Are You Feeling Lucky? Lucky Day: Episode 4 Has Landed – Our Thoughts

Jack’s Thoughts

This week’s episode felt very solid indeed. I particularly appreciated its placement chronologically, slotting neatly in between “The Devil’s Chord” and “Boom.” It was a nice touch to establish that continuity early on. The inclusion of UNIT was also very welcome; I always enjoy seeing them featured and their interactions with the Doctor. The parallel drawn between Conrad’s desire to understand the Doctor’s life and the premise of “Love & Monsters,” where a character seeks insight into the Doctor’s world to the point of starting a podcast, was a clever nod.

However, Conrad as a character? I absolutely loathe him after his manipulative stunt. My heart went out to Ruby at that moment. It felt like she had finally found someone she could confide in, someone who understood the constant vigilance and strange occurrences that come with travelling with the Doctor. To have that trust so callously betrayed was genuinely upsetting.

I’m still firmly standing by my prediction that we are heading towards a significant return of the Trickster. This season feels like it’s building towards something big, and his chaotic influence would fit perfectly.

The Mrs. Flood mystery continues to deepen, with her seemingly being the one to release Conrad from jail. This could very well mean we haven’t seen the last of his tiresome podcast. I’m increasingly convinced that Mrs. Flood has a connection to the Doctor, and the “Governor” alias felt very Time Lord-esque. Could she be a returning Rani, perhaps following the Doctor through time and space? Her knowledge and actions certainly suggest a deeper involvement than a mere nosy neighbour.

The villains of the week, the Shreek, were well-designed. While they fit the typical monster-of-the-week mould, they were used very effectively to drive the plot and create a sense of immediate danger. I particularly liked their unsettling red eyes.

Jemma Redgrave delivered a fantastic performance as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Her character was particularly well-written in this episode, showcasing her strength and unwavering dedication to UNIT.

Overall, I thought “Lucky Day” was a very well-delivered, enjoyable Doctor-lite story that I’ll definitely be revisiting in the future.

Daniel’s Thoughts

This week’s episode certainly felt like another deep dive into the murky waters of toxic masculinity on the internet. Following Alan in ‘The Robot Revolution,’ we now have the thoroughly unlikeable Conrad in this installment.

My immediate reaction was a strong desire to see the Shreek make a meal of that two-faced, lying, cheating excuse for a human being. Alas, much like last week, the ending was left frustratingly open, suggesting we might be subjected to the return of Conrad Clark and his tedious podcast, all thanks to the meddling of the Governor, or rather, Mrs. Flood!

Speaking of the enigmatic Mrs. Flood, her alias “The Governor” struck a distinctly Time Lord-y chord. After all, Time Lords have a well-established habit of adopting titles as aliases. Consider the past: The Doctor, The Time Meddling Monk, the War Chief, The Master, The Watcher, The Rani, The Seven/The Multitude, The Woman, and even the Curator. This pattern makes the notion of her being a Time Lord feel increasingly plausible. The only question is: which one?

The episode itself began in familiar Doctor Who territory. We had the Doctor and Ruby tackling an extraterrestrial menace, the Shreek, within the confines of an abandoned department store – undoubtedly Henrick’s. The Shreek itself felt like a classic Who monster, directly targeting our main characters. Its introduction bore a striking resemblance to the 2006 Doctor-lite episode ‘Love & Monsters,’ albeit with significantly superior writing this time around!

We were also given a clear point of reference for the flashback scene, with Ruby mentioning their recent departure from the Beatles in 1960s London. This places the events of the Shreek encounter firmly between ‘The Devil’s Chord’ and ‘Boom.’

The plot twist revealing Conrad’s true, manipulative nature shifted the episode’s direction considerably. His blatant exploitation of Ruby genuinely angered me, making the Doctor’s stern dressing-down feel particularly satisfying. However, Conrad’s defiant statement, “I don’t accept your reality,” has planted a seed of suspicion in my mind. Could this be a significant clue pointing towards his involvement in the upcoming “The Reality War”? Conrad’s line, “I don’t accept your reality,” also triggered a distinct memory of ‘The Deadly Assassin,’ where the Doctor, trapped in the Matrix on Gallifrey, declares, “I deny this reality” while pursuing Chancellor Goth. This parallel has led me down 

Amber’s Thoughts

That was a pretty good episode overall. While I’m not a fan of Conrad or the conspiracy theorists pushing back against UNIT, I appreciated that the story gave us their perspective. It was compelling to see how ordinary people view UNIT and their involvement with alien activity, something the show doesn’t often explore in depth.

The final scene with The Doctor and Conrad stood out in particular. It revealed a much darker and angrier side of The Doctor, a trait that has been emerging more frequently in recent episodes. It felt fitting, especially given that Conrad isn’t exactly a sympathetic character. The tension in that moment added a powerful edge to The Doctor’s presence.

Additionally, the very final scene with Mrs. Flood hinted at her greater significance in this series, and Conrad’s line about not accepting The Doctor’s reality suggests he may play a key role in the finale. It’s setting up something big.

Another highlight was seeing Kate Lethbridge-Stewart’s more aggressive side. It was surprising and satisfying to watch her take decisive action without being held back, it reminded viewers of how formidable UNIT can be when pushed. The brief but meaningful mention of The Brigadier was also appreciated; his legacy continues to cast a long shadow over UNIT’s storylines.

While The Doctor wasn’t central to most of the episode, it worked well as a Doctor-Lite story and felt reminiscent of 2006’s “Love and Monsters,” offering a fresh perspective on the show’s world. Overall, the episode balanced character development, moral complexity, and world-building in a way that made it both engaging and thought-provoking.

Images courtesy of BBC pictures