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“THE STORY & THE ENGINE – A CUT ABOVE THE REST”

With The Story & the Engine, Doctor Who enters uncharted narrative territory. Penned by acclaimed poet and playwright Inua Ellams, this episode blends Afrofuturism, theatre, and folklore into a lyrical bottle episode that’s equal parts fable and sci-fi. Set almost entirely in Omo’s barbershop – a warm, bustling haven nestled within a vibrant Nigerian bazaar – it’s a story unlike anything the show has done before, and quite possibly unlike anything it will do again.

What instantly sets this episode apart is its striking cultural texture. From the predominantly Black cast to the atmospheric setting soaked in African storytelling traditions, the episode pulses with a sense of place and identity rarely seen in Doctor Who. Ellams’s background as a playwright is immediately evident in the episode’s theatrical staging, its rhythmical dialogue, and its focus on character-driven monologues. Despite the small-scale premise – a group of people stuck in a barber’s while stories are exchanged – the result feels mythic in scale.

A BARBER’S SHOP WITH SECRETS

The barbershop setting is simple yet conceptually rich. The idea that storytelling fuels the titular Engine – a literal one that must be powered for the group to be released – is an ingenious narrative concept, and it allows the episode to celebrate oral storytelling, folklore, and the sharing of personal truths. The visual decision to display the characters’ stories in the barbershop window adds a layer of enchantment and theatricality to the otherwise mundane location. The shop becomes a stage, and each haircut a performance.

Musically, Murray Gold keeps up the strong work, with the score subtly incorporating African rhythms and instrumentation. These elements, alongside the warm cinematography and the grounded, community-centred vibe of the bazaar, bring the setting vividly to life.

THE DOCTOR’S HAVEN… OR A TRAP?

We’re told that this is not the Doctor’s first visit to Omo’s barbershop – it’s a place he frequents when he needs to unwind, to feel welcome, to be seen. There’s a comfort here for him, particularly in his current body. His walk through the bazaar at the beginning, full of familiar faces and greetings, suggests a personal history – and a life the Doctor lives between the cracks of his usual adventures. It’s a beautiful notion: that this chaotic, wandering alien has a barbershop he calls home.

Yet this safe space becomes a trap. Omo, who greets the Doctor warmly, has in fact lured him there. He knows that the Doctor’s stories are potent enough to power the Engine singlehandedly, thus freeing the other captives. When this is revealed, it lands as a painful betrayal. The Doctor has been used – not out of malice, but desperation. And Ncuti Gatwa sells the hurt beautifully, bringing an emotional intensity that anchors the story.

THE BARBER AND THE MECHANICAL SPIDER

Presiding over the Engine is the titular Barber, played with velvety menace and cold charisma by Ariyon Bakare (returning to Doctor Who for the first time since playing Leandro in The Woman Who Lived). He’s not your usual moustache-twirling villain. He’s calm, calculated, and poetic, and his motivations are rooted in a deeply personal sense of injustice. He once helped establish the pantheon of storytelling gods – but now, he’s been forgotten, unacknowledged. His plan? To pilot a colossal mechanical spider to the centre of the Nexus – a web of myths, legends, and stories – and sever the gods from humanity in protest. If humans live by stories, then destroying the gods risks destroying humanity itself.

It’s a big, abstract idea – high-concept and metaphysical. Admittedly, it’s not always clearly explained, and the details of how the spider and the Engine connect are a little muddled. But Ellams isn’t aiming for hard sci-fi logic here; he’s crafting a poetic metaphor about legacy, recognition, and the interconnectedness of stories and people. The fact that this grand mythology all stems from a barber’s chair makes it feel all the more unique.

The reveal that the barbershop sits on top of a giant mechanical spider is one of the most visually ambitious moments of the season – though it’s a shame that the trailers gave it away in advance. In the episode itself, the twist also arrives a bit too early to land with maximum impact. But the spider’s design is striking, and its lumbering journey toward the Nexus adds tension even when the characters remain physically stationary.

ABBY, THE NEXUS, AND A FUGITIVE MEMORY

Abby, the Barber’s assistant, is a quiet presence at first – watching, listening, seemingly powerless. But her significance becomes clear in one of the episode’s most jaw-dropping revelations: she is a former acquaintance of the Fugitive Doctor. Jo Martin returns briefly in a glorious flashback, revealing that the Doctor once abandoned Abby on a mission. This moment is powerful not just for its fan-pleasing shock, but for the way it re-centres Abby’s entire arc. She has been waiting, wondering, perhaps resenting. And yet, when the time comes, she helps the Doctor save the day. It's a beautiful payoff that redeems both her and the Barber.

The Doctor and Belinda venture into the heart of the Nexus – via a maze representing the storytelling web itself – where they find the Engine, now visualised as an abstract, organic construct. It morphs from a brain to a tree, evocative of Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree, complete with a glowing, beating heart at its core. The Doctor’s climactic act is wonderfully low-key: he doesn’t fight or destroy. He tells a story. A single, infinite story: “I’m born. I die. I’m born.” It’s a moment of pure Doctor Who – simple, profound, and poetic.

REDEMPTION, NOT RETRIBUTION

What’s especially refreshing is that the Barber survives. Rather than being vanquished or imprisoned, he is given a chance to make amends. Abby and the Doctor allow him to inherit the shop and continue telling stories. Few villains in Doctor Who get this kind of emotional closure, and it feels earned. The episode understands that storytelling is not just power – it’s healing.

BELINDA AND THE BABY THAT WENT NOWHERE

And then there’s Belinda. Once again, she’s pushed to the side-lines. She spends the first half of the episode inside the TARDIS, and the second mostly standing around the barbershop doing little of note. We do get a brief but affecting flashback to her days as a nurse – a rare return to her established profession – but this is the final time the show explores that aspect of her character. It’s a missed opportunity. Even more frustrating is the mystery baby she glimpses – one that looks exactly like Poppy from Space Babies. The moment is filmed as if it carries deep significance, but the rest of the season never addresses it. It ends up feeling like a forgotten thread, left dangling without resolution.

There’s also a subplot hinted at in the original script, where Belinda gets in trouble with local law enforcement in the bazaar. We see the beginnings of this scene, but the storyline never goes anywhere. It’s likely a victim of editing, but it further highlights how adrift her character has become.

THE SUPPORTING CAST: FILLER, NOT FEATURES

Beyond Omo, who is unfortunately sidelined once the main plot kicks in, the rest of the supporting cast – a group of Gumtree customers caught in the barbershop – have very little to do. They contribute a few lines here and there but are mostly passive observers. Given the episode’s emphasis on personal stories and emotional revelations, it’s a shame they weren’t given more development. There was potential for each character to share a tale, to enrich the tapestry of narratives. Instead, they remain background dressing.

📝VERDICT: 93/100

The Story & the Engine is a daring, lyrical, and culturally resonant piece of Doctor Who. Inua Ellams’s script rewires the show’s DNA, swapping exposition for poetry and explosions for metaphor. Though not every idea lands cleanly – and the sidelining of Belinda and the underdeveloped supporting cast are definite weak spots – the episode excels in atmosphere, originality, and emotional impact. Ariyon Bakare’s calm and quietly vengeful Barber is a standout villain, Abby’s backstory adds depth to the Doctor’s hidden past, and the themes of oral tradition, memory, and redemption give the hour weight beyond its minimalist setting. Not every experiment works – but when Doctor Who takes creative risks like this, the results can be truly unforgettable. A quiet classic in the making.

A really interesting concept and great to see a black-centered story without suffering at its core. The themes of community and humanity really struck well. And the animation in the window was very cool. I would also be remiss of I didn’t mention the Fugitive Doctor cameo which I enjoyed. My gripes aren’t too huge. While it made sense for Belinda to take the sideline, she exists as pretty much as nothing character in the story. Her “hurt people hurt people” statement ends up being clumsy and so the message doesn’t hit as hard as it could.

The Story and the Engine didn’t feel like anything else I’ve seen the show do. It’s definitely my favorite performance from Ncuti, really leaning into the mythical and otherworldly vibes. Also kudos to that bit where the Barber turns out not to be every trickster archetype-adjacent thing from all world mythology. I hate it when everything is actually the same thing. Points off for kind of being about how great Doctor Who is, I’m sick of self congratulatory metanarratives and it’s time to retire the trope where we see a bunch of past Doctor clips. This does not apply to the Jo Martin cameo, which actually fit the tone of the episode. The spider looks absolutely gorgeous though.

The Story & the Engine: A Richly Resonant Masterpiece

Every now and then, Doctor Who delivers something so different, so imaginative, that it takes my breath away. The Story & the Engine is just such a story. Unapologetically bold, emotionally rich, and conceptually dazzling, this episode is a striking testament to the creative power of the show at its best. Inua Ellams has given us something rare: a story that is both deeply personal and thematically universal. Moreover, it is, unquestionably, Doctor Who to its very core.

