Halfway There, Halfway Hooked! Doctor Who Season 2 – Our Mid-Season Verdict!

Daniel’s Mid-Season Musings

Over the past four weeks, we’ve witnessed the Doctor, the ever-graceful Belinda, and the inquisitive Ruby navigate not only the threats of extraterrestrial thuggery but also the often-murkier depths of human nature. And it’s a running theme, isn’t it? The boyfriend always seems to be the problem!

One character who has seen significant development is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. It feels like we’re seeing a more assertive and proactive side to her, which is exciting, especially with the upcoming spin-off series, ‘The War Between The Land and the Sea.’ The mention of Mel Bush being in Sydney Harbour in ‘Lucky Day’ felt like a deliberate tease, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for appearances from Tegan and the iconic Dorothy “Ace” McShane in that series.

However, the central story arc of this season has left me with a head full of questions, the most prominent being: who exactly is Mrs. Flood? If you’ve been following our weekly thoughts, you’ll know I’m stubbornly clinging to my 90% certainty that she’s a Time Lord, or at the very least, hails from Gallifrey. Her adoption of the alias “The Governor” at the close of ‘Lucky Day’, coupled with her possession of technology mirroring the Doctor’s, strongly reinforces this theory. But as the wise Sylvester McCoy once said, “Time will tell, it always does…”

Adding fuel to my Time Lord fire, particularly the Rani theory, is a Big Finish audio adventure titled “Planet of the Rani.” In this story, 97 years after her imprisonment, The Rani becomes the Governor of her prison planet. Could this be a subtle nod to Mrs. Flood’s true identity?

Furthermore, Conrad’s chilling denial of the Doctor’s reality casts a long shadow over the season finale, aptly titled “The Reality War.” I have a strong suspicion that a powerful, trickster God is waiting in the wings, much like the anticipation surrounding the upcoming episode, “The Story and Engine.” The trailer’s glimpse of a giant arachnid feels like a blatant clue, pointing towards the West African folklore figure of Anansi, a trickster God often depicted as a spider. However, I’ll keep my full thoughts on that under a giant, speculative question mark.

Looking ahead, the future of Doctor Who itself feels shrouded in uncertainty. The persistent rumours of potential cancellation fill me with a sense of dread. Could we be facing a second “Wilderness Years”? Or is this lack of concrete updates a clever, albeit anxiety-inducing, piece of marketing, especially when considering the ominous date of May 24th, 2025 – the day Earth is supposedly removed from existence and the penultimate episode airs?

Is this all part of an elaborate meta-narrative, blurring the lines between fiction and reality? And is Ncuti Gatwa’s departure at the end of this series a genuine possibility? The news of recent reshoots for the season finale only adds to the swirling uncertainty. Not knowing is truly torturous, and these cancellation rumours certainly don’t inspire confidence.

Amber’s Mid-Season Assessment

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the dynamic between Belinda and the Doctor, even though we’ve only had three full episodes with them so far. Their contrasting personalities and how they navigate the universe together are a real highlight.

The overarching mysteries of this series have been particularly engaging. The questions surrounding the disappearance of Earth and the true nature of Mrs. Flood have consistently piqued my interest. Before this season, Mrs. Flood felt like a minor character, but her prominent role this year has completely changed my perspective.

The announcement of cinema screenings for the final two episodes, “Wish World” and “The Reality War,” is also a fantastic touch. It’s a tradition Doctor Who has embraced occasionally in the past, and its more frequent return is something I wholeheartedly welcome.

Despite these positives, the persistent rumours about the show’s potential cancellation are undeniably worrying. Unfortunately, all we can do is wait and see if there’s any truth to them. On a brighter note, the upcoming UNIT spin-off series should be hitting our screens soon, which is something to look forward to.

As for the remaining episodes of this season, I’m excited for all of them, but the two-part finale is what I’m anticipating the most. I’m still clinging to my theory that the Doctor will somehow discover he’s a character in a TV show. I’ve held onto the theory for this long. I’m excited to see if it is true.

Jack’s Mid-Season thoughts

As a whole this season is much better or even an improvement on the last: With a lot more engaging stories.

Ncuti Gatwa I feel has done a tremendous job in the role and I’m really enjoying exploring more of his darker side: he’s had a few bad bits here and there but overall I think he is doing a great job. Varada Sethu was a superb choice to play  Belinda Chandra. Her performances as the character have been fantastic so far. 

I’m absolutely loving the pantheon of Gods storyline, it has definitely added a lot of intrigue into the past 2 seasons and I would like it to continue for as long as they see fit. 

I would like to see more scenes of the doctor and Belinda in the Tardis as I feel we haven’t explored as many bits of the Tardis as we have previously, it would be nice to return as the Tardis is easily one of the most recognisable locations.

I know the Mrs Flood mystery has dragged on a bit but I believe Anita Dobson has done a fantastic job at portraying Mrs Flood and trying to keep the character interesting for the viewer. I for one am excited to see who she eventually gets revealed to be.

My one last point on the rumours, although it is nice that it is on Disney to reach a larger audience I believe Doctor Who will always have a good set of core fans that will not give up on the show. However we still have a lot of projects that relate to the show such as the War Between The Land And The Sea which hopefully will hit the ground running and prove some doubters wrong about the show’s future and whether or not it can still go. 

Overall I feel this season has started off the right way I hope it finishes on a high

Images courtesy of BBC Pictures