Not really sure how the first part to a big finale can be filler? Nothing really happens, we set up a world only to do nothing really with it? Why bring back one villain only to sideline them for another next week (I presume anyway), also RTD please stop just having cliffhangers be “name that character”, it doesn’t work. Maybe it’ll all come together next week? But RTD’s track record of finales suggests otherwise.

I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. It felt packed with a bunch of different things that didn’t get resolved, but obviously it’s the first part so hopefully all those story elements get tied up neatly (one can hope). I also felt like so many characters were present, only for most of them to do nothing. It’s was basically one big exposition dump. And once again Belinda felt really sidelined and we didn’t get to see all that much from her, which is unfortunate. I agree with those who think the Rani’s characterization here was a bit more like the Master. Having just watched the Rani’s previous appearances, she definitely felt a bit different here. Also, yet another classic who villain is coming back. I haven’t seen any of the stuff with Omega, so I’ll have to do my homework this week before the final episode. RTD has got to stop pretending this era is for a new audience of fans, because there has been niche callback after niche callback lol. As for things I liked about the episode, I thought most of the visuals were very nice. Panjabi’s performance is great even if I don’t like the interpretation of the Rani. And also Rogue’s cameo? Didn’t expect it and was pleasant to see

Firstly, this episode looked SO good. The right-wing vaguely-50s fantasy of it all was really well done, plus the skeletal monsters and bone palace were very fun. I really enjoyed the Rani - I see some people complaining about her characterisation but honestly I have no problems with it and in fact am having a blast watching the dynamic made by Archie Panjabi and Anita Dobson

Lots of this episode was done really well: the aforementioned right-wing fantasy slowly falling apart because of its instability. But this then also brings the question of why, in this world where gay people don't exist, disabled people are pushed to the sidelines, and a woman's role is in the house, are we post-racial? And the answer is of course that the Doctor and Belinda are our two main characters, and need to be trapped in the wish world for the plot to actually happen- which only then leads to the question of "Why did you write a story that doesn't seem to fit your characters?" I don't know. It's an odd one

Considering how much of this is similar to one of my favourite Doctor Who stories - Natural History of Fear - this could have been a home run. We have a totalitarian society where the characters we know don't seem to be themselves, asking questions is forbidden, stories of the Doctor's adventures being bastardised in order to placate the masses, and characters confessing on loved ones. What made it even more promising is that whilst it had similar aspects to that Eighth Doctor story it seemed to be asking some different questions and exploring fresh ground. What if the type of person who defends their trolling as simply 'asking questions' or 'critical thinking' had the power to change the world? Would they ironically make a world where its wrong to ask questions? What if those that ask us to cast doubt and encourage us to look critically at power are in fact themselves the ones in power and benefit from the uncertainty they create. All fantastic elements of an episode i would love to see to its logical conclusion.

Unfortunately in usual RTD style most of this goes out of the window in order to accommodate universe threatening nonsense. I don't mean nonsense in an overly negative way, usually I'll enjoy the rollercoaster of RTD's bombastic finales for what they are, i just wish he didn't sacrifice interesting setups for them (The Giggle was another I felt did this).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Societies where every person has been brainwashed into thinking that absurd things are real always work in Doctor Who. So creepy and captivating, as usual.

A+.