The Reel Rejects - DOCTOR WHO "REALITY WAR" REVIEW!!

Episode Date: June 1, 2025

BILLIE PIPER IS 16th DOCTOR?! Ncuti Gatwa leaves, Jodie Whitaker Returns! Doctor Who Full Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   All too soon we arrive at the Doctor Who “The Reality War” Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, & Spoiler Review!! Join Greg Alba and John Humphrey as they confront the universe-shattering events of “The Reality War,” where Ncuti Gatwa returns as the Fifteenth Doctor (acclaimed for Sex Education and Barbie) alongside companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu, The Night Manager; Indian Summers) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson, Coronation Street). As the fabric of reality unravels at the hands of the resurrected Time Lord villain Rani (Archie Panjabi, Emmy-winner for The Good Wife), the Doctor races to save every timeline from collapsing into chaos. Witness high-stakes confrontations—from Rani’s chilling manipulation of entire worlds to Ruby’s brave stand against reality-warping monstrosities. And prepare for the episode’s jaw-dropping climax: Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor regenerates into the legendary Rose Tyler (Billie Piper, breakout star of Doctor Who and Pip Lives!), delivering one of the most talked-about surprises in modern Who history. Don’t miss our deep-dive reaction as Greg and John unpack every iconic moment—from the Doctor’s desperate rally to restore order, to Rani’s final gambit and Rose’s triumphant return—breaking down how “The Reality War” redefines loyalty, sacrifice, and the power of hope in the Whoniverse. Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Celebrate in a fashion responsible. You have to have the age legal for consuming the alcohol. You guys rock. Let's enjoy this finale. And on top of that, we will be answering some questions from our Patreon. right when the reaction is done let's get into it all right ladies and gentlemen well please

if you are here still with us we mean the world if you could leave a like on this video uh be sure subscribe and click that bell on yes thank you to those to get the r r apparel becoming righteous rejects means the world and prepper thank you for heading down these highlights it's not easy getting these public especially Doctor Who and you're working on a day where you normally don't come in so really appreciate you helping out before we go into the review let's just answer some questions right away from some patrons from royal rejects the first one of the day a j john why don't you read the first question generic question we'll see about that but how are you guys feeling about the current run

overall personally this has been my favorite show for a long time i'm loving chuteigatwa as the doctor, but I don't know if it's just the fact that I'm older now, but I feel like the show has been somewhat lacking with the past couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong, there's been some amazing episodes, some of the absolute best. Overall, though, I feel as if the spark has left. The show no longer has the same flare that made it so special for me to begin. This seems to be a reoccurring thing that keeps popping up here with this particular iteration of Doctor Who. And it's no pun intended. It's been a bit of a flux for a lot of people, but, you know, we're not just saying it. I really

loved the Chutigawa as the doctor. I know you said you're loving him as a doctor and or didn't or loved now at this point. But I think there's been a lot of special things that have occurred in this season of television for sure. I love the African episode, the Lux episode. I think There's been a lot of church of Ruby Sunday. I think it was an amazing episode. The Devil's Chord. Yeah, there's a lot of incredible episodes. So, no, I think, like,

the opening up the idea of the gods as well with a bit of a supernatural element. I personally think there's, like, new, it's different. There's some new directions. And after the Whitaker era, which was really, like, dreary and dower for a lot of it to then get this slingshot effect.

And I still appreciate the, variety and stuff you too yeah yeah yeah i mean i i i could see why part part of me wonders it maybe between generations we need to like do a gap not like you know uh take as long of a break as it took between the classic series and the newly rebooted eccleston series and and so on but you know i mean i don't know because like there's so much about this season and even the whittaker seasons the whittaker seasons having gone for a more dark gritty tone slightly you know this still feels like it has so many of the classic earmarks of Doctor Who for better and for worse, some of the classic whimsy, some of the classic spirit.

And I mean, you know, they've certainly upped. It seems like we're finally at a place where you can fully realize anything you want to do with this show via effects. So yeah, I don't know if it's just about maybe needing to miss it again because it's been back for a long time now and maybe people just need some time away from it. Although now that I say that I'm like, there have been gaps, especially in pandemic life between, you know, recent seasons and these new stuff. I don't know.

