Dot and Bubble is the fifth episode in the latest series of Doctor Who. It stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday.
Spoilers ahead!!
General Thoughts on Dot and Bubble
I thought this episode was okay. It was clearly trying to do something different, like 73 Yards. For the most part, it works. I think it handled it’s subject matter and social commentary well, even if the slug monsters are gross. I also think this might have the most people killed on screen for a Doctor Who episode, at least for the modern era. So many people get eaten by slugs.
I think the main problem I have with this episode isn’t anything to do with the episode itself. It is due to this being the second story in a row where we don’t see much of the Doctor in person. I understand that in real life, Ncuti Gatwa was still filming something else. But, in an 8 episode season, having Doctor-light two episodes in a row feels like a mistake. It should have had a different episode in between, like The Devil’s Chord, just to make the Doctor’s physical absence not noticeable.
Characters
Initially, Lindy seems like an average citizen of Finetime. She has her routine, fits in with the crowd, and goes along with her life. I think she’s seen as stupid, but in her world, that’s how people are. I liked her character up until a certain point involving Ricky September.
As for Ricky September, I loved his character so much. Even though Finetime was a society that looked down on black people, Ricky could have had good development. A character arc where he travels with the Doctor and actually faces any possible prejudices he had would be great as he seems the most open-minded person there. Ricky would have been a great companion, if not for the fact that Lindy betrayed him and got him killed.
Ruby and the Doctor in this episode are great. Especially the Doctor at the end, where he is so clearly frustrated that the people he just helped survive slug monsters are now refusing his help. His raw emotion was so powerful, and I, as a viewer, are angry alongside him.
Social Commentary
This episode criticises people who are over reliant on technology. This is to the point that the people in Finetime cannot function without their bubble, to the point where they can’t even walk without the instructions to do so. They have never needed to go without their bubble. It also makes you think about people that are stuck in their ‘bubble’ which isn’t always technology, but the kinds of people they surround themself with.
At the beginning of the episode, the characters are all white, and even as the story progresses, there is no diversity. The most diverse character is Gothic Paul, who is constantly dismissed until his death. I did notice that Lindy kept ignoring the Doctor in favour of Ruby, when they were saying pretty much the same thing. This message is very clear by the end of the episode the Doctor’s help is refused because of his appearance. Even as a woman as the thirteenth Doctor, they never had to experience racism.
Overall Thoughts on Dot and Bubble
While this episode isn’t bad, and has some good social commentary, it’s a shame that the Doctor and Ruby don’t physically appear until the end, as all of their appearances before hand are on a window in the bubble. After 73 Yards, which also had the Doctor in very little, it feels as though we haven’t seen him much for weeks.
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Want to read another of my blog posts about Doctor Who? Check out my thoughts on 73 Yards here.