After giving last week’s episode a nine out of a total of ten, I think this week had no chance of hitting such a high number. I don’t think I’ll be jumping straight into major spoilers, but I will say it is a good seven out of ten. I’ve spoken with others and they are a little higher with their value of it, and I can see why they were happy with it. However, it is still that ITV prime-time drama rather than full-on balls to the wall sci-fi comedy that’s aimed at kids and adults who think they are kids. I like the episode, it is just another “The Power of Three.”

The funny thing about “The Power of Three” and the three-act structure of TV is Chris Chibnall. I know he co-wrote the episode with Pete McTighe, but it is another episode that has a great set up act, great middle act, and the third wrapping everything up is “Quick! we need a big red button to solve all our problems.” which is something that’s a general issue for Sci-fi writers all over. The issue was how little sci-fi the series has had. I’ve said it before, but this is the 6th episode of this series set on earth, next week we’re in Aleppo Syria in what looks to be the first episode we’re going back in time with since “Spyfall Part 2.”

I think for a change (and because I’m on a deadline) I’ll not do the detailed rundown of the plot, and because this episode could be run down in a full paragraph. In fact, I could do that in a sentence by saying “It was about how we’ve destroyed the planet.” A theme that’s been set up several times this season alone, so I’m expecting the last two-parter: “Ascension of the Cybermen” and “The Timeless Children” to be about how we’re really The Master after he re-destroyed Gallifrey and Michelle Gomez had a perfect arc as The Master. At least Chibnall is headstrong in this global warming theme through the season.

To set things up, an English astronaut is falling to earth in what would be Soyuz MS-16 or 17. Meanwhile, some shoplifting kid is being chased through a store by Warren Brown who played Marky from Charlie Brooker’s Dead Set. As a cop that’s not sabbatical; I’ll say it, he’s perfectly cast as both a cop and someone that’s told to take a break. Then there are the two YouTubers who I don’t know if they were meant to be gay or not. All four of them are more interesting than our companions have been over the last few weeks.

Anyway, Jake Willis (good English policeman’s name) is stuck on sabbatical and finds out about astronaut Adam Lang (good astronaut name too), who’s missing. One strange number texting Jake later, Adam is alive somewhere in Hong Kong. While we’re on places around China, people are infected with something in Peru where the YouTubers are, Hong Kong, and Madagascar. It might be bad timing, but a virus infecting people that is coming from China might have been the one episode that could have been earlier in the series. It is just a bit awkward now.

However, I think this is the episode where the companions were worth their salt the most. Three different locations where something is happening, this is how to make use of three companions alongside The Doctor. Yas even remembered she was a cop, though one that’s on sabbatical; which is just a sly way of writers saying “we don’t know what to do with her.” Ryan was off in Peru where birds are terrorizing the YouTubers, Yas and Graham were in Hong Kong, and The Doctor was in Madagascar with ring-tailed lemurs. Ok, she wasn’t hanging out with lemurs, but she was on the beach for a while.

What made our companions work this time around was some of the lines. For example, Gabriela, one of the YouTubers, asked “you work out?” and Ryan replied with “I do a lot of running,” that’s a great Who line. Meanwhile, The Doctor is pulling Zach Olsen (another great name, this time for an American) out the sea in Madagascar. This is where I think the story did well to be placed across the world while having us going between the locations, it led to good pacing. We didn’t have to stick with Yas, Jake, and Graham for too long because we’d be in Peru with Ryan and Gabriela or in Madagascar with The Doctor, Suki, and Amaru. There’s even a talking cat in Ontario.

Then about fifteen minutes in, it starts crumpling and making all the stories connect and interweave with each other. This is where I’d give my overview and tell you to go watch, but I’ve already said general opinions and given you an idea of the rating I’m giving it. It is a good episode let down by the last ten minutes, also known as “The Power of Three” problem.

Spoilers Ahead – Read at your Own Risk

There’s a reason I’ve been wondering about Gabriela and Jamila (the one that disappears and dies) being a gay couple, neither member of the gay couple that was heavily featured were killed, while it isn’t specifically stated about Gabriela and Jamila. Also, in the last episode, we were told several times over that “guns are dangerous,” “guns are stupid,” and “put the gun down before someone gets hurt.” This time she pulls the gun from Jake, doesn’t berate him for shooting the aliens, and just throws it to the site. Maybe use Yas and have her say that cops from the UK don’t use guns. At least then she would be the one saying she’s a cop and not Graham saying it for her.

While we’re on the things that slightly annoyed me, I miss the “It’s bigger on the inside.” No, that’s not just what I said to your mum, I loved when Capaldi had his moment with River a few years back, that was wholesome and fun. Three new people in the TA.R.D.I.S. and two see it fly off and come back, not one of them does the whole song and dance around the box and inside. At least let one of them do it and then explain to the rest instead of flatly explaining. There’s a reason “It’s bigger on the inside” is such a fun moment with every new companion.

If we’re going to kick someone over missed references, our aliens wear gas masks, and when they are removed or when they are first seen by The Doctor, we don’t get a “are you my mummy?” I think that’s all that was missing to make this one of those episodes of Doctor Who, there’s nothing fun about it aside from one or two lines. Gabriela talking about her YouTube channel made me want to kill her, that was just annoying and is the perfect example of the typical YouTuber.

In conclusion, the big red button ending is just a bit crap. The rest of the episode was also trying to be heavy with “global warming is a thing, don’t you know,” and while that was well written the only other thing pulling me through was the pacing. The monster isn’t interesting because it is us again with our plastic in the ocean and an alien virus that eats plastic that we ingest. By the last five-ten minutes all I could think was, “just don’t kill one of the gays, you’ve already upset Daily Mail readers by saying Global Warming and gay people are a thing. No need to upset The Guardian readers as well.”

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Doctor Who "Praxeus"

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• "No, it can't be Autons."
• Great pacing
• Companions were used for once.

Cons

• Gabriela talking about YouTube so much.