Chulders

Story: Rogue
Written By: Kate Herron and Briony Redman

Length: 45 Minutes
Year: 2024

 

 Ruby and the Doctor are cosplaying in ye olde times and playing Bridgerton and a fancy ball.  But as always it can't just be all fun and games, there is an alien menace about. The Doctor tries to hit on some guy and the guy turns out to be an alien bounty hunter and assumes the Doctor is the threat, and of course he isn't.  The bounty hunter (the titular Rogue) also assumed there is only one threat, but it is a whole group of shapeshifters called Chulders who kill people and take their form and are basically cosplaying for the drama of it all...and they hope to cosplay into royalty and start wars and destroy the planet for fun.  

I have mixed feelings about this episode. I think the aliens cosplaying for destruction and fun is an okay concept, and I think the Rogue character was nice...but I think I have an issue with the Doctor so overtly hitting on someone.  I prefer the Doctor to not be sexually repressed or anything, but I just don't think it feels like the Doctor to pursue a human in any way.  If Rogue was a companion who grew feelings for him and it was like a Rose situation where the Doctor maybe feels something to but finds it hard to reciprocate...that I'd be fine with.  But the Doctor genuinely is hitting on this dude and it just feels...off to me.  But I don't think this show has ever successfully tried to mix romance and the Doctor.  It never truly worked for me with River, or Rose, or anyone really. I think it works best that the Doctor is so ancient and old and feels its weird or awkward to want a relationship with a human with a much shorter lifespan.

 

The episode also messes with a canon a bit, as there is a bit in Rogue's ship where previous Doctor incarnations are seen, and mixed in is not only the fugitive Doctor but also Richard E. Grant, implying that the Shalka Doctor is real...yeah that makes no sense with everything else established hooray...take that continuity nerds!

 

I dunno, it was not my favorite episode but also not as bad as the series first couple of episodes, so middling. Shame, as it is the one story written by anyone new.  But perhaps if they return they will do better.  

 

NEXT TIME: Who IS that Lady?