Because this has felt to me at least like it's had the spark of a lot of the classic or at least the, I shouldn't say classic, the modern classic, the rebooted classic episode. This falls right in line with those. And I mean, yeah, just as an overall two-episode arc, it feels a little like something's off. But in terms of if you just go episode by episode and the experience of, you know, taking in a new Doctor Who each week, a lot of this has felt very classic.

definitely Michael Penton saying just want to say I appreciate all the work you guys do keep being great really appreciate that Camille is saying we hear about the boss yet again the meep from David Tennant's special mentioned it first any thoughts or ideas of who this boss might actually be I originally and Elijah McWinnion Jr. replied I originally thought it was Ronnie could still be Mrs. but now I think it could be Susan or maybe the master I'm not sure I mean I feel like it would have to somewhat link to why they brought Billy Piper back

I'm mad I noticed it didn't say introducing Billy Piper as the doctor is that introducing Billy Piper and I'm curious if it's going to like tie into the whole bad wolf thing I need to kind of get a refresher on it but I remember that

Eccleston season finale did a lot with that and I feel like yeah maybe maybe it has something more to do with like bad wolf thing in terms of like who the boss could be I feel like it would be a little generic if it was the master I think we need to do something different boss is another word for master but but yeah I mean I feel like in a way given what they've done here we're probably not qualified to have a good guess because I bet it's something to do with a classic who era something or other that we either have only brought rushed with or haven't met at all. But very curious. Liam Version 1. Where do you want the show to go in the future? What would you like to stay the same? And what should they do differently? Also, if you're still looking to get the Doctor Who

fixing this gap, then are you considering the spin-offs or a couple episodes of Classic Who? Much love. If we have the time I often pontificate about us doing the Classic Who, honestly, more than the spin-offs. In terms of where we want the show to go in the future?

What would you like to say? What about you, John? I want to answer. I've met some better ones first. I mean, I really enjoy the flavors that are classically, I associate to Doctor Who. I guess if anything, one thing I was looking for that maybe this season didn't do quite as heavily

was, you know, like Belinda and the need to get her home and the debate of whether or not she wants to even be here is an interesting hook. And it was strong in this episode, I thought. But generally, I still am kind of like the flux was a really cool serialized event, but it felt like we're doing something in the wheelhouse of Doctor Who,

but it just felt different. And I like the flux. So I'm not saying like to shade it. But I almost wish that they could do some kind of bridged gap between serial and episodic that is quite serial, but that still has the episodic fun and flavor that the Doctor Who universe comes with. And I thought this season at the beginning set up a potential for that. But then the thing that seemed like, you know, the doctor and Belinda relationship being like the hook and the main thrust of the season didn't really pan out for me.

And I would love to see something that kind of does that. Yeah. Yeah. I would like, I feel like where these past couple seasons have really sung is when, and this could be purely biased for loving the genre. But I really feel like it's sung when that leans more into the fear and the whole. horror. I think they did a really good job at that. I think the Whitaker era kind of was trying to do that a lot more, but it kind of felt like log down and dragged because they were trying to create tension. But I think this, even when like a little bit of the creepiness, a little bit of the horror, I think tends to go kind of a long way, especially under Russell T. Davies's direction. So I feel like they should probably, they can incorporate a little bit more of that going forward for that effect. Yeah, I would like to see, I like when the doctors have the crossovers. It'd be cool to get another crossover episode.

Like, that's really, you know. heavily crossed. Yeah, like a real event. Or a season where every episode, the companion's different. Okay, that'd be interesting. Yeah, stars. Seven deadly thrills. It's funny.

We put out these questions for everything we do now, but this is the most questions I've ever had. Do you guys feel the ever-shortening timeframe of this show's format is, at all hurting the pacing overall. It seems the show goes bigger and bolder but rarely has pardon the pun time. The classic show

could have eight episodes for one story. Sometimes things would be drawn out to the point of killing time but now it seems that these big ideas are relegated to spectacle and a theme but with little room for detail. How do you guys think the show

can and perhaps needs to adapt as well if the complications of the show are perhaps indicative with the greater struggle with an art in this ever quickening and constantly crumbling media landscape. Damn, you got some opinions,

my friend. The ever-shorting time frame of this show's format, I actually never really quite paid attention to what the episode count is on these, and I suppose it is short.

