Nurse, he's at it again: Ncuti Gatwa reprises his role with vigor for the second season of "Doctor Who" on Disney+, having faced baby boogers and walked the god of death last year. This time, he's accompanied by the reluctant yet spirited new companion, Belinda Chandra, brought to life by Varada Sethu, whose last battle we witnessed in "Boom," amidst AI ambulances on a holy war battlefield. This episode masterfully crafts Belinda into a fascinating character, piquing my curiosity for more of her prickly dynamics with the Fifteenth Doctor. It's a delightful sensation to exit the premiere with such anticipation. However, as we delve into the episode's plot and tone, the execution starts to blur slightly towards the climax. Let's dive in, shall we?
Gender emerges as a recurring theme from the very first scene, where we encounter Alan, who takes umbrage at his girlfriend's desire not to be defined by her marital status. I'm at a loss as to what Belinda Chandra sees in this misogynistic individual—nearly every sentence he utters is problematic. Yet, he's gifted her a star for her birthday, which she assures him is "the nicest thing anyone has ever done" for her.
Seventeen years hence, Belinda toils as a nurse in a hospital, interacting daily with doctors. She chuckles it off when informed that one is seeking her out. The Doctor inadvertently plunges the entire hospital into darkness in his quest to find her, but to no avail. Besides discovering that her housemates harbor little fondness for her, we gain no further insights into Belinda's background before robots descend upon her yard, rousing her from slumber. They hail from the star Alan bestowed upon her, and the certificate serves as sufficient proof of her queenship. After they tragically slay an unlucky neighbor's cat, Belinda consents to their abduction.
The enigmatic Mrs. Flood observes the scene with a knowing smile before vanishing, uttering, "You ain't seen me." The Doctor, who has just arrived and is busy wailing at the heavens, might well attest to that. Aboard the rocket, a distressed Belinda clarifies to the robots that Alan, not she, purchased the star. Soon after, she encounters a looping glitch that also ensnares the Doctor, who is hot on her trail in the TARDIS.
Upon landing on Missbelindachandra One, a planetary system apparently named in her honor, Belinda learns that robot overlords have seized control. Their AI Generator insists on wedding her. Though the robots are advanced enough to craft Missbelindachandrabombs and reign over Missbelindachandrakind, they inexplicably fail to hear every ninth word spoken. Perhaps this is their AI-Achilles' heel? This oversight allows the Doctor, who arrived six months prior and ascended to the rank of Historian, to impart a history lesson to Belinda while orchestrating a mini-rebellion. A rebel named Sasha 55 places her trust in the Doctor with her life, and he vows to take her to the stars once this ordeal is over. As is customary in the Who-niverse, she meets an untimely demise shortly thereafter.
In the rebel's clandestine Undercity hideaway, the Doctor hesitates, his thoughts drifting to the Belinda doppelgänger who bore an uncanny resemblance to "Boom." Belinda, her hands busy tending to the wounded, retorts sharply, "It's always the doctor lurking in the background while the nurses shoulder the brunt of the labor." The gendered stereotypes attached to these professions suggest that Alan might not have been the sole male who fell short in treating her with the respect she deserved.
The Doctor clarifies that he was trailing Belinda because someone had hinted at her significance. Bound by temporal intricacies, he cannot divulge more. However, he reveals that they both underwent that disorienting "schwup" while traveling, due to the erratic temporal fluctuations bordering this world and Earth. This anomaly explains his preemptive arrival and how the AI possesses an identical star certificate to Belinda's, despite her having held hers her entire life. The robots, having procured it in the future, must have schwupped backwards so far that the document evolved into a foundational legend of the planet—a loop permitting the coexistence of the same object in different timeframes.
Manny, another rebel, harbors resentment over the numerous lives sacrificed on Belinda's behalf. She defends herself, insisting it isn't her fault. But as the robotic onslaught persists above (and Manny's resentment smolders below), Belinda's resolve wavers. When the Doctor contemplates infiltrating the memory banks to uncover why humans and robots ceased their peaceful coexistence, Belinda decides to utilize a polishing robot as a decoy, leading the robotic horde to her. "My name is Miss Belinda Chandra, and it's past time I claimed it with pride," she declares. She harbors hope that after undergoing the welding/wedding ritual, she will guide the machines towards peace.
