The 2024 series of Doctor Who is heading towards its conclusion, but there’s just time for Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson to put on some period costumes…
Perfectly solid, this, if a step back on the last run of three episodes. Other opinions, as always, are available. This is episode six of eight of Doctor Who’s current run, the last before we dive into the two-part finale. The last chance to do something overtly standalone. And you know what? Doctor Who is throwing a bit of a party.
I’m not generally one to watch trailers or read synopses ahead of films and TV shows, something I’ve tried to stick to for the last few years. It’s paid dividends, too. The recent movie Abigail is amazing to watch if you’ve genuinely no idea what’s coming.
In the case of Rogue, the pre-transmission blurb was promising something that changes the Doctor forever. It’s hard to talk too much about it in a spoiler-free review, as I sort of see where they’re coming from, but also, I sort of don’t. Which is one of the more useless paragraphs I’ve written of late, and regular readers will know what a competitive field that is.
Still, what we have is a period drama with music, dancing, and aliens. Posh people are brought to a posh house in posh outfits, with the recurring theme of the class system underpinning things.
Penned by Briony Redman and Kate Herron (I feel honour bound to point out their work on Loki here), the Doctor and Ruby pop on some dashing costumes and land in 1813 England, in a very posh house.
A further, important confession: I’ve never watched Bridgerton, and Rogue is awash with namechecks to it, and I have to assume more hat tips to the series than I’m able to recognise or give you the nuance of. Safe to say, you’re getting a regency-set story with pop culture references, and if you particularly warm to Bridgerton, you’re likely to get a fair amount out of Rogue that I didn’t.
Oh, and there’s people disappearing. That’s in there too, a traditional-style Doctor Who story, with some less traditional features.
In the midst of it all comes Jonathan Groff, a high-profile guest star with an important role in the story itself. You get him with the Doctor as the episode progresses, whilst Millie Gibson’s Ruby has business of her own to attend to. There’s the ongoing sense of broader tracks being laid for things ahead, and a perfectly solid adventure to keep us busy this week.
73 Yards remains the standout of the run so far for me, but I’d pop Rogue ahead of Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord. It’s fine, I enjoyed it, but the bit that made me sit up the most was the next time trailer for the episode after…
