There’s a lot to unpack with “The Robot Revolution". Like many previous season openers, it has to do more than simply tell another Doctor Who adventure. It also has to establish someone or something new. In this case, it's the new companion, Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. How well does this new episode introduce the character? Just as importantly, how well does it establish the Doctor’s new relationship with her?
Like all of Russell T Davies’s opening stories, “The Robot Revolution” is overall light in tone. Not quite as light as last year’s “Space Babies”, which probably went too far in that direction. But it avoids being too scary or too complex. We know those kinds of stories are coming, but for now, this is a simple “good versus evil” story.
There’s a lot that I enjoyed about this one. First of all, I love the look of the robots. A little basic, but they work well for the purpose of the story. What particularly stood out was that they didn’t look remotely human.
Retro robots
The term “robot revolution” had previously been used by Tom Baker’s Doctor in “The Robots of Death”, which has some of the creepiest robots ever designed. The reason these robots looked disturbing was that they were given blank, human-like faces. Even characters in the story found it off-putting, with some even suffering from something called "robophobia" as a result.
By comparison, the robots in this new episode weren't as disturbing because there wasn’t anything remotely human about them. They were big, bulky, and didn’t even have actual faces. This helped them to avoid looking too creepy. To be honest, they almost looked cute. These robots have a simple retro quality to them that works extremely well and adds to the episode’s light tone.
Having said that, “The Robot Revolution” is still a war story. It’s not the darkest war story – tone wise, it’s closer to “The Phantom Menace” than “Revenge of the Sith”. But it’s still a story where groups of people fight for their freedom.
As such, good characters die in this episode, and Russel T Davies doesn’t shy away from the impact of it. One death in particular stands out. It’s a death you see coming within seconds, but it still works, and Ncuti Gatwa’s reaction sells it. In terms of performance – which, in general, is pretty strong throughout the episode – the Doctor’s reaction to this death stands out as a highlight.
Belinda Chandra
Last but certainly not least is how the episode introduces the new companion, Belinda. We learn very quickly that she’s a nurse, that she cares a lot about both patients and people’s lives, and that she doesn’t automatically agree with every decision the Doctor makes.
This last part particularly stands out, because it’s clear that it’s going to shape this new relationship. Belinda is one of the first companions in a while that doesn’t want to travel with the Doctor. What makes this work is that the reasons she gives are convincing ones, especially considering what she goes through in this episode.
There have been a lot of companions over the years, but it’s been an incredibly long time since we’ve had a reluctant companion, at least full-time. As a result, I’m excited to see how well this new relationship develops throughout the season.
“The Robot Revolution” is a solid season opener. It’s light in tone but still has the occasional moment of darkness. It also introduces the new companion well, and her relationship with the Doctor feels fresh and interesting. I’m already excited to see what happens next, which is probably the most important compliment I can give an opening episode.