How we all doing after last week’s roller coaster of a ride with the return of Captain Jack and a second Doctor? Because damn was that not amazing or what? As we all still try to figure out what it all means, we’ve got weird stuff happening in Hong Kong, Peru, and Madagascar to deal with that is taking a bit of a priority, mysterious diseases and all that. So we’ll put the mysteries of Ruth Doctor (reluctantly) aside for now and dig into the mysteries of “Praxeus.” As always, spoilers within.
1. I Want to Say One Word to You
That’s what brought the aliens to earth this time. Plastics.
Plastics as a host for an alien pathogen that has jumped to birds and subsequently to humans, turning their skin hard and plastic-like before a painful explosion and bodily disintegration. Plastics are what bring a travel blogger in South America, a British astronaut marked for missing in Asia, and some shifty scientists and a naval officer in Madagascar together, in a sort of Whovian take on Love Actually. Plastics are also the reminder that we are slowly killing ourselves and our planet, as they are everywhere from the air to the ocean.
It’s another message about our role in perpetuating dangerous climate change, but with a softer touch compared to “Orphan 55.” All it needed was a cute robot or two, and you’ve got Doctor Who does WALL-E. And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room; pandemic is a very hot topic right now with coronavirus spreading worldwide.
And kudos to the special effects team, as that was painful and frightening to watch naval officer Zac and travel blogger Jamila die of the Praxeus.
2. Character Development Done Wrong
This show is failing Ryan and I don’t like it one bit. When he was introduced last year he had some interesting bits and pieces of character that I wanted to learn more about: his relationship with step-granddad Graham, his less than ideal relationship with his father, his dyspraxia. All of this is nonexistent this season as Ryan now seems to be love interest for any cute girl that crosses paths with the fam. On one hand, it’s a clever twist on Whovian companions over the years that were window dressing (looking at you, Peri) or played hopelessly in love with the Doctor (looking at you, Rose, as much as I adored you). After years of women as accessories, it’s a bit fun to see the shoe on the other foot, so to speak. On the other, the missed potential is vast.
3. Character Development Done Right
On the flip side, Yaz and Graham get some wonderful moments to shine. Yaz takes a chance and stands up to the Doctor’s initial orders to investigate something further. And with the assistance of travel blogger Gabriela, they find themselves at the bottom of the Indian Ocean and the submarine of that dearly departed naval officer. (The script really doesn’t do anything with this revelation, and that’s troublesome for reasons I’ll detail in a bit, but let’s leave that aside right now.) She shows off some of those keen investigative skills from her non-TARDIS life, finally.
This exploration does lead to the heart of the mystery virus and the revelation that one of those scientists at the Indian Ocean is not what they seem. In a roundabout way, Yaz solved the mystery. It’s the most she’s done all season, and it’s brilliant to watch – – and reminded me a fair bit of Ace, that Seventh Doctor companion who was eager to learn all there is to being a Time Lord. (Fun fact: had the show continued past its cancellation in 1989, a storyline would have seen Ace studying to be a Time Lord.) More of this, please.
It’s also easy to keep playing Graham off as an extended “ok boomer” joke, and there’s a clever moment showing his ineptness with technology. (Clever in the sense of the comedic timing: quiet and slight but speaking volumes.) He does get to let his guard down and connect with police officer Jake, the husband of this iteration of the impossible astronaut Andy, as they talk through the ups and downs of relationships.
Continued belowAnd while we’re at it: the Chibnall era’s trend of understated moments of representation that speaks volumes continues featuring gay married couple Andy and Jake front and center in this story. Doctor Who is no stranger to LGBT representation; who cannot forget Jenny and her spouse Madame Vastra? To my knowledge, this is the first time that a gay male couple has been featured prominently on Who, kissing and all. The show doesn’t call attention to it, but it’s there, and that’s how it should be.
4. GOOGLE IT
This is small but it bothered the librarian in me. How could any of the companions not know what a pathogen was? Have not one of you even played the video game Pandemic? Google that ish. You all have smartphones.
5. Where’s the Doctor?
After last week’s introduction of the Ruth Doctor, I was craving more, wanting more, making whatever came next a very tough act to follow. And “Praxeus” was entertaining as well as timely, if lacking in tension. But there’s too many big mysteries in our rear view mirror of this season right now to take this kind of pause. Could this episode’s primary weakness really been its scheduling, placement after a jaw-dropping plot twist? Yes, quite possibly, though this episode is not without faults we’ve seen before, such as the aforementioned plot developments introduced and then tossed aside, or too many characters in search of development in the script. It’s an even further letdown when you see that Pete McTighe, crafter of the witty Space Amazon tale “Kerblam!” from last season, has a co-writing credit.
The show has built some very fascinating momentum and mysteries in this first half, but now I wonder (and worry) with episodes like this (and next week’s where we get . . . creepy nuns?) we’re losing that momentum. I don’t want that to happen, when there’s so much potential in the reinventions of continuity and canon presented already.
Afterthoughts:
– Graham knows a little bit too much about intravenous drips. Remember when he was at the doctor in the season premiere? Is there something else going on that we need to know about, dear?
– Gabriela’s shock at how no one has heard about her travel blog reminded me of the “Hidden Human History” podcast that was the focus of the second arc of “Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor” comics that everyone had heard of . . . except the Doctor. Turnabout is fair play!
Line of the night:
The Doctor (to Ryan): “That’s why you smell like dead bird! I thought you changed your shower gel.”