Yeah, I think a couple more episodes really would have really helped flesh this out i didn't quite feel it with the last season um i think this season definitely needed it and there's like a couple episodes that i really really loved in here uh but you know like you touched on belinda i feel like i feel like belinda especially as a character that did not get the proper service uh done for her character i really do yeah it seemed like that she was often relegated or uh not as three dimensions as it could have been actors bringing a lot to the role but i do think that you know they have a lot more toys and money at their disposal and it seems like they kind of want to do it and perhaps like having

the theater experience that you know delayed this finale area uh maybe sacrifice some stuff because like ronnie it feels like kind of uh killed off easily an afterthought as of this episode Omega, definitely, like, all this bill up to Omega and Omega is there for like five minutes. You know, it doesn't really feel like it has this greater effect following, specifically for Omega. So, yeah, I do think that perhaps, like, I've never really associated Doctor Who with Spectacle. You know, they sometimes do spectacle, but a lot of the times the best episodes are the ones that are not Spectacle. so I don't think I think when they get hung up on it

I do think it kind of dilutes some of the actual storytelling not all the time some of the time it does show like this episode was huge but there's definitely some shortcomings in terms of narrative that they had to which we'll go into it would be nice to see the show be able to embrace what so many shows

now can which is the fact that they don't have to be bound by a runtime you know because so many of these episodes we wind up sitting there going man if they had an extra 10 And I guess I would just say that this is the most I've noticed it in terms of the time difference, the amount of episodes being different. Like the Jody Whitaker era, it didn't strike me as much because I felt like we spent a little more time with her in full

and like something like the flux is like obviously a mini-series whereas this season in particular and knowing that Chutigat was run is now completed, it does feel a little brief, I guess I would say. Yeah, it's like if these were 10 episode seasons or, you know, 12 episode seasons or something like that. I would have felt like, okay, well, two runs. We still got like 24 episodes. Whereas this is like 15, I think, which, you know, matches nicely numerically with The Doctor. But yeah, this is the most I've felt the kind of like, damn, if you had a

couple more episodes to smooth over the serial story and to, you know, delight us with the week by week, it's like nothing felt off in any one individual episode in terms of how the show is moving and articulating itself but as a whole on these seasons as much as i think that in again a direct episode by episode sense this is kind of a return to form based off what people didn't like so much about the whittaker era this does feel like it's kind of major undercutting is the fact that it is like oddly brief and it feels that way and so like my favorite moments from the seasons like i like how much they tied so many details back around but my favorite things about the season are still individual episodes.

Yeah. Yeah. And Elijah McHunway Jr. is back with a full-on comment. What did you think about that ending and where do you think the show is going now? Do you think Disney trips their deal or does Doctor Who go it alone? Also, are you excited for the spinoff? The War Between Land and Sea? Did not know about a spin-off?

Goodness gracious me. I don't know, man. This is the first time, too, that I've been like kind of aware. I can't tell what it is and no one has said anything definitive, but it does feel like this Disney era of Doctor Who is like having some trouble sorting itself out and finding out how to be, even though they don't make that like very obvious through the show or through any PR, it does feel like if they came out tomorrow and they're like, hey, we're ending our deal short because I think Disney has like a 26 episode deal to start with. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they did that.

I don't know. The whole rose hook is fascinating to me, and I think that's one. It does feel like the kind of decision made in a time where people are not agreeing on the show, and there is a heavy contingency, a loud vocal contingency of people who have very specific feelings about one way the show is going,

and I feel like casting Billy Piper is a neat way to, A, bring back something that we already know people like, But B, to throw you still somewhat progressive take on a doctor, but in like the safest way possible, because we already like this person. Like it's a more appealing version of the Doctor Doom thing to me where I'm like, cool, fun. Like I can see how this would be at home in this universe for some kind of weird twist like this, but also I'm not sure. And I could absolutely see a doctor who goes it alone for a while and maybe we make that part of the theme for a bit or something. I'm not sure. What about you?

Yeah, it's a good opportunity to actually talk about the ending, right? Well, first off, I feel like shooty got was tenure. For some reason, felt like short to me. I don't know why. And this was also the first season of Doctor Who that John and I actually, I mean, outside of the tenant's minor return, a short return. the 60th year we uh that we followed week to week you know and so it's been it's been a real journey and i've had a i feel like i've had a really big emotional investment in shoot he got was portrayal because i've i've felt so defensive for uh desideration in him as the doctor

uh i i there's so much pushed up against and there was like something as a fan that really connected so I I am going to I was like I've never cried over a regeneration that was really like really sad to me and to say goodbye to this to say goodbye to him as as the doctor yeah I want hurt um yeah there's like just such a joy that it brings and like even to discern the difference where he even says I love you and Jody Whitaker's I never say that and that's why I'm a yeah you know like driving home like what made this doctor special just how much joy he brought and I really like to me he is like one of my doctors I would say you know like I've experienced all these doctors but there's I think when I hear Doctor Who my mind goes to him now