Experimental Brilliance, Rooted in Tradition

This episode is genuinely unlike anything else. Whilst it's tempting to search for comparisons, the truth is there’s nothing quite like it in the show’s long and storied history. It belongs to that select pantheon of experimental stories (e.g. The Edge of Destruction, The Mind Robber, Father’s Day, Turn Left, Listen, Heaven Sent et al.) that challenge format and expectation, and yet feel utterly at home in the Whoniverse.
It makes few, if any, concessions to casual viewers — and I adore it all the more for that. This is not an entry point. It’s a gift to long-time fans who crave boundary-pushing narrative wrapped in deeply thematic storytelling. It is a story to be savoured (like a rich feast), not casually consumed (like a cheap burger).

Emotional Tension Over Frantic Action and Jump Scares

This story is a perfect example of a very different kind of tension — one that trades jump scares and adrenaline for slow-burn emotional unease. At no point does The Story & the Engine aim for the “edge of your seat” suspense of episodes like The Well or 2005’s Dalek. It doesn’t need to. Instead, it cultivates a powerful and lingering emotional tension rooted in uncertainty, betrayal, and shifting boundaries. The initial inscrutability of the Barber — his motivations, his tone, his ambiguous authority — generates a creeping sense of unease. There’s an unsettling ‘offness’ to his presence, a violation, a trusted space becomes subtly unsafe because he is there. It is now his ‘establishment’. The barbershop, once a refuge, becomes compromised. The tension arises not from monsters in the shadows, but from the betrayal of trust and collapse of emotional boundaries.

This contrast is what makes the episode so powerful. It shares some DNA with Lux in its conceptual strangeness, but carves its own path. One moment in particular — when the Doctor is forced into the Barber’s chair against his will, protesting, “I’ve changed my mind” — hits with startling emotional force. It’s not the more familiar dramatics of being captured by monsters or soldiers in the employ of a megalomaniac. It's the mundanity of the barbershop (and its importance as social hub and safe space), and the everyday nature of the people involved, that makes it feel so much more violating. For me, it echoed the scene in Midnight, when the other passengers attempt to expel the Doctor. There’s a discomfort here that is quietly unsettling.

A Story of Safe Spaces, Betrayal, and Belonging

At the heart of The Story & the Engine lies something deeply resonant: the concept of the safe space, and the pain of its betrayal. The Doctor's connection to Omo’s Palace begins with its role as a haven — a place of respite rooted in community, culture, and a sense of kinship. His joy at being welcomed is palpable. And the betrayal of that trust — the realisation that he was seen as a solution rather than a friend — is devastating.

Ncuti Gatwa’s performance here is pitch-perfect. His pain is not just narrative; it’s desperately human (magnified through the lens of a Time Lord who has lived untold lives and years). The depth of his sense of betrayal, the hurt in his eyes — it lands with such weight because Ellams writes it with nuance, and Gatwa plays it with aching truth.

The episode tackles race and identity, yes, but it transcends them, exploring broader themes of isolation, acceptance, and community. It’s a story that speaks to anyone who’s ever felt disconnected from those around them, anyone who thinks they’ve found acceptance, only to have that joy snatched away to be left bereft and feeling like an outcast once more.

The Barber: A Villain Like No Other

Ariyon Bakare’s portrayal of the Barber is nothing short of extraordinary. The moment he names himself, cutting his own hair in defiance, is electric — layered with fury, vulnerability, pride, and centuries of pain. The performance is searing in its intensity, but never one-note. This is not a villain in the traditional sense, but a deeply wounded soul.

That naming scene is a pivotal moment — and such a masterclass in narrative tension. He seems momentarily larger than life, almost mythic, as he carves out a false identity with self-importance and anger — and then, in a beautifully executed turn, the Doctor and Belinda laugh. It’s not cruel. It’s cutting through the illusion. They see the lie. The tension punctures. From that point on, the Barber is still dangerous, but he’s no longer unknowable. He’s (rightly) diminished. His myth starts to unravel, and Abena begins her rise in narrative and emotional importance.

What makes the Barber so compelling is not just the power with which he begins, but the humanity with which he ends. His redemption — and it is a redemption — is one of the most emotionally satisfying narrative beats in the entire episode. It’s not a dramatic reversal or sudden absolution; it’s a gradual, earned realisation. He comes to see the truth in what Belinda tells Abena:

“Hurt people hurt people. Your father hurt you. The difference between good and evil is what we do with that pain.”

It’s a line that echoes throughout the Barber’s arc. He is not evil by nature, but someone who has caused harm in response to the pain and marginalisation he feels he has endured. His actions are those of a person trying to reclaim power in a world that stripped it from him, to simply be credited for what he has done — but in doing so, he risks becoming what he most despises.

The Doctor sees this clearly, warning him that through his actions, the Barber is becoming the very thing he sought to fight against. Crucially, the Barber listens (where ranting megalomaniacs would not). He hears it. In that moment of reflection and emotional reckoning, he begins to step back from the edge.

That recognition — that self-awareness — is the turning point. It’s what makes his redemption not just possible, but earned. Indeed, Bakare sells it perfectly, with a performance that moves from stormy fury to quiet, haunted self-realisation. It’s subtle, and it's devastatingly effective.

The Barber is one of Doctor Who’s most complex antagonists: a force of narrative and myth, yes, but also a man grappling with pain, pride, and the possibility of change. That makes his story not just powerful, but profoundly human.

The Barbershop as Mythic and Cultural Nexus

What struck me most personally is how the barbershop was treated as a sacred narrative space — not just a physical location but a site of cultural and emotional memory. Having worked in sub-Saharan Africa, I’ve experienced firsthand the beauty of communal storytelling: sitting around campfires with local rangers, sharing tales, laughter, and wisdom. Though the barbershop is a very different setting, the storytelling spirit is the same. The connection I felt watching this episode was deeply nostalgic, evoking memories of generosity, acceptance, and the power of shared stories. This is Doctor Who at its most human (and humane).

Though a key motivation for the Doctor’s initial love and patronage of Omo’s Palace is rooted in racial identity and discrimination, the episode succeeds in transcending any single issue. It becomes a universal exploration of the need for safe spaces and the consequences of their violation — whether on the basis of race, gender, neurodiversity, queerness, or any form of marginalisation. The emotional and intellectual core of the story speaks to the universal need for belonging.

The Steampunk-esque Tribal Spider Story Engine: A Conceptual Delight

Now let’s talk about THAT spider.

Some may dismiss it as inconsequential, but I found it delightful — both conceptually and biologically. The spider as a storytelling engine, traversing a cosmic tangle-web of ideas and imagination, felt so right. Its morphology, delightfully consistent with real-world spider taxa that weave tangle webs, added a layer of naturalistic joy. And it was so wonderfully Doctor Who — steampunk, strange, and mythic. In my book? Best spider the show has ever done. How else would you traverse a conceptual web of narrative, memory, and imagination than in a story-powered, mechanical, culturally resonant steampunk arachnid? I LOVED IT.

Final Thoughts

I’ve loved the Fifteenth Doctor’s era from the start, but The Story & the Engine feels like something special — an artistic high point, and a deeply personal favourite. It’s bold, strange, beautiful, and unapologetically itself.

I have one final thing to say.

Inua Ellams, thank you. Truly. The gods of storytelling smile upon us.

that was an absolutely insane story so far. so personal and creative with great characters and interesting themes about the importance of stories, forgiveness, and community. inua ellams needs to write more doctor who and russell needs to stick the landing now

Wow. Just WOW. This episode was amazing, I absolutely LOVED it.

First of all, visually this episode was so distinctive and gorgeous. The bright colors and the patterning in the costuming were lovely, the framing was awesome, and of course the artwork from the stories really pushed this one over the top to make this a truly distinctive and memorable episode.

Secondly — it is LONG overdue, at 15's fifteenth episode, but absolutely THRILLED to finally (FINALLY) get a story for 15 (or a TV story for Doctor Who during any era at all, actually) written solely by a Black writer. This one really truly shows what the show is capable of when it's not just the same handful of people writing episodes. (I also loved that it wasn't just set in modern-day London and gave the Doctor some concrete history in another place — they can travel through all of time and space and it's about time we really got some use out of that fact.) This was such a strong episode with a PERFECT premise for the Doctor to shine, while also not feeling samey like similar stories utilizing the aspect of how many lives the Doctor has lived often do. I really appreciated the writer's treatment of 15 as Black while acknowledging the (white) history of the character, because it really is so compatible with the thesis of "anyone can be the Doctor" in a way that, for example, Dot and Bubble (which treats him as, essentially, a white character who is now suddenly Black) just isn't. Also, the Black culture in this story truly just shines and has really earned it a place in Doctor Who by filling a niche that wasn't occupied — a story about Blackness where anti-black racism is not any kind of villain, while still acknowledging history of the slave trade. Additionally, having the fugitive doctor make an appearance was lovely — actually acknowledging that this isn't the first Black Doctor was a very nice touch, and I didn't expect her to be there so that was awesome!

