Fugitive of the Judoon

"There's another identity hidden within you."

Writers: Vinay Patel & Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26 January 2020

Series: 12.05

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham, Captain Jack

Synopsis

Ko Sho Blo! Trigger-happy space police the Judoon are targeting 21st-century Gloucester. The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham race back to Earth in order to prevent them doing too much damage to the cathedral city. But who are they looking for, and what did they do to incur the wrath of the Judoon?

Verdict

Fugitive of the Judoon was an outstanding episode of Doctor Who and even better than I remembered on broadcast of Series 12! It's without doubt deserving of full marks and I was glad to be watching with the foreknowledge of who Ruth was as that made for an enjoyable and unique perspective on the episode. It's an incredibly strong one and has so many good elements with the return of the Judoon and the shock appearance of Captain Jack all thrown in! The setting of Gloucester worked well and I thought the initial focus on Ruth was great. It was enjoyable to watch her as a tour guide in Gloucester and during my early days at university that was something I could see myself doing as a job and it's always a port of call of mine when on holiday as a tourist. The arrival of the Judoon was excellent and just a huge amount of fun with the Doctor's shock at their act in cutting off transport to and from Earth. The way she got through and into Gloucester was terrific and I thought the moment she challenged the Judoon Captain was fantastic. The Judoon acting outside of their jurisdiction was very good and Yaz's past as a police offer helping in provide arbitration was great stuff. The relationship between Ruth and Lee was intriguing and it was clear almost from the off that the latter was more than just an ordinary human. The message on the cake was hilarious and Graham's reaction added to that. The little hints surrounding the true identity of Ruth were very good and the pacing of this one was full on excitement but timed really well. The moment where Ruth's instincts kicked in within the cathedral and she overpowered the Judoon was full of impact and the message she had from Lee regarding the light was intriguing. It was really good for the Doctor to be questioning her on her past and I liked that Ruth knew it was a test. The lighthouse within her family was great and the break glass being the way her chameleon arch failsafe returned her to normal was brilliant. The Doctor's reaction to digging up the TARDIS beneath the blank gravestone was outstading and Jodie Whittaker had another stellar episode. Captain Jack interacting with all of the companions was magnificent and his arrival was just marvellous. His thinking that Graham was the Doctor was great and I loved how he reacted to the knowledge that the Doctor was now a woman. I can't wait for them to finally meet up in Revolution of the Daleks. The warning of the lone Cyberman was also excellent in terms of the series arc and setting things up for the finale. The Fugitive Doctor's look was really good and Doctor-ish and the TARDIS interior was sublime. It was a perfect mixup of retro and modern and I remember being astonished and confused about where this incarnation of the Doctor might be placed in the Doctor's timeline, but since broadcast I believed her to be placed between the Second and Third Doctors and part of the whole Season 6b theory. It fits well, but the line in the TARDIS here with the Fugitive Doctor not recognising the sonic screwdriver seems to potentially contradict that given it first appeared in Fury from the Deep. It didn't feature a great deal more with the second incarnation and potential memory loss might answer that query, but with the TARDIS being a police box I just don't see where else she can fit in! Gat was a superb villain and I loved that she was Gallifreyan. Her reaction to the Thirteenth Doctor revealing that Gallifrey was in ruins was very powerful and the Fugitive Doctor knowing that her weapon would turn on her was uncharacteristic of our hero but a fantastic moment. Overall, this was an outstanding episode that raises so many questions and I liked the Judoon involvement and interaction. Their being trigger happy space police really worked well here and Captain Jack as an addition just capped it off. So many questions, but I look forward to the answers. Overall, an incredible episode!

Rating: 10/10