'Rogue' is a romp... but doesn't quite work - Doctor Who review 

A playlist of videos covering the issues with the BBC and transphobic reporting: ru-vid.com/group/PLmWFOeT2jEofVIDW9X3OL7GqWuX3Dxopu

I took the doctor putting the ring on as a promise from the doctor to keep thinking of a way to find Rogue. It's not unlike the doctor to try finding Rogue and not telling anyone. I'm certain, that we find out in a future season, that he was thinking about a way all the time.

I mean, personally I took the Doctor putting the ship in orbit around the moon as an indication that he's going to try because he says something about it waiting there until it's time. It is a little weird they don't directly say it but I feel like that's the point of the ring as well, to make sure he remembers if he gets a chance. I am aware that the real external reason for this is that the episode is by guest writers who didn't know if the show was going to be open to bringing Rogue back, so they didn't want to make it too conclusive in either direction though. They said in BTS materials that they were surprised 'find me' made it in at all. I hope they do bring him back at some point but we won't know if they will for years, probably.

I'm also not a fan of romantic plots, but Rogue rolled a nat 20 Charisma Check, so I'll forgive it 😉

With the doctor showing his faces convincing Rogue not to kill him, for me I read it as that device shows what the person it’s being used on can shapeshift into, so if he was a Chuldur it would’ve shown a birdperson. Yet since it didn’t and showed his humanlike faces it proved to Rogue that while the Doctor is a shapeshifter he’s not a Chuldur, and therefore not who he was looking for

i really like the part when the doctor assumed ruby was dead he was showing how pleased he was by their life span being 600 years knowing they would suffer.

I don't think this is the end of Rogue. I don't think the Doctor won't ever try to find Rogue, he just won't try to find Rogue today. The reason why, I think you touched on in the edit room: The Doctor has a duty of care to bring Ruby back. That, or course, was reiterated in the episode.

I'm surprised you didn't find the romp aspect flowing well. For me it worked pretty well. Two very lonely travelers saw each other, flirted, learned things about one another, shared a dance and then Rogue kissed the Doctor goodbye. They were basically on a first date with a sprinkle of alien bird people and a dash of heroism.

According to the production team, it's a brand new headshot of Grant that was taken specifically for Doctor Who

I think the Doctor will try to find Rogue. He sent Rogue's ship into orbit, for "As long as it takes." I think the too-many-dimensions thing was just his way of changing the subject. 15 doesn't seem to like talking about his feelings. But he did put on Rogues ring. I suspect he'll keep it on for a while.

I get not liking romance in Doctor Who, and I typically agree, but as a gay man, seeing the main character, a man, in a show that's not about romance or centered around gay issues/culture, pursue and obtain a romantic connection with a man is literally all I've ever wanted in a TV show. ETA, because I forgot: I cried when the romance progressed and the kiss happened because of the fact that what I described doesn't really exist.

I assumed the “find me” line will be followed up on in a later episode

17:40 My favorite "companion who wasn't" is Perkins from Mummy on the Orient Express. Rita from God Complex is probably #2.

I thought the ending was clear the Doctor is going to be looking for Rouge he just isn’t sure how. Putting the ring on was a promise to find him and will always be there reminding the doctor to keep looking. It seemed the Doctor was really affected by the proposal or even triggered into remembering a past proposal. The Doctor especially this one is sort of LARPing himself pretending to be a time tourist with Ruby while also trying to figure out her mystery, what’s wrong with the Tardis, fixing mavity, watching for the one who waits, etc. now finding Rogue is another thing to do. Oh and Richard EGrant is the Valeyard. 😜

I think the main reason the doctor didn’t try to find Rogue is because the episode was over. I got the impression that the Doctor needed some time to figure out how to find Rogue and that this is gonna happen between episodes until it culminates in some future episode. Maybe this is wishful thinking since what allowed me to enjoy the romance was the hope for a happy ending, since tragic endings for one-off companions is something I think Doctor Who has done too much

I loved this episode, regarding the end with the doctor not following up on Rogue, I interpreted it as the doctor prioritizing Ruby before anything else, even romance, especially after the promise he made to her mother trying to keep her safe and almost failing to do so this episode. The fear of losing a companion has been instilled in the doctor many generations ago. And Ruby tries to console him in the end, that its okay to choose himself for once in their time together.

