Doctor Who "The Devil's Cord" Reaction 

Hello girl scouts, it’s time for “Pinned Comment Post Post Ramblings from Future Shayla” - for this episode I have to point out what I saw on social media, the old woman. First as Ruby’s neighbor, then on the video message, and now the lunch lady, she might have even been someone else I haven’t noticed but oh boy, who do we think she is? Future Ruby? Susan?? Lots of teases for Susan and I could see them bringing her back. Running theory on Ruby is that she is potentially someone who has escaped the prison where Maestro and the Toy Maker are from OR she’s a Time Lord. I’m excited to find out. Also I have had zero copyright issues and I waited a few days before publishing so if this video goes down I will do my best to get it back ASAP, thank you for your potential patience.

Jinkx literally stepped out the piano and went "Doctor who? this my show now darling"

Fun Facts: The Old woman who plays the piano is June Hudson (Famous British Costume Designer who did Classic Who in the late 70's/early 80s). Murray Gold is in the closing number.

“That awkward moment when you get trapped in a cello…” Yeah, hate when THAT happens. 😂

Ruby playing her own theme on the piano was unexpected, and I wonder if there’s a long game with her “writing her own song”

“I thought that was non diegetic” Best line ever.

2:38 That WAS Murray Gold! That’s Ruby’s theme! Such a great way to introduce it into the show. I was expecting it to show up the same way Clara’s theme did, but this is so much better.

Maestro was played by Jinkx Monsoon, two-time Ru-Paul's Drag Race winner and was recently in Chicago on Broadway.

Hearing Mr. Mxyzptlk referred to as “that one Supergirl villain” is honestly so funny. That said Maestro is a top tier villain. Genuinely one of my favorites in the whole show.

I know absolutely nothing, but off the top of my head: Maybe the kid was a way of introducing us to the harbinger concept because that's what Ruby will turn out to be, except for another entity.

Ok… so am I the only one’s who’s noticed this, but there’s an actor called Susan Twist who appeared as one of the women serving tea in this episode. But she also was in The Church on Ruby Road as a woman in the audience who requests a song from Ruby’s band. And she was in Wild Blue Yonder playing Issac Newton’s housekeeper. There’s always a Twist at the end? What’s going on with this?

The Maestro is played by 2-time winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Jinkx Monsoon. They’re EVERYTHING.

So glad you're still reacting to this show! I definitely preferred this episode out of the two. I thought Jinkx gave a really good performance as Maestro and I'm intrigued to find out more about The One Who Waits. Won't say anything at all about next week's episode other than that I'm looking forward to it 😁

Scrolling down i was amazed to see no-one else had mentioned it (or I missed the post), so here we go: There's a big sign on the roof for "Chris Waites and the Carrollers". This was the original name of the group "John Smith and the Common Men", who Susan is listening to in DWs first episode "An Unearthly Child". As "AUC" happens in November '63 and this episode in June I assume they were still using the old name. As Ian points out, Chris Waites/John Smith's original name was "The Honourable Aubrey Waites". The title of “honourable” in the United Kingdom is mainly confined to the sons and daughters of peers. So, to go off the deep end: Aubrey Waites was the son of a lord (a Time Lord?) and changed his name to John Smith, the Doctor's common alias. "He Who Waits" I'll just leave that there.

It was very similar to The Giggle: omnipotent god who can create out of thin air, The Doctor & Companion go back to recent past and discover them, said god creates a destroyed future, The Doctor duels them and wins, etc, etc.

2:35 Yes it is Murray Gold that composed this, we actually got to first hear a rendition this as one of the new pieces during the 60th Anniversary concert in October (Doctor Who @ 60 A Musical Celebration) where it was titled "The Life of Ruby Sunday". We also got "Fifteen" which you've heard a couple times now as well as the latest version of the main theme to end the show.

I'm so happy you posted so soon 💜

I just love your videos so much. Your commentary and reactions are so on point!

Thanks for getting this up so quickly.

So good to see you again Shayla! :D Hehehe, their name is Maestro -looks at my name and looks at Maestro- I AM THE SUPERIOR MAESTRO! Good to see you reacting again! Always a joy to look forward to when Doctor Who releases! Welcome back :)

Maestro is like a mix of the Music Meister and Mr Myxzptlk from Superman and Supergirl etc for sure. Which is funny when you realise Neil Patrick Harris at one point voiced the Music Meister, so Maestro being the Toymaker's child is quite fitting.

The fantastical creature that plays Maestro is Hera Hoffer, better known as Jinkx Monsoon. I've had the pleasure of watching Jinkx live Off Broadway. WOW. The Talent. Jinkx won Season 5 of Rupaul's Drag Race, and then won an All Winners Season. Playwright, singer, comedian, actor. Jinkx appeared on Broadway in Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors and others. If you ever get a chance to see her live, please do!

