David Bridges
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for “The Robot Revolution”
The beginning of any Doctor Who season is crucial, particularly when introducing a new co-star. “The Robot Revolution” must successfully captivate audiences by making us fall in love with Belinda Chandra (played by Varada Sethu), while also appealing to both new viewers and long-time fans. This is especially important as this season marks the second of two series funded by Disney, which means its success is vital for future financial support.
The episode opens “17 years ago,” featuring Belinda Chandra gazing at the stars alongside her boyfriend, Alan Budd (played by Jonny Green). Their interaction is reminiscent of an awkward teenage date, with Alan attempting to win Belinda’s affection by presenting her with a star adoption certificate. Fast forward to the year 2025, and we find Belinda working as a nurse in a bustling London hospital, where the Doctor is secretly on a quest to find her.
After a long day, Belinda heads home to sleep, and we notice that she has the framed star ownership certificate displayed prominently on her wall. However, her peaceful rest is abruptly interrupted by a group of retro-futuristic robots resembling those from the 1950s, who arrive in a Tintin-style rocket to abduct both her and the certificate. Just as the rocket blasts off, the Doctor arrives at her home, just in time to witness the chaotic scene unfold, leading us directly into the opening credits.
This star certificate is not merely a joke gift; it turns out that Belinda is the rightful queen of the planet BelindaChandra, which is inhabited by the BelindaChandrians (for simplicity, I will refer to them as humans). The Doctor pursues the rocket in the TARDIS, but they both become ensnared in a vaguely defined time fissure. Upon her arrival on the planet, Belinda meets Sasha55, a human who informs her that the robots have taken control and brutally subdued the populace in a bloody uprising that occurred a decade earlier.
“This scenario reminds me a bit of Jupiter Ascending,” I noted in my observations.
Belinda is escorted to a throne room where she learns that she must merge with the planet’s malevolent ruling supercomputer, the AI Generator. Manifesting in an intimidating form with skull shapes and Tesla coils, the AI Generator intends to bond with Belinda. She is shown a gruesome animated demonstration of her impending fate, where she is ensnared in mechanical components and transformed into a mindless cyborg.
“Oh, that’s reminiscent of the frightening scene from Superman III,” I jotted down in my notes.
Who has been lurking in the shadows throughout this chaotic scene? It’s the Doctor, who has taken on the alias of Planetary Historian. Thanks to the time fissure, he arrived on this planet six months prior to the rocket’s arrival. The robots seized the TARDIS, and he has been collaborating with the rebellion. He even has a new companion, Sasha55, whom he has promised to take on adventures among the stars once their mission is complete. The Doctor informs Belinda that the robots are incapable of hearing every ninth word spoken, and he shares a coded message with her, indicating that he and the rebellion are here to rescue her. In the ensuing chaos, Sasha55 is vaporized, which triggers a moment of brief horror and grief for the Doctor.
The surviving rebels, accompanied by a small Roomba bot designated to clean Queen Belinda’s path…
“Oh, just like the cleaning robot M-O from Wall-E,” I noted.
…manage to escape to a teleporter. The Doctor then disables the Roomba to prevent the robots from tracking them, offering a kiss to the little bot as an apology. At this point, the episode pauses to allow for a more genuine interaction between the Doctor and Belinda. The Doctor has received information regarding Belinda’s predicament from someone in their shared future but cannot disclose more details, as doing so could complicate the timelines.
The time fracture that both the rocket and the TARDIS traversed has resulted in several time-manipulating complications. One of the most perplexing issues is that the robots possess a duplicate of Belinda’s star certificate. However, this is not merely a copy; it is the identical object from an alternate point in time, and the reasons behind how they obtained it remain unknown. Much like Ruby Sunday before her, Belinda is savvy enough to recognize that two identical objects from different temporal origins cannot coexist in the same space without causing catastrophic consequences.
“Oh, reminiscent of Timecop!,” I jotted down.
As the rebels regroup, Belinda immediately shifts into nurse mode, swiftly gathering IVs and tending to the injured. She takes command of the situation with confidence, showing no tolerance for condescension, especially when the Doctor hints at a “timey-wimey” explanation. Refusing to let anyone fight her battles for her, she is determined to seize control of her own narrative, regardless of the challenges ahead. In a bold move, she sneaks away, reactivates the Roomba, and offers herself to the robots in exchange for sparing the lives of the rebels.
Belinda and the Doctor are brought to meet the AI Generator, which is revealed to be the AL Generator. During her abduction, Belinda mentioned that her ex, Alan, had purchased the certificate, prompting the robots to kidnap him as well. However, due to the time fracture, Alan arrived ten years earlier, becoming fused with the AI, and inadvertently initiating the robot uprising.
Despite the complexities, Belinda is willing to sacrifice herself for him until she notices Alan holding his version of the star certificate. In a frantic decision, she chooses to Timecop the two documents together, triggering a massive time-related explosion that only the Doctor can rescue her from. Belinda emerges unscathed, but the Doctor reveals that he is now entangled with Belinda’s timestream. Meanwhile, Alan has been reduced to a mere sperm, quickly cleaned up by the Roomba bot.