As for more specifics on story — the theme of stories as important to humanity was FANTASTIC, especially being done in such a different way to other times we've seen that. Any use of weaving / spinning yarns / threads as talking about story is always fun! But in particular, the idea of stories powering the engine of a spaceship was SO COOL (and SO Doctor Who!), and I loved it. I also appreciated that there was a spidery villain who wasn't treated like a gross bug but as just another real person. The wrap-up with everyone being forgiven and going separate ways was well done, especially with having the story acknowledge that the villain could change and choose to do better and the other men in the barbershop turning on the Doctor weren't evil, just scared. Additionally, the cold open starting with Omo's story of the fire where he was doing what he could even though that would barely made a dent was a nice touch to keep the ethos of the show in mind from the very beginning.

(Now, within the context of the season, my one single problem with this episode — having a second companion-lite episode for Belinda in a series with only eight episodes is a little disappointing, plus I do wish we got a little more out of the "Belinda not trusting the Doctor" thing. That said, I view this more as a problem with the previous episode than with this one, as The Story & the Engine was more than good enough to make up for it and used her quite a bit more. Belinda's contributions to this story aren't worthless — the bonding moment with her and 15 in the beginning was nice, going some way to help with the fact that Belinda seemingly now somewhat randomly trusts the Doctor. Again, I would be inclined to put the previous episode at fault for the pacing issues there, though — after all, if we'd gotten any actual screen time with Belinda in Lucky Day it would very likely basically fix my issue with that almost inherently.)

Overall, this episode was definitely my favorite of 15's era so far (so much so that I will have to reevaluate my personal top 5 episodes while I wait for the next one)! It was a truly AMAZING contribution by a new writer to the show, with a strong premise, good writing, and not to mention such an excellent execution by cast, director, and crew. Unlike a lot of this era, which has pretty transparently reused some plotlines and villains (cough cough curse of clyde langer cough cough from out of the rain cough midnight cough), it felt really fresh while still staying true to this era and the ethos of the show. Just absolutely brilliant in so many ways!

It's always nice to see new writers working for Doctor Who,especially as so much of RTD2 has been written by Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat. Inua Ellams is credited as the sole writer for this one, and she has a decent resume. She's an established playwright, known for The Barber Shop Chronicles, about stories being shared across one day in various barber shops across Africa. I've never seen the play, but based on that premise alone, it's clear that this story owes a lot to her earlier work.

The Story And The Engine is similar to episodes like Midnight, in that it's mostly set all in one location. It sees the Doctor visiting his old friend Omo at his barber shop, which has fallen under new management. I'm glad we got the short story on the official website, because it gives some much needed context for the Doctor and Omo's friendship. The duo work well here, as you can tell they mean a lot to each other, and I like the idea of the barber shop feeling like a place of safety for the Doctor because of how he's made to feelwelcomed. It's like the anti-Dot And Bubble, where instead of a society cruelly shunning the Fifteenth Doctor for being black, this community embrace him.

The barber shop is a good setting also for the concept of stories being fed to the Gods. Hairdresser's are places that are already known as locations where people share their tales whilst having their hair cut, and hairdressers themselves are usually depicted as gossips anyway, so the Barber opting for a barber shop as his location for the Nexus makes a lot of sense.

I do think, however, that the focus on storytelling leads to a very slow pace. Not much really happens for most of the runtime, as it largely focuses on those inside the barber shop sitting around and recalling past events. It would have been nice had we been given a greater sense of jeopardy, similar to when the Doctor opens the barber shop door and exposes the place's occupants to space. It also doesn't make a ton of sense.

Whilst it's nice to see Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor return, her cameo is blink-and-you-miss-it, lasting for approximately ten seconds of runtime. We don't even get any explanation for how the Doctor can suddenly remember her, when his mind was wiped by the Divison of his memories regarding the Pre-Hartnell incarnations, and the Thirteenth Doctor chose not to open the fobwatch back, to retrieve the memories. I have seen some speculate that the barber shop being a place where stories are harnessed for the Gods could have allowed these memories to seep back through temporarily to the Doctor, but if that is the case, then it shouldhave been explained in the episode. As it stands, Jo Martin's cameo feels like a waste, as she doesn't get to do anything.

Even more pointless is Poppy's return. I doubt anyone was clamouring for any of the characters from Space Babies to come back, and Poppy's reappearance doesn't contribute anything to the plot. She appears to Belinda as a "story leaking out," and immediately runs away. It's a really bizarre moment, and I'm not sure why you would choose Space Babies of all episodes to return to. Again, I have seen some speculation that this may be to set up a future plot point for the finale, but as set up, it doesn't work either, as it doesn't leave you feeling curious or desperate to find out why Poppy was in Lagos.

The visuals in this episode, on the other hand, are very impressive. Seeing the giant spider on the Nexus web is such a striking piece of CGI, and feels like the Disney budget is being well spent. The giant spider's destruction at the end of the episode is also an epic means to finish the story, and representative of the kind of oomph that The Story And The Engine needed more of. I'm not saying it should have been full of action and explosions, but a greater sense of danger and peril was needed here to keep the episode engaging.

Overall, I'd give The Story And The Engine a 5/10. It's a decent concept, with a good setting and some nice visuals, but the Fugitive Doctor and Poppy cameos contribute nothing of significance to the plot, and it goes at a very slow pace, meaning that you never get a sense that the characters are in any real danger.

I loved this story, it is EXACTLY my type of metafictional fun. The Story & the Engine is about how humans tell stories to be people, to share culture, to survive (to, in the words of Terry Pratchett, be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape). It's an episode steeped in Black culture and history - Inua Ellams is Nigerian and god it's so refreshing to have new voices on this show.

It also, and I cannot stress this enough, brought back the Fugitive Doctor for a cameo to state that she had a brief lesbian situationship with Abena, Anansi's daughter

This may well be the best Doctor Who has ever done it

Wish I liked this more than I did, but it felt rather flat for me in some areas but then beaming with fun and inventive ideas in other areas. I love the idea of this doctor finding his people and enjoying time with them, but Omo doesn't really have a character.

The villain is fun, and a strong performance.

You can absolutely tell this is written by a playwright, the focus on one location, and rather dialogue heavy, which works for and against its favour honestly. Though ending is pretty obvious from the outset.

Sure the cameo is fun though, if pointless.

I have many many problems with this episode.

1. The Doctor looking at one poster and immediately remembering all the missing people faces immediately and then spotting them immediately and recognising them immediately from the poster.
2. Belinda doing the exact same thing.
3. Belinda was just stuck in the TARDIS doing no thing for the plot for some time.
4. The TARDIS going weird for no reason at all. No explanation given.
5. Belinda gets caught by a ‘policewoman’ (was she a police officer) then the next time we see Belinda, she’s going to the barber shop without any repercussions.
6. The fugitive doctor appearing with no context out of nowhere . Causal viewers who don’t know who she is will be confused. Fan service for fan service sake.
7. The spider was promoted a lot ( a warning was evening given) but when it appeared it was there for a few minutes. My mum who is scared of spiders wasn’t scared at all. Too sci-fi.
8. The story was so confusing. To a casual viewer, it would be too hard to follow. It was very wordy. With the show fighting for viewers and a future, non-fans will switch off and the press will have plenty of news stories about ‘lowest viewing figures ever’. If I was to watch for a second time (and that’s a big if) I might watch it again to figure things out. But a casual viewer would just think it was a mess. Weakest episode of the series so far.

Honestly, thought this was great. I love it when the Doctor truly feels like he loves humanity, and this episode manages to capture not only that, but why he struggles to trust us at the same time. The story could do with some trimming (no pun intended), but was ultimately a blast to watch, incredibly creative, and has plenty of fun surprises along the way.

The script could've done with going to the barber. TRIM!

Shave and a haircut

Like most of this season so far, I broadly enjoyed The Story & the Engine, despite not loving it. The concept of a barbershop in Lagos where a giant space spider is fed through stories sounds awesome, and it was admittedly fully engaging. Ncuti here also gave a good performance; I particularly liked his story of Belinda's days as a nurse. However, despite the great premise, this episode is let down by an absolute over-abundance of clunky exposition. The amount of explanations here is off the charts, and it hurt the pacing and flow of the story. Plus, I just found the Barber's plan to be fairly muddled and unclear when all was said and done. Still, I did enjoy most of this.

Side Note: I was seriously not expecting that Fugitive Doctor appearance! That was pretty fun; it was the first Doctor cameo that I didn't know going in.

another really good episode. honestly theyve all been amazing so far this season, and this was no exception. absolutely loved the little cameo from the fugitive doctor.

