The Robot Revolution

I am not one of your adventures.

Belinda Chandra

Synopsis

When robots from outer space kidnap nurse Belinda Chandra, the Doctor embarks on an epic intergalactic quest to get his new friend back home to Earth.

Review

I think that there is a lot to be said for being able to find new ways to do the same thing, and doing it well. That is certainly a gift Russell T Davies has when it comes to writing first episodes for companions. New, and unwilling, entrant to the TARDIS Belinda Chandra marks the fifth introduction of a new companion over Russell T Davies’ two eras as head writer on the show, and demonstrates that he is still able to tick the boxes of information needed for a new companion capably. I still remember the fact that the Thirteenth Doctor’s companions didn’t seem to know anything about her by the start of Series 12, which always rankled with me.

Apparently I’m the Queen of outer space, if you could tell the police.

Belinda Chandra

The Robot Revolution feels a step ahead of the previous series opener, Space Babies, just from the outset. This time, Davies feels as though he has painted himself into a corner through the frenetic pace of the story, which means that information is delivered to Belinda, and the new audience, with economy. There is no travelling back into the past to see the dinosaurs and give a warning about the perils of time travel, for instance. I think The Robot Revolution‘s approach is much better; in Space Babies, I left that scene thinking that I would much rather see a story about the Doctor and Ruby trying to fix the damage to the timeline than what we actually got.

Davies is clearly brimming with ideas in this story, and the challenge is packing them in to the runtime. Fundamentally though, the basic premise of The Robot Revolution is a strong one. People have been given star certificates like the one that Alan gives Belinda at the beginning of the story – but what if the inhabitants of that planet one day came to find you and make you their Queen? Far-fetched, yes, but that’s exactly what Doctor Who is all about. I liked the way that everything on the planet was named after her Missbelindachandra, from the robots to the bombs. The planet is in state of revolution between the humans and the robots, with Belinda to wed the AI Generator and be converted to become a fusion of Queen and machine. This story feels as though it has taken notes from Steven Moffat, with faulty machines, time fractures and bootstrap paradoxes, but Davies manages to make it clear what his approach is to this type of story. Whilst Moffat would make the corruption of the machines the defining evil, Davies spins this to put it back on humanity. This entire situation is manifested by Belinda’s ex-boyfriend, Alan, trying to control an entire planet as though it is a video game. Davies wants to make us aware of toxic masculinity from the first minute; Alan immediately makes himself hissable by his sweeping statement that girls can’t do maths in the opening minutes.

Take her home, Doctor, then take me to the stars.

Sasha-55

There are, perhaps, too many ideas that Davies is trying to fit into one episode here though, and this does show. The revolutionaries feel very underdeveloped, and some of their dialogue, especially when Belinda is told that she is no better than the robots, feels quite forced. Then there is the character of Sasha, who is someone who is much more in the mould of a traditional companion than Belinda. Whilst the Doctor has spent six months with her, I did not feel that the audience had enough time to feel attached enough when she was killed by one of the robots. The Doctor’s reaction to her death did fall flat for me, essentially because we did not know her well enough. This is a peril with the eight-episode series (or seasons) that ideas are pushed into fewer episodes, leaving some great ideas with no time to breathe.

I really like the visual aesthetics of this episode, from the 50s style robots to the rocket that could have been torn from the pages of Herge’s Adventures of Tintin. The standout is the cleaning robot, which looks like a retro car, and deals with Alan once and for all. Sets like the AI Generator’s chamber feel like they could be lifted from a B movie and are wonderfully directed by Peter Hoar.

This is a strong debut for Belinda Chandra, the Doctor’s new companion. I feel that the writers need to be careful with how her unwilling companion is handled, as that can start to jar eventually. Of course, she is not the first companion not to want to travel with the Doctor – there have been Ian and Barbara, Tegan and Turlough in the original run – but she is the first who isn’t quite so susceptible to the charms of the Doctor. Being present for the death of Sasha, then the Doctor taking her DNA without asking first, Belinda goes into her TARDIS travels with her eyes wider open than some other companions. It would be easy to draw parallels between Belinda and Martha on the basis of them both being healthcare professionals, however, she is more similar to Donna and Clara, not willing to entertain the Doctor’s nonsense. Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa have great chemistry and I am intrigued to see how their relationship plays out. The Fifteenth Doctor is a whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm, and having a companion like Belinda is going to show sides of this incarnation that we have not yet seen. It’s a good performance from Fatwa, who bubbles with emotion, jumping with joy at times and showing how vulnerable this incarnation is in his reaction to Sasha’s death. It’s an incredibly positive start for both Doctor and companion.

Verdict: An intriguing, if at times rushed, introduction to the new series and new companion. 7/10

Cast: Ncuti Fatwa (The Doctor), Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra), Jonny Green (Alan Budd), Max Parker (Manny), Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood), Thalia Dudek (Kirby Blake), Jeffin Kunjumon (Stefan Haines), Belinda Owusu (Receptionist), Tom Storey (Tombo), Stephen Love (Robot 1), Robert Strange (Robot 2), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Robots), Evelyn Miller (Sasha 55), Charles Sandford (Robot 3), Lucas Edwards (Robot 4), Caleb Hughes (Scoley), Nadine Higgin (Shago) and William Ellis (Prime Minister)

Writer: Russell T Davies

Director: Peter Hoar

Producer: Vicki Delow

Composer: Murray Gold

Original UK Broadcast Date: 12th April 2025

Behind the Scenes

• The working titles for this story was Belinda and the Robots.

Cast Notes

• Belinda Owusu previously appeared as Woman with Pram in The Church on Ruby Road.
• William Ellis previously played Aldo Rega in Emissary of the Daleks.

Best Moment

I really liked the scene with the Doctor communicating with Belinda through using the fault in the robots, and getting his message through with every ninth word.

Best Quote

Timey-wimey.

Timey-wimey?

Yup.

Am I six?

The Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda Chandra

Previous Fifteenth Doctor review: Joy to the World

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