Episode 2: Lux Has Landed – Our Thoughts

Daniel’s Thoughts

After last week’s introduction to the wonderfully poised Miss Belinda Chandra, former Queen of Missbelindachandra-one, it felt like perfect timing to plunge her into the wonderfully weird world the Doctor inhabits. Miami, 1952, became the backdrop for mysterious disappearances around an American Picture House – or Cinema, for us Brits. The episode also offered poignant glimpses into the realities of 1950s American segregation laws.

Mr. Ring-a-Ding, or rather the luminous Lux, was brought to vibrant life by the talented Alan Cumming, whom we previously saw as King James in Series 11’s ‘The Witchfinders.’ It certainly appears we are still navigating the realm of the Pantheon of the Gods. Following encounters with the Toymaker, Maestro, and Sutekh, it’s now the God of Light’s turn to challenge the Doctor! Could the mischievous Trickster be lurking just off-stage, ready to unleash chaos upon the Doctor and Miss Belinda?

Intriguingly, there were a few musical cues reminiscent of Amy Pond. Could Belinda and Amy share some unseen connection?

This week saw both the Doctor and Belinda step out of the narrative, directly addressing the audience. While the breaking of the television screen into what was portrayed as annoying fans’ living rooms felt a tad pointed – almost labeling the very audience sustaining the show as irritating – the subsequent “leak” of the Doctor discovering his fictional nature seems to be materializing, at least in part. I’m increasingly suspecting that these “leaks” might be orchestrated by Russell T Davies himself.

With this meta-narrative gaining traction, I’m starting to give more credence to the “leak” suggesting Mrs. Flood could be a bi-regenerated Rani. One thing is for sure: we have until episode six for what promises to be a dramatic reveal!

Finally, the inclusion of “fans” interacting with the Doctor and Miss Belinda strongly suggests we’re venturing into the Land of Fiction. If this is indeed the case, the title for episode eight, ‘The Reality War,’ feels particularly apt.

Jack’s Thoughts

Jack loved the episode, especially the story. He’s excited about the ongoing Pantheon of the Gods storyline and hopes for the Trickster’s return.

He’s always been a big fan of stories like this—similar in tone and mystery to “Lux”— and this one really delivered. I don’t have anything negative to say; it feels like we’re slowly building toward something that’s going to shake the Doctor’s world in a big way. The way the episode was handled was fantastic—the story felt fresh and new, yet carried a sense of familiarity that longtime fans can appreciate. I especially enjoyed the continuation of the pantheon of gods, which adds a rich, mythological layer to the narrative. I’m really hoping all of this is leading to the return of the Trickster to the Whoniverse for an epic showdown with the Doctor. This season has started off incredibly strong, and I’m genuinely excited to see how everything unfolds from here. The writing, pacing, and overall vibe have me completely hooked.

I also found Mr. Ring-a-Ding’s jingle to be catchy as it appeared all throughout the episode.

Amber’s Thoughts

Amber adored the episode, particularly the animated sequences and Mr. Ring-a-Ding as a unique villain. This is something never before seen in Doctor Who and it was well executed. Continuing with Mr Ring-A-Ding as a unique villain, his connection to The Pantheon was a twist she was not expecting, the theme of God’s has been prevalent in the most recent episodes. Could this be building up to be something in the future?

She found the fourth-wall breaks surprising, the moment The Doctor and Belinda had to start moving forward and started to “push” the TV screen was interesting and was quite shocking when we saw Doctor Who fans. Although the joke about the fans did seem a bit on the nose – are Doctor Who fans really as annoying as they were portrayed?

Amber appreciated the 1950s-inspired costumes, noting the similarity to some historical inspired costumes in season 1 episode “The Devil’s Chord”. It’s always fun to see The Doctor and companion dress for the setting.

Amber also liked the connection to the Pantheon and shares Jack’s hope of The Trickster returning. Finally, she’s intrigued by Mrs. Flood and her surprise appearance at the end, she’s starting to believe the “God of Stories” theory.

Overall, we enjoyed Lux, we’re excited for next week’s episode “The Well”.

Images courtesy of BBC Pictures