TBF, the almost-kiss is such a standard romance trope, that I didn't think they were baiting at all. At least, at first. I did have some minor flashbacks to all the mishandling of things like Yaz/Thirteen. But in the end, I personally loved that they stuck with that trope (alongside the enemies to lovers trope), because that can be catnip to romance fans like me. 😍

I really enjoy your videos on DW Vera, even though about half the time we don’t have the same opinion. But I genuinely, thoroughly LOVED this one, especially the Doctor and Rogue’s gorgeous chemistry

This episode was so much fun! I loved Rogue so much. I loved the Doctor's outfit. I loved all the costumes. We needed a breather after how intense the last two episodes were. It's very clear that this episode was paying homage to Bridgerton.

For those that are interested, the filming location for this episode was Tredegar House - a National Trust owned property in Newport, Wales. I know the place pretty well as I used to walk around the grounds most lunchtimes when I worked basically next door (and we had a special gate that led straight into the grounds). Beautiful place and well worth a visit if you're in the UK!

The Tango is LIbertango by Astor Piazzola (it translates to "Liberty Tango" from 1974) and is indeed a piece of music that symbolizes a break from Classical Tango and the establishment of the new style "Tango Nuevo" which has a whole thing being a push against the Argentinian Junta government and Astor Piazzoa himself having found himself having to emigrate to Italy for a while because the Argentine government was too ... fascist in the 1970's. His return in the late 1980's became a complete revival and reinvention of the musical and dance form. I was genuinely surprised to find it here in doctor who.

I personally think the romance works with this particular Doctor, my read on him has been that he's more emotional and more open to love than a lot of other incarnations, combining both of those two features of this Doctor lets me see how this particular incarnation would be swept off his feet by Rogue. But if you don't vibe with romance in Doctor Who then I can see why you wouldn't particularly care for this. I also felt like the "come find me" line was setup for him to seek out Rogue later on, they perhaps should have shown him setting the TARDIS to scan at the very least so that they could come back to Rogue's story in an upcoming season.

This was my four year old son's very first Dr Who episode. He had a blast. As a non Bridgerton viewer, I found myself having to create an idea of what that show is from what this story told me.

The "there are infinite dimensions out there" isn't the Doctor not caring, it's the Doctor not getting his hopes up in an obvious he really does care way so they're gonna bring Rogue bac.

The only time I don't like the Doctor in romantic relationships is when it's with a companion. I don't mind when the Doctor falls for other people. I do agree that the Rogue thing happened too fast; I wish it would have been built up over several episodes.

Being a bit melodramatic saying that "the Doctor didn't try" about finding Rogue, they almost want to bring him back. It's a daunting task, he's not ready to undertake yet, but doesn't mean he never will.

I’m not seeing a lot of people talking about Rogue’s line about a demanding “new boss” when they are in Rogues ship and talking about the Doctors identity and bounty hunting. Thoughts?

I really appreciate that after slamming Loki's representation that RTD offered folks from there to have a go on his show. It was very frustrating and amusing that the episode didn't really know what cosplay is because what these aliens were doing is a LARP!

I wouldn't say that Rogue is in any way 'the best' episode of the new series but so far it's probably been my favorite as there is very often a distinction there. I loved the character of Rogue, I liked the humour, the setting and the emotional aspect landed really well for me (although I understand why it wouldn't for everyone). It just felt like I was watching a very typical episode of Doctor Who but done really well and it's the sort of thing I can see myself going back to a lot.

You seem very convinced that Rogue isn’t coming back and that the Doctor isn’t looking for him right now. Not sure why you wouldn’t take that “find me” for the foreshadowing setup it so clearly is.

