Sometimes you go to Doctor Who for the biting social commentary, the thrills, the horror, the out there sci-fi concepts, the depth to every interaction, how it's building on 60 years of lore.

Sometimes you go to Doctor Who to sit down in front of the telly, throw on an episode, and just have some fun.

The Robot Revolution definitely doesn't do the former of those, but it doesn't need to, it's all in on the latter and works. Is this the best Doctor Who story I've ever watched? No. Is it one that I can absolutely see coming back to, throwing it on when I just want some fun? YES.

A brilliantly fun story that does exactly what I think Doctor Who needed to, backed up by brilliant effects (cosmetic, practical, and CG), a wild premise that's fun from start to end, some spectacular acting, and a cliffhanger that almost has me sad we're not getting a 2 episode premier again.

I thought it was pretty darn fun, and set up the season well. Some things felt a tad meh, but I like the writing, Belinda is really fun, I LOVE seeing Ncuti again, and the visuals were great! Loved the planet it took place on.

It does have the slight issue I've noticed in other 15 episodes where he cries over a character we barely know or have barely seen, BUT, that being said, I like how it led into Belinda's negative reaction to the Doctor wanting to bring her along.

Intrigued as to where the story will go for the rest of the season!

Season Two (Series 15); Episode One - “The Robot Revolution” by Russell T. Davies

Doctor Who doesn’t excite me anymore. I’m sorry, sorry to myself, sorry to the whole fanbase, but I just can’t care anymore. Doctor Who in its new, frankly unnecessary era, is entirely style over substance, a flashy soap opera with the depth of a puddle in a drought that I simply can not find myself excited about. The Robot Revolution was a competent episode with needlessly glorious visuals that felt as if ChatGPT was told to write an episode of Doctor Who, the bare essentials needed for an episode in a trenchcoat masquerading as the first in a new series. I’m not angry, but I am very disappointed.

Average nursing student Belinda Chandra wakes up to find herself queen of a far off planet inexplicably named after her and ruled by a tyrannical AI supercomputer. With her life and freedom at stake, she has to put her chances in the hands of rebel leader the Doctor if she wants to escape.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Alright, sulking out of the way, what did I actually think about The Robot Revolution? Not much, honestly, this is a very hollow episode. But I suppose we still have a pretty face and what a face it is, this episode is one of the best looking of the new era and that is saying something, given the competition. It’s ultra flashy and incredibly impressive to look at, with not one of the many, highly complicated props cheaply made. If I have to give this era some praises, it would be that it looks utterly incredible but looks aren’t everything.

The one place I did find some genuinely interesting depth was in our new companion, Belinda, who does feel to me like a rehash of other companions still but, once again boasts a good performance and instantly likable personality. I don’t think she works quite as well with Ncuti as Gibson did last season but the idea of a companion genuinely not wanting to be in the TARDIS is a fun concept (that has already been done with Tegan but hey-ho). But even so, she seems so superficially likable at times, like with the obvious self-sacrifice attempt that’s just so mundanely trying to get me to like her when the episode was already succeeding.

And you might be saying, “Speechless, it’s just a fun season opener, don’t take it so seriously”. And, I mean, fair enough, our villains are literally called Missbelindachandrabots for christ’s sake but I have some issues with that. There were a few moments I genuinely chuckled, the aforementioned robot naming convention being one of them, but there’s just something missing for me. A single episode like this is perfectly fine - not for me, but not egregious. However, nearly every other episode in this new era is exactly the same; you can’t expect me to not judge any of them because they’re just goofing off.

Especially when the episode keeps on shoving sentimental bullshit in my face every five seconds. Russell seems to have forgotten how to write emotional beats because he keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Try as you might RTD, you can not get me to care about a character I’ve only known for five minutes. It also doesn’t help that you do this every, single episode in an identical way, making every single moment like this feel so bland and repetitive. He also can’t write drama anymore, a character will just come up to somebody, be antagonistic out of nowhere and then disappear for the rest of the episode and we’re meant to pretend it meant anything. Emotional beats in this new era are equivalent to the “APPLAUSE” signs they put in live studio audiences.