and as far as Billy Piper I can imagine this divisive on the internet you know like what you were talking about I can imagine that some people might find it to be gimmicky And I'd rather just wait to find out what it means, you know? Like, it does feel like there's this high nostalgia regard for, like, it's a weird thing of this, this era seems to be caught between progressive ideologies and nostalgia at the same time. It's like, it's weird. So I do think it kind of battles with itself a little bit, you know, after Whitaker, we got the tenant and then now after shootie we got rose yeah so they they kind of go backwards but i don't feel like uh rose is going to be i we don't even know she's rose right we she could

be completely she could just be that face yeah absolutely um the doctor adopts a face and it would be a unique way maybe it'll just be a special but i i would be down to see what they what they do do different. Like, she was infused with a, my God, like on the words. What's that regeneration energy? What's it called?

Regeneration energy. Yeah. Yeah. She was infused with some of that, right? She's been, I barely remember that final episode of that season. Yeah,

but I mean, she's been inside dimensions and she's been in all sorts of, yeah, super timey, whimy, pocket dimensioning things or timey, time lord adjacent things.

Like, I'll definitely have to go back and we've seen, for the most, part by this a few episodes we've seen most of these like one time so uh there are lots of little details and things that i'm like oh damn i really got to go back and review although i will say that this being to 2025 the show came back with eccleston and billy piper in 2005 20 year anniversary of that cool makes some sense uh in a just outside the show kind of way i mean honestly i would

love i would love you're asking where the show's going i think it would be pretty cool if they brought back if they found a way to convince eccleston to come back that would be sick it would be the biggest feat to overcome but i think that would be a monumental event for dr who fans and because everyone's kind of aware that there's a real like bitterness associated with it and he's shared the stage with billy piper of in follow-up events yeah so it would be neat to see him actually be brought back but still doesn't seem likely uh the war between land and see we've never seen any of the actual spinoff so maybe people will watch that one but yeah i don't i don't know if the disney trip actually caused some

problems here it seems like there's something there but i can't there's no again definitive evidence of it yeah yeah i would love to see an anthology series where we get different doctor stories like here's a matt smith episode this week here's this you got what this week here's it well i like i like that they brought whittaker back you know like both of these of those doctors were not the safe bet you know first woman first black guy and to have them share the screen and to be very different doctors and and not just different doctors but different is like seasons they inhabited very different vibes to watch so i was happy to see whittaker in a environment that felt more classically attuned doctor who yeah than the uh dreary one that i always say that one really

really dreary. Noel Beltran. I feel this was definitely a stronger season for Chutees Doctor and now Tree with Billy Piper coming back. What do you think they did well throughout and what do you think is something most fans will be disappointed by? I thought Jody showing up was great and made sense for what they were saying that to happen next. I was disappointed that we only got Susan the doctor's granddaughter and some random vision in the penultimate episode with the two-far finale. I was a big fan of the CGI Omega. Yes, they set up Susan. We've heard many times now of how he's like,

one day I'll go get you back or I'll find you again, Susan, and he hasn't. Chutee mentions his granddaughter early on with Ruby in the Devil's Court episode, I believe. So they seem like they were setting up a couple episodes ago. They bring Susan back for a little bit of a cameo and we don't fulfill that. I think I think what really I wonder if anyone's talking about it the fact that shooty and rogue don't have a reunion together

it's kind of disappointing that's a big bummer like honestly let's assume Billy Piper's the doctor I would not be as excited about a heterosexual dynamic then then yeah it's like rogue rogue I specifically believe

what is this Groff Jonathan Grop I really feel like Jonathan Groff and Shudy Gautwa should have been reunited. Yeah, man, that would have been, they had such chemistry and there was such a promise of potential there. Yeah. And I didn't mind the CGI if I mean, bad CGI and Doctor Who doesn't really ever bother me. You're looking to have any CGI and Doctor Who, honestly, classic standard. Space Babies was the only part where we look like on, but most of the time, I don't mind if the CGI looks off with Dr. in particular but yeah man I mean what do you think most fans will be disappointed by