Personally, one of my favourites of the series so far, I honestly enjoyed that it felt the most like an episode from the RTD1 and Moffatt era of who. I enjoyed the whole dynamic between The Doctor and Rogue. I feel my opions on the episode as a whole match up more with Jessie's.

The “sent to a random dimension” thing was, I believe, another D&D reference. That’s basically the “violet” effect of a Prismatic Spray and similar spells. I once damned a bad guy to heaven that way-it was one of the more amusing random results I’ve had.

The dance piece was "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla, if you're curious about looking up its history!

I just thought it was super-weird that the Doctor didn't want to kill the Chuldur, yet he sent them all to a barren dimension to suffer and die slowly instead (and even planned to do that BEFORE being angry at them when he thought Ruby was dead). It all seemed very Thirteen with not wanting the giant spider shot, but being cool with it and its babies slowly suffocating to death. So bizarre.

Just because the Doctor didn’t immediately start doing something to find Rogue before the end of the episode, doesn’t mean that he won’t. There is no need to rush attempts at the rescue when you own a time machine. The Doctor literally has all the time in the universe in which to devote to the search. RTD has longterm goals for Doctor Who so it could be a few series before Rogue is brought back, but I get the feeling that he will become a fan favourite character and a potential level of conflict for the Doctor in the future as whilst it’s unlikely that he is amoral, he’s certainly morally complex.

In terms of “arc-bait,” the possibility of Rogue being “the one who waits” hasn’t occurred to me, and I find it unlikely. But my ears did prick up when Rogue mentioned that he had a “new boss.” Could the Meep be a co-worker of his? I found the configuration of the sonic trap to be maximally dilemma-producing. Also the Doctor decides to modify the device so that instead of killing then, they’ll get sent to a completely barren dimension? In what way is that not still a death sentence? Finally, I guess if Rogue has Kylie Minogue in his playlist, he’s also capable of time travel.

I was expecting the final shot of the episode to be the D20 being placed into the TARDIS console and "scanning" to start. Something to show the hunt is happening and ongoing but not a focal point, so it can be revisited at a later date with ease if wanted.

I wanna say, I think the point of the ending is to set up for finding Rogue in the next season or two, that was my immediate assumption. I could be way off though, we’ll have to wait and see! Very fun episode, and a good thorough review Vera!

How I took the ending. Just because the Doctor tells Ruby he not gonna search for Rogue doesn't mean he won't. The doctor lies. The reason I think the Doctor does in fact search for Rogue is the last shot where the Doctor takes Rogue's ring and places it on his pinky finger. Why his pinky? To me this implies he making a pinky promise to himself to find him. I could totally be wrong but this is how I took the ending. Also I agree the shapeshifters are Larping not cosplaying. Lol. Thank you for all you do. Love the channel.

Caecilius was very much a historical figure. I'm going to be in horto sedet all night for that slight.

I like the episode. It has the right mix of fun, scary moments and a brilliant solution that saves the day. It would be a perfect filler episode if only there were more than eight episodes.

I really liked Rogue, and... to be fair, it's not like he's never given up on his loves before. He gave up trying to reunite with Rose Tyler, but I assume if he'd thought there was a way without breaking the realities, he would have pursued it. I do think though that given the emphasis on Rogue's "Find me," the Doctor just giving up immediately seems like an odd choice. I'm still not sure whether what we saw is an indication that the plan is to bring Rogue back, or if they're just leaving the possibility open.

Multiverse means that Peter Cushing canonically was the Doctor so I guess I'm cool with it

Maybe this is my ADHD side talking, but to me the doctor putting the ring on was a way to keep it in sight so he can find him later, I tend to do that cus out of the sight out of mind thing. It was very significant to me that he is wearing the ring, not moving on and forgetting him like he intended or at least what he told Ruby. Besides, he owns a time machine, he's gonna do it eventually, the long way around (?) 😅

Am I imagining that I saw Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor in the hologram images of the previous Doctors?