Maestro played by jinx monsoon from rupauls drag race

I like it. They’re actually doing anything at all with the doctor again

Jinx Monsoon - many times winner of Ru Paul's Drag Race and Broadway star - most recently Chicago and Little Shop of Horrors.

I enjoyed your reaction to the last episode so much, I genuinely didn't even notice that you hadn't recorded the screen!

hey, im watching you since a long time now, and that's amazing to see how you love DW just like me, it's a really pleasure to watch all your vidéo, keep like that, love you from France

Jinkx is an absolute legend. I highly recommend looking up “Jinkx Moonsoon Snatch Game” if you want a huge laugh. Especially her portrayal of Judy Garland.

Heyla Shayla! Great to see you back, and what an episode! Maestro is instantly an all-timer of a Doctor Who villain.

Fun fact: there's always a twist at the end. Is the same cords and the laugh

The Shayla Cord

Absolutely FANTASTIC episode!

Oh brilliant, I’ve just watched the space babies reaction 😆I’ve missed these videos!

THANKS for this!!!!! I, too, thought of DC's Mixed Pickles :)

I said in one of the comments, but this episode did a lot for my theorizing brain. The Master is definitely coming back by the end of the season. The Toymaker made a reference to them with the gold tooth. In this episode (if you had captions on for the Disney+ version) Maestro in their second outfit and introducing themselves played the 4 beats of the Master in a dissonance chord. (Reactors also seem to have missed Maestro's 4 knocks in the cold open.) The extra in the cafeteria seems to be a recurring character so I'm calling it now, that they're the new Master. It explains why they keep showing up through time and space. "The One Who Waits" I'm also calling is Cthulu. Apparently they are established as part of the Pantheon in Classic Who. And I think the "One Who Waits" is Mrs. Flood from the special. I've noticed all of these Pantheon Gods are able to break the Fourth Wall (yes, the Doctor must be too.) No one else is seemingly aware of it except them. So Mrs. Flood, Maestro and the Doctor has broken the Fourth Wall. So I'm calling it all now!

Been going through reactions to the new episode! Nice shirt!

Welcome to the wonderful world on Jinkx Monsoon 🎉

Episode 2! I'll be real, I expected WAY more musical numbers in the Musical Episode™ but Maestro was SO GOOD it almost made up for it! Also, if this series had cpme out in the 60s - 80s those WOULD have been their regular costumes! The mention of Susan brings a smile to my heart... The fact that they could still get Carol Ann Ford to come back JUST ONCE for one more role as Susan (and then have her Regenerate) keeps me going after seeing Ian in Jodie's last episode... Hopefully all the other members of the Pantheon are just as good as the first two! Also, The Doctor was at Ruby Road... He's waited quite a while, don't you think? Back in the day, there was an evil version of The Doctor know as The Valeyard... I feel like they could be doing something with that? As for the recurring woman... I've wanted a Regenerated Susan since I watched Classic "Who", but at this point I feel it's too much to dream...

Love your reactions. The only down side is that your written comments don’t stay on the screen long enough for me to read😞

Before the Christmas music played that theme played was from the trickster from Sarah Jane

Amazing intros btw 👍

Absolutely loved this episode! Top villain that was terrifying and fantastic! The episode was full of everything I enjoy about DW. The scary villain, GREAT soundtrack, consequences and huge risk but you can't help but enjoy and sing along. Then ending twist had me smiling and dancing along. This season is amazing so far!

I'm sure that's a double bass that Maestro trapped Ruby in.

Love the Imogen Temult shirt!!

The era of Fabulous Fifteen is in full swing now 😄 I loved this episode. The last one really wasnt my favorite. But I also consider Church of Ruby Rose as the real first episode so its all good. Maestro was a fun villain. Hope to see them again some day. The next episode was even better. So far 15th's first season is pretty good. #FabulousFifteen #DoctorWho 💜

I’m not going to lie, the villain of this episode was terrifying. Ruby seeing her world burnt like the doctor had seen gallifrey burned-

Nice video from one Whovian to another

I loved this episode so much! It's fun and silly and campy, _and_ heartfelt and sincere - just how I like Doctor Who! And, I'm super excited to see where this storyline they're setting up goes. The implication that this season is full of fourth-wall breaks and fantastical nonsense because _the rules of reality as we know it have broken down_ is absolutely fascinating! And, the 'pantheon' the Doctor mentioned - could that be the Pantheon of Discord? They've only been hinted at - we met one of them in the Sarah Jane Adventures, and the beetle in _Turn Left_ was a servant of the Pantheon, but we know very little about them. If RTD is finally doing something with that bit of lore he established all the way back then, that'd be awesome! What was the Maestro called Ruby's piano performance? "Lovesick songs for heartbroken lesbians"? I'd buy an album with that title in a heartbeat, lol

Personally I think the doctor is part of the pantheon, maybe the embodiment of healing. In the classic series the toy maker broke the 4th wall, and in this series the toy maker, maestro and the doctor can….

I really became a fan of Millie Gibson in this episode.

