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Oh my, King James suddenly got a lot less gay and became a lot more colorful. Written by showrunner Russell T Davies, it certainly is something of his that I can tell he’s had bubbling for a while. As Australian writer and director Amanda Brotchie makes her Doctor Who directorial debut. Brotchie is probably best known for her own show Lowdown, which itself is best known for being a small blip in the career of Ashley Zukerman and some guy called Antony Starr. Brotchie also did two episodes of season 2 of Sally Wainwright’s lesbian historical drama, Gentleman Jack.

Set in the 1950s as a result of the TARDIS being a mardy cow about the world being destroyed on or by May 24th, 2025, the “Americans” are back with their accents. Some are fine because they’re Americans, and some of them obviously aren’t. In a mix of fate and typical Doctor Who “explain that again?” the projectionist at some picture house, movie theater, or whatever leaves the teaspoon for his hot drink on the side. I’ve never been more infuriated in my life, what if you didn’t stir it properly and more importantly do you know what else has been on there?

The film of Mr Ring-O-Ding, a Fleischer-style (Cuphead, uncultured swine) picture, is being shown. It just so happens to bounce off some glass, into a mirror, hit the moon, boil an egg for Dick Van Dyke, hit the spoon, let the steam from the hot drink waft back into the light of the projection, and bring the little fella to life. Never being one to back down from a mystery, the Velma of color (and different gender) takes Belinda into the abandoned picture house where several people disappeared only three months prior.

So, who guessed the answer because they remembered the Roman mythology they learned in school? Sure, that’s Lucina, but in Latin, that’s Lux, which means light and is the reason we think of Juno and Diana when we talk about the moonlight and cycle – particularly fertility and pregnancy. Yes, it’s another Pantheon episode after “The Giggle” and “The Devil’s Chord,” I’m somewhat sitting here looking at Russell with a bit of a side-eye. There are parts of “Lux” that are enjoyable, and then there is practically everything second- and third-act related.

Without a way home, Belinda accepts with an “Okey dokey!” that the only way to get home is to go on the adventure and let The Doctor’s contraption solve the problem and do its work. Then that’s resolved after two minutes, and the only thing keeping her here is The Doctor basically saying “No, I really want to check out the creepy, chained up, and abandoned picture house.” I only say this because there was such a big thing about it in “The Robot Revolution,” where Belinda kicks up a stink about his behavior and actions, calling it out.

The steps taken to sort of drag the show out of the 20th and earlier 21st century just seem to have been forgotten on a whim. I could probably forgive it if there was just one more line, just something to say “this is why she’s going along,” instead of just accepting it with little said about it. Either make it a thing and stick to it or don’t. It leaves the character, who I got attached to 20-30 minutes prior, feeling a bit like she’s wavering between emotions.

Nonetheless, learning the lessons from Malorie Blackman, we are at least allowed to acknowledge the people of color characters in this historical bit of fiction who weren’t welcome in the most basic of places. Heading to the diner across the street from the picture house, the two are invited to “break the rules” and sit with an old woman whose son went missing. Now we’re practically sent into a need for exploring the creepy place that has Mr Ring-O-Ding playing every night like clockwork.

It is this bit of the episode that I quite like. It isn’t horror, but it is menacing, it isn’t too heavy but isn’t too light either. Even the bit where we’re outright told by Lux itself, “don’t make me laugh” then does the tri-tone scale laugh we heard in “The Giggle.” It all gives a hint of mystery that I could spend the majority of the episode in, running away and figuring out how to defeat/contain Lux. That’s kind of the idea, but… We’ll get to it.

Mr Ring-O-Ding himself is probably a highlight too, and not just because it’s Alan Cumming. Hence the reference to King James; it wasn’t going to be my Mastermind special topic, references to surfing in the early King James Bible. The animation and style are that of the Fleischer style, which of course we rarely see now. Moreover, with the lack of Who Framed Roger Rabbit live-action animation, it keeps the episode refreshing in that early portion.

What sours my taste for the episode is when Lux captures The Doctor and Belinda, putting them in their own, almost Hanna-Barbera cartoon, which I like for all of a second. It just looks cheaper, almost by the dozen. It is sort of the point, as for a plot element, it is about the two developing dimensions (both as characters and in perspective) and breaking free from the trap set by Lux. However, production-wise, it looks cheap because it is only a very short element of the episode, and we don’t get a Scream of the Shalka, fully animated piece for the rest of the episode.

From there it is very TV and a bit crap. I like the Doctor grabbing the frame and pulling it down while in Morpheus’ layer – I would hate it if it was interlaced, and not just because it looks terrible. What really puts me off the episode, however, is touching the glass of the camera, pushing in (or out?) the glass of the TV, then stepping into the living room of Doctor Who fans.

There are certain words I’m not allowed to say here, which is going to make this difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. This whole “No, you are characters in a BBC TV show called Doctor Who, look, I even have the Fez, he has the scarf, and everything” just feels like Russell bending over backwards to please himself.

