I agree, focusing on that UNIT trio would be great so we could have these characters, especially Ibrahim & Shirely, be more than 2 dimensional. Maybe we will get some of that in the spin-off but it seems to be focusing on new characters.
I wanted a lot more of Kate leaning into the gray morality. It could have set up a more antagonistic relationship between Dr Who & UNIT. & would have made his absence from this episode more important - when he’s away this is what UNIT are really like.
It’s no more annoying than Gatwa crying all the time. It’s just a way to show her legacy. We need to remember that there are viewers who haven’t seen Classic
Fifteenth crying doesn’t annoy me at all. Kate has been a recurring character since 2012. She has plenty of stories to stand out on her own and if anything it’s more probable casual viewers recognize her from the Matt Smith years than catch a throway line about the Brigadier.
It’s fine that she talks about her dad at times, but (almost) every episode makes it feel like all she stands on as a character is her father.
It’s mostly a nitpick for me and doesn’t really bother me tho.
I loved it.
“I found 50p!” instantly one of my favourite Fifteenth Doctor moments.
Once again, a pretty solid episode. I appreciated getting to know Ruby more in the context of her ordinary life and I thought the PTSD approach to her wild experiences with the Doctor was very interesting. And having Shirley again was great. I did not see the twist coming but I definitely got the vibe Conrad was bit pathetic before he was revealed to be such a nasty guy. I think it explored the very real issue of fake news and revisionist propaganda in a reasonable way, it is unfortunately relatable. And it was interesting to see Kate take a bit of a darker turn. I do agree though that the message gets a bit muddled with UNIT being a paramilitary organization and their function as perceived by the general public being a bit unclear. It didn’t quite stick the landing in that regard but otherwise was pretty decent.
This reads very much like a shitpost or bait, especially with the Heaven Sent comment oml
I seen his other replies , he might be serious 
It’s unbelievable
Currently rewatching this episode - I love it 
This perfectly captures many of my feelings on the episode better than I could have said. Apart from some parts in The Star Beast, UNIT in this era has tended come across to me as mostly toothless and incompetent both in their perception by others and their actions in episodes such as The Giggle and The Legend of Ruby Sunday, and while there is genuine criticism that can be made of the organization, it’s mostly sidelined and replaced by rumors that we as the audience already knows are false.
I did really love Ruby and Kate this episode, but a real missed opportunity imo was not having real consequences for Kate actively letting an alien loose on a civilian after being provoked, continuing even after he proved himself no longer a threat to UNIT staff. While it’s really interesting to have her more morally dubious, that could have been real reason to protest her leadership of the organization instead of being the prompt to have everyone love UNIT again.
But yeah, some really good individual moments here, but far less as a whole than the parts.
Just watched Lucky Day! I wrote a review of it. Basically, (perhaps contrary to how my review sounds!) I actually rather liked it, 6 or 7 out of 10 perhaps - it was fun and enjoyable, which is very important to Doctor Who, and had a very big message, which took over the story a bit too much but was worth thinking about. Well done Pete McTighe!
Also this isn’t a criticism at all, but when is the episode supposed to take place? The Shreek seem to have their hunting rituals once a year, and it first emerged right after the events of The Devil’s Chord (stated to be at least June 2024 for Ruby’s time). With Conrad organizing the ‘exposè’, rallying the public against UNIT, getting bitten and arrested, tried and jailed, I wonder just when Mrs Flood frees him, given that he seems to be somewhat connected with whatever happens on May 24th.
I am glad to see that many love this Episode, for me, it didn’t do all that much despite having high Hopes considering how much I really like (even with its Flaw) something like 73 Yards.
It’s probably the one that gives me the most Headaches to discuss. I can see why one would really like this Episode, it’s by no means a bad one. Millie is great as always and you feel for her. Touching on her having a hard Time to move on, while it could do with fleshing out was great. And so was any Scene with her Family, my favorite Part of the Episode really, it’s nice to see her having more Scenes with them. I think Actingwise Conrad and Kate were really strong too, even if I have my Issues with the latter.
Part of me wonders why I just am not connecting with the Episode much, but I am taking a Guess it has to do with its Use of UNIT. I make no Secret in disliking the Confusion that is RTD2 UNIT, Part of me feels like as if RTD is trying to mix the Style of a ‘UNIT’-Family and a more darker cynical Approach from his Era together and those two just really don’t mash as much as I would like to. I think you could do it well, but so far I don’t think the UNIT Cast is strong. Ibrahiam is a Nothing-Character. Shirley hasn’t been seen much for me to properly form much of an Opinion of her. The Vlinx exists. And Kate. Oh Kate, if there is one Thing that RTD2 is bafflingly at it, it’s the Confusion of Kate. While Redgrave is a great Actress and gives it her all, I feel like this Era, like with all of UNIT, is indecisive if they should lean into a more gray morally dubious one or not. I liked the ending with her, but I wish I could see a Commitment to it.