I mean yeah we talked about rogue we talked about the daughters or something else you feel like people might be disappointed by them those are the major things I think Ronnie dying early and I thought yeah it's like I thought the Omega the big CG Omega I thought was actually pretty cool I think it's the balance it's the fact that like once Omega shows up then we're pretty much done with the Ronnie and this flood goes off in her own direction and it's cool we still have her but it seemed like they split the difference between the two instead of stacking one as like your main big bad and i thought the ronnie performances were good i like the idea but there was a lot of interesting stuff there it's a

classic doctor who problem it's just like all that's kind of like okay and we're done and wrapped up and i like that we get to have a nice coda but yeah it was like okay well we vanquished the ronnie and then we push the big giant cg monster back into the vault and we're done yeah and so uh Bob's your uncle. Yeah, I just wish that for such a momentous, like we're bringing back this character, no one thought we would bring back, both these characters,

someone thought we were bringing back, they could have both been punctuated better. Yeah. And Noel also falls up with... Do you think the reality we started in is the one we ended up in? I think that's a question that is made to be pondered.

Yeah. I think even in the reality where everything is fixed and Poppy's alive and she's with... Belinda, you know, like even that could be a little off, you know, so I don't know. I liked all the different, like, who's unreliable narrator? Who knows what here? You know, I liked all that taken out. I do, I do feel like Poppy could have been established better because it seems to me that they shot all that on the day of they were shooting the other episodes when they were doing the whole montage backwards of all the time. She's like, I got to get home. I got to be with Poppy. It's on the scenes that we're not. not in those episodes that I feel like they probably shot those on those days, right? Like, I found out they shot the rogue scene last season. Yeah, you know?

So, like, a lot of this has been in the making and has been the plan for so long that I wish there was actual some, like, seeds to. That way, when they're doing the montage, you're like, oh. Yeah. Oh, wow. And so it doesn't really have that effect because, yeah, it's like reality's changing and such. but yeah we'll find out we'll find out uh and i do wish we got to know i wish we got an actual type of we knew poppy for like seconds and was it felt more like a plot device than an actual connection you know like i i cared more that ruby was being like isolated in remembering that

i felt way more for that that i did for poppy yeah oh poor ruby she's the only one remembers yeah i don't have any like poppy very cute like cool to bring her back but yeah i don't have any association yeah it's nothing to do with the actors playing poppy it's literally the fact that we got like no seats with utter than i have a daughter yeah as you pointed out it's like when we do see them living their wish world life you don't really get to fall in love with them as a family to then realize what's being ripped away because as much they're riffing on wanda vision i'm like that's why Wanda Vision. I mean, Wanda Vision kind of had the same problem with the kids a little bit.

But, you know, certainly spent more time. But you spent more time in the in the wish world that Wanda's creating to be invested in that. And yeah, I think that's why this could have been longer. And our final one, Danny, is saying, I literally am in mourning. I don't have a question, but I

just want to say that I have loved your Dr. Hoover reactions and appreciate how much you guys have embraced 15. I really feel like Shutee brought a light to the role that cannot be replicated. agree yeah yeah it's there's something that just has felt so unjust and i imagine this is probably what some people or a lot of people probably felt for for whittaker because like we watched whittaker after whittaker was done you know and like we had it spoiled for us that tenant uh come

back so we were aware of that and we watched it pretty quick but we weren't involved in the zeitgeist or social media or whatever the hell the conversation was at the time, even though it's pretty apparent how it was going. So I didn't really feel this like, because I think Whitaker is great as the doctor. Absolutely fantastic. But I didn't have this like a week to week couple of years thing associated, you know?

And I feel like ever since Chutee was cast, it has been kind of this unjust hatred that. that has gone his way and i don't i don't just like him i can't imagine you do either because i don't just like him because we're defensive for an actor that that is if we didn't like his performance we would say something we really would what would be difficult as if we were like hey it's cool that this guy was cast but i don't like his take on the doctor and now we got to deal with trying to just differentiate that nuance whereas here i'm like no like i it really i was talking to somebody's the girl works the coffee shop i'm

noticed the t-shirt and we started talking about Doctor Who really quick. And one thing I had never realized and it was cool to kind of agree with somebody on is like they have never had a bad casting of the doctor. No matter what the up and downs of the show have been, they have always nailed the doctor casting. Yeah. And I feel like that's true of Whittaker and that's absolutely true of Chutigatwa. And again, part of the joy and the charm of the doctor is watching the different actors bring there and the different stories comprised by the writers, bringing in what the flavor is going to be. is this is a more whimsical doctor? Is this a more curmudgeonly doctor?

