down the route of casting the fans as a diverse group of people, telling us how they became best friends through the show and how they are all accepted in the Doctor Who community. I think it's a very lovely scene, especially how fandom is today where I think we can all forget that we're basically just here to sit and talk about Doctor Who in our spare time.

After first watch, I considered it an 8/10, but on rewatch I just... couldn't find any faults with it. It's an enjoyable watch from start to finish, and I am so pleasantly surprised by it, so for that reason I am giving it a 10/10

Out of all of the episodes in Doctor Who Season 2, Lux is the one I've most been looking forward to. A Doctor Who episode that combines live-action and animation is such a cool idea, and offers something new that the show hasn't done as a plot device before. Yes, there have been animated stories like The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, but this is the first time it's used as a narrative device.

The cold open is one of the best the show has seen in recent years. The shots of the animated Mr Ring-A-Ding cartoon are beautifully realised, and Mr Ring-A-Ding's interactions with the audience of 15 before he steps out of the screen and they go missing does a brilliant job at establishing the threat. Straight away, we get a sense that Mr Ring-A-Ding is a malevolent being.

When Mr Ring-A-Ding enters the live-action realm, the animation work is sublime. There have been reports that some of the same people who worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit lent their talents to Mr Ring-A-Ding, and you can see the influence. Mr Ring-A-Ding is so expressive, and his move from 2D to 3D brings some wildly imaginative imagery.

I do think it's a shame though that more time isn't spent on the Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda becoming trapped inside a cartoon. The small sequence we do get is a superb piece of animation, especially when they progress to 3D animation, but they could have expanded on this further with different animation styles. The reviews mentioned different uses of animation, which made me think we were going to get 15 and Belinda crossing into different styles of animation, like stop-motion for instance, or the anime style that people go crazy over (although that's never done much for me).

I'm also not sure how I feel about the Doctor and Belinda meeting Doctor Who fans. It feels a little too meta for me, especially when they start discussing how their favourite Doctor Who episode is Blink. I feel it would have worked better had they been played by real fans, like Crispy Pro and Harbo Whole's. Hiring actors to play Doctor Who fans is a strange choice when you could use real-life Whotubers.

On the plus side, Lux does an excellent job at exploring the racist attitudes in 1950s Miami. It's a subtle yet effective approach, showing brief references to segregation in the cafe and later when the Doctor and Belinda are confronted by New York policemen in the cinema. It shows the unfortunate reality of two people of colour travelling to the past, which is something that needed to be addressed.

Overall, I'd give Lux an 8/10. The animation work is fantastic and Mr Ring-A-Ding is easily one of the best antagonists of RTD2. However, the episode doesn't realise the full potential of 15 and Belinda trapped inside a cartoon, and their meeting with Doctor Who fans could be a step too far into breaking the fourth wall.

I think this is my favourite episode of RTD2 and that's saying something when you have such heavy hitters as Wild Blue Yonder and 73 Yards. Every single second of this episode is brilliant. I love the visuals, I love the cinematography, the characters. I could go on like that for ages.

After The Devil's Chord, which I thought was pretty messy I thought this 20th century historical would go down a similar path but I'm glad to say it's absolutely exceeded my expectations. I think 1950s Florida is much better realised here than 1960s London was, which is funny considering it's a British show.

Belinda continues to be an excellent companion. She has a lot of character and brilliant chemistry with the Doctor. She has a much more believable friendship with the Doctor at the end of this episode than Ruby did at the same point in the last season, which is impressive considering how little she trusted him in the last episode.

Now... Mr Ring-a-ding. Possibly one of the best characters to come out of Doctor Who full stop. Alan Cumming breathes so much life into him with his performance. The effects for him are fantastic. For the first time in this era you can really see the budget. It's hard to believe that this is the same show that debuted the Quarks and the Chumbleys.

I adore the meta stuff here. I knew that it was coming (it leaked online, which made that line so much better). In an era where Doctor Who is recieving all sorts of hate I feel like it could have been really easy to write the Doctor Who fans as annoying and spiteful as a sort of gotcha so I have nothing but immense respect for writing them with such depth and care. What could have easily been mockery was really sweet and it led to one of the first crying scenes for the Doctor that truly felt deserved. I love that it was left open-ended as to whether they were real or not.

There's a lot of really good emotional beats in this story, from the theatre owner's love story to the way Mr Ring-a-ding was defeated or the Doctor opening about the Time Lords. Accompanied with a swelling score I'm not ashamed to say that this story made my eyes water a little.

Anyone who believed RTD has lost his touch should watch this, one of my favourite stories of his and my favourite of this era. An utter joy, through and through.

