‘Doctor Who’ Series 1 Review: A Fresh But Flawed Adventure

Ncuti Gatwa’s first full season as the titular Doctor Who has just wrapped, combining some new concepts with old, creating a unique but flawed experience. 

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who Series 1.

A spout of well-received specials late last year gave birth to Ncuti Gatwa’s iteration of the iconic character. Coming off an electric performance from David Tennant, reviving the long-running television saga, The 15th Doctor had big shoes to fill. Though I am pleased to say that he fits these shoes, he’s gonna need bigger ones.

As a somewhat beginner to Doctor Who, having only seen some of Eccleston and Tenant’s tenures, I have had the pleasure of witnessing the series in a way that it was intentionally crafted to do. It functions well as a first season, even if the lore of the preceding seasons of the series (such as that of season villain Sutekh) would benefit from prior knowledge. 

I particularly enjoy the show’s episodic and slightly anthological nature, creating some interesting situations such as depicted in “73 Yards” and “Rogue”, with the former taking on a horror tone and the latter paying homage to Netflix Original Series Bridgerton. 

I found the overarching story with Ruby (Millie Gibson) to be fine… until the finale of the season began to unfold. It’s rushed and messy, making the season follow suit and coming off as predictable as the show closes. That being said, it does conclude the show in a serviceable manner, keeping the path open for the second series in this tenure. 

As bad as its finale may be, the season opens up strong with a fantastic dynamic between Gatwa and Gibson that is endlessly charming. It seems the key to a great Doctor is great charisma, and the casting team at BBC certainly knows what’s up. 

Although not perfect, the fourteenth series is an enjoyable one packed with references, enjoyable humour, and captivating performances all thanks to a hearty dynamic between Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson. 

Doctor Who will return for an upcoming Christmas special titled Doctor Who: Joy To The World, followed by a second season of the new series. The companion for the next series will star Varada Sethu, reprising her role as Mundy Flynn.

Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Susan Twist, Angela Wynter, Michelle Greenidge, and Jonathan Groff. The season was written and showrun by Russell T. Davies and is now streaming on Disney+.