This was fine, barely featured K9 and the plot felt a little contrived with using the weapon at the start then being the same material as the mind control, probably didn't need that opening at all, but hey, Girl gets some character stuff which is nice I guess. It's not a bad idea for an episode, it's just not executed well.

4/10

😐2️⃣ = NOT ENJOYABLE!

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

“A ROCK BLOW TO THE HEAD”

This episode has a cool title, and the premise sounds like it's trying to do something different! This show turns into a high school drama, and that drama is probably some of the worst I’ve seen.

The problem is that we are in a new setting with new characters, but there’s no time devoted to fleshing any of it out (and Forgettable Girl’s new friend is the worst child actor yet). Additionally, nothing of note happens here.

Look, it’s the Robomen again! And they take down the world’s most effective protest, held by a single person!

I love how they make the moment of Forgettable Girl’s big crime this very dramatic moment, worth of slow motion and all!

Smug Face is back, and he keeps getting worse. He’s trying too hard to be soooo evil, and it falls flat.

Villain Mother is mothering and not being very good at it. She even lets Smug Face give her parenting advice!

Bad Starkey and Annoying Kid take a backseat for once, but the episode isn’t any better because of it. The worst part of the episode is when they get something to do in the climax.

I still find the lack of proper K9 action a general problem.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

The “snapping fingers to turn the lights on and off” gag reminds me of a similar gag RTD did with the Doctor and Adam in The Long Game.

This one actually worked as an episode of television. There is a plot and a clear three act structure! I like the feminist message that is snuck in, opposing the hypnotic bracelets being used against young school girls, showing what a “boy’s ideal” of a girl is and then what girls are actually like. There is a sincere message on how ridiculous the patriarchy can be - and some hilarious flirting. The script was good enough to go some way in overcoming a mixture of bad and uncharismatic acting! As it stands writer Deborah Parsons is my favourite thing about K9 - I have two of her episodes left!