Review #6

The God of Light is shining

WHAT AN EPISODE! easily 15's best yet. I loved the concept of a cartoon coming to life and making him part of the Pantheon is such a good idea. I really really enjoyed this episode and I give it 10/10

I think that Lux might be one of the most creative and interesting televised Doctor Who episodes ever. If you've not watched it and you're reading reviews, please stop reading and just watch it. This subverts so many expectations and is just so much fun, and even the hint of a spoiler could ruin it quite a bit at points.

This episode relies a lot on special effects and, on the whole, I think that they were done really, really well (Mr Ring-a-Ding looked great!), althought there were a few bits I thought were shaky (mostly, the bit when the Doctor and Belinda are in the film but live-action as it looked a bit too much like it was just a greenscreen). I felt that the music was also pretty solid, and I didn't notice anything I disliked with the directing or acting. The plot itself was super interesting and unique, and I feel that this is really where Doctor Who shines: telling creative stories that other shows would really struggle to tell. I had high hopes for this episode, and they were smashed out of the park in this area. I also felt that the characters were a large step-up from the previous episode. I actually felt emotionally invested in them, and I felt sad and happy for them as the story progressed, which I think is quite impressive for 45 minutes. The next bit I'm going to say is a massive spoiler. Please do not read it if you have not yet watched the episode. You will ruin it for yourself. I feel that the real stars, character wise, were the Doctor Who fans from that crazy fourth-wall break bit. I felt that these in particular worked really well because, even though they're new characters, they're really not: they're me, and you, and all of the other Doctor Who fans across the world, and I felt instantly like I knew them, understood them and emphasised with them. Honestly, they're possibly the most represented I've ever felt in a piece of fiction.

While I'm doing spoilers, here's another spoilery thought that I want to share: the scene where the film cans were set on fire hit possibly a bit too close to home for me, considering Doctor Who's history of episode junkings. I do wonder if it was deliberate.

While this episode is mostly fun, it also has stuff to say about racism which I thought was interesting and well-done. I don't really have anything else to say here, but I wanted to slip it into this review somewhere.

Overall, I can't think of anything else like this. I've not given it a perfect 5 starts due to my minor quibbles with the VFX, and also because I don't really like the direction of the ongoing Gods of Chaos arc, and would have rathered this was standalone to that, but that's really me nitpicking more than anything. This is really good.

So, get this: the Doctor is on his way to take back the nurse but they actually can't, on the grounds that the TARDIS cannot reach May 24th, 2025. They have to find another way to get there, which means getting the TARDIS hooked to May 24th - with a few stops to triangulate. And the first place in which they can get hooked is... *drumroll* 1952! And in 1952 there's this creepy cinema that is actually kind of-haunted by something that's actually the god of light, Lux, but was originally a cartoon called Mr. Ring-a-Ding. The Doctor and the nurse manage to defeat Lux and bring back the people it (he? they?) had turned into celluloid filmroll, and they get aboard the TARDIS.

It gives monster-of-the-week vibes. It gives slightly-creepy-horror-movie vibes, in the beginning. It's got casual racism that is not at all casual, actually, treated with Davies' usual bulldozer-in-the-china-shop subtlety, which may be exactly what we needed - unlike Al from last episode. Let's be honest here, Russel T. Davies' social commentary is not exactly wrapped in paper, it shows, and it's pretty damn good (though it does not top _Dot and Bubble_). It's got a tear-inducing scene in which the boy who was gone finds his mother again, and the warm welcome of the diner's cashier (I cried. I'm objectively an emotional person). It's got weird cartoons, a very creepy cartoon and Doctor Who fans as characters.

I absolutely loved it.

Look, was it predictable? Yes. My little brother, whom I use the account, wrote down what was about to happen and didn't get anything wrong. Was it objectively a monster-of-the week episode with allusions to the bigger plot? Also yes. I actually laughed when I saw how Lux came to existence - I mean, really? A moonlight beam went on the film roll? A bit on-the-nose, and something more out of a fantasy movie, but Doctor Who's been playing with the codes of its genre for the last seasons and it plays out quite well.

But of course I'm avoiding the subject - namely, the actual critic.

The relationship between Belinda and the Doctor is evolving, and it's wonderful! I honestly love Belinda's little quips (this "Ridiculous" was particularly perfect) and their mutual insecurity. The moment of vulnerability while in-cartoon was honestly impressive - though maybe a bit less emotional from the fact that, you know, they were cartoons. As always, Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa are impeccable - and the period costumes are just chef's kiss. The TARDIS sequence was well-done and Tommy Lee's mother was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming - as usual in _Doctor Who_, I'd say. In terms of new-viewer accessibility, this episode actually explained way better than the last who the Doctor is.

