ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- SEASON ONE IS HERE!! With the release of two episodes, Space Babies and The Devil's Chord, Series 14 is off to a terrific start. Or is it?
Don't forget to leave your own thoughts in the comment section below for a chance to be included in the next COMMUNITY REACTION video! And I hope you enjoy
![DID IT SUCK? | Doctor Who [THE DEVIL'S CHORD REVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Psj3IR3AG-g/mqdefault.jpg)
Leave your own thoughts in the comment section below to be included in the next Community Reaction video! Hope you all enjoy
I like that the sonic screwdriver actually did something sonic for once
I saw some people complaining that it was out of character or weird for the sonic to have done that and I was like like "what? It's literally the most sonic thing it's ever done"
THATS WHAT IM SAYING. Literally just destructive interference which is a real thing in real life
Omg someone else that noticed the 6 month time jump. Honestly the amount of people asking how Ruby knew the doctor so well was starting to annoy me lol
lazy writing tbh
@@jesspetty8163 for sure yeah. Probably so they can have a lot of time for expanded media
@@jesspetty8163 time slips aren't lazy writing
@@jesspetty8163 What exactly is lazy writing? A time skip? :D
@@BaronMartini like that they aren’t going the classic first adventures route. It leaves room for expanded media down the line (yum) and also isn’t gonna be the same thing we seen before
Bored as hell getting paid nothing and watching doctor who to pass the time on night shift has just been my life for the last 2ish years
What’s your job?
That sounds about like my job lol. I'm a technician working the night shift at a shipping facility. Sometimes it's super busy and I'm rushing all over the place without a chance to sit down, and other nights literally nothing happens at all and I just sit and watch Doctor Who.
@@bluestruthspodcast3398 CNA in a nursing home
Space Babies was... fine. End of the World vibes, nice introduction for newcomers, the plot wasn't terrible... and The Rani mentioned!
The Devil's Chord, however, is absolutely bonkers. I think that's not only the best way to describe it, but possibly also the only accurate one. Absolutely bonkers, and I love it. It felt likee the best parts of The Giggle turned up to 11, with much less of the not-so-good stuff. And Murray Gold!!! Oh. My. Gold! I absolutely adore this episode.
The Rani namedrop and all the meta... wasn't everyone saying a few months ago how this was a totally new version of the show moving forward, separate from the past?
@@ShamrockParticle Uh... yes? 2005 brought back the Daleks while still being friendly to newcomers, I don't see why namedropping the Rani as an example of Timelord names would be bad in any way, just like having a Cyberman's head in Dalek wasn't a bad thing... or having THE DALEK in that episode wasn't a bad thing (the Daleks even were the main antagonists in the series finale!).
And all the meta stuff IS new, the 2005 show didn't do that kind of stuff.
If you talked about how a lot of the stuff in the series connects back to The Giggle you'd have a point, but complaining about a Rani namedrop? I don't know...
At 2am I kept thinking what of Susan is the one who waits?
Pissed at being left behind
That's actually a really really great idea- Like A Really great idea
she willingly left though...
"One Day I shall come back" lol nope, she just gets picked up in the timescoop for the five doctors and thats it.
Doubt it they met again in the 20th anniversary
The talking babies mouths creeped me out they are uncanny. Space Babies as episode gave me the end of the world vibes on certain bits. I feels like mash up of a multitude of episodes with something new as well.
Space Babies weirdly felt like RTD doing his own version of Beast Below, and I liked it about as much.
The Devil’s Chord is a damn instant classic and the thing that’s got me fully on board this era.
Space Babies Is A GREAT EPISODE, IMA BUY IT ON BLURAY THE SECOND ITS OUT. But I think it was nothing like the beast below, Just since there was a beast below the ship doesnt mean a devil / sun ( i cant remember which it was ) but I agree with what you said
When Ruby got snotted on, I was reminded of Amy getting covered in stomach juices. Thats the only similarity I can think of and its pretty disgusting.
Devils Chord was good but where the hell was the Beatles music? C'mon.
I think Beast Below is a vastly superior episode to Space Babies
@@purefoldnz3070 beatles weren't the focus of the episode + buying the license to use beatles music is very expensive, even just for one song.
I totally thought it was fair and proactive of the Doctor, to say that he wouldn’t be taking Ruby to her birthplace (been there/ done that). Also I think it’s possible the Doctor is speeding thru conversations he’s been having over and over to move them along quicker. The Doctor needs them to “keep up”.
Both episodes were so fun and refreshing, RTD felt free to do what he wanted. Not exactly peak doctor who or anything but felt like a nice refreshing start to the series.
I remember Film Crit Hulk saying a summation of his issues with Chibnall's era was when they talked about Captain Jack all "He's corny, but good corny" like the show regards corny as a danger zone, when DW has been unabashadly cheesy for 60 years.
Then you get Space Babies, which embraces corniness like a long lost lover.
I already left more detailed thoughts in the comments for the poll, but in general:
Already this early in the season its biggest problem is the reduced episode count and short runtime per episode
I liked the part with Ringo.
ALRIGHT
Honestly it’s one of those instances where I can’t really form a definitive opinion. Like it’s so new, and fresh, and I just don’t know what to exactly make of it. I think…… I liked it. I don’t see space babies standing out as a season opener though, like the competition is insane. Eleventh hour, smith and jones, deep breath, woman who fell to earth etc etc. like I don’t think it really stacks up. Saying that, I felt it introduced the style and tone new era successfully, and was quite enjoyable. The devils chord was an absolute fever dream and I don’t think I’ve finished an episode feeling more confused on how I felt about the episode. And what’s with all this fourth wall breaking??? Make me telling me feel very quizzical. Doctor who has got me quite bamboozled right now, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything I’ve become more intrigued in the season as a whole. What a silly show 🤪🤪
Also it was very comforting knowing ol doctor 1 was over there in shoreditch just chilling, I love that guy.
I think The Devil's Chord would've benefited a lot from been a two parter. They could've kept the cold open but keep Maestro in shadow, then go to the 60 with the Doctor and Ruby and get to really explore the world without music, give it a bit more of an eerie vibe (maybe move the moment in which humanity stopped creating music further in the timeline to the 50s or so, so that people are not so against music already) and focus more on the beatles and other artist, have them be the actual beatles making good music and have it be a bit of a horror story were iconic artist are being killed one by one while composing and have the Doctor and Rubes trying to figure out the mystery and save the musicians and the future of the world.