Then there is the Political Commentary of this Episode, which I think is a great Message but kinda stumbles on its Execution. It’s an ambitious Concept, and one that at times feels too easy for Conrad and his Followers. There is a lot that this Episode wants to cram in, at times the pacing can feel all over the Place because of it. While I think Conrads Actor and the Idea of pretending to be Rubys Boyfriend, while obvious, was done as well as it could, at times it felt fairly quick and other times too slow. It’s weird, and I am not sure if I explain it correctly, but the Pacing just felt really off. The Commentary itself makes me feel indifferent. I think Who can and should tackle it and if anything I can appreciate a Character for Conrad for feeling very much “real” (in terms of the Believability, since I have known people who act and think just like him, sadly), but I am still not fully sold on it. At the end, I think it was handled in a very mixed bag manner.
Even the directing wasn’t too great here, I mean it’s decent and nothing against Peter Hoar, but I thought the Night Scenes didn’t have all that great Lightning.
I do like some Scenes with 15, the ending, while the Dialogue is just summarizing its Message, I thought worked due to seeing 15 being angry. I especially liked his Moment where he just told Conrad how he would die, felt very 7 to me. The Flashback Scene was also quite fun.
I am fairly certain that some Thoughts weren’t as well articulate as I would hope, but I hope I come across not the wrong Way. I cannot stretch enough how glad I am to see or read that People enjoyed it or even loved it, but for me at least, this Episode was just all over the Place and not in the best way.
After rewatching… I hate to say it, but this was my least favorite 15 episode so far. (Coincidentally, one of the two other episodes I rated below 3.5 was also UNIT-heavy. Figures.) As some people have said, the message against conservative conspiracies and fearmongering fits awkwardly with a militarized government organization being the real victims of those blasted youth protestors… even if we know Conrad and his buddies are a bunch of terrible people, the imagery of people armed with nothing but their phones being hassled by armed soldiers is uncomfortable to say the least. (On that note, the “discrediting UNIT” plan seems a bit nonsensical? It’s not like they planted the fake Shreeks there; they basically responded to a prank call).
I liked that the Doctor got to show some cold fury at the end—it feels like it’s been a while since we got a taste of their “darker” side. That being said, it felt like a redundant way to tell us that the cartoonishly evil villain is, in fact, bad. Guess they needed him to appear at the end and remind us whose show it is
Mrs. Flood really gave me Missy vibes here, showing up to chat with the villain after the Doctor flies off. I’ve kinda given up on figuring out what her deal is…
Settled on rating it 5 or 6 out of 10; it’s not bad, but it’s nothing to write home about, especially following two highlights of the era.
I hated this episode. Ngl wayy too preachy by the writer. I can see why people enjoyed it tho. I think it would’ve been better with Ruby being hounded by the mob and then working backwards.
My phone is also wet rn thanks to my sister spraying it with a water gun lol.
Me and my dad thought Kate was out of line, and that Ruby should’ve left UNIT by the end. Would’ve had more respect for her as a character.
I like it when the Doctor is dark, thank you 15
Yep, I agree. Her character just changes on the whim of the writer, no consistency. Fan girling over Davina McCall, or being dark & ominous. Whatever fits that week I guess.
This this this! While I enjoyed the episode, I felt that after the reveal we were just full tilt one thing after the other. Didn’t help that they were quickly flashing through all the news reports and online videos. Even before that with the more vignette-y style I was shocked when Ruby revealed they had been dating for a few weeks! I had little sense of how much time was passing in between some of the scenes. I don’t want a “3 weeks later” subtitle or whatever, so maybe this isn’t constructive to just go “this was bad!” without having a suggestion, but also I suppose this is a reactions thread and the writers won’t see this so!
This is another good point, because I understood that these (meaning the 2025 events of the episode) were meant to take place in Ruby’s timeline fairly soon after Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death but with some time in between for her bio mom (I forget her name oops) to settle in, which for me accounts for the fact that it takes place in 2025, especially with the Shreek’s timeline. They were also really obvious about setting the original Shreek incident after The Devil’s Chord, in 2024, and the Doctor and Belinda’s scene in 2007. But if it’s one year after The Devil’s Chord, then it should take place after May 24, as you point out. Unless the Shreek incident doesn’t happen concurrently to Ruby’s personal timeline, ie, this particular TARDIS trip put them a little bit back in Ruby’s timeline and it takes place in March, or April or something like that. Somebody correct me though if this isn’t possible, I’m a little fuzzy on the Series 14 timeline especially with the whole “we’ve actually been traveling together for a few months” thing.
Just letting yall know that i did a rewatch and i didnt really like it on 2nd watch,gonna be dropping my score to 2.5 stars
What made you change your mind out of curiosity? Quite a big change but I’m just curious if it was the political aspect given your messages on Discord.
Yeah it was and I also didnt really like the third act.
Politics in Who is hardly a new thing though its been there right from the start.