As for the technic… well, _Doctor Who_ is Disney, now, and that shows. Not only because the episodes are obviously expensive, with really good special effects (last episode had a Star Wars-esque aesthetic that I did _not_ discuss enough in my review) but also because they are actually working with Disney's tradition of animation (at this point I feel like I should say I have no experience or knowledge whatsoever about animation). Mr. Ring-a-Ding was really fun to see alongside human characters: it made me think of Jeff Smith's Bones, in a way, but only in aesthetic. Turning Belinda and the Doctor into cartoons was actually genius: they gave off clear Scooby-Doo aesthetic, at least when in 2D. The play with TV and cinema codes, such as rolling the filmroll by themselves and breaking-not-breaking the fourth wall was rather brilliant. Expected, maybe, but I feel like a series that's been running since 1963 has a right to be predictable, when it's well done. Otherwise, of course, the series' producers and writers are ritualistically beheaded and their heads are meat for Whovians' sandwiches.

Speaking of which, the Whovian characters were a delight. Though the scene may have taken a bit out of the plot (as I've seen written in several other reviews, with which I agree), it was a nice homage to the fans and I feel like we came back into the episode rather easily, though of course that's just my opinion. I especially loved the little snippet at the end (very Marvel of them, but also sweet, so I'll let that pass). Lux's death (can we even talk about a death?) was well done, too: it's strange to feel for an evil fifties cartoon character, but I did feel for him (it?) - might be my love for space, but I can't say I didn't empathize with the absolute love for the light and the want to see the stars. The religious commentary was - not exactly strange, but unexpected.

Overall a fun episode, in full _Doctor Who_ spirit, with a little foreshadowing for the episodes to come - I really hope Mrs. Flood is not another wordplay on River Song/Melody Pond, and the first of my brother's predictions was "we're not done with the gods" (maybe not in these exact terms but you see what I mean), which was absolutely right and makes me hope we're not having _yet another god_ for this season's Big Baddie. Seeing what a rollercoaster this season's episodes have been (although, yes, there are only two episodes out if we don't count the Christmas Special), I have hope for next week's! Speaking of which, it's nice to see that though this season only has eight episodes, the writers do not make all of them meaningful and necessary for the season's plot (which is sadly a tendency these days for short-number episodes seasons). The characters can just go to the cinema in 1952, face racism and fight a giant cartoonish monster. And that, my friends, should be the moral of this overly-long review.

Pip-pip!

Signing off,

In Great Need Of An Actual Alias.

I LOVED this episode. Everything about it. The animation truly is the highlight more than the plot itself, but it's so so enjoyable. Belinda and the Doctor's dynamic is unmatched and their chemistry is beautifully written. Hoping for more Nursedoc over the season <3 The fourth wall break was better than I imagined to be (bc I thought it wouldn't be good at all). I get the themes they were trying to touch even if it did feel a bit weird and it was genuinely beautiful how they stayed alive even after the Doctor left <3 As a fan of animation, the 50s stories and Nursedoc, this was sooo good. Solid good.

Mr. Ring-a-Ding sure did make my heart-bells sing! This is my new favorite 15th Doctor story, and probably in my top 5 RTD stories from either of his showrunner eras. Overall, it was a delightfully weird and heartfelt story; a love letter to fans and creators alike, a delightful bit of humor, and some deeply emotional moments of pathos to help ground it.

A very unique episode that I enjoyed, (other than Disney Plus' horrible ad placements...)

Positives:

• Very good VFX in this episode, the first episode in this new era that I think looked on par with Flux.
• I enjoyed Ncuti's performance this episode as well, I don't know what changed, but I prefer his acting this season better than last.
• A very unique concept, which was fun.

Neutral:

• I thought the fan/fourth wall break was a cool idea, though I think it went on a bit too long.

Negatives:

• Again, I just wish this whole pantheon arc was done with, I don't really care about it. I wish this was just a standalone adventure instead of  shoehorning that arc in
• Belinda seemed way too quick to switch her attitude towards the Doctor around. After last episode, I was looking forward to a more Donna-like companion, but I guess we are back to the same thing we've had with most other companions.
• Edit: The music from Matt Smith's run really did not fit imo, the scenes they played in had nothing to do with what the tracks were originally for.

this episode simultaneously straddled a fine line between being really, utterly brilliant, and really bonkers, barmy.

well executed, jut it did lose me a little bit with the fan scene, thought that was very sweet, it just took me out of the show a little bit.

RTD always has trouble with the third act.