As for the story itself, I find everything so utterly bland here. No interesting ideas, no cool moments, no tension, no pacing, f**kall structure. Russell clearly just looked at those phony buy-a-star scams and went “but what if that was actually real” and then tried to spin a whole episode out of it. You know, for an episode where the big bad is an AI, it’s pretty ironic that it feels like one of the most procedurally generated scripts of the whole show. In addition to this, it moves so weirdly quickly. I checked the time after what felt like ten minutes and I was halfway through. There is no building here, no rise and fall of action: it begins, it goes and it stops with nearly no downtime in between plot beats. Because of this, it gave me no time to care. Not one scene impressed me, the rebel shootout was contrived and barely engaging, the bunker scene felt like a checklist of character interactions and the final scene is a lot of talking and annoying dialogue, with the completely unintimidating Jonny Green robot (Oh yeah, Tyler’s actor show up) having a second “it was the wrong anagram” reveal.

You know what, I actually think Russell’s running out of ideas. The companions are all the same, all the tender moments feel copied and pasted, hell, we even get a rip off Gadget from The Waters of Mars here that just goes to prove that he had exactly four series worth of ideas in him. All of this makes me ask, why is it I don’t care? Why is it I’m just not excited anymore? I mean, last season we got a couple great episodes that felt genuine and had actual, interesting character arcs going on. Am I not at least looking forward to any more of those? Not really, everything in the new Doctor Who is just lacking something, a certain charm that made the original RTD series so endearing. Maybe it’s the fact I find the new Doctor so utterly dull, even if Gatwa is a blast in the role. Maybe it's the fact that every character interaction, every emotional beat, every dramatic moment feels so disingenuous and like it's phoning it in. Maybe it's the constant, patronising attempt to make me feel something towards characters who truly refuse to grow and deepen.

I’m sorry if I’m being a downer but just know that I want to like this, I want to be excited to sit down every Saturday for Doctor Who but I’m being honest here and I have to say that I simply can not care. I’m giving The Robot Revolution a very low score and not because it's particularly incompetent but just because it's such an utterly hollow episode and everything I get out of it, I can find elsewhere. This is truly empty TV.

4/10

Pros:

+ Looks utterly incredible

+ Belinda is easily relatable and likable

+ Had moments of some genuinely fun TV

Cons:

- Incredibly superficial and surface level

- The pacing makes the story feel like a minisode

- Has a huge cast of cardboard cutout characters

- Once again, has forced emotional moments

- Absolutely awful main antagonist

Just like that one episode of Phineas and Ferb

THIS WAS FUCKING BRILLIANT I LOVED IT ANOTHER BANGER

They shouldn't have killed the cat.

Personally, I found this largely very bland and generic. The plot felt like it could have been interesting, with a somewhat unique core concept, but I don't think it was executed that well, and I did find myself starting to feel a little bored at points. Visually it looks excellent, but I also feel it lacks a little in identity (although the timey-wimey sequences were really good). Moreover, there are also some aspects of this story that I felt really could have done with some more explanation or depth, such as the every-ninth-word-thing, some of the time elements, and Sacha 55. However, I loved the hospital sequence near the start, and my first impressions of Belinda, the new companion, are very positive. Furthermore, the brief bit with Mrs Flood was nicely intriguing, and I also liked the musical score.

the worst thing i have ever watched 9/10 i want some of what russell t davies is smoking

The Robot Revolution is a story that succeeds way more at being a companion introduction than an episode in his own right. If Belinda's introduction makes her already a very rounded character, with depicting however briefly her work and home life, and by putting her at odds with the doctor makes for a great dynamic, the same can't be said for the plot proper. There's a lot of good ideas, and the retrofuturistic aesthetic looks really good, making really cartoonish designs come to life and really pop, with very good vfx, especially concerning the weapons and the time fracture scene, it is in service of a story that doesn't take the time it needs. Side characters are barely introduced before being disposed or sidelined. It makes their fate lack impact. The whole story taking the time to establish the (well executed) bootstrap paradox of it all leaves the actual struggles of the missbelindachandrakind an aftertought of the episode which is a complete shame. Same goes for the reveal that feels somewhat preachy and that could have been executed better if done a little more subtly and by trusting the audience a little more to get the message without insisting upon it and getting the time to explore the episode's villain a little more.