If there was ever a time for the sonic screwdriver to have a function to solve the day, it's this one by having the Doctor scan the portal to know it's address in the Whoniverse. Having a TARDIS, the Doctor who could go find him at any point, even after Ruby's plot has run it's course and left the show.

I assume Richard E. Grant’s Doctor cameo was nothing more than an intentional troll, precisely to throw off fans obsessed with canon.

I'd rate it a 7.5/10. If a little small in spectacle, I found it to be an extremely fun episode that effectively captured the essence of Doctor Who. Pros: - Easily the best written episode of this season besides Boom. So much detail and whit was pumped into every line of dialogue. - The Doctor's and Rogue's chemistry was positively electrifying. This might be a controversial opinion, but I though they had better chemistry than the Doctor and River Song did across the entirety of their run. - Love that fact that we got a chance to see the Doctor's dark side from the line "How long will they will be trapped there for? That's a long time to suffer." without them taking it too far and making the Doctor flip the coordinates back to the incinerator to something. - The twist at the end completely caught me off guard, and I thought it was a clever way of utilising the psychic earrings introduced earlier in the episode. - I found the ending to be heart breaking but sweet, and was a nice way to leave Rogue's story in a suspended state until his next appearance. Cons: - Not a fan of the Chuldur's design. I find adding animal characteristics to an otherwise humanoid appearance to be lazy. - As great as the Doctor and Rogue's chemistry was, I do kind of miss the days where the Doctor acted asexually. - I thought the idea floated that the Chuldur would take over the world if left checked felt way too overblown for an otherwise small stakes story. - Small criticism but I was disappointed that Susan Twist didn't get a proper cameo this time, especially with it being so close to the finale.

That dance with Rogue tho

Shouldn’t The Doctor be able to use the ring to help find Rogue? Isn’t using an object connected to someone to track that someone a thing the TARDIS has done in the past?

i don’t take the ending as him giving up and never going to find him. i take it as him wearing the ring as a reminder, and leaving the ship in orbit, so that he can find him one day.

The Doctor sees a dead body and realizes there is at least one murderous shapeshifter on the prowl. Ruby is attending a party in complete ignorance. I found it strange that he just let Rogue take him captive. Yes, the man has a gun and yes, the Doctor fancies him, but I think his priority should have been to find Ruby. I was expecting some clever escape or for the sonic screwdriver to come into play MUCH earlier but the Doctor was just really chill about the whole situation. On a side note this is a much better follow up to Space Babies and if I were showing someone this season that's how I would do it.

"If this character is a Rogue, Captain Jack Harkness is a bard" *solemn DnD nod*

I did not even realize that was Richard E. Grant, and knowing that's who the face I didn't get right away makes me so happy! I think it's more of an Easter Egg than a plot thing - kind of like the old-school Cybermen helmet in VanStatten's collection during "Dalek". I remember really liking Scream of the Shalka, both the web series and the novelization, and I remember that Shalka was basically nearly finished when the BBC announced Doctor Who would be coming back to television - before RTD was even announced as producer. So many of us were hoping that meant Richard E. would be playing the Doctor, but it wasn't that long before we found out it was Eccleston as the 9th Doctor, relegating Shalka to "unofficial" status. I was devastated. So seeing this, and now knowing it's REG, just brings me an extra bit of joy. I don't want or need anything more to come of it. I like the idea of it being like McGann's listing of audio companions - fun for those who know, and nothing that takes away from the scene for those who don't. I had so much fun with this episode, and personally didn't have a problem with the flirting/relationship building. This Doctor's been flirting since he bi-generated, and has been shown to take more of a fancy to the gents. So finding someone charismatic, kind of broody, and a bit geeky... I can buy the crush no problem. Rogue was a very fun character, and while he did give off some Jack-vibes, it was surface only. I liked how you could tell he didn't want the Doctor to be his bounty, but he was going to send him off if he was, and how the Doctor tried distracting him with music and dance, and then singing the best and most apropos rendition of "Pure Imagination" I've heard (I can't watch the Wilder-version of Chocolate Factory - bad associations from childhood) as a way to invite Rogue into the TARDIS. And I think him putting on the ring at the end was kind of his own quiet way of saying yes, he'd keep an eye out for Rogue on his travels. The story leaves so much room for him to come back, and I think any more acknowledgment than that would have taken away from the very episodic, standalone nature of this episode. And Ruby's earrings! Every companion needs those. It's like the gloves for ladders from Church on Ruby Road. So practical and something that makes you think, "why hasn't this been done before?". I'd forgotten about the battle mode by the time it was revealed, so for me that was a fun surprise. The fake-out with timing didn't bother me - it reminded me of Leverage. Ruby pulling off the trick as well as she did was delightful and heartbreaking at the same time. I adored this episode, and I agree that we need a few more like it (standard Doctor Who stories) in the season.

