Doctor Who

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Season 13
Season #: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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Critic Reviews

  1. i
    Reviewed by: Stephen Kelly
    Dec 6, 2021
    80
    It’s a lot, but it all managed to build to a thrilling cliffhanger. ... Perhaps the most intriguing part of this episode, however, was Whittaker’s Doctor herself, who returned here with a moodier edge than before.
  2. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Patrick Mulkern
    Dec 6, 2021
    80
    In all, The Halloween Apocalypse is an engaging appetiser and revives my dimensionally transcendental taste-buds.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Caroline Siede
    Dec 6, 2021
    75
    In an episode that doesn’t do much hand-holding as it leaps through time and space, that line offers a little bit of reassurance from Chibnall. This episode is supposed to be confusing, but it’ll all pay off in the long run.
  5. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Isobel Lewis
    Nov 1, 2021
    60
    Episode one gives us both too much and not enough to really go off, but it’s refreshing to see Chibnall attempt to shake things up for one of Whittaker’s last spells in the Tardis.
  6. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Michael Hogan
    Nov 1, 2021
    60
    The usual mixed bag, then, but decent enough to stick with. Pray it doesn’t disappear up its own black hole like too many stories during Chibnall’s tenure.
  7. The Times
    Reviewed by: Carol Midgley
    Nov 1, 2021
    60
    Monsters-wise there was an embarrassment of riches. ... It seems they are throwing everything at this series, including the kitchen sink, to let Whittaker leave with a bang. Whether it works we'll discover in the next five episodes.

User Reviews

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User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 12 out of 20
  1. ScienceAdvisor
    Dec 1, 2021
    0
    After five episodes, the endless children was just cemented as canon, entombing the series for all eternity. This season has been nothingAfter five episodes, the endless children was just cemented as canon, entombing the series for all eternity. This season has been nothing except a giant Mystery box chase with absolutely no sense tying anything together, destroying everything that has come before it. Turns out the TVA (Division) from Loki is running this Universe as well, and everything the Doctor has ever done was due to Kang (Tecteun).… Full Review »
  2. TimNotSam
    Mar 22, 2022
    0
    I'm 3 episodes in an it's really awful. Just randomness and throw in angels and other species. I imagine that the story comes all together atI'm 3 episodes in an it's really awful. Just randomness and throw in angels and other species. I imagine that the story comes all together at the end, but I cannot imagine the pay off being worth it. There are just so much filler scenes and introduced characters. It's just unwanted and useless exposition which seems to make a lot of the run time. I don't really think there is any merit tor substance to this season.

    All of my issues are summarised with the opening scene where they are hanging above a acid volcano. A really awkward script as well as a random chaos of events where the doctor really isn't in any control, everything just happens to work out well.    … Full Review »
  3. VidyutGore
    Feb 7, 2022
    0
    Incoherent ramble that fails to provide a consistent narrative. The writing is truly horrible and of the type "You are feeling XYZ" "Yes I amIncoherent ramble that fails to provide a consistent narrative. The writing is truly horrible and of the type "You are feeling XYZ" "Yes I am XYZ" or "Tell me your sinister plan." "This is my evil plan that will defeat you." It is unrealistic, immature and paralyzes the actors by rendering physical actions to mind-numbingly boring dialogue.

    There is a stingy and ill-advised attempt at setting up a Doctor-companion romance which manifests as Yaz developing the superpower to be angry with the Doctor - something other companions have done freely always. She proceeds to give occasional lectures to the Doctor for being remote which smell faintly of the worst of powerless women asking why the husband won't come home on time, why he won't talk to them... only the Doctor is a woman. The rest is the same. The relationship seems to have gone from polite strangers to cynical couple and bypassed romance altogether.

    The series seems to have forgotten what a romance is like altogether. What it looks like, what it feels like, that it is supposed to be a period of joy and enjoyment of each other... unless they have forgotten their genre and are going for some social justice version of a dark romance with damaged characters that enriches no one, but reflects reality well.

    Notably, there is no chemistry between the alleged lovers. Zero. This includes interviews where Yaz's body language is similar to that in the show - she looks up to Jodie rather than sees her as an equal a colleague off the sets or lover or crush on the show. For all the show's claims to diversity, the bosy language screams hierarchy with the white woman holding all the power. And this is not the Doctor - mothers of companions have memorably slapped the Doctor. Companions have lost their temper at him. The hierarchy is a development of this Doctor - worth mentioning, because it arrived on a halo of social justice. The companions have never been this powerless before the will of the Doctor. Gone is the time when the companions made demands and forced the Doctor to comply. Romance or not, it gave them power as equals and and provided necessary counterbalance to the Doctor. In the absence of that, the Doctor becomes surreal and flawless. Unable to acknowledge mistakes or have flaws. Makes one think of Martha with longing who left the Doctor when it was clear he wouldn't return her feelings.

    Not like the show serves as an entertaining escape in any case. Might as well deliver a dose of the worst moods from cynical social commentary. After three seasons the alleged couple still hasn't managed to get there, leaving the only options left as failure or bury the gays.    … Full Review »
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