Doctor Who: “The Robot Revolution” Desperately Needed More “Polish Polish” – 2nd Opinion, Take 2

J.C. reviews the first episode of Series 15.

Series 15 of Doctor Who has landed with “The Robot Revolution”, but rather than sparking a bold uprising, it desperately needed more “Polish polish”.

There are some interesting concepts on paper: a timey-wimey star certificate, a war between rebels and their robot overlords, and an all-powerful “AI Generator”, but the story refuses to slow down and explore any of them meaningfully. Instead, it becomes a blur of noise, seemingly tailored for fleeting attention spans. The tone is equally inconsistent. It gestures toward big, weighty themes, but constantly undercuts them with juvenile humour, like a high-pitched bot skittering around as if it’s from CBeebies.

Verada Sethu shows some promise in the role of new companion Belinda, but the character is erratically written, veering between warmth and needless hostility, particularly towards the Doctor. It comes across less as natural tension and more as artificial conflict. There are shades of both Clara and Martha in her, though she currently lacks the clear identity that made those companions (mostly) work. I am also wary we are heading towards another “Impossible Girl” arc. I have done that journey already, and not sure if I have the appetite for another round.

The monster of the week, the titular robots, come across as the Cybermen’s goofier cousins. The Missbelindachandrabots’ design is far too childish to take seriously, completely undermining any sense of threat. They would not look out of place on a toy shop shelf, which may well be the design intention, but it does not help. Also, given the similarities, why not just use the Cybermen? If Gatwa exits the show this year, as rumoured, he will never face them or the Daleks, two of the show’s most iconic monsters.

The real villain, Alan, could’ve been interesting, but the execution is shallow. Introduced as Belinda’s controlling ex, he comes across more like an awkward nerd than the dangerous figure the story tries to sell you. So, let’s get this straight, some time after their breakup, he is abducted by robots (revealed to have been caused by Belinda’s outburst) and handed control of an entire planet. There he goes from gamer to full-blown despot in a matter of minutes. The latter attempt to root it all in misogyny is too one-dimensional to land effectively. The result is a confused and hollow stab at social commentary.

Alan’s demise is equally bizarre. He is reduced to mere reproductive cells and vacuumed up by the aforementioned comedy bot. Stranger still is the Doctor’s reaction. He is positively giddy at this moment, treating it like a punchline rather than the disturbing end it is. Even at the height of facing his most despicable foes, the Doctor has rarely shown this level of satisfaction in someone’s death. When the Master met his end in “Last of the Time Lords“, after enslaving humanity and committing mass murder, the Doctor was distraught, begging him to regenerate, to live. That was emotional depth. And more bafflingly, also written by RTD. What happened?

It all feels so out of character. Then again, this same Doctor carelessly caused an “oopsie” power outage at a hospital earlier in this episode, so I no longer know what to think of him. Perhaps it’s another example of RTD’s immature writing streak trumping character consistency. Add in the death of a cat for the sake of a cheap gag, and it becomes clear the writing is going for shock value.

Ncuti Gatwa’s take on the Doctor still feels unsettled. There is energy, at least, but not nearly enough gravitas. Once again, he breaks down at the seventeen-minute mark. There is a fine line between emotional vulnerability and overuse, and the show already crossed it early last year. The moment that felt more like the Doctor was the clever scene with the truth-every-ninth-word scene. Sadly, moments like this get overshadowed by the constant need to make the character seem “down with the kids”, with the cringeworthy “Yas queens” etc, and that outfit (the first one). Let’s just say, even Colin Baker looks understated by comparison now. Is it too much to ask for a consistent, recognisable look for the Fifteenth Doctor?

The guest cast is hardly worth mentioning. Most are killed off so quickly it is hard to care, and those who survive are barely present. The rebels in particular feel like afterthoughts, and their cause never gains the gravity it clearly wants. Moments that should land emotionally, like Sasha’s death, are bulldozed past, robbing them of any impact. If we are meant to care about her, then the script needs to take the time to do so.

The cliffhanger sets up this year’s story arc, but it is undermined by two things. First, the TV promos spoiled it weeks ago. A twist like that only works if it is not plastered everywhere beforehand. Second, RTD has hit Earth with so many apocalyptic threats that it’s starting to feel like just another Saturday. The stakes are high, but the impact is low. You know what would be novel? A small-scale threat for a change.

And finally, there is Mrs Flood, now conveniently living next door to Belinda. Clearly, this will be important later, but the way it is dropped in feels clumsy. And after last year’s Ruby mystery reveal, I find it hard to care who she turns out to be. My faith that RTD will pay off these threads satisfyingly is low at this point.

Verdict

Despite flashes of creativity and a few clever moments, Doctor Who “The Robot Revolution” is dragged down by inconsistent characterisation, tonal confusion, and a frustratingly shallow script. Belinda shows some promise as the new companion, but her debut is let down by erratic writing that never quite decides who she’s meant to be.

Asides

• Seriously, RTD, I’m fine with you vaporising dozens of humanoids, but killing a cat? That’s crossing a line.
• In an episode that’s trying to say something about misogyny, was Belinda’s “nurses do all the hard work” jab meant to play into it too? Does RTD realise doctors and nurses can be male or female? Without context, it just reinforces an outdated stereotype, unfairly dismisses the hard work doctors do, and frankly, doesn’t shine a great light on Belinda.
• The “planet of the incels” line is thrown in later, but it doesn’t hold up to any scrutiny. Even if it’s aimed at Alan, why plural? The robots are, well, robots following orders, and the rest of the planet consists of rebels and the subjugated. It feels like RTD was desperate to wedge in a buzzword without considering whether it actually fit the story.
• Was I the only one who thought, “What on earth is Andrew Scott doing here?” around the 32-minute mark?