Doctor Who: The Gatwa Years Series 15 Episode 5

Jesus Christ, this Series is so much better than Series 14 at this moment, and this episode was soooo good! Loved the setting, it's nice to see an episode set in Lagos (especially since I'm half Nigerian), and of course, loved the final scene with all the Doctor's stories, and I seriously didn't expect the Fugitive Doctor to make an appearance, but it's very appreciated.

Un tanto débil en todo lo que propone. Así que haciendo honor a este desorden, pondré apreciaciones desordenadas:

1. Se sostiene bastante en asumir que conocés el contexto, las creencias y la dinámica de la gente en dónde toma lugar.
2. No es introspectivo, es expositivo.
3. Un pobre trabajo en caracterizar a los secundarios.
4. Dr. Who actua de una forma al comienzo y luego actua de otra forma al final.
5. Hay momentos en que los diálogos son 🤐.
6. La escena de todos escapando de la barbería se ve horrible.

New episode! Back again, a week after Conrad’s intervention session, to watch this. I honestly forgot about watching this for almost the whole day. There’s a general air of unenthused attention to this series. Ideally, episodes should be broadcast around 19:00, as they tended to be early in the Revived Series’ lifespan. This grew earlier as it went on generally, except for Series 8, which was much later. The previous series released each episode at midnight at the earliest, which I stayed up for every night. These episodes are available from 08:00, very much not the right time to be watching Doctor Who in my estimations. It should be getting dark outside, a growing sense of unease and trepidation, the imagination growing more vivid surrounded by shadows, and Doctor Who goes on. Not in the morning. Just have to wait for the actual broadcast then, not keeping the episode broadcast much of an event. The finale of this series is to be broadcast later in the day and only available then, making all these earlier-released episodes seem clearly less relevant or worthwhile.

Back to the basement to endure another beating, crying as one recollects all the golden memories from the days of yore. That’s how watching this series feels, before, during and after. These reviews are a post-mortem. To watch is an obligation, a necessity not borne of fun, but a memory of better days. The Story & the Engine, don’t like the uncapitalised “the” there, although more excitingly, the return of the ampersand! Not seen since Love & Monsters. I rate the title 6/10.

Here we go then. The Story, and also, the Engine. Well, there’s an engine, on a giant spider’s back. Any story? Not really. The imagery is rather remarkable in places - the idea of a barbershop in Africa being simultaneously situated upon a giant arachnid trundling along a timeless web is not altogether a common sight, and there are some other fabulous ideas and images on display - the giant maze, a kind of metaphor for the ever-weaving unravelling stories, a labyrinth of such concern for the protagonists, getting right in the Doctor’s hair. Wonderful idea, but just go left every time, don’t you know anything about mazes?

Almost the entirety of this episode takes place inside a barbershop. Quite a nice idea, trapping it to one room, just as The Well, and even more so; lots of fantastic Doctor Who episodes are about being confined and locked in, that is almost intrinsic to the nature of the programme. It wasn’t all that suspenseful here, and it did look rather as though there was a back entrance that lead out of the room (alternatively referred to as an “exit”) beyond view, the way the room was shaped, distracting a little. The Doctor acts very human-like here, more than usual and more than desired; chatting to the locals, wanting to go and converse with his old friends the hair-cutting fellows, that doesn’t seem quite how the Doctor should behave around people. He is a Time Lord, observing the turn of the universe. Well, maybe that’s by his title, how he sometimes wants to be seen, a promise often not lived up to, but this total alteration makes him seem too common, not giving Gatwa much opportunity to develop himself in the role. He isn’t very proactive, mostly just sitting down talking, which could work as in many previous stories, but is rather dull here, which is a problem for a story based around talking about stories. Perhaps the entire concept of telling a story about storytelling is better suited to the narrative medium of reading, rather than this visual feast of gluttonous repetition.

The giant spider doesn’t do much, a shame it was blown up at the end. There is goes, frolicking on its merry way down the web of time, when some people run through a maze and end its life. Must have been fairly uninteresting for a being as that, living on eternally, but still, quite sad to see it go, and no thought whatever is given in suggestion of redemption or care for this mighty, beautiful organism; imagine this resolution in The Beast Below.

Belinda spends most of the first half standing around in the console room, rather like Amy in The Lodger. When she does leave, she quickly finds the Doctor, without much challenge or additional input, and generally doesn’t have much to do. She spots a mysterious girl, mentions it at the end, but nothing comes of this; a question for the future, it seems, giving off a strong impression and intrigue, lacking elsewhere, that doesn’t result in anything. With no difficulty, she spots the missing posters, wanders into the barbershop and promptly points out that they were on the posters, information the Doctor has already relayed, making her rather redundant to the plot.

Mostly we sit around, hearing people proliferate some tale as their hair is cut, whereupon up they get and their hair grows greatly. An interesting image, a strange concept, not developed as much as the hair growth itself. I did not care for any of the characters particularly besides the main protagonists, and why the Doctor would remains unclear. This incarnation, acting more human, wanting to be around people more, to be accepted and invited under similar pretences, undermines some of the mystique and power of his real self. There was little attempt for any real wit or speed in the dialogue, or much sign of intelligence beyond man from the Doctor. Attempting something different could be interesting, a story stipulated around slowness, an appreciation for time and place, but I didn’t appreciate it much. Rather akin to The Rings of Akhaten, but even there, the Doctor told a much more interesting story than anything here.

Every time one is at risk of falling asleep, a royalty-free alarm sound blares out, awakening the audience and characters. There is a sense of tension and rushing around briefly, then we sit back down again and carry on with the hair-cutting fantasies. “We need a story now” they say. Well go on then, tell me something. There wasn’t much of a moral here, a purpose, the spider seemed there just as a precautionary enforced addition, the old JNT gambit of putting a monster into every story, irrelevant of whether it was needed. RTD’s obsession with gods strikes again; the leader of the hairdressers claims to be several old gods, then perhaps the ruler of them all, and it’s just so tedious to hear this tripe again. Wasn’t Sutekh the one behind them all? Even in this low-stakes slow-ache of a story, we have to get some almighty evil, that isn’t really there.

Praise may be awarded to Murray Gold, as ever, the singular singing point of real wisdom amongst the monotony. Good use is made of instruments relative to the geography, and the string textures at the end adorn one’s mind with a sorrowful, yet hopeful sentiment, a feeling much more than any words may carry. Lovely guitar coming in, as well. The 15th Doctor’s theme is comparatively much more traditional in structure, dynamics and tempo, rather at odds with the rest, a clear presentation of the clash of styles here, and in itself, carrying those simultaneous major-minor modal chords, which I’ve never really enjoyed hearing. Otherwise, in audio format, a job well done.

Previous Doctors appear on the monitor, which, as a devoted fan of the programme, naturally resounds well, although every time this sort of montage transpires, it grows ever more weary. As most of the Classic Series, and every episode from 2005 is available on iPlayer, this kind of brief cutting of previous moments appears in a veil opposed to its apparent intention - instead of being an exciting fun moment, it totally distracts from the adventure, simply reminding one of all the better days. These episodes are all easily watchable now (in the UK at least), undoing what makes this sight special, at least somewhat, twisting it, just as in The Magician’s Apprentice, to another tedious moment. Seeing Eccleston’s delight as “everybody lives” is particularly effective in this juxtaposition. It’s been very nearly 20 years since that exact episode was broadcast, 20 years since, and yet the quality and lessons learnt have all been forgotten in favour of this nauseating collection of emotionless soundbites. Just as in The Timeless Children, it lacks effect.

While it may be liked, showing a moment from The Daleks in Colour makes it easy to imagine the production team emphasising their own version of history, stamped over the original, a seeming disrespect, rather than adoration of the original adventure. Little skill is required to envision their version of the world, with their newly-coloured edits of old stories, changing and splitting apart the original narratives in favour of a twisted, fan-centred, unimaginative new order, in contradiction to the first works, emblazoned in television sets around the world. Adding in the Fugitive Doctor simply reveals the nonsensical continuity; they just plop an old Doctor in for a few seconds, and off she goes. Why put any effort into cause and effect, repercussion, purpose, justification and intention then? What remains is a meaningless big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey… guff.

A few miscellaneous nitpicks, as they are easy to spot throughout. Belinda rushes into the shop and before anyone says anything, she closes the door, trapping herself in. Why did no one shout for her to hold the door open? Or put a stick there to prop it open?

The Doctor seems about to cry this week, but actually didn’t, a welcome reprieve. Near the end, all the people in the barbershop bomp their heads together and stare at different little patches of the ground in hope, down at the camera, which is rather bizarre. The “six word” story idea, stolen from Hemingway, was more powerfully achieved in The Christmas Invasion, and since the Doctor doesn’t even recite the original story (perhaps to inspire a curious viewer to investigate it themselves?) seemed to make the whole idea a little irrelevant. The author appears to place less value in the meaning of a story than its length, a case of mistaken quantity over quality, showing their own ineptitude, and massively contradicting the presumed-intended idea of this story itself.