Pretty fun opening if you don't take it too seriously, and nice to see Jonny Green on-screen after listening to the Torchwood audio seasons..

My only gripe is the fact it seems to be written as if originally intended for an audio- lots of exposition, when the audience can see what's happening.

But I can't, in good faith, give a Favourite Heart to an episode featuring cat death. 💔

-After thinking on this episode for a few hours, my ratings dropped from a 4 star to a 2.5 star -

Incredibly fun and campy season opener. its primary purpose is introducing us to new companion belinda chandra and it does so wonderfully. she has so many layers to her dynamic with the doctor already and im so excited to see more of her. she feels like a real person with real struggles living in a house share. the story isnt anything incredible but its a good time. if theres one thing thats bugged me its the "tell, dont show". for example, its described as "planet of the incels" when its already incredibly obvious to the viewer that the villain is an incel. it doesnt seem to trust that its audience can figure out the message themselves and has to explain it. a little more faith in the viewer and the social commentary would've hit harder.

also the doctor says yas queen and the villain turns into a sperm and egg then gets vaccumed up. not a criticism its just funny lmao

we are so back

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

“ROBOT REVOLUTION: A SPARKLING SEASON TWO STARTER WITH A BITE BEHIND THE BOUNCE”

Robot Revolution kicks off Series Two with a bang—and more importantly, with confidence. It’s a vibrant, pacey, and charming reintroduction to the Fifteenth Doctor, and it works far better as a premiere than Space Babies ever did. Russell T Davies embraces the whimsical tone but underpins it with genuine emotional depth, sharp visuals, and just enough mystery to keep us hooked.

QUEEN OF THE ROBOTS? WELL, KIND OF…

The plot is as absurd as it is delightful: 21st-century nurse Belinda Chandra is abducted from her home by a gang of excitable robots who believe she’s their long-lost queen, all because of a star certificate gifted to her by an ex-boyfriend over a decade ago. It’s a daft premise, yes—but one played with enough wit and world-building to become something genuinely compelling.

What follows is a sci-fi romp through Missbelindachandraworld (yes, that’s really what they call it), complete with robot cults, civil war, time distortions, and a surprisingly dark twist involving a toxic ex who accidentally triggers a planetary revolution. It’s wild, but it works.

VISUALLY STRIKING, BRIMMING WITH STYLE

Production-wise, this is top-tier Doctor Who. The robots are toylike but expressive, reminiscent of Smile’s emoji-faced bots, with helpful visual icons that flash across their faces depending on mood or function. The environments are stunning—from the gleaming capital of Missbelindachandraville to the gritty tunnels and battle chambers beneath it.

Time distortion effects early on are particularly well done, and the trippy climax pushes the show’s visual language into bold new territory. Add in sharp editing, strong direction, and a killer score, and you’ve got an opener that looks (and sounds) better than ever.

A COMPELLING COMPANION: BELINDA ARRIVES FULLY FORMED

Belinda Chandra is instantly compelling—a nurse with a spine, a sharp tongue, and no patience for the Doctor’s usual nonsense. She calls him out when he oversteps, questions his fascination with her, and even challenges him when he takes her DNA without asking. She’s not starry-eyed; she’s practical, self-possessed, and more Tegan than Rose, which is exactly the right energy for a modern companion.