Now i keep wonder...the nitgh of Rubys birts this song was plaing in the background? or she make this song like this episode? + every pantheon creature{until now} make something faling from the sky when we meet them.

The cinematography & shot composition was fantastic this episode. My only real complaint was skipping six months of Doctor/companion "getting to know you"

Ruby's song I thought of as similar to the "protection" that the 10th Doctor gave to Donna...Who could have done that, I wonder???

FABULOUS

Meistro was talking about the boss of the gods the trickster

Two stellar episodes to kick off the season, and you totally got them both. I can't wait for next week.

I liked Maestro. Jinkx Monsoon has they're a big admirer of Michelle Gomez, and were influenced by her performance as Missy.

Whilst I'm not saying the Susan stuff can't be set up, it might be part of the reason they is a 63 set story. I don't agree with the whole "why bring that up if it's not?" That everyone is saying, because you can't go to 1963 and not acknowledge it. Like I was waiting on him acknowledging it because it'd be insane not to.

She is the daughter of the One Who Waits!!!!!!!!!!

OHHH I just caught something! Maybe. 6:03 "There's a hidden SONG deep inside" 👀 I'm probably wrong though

Attempt 2 for video 2....this is how much I appreciate your content, rewriting a comment I messed up at 2am. This episode was much better than the last one - I think the lack of talking babies helped. The Maestro was great, loved the 'silence' scene. and the mention of Totter's Lane and Susan was very well done. If I was a bigger Beatles fan I might have been annoyed at how little they were actually in it, but I'm glad it wasn't just a Beatles tribute disguised as a Who episode, that would have been too much. There's only two things I didn't like. The first is minor - I thought they overused the fourth wall breaks a little. I can forgive Maestro doing it because they're an all powerful being who can manipulate reality,, but the Doctor? And then the end musical number... I would have been fine if, like everywhere else in the episode, it had been used to somehow further or wrap up the plot, but the plot was done. This was a meaningless song and dance number because RTD wanted it in there, nothing more. It stretched the episode for seemingly no reason. I'm fine with DW being more musical, but give it some purpose. No clue who the old woman is myself but Susan looks like a popular theory.

I said this on another reaction to this episode and I'll say it again here. I feel Jinkx did a better job in this role than NPH did. Everytime Neil tried to go over the top, it came off more ridiculous than intimidating. But Jinkx here managed to walk that line better, yeah they would go way over the top in some scenes but it still worked better. Also, Jinkx didn't have the stupid accent Neil was using, which certain didn't help him.

I see I'm not the only one who thought of Mxy.

2:42 Segun appreciation 🙌🏼

Yeah - it was like two completely different episodes... the bit recorded on your camera and then the bit recorded on your phone - quite apt!

Did you have to cut the reaction for copyright reasons? Seemed choppier than your usual reactions.

But isn’t the One Who Waits is the same as The Girl Who Waits? So Ruby could be an incarnation of River- No that’s not right, she died. WHAT DAH HELL

The one who waits is almost here.... so Amy Pond is the big bad, cool.

Who waits all year and turns up only for X-Mass and have a daughter with Winter magic/powers.

didnt know you were also a critical role fan! rad.

I liked the opening. I don't tend to play the prediction game with mystery boxes, but they don't take anything away from my enjoyment. I like silly campy nonsense, and both of these were silly campy nonsense (and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable - They were both much more than that, they both hit me with a sense of dread at times, both had absolutely gorgeous performances bringing out real emotion in me, but... The tone of both of them were silly campy nonsense). Neither were perfect, but my only real hangup is that I wish The Devil's Chord was a musical episode.

I have a theory, and two things happened in this episode that make me think I might be right. I don’t want to say in case I am right and it’s a spoiler.

Way better than the Acid Trip that was episode 1.

before i watch the video: grabs the freshly boiled hot popped into my skin popcorn and eat it to fizz it up to damage my brain and not to think of yhis new who controversial subject anyways, disney stole doctor who in someways so, i mean very controversial. Anyways, i feel so dissapointed as i watch back the tom baker seasons and the new who series (from 9th doctor). just speaking out of honesty and i will accept what others say this show is, whether good or bad.

Really... you didn't pick up on The Beatles Abbey Road...

While not exactly brilliant, this was a better episode. Maestro was over the top, but still a credible threat. I like the idea of music being erased, then again I like playing music and stuff, so I'm prob a bit biased. The tone was better balanced, where it was the right amount of ominous/serious and silly fun...until the final minutes with the musical number [complete with a bit of a rushed victory]. I understand it was supposed to say that music came back, but it was a bit too cringey.

I love this episode so much.

This was legitimately the worst thing to ever be made in the history of television. Doctor Who is made by people that hate you

Too bad your vids are so short

No show like it

I hope you're prepared for the next episode, no spoilers but.... Steven Moffat wrote it

Christ. Remember when this show was good? I miss that.

It's a great episode but I hated that dancing and singing at the end.

Wait... is that Imogen on her shirt?