Is this a doctor with a big heart and a lot of passion and a lot of emotion like in Chutigawa? Like, and I thought that while we have had certainly doctors overcome with emotion or prone to that, like his flavor, his version of that was really unique and striking. And from where we've been up till now, it felt fresh and new.

It's like, this is a doctor who, after so many iterations, is like really in touch with emotion and human. and you know for that didn't seem to ever break the continuity or integrity of the character I know a lot of people are like he's crying too much and like I get it that's fine I understand the complaint there and I can even agree with it to some extent but yeah it's a really striking choice and it seems to me to embody very well the version of like a version that is also definitive of what this character to me is the one who walked around he's the one who real they have that thing where the the Ronnie is saying, you know, like he views you guys as ants or whatever the fuck. And this is like the one doctor who I'm like, I don't think so. I think this doctor above more than any other doctor is once, is the most connected with humans, you know. And I think the way he operates with his companions even feels like friendships. We've talked about it before, but it feels like actual friendships rather than companion idolizing the doctor.

you know, and a way where it's like, yeah, you're here to fill a role as companion for this lonely God of sorts, you know. I feel like this, he was one of the most human and grounded, even though he was full of so much life and a variety of emotions. I really do think he was the one who was most connected on the ground floor with humanity. and that's what makes his doctor so special. So it's sad to me of every single fucking week. It has been like nonstop with his with him and then trying to tear this show down, trying to tear everything about this show down. It's real sad.

And then you see BBC on their stuff. Like when BBC says something on their news segment about like, yeah, you know, I do feel like they like it's preachy and shit. I'm like, is it really like? that preachy you know there have been preachy episodes in the past you know it's like now people there's preachy episodes but they don't like what they're preaching here you know it's like oh once they start preaching about something that I don't want to be preached about yeah now now you're a preachy show when I'm like they've always been preachy about stuff you know they're kind

of preachy about their vegetarianism I mean the one thing that shooty does not do but how many times have we heard me like I don't eat anything with a beating heart and which is a good line by the way i should say that to all my people who like it's weird to be vegetarian and people always follow it up with you know i try doing that myself and uh couldn't like they always tell me why they're not vegetarian and how they couldn't give a meat i'm like i didn't ask you every single time i tell you you want to know why i don't need things i'm not interrogating you just by existence and uh yeah it that it i i i a lot a lot of my defensiveness for this show in particular shoot he got was performance i think really factored into the regeneration of this one you know it's like

part of me was going like was he pushed off the shoe you know or did he get sick of this and decide to leave exactly you know i i hate the thought of was there something contentious of course it's all speculation uh you know i have no idea i heard one thing that chudy wants to like move on to start pursuing more movies and stuff which i i could believe everyone who signs it for the doctor kind of has an agreement that this is not really gonna last like you know it's only it's gonna be a short while and this star is on the rise but i feel like three seasons would have been cooler than two it just yeah it just it just it just feels a little premature it feels like it was for a sacrifice for a character we i we had no can i'm sorry like i had no connection

of poppy so like even in the pursuit of doing that of what leads to it, it felt like a little contrived in force because shooty wanted out or something, you know? I can't tell because it seems like, yeah, given what we know about the first season, it seems like a certain amount of these two seasons worth of

story were preordained or planned in some way. And what I keep wondering is, was this a longer concept that they then, maybe at the start or part way through season two, crushed down into what I wonder, I

think the order Disney got was for 26 or 24 episodes or something. Sure. So part of me is like, was that intended to be a three-season arc for Chuti Gatwa? And then we decide whether or not we re-up or not. Because again, three does seem like a nice

rounded number. And it does seem like they were building this interesting communal thing where it's like, oh, hey, Ruby's here, and so is and so is Belinda, and so is Mel. And, you know, maybe in the season three, we could have Ruby and Belinda popping in to help whoever the new companion is. Right, right. And yeah, it's like they have a smooth enough season that I could

believe it was designed this way. But it's also such that it feels, again, brief enough and short-lived enough that it just something, there's something in the air. I can't put my finger on and it feels like this was not the design. No, no. So, yeah, yeah. It's interesting because normally when we do the, this page, the, this Patreon question is, is a relatively, new thing that we have implemented and normally it lasts like five to ten minutes and this is a case where it's pretty much been our entire review this is kind of what i've got what i was hoping for yeah like totally i didn't expect that when we started and it wasn't until halfway through talking where i'm like oh i guess this is going to be our whole review considering how long this is going

yeah and um out of any time for it to break the mold for our review section yeah doctor who is unquestionably one of the best choices because our Patreon it started with two shows really taking off both three supernatural my hero academia and doctor who and we do have most of doctor who at our patreon page and a lot of you got a lot of your guys names to see some of you guys have been here for years and other guys are new and like i said like our patreon a big big part of our subscriber base there is is for doctor who so the idea that we do this review so much which guided by our Royal Rejects questions is pretty awesome to me. And because at the beginning of this, I'm like, I've got to move it quick, got to move it quick.