She’s not swept up in the romance of space-time travel—she just wants to go home. But when pushed into the chaos, she rises to the challenge, making tough calls and holding her ground. This isn’t a passive plus-one. This is someone who speaks for herself—and might just speak against the Doctor when needed.

NUCTI GATWA CONTINUES TO SHINE

Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor continues to dazzle: bouncy, brilliant, and bursting with warmth. There’s an intriguing undercurrent here too—he already knows Belinda’s name when they meet, having heard it from someone else. And when he spots her resemblance to Mundy Flynn from Boom, he starts putting pieces together. There’s clearly more going on here, and it’s nice to see the arc seeded so organically.

SCHWUPS AND SYNCHRONISATION

One of the more quietly clever elements is the timey-wimey gap between Earth and Missbelindachandraworld: only hours pass for Belinda, but six months for the Doctor. It’s described as a “schwup”—a delightfully RTD bit of invented jargon that also gives emotional weight to the Doctor’s waiting. This mismatch sets up an early sense of temporal imbalance that’s sure to pay off later.

THE ROBOT REVOLUTION: FUN, FATAL, AND FELINE-UNFRIENDLY

The robot uprising is amusing at first—complete with a BB-8-like Polish Polish Robot (adorable) and a whole vocabulary quirk where robots can’t hear every ninth word (a great sci-fi idea that becomes a vital plot point). But the comedy quickly turns to tragedy. These robots disintegrate a cat (why is it always the cat?) and wage a brutal war, believing themselves to be righteous.

The cause? A miscommunication sparked by Belinda’s ex-boyfriend, Alan, now a reclusive incel-turned-AI overlord calling himself the AI Generator. It’s a sharp turn into social commentary—Alan is both pathetic and dangerous, a man so obsessed with his own inadequacy that he builds a mythos around it and unleashes war. He’s a chillingly real villain, and the smoke-filled, lightning-crackling chamber he resides in adds an operatic flair to his twisted logic.

SOME TROPES REMAIN… BUT MOSTLY WORK

The twist—that “AI Generator” really stands for “Alan”—is one of those RTD red herrings that’s a little too on-the-nose. It’s not subtle, and viewers will likely clock it well in advance. Still, it fits the tone, and the emotional truth of Alan’s villainy is stronger than the twist itself.

THE WEAK LINKS? A FEW BACKGROUND PLAYERS

Not everything hits equally hard. Supporting characters like Sasha 55 (Evelyn Miller) and Manny (Max Parker) are likable but thinly drawn. Sasha dies before we really get to know her, and Manny’s distrust of Belinda never quite factors meaningfully into the plot. The robot voices, performed by Nick Briggs, are surprisingly fresh despite his ubiquity, but even they mostly serve as comic relief or cannon fodder.

THE FLOOD FACTOR RETURNS

And of course, we get a Mrs Flood sighting—this time as Belinda’s neighbour, watching her abduction from a distance. She breaks the fourth wall again before vanishing, setting up her now-confirmed appearances in every episode. Who is she? Still no idea, but the mystery continues to bubble intriguingly in the background.

A FINAL HOOK FOR THE FUTURE

The closing image is a stunner: the Eiffel Tower floating in space alongside the shattered remains of the Statue of Liberty, hinting at the series arc and the unresolved question—why can’t the Doctor return Belinda to May 24th, 2025? It’s a small, quiet mystery that’s likely to snowball into something massive, and it’s an excellent final sting.

📝VERDICT: 8/10

Robot Revolution is fun, confident, and bursting with imagination. It balances whimsy with emotional heft, introduces a winning new companion in Belinda Chandra, and continues to evolve Fifteen’s personality with warmth and mystery. It’s bold without being brash, clever without being convoluted, and stylish without sacrificing substance. A thrilling start to the season—and the best “Episode One” we’ve had in years.

Great opening episode. Interesting concept. Love Belinda as a character, always great to have someone on board that views the Doctor as an equal. Best and coolest depiction of Blinovitch Limitation Effect I've seen so far. So SO much better than that abomination we got last series. Actually got my hopes up back again for the new series.