Seriously though, that episode was a blast! What I’ve loved most about the RTD2 era is the massive swings that it has taken and this was another one. There was a surprising amount of tricky set-up such as ending last episode with Belinda pissed at the Doctor. They transitioned it believably into her being excited to visit 1950s Miami where they didn’t ignore the segregation of the time period either. Still, the main focus was on the completely unique visuals of Mr. Ring-a-Ding, an evil cartoon who’s actually Lux, the God of Light. He’s defeated by giving him too much light, a perfect and satisfying conclusion.

Of course, the BIG scene is where the Doctor and Belinda meet fans. It could’ve been a disaster but it wasn’t, it was done with so much sweetness and love but also left time to get some good-natured shots back in at the fans. Saying this had all leaked online clocked the fan base hard.

I do think there’s a few minor issues but for the sheer audacity and pulling it off, top marks.

"Lux" was one of the episodes that I was most excited for this season, and it did not disappoint! I adored the mixing of animation and live action. Alan Cumming was fantastic as Mr. Ring a Ding! My mother and I audibly gasped when he did the giggle and the letters on the marquee rearranged to spell harbinger. I got really emotional while watching the scene with the fans (shoutout to Bronté Barbé for being fabulous in both the recent off-West End production of Newsies and this episode) when the music from Matt Smith's era was played. So far, "Lux" is my favorite episode of the RTD2 era.

Edit: after rewatching "Wild Blue Yonder," I realized that's actually my favorite RTD2 era episode.

Casi perfecto, lo unico en detrimento de esta historia es el tiempo. Finalmente, aquí se nota el aumento de presupuesto.

Asimismo, es curioso lo consciente que es RTD del estado de la era actual del programa y aún así acabó entregando el horrible final de la anterior temporada.

Okay, so I am happy to say that I really enjoyed it! I don’t love it, but I think it has a lot of good Things about it, and frankly made me stop worrying that this Season wouldn’t be for me.

The Pacing is not great but a lot smoother than last Time. I like how we actually get a short and sweet Tardis Scene with Berlinda and 15, I think those Scenes are some of my very favorites in any Episode and I must admit I find it a bit of a shame that they have been lacking lately, so here is Hope we get more of them!

The tension that is build in the opening alone is just lovely! This is how you do a great Opening! And I was really surprised how good the actual Animation here looks for the Cartoon itself. It felt very much more of a Love Letter to Cinemas than Devils Chord did to Music. Mr Ring a Ding is just a Joy! Well animated, voice acted in such a good Way (I wasn’t very well-aware of Alan Cumming as VA, but I am glad to see that he knows his Stuff with it) and just a Joy to watch throughout it. It very much felt like a mix between various Golden Age Cartoon Figures and as somebody who really loves Animation, it’s always nice to see that Research/Knowledge went into this!

Love, love how we played with Clichés, I started to roll my Eyes a bit when that one Police Man showed up, but it was actually a pretty clever Moment! Not so clever is sadly the Bits with the Fans, I will say it’s not bad, just not for me. It went on for a bit too long than I thought it was necessary, and I think it didn’t mix as well with the Episode as it could. But I must at least happy to report that I didn’t felt like it was mean-spirited, which is my biggest Worry with such a Scene. Still not particular a Fan and I think at one Point the Music was just way too loud to properly understand the Dialogue, but that Moment was short enough.

I quite liked how we were pretty much focusing mainly on our Leads, Lux and that one Projector Guy in the Cinema. While I think we could have delved a bit more into his Grief in regard to his Wife, what we got had me satisfied enough, and I really like how he came to Play in the End.

Berlinda is still impressing me as much, and I really enjoy her Chemistry with 15, so no notes on that Front. How they defeated our Villain was something I didn’t see coming, and I am not quite sure if I am sold on it, but still I enjoyed that Part.

Frankly, I think there is way too much good in this Episode to not please. Is the Fan Bit a bit too long? Yes. Do I like how they straight up tell the Doctor how to defeat Mr. Ring a Ding? No. But frankly it was an entertaining romp with some clever Bits of Meta here and there, and at the End I had a very good Time with it!

This is, all in all, a fun episode that I would gladly watch again and enjoy. It's paced better than many episodes in this era, has interesting side characters and quite a bit of heart, as well as fantastic atmosphere.

I think my main complaint would be the villain. Mr. Ring-a-Ding just wasn't very good. Some of his scenes felt powerful, but for the most part he was a little annoying. The "don't make me laugh" thing was an obvious set-up and felt very strange and kind of stupid in the introductory song. I didn't feel the flashbacks were necessary, especially after the even shorter-term flashbacks in the very previous episodes, and the harbinger reveal was groan-worthy.