As art is completely subjective, I appreciate that many people don't enjoy romantic subplots (or plots) in their fantasy and sci fi. It doesn't matter who the romance is with, there are many people who simply don't enjoy it unless it's absolutely necessary to the main story line. That's absolutely cool. The world of art would be horribly boring if we all liked the same thing. For myself (as an asexual) there are very few shows or movies that revolve around sex that I enjoy. It's just not an element I'm interested in. I am quite a romantic though, so I do enjoy a well done romance where the chemistry between the characters shows and it makes sense in the main plot of the story. I enjoyed the romance in this one and giggled through Rogues inability to know how to make a scandalous scene. It made sense with his character being someone who wants (and needs) to not be noticed. Jumping strait to proposing was simply adorable fun for me. I didn't even care that he just happened to have a ring ready. I enjoyed the clumsy "uhhhh what do I do.... I'll just propose" of it all. Was this episode perfect? No. Was it fun and charming and one I'll watch over and over? Definitely yes! Thank you so much for your review Vera! I always love getting your insight to all things fantasy and sci fi!

I absolutely loved this episode! I think I'm softening in my old age, because I remember in 1996, sitting in my apartment with my wife and watching the TV movie, and aghast that The Doctor kissed his would be companion. "The Doctor doesn't kiss people! How dare they?" Now, looking back on that movie, that's the least of the issues I have with it (still glad the "half human" thing was retconned in a comic book). But seeing The Doctor and Rogue flirting and eventually kissing just got me emotional. I believe that he will, indeed, find him. That being said, this episode pointed out to me what's wrong with having such a short season. The Doctor says that Ruby is his best friend. I get it, because he has had some great friends throughout his lifetime - Jamie, Jo, Sarah Jane, Ace, Rose, Donna, Amy & Rory, Clara. They've accepted that they need somebody to ground him, and Ruby gets a gay best friend out of the deal, so win-win. But like others have pointed out, we don't get to really see them*become* best friends. We just see some of their adventures, and not enough where they're actually engaging with each other. But that aside, yeah, this straight guy couldn't help but love seeing that kiss between the two. We'd better get some Doctor Rogue reunion sooner than later. I'll also admit, as soon as that happened, I giggled, and could almost hear the conservatives clacking away on their keyboards to whine about how "woke" it all is. In the last year or two, I've basically been chased out of several fan groups on Facebook because of the toxicity (even if they don't want to accept that they're toxic) of certain fans. I remember when nerds could just come together and appreciate shows like this, but apparently, those days are gone.

My favourite episode of the season. I enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Groff & Gatwa, I was grinning from ear to ear when Rogue was in the the TARDIS and Richard E Grant appearing in the lineup was a nice surprise, I’m planning to watch Scream of the Shalka soon.

Council of geeks jokingly maybe Rogue beat the Toymaker in Dungeons and Dragons

Regarding the image of Richard E. Grant they used for the hologram sequence, one of the VFX people who worked on the episode confirmed on Twitter that they had to do a little photoshoot to get that specific head shot of him so yes it is him as he is now.