You know what? Actually, this is, I feel like we're going to cover everything. You're getting the biggest questions at the heart of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that was pretty awesome. But any other, like, final thoughts?

We've said how our feelings on Shutee like a billion times now. So we don't need to reiterate that. I talked about Ruby. How not Ruby. both Ruby and Billinda. Oh yeah I mean let's talk I mean we can talk a little bit about that I had you feel about

how did you feel about the Ruby inclusion I thought there'd be a little bit more significance I guess there's there's something there's something there's something there that was kind of missing for me like I love Millie Gibson's

portrayal I think she has such great presence I think she shine more in this season than Belinda and I I point that to direction and writing because of our they kind of it's kind of weird for a season two with a new companion

to take an actress who was a different character and they they set that up that hey I know you from the future great granddaughter and they don't really tie that they they just kind of acknowledge it

and then when they brought back Ruby late where they have a whole episode around Ruby that she serves important plot stuff that goes down but she doesn't even get to have like a goodbye with the doctor like Shoudi Gala she doesn't even get to have that goodbye and I thought there'd be and I like I like that they take on the baby but I thought there'd be a little bit more something that's significant but Belinda for sure was the part and we've been saying it kind of all season like we just keep waiting for that to be really like elevated and especially for the final episode like she got some sweet scenes but you know she just kind of ends up as yeah i just want there's nothing wrong with like i just want to be like a mom and and go home like there's that's that's a that's a great gift and a powerful her moms are powerful but there's there was something here where i i think like maybe we shouldn't have given so much time to ruby and instead delegated that time to lifting up belinda and giving belinda and giving belinda Linda some truly standout scenes

because I don't really feel like she got many standout scenes in this whole season. I agree. Terrific performer and very lovely energy shared with Chutti Gatwa's doctor but I agree I can't and again this is another thing that kind of feels

like I don't know did they have this planned out as just a doctor in Belinda centric season and then in season three Ruby comes in or was Ruby brought in to expedite the conclusions of this season somehow? Yeah. Like I can't Again, all that stuff aside, it was really fun to have her back, and I liked the idea of this dynamic where, yeah, a recent past companion will enter the fray and become an important part of, you know, they've had the legacy companions come back. Obviously, Mel is here in these episodes. You know, they've had versions of that. And this season felt to me like we were going to do like, oh, yeah, well, there's the main companion, but then the other companions are popping in and insignificantly helping and impacting stuff.

and maybe we can use the difference in the skills and demeanors of each one for unique stuff but it does really feel like Ruby was the proactive campaign season and the trouble to me then becomes the stuff with Belinda getting home isn't strong enough or prominent

enough to feel like it's also justifying her presence honoring this actor and also fitting thematically into the story in a way that again doesn't just feel like here's some business for your Yeah. So I was happy to have her around, but I feel like I would be thrilled if in the next iteration of the doctor, Belinda shows up and is like, hey, I'm a help out a bunch. Yeah. You know, because at the outset of the season and even getting to sit down and chat with Verada Setsu and Chutti got what together, they had to be excited for something that's like, man, it's going to be about these two. And, you know, Belinda's there a lot of the time. But yeah, I was.

was waiting for, like, some Martha level of, you know, like, oh, I'm going to call upon my nurse skills or, you know, I'm going to, you know, prove. It's not even like the character has to prove something to, like, impress me. I'm just like, I'm rooting for you to be one of the bright, vibrant colors of the season. And apart from, like, the performance, you know, which definitely is that thing. Yeah, it felt like an odd thing to do to have such an interesting hook on a companion and an interesting hook for a serial story about the doctor and the companion. And then to have that. all overshadowed by last season's campaign this is a little weird yeah a bit of a letdown there but um in terms of like a final episode i like the i like the i like the arc um i i is these these last two episodes are definitely not my favorite of this season um and i do think that perhaps some smoother storytelling was sacrificed for big shit to go down but i was i was i was super intrigued i wanted to know what the hell was going on i like being confused and trying to figure it out and the mystery surrounding it i think the last like 15 minutes are really compelling um what ruby does or conrad was was a nice surprise and i'm excited that mrs flood still around like that