On top of that, the animation was clearly done by computer rather than using cell animation, leaving it in a sort of uncanny valley that made it hard for me to focus on the actual story. When the Doctor and Belinda got animated it looked really stiff, and made the already forced-feeling moment of honesty between them feel even more wooden and out of place, which led to me being completely unable to believe that Belinda learned to trust him more during this episode. I do like how the "real" body Lux was building was clearly referencing those youtube videos where a sculpter makes "X but realistic".

The thing is, there's a difference Whoniverse story with a near-identical premise: Torchwood's From Out of the Rain. I can easily compare Lux to the Ghostmaker and say that I by far prefer the latter.

Let's move on to happier things. I really liked the scene with the fans; while I was hoping for a deep cut with the favourite episode, I must admit them all being so adamant about Blink was quite funny. It was an exciting moment, and I enjoyed it. It was nice to have a bit of downtime before the third act with a bit of meta humour.

I think the episode handled segregation very well for the runtime available and considering the episode wasn't about that (much better than Dot and Bubble handled racism, in my personal opinion), but I'm a bit miffed with how surprised Belinda was to learn about it.

The set design and costuming were great, though I'm again left begging for them to show us the wardrobe room.

This review might be leaning a little negative, but I really did have a good time.

i have to admit i was absolutely dreading the fourth wall break scene ever since i saw the leak. ill be honest though, that worked better than i thought it would, because of how they themselves were fictional in the doctors universe. it felt like "the girl who loved doctor who", in a small way

Such a fun and hilariously meta episode that combined several of my favourite supernatural episodes in one gloriously who episode. I only wish the animated section had been a little longer!

Honestly really great, and SO well paced? I couldn't believe how well it was paced. The music callbacks were done so effectively! I hope we get more. Loving Belinda too, I think she's great and I can't wait to get to know her more.

I do wish the Harbinger reveal hadn't been leaked, I say leaked, more shown to every Tom, Dick and Harry that was at the filming of this episode. They could've just done it entirely CGI because yeah, knowing this was happening for a year lessened my enjoyment just that half a star. 

Season Two (Series 15); Episode Two - “Lux” by Russell T. Davies

Why am I still watching Doctor Who? My review of The Robot Revolution was basically 1000 words of me saying why I’ve fallen out of love with the show and yet here I am, sat down for episode two. Well, I’m not completely done with Season Two/Series Fifteen yet, still waiting hopefully for another 73 Yards or Legend of Ruby Sunday. Now, Lux certainly piqued my interest, with its intriguing concept and neat visual style, but I had a sneaking suspicion it would end up being another Devil’s Chord: a unique idea with a weak execution. And you know what? I think I hit the nail on the head.

15 people have gone missing from the Palazzo Picturehouse, and now the old projectionist sits alone at night, playing movies to an absent audience. But where have the missing people gone? And what does it have to do with cartoon character Mr Ring-a-Ding?

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

If there is one consistent positive I give to Modern Who, it’s the visual effects. So let's get the elephant out of the room: we have to talk about the titular Lux. Easily, our antagonist is the best thing about this episode. For one, the effects bringing him to life could be the greatest visual effect Doctor Who’s ever put to screen, and I am not saying that lightly; this looks f**king incredible. On top of that, we have Alan Cumming giving a spellbinding performance that lends the character a wonderful amount of gravitas, making him seem an actual threat. Plus, I liked the reveal that he was another member of the pantheon and it’s interesting to see RTD keep playing with what is undeniably a cool idea. My one grip is I don’t really get what the giggle is; like, I thought that was just the Toymaker’s thing, why is it now the call sign for every pantheon god?

Other than our villain, I did appreciate the originality of Lux after I felt The Robot Revolution dipped hard into derivativeness. For one, the setting of Miami Dade county was great as I am a firm believer we should visit some places other than England once in a while and it really reminded me of the 1960s setting of The Impossible Astronaut. Not only that, but it was well realised with a fantastic production behind it.

Obviously, there’s also the meta qualities this episode plays with, having the Doctor and Belinda getting sent into film stock and becoming animated. I definitely enjoyed what the episode was going for here and I like Russell playing with experimental formats but only a few ideas really worked for me, mostly in the realms of space with the characters flipping through frames and escaping by stopping the film and igniting it. However, we also have a few moments that really don’t land for me. This episode struggles a lot with execution; it has tons of ideas but doesn’t really follow through on most of them. For one, I like the idea of our travellers becoming animated and having to revert to live action by gaining character depth - that’s a wonderfully meta idea that is painful in this era of all things and shock horror, the scene is the characters just explaining their emotional arcs to the other person, removing all subtlety and, ironically, depth from the scene.