My attitude on the doctor being romantic is much more nuanced I think it depends on the incarnation. We know that each incarnation has their own personalities and quirks. Ncuti is so naturally flirtatious it would actually feel wrong to not have it be a part of his character. Most Doctors, I agree, completely asexual (mostly Matt Smiths 11). For me, it's fine with Ncuti. I believe it. Romance for me, comes down to the actors own personalities and strengths This felt natural and I really got invested in The Doctor and Rogue.

I'm glad we get to have a character that fills a J*** H******* like role without the baggage of the specific actor in the cast! Rogue is so much fun and I love him.

It was “roll for insight”, but close enough.

Overall I liked this episode, but there are a couple things that I wised they had done. The first, having Rogue being a Chuldur that didn't agree with what they were doing, (hence the name Rogue). The second being, the twist with Emily felt like it undercut her scenes with Ruby. I wish they had her view Ruby as a friend, and decide to help her, it would have been a good parallel to Rogue, and The Doctor. I like it when a non-human race isn't just portrayed as villains. Also, with the Richard E. Grant reference, he might be a pre-1st Doctor incarnation, or maybe The Great Intelligence messed with timeline when they were in there, but most likely was probably just a cameo.

While I personally liked the romance angle because that's the kind of thing that I personally enjoy, I agree with you that there were some messy writing decisions that may just be oversights, or may be due to the short season meaning the writers are feeling rushed to include everything they want. My interpretation of The Doctor saying that he's not going to look for Rogue but then lingering on the ring at the end of the episode is that this will resurface at some point. We've seen The Doctor be flippant with Ruby, as you mentioned, but even in this episode The Doctor indicates that he'd take Rogue to see Gallifrey, when he indicated in an earlier episode that he would never take Ruby there. It seems The Doctor is protective of Ruby in a way. I don't personally think this romance is out of character, I think it could be Ncuti Gatwa exploring a new facet of The Doctor's identity that came to the surface post however long Ten2 was living with Donna et. al. I feel Ncuti's performance sold it enough for me that I believed it, but I can also see the other side. The birds were goofy and I don't mind goofy alien villians. You're so right though, they were LARP-ing, not cosplaying, and the focus on cosplay throughout the episode felt super weird to me. LARP would be more on theme too as DnD was already brought up, which I did think was done more naturally. This episode also addresses my main critique of The Maestro episode - that being that both members of the Pantheon that we've seen so far lean so heavily into queer culture. It felt like RTD was leaning into old tropes of villianizing queerness, and I wanted more queer heroes to balance it out. So I appreciated this episode from that angle as well. I always appreciate your viewpoints, and how you present your critiques in a way to not alienate people who may like different things.

I wonder if the Doctor's search for Rogue might bring us to the Timeless Child portal?

The tango was controversial for being a dance of the low class and migrants. It was often between man and woman but it was also man with man, but that was the least of the controversy. It's good anyway they took a tango for that scene because it was actually a dance between man at some point, but to me it was not time period music for it. On another line, I was kind of baffled when the doctor was more invested in Rogue when Ruby was just about to die and got saved. He just asked "are you ok?", Didn't he just said she was his best friend? I would be 100% more interested in the friend that almost die than in a handsome random stranger I fancy

I loved the romance, & want them to bring Rogue back! Mainly because I believe that *this* Doctor would be ready to fall for someone who has dealt with similar things to what they have. Also, they pretty together, & I’m shallow. (Same reason I like River/12)

I do think the Shalka Doctor cameo is nice, didn't expect it at all, and I appreciate it as a fun thing. Similarly confused why Tennant's face (soon followed by the others) was enough to stop Rogue when, as you say, it doesn't change that he's a shape shifter (especially as Rogue explicitly says he has no idea about Gallifrey so it implies he doesn't know Time Lords)

I can respect you not seeing the romance flowing well, especially considering it spans only one episode. The chemistry is there however, and I am at least hoping that Rogue will return and we can develop their relationship more across multiple episodes.

