A decent if rather basic Doctor Who story. It takes the form of an in-universe essay by a character who will presumably feature in this week's episode called Omo, and concerns an oil drilling operation in Etsako. What I Did On My Holidays is a story that feels very topical at the moment, with fracking remaining controversial, and the continued move away from fossil fuels.

'David versus Goliath' stories are always interesting, and here we have two kids essentially fighting the Nigerian government, by throwing stones at the drilling equipment and inadvertently causing a fire. Blue is a particularly likeable individual, being the activist who brings Omo onboard with the plan to stop the oil drilling, and I hope we see more of her in Saturday's episode.

The Doctor's appearance is brief, coming at the very end to help Blue after she ends up injured, and using a hosepipe to put out the fire. It's always nice to get some more Fifteenth Doctor content, though, especially as this story is also written by the writer of this Saturday's episode, Inua Ellams.

When it was announced Pete McTighe was returning to Doctor Who, I was very happy. Whilst I found his last episode Praxeus underwhelming, Kerblam! was a brilliant instalment in the Chibnall era and his work on the Collection minisodes has been impressive. Even so, I didn't really know what to expect from Lucky Day. This episode, and The Story And The Engine are the two stories from this season that have seen the least amount of leaks. Lucky Day could have been about literally anything, and what we did get was great.

The main focal point of Lucky Day is the romance between Ruby and Conrad. Millie Gibson and Hauer-King have a lot of chemistry, and it really helps to sell you on their relationship before the twist regards Conrad's true intentions. You see how much Ruby falls for Conrad, and trusts him.

It makes the reveal that Conrad was just using Ruby to learn information about the Doctor and manipulate the public against UNIT hurt all the more. Conrad is easily one of the most unlikable characters in Doctor Who. He's one of those people you just love to hate, especially because of how endearing Millie Gibson is as Ruby. This awful excuse for a human being not only leads Ruby into believing he has feelings for her before cruelly labelling their relationship a "chore," but purposefully spreads misinformation that UNIT create fake alien invasions, and even implies Shirley is a benefits scrounger. He's such a brilliant antagonist, as he shows that sometimes the threat isn't always alien but can be closer to home.

It leads to easily the Fifteenth Doctor's best scene, when he rants at Conrad about how he purposefully spreads misinformation to profit from it. This moment in the TARDIS is one of this incarnation's darkest so far, even going as far as to tell Conrad he'll die at only 49 years of age in his prison cell, and Ncuti Gatwa performs it fantastically. My personal view is that Ncuti Gatwa is at his best in these scenes where he can show the Doctor's inner darkness, and I hope we get more of these going forward into the Fifteenth Doctor's run.

I don't think Kate has been better either. Previously, I've seen her as a bit of a bland UNIT leader, defined more by the connection to her father than her own personality. Here, however, she really shines. Her decision to let the Shreek loose to show Conrad and his followers the 'truth' as opposed to the lies they are spreading is a superb way to demonstrate how far Kate will go when the Doctor isn't around. She will take the kind of measures the Doctor would not, to protect UNIT, her staff, and her friends. Hopefully we see more of Kate's more brutal methods in The War Between The Land And The Sea.

If there's one drawback to the episode, I do think it's a shame we see so little of Belinda. Whilst it's nice to have the mystery of who told the Doctor about Belinda resolved, it feels a bit random that Conrad brings her up. He only met Belinda once as a child, and it seems as though Conrad knows somehow that the Doctor hasn't met Belinda when he meets the Doctor again. It could be his own educated guess if he brought Belinda up to Ruby and Ruby said that she never met Belinda Chandra, but it would have made it clearer how Conrad was able to tease the Doctor about whether he's met Belinda if there was a scene showing Conrad befriending her. Alternatively, one of the most interesting aspects of Varada Sethu being confirmed as a companion last year was when the announcement teased a TARDIS team of 15, Ruby, and Belinda. So why not meet the audience halfway, and show Belinda as being a friend of Ruby's? Especially as one of the promotional pieces of the episode involved Millie Gibson and Varada Sethu discussing the episode together.

Mrs Flood's cameo feels random this week too, posing as the prison governor. It's not clear as to why someone as powerful as Mrs Flood seems to be would even be remotely interested in Conrad (although this could be answered in the finale) and it feels shoehorned in as set-up for the two part Season Two finale. It's a strange choice when Mrs Flood is already established as Ruby's neighbour, giving her a natural place for her to cameo.