And then there’s the bit where the Doctor and Belinda break into our world and have tea with some Doctor Who fans. Now, on the tin, this is a great idea (that has been done better before) but I just can’t bring myself to love this moment. The fans we meet are far too eccentric and feel more like caricatures than characters and it just leaves this whole section too hokey to feel like a love letter to the audience and too unsubtle to be any kind of commentary, just causing the scene to feel like an intrusion. It also doesn’t help that Russell does that thing again. You know, the one where he forces in an emotional moment with characters we don’t know. I have to repeat this: Russell. You. Cannot. Do. Emotional. Beats. With. Characters. We’ve. Known. For. Five. Minutes. It doesn’t work and you keep doing it. In the end, what could’ve been a really cool moment just left me sighing.

As for the rest of the episode, I said before that Lux feels like a second Devil’s Chord and I stand by that fact - mid 20th century setting, dealing with a form of media and a pantheon god; hell, we even get the same costume change shot from Devil’s Cord. I will say though, the conclusion is a lot better here, using the flammability of film stock to pull an Inglourious Basterds and drowning a god of light in light, which feels like a better version of Death killing death from Empire of Death. Certainly a lot better than John Lennon appearing to play a single note and end the episode.

However, Lux is most definitely imperfect. As I said before, it fails to follow through on its ideas and the emotional beats are practically unbearable but these are more problems with this whole run. And the more I think about it, the more I think these episodes rarely have individual problems and are much more about the general direction RTD is taking the show. For one, the dialogue is something that is really grating on me and here it is especially terrible. Russell does this thing where you can really tell when he’s setting something up because he’ll just have a character force the topic into a completely different conversation, like the repeated exposition dump of what happened to Gallifrey, which he screwed up last season too. Russell mate, you did this in Gridlock perfectly, at least just do that again. I don’t know, everything feels so scripted and forced, characters will just openly explain their mental state in overly convenient ways and all subtlety seems to have gone out the window. It all lacks some genuine quality, none of these sound like real conversations actual people would have.

And before I wrap up this review, I have to address something that’s really disappointing me. I think I can see where Belinda’s character is going. Now, it’s only been two episodes, I could be wrong, but RTD’s not exactly a difficult person to read. I like the idea of a companion who’s antagonistic towards the Doctor, I really do, we’ve had far too many giddy playmates recently. But whilst Belinda might be characterised as not putting up with the Doctor, it only really surfaces when the show wants it to and the rest of the time, she is identical to every other companion. RTD either needs to up the animosity or stop treating Belinda like what she isn’t because I can already picture the forced moments of isolated arguments already and I’m beginning to dread them.

Again, Lux is par for the course that Modern Who is on. It looks stunning, it has its fun moments, but is lacking any kind of depth. A brilliant antagonist and some fun ideas that don’t always come through don’t make Lux for me and I find myself with another episode I can’t help but feel lukewarm on. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s not very good.

6/10

Pros:

+ The visual effects on Mr. Ring-a-Ding might be the best in the show’s history

+ Well realised and original setting

+ Interesting use of meta mechanics

+ Good conclusion with sound logic

Cons:

- Unbearably hammy and forced dialogue

- Keeps doing painfully awful emotional beats

- Belinda is becoming less promising the more the series progresses

- A lot of its ideas lack proper execution

Rather fantastic and quite unique, despite people’s concerns about similarities with the Devil’s Chord

Watched Apr 19th 2025

One thing that especially surprised me this episode was that I actually loved 'The Scene.' I knew it was coming for weeks beforehand (And so did RTD most likely given that line), and while it did drag the plotting down somewhat, it was lighthearted and fun. Sometimes it just works to go all out in your self-indulgence, and if it kills the theories of the finale being about The Doctor realizing hes in a show, I'm all for it. I especially loved how defensive 15 got regarding his own episodes. Both other film segments I really enjoyed, with the limited 2D animation allowing them to gain depth through a simplified speedrun of their dynamic and the following segment showing 15 call out the clichés and continuity errors.

Outside of that, I absolutely loved the visuals of this episode somehow even more than in The Robot Revolution, especially how Lux / Mr Ring a Ding looks in the real world through his two-dimensional form. Alan Cumming really brought him to life and he manages to be both lovable and threatening without diminishing either. The diner scene was another definite highlight, both in its exploration of how The Doctor deals with segregation and racism, and in showcasing how the Tardis can be a vessel for hope to so many people both in fandom and in universe.

My one real criticism could be that Belinda was too quick to immediately trust The Doctor 100%, as there is still a lot of the series to come that could have seen them clashing regarding the adventures themselves as she wishes to go home. Still, it might change in hindsight and I'm still excited to see where their dynamic goes as the series continues.

