What the fuck is this?
It had the two things I hate the most: bad writing and crying children.
Yeah I’m just gonna say no they shouldn’t have animated those babies mouths that way. And I never need to hear Space Babies said again.
People were happy to get Russel T Davies back.
I didnt expect the opening episode of the season to be as bad as the worst stuff put out by Chinball or Moffatt.
Creepy and weird is Doctor Who's forte, and the idea of space babies fits right into that, as does the idea of the computer taking the concept of a 'bogeyman' literally. Yes, animating the babies mouths was creepy, but that is exactly why they did it. It draws on the uncanny valley effect, as does the idea of babies speaking and fully developed brains.
As with all Doctor Who episodes that use comedy, it's done to balance the serious topics that were introduced, including the concept that babies were abandoned to die by a planet that could have stopped them from being born in the first place. A world that wasn't that surprising to Ruby, nor was it to me either.
I'm not quite sure why people are saying that this is any more immature than other concepts that have been on the show. I think it's more likely that certain people are going to complain about any episode in this new series because they are pre-dispositioned against the new Doctor. I've already seen someone blame Disney, a company that is only streaming the show for international audiences, and has no involvement in the making of this British show.
If all you saw was the comedy, then you missed what this episode was about.
For a series premier, this was not a good episode. For a doctor who episode, it wasn't a good episode. The CGI on the babies mouths was horrific.
i love how this is playing with doctor who's lore and i wonder if davies is cooking something that connects ruby to rose because of the references (the human race having survived and your mother being long dead is too much to handle, hope and mourn mix up? call her to say you love her! thanks technology. horrible cgi connects cassandra and the babies, and I love that too. thanks technology!). i love the push the bottom reference and everything else. and it didn't lose its bluntness on serious themes (talk about abortion and child care in a children's story with monsters made of bogey and a spaceship fart powered? oh did i mention just this once everybody lives? yes, even the monsters!). everything feels very familiar... maybe even too familiar, too doctor whoesque. i'm intrigued
also davies is clearly trying to talk to the show's older fans while working on something new, so i don't really get what people are complaining about. oh no i remember. doctor who fans complaining about doctor who being doctor who is also part of the lore :wink:
Purely based on the nonstop background music again! (this isn''t a YouTube clip, it's 40 odd minutes)
feels like I'm being waterboarded. I can't concentrate on anything that's happening, it's like someone's playing classic fm all around me
What a reboot! I am loving this new series, it's so good to have RTD and Murray Gold back again!
This was fun! A great introduction for new fans, weird plot but that's very Doctor Who, big budget and interesting mystery about Ruby! So fun to follow this from the start and look back at this one day, like The Bad Wolf Arc from 2005.
In most tv shows and movies, it's generally agreed that when kids are there, they can easily be annoying, and make the film/episode more annoying.
So Russel T Davies, for the first episode of a new Doctor Who season, decided to introduce an array of child characters.
Child characters nearly always fail. Child oriented plots always, always, always fail. Yet here is another, and of course it fails.
I tried to give it a chance. I liked it up until the kids.
This was supposed to be the proper start to a new season of Doctor Who, and the proper start for this doctor and companion rather than the christmas special "The Chuch on Ruby Road" which was a decent if lackluster special, and this first episode is exactly the same quality. Many fans were displeased with the christmas special or thought it was okay like i did. Those were the general consensus rather than it being particularly good or bad. We were hoping this first episode would be a lot more better, and maybe even more mature, or at least a more mature start to show us what Russell is capable of, like with how in the past he often managed to balance the serious with the campy quite well, and sometimes he would write really dark episodes like Midnight. This episode was supposed to be a glimpse into what the season would be like, and Doctor Who as a whole in this new era.
And i am sorely disappointed.
