Our hoper of far-flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams is about to return to our screens. This time, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) has a new companion aboard the TARDIS and an equally new mystery to contend with in Doctor Who Season 2. The new companion in question, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), is a nurse who really, really wants to go home. Girl, I get it.
We had the privilege of screening the Season 2 premiere, “The Robot Revolution,” before it debuts this weekend. Read on for our spoiler-free review.
Doctor Who, Season 2 Episode 1, “The Robot Revolution”
Here’s a brief synopsis per Disney:
“When robots from Outer Space kidnap Nurse Belinda Chandra, the Doctor embarks on an epic intergalactic quest to get his new friend back home to Earth.”
RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Ruby Sunday
Characters and Performances
First things first: Belinda is a breath of fresh air. Sure, this isn’t the first time a companion would rather revel in mundanity on Earth than traverse time and space with a mad Time Lord in a big blue box, but it’s nice to see Russell T Davis subvert that oft-used trope. Varada Sethu delivers a nuanced performance brimming with realism. Belinda spends the majority of her debut in a state of bewilderment, and if we’re honest with ourselves, wouldn’t most of us be just as confused and terrified if robots whisked us away to outer space?
Belinda isn’t deterred by the fact that the Doctor is an alien. Like most companions, she doesn’t shy away from taking the Doctor to task. She’s also immune to his charms, which, admittedly, takes our titular Gallifreyan by surprise. Belinda’s no-nonsense demeanor isn’t over-the-top or played for laughs. She just is.
Ncuti Gatwa is as effervescent as ever as the Fifteenth Doctor, armed with an easygoing charm and natural presence. He dazzles. This Doctor wears his two hearts on his sleeve and feels the weight of every emotion. Gatwa injects vim and vigor into his performance, too. He’s having a blast here, and it translates well onscreen.
RELATED: What’s New on TV This Week (Apr 6 – 12)
All the Camp
“The Robot Revolution” delivers a healthy dose of campiness. Despite the increased budget and sleeker, more vividly colorful visuals, this series holds fast to its roots. It’s equal parts silly and serious. You won’t find special effects on par with a Marvel tentpole, and that’s okay. The Season 2 premiere also deftly lays the groundwork for the overarching narrative and plants seeds for a new mystery while continuing to address a significant loose thread from last season: the enigma that is Mrs. Flood.
Expect “The Robot Revolution” to conclude on a hefty cliffhanger, which, of course, establishes why it won’t be so easy to get Belinda home. It’s not Doctor Who without a few pesky timey-wimey barriers.
All in all, it’s a solid premiere for our favorite time-traveling sci-fi series, complete with compelling performances, chemistry between the two leads that defies mavity and boisterous, escapist fun.
RELATED: Read our Doctor Who recaps
Doctor Who Season 2 premieres on Saturday, April 12, at 3 am EST/12 am PST on Disney+ and 8 am BST on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
6 DOCTOR WHO Episodes That Show the Eleventh Doctor’s Personality
[email protected]
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