The barbershop is closed by the end, leaving a poor lady jobless. “What will you do now?” “Anything.” Back on the prowl for work. Just like Mickey in Journey’s End; so one imagines she’ll marry someone and get nearly shot by a Sontaran. Or maybe not.

What makes a good story? Many elements that are generally common, such as interesting characters, well-paced dialogue, a gripping narrative, a lesson, a sense of deeper thought and purpose, are absent here. The music is quite nice in places; some ideas are intriguingly creative; the image of a giant spider will always be welcome, and we may easily add this to the list of stories which have tried and failed to make any exciting use of spiders, along with Planet of the Spiders and Arachnids in the UK.

The Story & the Engine. Not much story; a rusty throttling engine, chugging along and winding down.

45 minutes of characters talking about what the plot is instead of actually having a plot

Really captivating atmosphere in this story. I wasn't completely sure about this story at first, but it really hooked me in by the end. Ncuti Gatwa continues to be absolutely phenomenal.

A+. Maybe A.

This is a hard one for me. I had such high hopes going into The Story & the Engine, and I feel I was foolish with that because it just dissapointed me. Superficially, I felt that the episode looked very good. I liked the sets, the costumes, the visual effects, the acting and the directing. However, the writing really let it down for me.

It felt like the sequel to several Doctor Who episodes that don't exist. In theory, references to unseen adventures are great! However, here, I felt genuinely lost. The worst offender for me in this episode was the stuff with Abby. It confused me so much and really took me out of the viewing experience. (However, I felt that the Fugitive Doctor cameo was excellent - it's just a shame that it was part of a sequence that I disliked so much. Having said that, it didn't make much sense for the Doctor to have the Fugitive Doctor's memories - was this even edited? It doesn't feel like it sometimes).

Moreover, much of the plot felt confused, directionless and messy. There were tons of ideas that felt interesting to me, but they were fleshed out so little that I was just left confused and hollow. Then there's the stuff with the gods. I don't like the ongoing gods storyline this era. However, I liked this portrayl of it. That's because it's completely different to everything else this era has done with gods. Taken in isolation, I felt that this portrayl was much more interesting and nuanced. However, when considered alongside the other stuff with gods in this era, it felt confusing, directionless and messy. This sours an otherwise good bit of the episode for me.

Another segment that I disliked was the bit where the Barber just did exposition for about 2 minutes. It was clunky. And why was he cutting off his hair? It didn't make any sense to me, literally or symbolicly. Also, I think he kind of had a point.

Now the ending. I felt that it was completely rushed and, frankly, bad. Maybe I missed something, but how was the Doctor connected to the Engine? How did he destroy it? None of this is clear to me, and it really harmed my viewing experience. Then, the Barber changes his tune almost instantly on the flip of a coin! I feel like the ending should have been allocated more time in the episode. That likely would have fixed many of my issues with it, by giving it more time to breathe and explain itself.

Now for another, small, positive: I liked the segment with the Doctor's story about Belinda a lot. It felt properly grounded, and gave Belinda some nice characterisation. I also liked that this is where Mrs Flood appeared, not at the end. I am not a fan of her storyline, but this is a better way of doing it, in my opinion, then forcing her in at the end each time, so basically making it even more similar to Susan Twist, a plotline that the Mrs Flod plotline already has many similarities with, and that was better than this one. Seriously, why are they doing such a similar series-long plotline again so soon!?

The thing is, I did quite enjoy the first third or so, but then the plot got so messy, so rushed, so disorganised, that it's really soured my opinion on the episode as a whole. Overall, I'm dissapointed.

Gd, what an incredible story! I haven't truly loved a story like this in a long time. It was everything Doctor Who should be - a little educational, telling a unique and deeply personal experience in a way that is accessible and relatable to a wide audience, and yet wholly and completely alien, too. And the Doctor - the Doctor, angry to kind, unforgiving to accepting, haunted by the past to hopeful for the future. What a range, and what an incredible performance - Ncuti really does capture everything the Doctor should be. There was also still some of that distrust from Belinda that makes her stand out as a companion, and really memorable one-off characters, too. The Story and the Engine - and, oh, what a story! 5/5 - spoilers from here on out.

The Barber's story was one that is incredibly familiar to many writers, inventors, and other creators - one of being overlooked, uncredited, having your work stolen, your name erased. Finally snapping and seeking revenge for that felt wholly justified, and the fact that he was then awoken to the terrible price that would be paid for this revenge, the harm that would be caused, and was able to change his mind without seeming unreasonable for what he was doing before? Absolute masterpiece. I am so so glad this wasn't just another Pantheon god who had to be destroyed or otherwise defeated - this was a person, a human, the place where all these gods really draw their power. We bring them to life. They come from us. They are simply manifestations of the core elements of humanity - and so they, too, are human. Were once human. And so they, too, can make mistakes and feel emotions and be forgiven - or, as in this case, not forgiven. But the choice is there, because this time, he was a person. That story mirroring the Doctor's - with the Timeless Child, credit for their abilities being stolen, with that coward hiding behind a no-name and seeking revenge - that entire speech, where the Barber was in the midst of an identity crisis, was everything we see from the Doctor, too. The Doctor was really confronting himself.

I am so, so glad it was Fugitive - seeing a part of her story spilling out so we could see it, so the Doctor could remember that taken part of their life, all thanks to the machinations of the 'villain'. Seeing the Doctor be the villain in someone else's story because they did what they thought was right, but didn't think about the consequences - sounds like someone else I know (looks intently at the Barber). First of all, hell yeah doomed yuri (that both parties refused - such an underappreciated form of relationship), but also, it specifically being Fugitive, that one story the Doctor can't remember, except inside those four walls, except when confronted with her victim to bring her story to life? The first Black Doctor, who was escaping herself. Her future self, forgiven, being saved by the woman she couldn't free. Abby giving the Doctor the route to freedom, when Abby's freedom was once denied by that very same person? Genuinely, perfect. Every choice that was made in this story has me applauding - it all just fits so well. Plus, gives us new mysteries to ponder... who was that little girl who Belinda saw?

Belinda, the one who doesn't fit in this world that the Doctor calls home. Belinda, who can't get home herself, made to be an outsider everywhere she goes... Belinda, the ordinary person who has the greatest story of them all. Belinda, whose story is still being told, right before our eyes... Does she have someone at home, waiting for her? Is she expendable? Does she only matter for herself? No one's daughter, sister, mother, wife - we care about her story because of who she is. Because she is a person (and also if we're being honest with ourselves, because she's the only one who's been able to resist becoming the Doctor's latest codependent pet project and that's absolutely fascinating like come on who is she who are you Belinda Chandra hmm Chandra I wonder where I've heard that be- )

ANYWAY. Coughs. Speaking of people waiting back home, the way my heart skipped a beat when Omo mentioned Blue - I am so glad I read the prequel story, because I think that really added something to this, already knowing Omo's story, already seeing where he came from and now finally getting to see where he went. But, the episode ended with his story just starting to be told, opening up an avenue to go read that story ourselves - and then see where he went next (this episode), and then go back to see the start of his story, ad infinitum!

I don't think I really have anything clever to say about this one. I just really, really loved it, and I'm really, really glad that this story was able to be told. And, especially that we got this story on our screens. It's not just important that it's part of Doctor Who - it's important that kids are going to be watching this at home and learn that we can change our own futures, we can learn from the past, and, most of all, that no matter who we are or what we've done, the most important thing we can do is still to tell stories.

(Full disclosure - watched this on a plane so not exactly an ideal viewing experience)

There has never been a Doctor Who episode quite like this one, set directly in Africa and exploring the Doctor’s current Blackness in ways we have yet to see. We learn about this barbershop in Nigeria that provides the Doctor a new community that accepts him. Inua Ellams is a Nigerian-born writer, and it’s clear RTD gave him free rein for this episode. The positives are a truly fresh and unique vibe, the cons are it feels a bit out of sync with the story of the era so far. The idea that there are all these gods that are sustaining humanity - it doesn’t seem to be the pantheon but it’s own thing.

Although punctuated by incredible unique visuals, a lot of the story is essentially people just telling stories in a room to each other. There is a lot of exposition as we get reveal after reveal as it turns out the villainous Barber is really a Storyteller, a man from millennia ago who helped bring the Gods to power and wishes for revenge. With him is the daughter of the trickster God who was pledged to marry…the Fugitive Doctor?? That’s right, Jo Martin is here ever so briefly. I would be over the moon if RTD gives her something big to do/explains her more. There is also a very fannish moment where screens show us famous moments from past Doctors. It does feed the fan brain, but back to the episode.