Overall, I'd give Lucky Day an 8/10. It's a great character piece, showing Ruby's love for Conrad and ultimate tragedy when he turns out to be a manipulative conspiracy theorist. Conrad is one of the most detestable human villains, and Ncuti Gatwa shines brighter than ever in the final scene. However, the episode is let down by Belinda's disappointingly brief appearance, and Mrs Flood's cameo feeling forced rather than a natural part of the story.

I have been vocal on here about not being a fan of Midnight. I know that seems odd, because it is widely considered a fan-favourite, however, I just found the constant repetition and talking over one another annoying rather than compelling, and my parents were the same. I get the dramatic intensions and how it is done to showcase human paranoia, and how it leads to humanity at their worst, but in my (unpopular) opinion it just creates a frustrating viewing experience. So I was apprehensive when the leaks suggested The Well would be a sequel to Midnight. I have seen a few people complaining about tweeters spreading the leaks online, but I think it's important to remember a 'leak' isn't always true. Going into the episode, nobody including myself knew for sure whether the Midnight sequel rumours were true or false.

The reveal halfway through the episode, therefore, that the planet the Doctor and Belinda are on is the planet Midnight is still very effective. Ncuti Gatwa plays it fantastically, giving you a real sense of how the events of the episode Midnight still haunt the Doctor to this day. It was an experience that genuinely left him terrified, which is rare for someone who is often the ultimate authority in the room and gives those who are with him the reassurance to fight against the monsters.

Also when it comes to the leaks, just because the Midnight sequel aspects were right doesn't mean the rest of it is true. I won't spoil what the leaks say about Mrs Flood, but based on her appearance here, I do think they will turn out to be right about her, though. The Mrs Flood cameo is excellent this week, and really leaves you hooked and desperate for answers. I can't wait to find out how she knows what a Vindicator is and why it's 'great news' to her that the Doctor and Belinda are using it. Similarly interesting is how nobody seems to know about the Earth or the human race. So far, RTD2 has done a great job at building its series arcs and making you anticipate the answers to them. The answers last year were underwhelming, so hopefully this year the pay-off is better.

The premise of the episode, concerning a group of soldiers investigating a missing mining colony, is such a strong one for a horror base-under-siege. Especially as when they arrive, only one of the mining crew - Aliss - has survived the incident that has taken place. Rose Ayling-Ellis is fantastic as the mining colony's deaf cook; I was also impressed by her on Strictly and in Ludwig. She really makes you feel for poor Aliss, who just wants to see her daughter again, and is forced to kill a ton of people including her best friend after they are driven mad by the Midnight Entity. I've seen some theories suggesting that Aliss was actually possessed by the Entity, which would have been a cool twist, but this is never explicitly confirmed in the episode.

I actually prefer the Midnight Entity here too. It still plays on people's paranoia, but with none of the irritating copying what people are saying. Instead, it hides behind its hosts and whispers in their ear. It makes for a very dark and atmospheric episode, with one heck of an ending, when it is revealed that the Midnight Entity survived despite Shaya's sacrifice, and attached itself to a new host, rendering her death ultimately futile and meaningless. The Well stands with other Doctor Who stories like The Caves Of Androzani and World Enough And Time/The Doctor Falls, in that it's allvery bleak. The Doctor loses, and all he can do is fight to survive.

The Doctor and Belinda continue to impress as a Doctor and companion pairing. Seeing a companion whose main motivation is to go back home and make sure her parents are safe with whatever is happening with the Earth is refreshing, as the new series has never really done this before. It does seem like she's becoming more accustomed to the adventures now and not as reluctant a traveller as she was in The Robot Revolution, but it still feels worlds apart from the Doctor and Ruby last series, and even the Twelfth Doctor with Nardole, with the latter being somewhat reluctant with his constant nagging for the Doctor to return to the university where he was working and assume his duties guarding the Vault.

Overall, I'd give The Well a 10/10. It's a fantastic, dark and atmospheric story that preys on the paranoia at the heart of the Midnight Entity well. The Doctor and Belinda are a Doctor and companion duo that stand among the greatest, and the hints regards Earth becoming this unknown planet and Mrs. Flood's observations of the Doctor and Belinda's use of the Vindicator leave you feeling suitably intrigued. I'd say The Well is probably the standout of RTD2 so far, and to me is a good example of how keeping an episode shrouded in secrecy can work well, without leaving fans feeling disappointed or unsatisfied.

