*Episode premise spoilers.*
As Ruby says, “Oh my Bridgerton!” I haven’t seen that show, because I’m too asexual for it to really interest me, but I know enough to get the vibe of the episode. This is an entertaining one, with some silly/frothy fun and some hard-hitting emotional moments.
The Doctor and Ruby are having fun in 1813, enjoying a grand ball thrown by a duchess. But there’s a dangerous shapeshifting monster about, and a time-traveling bounty hunter thinks he’s caught the monster in question: the Doctor.
The Regency-era romance/drama angle is fun, even if part of me is a bit salty that the show emulated a PG-style Bridgerton before ever featuring Jane Austen. I know Clara references her sometimes during the Twelve era, but I’d love to see the woman herself! At any rate, the costumes are lovely, the manners are fun, and I got a kick out of the Doctor’s workaround for helping Ruby manage all the dance steps.
I enjoy the dynamic between the Doctor and the bounty hunter, Rogue (played by Jonathan Groff!) I’ll confess to being a little caught off guard, because I thought it had been established that Rogue was a Time Agent, but I guess it must’ve been just a rumor. At any rate, Rogue is a lot more serious and task-focused than the likes of Captains Jack Harkness or John Hart. Of the two, the Doctor is having the most fun during their interactions, showing off what the sonic screwdriver can do and cheerily asking, “So where you taking me?” when Rogue captures him. Rogue is a little stiff, but he starts to loosen up under the Doctor’s influence, and they have an interesting connection. I’ll probably have more to say about these two in a post-season spoilery write-up.
Because the Doctor is so occupied with Rogue, that means Ruby is left a little more to her own devices here. Even without having the same relevant info that the Doctor and Rogue do, she recognizes different elements of something afoot and does her best to investigate. She also has zero time for a caddish lord and keeps accidentally tossing out 21st-century words.
I’m a sucker for actors appearing in more than one Whoniverse role—I think Peter Capaldi still takes the top prize, with three separate roles (including the Doctor!)—so I have to point out Indira Varma, who plays the duchess. Before I loved her as Ellaria Sand on Game of Thrones, she was Torchwood’s Suzie Costello. Maybe that’s where some of the Time Agent talk came from?
I believe the season finale is a two-parter? It kicks off next week!
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