I think the root of this story is community, and the power that brings. The Doctor is upset when he feels tricked by Omo, in the one safe space he can call his own. Sadly we never see Omo’s love, just a photo of her and her blue earrings. Belinda joins halfway in, and sees a mysterious child which is drawn attention to. Two episodes with not as much Belinda, have we lost a bit of momentum? The Doctor does tell a beautiful story he has learned about her character. The Storyteller gives up his vengeance plot and Omo gives him his father’s name ‘a name people can trust’ so he can start again in a beautiful little moment.

I absolutely want to know a perspective on this from Black viewers and could see how this resonated a lot harder. I only wish we had seen Omo last season maybe so we felt the depths of emotion the Doctor does about this community we just learned about. I also don’t think it’s an accident we had both Black Doctors in this episode.

Most importantly, this era keeps trying big, bold ideas. It’s exactly what the show should be. So even if this wasn’t quite a home run for me, I’m sure it was for some and they should keep swinging.

Sadly this story was, spiritually, one of the more middling Chibnall-era guest episodes. However, it does get some points for having one of the coolest robot spiders I've ever seen.

A jumble of interesting ideas with a somewhat messy delivery. The episode relied a bit too much on people standing around and expositing; it felt rather tensionless and, at moments, slightly dull. I wish that the script had been more refined, and that Ellams’ unique ideas had been given more room to breathe.

The visuals were wonderful, though—I quite liked the story window, the brain+heart machine, and the episode’s overall setting and color scheme. I’m also intrigued with where they’re going with this stories create reality theme that RTD2 has so far been building itself around. In terms of that theme, the episode worked very well.

I wish I had enjoyed this one more; it just has some basic flaws that keep it from being as good as it could be.

My Experience with Season 2 has been a rocky one. I cannot lie, the first Half of this season had two Episodes, which I really didn't like. One in the Well, which while it had plenty of great Elements, didn't click with me as much as I would hoped. And of course there was Lux, which while I really like had a few Things holding back. Ever since the Titles dropped, I was very thrilled and interested in this Episode. Frankly because I thought the Title was a bit, well.. dumb, but also because of its new Writer. The very first new one (without Co-Writer Credit from RTD) since Rogue.

So was this Episode, the certified Classic, that I was hoping for?

Not quite.

But it's very close and maybe on a Rewatch, I will bump my rating up. There are a few Things holding this one back, and one might even argue enough to really put it much down. I must admit Ratings are a bit of a weird Thing, I rarely think they truly represent my Thoughts on a Story compared to what I have written about a Story, so as always take my rating not too serious.

While there is a lot to like and even love here, there are also plenty of Things which I didn't love. The Music at times was a bit too loud, and the emphasis is on the 'a bit' Part, while I understood all the Dialogue, I wish the Music was a bit quieter to fully understand it. Maybe that's just a Me-Thing, but while I do really like Gold, I feel like his Scoring has been going a bit overboard in this Era. There are still plenty of great Uses of Music, but sometimes I wish the Volume of the Music was quieter. There are plenty of Moments, where this is the Case, but also enough for me to notice it and having an Issue with it.

I already read plenty of People talking about the pacing in negative Light, which I do get. I myself think the pacing is a bit off after a certain Moment (that being when we come to the Revelation where the Doctor knows Abby. I think around that Point was when I noticed the Pacing being a bit off. Then again I must admit with the Revival there are plenty of Episodes, some of which I really like, where I find there should have been more Time to flesh out Things. And fleshing out is a good Point to bring up, that too, I've seen mentioned quite a few times, while I do like what has been done with it, a Part of me cannot lie that more Time would have a great Difference here.

That all said, I still rate this Episode highly. While I do agree with plenty of Points against it, I cannot deny that for the very first Time in quite a while, I felt more intrigued by a Plot being unfolded in a televised Who Story in a while. And maybe just for that, I am a lot kinder to the Episode.

But let's come to the Positives of this Episode, shall we? While I sounded fairly negative for most of it, there is plenty here to genuinely love. For example, the nice short Cameo of the Fugitive Doctor. Would I have liked if it was longer? Yes. But this has been something I was begging Who to do for a while. A short Moment where we see a different Doctor in a Story without it becoming a full on Multi Doctor Story. Something, that I think the PROSE Big Finish Short Trips do very well, or other EU-Stories.

Ncuti really shines here. There is a lot that I love here and think this genuinely does a lot for 15. Him making friends with somebody when they were a Kid? Great stuff. Him talking about feeling safe at that Barber Shop? Excellent. In general, this might be one of my favorite Performance of his in the Role. As much as I do love his Way to go theatrical here, it's Moments where he calls the Barbers Claim to be false and burst into Laughter, that really do it for me.

And have I mentioned the Barber yet? While I am a bit puzzled with a certain few Things about this Character. His Performer Ariyon Bakare gives one of my favorite Performances of this season. He is so good in the Part, and I absolutely loved him here.

Visually, I really enjoyed what the Episode was going for! I also thought the directing was splendid here, some Close-Ups were just great!

Oh, and the Story itself (no pun intended)? Well as I said it could have done with a bit more fleshing out. Jumping straight to the End, we get another "Doctor overpowers Forces with his long Life". And while certainly an ending that doesn't appeal to me since its Overuse, I thought for this Story in particular it actually worked quite well. The Concept of telling Stories to feed an Engine suits this kind of Ending and makes it feel more earned than certain other Endings we have gotten over past Episodes. In general, the whole Idea is great, it feels perfect for a Show with so many Stories under its Belt. One as I said might argue those Ideas deserved a bit more Time, and I'd agree actually, but I thought what we got was a lot of fun and is just a very enjoyable ride throughout. There were also some clever Bits such as with 15's new Haircut being a Map, which I thought was a delightful bit. I will say I enjoyed the entire Side-Casts, even if I wish we have gotten more of them, they could have done with a few more Moments of fleshing out. Especially Omo, who was an enjoyable Presence but one that I wish we have gotten to know better. Shame that we haven't gotten all that much with Berlinda here, especially considering how little we got with her, but oh well.

Not to go on with my Rambles, I still want to highlight how much I enjoyed the Dialogue here, if anything, it was highly a Highlight of this Episode. I think you can really tell it was written by somebody new, which is exactly what I want from new Doctor Who. Writer Inua Ellams really delivered on that front, and I wouldn't mind seeing him write for the Show again!

While certainly flawed in many Aspects, I thought this one was still an excellent, enjoyable ride that really just brought me a splendid Time! I am very excited to see what Juno Dawson has in store for next Week, bring it on!

interesting, different and unique! weirdly I feel like it would’ve been better as an audio drama but maybe that’s just me

I really liked this episode. I don't think it was the best of this series, but it might well become my personal favorite. It felt intimate, almost cozy, in a way that has become a bit rare in this very fast-paced series. I wish it had been longer, so we could've had more stories from the major players; we had one from the Doctor about Belinda, so having one from Belinda about the Doctor, e.g., would have been nice symmetry. That's more of an issue with the format than the narrative, though.

I think my favorite story was Abby's one about the braids; I like when Doctor Who weaves real historical fact into its stories, it brings it back to its origins. Also, Michelle Asante just has a really nice voice and a compelling way of telling.

And, just in case it needed saying: "Everybody lives! Just this one, everybody lives!"

WE'RE SO BACK!

It's great to have new blood creating episodes, and Inua Ellams wrote something that feels different from every episode before. I also want to give a shoutout to McPherson and all the crew working on visuals—the illustrated stories are beautiful, with the bonus of being diegetic and relevant to the plot of the episode.

I love the resolution of the episode, bringing to mind The Rings of Akhaten by centering the long, long story of the Doctor's existence. (And again, making the story about Doctor Who as a story... which could mean nothing.) "I'm born. I die. I'm born." is a beautiful summary of their life/lives as well.

My one gripe is that I wanted more! We didn't get to see much of the spider engine itself, despite it being great to look at and central to the plot. I also would've liked more Belinda, maybe looking into how she feels about meeting someone who the Doctor promised to save and then left behind.

(Also, I about jumped out of my seat at the Fugitive cameo.)

I was really looking forward to having some fresh blood behind the scenes - and, finally, a Black writer for our first Black Doctor (seriously, why did that take so long?) - but unfortunately, I have to say I didn't really vibe with this episode.

I'm not sure if the pacing is off, or if it's more my problem with bottle episode and especially stories that rely heavily on a bunch of people standing in a room and talking that bothers me. It's another case of feeling like both too much and not enough happened in this episode.

The concept is interesting, and the execution of the stories being told in (frankly gorgeous) artwork works really well. We've had stories about stories (which I personally think is a lot of fun as a trope), but never quite like this.

Belinda was barely in this episode. It definitely feels like at least one scene was cut, after she gets caught by the cop but before she's in the alley looking for the barbershop. Her role basically starts and ends with telling Abby that "Hurt people hurt people", a line which felt tacked on both from a story perspective and with the audio mastering. These series are too short to continuously sideline the main characters like this, though I do appreciate Fifteen getting more of a focus.