“The Robot Revolution” isn’t going to be one of my new favorite episodes, but it was a solid episode and a good way to start the series. Incels are the true antagonists of both Doctor Who and life.

i'm afraid to say it but WE ARE SO BACK. i forgive the uninspired robot design because this was DOCTOR FUCKING WHO!

great opening to the new series, excited to see where it leads us. i do think it repeats a few too many things from previous new who stories though

Polish polish!

This is a pretty enjoyable story. Belinda is instantly likeable; she's a nurse who actually gets to use her skills in the story, she's not star-struck by the Doctor, she has a strong personality and agency. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her.

The story is a little more lackluster. Despite the fast pace, it feels very empty, like very little happened. Some of it is due to not really getting to know the side cast and a lot of the quieter moments being rushed through. It's a very simple and straightforward plot.

I must praise Sasha's actress for her acting. The big smile with the tension in the eyes was extremely poignant. Despite that, I really didn't feel that we had gotten to know her enough for her death to have much impact as a viewer. Lingering on her moment of death and focusing on the Doctor crying (again) felt more like the writer was trying to get me to feel something than giving a beloved character a proper send-off. Despite that, I do realise that it's realistic, considering how much time the Doctor spent with her, and I appreciate that she wasn't immediately forgotten about and her presence was felt throughout the episode.

I like the "twist" at the end. The message is solid, and the execution was pretty good. I will say, however, that I don't love the amount of flashbacks used, and the proposal scene was a little heavy-handed. All I needed was his line in the beginning saying "girls aren't good at maths" for me to know he's a condescending prick.

I especially liked the ending, with Belinda telling the Doctor off for scanning her DNA and believing she's just jump on the opportunity to travel with him after seeing what happened to Sasha. I enjoy this darker side of the Doctor, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it.

Other highlights include the polish robot and the Mrs. Flood cameo.

In general, while this isn't likely to ever be a favourite episode of mine, it does have me excited for the rest of the series, which is all a series opener really needs to do.

Wow that was actually really good,probably my favorite RTD opener since Smith and Jones,I really like Belinda in this episode and the chemistry between her and 15 is amazing.The robots are really cool and the action sequence between them and rebels is great,I think pacing is a bit eh,needed more time but otherwise I really enjoyed this and can't wait for more of the season - 8.5/10

Robot Revolution

He did it, I didn't think it was possible but RTD has written an episode I actually like.

This was such a fun series opener. The music at the beginning of the episode felt really reminiscent of Murray Gold's work on RTD1 which I love. This era so far his music hasn't felt as whimsical, but up to the intro it was very whimsy which I just adore. Belinda was great, I really warmed to her already.

The reviews prepared me for something really ham-fisted and in your face when in actual fact it was well done, and very topical with life at the minute. There were twists, turns, laughs and tears. A really fun opener to the series!

The ending... VERY intriguing!

What a stupid-ass episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Missbelindachandrabots desing was pretty nice, the villain and his demise was hilarious and the whole Doctor-Belinda dynamic felt pretty good. The music in this was also pretty nice. I loved Space Babies when it came out, and this episode shares the same unserious vibes that I love for Doctor Who to have from time-to-time. Overly excited to see Lux next week and excited to see how this whole season unfolds. Fingers crossed it'll be good.

/////////////////////////////// SPOILER SECTION ///////////////////////////////

"Planet of the Incels" LOL, that was funnier than I expected it

The Doctor and Belinda should've taken the "Polish, Polish" robot with them, it was cute as f**k

Red Sonic Setting fans rejoice.

THAT SEQUENCE WITH THE BLEEP IN TIME WAS NUTS, I LOVED THAT

I really enjoyed this! Especially after Space Babies irritated me; this feels like a return to form for openers personally.

