Doctor Who: How well does Season One (2024) work as a fresh start?

Darker turns

Of course, one thing that’s often stood out in Doctor Who is that, even in clear, distinctive eras, there’s often a variety of storytelling, and that was very true with the following episodes. Boom was an incredibly tense, very small-scale war story that virtually unfolded in real time. 73 Yards is a strange mix of horror, fantasy, and even political storytelling that heavily focuses on Ruby. Dot and Bubble feels like something straight out of Black Mirror, an episode filled with social commentary and some very cruel twists.

In some ways, these three episodes stand out because, after a relatively light beginning, we’re given a trio of episodes that feel significantly darker, each in different ways. They also each work well on their own terms and feel like strong examples of just how flexible Doctor Who can be in terms of its storytelling.

Speaking of which, the next episode in the series, Rogue, is another example of this, although for a radically different reason. A romantic episode heavily influenced by Bridgerton and featuring aliens obsessed with cosplay, it’s a perfect example of just how light and, frankly, silly Doctor Who can be. It’s also a nice little breather episode before we reach the two-part finale.