A really quirky Doctor Who Magazine comic strip. I like the idea of fake human beings transformed into monsters to con war mongerers into buying them as an invasion fleet. It feels like textbook Doctor Who; the kind of madness that only Doctor Who can get away with.

It ties into Liberation Of The Daleks in a clever way, being the same technology seen in that strip being used to create the people, and also the previous Fifteenth Doctor strip with Hans Christian Anderson. Ruby wishing the people/monsters to have wings has me curious. Could it tie into the upcoming TV episode Wish World somehow?

A really strong character piece. I really feel for poor Kevin/Proteus, who just wants to see his Dad, but nobody is hearing him. He's the ultimate misunderstood villain, and it makes the ending all the more pleasing, when his Dad finally accepts his mutant son.

Out of all of the episodes in Doctor Who Season 2, Lux is the one I've most been looking forward to. A Doctor Who episode that combines live-action and animation is such a cool idea, and offers something new that the show hasn't done as a plot device before. Yes, there have been animated stories like The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, but this is the first time it's used as a narrative device.

The cold open is one of the best the show has seen in recent years. The shots of the animated Mr Ring-A-Ding cartoon are beautifully realised, and Mr Ring-A-Ding's interactions with the audience of 15 before he steps out of the screen and they go missing does a brilliant job at establishing the threat. Straight away, we get a sense that Mr Ring-A-Ding is a malevolent being.

When Mr Ring-A-Ding enters the live-action realm, the animation work is sublime. There have been reports that some of the same people who worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit lent their talents to Mr Ring-A-Ding, and you can see the influence. Mr Ring-A-Ding is so expressive, and his move from 2D to 3D brings some wildly imaginative imagery.

I do think it's a shame though that more time isn't spent on the Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda becoming trapped inside a cartoon. The small sequence we do get is a superb piece of animation, especially when they progress to 3D animation, but they could have expanded on this further with different animation styles. The reviews mentioned different uses of animation, which made me think we were going to get 15 and Belinda crossing into different styles of animation, like stop-motion for instance, or the anime style that people go crazy over (although that's never done much for me).

I'm also not sure how I feel about the Doctor and Belinda meeting Doctor Who fans. It feels a little too meta for me, especially when they start discussing how their favourite Doctor Who episode is Blink. I feel it would have worked better had they been played by real fans, like Crispy Pro and Harbo Whole's. Hiring actors to play Doctor Who fans is a strange choice when you could use real-life Whotubers.

On the plus side, Lux does an excellent job at exploring the racist attitudes in 1950s Miami. It's a subtle yet effective approach, showing brief references to segregation in the cafe and later when the Doctor and Belinda are confronted by New York policemen in the cinema. It shows the unfortunate reality of two people of colour travelling to the past, which is something that needed to be addressed.

Overall, I'd give Lux an 8/10. The animation work is fantastic and Mr Ring-A-Ding is easily one of the best antagonists of RTD2. However, the episode doesn't realise the full potential of 15 and Belinda trapped inside a cartoon, and their meeting with Doctor Who fans could be a step too far into breaking the fourth wall.

Last year's Doctor Who opener was a somewhat underwhelming affair. Instead of kicking off Ncuti Gatwa's first season as the Doctor with a bang, Space Babies was a silly and underwhelming beginning to the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby's adventures after The Church On Ruby Road.

Fortunately, The Robot Revolution is a vast improvement, providing an exciting first adventure for Belinda Chandra. The story concerns Belinda being mistaken by robots for their planet's Queen, due to a star certificate from her ex-boyfriend. It's a typically quirky Doctor Who escapade, and moves at a rollickingly fast pace, keeping your attention throughout.

The robots themselves may be very similar to the Emojibots in Smile, but they work well as antagonists who provide enough of a threat to the Doctor and Belinda, without distracting from Belinda's introduction.

Belinda is an excellent addition to the TARDIS team. She is much feistier than Ruby, which makes for a refreshing change. Belinda is the kind of companion who is unafraid to challenge the Doctor, and simply just wants to return home to complete her work shift, rather than traverse the universe. Seeing a companion willing to put the Fifteenth Doctor in his place introduces an interesting new dynamic which should lead to some great drama in the upcoming weeks.

