The Devil's Chord

In the prologue to this story a music teacher in 1925 plays a 'forbidden note', the devil's note and as a result a strange woman, identifying herself as Maestro emerges from his piano. Back in the present The Doctor asks Ruby if there is anywhere (anywhen) she would like to go; she tells him she'd love to watch The Beatles recording their first album. They manage to blag their way into the studio but the first song is not what they expected; the words are trite and the music bland. The world no longer has proper music and if The Doctor and Ruby don't bring it back by defeating Maestro humanity will be doomed.

After the admittedly low bar set by 'Space Babies' this is a real step up. The story was imaginative and more importantly it was fun. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson continue to impress as The Doctor and Ruby and Jinkx Monsoon was suitably over the top as Maestro. The effects were good. The only part of the story I wasn't keen on was the 'twist at the end'... I really could have done without that but that is just a matter of personal taste; others may love it. Overall an improvement on the series opener; hopefully things will continue to improve.

I've loved this series so far with "The Church on Ruby Road" and "Space Babies" but this episode was just lacking. I'm a big fan of Jinkx Monsoon and her singing but this role did not work for her. I couldn't tell if it was the writing, acting, or a mix of both but Maestro wasn't a scary villain, just annoying and frankly cliche. The whole episode felt bland, even when music was in the world. It was a long and boring ride that barely kept me awake. There was no point to The Beatles being in it except to provide a reason for the Maestro to get entangled with the Doctor and Ruby and for writers to be able to drop non discreet references every 5 seconds. The ending was confusing and the way they beat Maestro was lacking depth and the climatic element were all used to getting from Doctor Who.

Having been disappointed by the first episode, the pre-titles sequence set the tone for a much better, more enjoyable time. The moment Maestro played into the intro was just fantastic!

The story progressed at a good pace and Jinx Monsoon stole the scenes they were in akin to the way that Neil Patrick Harris did as the Toymaker. However the episode still lacked that little extra that turns a good episode into a great episode. The jeopardy was cranked up too quickly for a natural build and not played about with enough to actually believe it (even in the reality pause world of Dr Who). I suppose the musical number at the end fit but I just wasn't keen. Having said that, I'm sure plenty will disagree on that.

Notice I've not mentioned the Beatles yet, which was the big selling point of the episode? Well that's because their initial introduction was actually quite funny but they were pretty much rendered insignificant after that except at a very predictable point. I also felt the musical number could have sounded more Beatles-esque. Opportunity missed.

In summary, fun, enjoyable and watchable, just not great.

A thoroughly entertaining episode, I really enjoyed "The Devil's Chord". Already, I feel that both Ncuti and Millie have become comfortable in their roles and there's genuine chemistry between the two.

Jinkx Monsoon is the surprise standout element - they were a top notch villain and a natural successor to Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker. Monsoon was genuinely creepy in this episode and brought a sense of true peril to the proceedings.

There are many moments of this episode that will remain in the viewer's memory - and for all the right reasons.

Two episodes in (excluding the Christmas special) and I'm feeling comfortable that "Doctor Who" has course corrected.

8 out of 10.

The latest Doctor Who episode was a perplexing deviation from the series' usually engrossing narrative standards. Ostensibly designed to focus on a musical theme, the episode unfortunately fell flat due to a poorly executed storyline that failed to captivate. From the outset, it was evident that the narrative ambition was not matched by its execution-resulting in a viewing experience that felt superficial and disappointingly uneventful.

One of the primary letdowns was the lack of dynamic progression within the plot. Doctor Who, known for its imaginative twists and deep, character-driven tales, seemed to lose its way, presenting a story that felt underdeveloped and unnecessarily drawn out. The episode could have benefited significantly from tighter editing, potentially being more impactful as a concise 20-minute piece rather than a full-length installment.

Moreover, the episode's attempt at reinvention did not translate into the high-quality storytelling we've come to expect. While innovation in series format can be refreshing, it requires a careful balance of novelty and substance-something this episode sorely lacked. Comparatively, it contributed little to the overarching saga of Doctor Who and did not provide the emotional or intellectual engagement typically induced by the series.

It is truly unfortunate that, despite its promising premise, the episode did not deliver the excitement or the immersive experience that defines the best of Doctor Who. This was a notable disappointment, especially for someone like myself, who usually finds it easy to lose themselves in the adventurous realms of the Doctor and their companions.