Speaking of, that's really the main thing I enjoyed about this episode. Like Belinda said, wanting to belong is very human, and I loved the scene of him walking through the market, thoroughly in his element. It's just nice to have a story set on contemporary(ish) Earth set outside of the UK, especially Africa, which I don't believe we've been to yet, and even more so to a specific country rather than the nebulous continent so many (non Who) stories are set in.

The Doctor's anger at Omo's "betrayal" felt unearned and out of place. Maybe if we had seen them bonding more it would have been more powerful, but then it would have been even more jarring that Omo essentially begging for the Doctor's help gets such a vitriolic response.

Jo Martin's cameo as the fugitive Doctor was fun and exciting, though it does raise a few questions on how much the Doctor remembers of being her considering he was fobwatched.

From the moment stories were used to sate some sort of beast I was reminded of Rings of Akhaten, one of my all time favourite episodes - which unfortunately isn't a good thing. Much like The Well being a sequel to Midnight or Lucky Day opening quite similarly to Love & Monsters, referencing an old favourite forces me to compare the stories, even if subconsciously, and like most people, I am likely blinded by nostalgia and my love for those established stories, and am much more likely to be critical of the newer ones. As such, the ending where the Doctor uses his past lives to overload the engine falls flat for me; nothing will ever compare to the feeling I got watching that grandiose speech with the music swelling in the background when I was twelve.

That being said, the resolution was still fun. All the old Doctor cameos always get a smile, no matter how overdone they are. The tree-like brain/heart thing was gorgeous (though I do wish they hadn't spelled out the symbolism). I like that everyone was forgiven and they all ended up on good terms with one another.

The acting was really good throughout the whole episode (though some of the side characters felt quite flat and didn't really feel like proper characters), it was gorgeous to look at, and it did something a little bit different, even if it reused some staple tropes. Overall, despite my general feelings of "meh", there's definitely a lot to enjoy here.

PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK

The power of stories is incredible, particularly when attention is given to whose stories they are. Is the hero of the story and the one who is behind it all, the one credited for the story or the one side lined?

Throughout, the detailed web of the stories, and how this supports the God's is fascinating, and such a beautiful concept. And the idea of someone behind this, and building these stories, who is forgotten is brilliant. The small setting, within the barber shop is executed fantastically. With the tapestry of stories weaved throughout, this never feels tiring, with the beautiful depth of character executed throughout the stories.

Throughout, Doctor Who steps and breaks new ground - has it ever told a story like this, this bold? It's exactly what I hoped for new writers this season, particularly when it gets to tell a story, so rooted in experiences that it is brand new.

I am singing its praises, but it isn't without flaw however. Unfortunately, as brilliant as the concepts are, the pacing is all over the place. The first time writing of a TV script is difficult when trying this medium, to match and fix the pacing. And consequently, this shows. The pacing throughout just always managed to take me out of the story slightly, even if I wanted to be immersed so much more.

Disney Who Review #5

The Story & The Engine

This story was interesting to say the least. I wasn't excited for this one at all but I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Doctor who being in Nigeria feels cool. Its a place we haven't been to before and hopefully we will go back again sometime. The whole premise of story's have power and meaning was something doctor who hasn't done before and I enjoyed it. Having Jo Martin back feels amazing I need more of her. 7/10

I absolutely adore stories about stories, and stories about creation. Look Back, Akane-Banashi, Blue Period, Eizouken are all favourites of mine. Uh whoops, all of these are all anime/manga, but like, you get the gist right? Art about art gets me to my soul.

Now combine that with a story structure, setting and voice we have never had before. Inua Ellems' voice shown throughout this. This didn't feel like anything we've had before in Doctor Who (other than the resolution, slightly. Which we'll get to shortly). The dialogue flowed in a way that felt wholly unique. The concept was fresh. The conflict itself even! This is why I've been begging for new voices since the start of the era! And while it's great when we get episodes like Rogue, which are done by new writers but feel like standard Who fair with new penmanship, this is a whole other level. This was brand new!

It looked gorgeous too. I love mixed media and the mixed media storytelling on the windows was beautiful. The direction? Fantastic. And oooh it was a bottle episode <3 Love those!

Performances were incredible. Abby and The Barber both felt liked nuanced characters not just due to their dialogue, but primarily due to their performances. There were layers to each and honestly, both of them are some of the best guest stars we've ever had (other than Ayling-Ellis in The Well, who I still think is maybe the best side character performance ever). Fab stuff.

And 15! I feel like I'm learning more and more of who he actually is this series, and Ncuti Gatwa plays a quiet wrathful Doctor who is also open to give second chances to those who deserve it, and to those who aren't necessarily evil so well. While I've had issues in the past with how undefined this Doctor has felt to me, Gatwa himself has never once let me down with his performance, and this week he elevated it to a whole new standard. He's such a stellar actor, and I really hope we get him for a few more years, rumours and fears be damned!

Resolution wise, while yes "I am The Doctor and I am old and cool!" is a very NuWho standard resolution at this point, here it felt like it was better set up and earned after Ol' Doccy Who got access to the engine. "I'm born. I die. I'm born." Beautiful stuff. I genuinely thought this landed because it was old hat done in a way that felt new and unique.

Oh and yes, I did lose my mind at the Jo Martin cameo. I gamer leaned and physically gasped. Amazing having you here, Fugitive darling <3

Fantastic episode and on immediate gut feeling, my favourite of the series so far.

We're so back.

I wasn’t hyped for this story but I’m glad to be proven wrong wrong what a banger

My takeaways from this episode:

1. The Doctor mentions that this is the first time he's had "this" black body, and yet, later on in the episode, he displays undeniable proof that he remembers an experience from when he had a certain other black body (i'll get into that in another point.)
2. When you imagine what the result would be if you bring in a black Nigerian man to write for the first mainline black Doctor for an episode set in Nigeria, that opening scene in the TARDIS and the sense of community The Doctor has found there is exactly what you're expecting, and it's one of my favourite moments right off the bat.
3. JO F*CKING MARTIN!!!! Cameo aside, if The Fifteenth Doctor definitely remembers an adventure he had as The Fugitive Doctor, even offering up their account, are we to take it that in between the final episode of Flux and this one, The Doctor just dug out the fob watch from the depths of the TARDIS and fully reunited with their Timeless Child self off-screen? If so, i kinda f*ck with it.
4. So, if, bottom line, The Doctor definitely remembers being The Fugitive Doctor, then why did he say this is the first time he's been black? Answer: he didn't, he said this is the first time he's had "this" black body. So, if you read between the lines, are we to take it that the Timeless Child reused bodies from time to time? What if The Timeless Child has previously looked like Paul McGann or William Hartnell, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, etc.? What if that's the gift of The Timeless Child's species? Time Lords can't reuse faces, but The Timeless Child can with relative ease. What if David Tennant coming back was one such example of the Timeless Child shining through the Time Lord biology rewrite, except The Doctor clocked it this time because it was a face reused from after the mind wipe? What if being David Tennant again motivated The Fifteenth Doctor to find out more about his Timeless Child self and what they could do?

OK, i'm kind of going a bit too hard into Fan Theory territory, but still, outside of the implications to the wider Doctor Who lore, this episode works really well on it's own. I had a really fun time watching it.

Immensely imaginative, but dragged down by its pacing. Too quick, too much info in a small amount of time. Even then, the acting was amazing, the characters very compelling and I love that the Doctor's race is once again front and center as the episode tackles this topic wonderfully.

Oh, and my jaw dropped at THAT appearance (I actually rewinded the episode 10 seconds  as I thought I was hallucinating)

Get this writer back!

Edit: so there was another mad appearance that I instantly recognised and I can't tell where it is going but I'm excited, it's Captain Poppy!

I'd say this story does a bit too much for it's runtime. It's very, very fast, while also doing what it does very, very well. Part of me yearned for it to slow down and take it's time- it felt like it should've been two part story. The ideas were plentiful, the emotional beats were lovely, I just would've loved to savor all this story's bountiful gifts for far longer. As it is, it feels a bit muddled by it's own pacing, sadly deflating the plot ever so slightly. Need this writer back. I am sure that, with this notch under his belt, he will continue to get better and better.

Back in 2024, Russell said the marvelous thing about Doctor Who is that the past 61 years don't matter.

And now in 2025, basically every episode we get is somehow referencing the old episodes.

9-10/10

Also, just in case if anyone's wondering, the clips from the montage are from these episodes:

The Tomb of the Cyberman

Spearhead from Space

The Doctor Dances

Voyage of the Damned

The Zygon Inversion

Power of the Doctor

The Woman Who Fell to Earth

The Five Doctors

Vincent and the Doctor

The Pyramids of Mars

The Night of the Doctor

The Daleks in Colour

The Trial of a Time Lord

The Giggle

The Daleks Invasion of Earth

The Church on Ruby Road

This episode was amazing, but I have to subtract a full star for arachnophobia issues.

