Want to hear more from the actors and creators of your favorite shows and films? Subscribe to The Cinema Spot on YouTube for all of our upcoming interviews!
The Doctor and her companions are off again to explore time and space, and their latest trip is what you usually expect from Doctor Who, with a not-so-subtle moral message.
In this episode, we find the Doctor, Yas, Graham and Ryan as they are teleported to the Tranquility Spa for some needed R&R. Nothing is what it seems and a virus and strange creatures attack the resort. The Doctor starts investigating and uncovers the truth behind this vacation spot, which was built on an Orphan planet (an inhospitable planet). This episode didn’t bring anything new to the table, nothing yet on this season’s main storyline or character development-wise it seems. It was just a weekly Who adventure, some monsters, fun, and drama, which of course isn’t the problem but it was a bit of disappointment after the fantastic series premiere.
A matter of great controversy it seems is the Doctor’s final speech. It is uncovered that the planet where the spa was built is actually future Earth, which was driven to destruction by humanity’s passivity and the monsters were mutated humans who were left behind. The Doctor gives her companions a pretty pointed speech about what leads humanity to this future. Viewers shouldn’t forget that Doctor Who isn’t just mindless sci-fi and has always delivered strong messages. Perhaps what’s been bothering viewers is that there are no metaphors nor fiction behind The Doctor’s words, this is our reality, our present and the speech is directed at us, the viewers.
The episode fell a bit short, great expectations were set by the series premiere but hopefully, it will pick up again.
Score: 6/10
For more reviews and news, follow me on Twitter @MCLCloss and don’t forget to follow @TheCinemaSpot as well.
4 Comments on “Doctor Who S12E03 – Review – Orphan 55”