Dot and Bubble

"We work and then we play."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1 June 2024

Series: 14.05

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Ruby

Synopsis

The world of Finetime seems happy and harmonious. But an awful terror is preying on the citizens. Can the Doctor and Ruby make them see the truth before it's too late?

Verdict

Dot and Bubble was another good episode to continue the ongoing series! This was a very unique episode and a rather different change of pace from last week's 73 Yards and initially it had a vibe of being a little more uplifting and feel good, but it was far from that by the end! The idea of the story focusing on the younger population being ingrained in the world of any form of social media was good and taking that to a futuristic setting worked well. I thought the bubble was good and I loved just how reliant the population were on their bubble. Right from the moment they woke up they needed to catch up on what everyone else was doing. It was a bit mad and whilst I certainly have a presence on social media, I'm not flaunting myself to the levels here! I don't have Instagram or TikTok and mainly use it for gossip on the likes of football, WWE, darts and television shows, but this was a whole new level. The idea of communicating via the bubble whilst working in the same room of your so called friends was just mad. I work from home and I'm not a fan of a call at the best of times, but some sort of interaction is needed! This was awful. The involvement of the Doctor and Ruby basically being restricted to scenes within the bubble was intriguing and I liked that aspect of the episode. It was a unique format that really did have a modern vibe. I find it fascinating that Russell T Davies proposed the idea at the heart of this story for Matt Smith's first series way back when and it would be interesting to see how it would have worked then. Especially with the Doctor not being at the front of the deep racial tones in the episode. This was powerful stuff and it was only partway through that it was obvious that the bubble users were all white. Sure, they were rich and entitled but that was obvious just from the way they carried themselves. Two hours of work! Bless them. I thought Lindy was unlikeable pretty much from the start with her attitude of being stuck up. She's not the kind of person I would be able to get along with or take seriously. Ruby's reaction to her comments when the Doctor offered to save her was exactly how I would think of her all the time. It's only when you look back that you realise why Lindy blocked the Doctor immediately and is then stunned that he's in the same room with Ruby. The comments about the way he looks are shocking when the true thoughts of the rich kids is revealed. The Things were a bit silly and looked grotesque, but they were a little difficult to take seriously. The way they just consume people is brutal and horrifying to see, but their slow nature meant they were a pretty forgettable monster if I'm being honest. The efforts in the direction to make them seem fearful were appreciated though! Lindy not being able to walk without the directions of the bubble was a little laughable and it was nice that she got help from Ricky September. He was a fun character and his determination to save her was admirable. So the moment she used her knowledge of him and his true birth name after we realised the population were being killed off in alphabetical order was a stunning moment. I didn't see it coming and showed just what kind of person she really is. The dot killed him pretty swiftly then! The Doctor offering to save the rich kids who'd escaped was admirable but the line about contamination referring to the Doctor's skin colour almost floored me. It's had a big impact on me since finishing the episode and I love how this turned quickly from not being about millennials on their phones. It became about white supremacy and even now these survivors were off to the woods and lands to start anew. Perhaps my favourite moment of the episode though is the Doctor and Ruby recognising the mysterious woman claiming to be Lindy's mummy. I love that they recognise her now and I can't wait to find out who she is! Overall, a decent episode to move forward. 

Rating: 7/10