Blown away by this really! The early season historical episode has always been one I've enjoyed, but Russell T Davies using these two seasons to reinforce the concept of the Pantheon has been interesting. I was worried that this was going to feel derivative of The Devil's Chord for this reason, but ultimately, I was impressed with how this story stood out - Lux did everything right in making a unique vision for Doctor Who, even if it felt routed in the familiar.

From the opening moment, Mr Ring-a-Ding has fantastic presence. From his first appearance, he is intimidating, he is commanding the screen, and this is testament to a cracking performance from Alan Cumming, and phenomenal animation work. He feels so unique as a villain, and so brilliant - is this the best villain of the last 5 years? Yes, maybe not consistently written, but he felt threatening, and just so well realised.

The setting was used fantastically - handling the time period really well, this is a story told in a time of segregation, and this was not ignored. In a story which has so much to handle already, this helped build a good deeper picture, and I was pleased with how it wasn't ignored. This was used so well in adding depth to Belinda's character, who continues to be a stand out - a fantastic performance from Varada Sethu again, with Belinda continuing to challenge, and bring out further aspects of the Doctor's character well. Ncuti Gatwa also gave perhaps my favourite performance of his yet, and again, is really showcasing the variety of the Doctor's character, with a stellar performance.

The side characters felt a little frustrating - the American accents not the best, and many felt positioned to provide the necessary exposition. These are also going to prove polarising, when we consider the fourth wall break scene. However, I was very happy with how this was delivered and handled. It felt earned to the plot - of course to break from the film, you had to break the fourth wall. It made perfect sense to the plot, and I think was handled perfectly. The characters may have felt cliché (Blink is not going to be their favourite episode - give me a random It Takes You Away throwback or something), but inviting the fan into the journey, and thinking of them moving forward, is a lovely little touch. It welcomes fans into this universe, and helps fans feel more involved then ever before - and its such a beautiful thing. Especially to see diversity represented within a fandom - its a beautiful touch.

A fantastic episode!

I'd have loved it if he pointed out their favourite episode was one he was barely in. That's always been a funny quirk of Blink being so good.

I'm happy with the "fans watching" scene, I was worried it was basically going to be RTD having a go at the toxic fanbase. And sure there was a jab, but it was mainly a sweet moment. So I'm happy with it.

It also simultaneously proved the current leaks true, while also making a joke about that very thing. And then those fans realise they're actually the fake ones. This is quite possibly the most meta instance of "Characters in a show break out into the real world" take I've ever seen.

I loved the handling of segregation, it was just a part of the setting essentially, something they had to navigate. They didn't turn it into some social statement where they defied everything and the white people learned their lessons. They played it like a hazard of time travel for a minority in an oppressive time.

The bigeneration "pocket of energy" to heal his hand was a bit silly. I get they used it to get the "Extract Time Lord light" story element going, but it was kinda cheap, there were better ways to do this.

I very much liked the handling of "convincing" Belinda to help. She wants to get home, so she needed to be convinced to be distracted from that to explore a mystery. They handled this very well and it was believable.

The resolution of "He grew so much he's gone now" was pretty average. Hopefully that comes back later to bite.

Overall, this was a fantastic episode. It had a couple issues, but it was a nice story, I really liked Mr. Ring-a-ding, he seemed quite scary at points. They handled the time period and Doctor/Belinda's dynamic well. Very enjoyable.

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.

This turned out both better and worse than I was expecting going in. I love the main premise of films coming to life (reminds me of Torchwood's From Out Of The Rain in a good way), and I like how it handled fourth-wall breaks and the Doctor meeting his own superfans was handled well (makes too much sense that they all name Blink as their favourite story, as that one also directly acknowledged the audience in a way that the show doesn't regularly do, albeit with more sophistication than is shown here). For better or worse, the fans have been in charge of the show for decades by this point, and the acknowledgement of the connection that audiences make with fictional characters hit me right in my weakness for metafiction and self-reflexivity. The animation is good too; really liked the 'added dimensions' scene.

I also like how it addressed that this story takes place in the era of Jim Crow. It doesn't derail the plot (save for one really good fake-out) and after past stories made a bit of a dog's breakfast of addressing such things (looking at you, The Shakespearean Code), it fits naturally with the story being told. Less 'message of the day' and more 'this is the normal of this place', which is a good mood to set for a period piece.

Not that massive on the villain, though. The character design is good (very Cuphead) and later shots of him are downright freaky. But it didn't feel like I was as scared of him as the episode wanted me to be, not helped by the resolution which involves one of my big DW pet peeves where the bad guy technically wins but it doesn't actually mean anything (see also: Tooth And Claw, Victory Of The Daleks, Sleep No More). Then again, given the Jim Crow setting, maybe there's something more to the notion that the villain can be broadly described as a person of colour that this predominantly-White community is terrified from the perceived actions of... who ultimately didn't do as much harm as the fear around him suggested. Bit screwy, admittedly, and much less salient than the surprisingly effective weaponisation behind Dot & Bubble if that is indeed the case, but with how much the episode itself makes a point of separating physical dimensions and literary dimensions (as in the depth of a given character), it gives the story some decent subtext.

