It seems it takes a complete season to shake off the rust. Physician Who’s first full season after the return of Russell T. Davies and his manufacturing firm had some actually excessive moments. It additionally had fairly a number of low factors. Most of the parts behind these highs and lows are current in Physician Who Season 2 Episode 1, “The Robotic Revolution.” By some means although, the tip result’s considerably higher. A brand new companion thriller really feels compelling. The present political  jockeying is much less annoying even whereas nonetheless being on the nostril. Ncuti Gatwa stays a charismatic powerhouse. Season 2 and we’re so again. 

New season, new companion, identical thriller field.

“The Robotic Revolution” is all about introducing Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra, The Physician’s latest touring companion. Sethu is a breath of contemporary air, commanding consideration in a method that she didn’t get to in her visitor starring function final season – we’ll get to that, by the best way. Mille Gibson isn’t any slouch as Ruby Sunday, however Belinda’s full of physique language that immediately communicates focus and management. She’s not a multitude, caring extra about lacking her subsequent nursing shift than alien robots. This basis units her a bit aside. 

It’s a bit exhausting to take a look at Belinda and never see Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones, the companion who most likely obtained the shortest stick of the unique Davies run. A few of Belinda’s traits are fairly much like Martha’s – the healthcare background, the implication of future influence in her timeline, and extra. However Varada Sethu’s curious however grounded vitality separates her from most fashionable companions. That alone helps stop me from rolling my eyes on the now-customary Who-isms. 

After all we needed to set time apart to clarify the “plot gap” that’s Sethu having been within the sequence prior. Naturally, Anita Dobson’s fourth wall breaking thriller girl can also be Belinda’s neighbor. By some means, The Physician already is aware of she’s “particular.” However Belinda doesn’t care about being particular. It doesn’t excite her. Having a companion actively resist being the middle of the universe for a season is engaging sufficient of an concept to me. 

“You’re harmful,” says the neatest girl within the room.

The story of Physician Who season 2, episode 1 does assist promote this new companion. The Physician and Belinda are desynchronized from one another’s time streams, which provides a enjoyable layer in questioning what precisely The Physician is aware of. Usually it’d be irritating to obfuscate who first set The Physician onto monitoring her down, however with the distinctive alternative to return to a while-wimey shenanigans I’ll enable it. I did roll my eyes on the present going out of its strategy to clarify away Sethu’s visitor look final season. Positive, Physician Who casts mainly each British adjoining actor not less than as soon as so this stuff can’t be prevented. However is it price dedicating thought to past followers recognizing issues?  

I’ll grant that the reveal that the longer term soldier from “Increase” being Belinda’s descendant leads The Physician to conclude that its “destiny” is one thing that may very well be worthwhile. Largely in that Belinda finds your entire factor off placing and creepy. She doesn’t recognize his violation of her personhood by confirming her future household historical past. It helps cement her determination that The Physician is harmful. This all additionally performs into the alien robotic rebellion and its origins that the 2 discover themselves in. 

(*1*)A agency anti-AI stance.

The rebellion of Missbelindachandra – getting its identify from a kind of rip-off star shopping for schemes – drives many of the episode whereas being on the periphery on the identical time. Ten years prior on the planet, the mechanical inhabitants turned on its human(esque) residents and created a fascist state. Regardless of this they’re directed by their chief, the “AI Generator,” to retrieve Belinda since she’s the “rightful” queen. The AI Generator is a superb bit. It seems to be like a giant mechanical head that you simply’d discover on Traditional Who episodes and its personal identify on the middle. Ditto the robots (Nicholas Briggs, attending to play a non-Dalek), huge brilliant pink, and ponderous. We don’t get this aesthetic usually and it really works right here. 

The reveal of who is definitely the AI Generator additionally works, even when it barely is sensible. Belinda’s pushy and controlling ex additionally getting caught up within the time blip and going full incel is Davies being method on the nostril once more. On the very least, it’s not simply to take a look at the digital camera and yell “Message!” Alan being a nasty and controlling man hiding actually behind AI for validation matches the story whereas being recognizable in our world. It makes good sense for Physician Who, a BBC owned property to have opinions on Generative AI. This coming as corporations like OpenAI are actively petitioning the UK government to allow them to scrape as much copyrighted material as they’d like is just not a coincidence. 

Alan’s corrective and controlling nature additionally displays a few of the extra troubling elements of The Physician. To Belinda’s level, he actually has mentioned those self same phrases to girls earlier than, engaging them with the fantasy of working away with out quantifying the hazard. Practically each companion departure is marked by disappointment, which usually places The Physician into a nasty emotional state. This episode means that this season intends to place a few of this habits on the desk for critique. 

A compelling and enjoyable season kick off.

Altogether, “The Robotic Revolution” is a really sturdy begin to the season. Evaluating this to final season’s overarching story, I’m not less than curious to search out out what’s occurring. The journey on Missbelindachandra is a goofy form of Who we don’t at all times get unironically. And there’s lastly extra to dwell on past Ncuti Gatwa’s Physician efficiency. He’s placing in a lot work to prop up this new period and I’m so glad the present is lastly returning the favor. 

Physician Who Season 2 is offered on Disney+.

Featured pictures through BBC/Disney

(*2*)

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