I truly believe either The Doctor IS going to try to find Rogue or, he isn't and Rogue will track him down and try to get revenge. I just believe it's not done. Mostly I believe he will try to find Rogue, if only the way he's casually studying Ruby in his down time. Treat reaction as usual!

While I would like Rogue to come back, I’d also be happy for this to kind of be a similar thing as One's "romance" with Cameca in the Aztecs. Theres even a parallel with the Doctor keeping her brooch after she proposed to him and Fifteen keeping Rogue's ring. It happened, it was sweet, it never needs to become an over arching thing a la River Song.

19:33 i believe rogue says that a chuldur can only have 5 faces or something along those lines, i may be wrong, but that's what i remember

I had the same problem with the pace of the romance. It’s always a bit unbelievable in movies or tv shows when two characters fall madly in love over the course of a few hours (at most) of real time. I thought all the flirting between Rogue and the Doctor was great and while the almost kiss in the Tardis was such a big moment in the history of the show, it felt less like romance and more like lust. I think their final moment together should not have been a kiss but an acknowledgment of what might have been had they been able to pursue a relationship.

About the scanning thing, I think the machine couldn't show other faces of a shape shifter, like that could only show the original Chuldar face and maybe the face they would wearing at the time, but the scanning identify the other faces as the same person, so he was not a shape shifter, he was the other bodies too, you know!? I think, I don't know, I was confused too at first

I feel like when the doctor was taking about loss he could have said something about the truth of his existence which is that he's lived so long that every relationship he has ends but there are good ending where people move on and part as friends and bad endings where one person walks away heartbroken and the other person doesn't walk away at all. It might have helped set up the ending a bit better. Sometimes I pause the episodes and write fanfic in my head I guess but I really feel like we could do with more speeches from the doctor lately.

@22:55 yes because the doctor has no trauma whatsoever when it comes to loosing people in other dimensions. The doctor is probably worried about taking ruby there because he just had a massive scare that he had lost her again. I truly believe he’s going to go off in his own time without ruby and look for rogue.

Thank you for the video, Vera! Despite not being into "Bridgerton", I really did like a lot this fun episode, especially for it being (kind of) a "standard" one! I understand some people wanting the Doctor to be more an asexual and/or aromantic character and, to be fair, considering how they are virtually immortal, every romantic pairing will probably always meet a tragic end. However, that confirms without a doubt: the Doctor is queer! Asexual and aromantic people are still very queer. However, a discourse about Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor which really did annoy me was about she not being actually queer for being in love with Yaz. It was just the "straight preferences" of the previous male incarnations "bleeding into" her. 🙄 And, personally, I am so tired of subtlety/subtext in media, especially when it comes down to queerness. About the final scene where the Doctor wears Rogue's ring: I do not necessarily think that the Doctor is giving up in trying to search for Rogue. The line "Find me!" implies that Rogue will appear again. Unfortunately, the contained aspect of the story in this episode could give the impression of the Doctor giving up. At least, I do hope that is not the case. I really want more of Jonathan Groff's Rogue!

Second best episode of the season/series. I feel no shame in saying I adore a show that let's the main character fall in love. I also adore this show because it always has an episode for everyone... You just have to wait and your episode will come along. That is DW, it is Classic Who and Modern Who and all Who. That is why we love it!

Completely with you on this take. As far as the technobabble thing and taking action by doing something, I feel there have been plot points this season which could be justified or solved using the telepathic interface they have used in the past

I don't like romance but this worked for me, their chemistry was off the charts!

I love to see the Doctor as some kind of aroace character, maybe to find some kind of representation for me, so usually I'm also not a fan of love stories concerning him. I have to say, though, that I liked the chemistry the Doctor and Rogue had, so I didn't really hate this one. As some of the comments under this video say, I also think the last scene of the Doctor wearing Rogue's ring was meant as a promise to find him eventually. It would be very anticlimactic if Rogue turns out to be another villain in the end, although I'm curious as to how his character could end up. I confess I would love to know his tragic backstory, so they left lots of space to continue his tale. Another thing: I've been watching these videos since this morning and somehow I just realised I wasn't subscribed, so sorry about that. Love these reviews!