Then have the proper reveal of Maestro at the end as a cliffhanger with the Doctor being terrified of them and running away as he did cause he doesn't think he can defeat another one of this (essentially) eldritch gods. And then finally have the second part move away from the historical vibe and just focus on the confrontation against Maestro. Also make the whole thing a sort of musical episode in which the way to defeat the villain is through music, that way the musical number at the end wouldn't feel so jarring. And it can be a bit like with the God from Rings of Akhaten where they overload the villain in this case with a melody instead of memories, and that melody could come from Ruby's heart in order to keep that thread going.
I know I basically just rewrote the whole thing, but like, I literally spent no time thinking about this, it was me first thought as soon as the episode was over and in came to me all at once no effort put into it. And I do think it keeps the heart of the story while improving it immensely. So idk. I didn't hate this or Space Babies, but something is definitely off. Or maybe I was just tired.
Honestly, I agree, and I really like your ideas here. I think what bugged me with the Devil's Chord was that I'd gone in expecting to see a lot more of the 1960s and hear 60s music but everything was just so off. There was no build up to the drama so it didn't really feel scary or highstakes, and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief with this one. And it wasn't just due to the Maestro being "magical" because they Toymaker had similar universe breaking powers, but The Giggle I found to be a much more believable episode. This time, the pacing felt off, the characters didn't feel realistic, the stakes didn't really feel high and I just wasn't invested or worried about the danger at all.
The best way I can describe it was it was like a pantomime. It felt like it was for kids. Same with space babies. So far the characters to me feel like they're in a kids show but it's more like a stage performance, it's not even as believable as some of the stories in The Sarah Jane Adventures. I know Doctor Who is science fiction, but they usually try to give some plausible explanation in the stories (magic creatures aside) and it didn't feel that way to me. How does the baby machine being left switched on mean the babies grow but stay the same size? That doesn't make any sense. At the end of The Devil's Chord, it seems as if music is back, but was it still "gone" from the period of the 1920s to the early 1960s then? It doesn't seem like they changed that, which changes human history, after all music in the 20s helped get people through the depression, and the music from the 30s & 40s got people through the war. 50s was the dawn of rock & roll and big artists like Chuck Berry etc. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it was a big question I had that I think they didn't answer.
Idk, maybe I'm just getting too old, but the stories felt so childish this time. I liked the more family-friendly, upbeat vibe of the Chibnall era, but I just couldn't buy into these stories, it didn't feel "family friendly" it just felt dumbed-down, maybe for a more American audience, idk. I went into this with high hopes & really tried to like the two stories, but I just couldn't switch my brain off, and so many little things just shattered my immersion.
Spaces babies for me was like a 3, maybe a 3.5.
The Devils Chord is somewhere between 5 and 6. Maybe even 6.5 for the good moments.
@@Branogeni I agree the show feels very kiddie this time around, its something I noticed a bit during the first 60th special but it wasn't that bad then and I didn't think it'd stick around. I think Church on Ruby Road incorporated the more fantastical tone and setting that their going for than this two stories, they feel very Disney and it does worry me, I miss how grounded the setting was during Russell's original run (or how Moffat was always more fantastical but also epic and dark and high concept). The world in this two stories feels kinda like a stage and it does take me out, but overall I'm just happy to get more DW, the leads are great and there were some really good stuff. I'm not loving it as much as I thought but the more I think about it the less it worries me. I'll just wait to see how the season turns out.
the tension in the scene after the doctor and ruby stop hiding from the maestro was AMAZING!!! the score, the frantic dialogue, the dramatic single tear!!! end of the world stakes are present in almost every doctor who episode, but something about the stakes in the devil’s chord felt really REAL!
ncuti and millie are really talented performers with an incredible soundtrack that is really helping them sell their performance. super impressed!!!!
I loved the end segment of The Devil's Chord with the song and the keyboard crossing. It reminded me of the end of The Giggle, with The Doctor mentioning how The Toymaker's domain was lingering - the song and especially the keyboard crossing was the last remnants of The Maestro's domain lingering.
I came in with low expectations, so I wasn’t massively disappointed. And disappointed I was not. After watching both episodes just a couple hours ago, I was surprised. And after finishing them I felt like I wanted more, which is a feeling I’ve not properly had for Doctor Who in a while, if we’re not including the last two specials (Wild Blue Yonder & The Giggle). Yeah the episodes had its flaws here and there, but the good outweighs the bad by far. Thankfully it’s only got Good and Bad traits not ugly, like the horrid beginning of the Star Beast with the Doctor floating in space. I’m now eagerly awaiting the next episodes and I feel onboard for this season.
Although I was unhappy with dropping 2 episodes at once, thank God we got devil's chord as a palate cleanser, I'll give them both a rewatch today, but space babies will definitely be in the bad spectrum for me, 3/10 definitely, the doctor telling ruby his first paragraph in his Wikipedia in 2 minutes is definitely mind boggling, but I still think it can make sense in this new characterization to the doctor, the episode felt really disconnected with scenes serving either character or plot, never both, that made me super worried because that would be the 5th script that RTD was writing in a row, so I assumed all his episodes in this season would be like that BUT the devils chord doesn't fall in that category, the episode flows rather naturally and the dangers are respected, the doctor really falling in the floor in PTSD from a toy maker like entity was aprecieted, and is still building 15th character
Hyped for boom!
Fun fact: at least here in Brazil (I assume in disney plus all around the world) as soon as the episodes were released the Christmas special was placed in the season as episode 1, and space babies is ep 2 and so on, so if someone is discovering doctor who in a few years time, churc in ruby road will be their episode 1, which is definitely a better entry to the series
I agree bro, Space babies had me WORRIED
Meus exatos pensamentos!
i agree with the weird tonal shifts and exposition at the start of space babies especially (very hand holdy for the disney+ audience) but i felt that the end shift of ncuti saying he can't take ruby back to her mum was actually v understandable. he's just given ruby a tardis key but because its rtd i think he's thinking back to rose and 9 in father's day. he's probably making it known he can't do this after learning his mistake the last time so he's getting it out of the way now. then again this could only feel normal enough to me because i just rewatched the episode a day or two ago😅
My god you sound tired, I live on the pacific coast of the states so I got to watch these episodes at 4pm and I really hope the scheduling in the UK can get sorted so that it isn't at such an awful hour. Really just best of luck in that regard.
