Doctor Who - Rogue

In an Bridgerton inspired episode (they even namedrop the show, along with "cosplay" many, many times), The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) head to a ball in 1813 only to discover they aren't the only uninvited guests who include a family of shapeshifting cosplayers and a roguish bounty hunter named, er, Rogue (Jonathan Groff). Let's just say this isn't the most subtle episode of Doctor Who. The highs of the episode are some of the best of the season, although its awkward bits are extremely awkward.

The highlight of the episode is the pairing of The Doctor and Rogue, although I'm always a bit put off whenever the show makes the title character a bit too human for my tastes (and the romantic back-and-forth between the pair, while enjoyable, certainly qualifies). However, Rogue mistaking The Doctor for one of the Chuldur does provide the opportunity for the Time Lord (who isn't really a Time Lord thanks to jumping the shark with the last Doctor, but let's just forget that) to introduce himself properly. The sequence includes all 15 of the Doctor's regenerations along with the Shalka Doctor and Fugitive Doctor (although not the Valeyard... dammit).

The animalish Chuldur are goofy villains who never seem to be as menacing as they should, especially after killing multiple party guests and attacking Ruby. The lack of tension effects the climactic scene as we never buy into Ruby actually being in danger even before Rogue sacrifices himself to save her. Rogue's disappearance and another appearance of Susan Twist (this time in a painting) are a pair of loose threads left dangling at the end of the episode, one of which may be pulled as soon as next week.

• Title: Doctor Who - Rogue
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