Season Two (Series Fifteen); Episode Five - "The Story & The Engine" by Inua Ellams

Doctor Who is getting some more new blood! For the first time since Rogue last season, we have an author who’s never touched the show in the writer’s room and it was an episode I was, surprisingly enough, quite excited for. I have made a point to not look at any news for this series after being spoiled for the Sutekh reveal last season by numerous bang-on fan theories, so I’ve not even been watching the next time trailers. All I knew is that it was set somewhere in Africa and that there was a spider. Going in blind, I was looking forward to something new, something fresh, and what I got was something that I’m still not sure how to react to.

Visiting an old friend’s barber shop, the Doctor finds himself face to face with a mysterious storyteller on a path to revenge, powering his ship with the stories of lost souls. And who has more stories than the Doctor?

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

This is going to be a hard story to review. It is pretty unlike anything this show has ever put out before I’m still unsure on how to feel about it. On one hand, I adore the creativity and originality of it all - it is a truly unique episode and I can’t fault it for that - but then on the other hand, it has one too many problems as an episode itself for me to properly get invested. Maybe I’ve just become predisposed to disliking this season because all I feel watching these episodes at this point is apathy and I’m beginning to wonder if it’s more my fault than the show’s. Well, best we find out.

If there is one thing The Story & The Engine does tremendously, it’s imagery. The set and costume design is immaculate, and I love the earthy, traditional vibe of it all; it really gives off a unique air. Beyond that, I also think the setting is great because, for somebody who loves Earth so much, the Doctor never seems to want to leave England. We’ve gotten two international episodes this season and I think that’s brilliant because the show really should travel around a little more. 

As for the plot, I definitely admire its freshness if nothing else. I really dig weaving folklore and storytelling into a narrative because it makes for some great concepts and all the stuff about the power of stories and the Nexus was fascinating. I do quickly have to bring up that I found myself somewhat lost for a not insignificant chunk of the episode. For a story about stories, The Story & the Engine struggled with its exposition and the line between an in-universe narrative and a truckload of heavy handed explanation was very thin. Too much information is dumped on you at once and I found it hard to keep up. Also, does anybody else think it's weird that Anansi and all the other gods are just straight up real? Like, the Doctor fights Gods all the time, but they’re mostly ageless beings of unimaginable power, not actual avatars of human folklore. This episode feels a lot more fantasy than sci-fi and sometimes clashes with the model of Doctor Who, but not enough for it to properly become a problem.

What I can’t let slip however is the rest of the episode because if you take away all the bells and whistles you’re left with a kind of dull affair. Let’s start with characters, and the only one I can really compliment is the Doctor. I have brought this up before but I adore the idea of the Doctor zipping around the universe and making friends and connections as he goes, and having little homes away from home to go to - I think it makes the universe feel a little bit more lived in. Also, Fugitive’s cameo was fun; for as much as I hate the Timeless Child, I’m happy they're not just going to lazily drop it (can’t fix bad writing with bad writing). However, our sidecast is too large and uninteresting for me to really care, each one characterised by a sentence of exposition. There is some attempt with the Doctor’s old friend Odo and Anansi’s daughter (???) Abby - as well as the Barber himself - but there’s so much going on that it all just falls flat for me and I found myself distinctly uninvested. 

In fact, “uninvested” could probably describe most of my feelings towards this story. The characters are too shallow and the ideas too big and numerous for me to really buy into it, plus, it’s nature as mostly conversations in a barber shop mean that, at least for me, there was next to no tension. Also, I don’t really know how to describe it, but the whole episode felt… awkward. Everything landed just a bit off: the lines were a bit too dramatised, the direction was a little too askew, the ideas conveyed just a little too poorly. This episode is presented in a very clumsy way, I think because there’s so much going on it’s hard to capture it all. This story might have worked quite a bit better as prose because then you could really have the narrative space to run around but here, everything’s a little, I dunno, squished.

I’m on the fence about The Story & the Engine. I appreciate its originality and its vision but it seems too caught up with the wrong things and because of that, I feel little in the way of love towards it. It’s like a story I should adore but without the enthusiasm, presented in a slightly wonky way in a medium that couldn’t really contain it. It’s definitely not bad and by far the most creatively rich of the season so far, but it’s missing the universal ingredients that make a great piece of TV.

6/10

Pros:

+ Really great set and costume design

+ Brimming with fascinatingly original ideas

+ I love the weaving of stories and folklore into the narrative

+ Did some interesting things with the Doctor

Cons:

- Awkwardly put together

- Its storytelling turns to exposition quite easily

- Tensionless for most of the narrative

- Couldn’t find myself invested in the characters

There's a twisted irony to the notion that this is a story about the power and danger that comes from seeking control over all stories... that is one of the few episodes in RTD2 not written by the man himself. While it has shades of other metafictional yarns like The Rings Of Akhaten and even Class' The Metaphysical Engine, that same sentiment about the power that comes from storytelling is tempered through an extremely specific cultural context. The Barber's backstory, of creating the foundation of a wondrous technology only to have it ripped away from him by 'higher-ups', is the story of every slave worker who mined minerals used in the infrastructure of our own World Wide Web. Including the device you're likely reading this on, unfortunately.

And this is without getting into the cultural importance of this predominantly-Black story, being told within a predominantly-White space, having haircuts and Black hair specifically as a key thematic touchstone. I'm way too pale to properly dissect that here, but if you know, you know.

Even with my admitted weakness for this side of Doctor Who, when it gets deep into telling stories about telling stories, I was not expecting this to hit as hard for me as it did. The narrative itself is beautiful, dealing directly in the friction between Men and Gods that, honestly, I was hoping all of the Pantheon arc would involve because this is intensely interesting to me. I liken that particular relationship to a large-scale, cosmic version of M.C. Escher's Drawing Hands, of stories that write their own stories, and Inua Ellams' writing here illustrated that brilliantly. At a time when literal Gods are frequently showing up as the main antagonists in the show, I like how this episode in particular makes it a point to view ideas of faith and worship in a more pragmatic sense. To slightly paraphrase Belinda: "The difference between good and evil is what we do with that belief."

There's also something about the titular Engine that feels so emblematic of the entire show. This Engine that runs on the gift of storytelling, of human imagination and articulation, that is connected to a person so full of the most wonderful stories that they essentially are a story in the shape of a person. I could easily nitpick the surprise appearance of the Fugitive Doctor here (in terms of series lore, it really doesn't make much sense), but as part of the larger display of just how many stories the Doctor has lived and been, I appreciate her inclusion all the same. That core idea, of travelling beyond the boundaries of our universe, in a vessel fuelled by the stories we tell, is about as true to the ideal of Doctor Who as it gets, far as I'm concerned.

Over the course of writing this, it feels like my head is bulging because there's just so much going on here; it's kind of overwhelming. I get the feeling I'll still be thinking this over for a while after this gets posted. And that's a good thing; I like stories worth devoting that much mental bandwidth to.

Episode 5: The Story & The Engine

I wanted to like this more but you can sort of tell this was written by a first time TV writer. It feels like a script written by someone who has always wanted to write doctor who but is not sure they'll have another opportunity so has crammed all their ideas into one episode. The end result for me was just confusion. That being said this would make an amazing target novel.

Also I'm pretty sure some of the story graphics used AI...

first two acts were good, but i feel like it kinda fell apart with wrapping everything up. real shame, because its such a cool concept, and a gorgeous setting. oh well

That was fun.

Might've been the most solid episode of the new era, BUT... it was too much, literally.

I know it's kind of the point of the story that they all tell their stories, but the "Tell not show" really didn't work when it came to explaining the cosmology. Just on words it was too much and it had me disoriented.

Omo was a fun character, but I wish we had a little moreflashbacks of the Doctor visiting the shop, because then the scene of him being angry at Omo because he trapped him would've made more sense, while now it felt random and a little hollow.
Add to that the cameos that felt desperate, as if they tried to win us with fanservice -while the Fugitive Doctor appearance sort of made sense, at the same time it shot itself in the foot because the Doctor isn't supposed to remember their life as a Fugitive.
Overall, the almost perfect episode that just needed trimming down (pun intended) to not feel overstuffed. The idea is amazing, don't get me wrong, but it is too vast for such a short period of time.

EDIT: Actually no, it's not just too vast for that runtime, it's too vast for TV in general. It should be a book instead.

i loved everything about this episode, i hope Inua writes for the show again, and Makalla Mcpherson was an amazing director. I loved the resolution i loved just everything this review is not in anyway thought out i just loved it so much i can't wait to watch it again.

BEAUTIFUL!! Absolutely beautiful and poignant piece on the power of storytelling!! I adored this one and I can’t wait to rewatch!!

THAT MOMENT!!!!! AAAAA!! OMG I JUMPED FROM MY SEAT!!!! 

15 and Belinda MY LOVES!!! I adore them!!!!