I felt that Space Babies was only sorta ok, just far too fast and jumbled up. It felt like it wasn't giving the audience space to breathe and the constant action felt like it limited the actor's performances. I respect how much they were trying to do in a single episode, both provide a lot of exposition to new audiences and tell a compelling isolated story, but Space Babies really just does feel like an emotional rollercoaster that's pulling the audience along for the ride, for better or for worse.
I really enjoyed The Devil's Chord, felt like it had really compelling stakes and a good balance of tension and humor. I thought it was great that the piano piece was allowed to play for as long as it did, it was beautiful and you really don't get stuff like that in television much. The chemistry between Gatwa and Gibson is really strong in both episodes but The Devil's Chord gives Gibson a chance to express really deep fear and sadness and watching Gatwa try to comfort her while also displaying the doctor's own grief really solidified their performances as amazing for me.
Doctor who is great as always, there really is always something to love about the show.
Love the doctor and Ruby, just really, really don't think the tone is right for Who at all. Not even slightly. And I dont think the show is that well executed even for what it's trying to be (those baby voices were not great, pacing is rough, no real tension).
It's not like it's terrible I just don't think it's good either. But I'm sold on the main cast and like them enough I'll still watch next week.
Bro, it doesn’t even release until 7 o’clock in the US at least in my area, They could release it like at two in the day here and get it to you guys at least at a reasonable time in the evening. What the hell? You’re a hero for still getting this review out as fast as you did. Edit: heyyy I don’t need the constant flashbacks. 😢 lol
I like the idea of the "god of television"! Reminds me of how in the teaser for Legend of Ruby Sunday, there was a television camera... could that mean something? 👀
I personally loved both episodes. Devil's chord was obviously better than space babies but there was so much of what I loved from before in here that I still basically had the biggest grin on my face the entire time.
Ncuti is now the record time for me seeing them as the Doctor. By the point that he told the babies that there is no one else like him or them in the universe I was won over. And Millie Gibson and Ncuti gatwa are just electric together. So happy the series is back. Love it love it LOVE IT!!. Chefs kiss
I still find that silly that we can't watch Doctor Who at a reasonable time. They gonna make us sleep deprived for new Doctor Who content lol
you can watch it any time you want now, i'd say that's even more reasonable than having to wait until 6pm every saturday, instead you can watch it whenever.
I'm happy we in Australia have DW release at a normal time, but I would take it all back if it was just released on the ABC again. I'm still pissed we have to pay for Doctor Who now. Thankyou for toiling through the night dwfan91, loved the episodes and loved your stuff. Ncuti's energy is electric.
Only seen space babies and regardless of quality, the tone was much more in tune with RTD we know and (sometimes) love (silliness abound, toilet humour, literally much 'brighter' than recent series). Ncuti was joyous. I dont think anyone is going to change their preconceived opinions on it yet (though nobody changes their mind on the internet) but a Moffat episode is the surest way to get doubters on board.
I still love how they've rebooted the show and given the first episode's title a play on An Unearthly Child.
Thank you for your hard work toiling through the night. We really appreciate it.
I’m trying so hard to love this new era of the show, reading other comments and reviews online I feel like I’m missing out on the fun.
But to me, this new era feels like a parody of Doctor Who.
So many thoughts and feelings but ultimately I feel like these have been straight bad scripts, outside of Wild Blue Yonder Russell has NOT been cooking since he came back for me.
Also, I still can’t connect with Ncuti as the Doctor. His energy was great and I think him and Millie have alot of chemistry and bounce off of each other really well, but I still just can’t buy him at the Doctor. To me it’s so easy to buy Doctors 9 through 12 and then 14 are the same person. Jodie and Ncuti so far, I haven’t been able to buy in.
That being said Steven Moffat WILL COOK next week as he always does and we will officially be all the way back.
Appreciate you staying up to do the video brother, can hear the struggle in your voice haha!♥️
Man I wish more ppl were like you. I personally bought into him as the Doctor completely in E2 but yes! Moffat will cook fs.
Trust in Moffat to deliver.
@@Comicbroe405 you wish more people enjoyed the show less?
@@ThePonderer No lmao. I wish more expressed their criticisms or thoughts in this chill way instead of being toxic like so many folks recently.
I agree with you on Jodie, I couldn’t really see the Doctor in her until Flux tbh, but for me Ncuti was the Doctor as soon as he split out of David Tennant.
im so conflicted. thr first episode was very silly but a fun adventure but that devils chord was easily the disappointed i have ever veen for an episode. Nothing was properly explained, it felt like a a Disney film (this is not me complaining about them buying it ik theh have no control) vut the villian beat by sont yoy play backwards was ao stupid, no rules are presented that make sense with this villian, why does it seem to present that music starts in fuckin 1963 so wierd, and it was described as a beatles episodes but it was four nob heads in dumb wigs who look nothint like them and were barely in it ending in a stupid song which just felt wrong. to go from space babies whixh just felt like to fun Doctor who. it is filling me with a massiev sense of dread and disappointment
I think space babies was pretty damn good, the plot was like 7/10 but Ncuti and Millie absolutely smashed it out the park, their energy and chemistry is infectious, I absolutely love them. Also the set design and cinematography and everything like that was stunning.
Downsides: the weird cgi baby mouths were freaky as hell it was so strange 😂, why didn’t they just have the voices come from speakers in their chairs??
Also the profanity filter joke was kinda funny maybe the first 2 times but DAMN they leaned into it to the point where it just felt kinda immature.
The devils chord was quite jarring for me at times. I still loved Ncuti and Millie and all the visuals but the way they wrote the dialogue about the music felt really weird to me. I don’t want to be 🤓that guy🤓 but I’m a musician myself, and a lot of it was really quite grating tbh. The tritone being the devils chord is a myth, and yes I know it’s just a tv show but it’s such a widespread misconception that I don’t think rtd knew it was a myth, which is why it makes me cringe.
The idea that then there was one chord which could send maestro back, I was just think for the love of god don’t let it just be a major triad and then it basically was… idk I am very biased but it just felt a bit amateurish to me.
Maestro was also holding the bow for their violin completely wrong and I felt like that could have been fixed by having a violinist on set
Chords are like words. You can’t just say sesquipedalian and expect people to be blown away, it’s about the context in which they’re used.
