Doctor Who (2024)

There’s a familiar feeling to this new era, but Episodes 1 and 2 still sparkle with ingenuity and embrace the changes at every opportunity. If that isn’t Doctor Who, then I don’t know what is.

Doctor Who may be taking a slightly different direction as it arrives on Disney+, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not as funny and witty as ever. And the chemistry between Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson does a lot to make up for any encroaching tweeness.

It takes no time at all to accept Gatwa‘s Doctor as the absolutely genuine article. He’s a hugger, full of heart, and brings an energy not unrelated to his predecessors but amplified. He’s a dancing Doctor, a singing Doctor, a frisky, flirty, fit, stylish Doctor. (Unlike his predecessors, his costume changes often.) And as Ruby, Gibson is a good match; she’s young, bright and fearless.

The series’ strange adventures and the chemistry between the leads will be enough to keep viewers tuned in. But it’s Gatwa’s star turn that elevates the season. With his megawatt smile and colorful costumes, he dives into the role, delivering a refreshing dynamism that makes the season a uniquely mesmerizing watch.

With love as its guiding principle, the new season isn’t afraid of getting silly, scary, and a little bit serious — all within the space of a single episode. Davies also returns at the top of his game, with a Doctor and companion that we just can’t help but fall head over heels for and an overarching mystery that will have fans eagerly awaiting every new episode.

Driven by the magnetic pairing of Ncuti Gatwa’ and Millie Gibson as the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday, Doctor Who’s latest reboot gets off to an unpredictable, exciting, and incredibly promising start.

Fun, lively, imaginative — with a whiff of Disneyfication.

Come for the fun and frolics, then, and stay for the mystery–because we predict this season is building up to something big. And we’re pumped to find out what.

Gatwa continues to bring the right blend of weirdness, wit, humour, energy and athleticism to the role, plus a nice whiff of Jon Pertwee-inspired dandyishness. The first adventure might be a bit too silly for some. [The score is the average of the scores for the first two episodes.]

Whether the team can stay spirited without devolving into inanity or convolution will determine its success, and help bring this stumbling show back to life. But two episodes in, the new Who is off to a promising start.

The Fifteenth Doctor — please don’t ask me to explain how or why David Tennant was both the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctor — is off to a lively and accessible, if not necessarily rousingly memorable, start.

Although just two episodes in, the new "Doctor Who" season has already proven itself to be a bold, lively, kindhearted show; it's still cheesy and awkward at times, but that energy and excitement goes a long way.

The results are exactly what you'd expect from his [Russell T Davies'] era of the show: breezy, silly, and far more fixated on the emotional truth of the moment than anything resembling narrative heft.

Gatwa's charisma is undeniable and kids will absolutely love these stories, but one can easily imagine older viewers finding the overbearing energy and cheesy comedy to be off-putting. Yet it's the imperfection and inconsistency — the constant attempts to fix previous problems while creating new ones — that make Doctor Who what it is. If you love it, you love it in spite of that — or because of it.

All things considered, I’m might be willing to forgive a few teething problems.

At its heart(s), it's a highly-polished slice of good old-fashioned Doctor Who – uncomplicated but not unsophisticated and, above all else, fun.

The [Space Babies] plot involves nappies and bogeys, which makes it fun for younger viewers but a bit cringe-worthy for adults. An entry-level episode in many ways, it has the Doctor explaining the basics to Ruby. .... The [The Devil’s Chord] episode has a good opening scene but then goes on for what feels like forever, with drag queen Jinkx Monsoon chewing the scenery as Maestro. .... The main asset of the new Doctor Who is Gatwa, who carries the series along with the force of his megawatt charisma.