Once reunited with the TARDIS, the Doctor scans Belinda and reveals that he has previously met her descendant—Mundy Flynn (also portrayed by Varada Sethu) from last season’s “Boom.” While Belinda may find it intriguing that someone so distantly related to her looks identical, she is not keen on exploring the mystery. Instead, she expresses anger towards the Doctor for scanning her without her consent, feeling as though he is treating her like a puzzle to be solved.
After witnessing Sasha55’s demise, she understands the dangers of traveling with the Doctor and insists on returning to May 24, 2025. However, the TARDIS refuses to land on present-day Earth, and alarms begin ringing ominously. Upon opening the TARDIS doors, they are met with the void of empty space, prompting the Doctor to decide to take her home “the long way around.”
As the TARDIS vanishes from view, a series of objects begin to float in front of the camera: a wrecked black cab, the twisted remains of the Eiffel Tower, Belinda’s star adoption certificate, and a calendar with all the days in May marked off, except for the 25th. A sense of foreboding lingers.
Navigating the Challenges of a Fast-Paced Episode
Much like several other episodes from the Disney era of Doctor Who, “The Robot Revolution” feels densely packed with content, almost to the point of bursting. On one hand, every moment feels purposeful and nothing lingers unnecessarily. On the other hand, the narrative seems to hastily rush through a plot that could easily fill a feature-length film. The rapid pace makes it challenging to grasp the true stakes involved, as there is a tendency to tell rather than show. We are informed that the planet is suffering under the tyranny of a malevolent overlord, yet this is illustrated through brief scenes of red ships firing upon buildings, lacking the depth to convey real urgency. We are told that Alan is a nefarious character, but his villainous nature is only fully revealed after the fact. We understand that the Doctor is acting on directives from a future figure, yet it would enhance the story if these elements were visually represented.
Russell T. Davies played a pivotal role in revitalizing Doctor Who and establishing it as a cultural phenomenon during his tenure. His legacy within the show is firmly secured; however, his recent series under the Disney banner seem to be influenced by the work of his successor, Steven Moffat. “The Robot Revolution” incorporates a macguffin discovered within a seemingly ordinary trinket, a fractured narrative, and time-bending antics. While Moffat does not have exclusive rights to these concepts, it feels as though Davies is attempting to merge his traditionally character-driven storytelling style with a more convoluted approach. A skeptic might argue that Davies is responding to his absence from Doctor Who Magazine’s latest poll of the series’ greatest episodes, where Moffat boasts five credited entries.
In fact, one might surmise that the slightly chaotic and fragmented nature of the script is a strategic choice to lay groundwork for the remainder of the season. Nevertheless, it is evident that there is a struggle to fit into a storytelling model that does not quite align.
If the script emerges as the weakest aspect of the episode, then the production design undoubtedly takes the crown for the strongest element. The retro-futuristic robots evoke memories of classic automobiles like the red Ford Thunderbird and the Chevy Bel Air, while the cleaning robot draws clear inspiration from the iconic VW Beetle. This humanistic design is something I wish modern robotic vacuum manufacturers would take cues from.
Insider Insights and Production Facts
Doctor Who is a consistent source of speculation and gossip, particularly given the frequently precarious nature of its lead role. Rumors often circulate about the lead actor’s potential departure, which can easily seem plausible due to the fact that actors typically remain in the role for only three to four years. Recently, several reports have emerged suggesting that Ncuti Gatwa may have already left the show or is on the verge of doing so. Furthermore, there are indications that both the BBC and Disney are hesitant to greenlight new episodes until they assess this season’s success. The BBC has also reported budget cuts and inflation, resulting in a reduction of £1 billion (approximately $1.3 billion) in real terms since 2010. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that when asked about the show’s future during an interview with the BBC’s youth-focused news program Newsround, Russell T. Davies responded in a way that implied the series might soon be put on hold.
This context becomes relevant in the scene where Belinda triumphs over Alan using the certificate, and the Doctor intervenes to save her. He explains that she required a Time Lord to absorb the immense energy released when the two pieces of paper came into contact. As he clutches his back in apparent pain, he quickly dismisses it, appearing fine for the remainder of the episode. Long-time fans may remember that absorbing such energy from the time vortex was the cause of Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor’s demise back in 2005. Of course, this, coupled with Eccleston’s decision to leave, adds layers to the narrative.
Unraveling the Mystery of Mrs. Flood
Interestingly, Mrs. Flood seems to enjoy moving in next door to whoever becomes this season’s companion. During her abduction, she calls out to her neighbor to alert the police and expresses her love for her parents. As the rocket launches, she addresses the audience, stating that they haven’t seen her yet, before retreating indoors to avoid encountering the Doctor, who rushes out in pursuit.
Daniel Mercer