Basically I’m nitpicking but it was just a very difficult watch for me… hopefully on rewatch I’ll learn to look past it idk
And don’t get me started on the twist at the end I was so tired I almost just skipped it completely
Thank you for reading my essay
I was impressed by sesquipidalian
@@St.dresden but If I just walked up to you in the street and yelled it at you…
That’s my point 😂
I have a theory do you guys think possibly the doctor could be part of the toymakers legions? And that he’s the embodiment of time itself but he doesn’t know because he was found as a kid
nice theory
Had the same thought!
Idk if I’m the only one but it’s crazy how little I’m caring about this new season just because of the schedule change it feels like such a kick in the teeth as a Brit. Also like what is there thought process with releasing a quarter of this season on one night?!? It’s so stupid, just more off screen bullshit surrounding doctor who 🤦♂️ bring me capaldi back asap feeling very weird and sad around DW recently 🥲
Devil’s Chord was amazing, fun, different, chaotic, and Maestro was an amazing villain. Space Babies was alright too but definitely outshined.
Space Babies:
A bit of a strange plot but honestly I like stuff like that, it's out of the ordinary and whilst I was expecting the episode to be a bit lame due to being about "space babies", I was quite impressed. This episode was built very much towards potential new fans, essentially being "The End of The World" for NuTwo fans, but I don't have a problem with that at all, anything that gets more people into Doctor Who is a win in my books, another thing with "The End of The World" comparison is that I like the change of The Doctor seeing Cassandra (The Last Human, the last of her kind, or at least in her own mind) and just letting her die, vs now the same with with the bogeyman but choosing that it doesn't matter how monstrous you are or that you're built to be scared of, you still deserve to be saved.
The Devil's Chord:
Absolutely phenomenal, I mean the ending of The Beatles saving the day was very predictable but at the same time I don't think there's much you can really do about that, having an episode with The Beatles in an episode all about music, obviously they are going to be the ones to end the plot. The Doctor removing sound from the world using the sonic made me have a silly goofy smile the entire time, I thought that was really cool as a show of power and as a warning. but the Maestro was played WAY better than I expected, top tier villain in my books, but I understand this villain is going to have mixed opinions, I just personally loved it.
Also I love how Ncuti Gatwa just FEELS like he's been The Doctor for years, he fits in perfectly and you can tell these episodes are written by RTD, in The Devil's Chord the most he felt like he fit in really well with the 9th and 10th doctor, these episodes felt brand new, but with a hint of nostalgia of what I grew up with, and I think that's magical. I'm very happy with these first two episodes and I'm very VERY excited for the near-future of the show
I would disagree that the doctor jumped into telling Ruby about his people too soon. The 9th doctor tells Rose right away and takes her to see the destruction of Earth.
It feels like the devils chord was meant to be a mid-late season episode with how ruby and the doctor act around eachother
BRO- I was just watching your 60th review 😂
Sames ❤
Nice 2015 Jay pfp.
@@lbricks7631Thanks!
Maybe it was just me but I felt like (at least the first episode) was really similar to the first episode “rose”.
i loved the music. the sonic screwdriver sound thing was awesome. i completely missed the 6 month timeskip im gonna have to go back and see that. im glad at least the toymakers legions thing seems like it could be more of a season/era throughline than a mystery box.
Awful. I had high hopes, but I’ve no idea what Russell T Davies is doing this time. The show hasn't been consistently good since the Capaldi era I’m afraid. What’s going on with the musical thing? Nothing against La La Land, but I don't want to see it in Dr. Who. Bring back a darker tone and a more serious gravitas to the Doctor, please.
You a big 'In the Forest of the Night' fan?
THE GOAT POSTED !!!
this reminds me of when i stayed up to 12 so i could play the new slenderman and had to be sneaky cause parents told me to go bed
space babies was like a fairly middle-of-the-range episode imo but the devils chord OH MY DAYS THE DEVILS CHORD WAS ON TOP !! it has moonlight sonata in it so it already gets points, but jinkx monsoon is an absolute menace. such a good costume. I LOVE THAT THE DOCTOR KNOWS HES IN A TV SHOW, CAPALDI IS SO BACK WITHOUT BEING BACK.
This era as a whole has been a net bit better than mid for me. It feels like it's spending too much on the bright side. A bright tone is so refreshing, but bright can often be light and I feel like these new episodes are coming with a bit less underneath. but i know moffat will have cooked and BOOM WILL BE GOATED !!!
this era gets better by the episode, and we always have to remember how early on the unquiet dead came out. Series one was lowkey ass until dalek so anything could still happen rn
Can't stop thinking about the meta of it all. The Maestro playing the Doctor Who theme was enough to prove to me that the meta aspects are setting up some reveal. That was plenty. But the episode ending with the Doctor's line "There's always a Twist at the end," winking to camera, then cut to a superfluous (nondiegetic?) dance number that references a Doctor Who trope, an actress in the show, and the Doctor's granddaughter, was enough to break my brain -- not to mention the Harbinger kid showing up. It's so silly and playful and absurd that I'm having a blast, but what does it mean? It's so meta that Susan Twist herself could be Susan, sent in to this "Doctor Who" show to help her grandfather escape. And does the Doctor's wink indicate that he's aware of this meta-game, and if so, when did he figure it out? Is this whole season a trap in the shape of a TV show called Doctor Who? It's so 90's it's ridiculous! And I'm loving it! I mean, this could all just be some cheeky RTD fun, but the meta stuff was so pointed in The Devil's Cord. Anyhow, having a blast. Loving these eps!
