Today I watched Zygon: When Being You Just Isn’t Enough. The closest thing Doctor Who has to an official porno. Although it’s really not. It’s just got a lot of nudity.

And in total, I had a not bad time watching it. It’s weird, the effects are bad, there’s barely any Zygons in. It’s got two and a half sex scenes which all are far tamer than Torchwood tbh. Apart from the fact that you can see breasts and penises. Mostly it was kind of a weird thriller type thing. Went surprisingly violent towards the end. If you’re easily squicked out by gore, this isn’t for you. Also if you’re emetophobic, because the protagonist throws up around 20 minutes in.

What I really didn’t expect though was the trans subtext. The human protagonist gets sort of turned into a zygon and tries out a man’s body. That whole montage was just. Yeah, really trans. She appears to really love that body. Also has one of the sex scenes in that body and it looks like she’s having some real revelations. I was kind of jealous to be honest.

Maybe I’m easy to please and my opinion of a first watch is often far better than after some time has passed, but I loved this episode. It had me jumping up from the sofa and the last couple of minutes had me almost crawling into my TV.

The Rani is maybe not entirely accurate to her earlier portrayal, but she is also a different incarnation and a lot of time has passed, so it’s close enough for me. The dance scene had me worried for a second, but I actually rather like it now. I am also a huge fan of secret-third-thing time lord relationships so that played right into that.

I’m very interested to see what they do with Omega. Can’t say on that one yet.

I really liked how the Wish World showed its cracks with misogyny and homophobia and ableism. I think that shows really well how often the ‘perfect’ world of some people forgets about those who don’t fit in. It gave me a sense of visceral horror most of the episode which was really poignant to me.

Not quite sure yet what is up with Poppy, we’ll have to see on that.

Didn’t like the Rogue cameo. The CGI was weird, it’s odd that that would be the character calling the doctor back, yeah, not a fan of that.

Absolutely terrifying. Scary, sad, emotional. Amazing side characters. Belinda, sweetheart, I love you and you deserved none of that. Amazing episode in my opinion

This chapter has some really great stuff for both Romana and Leela.

Leela is the moral compass in this chapter. She’s the only one caring for the people, she spends the entire time being caring and compassionate and inspiring. Rebellion leader is an ideal role for her, and she thrives in it. It’s very unfortunate for her that this world is so violent and they can’t escape. The ending is so heartbreaking for her, losing K9, again and being put up against the uncaring-seeming Romana and Narvin is terrible. She keeps being hurt and not only has she lost nearly everything, the only people she still has are betraying, in a way, all her principles. She makes me so sad. And the acting, again! I don’t know how it keeps blowing me away time and time again, but it is so good.

Romana is so wonderfully morally conflicted here. I adore the way she really just doesn’t care about anything but Leela and Narvin anymore. I’m really looking forward to seeing how she does on this world where so many people are traumatized in a similar way to herself (as slaves) but being their president. Her conversations with evil!Narvin are incredible. Neither of them hold anything back. And Lalla Ward just does amazing things with her voice, the way she can make it tremble with fear or shake with fury is incredible.

Speaking of evil!Narvin, he’s the star of this chapter. Seán is incredible. I love to see a Narvin who is so completely evil and selfish. And yet. He still sacrifices himself for Gallifrey, and Romana in a way, because she was going to try without him. That man. In no universe is he not putting Gallifrey above all else I think. I love how Narvin knows his counterpart so well, because there really isn’t that much separating them, certainly much less than Leela and the Interrogator for example. I love that guy.

All in all, this chapter was certainly very good, but didn’t achieve the heights of the last two (which is really doesn’t mean that much because those were so amazing). Season 4 is definitely my favourite season so far.

I feel like I am running out of words to say just how much I love Gallifrey and its characters. So let me just repeat it again: this series is truly incredible, I love it so freaking much!! And this is one of its top episodes for sure. S4 has been absolutely amazing so far, and it still keeps getting better. I have no idea how they manage this.

Anyway, Vampires!! I am an immense vampire fan and I adore how this is done on Gallifrey, and I loved the little callbacks to Romana’s previous encounters with them too. Romana facing off against Lord Prydon is an absolute standout. The way she is in control, actually completely in her element here, the moments where you think maybe she’s gone too far after all, Lalla Ward’s acting is out of this world.