I love Russell, I have since 2005, but trying to bring this whole meta-narrative of these fans who do and don’t and do exist (it’s “timey-wimey” but stupid), it is tiring. Not just because it is a meta-narrative bending backwards, forwards, and sideways to be a bit self-congratulatory to the writer. It’s also a bit of a snide attack on anyone who talks about the show outside of the perfect light, forever and always. Robyn, as played by Steph Lacey, is presented as a disabled Doctor Who fan who is chronically online, with the actual drop-in (ADR) line “#RIPDoctorWho.”

What bothers me so much about that is that Robyn is the character that isn’t pissing themselves with joy that Ncuti is stood there. She isn’t overexcited, she isn’t jumping to say the lines out of any excitement, she’s presented as the calmest person in the room, almost dejected. I’m all for having an excited reaction to bits of Doctor Who, I’m currently rewatching bits of series 4-7, and I won’t lie that seeing Wilf makes me cry. He’s perfect. Am I cheering like an American watching phase 1-3 of Marvel when Lesley Sharp is sucked off into the wilderness of Midnight? No.

I’ve also been quite vocal about my displeasure with certain aspects of the show, all the way back to Russell’s first run. So, not only does it feel like a bitter attack on fans, it feels like a personal attack as someone who will talk about things I dislike, and putting that into the voice of the only visibly disabled character feels like another punch downwards. I get where it is supposed to be aimed, but having the disabled character who does have a more critical view of the show be the one to say “#RIPDoctorWho” feels like a cop-out in an attempt to stop more “sensitive,” The Guardian reading people criticizing it.

As someone who loves the show, the Big Finish, the books, and everything about it, I clearly don’t want Doctor Who to die. “#RIPDoctorWho” is meant to be a hit at the toxic YouTube/Twitter (call your kid by her name!) people who generate money out of building, boiling, and festering that toxicity. That line should be aimed at those people. However, putting it into the mouth of the disabled person who can be a bit more critical rather than toxically positive, it lacks the nuance such a line needs to work.

I dislike the entire segment because it is so pretentious; I have no other synonym for how self-congratulatory it is. All three even list their favorite episode, and of course, it’s reaching over to rub the inside of Steven’s leg a bit with “Blink.” So no one is going to say “Love & Monsters” for fun, “The Husbands of River Song,” “The Day of the Doctor,” “Time Heist,” “The Power of Three,” “Rose,” “Smith & Jones,” “Utopia,” “The End of Time” both parts, “Victory of the Daleks,” “Vincent and the Doctor,” “Let’s kill Hitler,” “Hide,” “The Rings of Akhaten,” or even “Heaven Sent!”

Knowing Russell’s desire to make Robyn look as horrible as possible, I’m surprised she didn’t just say “The Talons of Weng-Chiang.” Yeah, the DVD they don’t really print anymore, for good reason. Instead, we’ve got Ncuti listing practically all the episodes he’s been in, which isn’t a lot. It’s just a really awkward, horrible scene that serves two masters and it isn’t for the story but rather the ego of two writers and the endlessly toxic positivity of certain chronically online fans riled up by the toxicity of those chanting #RIPDoctorWho.

The first half of “Lux” is fun, it is dark but keeps that light Doctor Who spirit about it, it shows that Belinda can be pulled into the adventure, even if it is awkwardly. I really enjoy that first half of the episode and would rewatch the episode over and over if it were just that focused. However, much like a certain Hearts game I went to recently, “Lux” is an episode of two halves. The latter in particular being like a long, wet fart that you’re not sure if the person followed through on, you just don’t want to experience it again.

Off the top of my head, including the specials, this is the lowest episode of Doctor Who since Russell’s return. I know, I must absolutely hate the show and want it to die, right? No, I’m allowed an opinion, and I’m allowed to say that it is less than a seven out of ten. To go back to naming almost random episodes, it’s not “In the Forest of the Night” or “Kill the Moon,” but I’ll admit I’d rather rewatch “Robot of Sherwood” or “The Shakespeare Code” instead. This is coming from someone who despises Robin Hood and would rather kick Shakespeare to death.

I want to like “Lux,” I like the idea of Lux (the character) more than I like the seasonal pantheon episode, but that’s an aside. I love the campness and energy that Alan Cumming brings to everything he does, whether it is crap like Son of the Mask or it is cheap-ish and meh Doctor Who focused around the Witch trials. He’s fantastic.

Ultimately, “Lux” feels like a chore to look at critically for several reasons, mostly the fans. It’s also feeling a bit repetitive to have the second episode once again be about the Pantheon and Mrs Flood, and I’m just tired of pushing this so heavily. The last time we saw something pushed this much it was the drums in Series 3, but even the “Vote Saxon” posters weren’t hammered in like a tent peg. What starts as a fine episode falls away to become a tired and repetitive self-congratulatory meta-narrative that feels like it is punching down, even to fans who do love the show.

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Doctor Who "Lux"

5.5

Score

5.5/10

Pros

• Mr Ring-O-Ding/Lux's animation.
• Alan Cumming, forever perfect.
• The feeling of that first half is really good, but squandered.

Cons

• The entire second half.
• The animation for The Doctor and Belinda felt cheap.
• That whole 4th wall-breaking, fans segment.
• Robyn's characterization feels like a bitter, broad attack on fans with an opinion.