I think that romance fits Ncuti’s Doctor, because he’s generally more emotional than previous Doctors and he has an energy that I think fits well with romantic attraction. Now, I still think that all other Doctors shouldn’t have any romantic attractions, but again, in Ncuti’s case, I think it fits.

Richard E Grant being in there could also be a reference to The Great Intelligence invading the Doctor's timeline back in "The Name of the Doctor" ... but if that was why he was there, Clara would be there too. Him being a reference to Scream of the Shalka makes a lot more sense. Overall I had fun with this episode. Stay safe and stay awesome, Vera

I too was confused about why showing him the past selves would convince Rogue. But as you were talking about ut, it ocurred to me that its probably because we DON'T see a bird in there?

Alternate theory - This Doctor is split into the traumatized Doctor and the non traumatized Doctor. Perhaps part of the function of that split is that this Doctor *can't* engage, can't hold on the way the original Doctors could that led to that trauma. To me the line, "That's what I do" in response to Ruby could be an indicator of him seeing that line and choosing to break his normal patterns and try to move on. Like he's learning to be a Doctor that _doesn't _ get his hearts broken every other season.

Character should should have been the companion the most: Sally Sparrow. Also, the VFX team went and specifically shot 3D pictures of Richard's head for the reveal. So he knew this was happening before transmission.

To me, the Rogue "Find me" bit seemed more like setup to me. It felt like he was resolving to find him in the future so in that case, it worked for me.

Not only the lightning/scream - Ruby does the Childer neck crack trick too - not something a human could do

I think Russell has planned that the doctor will run into rogue in season 2 either in an alternate dimension or the rogue somehow ends up back in this one

The tango song The Doctor and Rogue dance is called "Libertango" and it was compossed by Astor Piazzolla. He was the first musician to introduce electronic instruments in tango songs, revolutionizing traditional tango music. Many tango musicians of the time criticized him for his "controversial sounds".

Apparently the visual effects producer had to over see a photo shoot with Richard for that hologram shot in the episode so definitely seems like something they can use in the future

The string quartet version of Bad Guy was a reference to Bridgerton. The whole Bridgerton soundtrack is exactly that; classical covers of pop songs.

One thing I really appreciate about the romance here is that Rogue doesn’t feel full young. I’m not disinclined to romantic subplots in general, but Doctor/Companion romances specifically just feel so weird to me. With Rogue, we have a character who has been around, knows where his towel is (crumpled up in one of those piles over there), and the actor is older than the Doctor’s actor. Maybe just recency bias, but this could be my second favorite Doctor romance after River Song. And maybe that says more about the rest, but eh, I did like it.

Honesty I loved this episode. Not the first time the doctor had done a "Gay kiss" but such passion I lovedit!

I loved that they played Kylie Minogue in the episode as a nod to her one off romantic interest episode

I loved this episode. It may not have been everyones cup of tea but it was most definitely mine. 2 of my fave shows Doctor Who and Bridgerton colliding, Jonathan Groff who I am obsessed with and a cute queer love story. Yes. just yes. feed it to me. I want shit like this injected into my veins. I don't care that it's just a fluffy romp filler episode I love it, I want it, I need it.

I dont think Rogue is the one who waits, but his comment on the "new boss" he's recently gotten.

This is my favourite episode of the season. I loved it. I agree that I'm not a Dr Who fan for the romance, but I loved the entire River Song arc even when it made me cry.

Thank you! I was exactly bothered by the same aspect : I never imagined the Doctor caring for someone... and not even trying to look for them,

Doctor who isn't opening the can of worms of dimension? It's been doing that since the baker era. Even mentioned as late of classic as curse of Fenric