Beloved reader, the realm of Bridgerton is now facing a formidable rival. If you've been eagerly anticipating queer love tales in the golden age of Regency, Netflix is not your sole sanctuary. This week, the Time Lord encounters a mystifying loner named Rogue—portrayed magnificently by the dapper Jonathan Groff—amidst the backdrop of 1813. Forget galaxies and interstellar adventures; for a fleeting moment, it feels as if Doctor Who has seamlessly morphed into a heartwarming gay enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. A fitting start to Pride month indeed! Alas, as fate would have it, the budding bond between these two is abruptly shattered by a sinister brood of murderers and a soul-wrenching dilemma. Romance, drama, and dilemmas that probe the Doctor's moral compass? Indeed, this episode stands tall as a promising contender for the season's crowning jewel.
As spectators, we sense the ominous undertones before the Doctor and Ruby do. In the opening scene, a bird-like entity known as a Chuldur slays an unsuspecting victim and then morphs into a perfect replica of the deceased. This ghastly pattern recurs throughout the narrative, accompanied by the eerie crackle of blue electricity and the discordant symphony of rustling feathers and snapping bones.
However, at present, the Doctor and Ruby are engrossed in a lively dance—choreographed by none other than the maestro Jack Murphy, renowned for his work in Bridgerton. This season continues to showcase cutting-edge technology, as Ruby receives the intricate dance steps directly into her motor system via psychic earrings, which also possess a combat mode. These earrings alert the Doctor to a sonar interference, leading him to Rogue, who is silently observing the ball from a balcony.
The narrative has already forewarned us of identity theft, thus we are instinctively wary of this aloof stranger with a distinct American accent. I mean, their chance encounter is eerily scored to an orchestral rendition of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy." Yet, despite these initial misgivings, the chemistry between them is palpable. The Doctor shamelessly flirts with Rogue, until they stumble upon a corpse and falsely accuse each other of the crime.
Rogue reveals his true identity as a bounty hunter, who believes the Doctor is the Chuldur he has been commissioned to hunt and eliminate. He takes the Doctor hostage, gun in hand, to his disheveled abode and traps the Time Lord in a triform, which functions as a transport portal. Once the portal is activated, Rogue can send the Doctor straight to the incinerator.
Fortunately, amidst the mounting tension, a comical respite emerged to ease our strained nerves. Rather than dwelling on the impending doom, the Doctor employed his screwdriver to shatter Rogue's stoic composure, exposing him as a DnD enthusiast with a penchant for Kylie Minogue's tunes. As Rogue frantically sought to silence the music, the Doctor gracefully rolled, winked, and essentially lip-synced for survival, leaving me to ponder when Ncuti would grace our screens as a guest judge on Drag Race. At this juncture, I suspended my focus on the overarching plot, oblivious to the perils lurking at the ball. These two, I thought, deserved a kiss already.
When the Doctor realized it was high time to prove his innocence, his psychic paper betrayed him, revealing his true sentiment: "You're hot." Now, it was the Doctor's turn to be flustered, while Rogue smirked triumphantly. I could almost swear I'd read a slow-burning Doctor Who fanfic with this exact scenario. But still, no kiss?
Eventually, the Doctor managed to coerce Rogue's scanner to verify his identity as a Time Lord capable of regeneration, thus proving he was not the shape-shifter. Inside the TARDIS, Rogue confessed his love for the machine as the Doctor reconfigured the tri-form to transport its prisoner not to immediate death but to a desolate dimension, devoid of escape. This highlighted a fundamental divergence in Rogue and the Doctor's ideologies of justice. I wagered Rogue wouldn't have shed a tear when last week's racists sailed to their doom.
However, their contrasting worldviews didn't deter me from shipping them. In fact, the Doctor proposed that once they emerged from this ordeal, they should "argue across the stars." Their shared experience of loss had forged a bond, and perhaps they could keep each other company. Alas, the tri-form's update concluded before they could resolve the simmering romantic tension between them.