I'm not sure if I'll end up rewatching this in a hurry, but it gave me some giggles and stuff to think about afterwards; more of what I want from this show.

Russell I am sorry that I ever doubted you.

Holy peak,I loved this episode so much,Lux was a great villain and probably the best villain in the show we had since Master in Series 10.The meta stuff with fans i thought would be cringe but i ended up enjoying it and I really love how good this episode was.Mrs Flood at the end saying show ends on May 24th killed me lol.The resolution was also great which im surprised russell could pull off.All in all - 10/10 for me.

Brilliant from begining to end, Flux is incredibly funny and beautifully animated. I loved the Scooby-Doo jokes and the inclusion of "Amy's Theme" (I miss you Ponds) and "The Mad Man With a Box", I think this one is probably my favorite from RTD2, maybe one of my all-time favorites.  I really loved the dinamic between the Doctor and Belinda in this, how Belinda looks so shocked at how the Doctor could just brush off all the blatant racism and keep going like nothing, I really like this moments where the Doctor is confronted with such issues in their own fless like 13 being constantly questioned just because she was a woman. So far, this season has been great, keep 'em coming like this!

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I really liked how Mr. Ring-a-ding was portrayed here, and how his defeat feels more definitive and actually wholesome, I also loved how he transformed into one of those superdetailed 3D models made only to be gritty depictions of lovable cartoon characters.

"I'm Mr. Ring-a-ding, I'll make your heart bell sing, please don't make me laugh, just take my autograph..."DAMN IT, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS ON MY HEAD FOR TWO DAYS NOW, MAKE IT STOP.

EXCUSE ME???? Honey, you're to much of a diva to be Velma, you're Daphne at best.

The Vindicator is such a funny name for what basically works as a harpoon.

I love how at first Belinda is all "take me home Doctor" until she hears they've landed on 1952 and just goes "f**k it, might as well have some fun"

Also, the f**king Blink puns, felt that

I've seen reviews from certain sites saying that Mrs. Flood might now more that she let's us know, specially from behind the scenes, but I don't think that's actually true, her line of "Limited run only. Show ends on May 24th" feels more like a direct reference to the event that's making the TARDIS bounce off that certain date than a cancellation announcement, also the season ends on May 31st??? I'm still hopefull we'll get a new season, wheter that'll be with Ncuti or not is what really worries me, I'm not ready to say goodbye so early.

I liked a lot of what it was doing, but "that scene" was cringy and totally killed the pacing. The last minute extra regeneration energy setup that gets used almost immediately after also felt lazy.

The animated bit shouldn't have been in the trailers.

The one bit it felt like it was gonna do something really interesting was a fake out

And it ain't as fun as Devils Chord

This seems like I hated it has a lot of good in there, just doesn't feel cohesive.

WHAT AN EPISODE!!! Incredibly creative, innovative and imaginative, with an absolutely bonkers plot.

This is EVERYTHING I love about Doctor Who. This episode had so much heart and depth.

Mr Ring-A-Ding was an absolutely brilliant villain. The episode and the animation looked gorgeous. The score was IMMACULATE. Murray cooked🔥

15 and Belinda continue to be absolutely PHENOMENAL!! They have my whole heart. I love them so much.

10/10 NO NOTES!!!

Although i’d knock it down to a 7/10 as they gave away the ending in the middle, and the villain’s motivation changed. (😂)

Incredible character work alongside an amazing villain, with outstanding effects and with some incredibly funny and poignant fourth wall breaks (it was leaked online, RIP Doctor Who, hahaha). What more could you want from Doctor Who?

I loved 15's speech about toppling worlds when they face the racism of the era (I was relieved that Russel did not evade the topic) and the pacing felt great (in contrast with the previous episode). It left enough time for the viewers to get invested with Tommy Lee's mother and with the Projectionist. Belinda and the Doctor bond so much in this episode (just compare their interactions at the beginning and at the end with Belinda fussing over the Doctor getting scorched) and the defeat of Lux was actually great. The best way to defeat a god is to make it so it is everything, and it is nothing at the same time (felt whimsical and philosophical, which I love!)

great episode apart from the extremely obnoxious scene in the middle with characters who i was unable to care about because of how annoying and shallowly written they were

Kind of crazy they predicted my 7/10

Oh that was perfect that was really really good like damn

Absolute cinema.