that's awesome like i i enjoy mrs flood more than um no disrespect to the actresses playing the other ronnie but mrs flood to me is uh yeah was just so much more compelling kind of by a lot you know and because I think the other Ronnie I forget that actor she's name

she's a bit popular but I think she was more she was more she was more embodying the the idea of the classic who version

right and Mrs. Flood I think it brings a different type of mystery and metanus that I saw I'm excited that that she's around

but hey well end this for this thank you Russell T. Davies and thank you Shuti Gatwa for all you guys all you've done, especially you Shutti Gatwa. Yeah, man.

I forget that I have met you. I do forget that. Oh, yeah, yeah. I was fortunate enough to have five minutes with you. Oh, my blue carpet. That was super exciting. And that was really exciting and a great day, even though it's like one of those, it's one of those great days in my whole

YouTube career and I often forget that like, oh yeah, I did. was so brief um so none of that is a thing that factors in or maybe it does and i'm not aware uh in my subconscious of like you're the only doctor i've met uh so maybe a factors in i don't feel like it does because i i don't often think about that when i think about shootigawa so yeah this was uh it's just this is a great time and i'm never going to forget this experience a lot of the other experiences of doctor who because of how we covered it sort of bleed together uh this this is this was with youtube this was shared week to week this was very different um a very different

experience and buck you know like we kept suspecting that shootie gawa was going to go away this season we kept suspecting it and was really bummed because at first i was like oh it's not going to happen yeah they got me a little bit that's that's partly why i'm glad that the regeneration was as emotionally impactful for you because i think what encroached upon being able to just happen to the like the emotionality of saying goodbye to this doctor. I was I was a bit crunched by the bummer of like

oh no. Yeah. This just feels odd and premature, but you know, a lovely moment in the present reality of the show and I just hope that, especially in Chutigatwa and everyone who worked on these episodes, but especially him, I just hope that he's proud

and filled with joy from what he was able to do here. He really should be. Because I love I'm not, again, it's not Yeah, about the outside conversation, the outside conversation factors in. But, like, I love the energy and the spirit that he was able to bring it. For someone who loves Capaldi, who is, like, the most prickly, you know, like, this was such a wonderful, lively, spirited contrast and, yeah, a version of the character that's so embodied that lust for life and joyousness of reality and creation and all that stuff. So just, yeah, if ever, if ever you see this and watch to the very end, which I know probably is unlikely.

Thanks. This was really beautiful and lovely. And I'm glad for what we did get, even if I wish there had been more. Well, I thought it to you guys. What did you think about this finale of Doctor Who? What did you think about Chute's tenure as the doctor? What are your theories for Billy Piper? Leave your thoughts down below. Thank you to all who have joined us. Thank you to all who have bought one of these shirts. This is it like, it's cool. These two shirts are one of our bigger sellers and two shirts that we both like genuinely love a lot. So it's weird. It's like, I know we're talking about merch, but it's like a merch thing that means so much more than merch than a product. Yeah. Yeah.

It was like it was actually crazy. Because we love Doctor Who that these were created. Yeah. That's why. And to be involved in the creation process along with the artists who put them together, Alyssa, Megan, it means a lot. So thank you guys. We'll talk with you, well. We'll talk about you all soon.

Peace, rejection. All on Z. Mikhail. Mikhail Linden. I don't know how you've been here this long, and we still don't know much about you after all this time. Come over here for an interview. I want to know why you, uh, why you, why you've remained here?

It sounds like a weird question like that I want to, I want to, I want to, it would be nice if we were all some people here are better of receiving than others and uh i wouldn't say john and i are in that camp that's really good at this like type of being like yes we are worthy i am contributing to $20 yeah yeah and it's uh it's something that i i don't like to acknowledge my feelings on because i get a lot of like guilt associated with it so macaille you don't even ask for our attention you don't ask for a time in any capacity and you've been here for a year for years you're the politest guy absolutely polite very kind and generous you're generous in your interactions even though you don't ask for a ton of you know maintenance that's very true

so dude mcale hope you're doing well and hit us up some time love to answer some questions with you buddy do like a gregg alba needs a fan and just do a podcast where you talk to all the people I'd be down. It'd actually be pretty cool. It would be fun. Mikhail, you're on the first episode because this idea happened in your shout-out. That's what I'm talking about, baby.