Before departing, Belinda instructs the robots to cease addressing her with the prefix "Miss," which she has never favored. This command triggers a recognizable response from the AI Generator, which unfolds to unveil... Alan. Indeed, when Belinda uttered Alan's name aboard the rocket, the robots swiftly intervened, schwupping back a decade in the process. It was at this juncture that Alan voluntarily joined their ranks, unwittingly igniting the robot revolution.
In the span of just five minutes, an onslaught of information bombards us. We flashback to witness Alan, an avid video-game enthusiast, eagerly seizing power and crafting his own "rules." He doesn't flinch at the thought of violence, and his aggression knows no gender bounds; the first soul he condemns to death appears to be a male. Additionally, we discover that Belinda ended her relationship with Alan after he made a condescending and overtly sexist marriage proposal. In the present, she suggests that his coercive control, a form of domestic abuse, extends to the entire planet. The Doctor then uncovers a startling revelation: Alan can't truly coexist with himself at this moment, as every ninth word he utters reveals a desperate plea for help and profound pain. However, his subsequent chain of ninth words – "Belinda. Mine. Forever." – underscores his continued perception of women as objects to possess. "Planet of the incels," Belinda murmurs under her breath.
I don't expect Russell T Davies to deliver an exhaustive examination of toxic masculinity within the confines of 45 minutes. Nonetheless, when the exploration remains superficial, merely gesturing towards sexism and the manosphere, it becomes challenging to fully grasp the weight of a "planet of the incels." The episode progresses as the Doctor offers to assist Alan by severing the bio-links and advises Belinda that Alan's rage will never subside if she proceeds with the marriage.
Before we have a chance to fully contemplate the profound ideas raised by these flashbacks and monologues, it's time to address the looming threat. The Doctor drops Belinda's star certificate to the ground, and for reasons unknown, a Polish robot, immune to Alan's control over the other machines, retrieves it and presents it to her. As she touches her certificate to Alan's, a mesmerizing, time-warping explosion ensues, plunging them into a surreal sequence where Belinda and Alan repeatedly age and de-age. The Doctor leaps in to rescue Belinda, his Time Lord abilities allowing him to absorb some of the impact. As the time fracture closes, it hurtles him through her entire lifespan; at one poignant moment, he cradles a baby Belinda in his arms.
The Doctor and Belinda emerge unscathed, while Alan has regressed to a sperm and egg, swept away by the Polish robot amidst a moment of levity. "Goodbye, Alan," the Doctor says, chuckling as we venture into lighter territory. When Belinda marvels at the madness of this place, he replies, "Yas queen!" and performs a high kick. Upon reuniting with his confiscated TARDIS, the Doctor notes that future robots still need to acquire the star certificate somehow, and he literally dances with anticipation at the prospect of another mystery to unravel. The robots are planning reparations, Sasha 55 has a citadel named in her honor, and everyone, even Manny, bids Belinda farewell as the queen of Earth.
For a few fleeting seconds, Belinda stands enraptured by the inner workings of the TARDIS, her awe interrupted by the sudden realization that she has a shift to resume. The Doctor, unveiling the TARDIS as a time machine, confides in her that he once encountered her descendant in the distant 51st century. He scans her with curiosity, noting the uncanny resemblance between them, pondering whether fate has entwined their paths. "Did you share the same sentiment with Sasha?" Belinda inquires, her tone catching the Doctor off guard, his smile waning. She astutely points out that he analyzed her DNA without seeking her consent—a stark contrast to how she had respectfully requested permission merely to listen to the rhythmic thump of his heartbeats. "You're perilous," she declares, and the Doctor, contrite, acknowledges his error. He senses her distrust and reluctance to accompany him, vowing to escort her back home. However, fate may have other plans. For reasons unknown, the TARDIS seems repelled by May 24, repeatedly bouncing away from the day they departed as they traverse halfway back to Earth. Perplexed, the Doctor admits ignorance but assures her he will find an alternative route to ensure her return.
My initial impulse was to propose we backtrack to May 23 and conceal ourselves within the TARDIS for a mere 24 hours, yet I surmise that this dilemma necessitates a far more intricate resolution, considering the Doctor and Belinda find themselves in Miami, Florida, in the year 1952, as previewed in the episode's teaser. Following the TARDIS's disappearance, an enigmatic array unfolds in space: the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, a calendar, and a certificate adorned with a fateful star, amidst other cosmic debris. Clearly, we have our hands full with the season's new, perplexing mystery. What theories do you harbor?