Leela is so her in this episode as well, I love her becoming a hound, I love her feeling so alive, so happy, the way she understands war better than anyone else because she is always a warrior. I still think that more could have done with her blindness, but I think this was a good way to end that anyways.

Narvin. Oh Narvin. Poor guy. He gets hurt again, but at least it has made him tell the others that he lost his regenerations. The way he has come to respect Leela, and is forever loyal to Romana is just so jakldjhafh. I love him.

And really, where this episodes is absolutely peak is in the interactions of our Gallifrey ot3. Just so good. They care so much about each other, they could not live without each other and I adore them.

Another favourite!

loved it! Brax is just such a character, and it’s really just 30 minutes of who he is and I love that. Sir Narvin and the Leela/Narvin content is much appreciated. A really interesting alternate Gallifrey!

Most important thing first: Louise Jameson is an incredible actress, such amazing talent and work, she is unbelievably good in this and deserves the world

I feel like I can’t really put the rest of my feelings into proper words yet but I absolutely love this, it had me on the edge of my seat for a very long part, again Leela is incredible, the Interrogator is indeed very hot and I will say no further on that (but again, the acting is so incredible). Colin Baker is incredible as the Lord Burner and poor Brax that ending was so sad, and him being the president’s assassin who was meant to kill the Doctor is incredible character building and I want to see more of that.

Absolutely incredible episode, definitely one of my favourites

first of all, I love the concept of the Axis, and getting to see an alternate Gallifrey, and presumably more in the rest of s4 at least is so interesting, it allows for so many cool worldbuilding ideas. And how their relationships are shining here, I really hope this continues.

This one is amazing for Romana and Brax especially, starting, indeed, with that dream. I love that part it’s so interesting because it means not only is Brax in love with Romana (understandable, so am I), but he that in his ideal world, so are Leela and Narvin. And while I can absolutely see that happening in a far away future, they are so not there yet. Also I just adore Romana’s laugh. It’s pure happiness. I actually have listened to an outtake of this part before, probably even before I started to actually listen to the series at all, in which they all descend into laughter, and it makes me so happy. But I didn’t know it was from this, or that it was a dream! That surprised me. Lalla has such a beautiful laugh.

I adore the alternate Romana we get to see, first of all: Mary Tamm and then it is so interesting how she differs but remains the same, I was starting to think it was quite odd just how different she was until she revealed that she’d seen through them all immediately. It’s really interesting how she really isn’t any happier than our Romana, and also becomes President at the end. It appears that is an inevitability. How she got married to Andred of all people I can’t explain though. And Antonin! He reminds me a lot of the way Romana was when she declared herself Imperiatrix actually, I can see the resemblance.

Brax is very sweet to Romana throughout, I loved the way he comforted the alternate Romana but also that Romana is calling him out on the way he tricked them. And I can’t believe he’s leaving again he really can’t seem to stay in one place long.

Leela has an interesting role her, I think it’s very funny how they made her president here, I really think they should just try everyone at this point. And also very mean how they treated her. Loved her making K9 Castellan, that was amazing.

And Narvin. Oh Narvin. What are we going to do with you? He is so not made for this lol. He’s a coward and a terrible spy and I love him. Him losing his regenerations is so mean and the way he’s not telling the others at the end and reacting to Leela’s questions is heartbreaking. I’m very interested how that progresses, but also just, poor guy. I love him, he’s my poor little guy now. Also loved how they actually call him little at one point that’s so funny.

just utterly heartbreaking. I like the way the story is structured and it is narrated very well. Also a great bonus point for having Ace insist on not being called Dorothy throughout.

Soldier Obscura. God what an episode. Ace!! She is absolutely wonderful. Her and Brax are a really compelling dynamic. And messed up. This whole episode is really spooky and I love that vibe. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Never knew who to trust. It’s mindbending. Brax is so horrible in this one, I love the similarities he has with the Doctor. He is really so evil in parts but I can’t help but love him still. The whole horror and the Daleks are done so well. I’m kind of sad Ace has left now but on the other hand she is safe (and I do have her short trip next up)An excellent episode in total.