After watching the new eps im not sure how I feel. It felt almost too childish, ik it’s the first eps and are meant as an introduction but I wish it had a darker tone overall and was slightly less campy.(yes I’m aware doctor who has always been campy) I didn’t mind The Devils Chord tho.
honestly man, thank you. thanks so much for all your videos, for all your contagious joy and genuine love for doctor who. i've avoided spaces like twitter and instagram since the releases of the two new episodes, still not yet having read anyones opinions on the episodes besides those on the discord (love you fam) and i gotta say, it's only helped for the better. i'm not the biggest fan of the new episodes right now. i know i'll acclimatize cos i always do and at the end of the day its doctor who so i'll always be happy, but i dont like it right now and i have no proper reason. every time i think of them it feels like it kind of falls flat because, well, it's still brand new doctor who, and that can never be bad. i have yet to rewatch the newest episodes, having watched space babies and the devil's chord once each. i definitely felt the tone for space babies was very flip floppy, did not love the amount of "telling" there was (not just in Doctor Who background, but also circumstanstial telling in dialogue), and the humour felt weird at times. there was stuff i really enjoyed about it too, like ruby's full character, the babies themselves, and the doctor's new personality on full shine.
between the two i really liked the devil's chord more, for mysteries yet to come revealed with it and the importance of music shown to. i'm a musichead so it's not a shock that was my favorite message, and the scene where the beatles were singing about their dog fred literally made me laugh out loud and sincerely. again, i loved ruby and the doctor in this episode, and don't get me started on jinx's performance as maestro. at times the scenes felt too melodramatic for me and it felt like they still don't know their tone for the season, but i can live with that. it's just the beginning. plot wise, it's all thumbs up from me. writing, it's debatable.
for the most part what i dont like about it is how it really feels like its pushing for an American audience (as was speculated by us and many fans before the release) and its desire for it feels ingrained in the story's writings. with some decisions it really feels like the production got multiple notes back from Disney and did not even think twice on backing for some of their possible ideas. almost like they immediately gave in to any notes given to them without a little back and forth. from the beginning of this era, i've always acknowledged the best thing that could happen is to have Disney completely removed from the Doctor Who space. Since the team up, there have been too many things gone sideways (confirmed scene additions to Disney notes, the TIME CHANGE OF AIRING for AMERICAN PREFERENCE, changes to classic materials which can only make sense if a giant studio that cares about branding made one change it i.e. sonic, davros) and i'm not the biggest fan. but ncuti and mille are delivering so well so far, their characterizations as well, and i can't say i'm not looking forward to the rest of the series because that would be a lie. thanks again for being a real one.
Brother please just watch the episodes first thing when you wake up instead, I took a shot every time you said you couldn't appreciate something because you were too tired and I ended up in A&E
The problem with space babies isn't the fart humour or RTD trying to appeal to a younger audience, it's that he's done it whilst appealing to multiple age demographics far better (aliens of london/ world war 3)
I felt like the dialogue was very bad in a lot of cases. Particularly with Ruby in space babies I kept thinking no contemporary 20 year old is reacting like that. It's weird because natural conversations and dialogue seemed to be RTD's strength in his first era. I feel like in this current era RTD gets an idea and no matter how clunky the dialogue or plot has to be he will force it to get scenes he wants. Looking forward to Boom tho, if these episodes were New Erath/Tooth in Claw I'm hoping Boom will be on the level of Girl in the Fireplace.
I love all the mystery of new beings slipping into the universe
space babies was alright, just a mid tier fun episode, but the devils chord was great, from the piano intro music, to final scene with maestro (i dont count the musical thing at the end, bro i do not want what rtd is cooking if its that). the susan namedrop/mention like basically confirms shes coming back, after not being in tales from/of the tardis, (if shes rubys mom bro ima cry, anything else and id be hyped, him scanning her dna is making me scared last time he did that it was river song and she was a timelord). anyways im already convinced myself that the doctor knows rubys mom and is just keeping secrets, and that david tennant is going to pull a watcher and morph with 15 to regenerate after the rtd comments on tennant not coming back. anyways hyped for the season and hyped to just be watching doctor who (please release 1 season a year im begging). also, the release time of the episodes makes no sense, even for americans. before id watch on saturday at 130pm (good time) now im watching friday night at 7pm (still fine but id honestly rather it be 130pm on saturdays) rtd why bro pls switch it back. anyways dwfan91 supremacy rahhh
I definitely agree w all of this and hope your theory is correct😂
The GOAT uploads!
I stayed up super late to watch these episodes with my brother and I couldn't sleep afterward because I was just too excited and couldn't stop thinking about them! I felt like it was my birthday, I had such a great time and loved these episodes.
I thought Space Babies was far better than I expected. I'm not really sold on why they had to save the Bogeyman, like wouldn't he still be doing the same thing as always, running around on the lower decks being scary? Idk, I just thought that bit was weird, but the episode otherwise was a lot of fun.
And then The Devil's Chord! I LOVED this one. So much lore dropped here that I did not expect! I thought it was really cool that since it was set in 1963, the Doctor mentioned where he was and what he was doing around the time, living with Susan down on Totter's Lane. And Jinkx Monsoon absolutely killed it, tremendous job. I cannot believe how good this episode was. Next week can't get here soon enough.
I had some thoughts too. The Doctor scanning Ruby's DNA reminded me of two things: one was the Doctor running tests on Clara trying to figure out what was going on with her, and the other thing was when he was scanning Amy to see if she was pregnant or not and how she hadn't actually been with them, instead being back at Demon's Run. At this point I'm really thinking Ruby isn't even human, maybe she's part Time Lord, or even whatever race the Doctor is since he's not a native Gallifreyan. Maybe they're tying Ruby into the whole Timeless Child thing.
Overall I enjoyed the episodes and I loved Ncuti but I hope the series leans back more towards the Sci-fi direction and away from the fantasy stuff, it's enjoyable when it's used sparingly but too much of it makes the show feel like it's something completely different
I loved the modern feel of the episodes, and I thought the direction was strong. I think anything that focuses on babies like the first episode is always gonna be a hard sell but I feel like they did a great job with it. Devils Chord was fantastic, and I hope the rest of the series is at least at this or even higher quality. Something funny I heard from my brother is he thought it was funny that Doctor who doesn’t even fight aliens anymore, he fights eldritch horrors now. its kinda funny to have that back to back sort of set up for villains recently, don’t know if its an actual trend or just a coincidence lmao
Definitely feel like the run time limited bith episodes. Wasnt particularly impressed with either ending it feel like they vith sorta just stopped. Great fun though, i imagine our next ep. will bring in some of the more serious tone i really wanna see for Ncuti.
There was something i picked up on in the devil's chord episode where they mentioned the pantheon which i can only assume is the same pantheon as the pantheon of discord which the trickster was apart of considering that there is no other mention of it in dr who, but also with how both the Toymaker and the Maestro love to create chaos similar to the Trickster.
omg if we get the trickster back i would love it
Space Babies is honestly on par with some of Russell’s Series 2 scripts… specifically New Earth and Love & Monsters (even if I like that one). I think it’s really bad. It’s clearly the budget saver episode, where the monster is rarely even shown on screen properly and the same corridor set is used on repeat.