I am happy to say at least that Ncuti Gatwa FEELS like The Doctor. He thinks and acts and talks like The Doctor but a new incarnation of him. Except there is a certain wisdom and old age missing from the dialogue. Which you would think there would be more of, given The Doctor's age. In-universe i can only surmise that this doctor wants to escape that kind of past of himself. That he's a new, fresh person, wanting to reconnect with his youth and fully embrace that side and role of him. That of the young man enjoying himself and traveling and not having many connections. I find it a bit superficial though, and even a bit reckless to have this kind of attitude, though it's still only early days in analyzing this incarnation of the doctor. He didn't talk to Ruby much about the potential dangers of his travels, adding to his recklessness.
I was surprised by how funny The Doctor was this episode, i liked it. Some laughs surprised me though, like with how he made the babies cry. I thought that seemed a bit out of character, but it wouldn't exactly be, if this incarnation's morality was a bit skewed as i already suspect. He's still The Doctor though, and you do see and feel that clearly in the episode. He has his cleverness and wonder and cool side, along with moments of depth and wisdom. I liked it, and i like Ncuti in the role.
Ruby as the companion though, i have more issue with. Millie Gibson does a decent job, but it's clear to me that she is inexperienced acting. Her facial expressions and mannerisms and speech look to to me as inexperience in the acting field. Maybe part of that is how young she is, being 18 or 19 when she filmed this, or maybe she just isn't very good. However, she does a decent job, and she isn't too bad. As for the character herself, i'm sure not sure. I kinda like her, but i need to see more of her and i need to see her properly tested, and i need to see how she acts with various people and aliens and when she's away from The Doctor. I don't know much about her or what she's capable of. I know she's got a tough streak in her, and i know she can be caring and kind, and curious too, so i guess we'll wait to see more of her.
It was a weak episode in general really. No strong villain, and the supposed villain wasn't really a villain. The nani does something supposedly wrong later on, gets told off and then she's alright again.
There is a disconnect in tone between the aggressive and creepy nature of the monster and it's behavior contrasted against the silly cringe child people. Then there is only a silly tone throughout the rest of the episode when we find out the creature is made from bogey's and other such sillyness. I intensely disliked it all.
One of the babies goes to fight the monster. Stupid. But listen to this. So the baby then hides after it hears the monster roar, right, and goes to hide. Then, the doctor finds the baby because he can smell the baby had shit itself.
That's literally the plot of what happens.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I hated the baby characters.
You would think given the political leanings and activism of the creators and stars that there would be a political message concerning the babies and the baby farms, and well, there is, but it isn't overt or targeting at a specific group, not that it matters as it's clumsily and thinly written. But it's not the focus of the episode nor does it derail it, and nor is the political message overt in an annoying or patronizing way. It's a very small aspect of the episode and it doesn't really mean anything.
The episode feels too rushed over the deeper moments. The dialogue feels less good compared to doctor-companion interactions in the past, for every single pairing.
I liked the doctor in the air lock, even though it didn't really make sense with how powerful the pressure would be from venting an air lock.
We saw about 10 babies, and in only 6 years, they managed to produce enough shit to power the engine of a spaceship. This is a literal plot point.
Makes no sense at all. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
It's an okay if mediocre episode with decent moments, and it sure ain't good. It's possibly one of if not THE worst first episode of a Doctor Who season. I am sorely disappointed. It's too silly, childish and cringe for the most part. The balance between serious and campy was not done well at all.
Even in a crowded landscape (of fantasy, space opera, superhero, and sci-fi shows) Doctor Who is unique. It gets away with stuff no other show would. Here, it’s talking babies.
Very much on familiar territory here. The TARDIS frequently lands on a space station (or spaceship) that’s in trouble. I love these kinds of episodes. This one was a bit too talky, and the end fizzles, but it was smart and scary and fun for most of the runtime.
The mystery of Ruby deepens and gets better the more we learn.
8/10
:pray_tone2:65% = Fine! = Skippable!
Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!
THE ONE WITH THE MONSTER MADE OF SNOT!
They’ve improved the title sequence, fixing pretty much all the problems I had with the one from Church on Ruby Road! It's not perfect, but it's much better!
I quite like the opening scene, which is a traditional Doctor Who crash course meant to explain to the new companion and the audience what the show and the lead character are all about.
Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson feel like old mates already. Gatwa’s playful take on the Doctor is infectious, and Gibson is charming with her youthful energy and constant awe. They carry the episode very well, and Gatwa finally feels like the Doctor here, as he brings out a wide range of emotions, from happy energy to true fear and intense determination.
I don't find the first TARDIS trip, where Ruby steps on a butterfly and transforms into an alien, to be particularly funny. Additional jokes that fail to resonate include Gatwa's repetitive use of the episode's title and the snot and poop jokes (which feel so 2005! ), whereas the nanny filter gags are genuinely amusing.
It feels weird how quickly the Doctor and Ruby get into trouble after materialising onto the spaceship. They immediately begin exploring and encounter the monster, which is only glimpsed through quick cuts (a classic horror trope that is used rather effectively). This is the Bogeyman, a pretty traditional Doctor Who monster made effecively scary by the realistic rubber suit, the clever direction, and good editing whenever it appears on screen.
The entire idea of a spaceship run by babies and with a baby farm is equally creepy, bizarre, and silly, and somehow it feels a bit too weird, even for Doctor Who. These are also parts of RTD's political commentary on refugees and abortion that don't pop up too obtrusively.
The spaceship design is simple and effective (you can sense the scale and level of detail), and the visual effects are top notch (though the effect used for the babies' lip movements doesn't look right at all). The voice acting for the babies also feels a bit off, but that might be deliberate.
Space Babies has a simplistic plot that finds time to develop the mystery around Ruby's past while also developing the main narrative around the babies and the Bogeyman.
After a very rushed start, the middle of the episode takes some time to flesh out the setting and the reason for the space babies—a simple and logical reason. It then focuses on solving the monster's mystery, making good use of the characters and setting. I quite like the clever solution of why the Bogeyman exists, as it has been created by the spaceship computer, who has interpreted the Bogeyman fairytale literally (it’s a monster made of snot or bogies—only on Doctor Who!). It’s almost as silly as the Kandyman from The Happiness Patrol.
The climax and solution are pretty standard fare for Doctor Who.
I love the new way the TARDIS materializes, sort of shooting onto the scene as if shot from a cannon, as it looks so cool!
The “phone your mom” scene is a wonderful hark back to The End of the World (2005).
So, we get new Time Lord names: the Bishop, the Conquistador, the Sag-ishi, and so on! Now we wait for the Big Finish spin-offs featuring these characters!
Space Babies is silly, bizarre, and uneven; new viewers run the risk of being put off, while old fans are left wondering whether or not this is the weirdest season opener in Doctor Who history.
How did it just happened? What went wrong? Am I no longer suited for The Doctor?
I am so disappointed. On the good side, it can't get any worse.
OK. It's official. Dr. Who is dead. The last seasons with Jodie were bad, but this is even worse. I'm out. Bye Doc.
Completely agreed. The writing just makes me want to hurl. The magic is gone, it's definitely different, which is fine, but - I feel like I'm watching zombeavers in terms of writing. I guess maybe it's just to happy if a tone? The fact that they just wished away all feelings and now there's a scene talking about dead parents while giggling? No pun intended. It's to comedic, not - majestic imo. But that's all it is, an opinion from a doctor who can who grew up as a kid watching the hole series in clips on YouTube under the covers at 3am :joy: it's been absolutely butchered. And I'm strictly only talking about the writing. We deserved so much better.
Hmm well that was not good. But but but...We can only go up from here. Right?
I'm not sure how I feel about Ncuti.
His acting was very fun to watch in Sex Education so I was excited to hear he got cast as the next doctor.
But then he had to openly speak against white people and white males, for no reason at all.
It left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't care if he played the role well or not.
Anyway, as for the episode, it was way too childish.
Perfect for Disney, but not made for kids, so who was it for then?
As for the Doctor himself... I still don't see Ncuti as the doctor, but maybe that'll change in time. His acting is a bit overzealous, but the doctor has always been quirky. Still, something feels off.