The premise is incredibly funny, and I love how it was executed! Gatwa and Sethu are amazing, and I looooove Belinda already! Give me conflict! Give me a companion who doesn't take The Doctor's BS, and calls them out on their gross manipulations! And yes, good give me The Doctor's gross manipulations and address them - something 11's era didn't do enough for me with how he treated Clara.

I loved how this episode looked too; especially the robots and how many trippy sequences we had. The time explosion is literally what I want regenerations to look like again, ala Classic Who.

The twist was VERY silly in all the right ways, and it's great how unsubtle its commentary is. I don't care about subtext if I'm having a good time, which I am! Get those incels OUT OF HERE!!

This all being said.... With how fast paced it all was, it was hard for me to feel emotionally invested in the Sasha 55 plot, despite RTD's repeated attempts to make me. I knew her for all of 2 minutes! Why should I act as if she's emotionally important to me, just because The Doctor cried and everyone told us she ruled??? Tbh this ties into my biggest criticism of the episode: none of the side characters really mattered or got to be characters due to the pace. Also Manny was a little much, huh? At least he's very buff..... 

All in all though I really enjoyed and thought the tone balancing was great (again, unlike Space Babies), so I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Tone, character and biting commentary launch the new season

A steady start possibly foreshadowing a darker season. The Doctor's first adventures with Ruby felt so light they carried no weight. Here, we have robots who vaporize a cat and who very much kill people, including those we name and those the Doctor cares for. These are ultimately little touches given the overall plot, but they give the entire package a much darker feeling.

Belinda is sharp, driven and brave. I feel as though we already know quite a bit about her (despite knowing nothing of her family) and I'm excited to see where she goes in her (presumed) eight episodes. If anything, I would have liked to see more of her life before, especially her doomed relationship with Allen, so that his reappearance later could have hit harder.

In addition to going darker and giving us better defined characters, it also looks like we're thankfully in for a more explicitly political season. We saw a little bit of this spice in the Christmas special with its limited commentary on lockdown. In the Robot Revolution, we have automated villains, but they themselves are not evil. The problem is not the tech. It's the incels designing it, putting their own capricious, misogynist nature into machines which would otherwise be helpful. The reveal that the "AI Generator" is actually just the bad idea of a creepy dude is perfect in this moment.

I have high hopes for this season. Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.

Certainly enjoyable, if slightly flawed season opener.

Where it shines is the introduction of a new companion - Belinda shone throughout this, and it is testament to a great performance from Varada Sethu, who performed the character really well. Her moments where she comes into tension and conflict with the Doctor are fantastic, and I think Russell T Davies is delivering on his promise well of a companion who is going to test the Doctor well. The final scene of Belinda and the Doctor in the TARDIS, holding him accountable for his actions, is fantastic. I am a huge fan of Ruby, but this dynamic was missing in the last season. Ncuti Gatwa continues to play the Doctor really well, and bounced off really well with Varada Sethu, and I am excited to see how he is going to continue to develop and inhabit the role of the Doctor.

The story is also visually stunning - the planet is incredibly well realised, with the set work just a wonder to behold. Throughout, I was struck with how beautiful and fantastic it looked. Beyond the sets, the robots and the AL Generator was just so well constructed and designed. A huge hats off to the production crew for realising this so well.

Davies script was also mostly a triumph, some fantastic moments of humour, and wonderful world building. The characters felt authentic and real within this world, with a script that provided some great moments.

Where the story falters, is in how rushed it is. A season opener has a lot of work to do, introducing new characters and setting off the season arc, but this just felt so rushed. Where other openers succeeded was a slower pace to focus on the characters, and take more time in these moments. This never quite realised here - this was a whirlwind from start to finish. The story also, while very well constructed, is quite simple, which while good for a season opener, should have allowed for these moments to be still, and the space to breathe, but was missing throughout.

Overall, certainly an enjoyable episode, and one which I will have a lot of fun revisiting. I am excited to see where this season goes!

Goofy, colourful, forthright, relevant, trippy AF (Peter Hoar COOKED!); this is the Doctor Who I want.