BUT… The Devil’s Chord was really great! Not a fan of the 4th-wall-break-overdose and the musical number at the end (to be clear, the musical number was fun and well-done but it did NOT fit in-universe imo). But otherwise..? Jinx was awesome, as was the Maestro character themselves, the cinematography was fabulous and Ncuti gave a sensational performance that really solidified him as the Doctor.
I must say though… the 5 month time jump was odd. I can feel Russell and the crew struggling to cope with an 8-episode run because it feels like some story development is being rushed a bit. One of my favourite parts of the show is seeing the companion slowly learn to trust and admire the Doctor, and we don’t get that with Ruby.
Also, The Devil’s Chord could’ve been a 2-parter. But the 8 episode limit stops that from happening. But I said the same about The Giggle… I just think 45 minutes is too soon to establish a God-like being and defeat them too. But that’s a minor critique.. It’s still a banger.
4/10 and 7.5/10. Bring on BOOM!
It's my first time watching Doctor Who while it's airing, and I need to say, it was an amazing experience. Since I live in Brazil, the episodes aired relatively early in the night, so I got a better experience than a lot of UK viewers, I hope it gets fixed in the future.
About the episodes themselves, I felt a lot of wonder while watching. Everything there was really making me more interested and wanting to watch more. I was sure that a lot in Space Babies would be disliked by various viewers but for some reason, I got the idea of "This really feels like something that would fit with the idea and the way they all interact with what they see and are amazed by it makes me really appreciate it", like if the Doctor and Ruby were as opposite by what happened as the viewers I would dislike it more, but seeing all the times they were positive while interacting with the babies and how much the Doctor said "Babies... Space Babies" really made me love the episode thanks to this feeling of wonder.
"The Devil's Chord" was in another extreme but also felt right. In a way, I think that these two episodes work nicely as openings for the series because they introduce the viewers to extremes of what Doctor Who can be and I think it works well for that, I get the idea that if someone watches these two episodes they can already get a bit of what the wider world of the series is and what to expect. I feel that is also a reason for the amount of exposition, other than foreshadowing future elements that can be used. I'm really into musicals, so the usage of music in the episode felt amazing, but I can understand that many people will dislike it.
I can't wait to see more; the episodes really just felt "right" while I was watching, and I hope to continue feeling like that from now on.
I think it's interesting that you said you're really into musicals and enjoyed The Devil's Chord for that. I'm actually not a fan of musicals, but I still loved that episode! I didn't care for the song in Church on Ruby Road, thought that was a bit silly, but in The Devil's Chord it was just them having pure fun, and it made sense because the whole episode was about music and was kind of a celebration of music in that way, so I was fully on board with it this time!
because i watched this with a friend who likes doctor who and a friend who has never seen it, I do believe space babies is 100% a good jump on point so the episode definitely succeeded at what it was trying to do, It does feel slightly hand hold-ish when describing the basic dw concepts, but it works for the audience it needs to work for.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that sutekh is on your bingo sheet it's so out there but also not!!! Manifesting.
It seems like they are retreading the Impossible Girl arc yet again and this time with snow. Lets call it The Impossible Snowflake.
It really does feel like that . I’m excited for the twist . Cuz there’s always a twist at the end
New?
Space Babies was a retelling of End Of The World.
"I can't take you to that church" foreshadows a new Father's day style episode.
As for The Devil's Chord, was The Idiot's Lantern, but music instead of TV.
That’s the most surface level statement. Space Babies and The End of the World have completely different plots, and if there’s any similarities in episode style then that’s absolutely fair as they’re 19 years apart and have similar things to do. But aside from that and a space station there’s nothing in common.
The Devil’s Chord and The Idiot’s Lantern are similar in almost no way besides Doc/companion goofily visiting the past and a camp villain. And they’re 18 years apart.
Space Babies was definitely a trip, got to love the creativity of a bogey monster. Ncuti has definitely proven he had got the energy and charisma to be a truly great Doctor.
As for The Devil's Chord, absolutely amazing. Jinkx Monsoon as Maestro is the most menacing one off villain we've had in a long time!
A solid 6.5/10 for Space Babies and 8/10 for The Devil's Chord respectively.
Those graveyards shifts always come in clutch 😂😂
I watched both episodes back to back but during the day on sunday. All i can say is that the longer the two episodes went on the more strange and confusing the episodes became. Boil it down, talking babies, monsters made of bogeys and a misplaced dance number at the end. I dont know what ti think. Would i tell friends to watch it? im not sure.
did the doctor giving ruby a tardis key in their THIRD episode together shock anyone else? i know there was a time skip and this seems to be a more emotionally open and vulnerable doctor but i was really shocked by the decision.
22:50 In Cold War Clara says the World doesn't end 1991 before Eleven infoams her almost everything is in flux & can change.
Can't lie, loved Space Babies. Hated the Devils Chord. Space Babies was silly fun, with a strong emotional hook. Devil's Chord had little going for it. It felt like a waste of an interesting set up, and it felt like a waste of Maestro. An interesting character in a boring, labourious story. My whole family hated it and wished the episode was more like the last couple of minutes
Wait am I missing something? Have the episodes released??
yeah they went up on iplayer at midnight
Being a Beatles fan, I was disappointed on how they were integrated into the plot, but I think that depending on how the season wraps up, we'll appreciate more the things devil's chord does right
I wish I could help youfind a way to enjoy the show with the midnight release. As an American, I'm super used to midnight releases for streaming shows so I feel for my British friends
So is the One Who Waits, also a child of the Toymaker? Who is “someone else”? I cant wait for the next big bad.
I enjoyed Maestro’s theatrics. I can do without another sugar baby episode.
I feel like space babies was a nice warm up. It might seem like quite a bland episode once we get later into the season and some of the harder hitters come along but it did it’s job of being entertaining and easing us into the new vibe of season 1
With the gods stuff, and leaning in to the timeless child stuff, I got this feeling. We’ve got the embodiments of games and music, will there be a reveal or implication that The Doctor is the embodiment of time? Probably not, but with the reintroduction of mystery in the Doctor’s origins, and all the Pantheon stuff, I started to get Cartmel Plan vibes…
When they're on the roof after banishing maestro, there's a billboard that says 'Chris Waites'
lol is the one who waits gonna be called Chris?
jokes aside im not fully sold on this season yet, but both episodes were really entertaining and im exited to see where rtd takes it.
