Doctor Who (1×03) Boom Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of Season 1, Episode 3 of Doctor Who which will premiere this Friday at 7pm EST internationally on Disney+ where available and simultaneously at midnight on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.

For our spoiler-free review of the 2-episode premiere of Doctor Who, click here.

When it comes to Doctor Who, a major key to its success is the dynamic between the Doctor and their companion (or companions). Last week’s premiere did a great job at establishing that dynamic between Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. Only scratching the surface of where these characters could go, their initial chemistry has provided more than enough reason to want to go on that journey with them. In the case of this particular journey, it may hold even more significance as the backstory of the latter remains a mystery that the season has moved closer to ever so slightly. With that, for the most part, on the backburner, it’s time to put the relationship to the test in an episode that proving that Gatwa and Gibson each are up to muster. And those looking for Gatwa to truly become the Doctor, Boom saw him do so in impressive fashion, showing off range in a compelling way though the context of how it all came to be doesn’t necessarily matter all that much.

This time around, the Doctor and Ruby found themselves on a planet called Kastarion 3 and in the middle of a warzone. It didn’t take long for them to get in trouble as the Doctor found himself unwittingly stepping on a landmine and in a position where he couldn’t move, unwilling to risk the life of Ruby and maybe more. Limited, so was the episode, mostly taking place in that precarious spot. Forced to assess the situation with the added pressure of a landmine that could go off at any moment, the Doctor’s cool and calm demeanor was put to the test. It was certainly a rollercoaster but if there was anyone who could possibly escape that situation, it would be the Doctor. Through their shared experience, the relationship between he and Ruby became even stronger as she had to rise to his level. Meanwhile, the contrast in their experience was compelling to watch as her perspective helped drive the episode forward at least until the rest of the situation inevitably came to them.

In the end, the answer to the micro and macro issues on Kastarion 3 would be one in the same as the Doctor unsurprisingly tied it all together as all roads led to a nefarious futuristic defense contractor with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. In what will likely be a point of contention for some viewers, the episode ties the climax to such themes as faith and belief, while touching death and the afterlife, as a means to make sense of it and a larger point about forces looking to take advantage of others based on their faith and beliefs. Now whether or not this path is merely a throwaway or meant to be something more moving forward remains to be seen but it at least worked in the grand scheme of this episode as the Doctor and Ruby had to believe in each other to survive. Though the plot outside of them was essentially a means to an end, their arc over the course of the episode and that rollercoaster of emotion made it stand out. What made it stand out was the performances from Gatwa and Gibson as the Doctor and Ruby with the latter encompassing that rollercoaster through his range as the Doctor felt the pressure of the situation. Perhaps that goes away as he fully shifts into Doctor mode but his performance here ranks among his best so far.

At the end of the day, Boom is the best episode of the new run of Doctor Who so far. In spite of some flaws, it gives Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson an opportunity to shine through adversity.

still courtesy of Disney

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.