The resolution to this story is a little weak, however. Whilst I like the concept of robots and what at first appears to be an AI misinterpreting the star certificate and believing Belinda to be their Queen, because of how topical it is with the rise of AI, I did find the twist that the AI generator was Belinda's ex Al all along a bit underwhelming. It feels a bit convenient, and makes you wonder how nobody noticed Al was missing when he was taken by the robots. The means in which the Doctor and Belinda are able to stop Belinda's marriage to Al/the AI generator via the star certificate feels a little hand-waver also. Overall, though, The Robot Revolution is an easy 8/10. It's an excellent, fun sci-fi adventure of the Doctor and Belinda versus a robot revolution.

A sweet if rather basic one page strip for Doctor Who Magazine. It gives us a taste of what an in-universe Mr Ring-A-Ding cartoon entails, showing the titular character waking up Sunny Town's residents with his singing, and helping the Easter Bunny deliver Easter Eggs.

Whilst I'd have preferred an animated minisode, it would probably have been costly to produce, which makes the DWM strip a nice compromise.

Usually with Doctor Who, I find it much easier to concentrate during an episode. This time, however, was different. We were still opening presents in our household, which partly contributed to the episode feeling harder to follow than usual, although judging by the reaction to the episode afterwards, it does seem like some of it is also the way the narrative itself was written.

Joy To The World is an episode I enjoyed a lot. The Time Hotel is a fantastic concept; I love the idea of a hotel where the rooms lead to different periods. However, it does also lead to the episode feeling a little disjointed. When the Doctor is bouncing between rooms that go to such wildly different times and places, it can make it harder to follow. It also doesn't help that the episode doesn't do much to explore the central concept. It never really makes full use of the idea of a hotel where you can go to any time, or spend much time in the time periods the Doctor travels to. It would have been nice to have seen more of the prehistoric era, for instance.

Joy is also surprisingly underwritten. Before the episode aired, I expected Joy to be the star of the show, as so much of the marketing of the episode was focused around her. She's strangely underutilised however, and abandoned for a large chunk of the plot when the Doctor is locked out of the Time Hotel by his future self.

On the other hand, I loved the Doctor's friendship with Anita. Their dynamic as friends is engaging to watch during the year that the Doctor spends working at the normal hotel, and Ncuti Gatwa and Stephanie de Whalley have tons of chemistry. I actually came away from this episode hoping Anita would become a future companion at some point, and I expected to feel that way about Joy.

Another highlight of the episode is when the Doctor manipulates Joy by being mean toward her, hoping it will make her angry to stop the suitcase brainwashing her mind. This scene felt like a classic Doctor moment, similar to the scene where Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor manipulates Sarah Jane out of the air vent in The Ark In Space. It culminates in a fantastic emotional sequence, where Joy talks about her mother's death and how she was unable to see her in hospital during COVID. It's Joy's best moment as a character, and Nicola Coughlan's best performance in the role.

The reveal that the Villenguard's artificial star is the Star of Bethlehem felt like a fitting means of tying the special to the Christmas period. I have no doubt that it was probably controversial and upset some diehard Christians, but I thought it was clever, and a neat way of explaining an iconic Christmas element within Doctor Who's lore.

It was lovely also seeing Millie Gibson briefly cameo as Ruby Sunday. She was not announced prior to the episode airing as featuring within Joy To The World, so I was surprised when she appeared. It felt like a nice and unexpected Christmas treat, as Ruby has been one of the best aspects of RTD2 so far. Overall, I would give Joy To The World an 8/10. It has a bold and brilliant concept, but the time hotel is confusing and underutilised, and Joy as a character feels surprisingly weak. I was expecting more from Joy, whilst Stephanie de Whalley's Anita was the true guest star who shined.

I watched this during the airing at 9pm, and it confirmed my suspicions that the 90 minute edit would be an improvement over the original version. This War Games is a much tighter narrative, with less padding and a far stronger pace. It helps to give the story the epic feel it deserves, concerning soldiers from various Earth time periods transported to another planet to fight one another.

The colourisation is also stronger than in The Daleks. I was so amazed by the colourization work that at times, I forgot I was watching a production from the 60s. It's a clear, crisp picture that remarkably looks as though it could have been filmed today.

Most impressive is the CGI in this new War Games. It's extremely cool seeing the modern Gallifrey and regeneration effect in Patrick Troughton's final serial, but I was most blown away by the regeneration sequence. The fact that they managed to create a whole CGI Troughton in his TARDIS, complete with the transition into Pertwee, is nothing short of astounding.

The War Games very much feels like one for the fans. It's packed with references to everything from the common fan theory that the War Chief is the Master to the UNIT dating controversy. It's impossible to watch without a massive smile on your face.