2nd Opinion, Take 1 “Space Babies” – Lacklustre
Gustaff Behr reviews the first episode of Series 14.
31 October 2021…that’s how long it’s been since Doctor Who had a proper seasonal run of episodes. We are approaching the middle of 2024, folks; in case your calendar isn’t working. Gone are the days of relying on a consistent 13-14 episodes yearly, with a ratio of 80:20 good/bad episodes per season. Nowadays, you should just roll the die once every couple of years and hope that whatever Doctor Who gives you has a palatable taste…or just start listening to Big Finish.
I was surprised to learn that Doctor Who would be dropping two episodes at once, which confused me since we only have eight episodes to impress audiences, but I was even more surprised (and amused) when my facial expressions watching “Space Babies” somehow made it into “The Devil’s Chord”:
Russell T Davies has penned five series openers during his tenure to date, and unfortunately, “Space Babies” stands out as the weakest entry. It isn’t helped by the fact that this script is trying desperately to get new audiences onboard, throwing caution (and a little thing called ‘gradual exposition’) in favor of info-dumping as much lore as humanly possible. A notable contrast can be drawn to the approach in the 2005 reboot of Doctor Who, where key details like the Time War and regeneration were revealed gradually over several episodes. In “Space Babies,” however, the first ten minutes are dedicated to hastily checking off various lore points to bring new viewers up to speed because…only Series 14 is available on Disney+ and we don’t want to coax new viewers into subscribing to Amazon Prime?
I’m left utterly perplexed by how the notion of “a spaceship piloted by babies in terror of a snot monster” even got the green light, let alone made it to the filming stage. And those babies… My word, those babies! The CGI rendering of their lips is more unsettling than anything else in this episode. It’s especially weird considering the stunningly realized prehistoric scene showcased at the start of the SAME episode.
As I sat through this episode, it dawned on me how little effort went into making it. The scene with the ‘super phone’ felt like a direct copy-and-paste from “The End of the World”. Not only that, but the episode takes zero risks. Not one.
I was half expecting the snot monster to be revealed to be made out of discarded baby flesh the way the Doctor was pulling that face…nope. It’s imagination…just not a lot of imagination, apparently. The episode has gaps in logic too, stemming from the audience being shown how the Doctor and Ruby access the lower floors (via those strange cramp tubing), and then leaving us to wonder how a baby in a pram can fit in those same tunnels AND then reach up and push a button. The Doctor propels the space station towards another planet in hopes the local NGO will rescue them, but…do we even know if that world is inhabited? Do the aliens who live there have space travel technology? Not relevant to the problem I guess.
The episode did make an effort to engage me though, particularly in its exploration of why the Doctor suddenly developed a fear of the snot monster, and in Ruby’s brave confrontation with realizing her words might have killed a child. Again, I was expecting at least one death.
From a visual standpoint, the episode is truly impressive. The indoor snowfall not only sets the stage for future plot developments but also provides a visually captivating effect on screen. These standout moments elevate the episode above its sillier elements. It’s worth noting that Doctor Who has always embraced a certain level of silliness, but it’s a brand of campy charm that resonates with audiences of all ages. However, this particular episode seems to target a much younger audience.
This episode’s worst commits trying to justify not killing the snot monster, just because it would be another genocide. It is absolutely ludicrous (not to mention irresponsible) and insulting to any person who have suffered at the hands of others. This might give the logic from “In The Forest of the Night” a run for its money. You should absolutely cut out people and things that want to harm you. That want to abuse you or hurt you, emotionally or as is the case in this episode: physically. The monster in this episode is made of mucus and was created with no rational mind. It was built to instill fear in others. This would be like trying to save a Dalek. It is the morally correct thing to do, but you will still be exterminated afterwards make no doubt.
“Space Babies” stands as a lackluster addition to Russell T Davies’s series openers. The episode’s rushed attempt to cater to new audiences results in an overload of exposition that will surely bore audiences already familiar with the franchise. Despite a couple of moments of intrigue, the overall execution falls short.
