Orphan 55

The doctor and her groupies conveniently end up at a simulated resort on a near-dead planet only to find out an inconvenient truth. The plot is simply an excuse to string together some monster footage (reasonably well done) and to set-up a heavy-handed 'message' typical of the show's increasing self-righteousness. The script is silly, plot-holes and coincidences abound, and the cast is showing no signs of improving (although at least Jodie Whittaker cuts back a bit on the 'lovably goofy' shtick). The Doctors increasingly convenient 'psychic powers' (last week it was memory erasure, this week it's mind reading) are going to make future stories difficult to construct. Ironically, the plot's disregard for basic science is worse than that of the people that it's chiding.

After watching this episode I thought it was OK. I couldn't understand all the negative reviews. So I went back and re-watched some David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi episodes. I was literally shocked to see how far the quality of this show has fallen. Something needs to be done about this before it is too late. It's not just the writers but also the actors. They don't seem to understand what they are doing to Doctor Who's legacy. And I was amazed at how much Jodie seems to be trying to mimic the 10th Doctor. I can't think of any other way to fix this problem other than to get rid of Jodie, her companions and Chis Chibnall and try to start over. As an avid fan since 1966 who managed to make it through the hiatus between classic who and new who it really pains me to see what is happening.

When you look at the episode's premise you might think, "that's cool" but then the script is full of exposition and cliche, the acting (particularly from the guest cast) is pretty awful. Production values fantastic once more. I fear the extra investment in production has been drained from the writing department!

And Wilma and Benni... Contenders for worst couple on any episode of television ever. Come on DocWho team, let's get a decent ep on the go. Jodie Whittaker is an incredible actress with so much promise, lets get some good stuff happening!

While the visuals have never been better for Doctor Who, the whole show is being sabotaged by the pedestrian vision of the show-runner, the non-existence of the personalities of two of the Doctor's companions (Ryan and Yaz) and the woeful inadequacies of the lead, Jodie Whittaker. Adding to the problems is the choice of writers for these stories, who all seem to wish they were writing for any other genre than science-fantasy. The entire style and wit of the show has vanished under an avalanche of social responsibility and fashionable points of view regarding politics which, while being laudable, are ham-fistedly represented and have been focussed on at the expense of story and imagination. It's all rather weak and obvious in comparison to previous eras of the show, and - after an energetic and expensive-looking opening story - this one is a return to the lows of the previous season. The only stuff that works are the elements which have been stolen from earlier, better episodes of the show. You can afford to miss this, but while the current show-runner is at the helm, and Whittaker is at the controls of the TARDIS - don't hold your breath waiting for anything to improve.

Very poor even by the substandard efforts of last season. All written to deliver one message that most tuning in to Doctor Who a sci-fi program are trying to escape from especially the way it is lectured at the end. Current affairs and agendas are top of the list now superceding story and plot and will likely be the final nail in the coffin of this once great programme unless sackings happen sooner rather than later. If more effort was made to keep the story believable then maybe the less than subtle preaching wouldn't seem so bad but sadly no just plain terrible.

Poor Jodie is being hung out to dry.