CHRIS WAITES
Space Babies (5/10) - was a groaner of an episode. Potty humour, forced sentimentality and exposition from the Doctor. Still not terrible though.
The Devil’s Chord (8/10) - Really neat. I was swept away in the weirdness and I thoroughly enjoyed the episode. Best Nsuti episode so far.
A 5/10 is pretty terrible tbh
@@charlieblockclocksnow no. A 3/10 or a 2/10 is terrible. 5/10 is just …blah…
Rating inflation means people start to think less than a 4/5 or 7/10 is terrible, when there are plenty of 'just good' Who episodes and there's nothing wrong with that. (See radio times giving opening episodes 3/5 and people claiming it's going to be rubbish... It isn't)
@@AlmightyBrucesadly most people only think on a scale from 5-10
@@michaeldallaway1988 if an episode is 6/10 or lower, that means it missed on tonnes of notes. Anything below a 7 is below average in terms of ratings, because normally when something is that low it gets cancelled.
I mean the woman who lived is a famously bad episode and the ratings for that are around 7/10.
Love and monsters which gets bullied for how bad it is like 6.3 on IMDb.
I can’t tell If I really like or really dislike the new doctor and companion, need some more episodes to get a better feel
i preferred space babies mainly because i thought the maestro was like too camp that it just became cringe and cartoon villain-y at times and i found the meta theme tune stuff a bit jarring
Space Babies wasn't the best episode I've ever seen, on first watch I failed to grasp what it was trying to do with its plot and themes - but I always had a smile on my face because I loved most of the humour and the chemistry between The Doctor & Ruby was immaculate
I then rewatched it and it instantly grew on me because I started to understand the themes - its just a very solid episode of Doctor Who with some pacing issues (but thats just a problem with the show in general tbh)
But man, The Devil's Chord? I loved it, the vibes between The Doctor & Ruby were still there and even better, I loved the concept and the plot, I absolutely loved the villain and Jinx Monsoon was perfect casting, I loved the theme especially as someone who holds music in such high regard in my life, and above all else - it was so much fun
I really like the music number at the end of The Devil's Chord. I'm not a fan of music numbers at all really, especially not the one in The Church on Ruby Road as I thought it was super cringe, but this one worked for me a lot more due to it making more sense. The whole episode is revolved around the world being without any music, and showing how this made everyone a whole lot sadder - therefore I think it actually works really well to have a happy sing song at the end when all is said and done and everyone has their music back. It's kinda tongue and cheek what with the fourth wall break just before it and I like it alot it makes me happy and makes me smile. As I said I'm still not really a big fan of music numbers in general and would prefer to be without them, but if they're gonna do them I definitely think that this is the way to do it. This new era has started off very fun and I'm fully on board
I feel like the first episode was a bit weird for most of the time and you could definitely tell that it was made to help new viewers understand the basics of doctor who in a sometimes ham-fisted way but it was ok overall. The second episode was a lot better though and I might be crazy but I felt like the part where the doctor showed ruby the future was at least inspired by and at most a direct reference to that scene from the pyramids of mars if you know what I mean. (also love the fnaf theming of the video)
edit: I made this comment before I finished the video so I didn't know that you would say the thing about pyramids of mars sorry
Devil's Chord was a fun campy ride, Maestro was a great scene chewing villain, made me think of Soldeed, and Tekker (a compliment from me, as I like both).
"My. Dreams of Conquuest!"
Ok,so idk what it was....but after watching both episodes, I felt.....weird??like idk somethings off lol!!I ACTUALLY liked the sub plot of what's up with Ruby,MORE than the actual damn main plot!! Where he was recording stuff,or having a quick moment remembering something, or said she can never go to that specific point In time. .and Jinx??yh crazy lol,but they were alright,did pretty good for a villian...i almost feel like i was watching a 'version' of the Sarah Jane Adventures lol,BUT WITH THE DAMN DOCTOR!!🤣🤦♂️🤷♂️✌️🥃
Also-slight nitpick lol,but even though the 🦋 joke was,....funny.....but I'm guessing that he's still got some regenerating energy residue left inside him?to bring the crushed flutter-by(😁) back to life??IM GUESSING??cause otherwise, ummm yh,slight nitpick like I said lol,nothing big..🤷♂️
If the One Who Waits *isn't* the Black Guardian, I'm gonna be very surprised.
I have high hopes for the series despite the controversy.
Space Babies: I really didn't like this episode at all, the vibes were like "The End of the World" but much more less toned down, EotW (End of the World) felt much more grand scale, showing us aliens, and putting a threat to the protagonists, Rose was scared and the Doctor got a bit of time to explain the time war and how he felt, and it could perfectly be an introductory episode for Doctor Who, but Space Babies just doesnt hit the mark, barely no mystery, introducing the threat too early and for me the vibes wasnt it, and idk if they intend new viewers to start watching at the 60th specials, the christmas one (i guess) or this one. I felt that the pacing was off, important moments like "oh my race was wiped out" followed by them laughing seemed weird (compared to EotW), the phone call moment I felt rushed too(Ruby was happy while Rose was anxious so ofc she wanted to talk to her mum) and giving her the key to the tardis after """defeating""" and imaginary monster was like a f you to Martha lol. Very weak imo.
The Devil's Chord: Now this is an episode that FELT like DW, I noticed that the structure of the episode was very similar to the toymaker one so we can now when the next toymaker related episode starts right from the get go. I really dont mind the 6 months gap (prob be used to make audiobooks and comics stuff fit in there). Althought I have to say that the ending (since the moment the "song battle" starts) was kind of weak alongside the musicals imo, buuut it makes sense that they had to defeat Maestro like that since it was related to the toymaker.
I really like Ncuti as a serious doctor, so him splitting in two still rubs me the wrong way because I feel it was like a catharsis, but that would just make the doctor like this "oh anything that happened in my past does not bother me anymore" so idk.
Also, a lot of emphasis on Ruby being marked as "special" oh the snow oh the hidden song, i felt that similar things, like the DoctorDonna were handled better.
I have high hopes for Boom and I feel that it could be a episode that could introduce a charatcer like Jack Harkness (Tardis companion), but I dont think it will be the case since we would have known by now due to leaks. 7/10 counting the two episodes and I expect RTD to bring great worldbuilding like he did in the past, but I dont even think we will get that with Ruby's Mom and grandma (whose names and I dont remember) and dont feel like a Jackie or a Mickie in terms of interesting characters.
