SUMMARY
- The Fifteenth Doctor’s reaction after Lindy and the other survivors refuse to be saved is his best Doctor Who scene so far.
- Gatwa’s emotional scene in “Dot & Bubble” proves Doctor Who season 14 needs more of the Doctor.
- At least Gatwa’s Doctor will still have room to grow in Doctor Who season 15.
Ncuti Gatwa’s standout scene in “Dot & Bubble” shows Doctor Who season 14 what it’s missing. Widely compared to an installment of Black Mirror, Russell T Davies’ “Dot & Bubble” does not feel like a Doctor Who episode. Callie Cooke leads Doctor Who‘s cast as Lindy Pepper-Bean, and the premise is simple enough: the Doctor must remotely help the social media-obsessed citizens of Finetime escape an onslaught of flesh-eating bugs. He succeeds, more or less, but there’s always a twist at the end.
In true Black Mirror style, Lindy and the Finetime survivors refuse the Doctor’s help at the end of “Dot & Bubble.” Lindy tolerates his assistance through digital channels, but ultimately refuses to associate with a Black man in person. Finetime’s residents are not just stuck-up, entitled, and embarrassingly reliant on social media, they’re also massive racists. For the first time in the Doctor’s onscreen travels, his helping hand is brushed aside because it isn’t white.
Gatwa Has Had Several Big Doctor Who Moments, But This Tops Them All
Brief it may be, but the Fifteenth Doctor’s reaction to Lindy’s racism is Ncuti Gatwa’s best Doctor Who scene thus far. After showing the utmost magnanimity by insisting he rescue Finetime’s survivors regardless of their prejudice toward him, the Doctor turns from merciful to apoplectic when his offer is once again refused.
The rage in Fifteen’s body language and the visceral scream emanating from his gut creates one of the most hard-fitting shots in Doctor Who history, but the most impressive aspect of Gatwa’s performance is how viewers can tell – without a word being uttered – that the Doctor’s anger is not triggered by being hated, but by being unable to save the people who hate him. This realization only serves to make the Doctor’s reaction more heartbreaking. Even when being insulted, mistreated, and prejudged, the Doctor’s first thought is to protect lives – no discrimination, and no questions asked.
It’s a powerful message, but one that would mean nothing without the poignant, raw force Ncuti Gatwa puts behind every word and action. The Fifteenth Doctor’s record may be less than spectacular in Doctor Who season 14 – thanks in no small part to his habit of stepping on things he shouldn’t – but his outburst in “Dot & Bubble” is a perfect encapsulation of who the Doctor truly is.
Doctor Who Season 14 Needs More… Doctor
“Who Season 14” Doesn’t Have Quite The Same Ring To It
Doctor-lite episodes may be a staple of modern Doctor Who, but Ncuti Gatwa is closer to having a Doctor-lite season at this point. Only eight episodes long, Doctor Who season 14 was already shorter than most runs post-2005, so the Doctor being largely absent throughout two of those eight episodes – a whopping 25% of the season – would have been nearly unthinkable before the premiere. Alas, after Ruby Sunday took over starring role duties in “73 Yards,” the Doctor once again sits on the sidelines throughout “Dot & Bubble,” letting Callie Cooke lead the story.
More exciting than the performance itself is how it teases shades of the Fifteenth Doctor that haven’t yet surfaced in Doctor Who .
Russell T Davies has confirmed Ncuti Gatwa’s absence in “73 Yards” was partly due to his commitments on Sex Education, and it’s possible this also factored into his reduced “Dot & Bubble” role. Nevertheless, Doctor Who without the Doctor isn’t something that should happen in consecutive stories, especially with said Doctor only getting a total of eight episodes in their first full season piloting the TARDIS.
“Dot & Bubble” proves as much. Ncuti Gatwa only gets one in-person scene, but that one scene is the standout moment of the entire episode by some distance. Gatwa knocks it out of the park and into a different zip code, but more exciting than the performance itself is how it teases shades of the Fifteenth Doctor that haven’t yet surfaced in Doctor Who – shades that are darker, more intense, and utterly opposed to Fifteen’s usual bright and breezy demeanor.
The underlying truth is simply that Doctor Who season 14 needs more Doctor. Making full use of a supremely talented lead actor is the most obvious advantage, but Doctor Who can only benefit from having more emotive moments like the one Fifteen provides in the final minutes of “Dot & Bubble.” Crafting a fully-realized, multi-faceted Doctor is important too. Fifteen’s bubbly persona is great, but the best Doctors flick from silly to serious in a half-second. Doctor Who season 14 isn’t giving Ncuti Gatwa enough time to explore those shadowy corners of his character.
Doctor Who Season 14’s Ncuti Gatwa Problem At Least Makes Season 15 More Exciting
Gatwa’s Reduced Doctor Who Season 14 Role Has One Positive
Doctor Who may not be giving Ncuti Gatwa the same kind of platform other Doctors received during their debut seasons, and that may mean season 14 isn’t as strong as it could have been, but there is a silver lining. Seeing less of the Doctor in season 14 leaves plenty of room to explore in the upcoming Doctor Who season 15. For most actors playing the Doctor, their first season is spent tentatively feeling out the character and discovering what works. Their second and third seasons are then more assured as the actor hones in on their specific Doctor, then they’ll regenerate into someone new.
Due to his comparatively limited role in season 14, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will still feel relatively fresh come Doctor Who season 15. Not only will this keep the aura of mystery surrounding the new Doctor alive, it means Gatwa can develop his portrayal over a longer period of time to potentially break the standard three-season rule and enjoy an extended reign as the Doctor.
