Doctor Who, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”, Review!

The global premiere of the latest season of Doctor Who is here!  It has been a tightly kept secret with nothing revealed from the Cardiff set and no teases from the show’s creatives.  The episode was preceded by the Ultimate Watch Party hosted by Maude Garrett interviewing fans and celebrities.  The program began in 1963 with William Hartnell and has gone through twelve regenerations until we have finally reached the Thirteenth Doctor in the form of Jodie Whitaker.  She has taken the new form in “Twice Upon a Time” (2017) from Peter Capaldi.  It was interesting to see her in Attack the Block (2011), “The Entire History of You” (2011) episode of Black Mirror, and co-starred in Broadchurch (2013-2017) with the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).  Broadchurch also had the same show runner, Chris Chibnall, as the new Doctor Who.  The Doctor is a Time Lord or Lady from Gallifrey who travels through time via the Tardis (Time and Relative Dimension in Space).  In this case, the Doctor’s Tardis has a malfunctioning Chameleon Circuit that has kept it in the form of a blue phone box from the Hartnell’s era, but it has been so iconic that the Doctor prefers to keep it that way. She has taken many fellow adventurers along with her in the Tardis called Companions.  This is basic knowledge to get non-Whovians up to date.  

The pilot’s title refers to the 1976 sci fi film starring David Bowie.  We get a youtube cast about a young man, 19 years old, Ryan Sinclair (played by Hollyoaks actor Tosin Cole) speaking about a woman he knows who is special.  He is trying to learn to ride a bike from Grace O’Brien (Sharon D. Clarke) with help from Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh, host of The Chase).  Ryan wobbly makes his way down the hill path, but falls.  He tosses the bike and sits on the cliffside with Grace and Graham who talk to him a bit before heading off for their train.  The cinematography is beautiful and really adds to the quality of the production.  Ryan heads into the forest looking for the bike, when an energy form appears, he reaches out, and it disappears. Then, a blue object like a giant Hershey’s kiss shows up   A traffic officer, Yasmin Khan (played by another actor from Hollyoaks, Mandip Gill) sees a street argument between two drivers.  Yasmin is sent to the forest to discover the strange object.  Ryan identifies himself and she recognizes him from primary school.  He tells her to touch it and the object glows.  On the train, Grace kisses Graham, and they see a storm that sends Graham out of his seat.  The darkened train has stopped with no power.  The cabin lights up some power.  Grace tries to call Ryan about the train and is cut off.  An explosion, then tendrils of energy lash out, a woman leaps up.  They point to the energy and she attacks it with a pole.  The ball of energy shocks everyone before leaping upwards.  

DOCTOR WHO -- “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” -- Sophie Mutevelian / BBC Studios.

Yasmin and Ryan are suddenly there, she asks the woman, “Madame?”, which confuses the stranger who is surprised she is a woman.  She says, “Half an hour ago, I was a white-haired Scotsman”, very funny line.  Yasmin interviews the other passenger, Carl (Johnny Dixon), while the Doctor gathers her team.  The Doctor explains that she fell out of her exploding Tardis.  Graham is confused by her and The Doctor says she’s an alien.  Carl doesn’t want any part of it and walks away.  The Doctor asks if there is anything “out of the ordinary” and Ryan raises his hand.  In Yasmin’s police car, they all introduce each other, Ryan shows his photos on his cell phone of the object.  Mina explains that Ryan has a coordination disorder.  The object is gone, taken into a truck that makes it’s way through night streets, at a warehouse two young men inspect the object.  Alone, one man, Ramesh Sundur (Asif Khan) sets up cameras around the object and watches it in a chair.  The Doctor, Graham, Grace, and Ryan see Yasmin off to check on reports.  The Doctor passes out.  Yasmin checks in at the Sheffield police station.  Ryan scrolls through his laptop at his home with Grace.  The Doctor is glowing and energy flows out o her breath.  At the warehouse, the object cracks and smokes.  The energy ball has reached a rooftop sending out buses of energy searching.  The cameras explode at the warehouse and the Doctor is startled awake.  The Doctor’s introduction is brilliant, we work out who she is while dealing with the situation.  

The Doctor sees a glow on everyone’s collar bones, DNA bombs that can destroy them, the energy ball planted them.  She uses Ryan’s phone to zap the DNA bomb.  The warehouse, Ramesh looks at the object like an egg, and a robotic suit emerges.  He asks about his sister.  The creature raises it’s hand and kills him.   The Doctor gives directions as Yasmin drives.  She is tracking it through Ryan’s cell phone into the rainy streets.  There’s an explosion and the robotic suit appears.  They run after it.  Ryan leads them to the warehouse, they see the dead man, and he sees the object.  The Doctor identifies it as a “transport chamber.”  Ryan explains that he touched the symbols.  The Doctor realizes that she could build a sonic screwdriver! Yasmin and Ryan go through the man’s computer, and there is an icon, “If I die click here.”  The Doctor explains about the regeneration to Grace and Graham.  The Doctor works with industrial tools to form the new sonic screwdriver, it is awesome!  The video shows the man explaining that his sister was taken.  The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to scan the object.  She finds a “re-call circuitry” and realizes that two warring aliens are there on Earth.  The Doctor hopes to capture the aliens and separate them away.  Graham gets a call.  A man staggers towards the robotic alien and roses his salad at it.  He gets the killing touch from it.  The energy ball on the rooftop is confronted by the Doctor who shocks it with cables with the help of her Companions.  Her sonic screwdriver scan has found a merged creature and finds a projection of Carl.  The robotic alien is there to hunt.  She asks it about teeth.  The alien removes it’s helmet and the removed teeth are trophies around it’s face!  

The Doctor realizes that it is hunting a human like a Predator to become a leader.  She thinks the energy ball is a weapon breaking the rules.  The alien reaches down to take the weapon’s energy and teleports away.  Carl listens to audio affirmations at his construction job.  An older man is the next victim of the alien.  They are racing to find Carl.  The alien climbs up Carl’s construction crane.  She has Graham and Grace evacuate the site and enlists the help of Yasmin and Ryan.  The trio races to a construction crane.  Grace and Graham are evacuating the crew for an emergency power issue.  The Doctor warns Carl and he climbs out to the crane.  The alien reaches the cab.  Ryan and Yasmin reach the top and the Doctor’s plan to have them swing her across and save the day in time for a fried egg sandwich.  Yasmin finds the correct key and Ryan shows how to operate it with his cell phone.  The alien fires it’s power shorting out the crane, it is a far distance to jump to the next crane!  Carl repeats his affirmation and jumps, he is caught by the alien!  The Doctor backs up and makes the jump!  She’s a thousand times more brave than any other Doctor!   The alien takes off his helmet and she checks her coat, needs a new one, and threatens to destroy the re-call circuit.  It threatens to set off the DNA bombs.   Grace kisses Graham and he takes a cable out to the construction crane.  The alien asks the Doctor who she is and she remember now.  It activates the bombs, but the Doctor transferred the bombs to it, and Carl kicks off the alien.  Grace shocks the energy ball and falls!  Back to the narration, Ryan talks about his mother.  He resolves to try to ride his bike again for her.  Ryan falls and falls while the Doctor watches.  Yasmin says that the Doctor needs a change of clothes and she needs their help to find the Tardis.  The Doctor modifies the alien’s machinery to transport herself to the Tardis and instead transports all of them into space!  No Tardis until episode two, great, also I don’t know which character I like more.  Ryan is our pov character, flawed, but still brave.  If there is any question of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, then those still questioning her are not Whovians.  This is a great beginning!   

Five Sonic Screwdrivers out of Five!   

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