3 bonus stars only because a certain writer is back!
I started this series for the first time with the first episode of this series and it was good. I love this kind of series. I thought Ruby and Doctor were very good. Lets continue.
This isn’t Doctor Who. This is shit.
I felt like I was watching a children's TV series. It's okay to add new dynamics to the Doctor, but bringing the butterfly to life? They are trying to explain the butterfly effect as if explaining it to a child. Don't do it. There's no need. At the beginning of the episode, they give a summary of the previous seasons without spoiling it. I didn't like Ruby either. Again, it is obvious that the cast was made in a way that children would like. The episode was very cheap. They put the babies in to make it look cute. A children's story is told. The Disney effect is very obvious. There is no trace of his old self now. There is no problem in the Doctor appearing to be gay or being black, but unfortunately, they all stand out in this confusion of concepts. Because of the general attitude of the series, it's as if he's bad because he's black, but that's not why. There was no problem when she was a woman, but unfortunately the script and acting were bad. Bad episode, bad series. This must be the reason why they started like a new series. 1963 Doctor Who is outdated. 2005 Doctor Who was a serious business that started well and ended badly. 2024 Doctor Who children's TV series. (I don't like the new sonic screwdriver either.
Disney Agenda. Another series ruined.
Season 14 appears to be season 1.
If the characters winked at the screen any harder, their eyeballs would bleed. It's a worthy message, but with such ham-fisted writing that it makes Whittaker's run seem nuanced and understated.
Otherwise, this is exactly what you would expect from modern Who.
Why did they think having Babies would be a good pilot to kick of the series? Hope it gets better than baby exposition dump.
This is without a doubt the most cringingly awful episode of Doctor Who that has been produced this century, worse even than the worst of the Christmas specials. Hellfire, even Chibnall didn't sink this low; from RTD this is unforgivable. There are literally no redeeming features at all. It's almost like a bad parody of a DW episode. Every copy of it should be permanently destroyed and all memory of it erased from the Doctor Who history/timeline. What an awful start to the adventures of The Doctor and Ruby Sunday! There is absolutely no value in watching this episode; if you have yet to start watching this reboot of DW, don't bother with his diabolical tripe, just go straight to episode 2, which thankfully is an entire universe better than this drivel. In fact, E2 is very good, exactly how Doctor Who should be. At the time of writing, I have only watched the first three episodes - E3 is also pretty good. Thankfully the episode quality seems to have returned to the high standards of (the majority of) episodes from previous seasons.
This is my first time watching Doctor Who and i really like it!
The political points about abortion and immigration were interesting :thinking:
But i did not see the Doctor remember to grab his screwdriver back
I'm sure there will be better episodes with bigger stakes this season but that was a good fun episode that I can watch with my kid. I thought the references were good, the babies were cute and monster suitably scary. Looking forward to more!
Boring episode. This show should be renamed to Dr. Disney.
Some of those babies are not cute at all.
As Ruby's Gran said, "what de blinkin' flip?!"
1) I didn't hate it, but the episode is more bizarre than usual.
2) Baby Eric looks like Mark Gatiss. "That's a baby Mycroft Holmes" was literally all I could think when I saw him.
3) I did, very much, enjoy the direct reference to the scene in Alien: Ressurection where Ripley(The Doctor) watches the newborn hybrid(Bogeyman) get ripped into space.
What a return... but I'd much rather find out about Ruby's origins, tyvm.
6/10
So, Disney takes over and the first thing they do is abandon a bunch of children. Some things never change.
Yeah! The Doctor is finally back! Nice story, great actor. Can't wait for the next episodes! Now just fix the season numbering, that's surely not season 1.
Shout by Alexandra EBlockedParent2024-05-11T00:45:37Z
This sucked. The rest of the season better be better.... I love Ncuti. And have been super excited even after the dismal Ruby Road troll thing. But this was both disgusting and too childish. Maybe Disney involvement is ruining the messaging that Whovians are accustomed to. This came off as made for children rather than the fan base. I hope it gets better.