A few doubts I have: are there any two parters confirmed?(maybe season finale?) and are there any modern day episodes?
Thanks for reading.
I didn’t like the first episode. The babies were scarier than the booger monster to be honest. The baby talk was kind of irritating aswell. But I like some of the Doctor Ruby dynamics so that was good.
The devils chord was very fun. I liked Jinkx’s performance and the whole concept of the entity of Maestro. I was confused though, because the doctor was so scared of maestro because of the connection to the Toymaker, but then they were defeated pretty easily.
Maestro said that the doctor isn’t a musical genius so he won’t be able to find the hidden note to defeat them, but then he just guessed most of them , and John Lennon and Paul McCartney coming in at the perfect time to rescue the doctor was classic RTD convenience.
I was also confused by the child at the beginning that turned up at the end even though Maestro snapped him away in the beginning.
Good review dwfan I'm sorry you had to watch it so late in the night you sound so exhausted!! but even as tired as you were you thought of the God of Television as the season finale villain which is so big brained I hope that's what they do. I have two BIG thoughts regarding some of the mysteries and just weirdness in this season so far:
1. I think Mrs Flood was a red herring because a completely different old lady keeps turning up in most of the episodes. She was the cleaning lady in the Sir Isaac Newton scene in Wild Blue Yonder, then the "Can you do Gaudette?" heckler in Church on Ruby Road, then in Space Babies she was one of the protesting officers and in The Devil's Chord she was a cafeteria lady. Always there, the camera always lingers on her, and she always has something cheeky to say. Mrs Flood was only there once although it was a big once.
2. The musical number at the end of The Devil's Chord seemed to signal a change in the rules of the show. I mean we'll see if that turns out to be true but since the Toymaker made bigeneration possible and defeating him made the TARDIS duplicate, I think defeating the Maestro made it possible for the Doctor and Ruby to do musical numbers like the Toymaker did in The Giggle.
These are really cool ideas
I feel like I notice the nick picks a lot more at the time of release but I’m feel like they’ll grow on me over time
I watched the dance number around 9pm here in America. I struggled to get thru it… and I wasn’t “2am tired”.
I was considering skipping it
@@dwfan91- I wanted to skip it so bad. 🤣🤣 but I couldn’t. And then it went on way longer than I expected.
The huge exposition and trauma dump was lame at the beginning and the doctors tone shift was weird but these two episodes were fun. I liked the devil’s chord a lot more than space babies and I love Ncuti Gatwa as the doctor. He reminds me of one of my friends if he was more flamboyant and a little less aggressive , it killed me when he randomly gave Ruby that little jumpscare in the tardis. This is the best the show has ever looked too, so cinematic I love it. And the Maestro was actually terrifying, such a cool villain, I’m really excited to see the rest of the Toymaker’s legions and I have no theories about Ruby’s parents but I’m locking in that Mrs. Flood is at least the hooded woman on Ruby Road. And holy shit that tardis interior is my new favorite, the purple and blue lights just looked so cool.
he reminds me of one of my friends too
really enjoying the costume design
space babies was okay, i wasn't convinced by most of the dialogue but it was funny, the devils chord on the other hand was incredible, jynkx monsoon did an incredible job, i love a campy villain and maistro is entirely that. the performance from ncuti an millie was so much better than in space babies and the dialogue felt on point, the beetles were underused but when the rest of the episode is so amazing i don't really care about that
As an American, it was nice to be able to watch these at a reasonable time lol
I'm sure it was😂
Space Babies is just kinda fine, definitely more catered for the Young Crowd. The opening 10ish minutes before they get to the station means the actual plot of the episode feels underbaked. Still fun though. 3/5
The Devils Chord was much better. I genuinely loved every moment Maestro was on screen, she had my eyes glued. My main complaints were the fact that for a Beatles episode only two Beatles get lines and they add up to like 10. Plus the time jump to June 2024 really annoyed me. My favourite of the two tho. 4/5
Space Babies was a decent ep imo but damn I loved The Devil's Chord! Other than the musical parts it felt like an ep I would've seen before. Ncuti & Millie have come into their roles much better in it. Also he talked about Susan!
@@JobbyDodger Yeah I get that. I think it was just leftover magic or wtv that allowed them to do this similar to the end The Giggle.
Space Babies... starting the "new" series with a snot monster and a cosmic baby fart is a decision only RTD would make lmao. As an episode it's a 4/10 imo, but as a mission statement for how RTD is gonna run the circus, I respect it. That being said, I’ll probably skip this episode on rewatches.
The Devil's Chord is just pure fun. Is it the best episode ever? No. The pacing is a bit too fast and the relative lack of sci-fi elements is a shame. But hey, in exchange we got Jinkx devouring the scenery, dopey but endearing musical numbers, and some intriguing mysteries that have me excited to tune back in. I'd say: mission firmly accomplished. A solid 7/10 for me.
Overall, I thought these episodes were enjoyable. Not amazing, but I don’t think they were trying to be. Like one of the major problems I have with New Earth and Tooth and Claw For example, is the fact they seem to take themselves too seriously without the situation actually warranting it. But here space babies is dumb fun, and the devils code is suitably over the top.
My major problem with the episode, unfortunately stems from Ncuti. That’s not to say he’s not comfortable in the role or good. But I see a lot of people say how good the chemistry is between Ruby and 15 and not really 15 as a separate character. I feel like he needs that independent gravitas. It feels like 15 is defined by everything around him, not necessarily on his own terms.
When could the Doctor bring back living things from the dead by just breathing?
I assumed he passed along some regeneration energy like River did for 11.
@@Infinitystar225 Thats something I thought of.
love your videos but i gotta admit i thought these first two episodes were so clunky and poorly put together. the most shoe horned exposition, the doctor breaks down in tears over having to fight essentially ursula from the little mermaid? didn't he come face to face with satan that one time and then spent billions of years stuck in an old timey castle punching a wall over and over again? but this music lady is enough to bring him to his knees? space babies is solved by baby farts?? booger monsters? i dunno man, maybe the show's just not for me anymore and that's fine
Space Babies felt like a cross between The End of the World and The Beast Below. I really like how they are incorporating the Timeless Child! RTD does a great job exploring the Doctor as Last of the Time Lords. But it does feel like a bit of deja vu from 2005.