The Doctor and Rogue returned to the ball, where Ruby had also discerned the looming menace. She stumbled upon a corpse while attempting to console her new friend Emily, who was bewildered by a Chuldur disguised as the sexist Lord Barton. Though the Doctor and Ruby were unaware of the multiple Chuldurs, we knew there were at least two, given their discussion about Lady Ruby's feminist stance making her the ideal target.
The Doctor explained that Chuldurs visit planets to try people on like outfits, and in this instance, their objective was a Bridgerton-themed costume party. (There are healthier avenues, Chuldurs. Have you considered Comic-Con or community theater?) To lure them out, the Doctor resorted to another well-worn romance trope: fake dating. He and Rogue scandalized the room with their dance, and despite the audience's gaze, the dimmed lights accentuated the intimacy of the moment for our beloved couple.
After a tumultuous public lovers' quarrel and a phony proposal, the Chuldurs pursued the Doctor and Rogue through the grounds, their eyes burning with a feverish desire to become enmeshed in this tumultuous, taboo love tale. Barely having grasped the magnitude of dealing with an entire Chuldur clan, the Doctor and Rogue were forced to flee, hand in hand, seeking refuge in a carriage (though they refrained from any mischievous Polin-like antics, alas).
Meanwhile, Emily, who had hitherto appeared bewildered and genuinely taken aback by the evening's turn of events, seized Ruby and unveiled herself as a Chuldur. A zap rang out, and Ruby shrieked. Was our trusted companion destined to perish so abruptly? It was unthinkable. We hadn't even unraveled the mystery of the snow! However, as the camera shifted to Emily stepping back into the ballroom for the Chuldur "wedding," we heard the clicking and rustling that hitherto signified someone being cosplayed. The Doctor was duped, emerging tearfully, recalling his promise to Carla to safeguard her daughter.
Driven by vengeance, the Doctor ensnared five Chuldurs in the tri-form he had altered to accommodate six—yet it would now function only once. Tragically, this was when Ruby revealed she was not a Chuldur. She had activated her earrings' combat mode and engaged in a battle with Chuldur-Emily. The show concealed this revelation, immersing us in the Doctor's horror as he realized he had inadvertently trapped his own companion.
Rogue thrust Chuldur-Emily into the tri-form, sealing it at its maximum capacity. Ruby assured the Doctor that he could safely press the trigger, while Rogue reminded him that if he hesitated, the Chuldurs would escape. They desired to cosplay the entire planet into oblivion, leaving no one, including Ruby, unscathed. "Can you sacrifice your friend to save the world?" Rogue inquired. This incarnation of the Doctor couldn't. "I know," Rogue murmured, gently brushing away the Doctor's tears. Finally, their lips met in a tender kiss, encapsulating the potential of an entire relationship in mere thirteen heartfelt seconds.
As Rogue retreated, he seized the trigger from the Doctor's grasp. The opportunity to press the button and relieve the Doctor of a difficult choice was within his grasp. The Rogue of earlier scenes — the one whose "moral void" caused the TARDIS to shudder — would have acted without pause. But this time, he boldly strode into the trap, thrusting Ruby out before any Chuldurs could flee. "Find me," he uttered, squeezing the trigger. This profound character evolution was precisely the kind that would deepen the Doctor's affection.
The Doctor maneuvered Rogue's ship into orbit, though I sensed a lingering doubt that we would witness his return any time soon. As the Doctor explained to Ruby, the universe holds as many dimensions as atoms. I also harbored the suspicion that the Chuldurs would have slain Rogue the moment he set foot on their soil. But more importantly, I feared that if Rogue suddenly appeared next week, declaring, "Heyyy, I'm back," it would diminish the emotional weight of this climactic conclusion. His sacrifice was all the more tragic and heartfelt because he knew it would be final. "Find me" seemed a mere euphemism, avoiding the painful goodbye.
Ruby compelled the Doctor into a hug, one he evidently yearned for. While the Doctor's strategy remained to numb his pain by embarking on another adventure, he also opted to slip Rogue's ring back onto his finger. Perhaps the Doctor was not yet ready to articulate his grief, but choosing to wear a tangible reminder suggested that he was at least not going to pretend it never transpired. If there's any solace, Rogue may be gone, but he will forever live on in the inevitable flood of fanfics inspired by this episode.
