“If you travel to that star, it is 4 quadrillion miles away. I know girls aren’t good at maths, but that’s a long way.“
“The Robot Revolution” (episode 201) starts when a boy gives a girl a star, but as that quote predicts: it’s less than stellar. The New New Who, otherwise known as Doctor Who (2025), continues with a theme we call “Baby, What’s Wrong with the Universe?” It’s just as fueled by wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff as previous seasons. And it can’t help but talk about societal problems—humans and our bad behavior—using golden-age aliens and robots as avatars. Oh, and Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson). She has things she wants to say, but “we ‘ain’t seen her.”
Our new companion is Miss Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), but do we really need the Miss? Belinda thinks not. She’s a nurse and a woman filled with compassion who nevertheless isn’t dazzled by the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa). She also looks familiar—perhaps we’ve seen that face before (maybe in “Boom” by Steven Moffat). Remember? Do you also remember the 2007 season opener, when we were introduced to The Doctors: Smith (David Tennant) and Jones (Freema Agyeman)? We got two Doctors. Or in 2008, when we got The DoctorDonna (Catherine Tate)? When we got two Doctors.
Now we’ve got The Doctor and The Nurse and just like the previous two pairings: it is glorious. No offense to any of my doctors, but nurses are usually the most clever, and Belinda is staking her claim. Like Donna Noble, she has no problem calling him out as a true bestie; like Martha Jones, we hope she’s a heroic woman who saves him right back.
Okay, am I jumping too far ahead? Let’s go back. “The Robot Revolution” sets the tone for the season with a story that’s as sharp as it is socially relevant. The Doctor and Belinda find themselves in a futuristic city where AI has taken over and the robots are behaving oddly—the line between neighbor and oppressor is razor-thin. The episode is packed with action, humor, surprising amounts of introspection, and wordplay. It mirrors our now, exploring themes of autonomy, rebellion, and the unintended consequences of technological advancement.
Okay, am I still jumping too far ahead? Let’s try another angle. This season opener starts with a young Belinda and her boyfriend, Allan. He has a star named after her and gives her a certificate as a keepsake. 17 years later, this causes all kinds of trouble when the Doctor—wearing some fabulous fits (yes, give us all the denim kilts)—shows up at the hospital looking for Miss Belinda. The Doctor is investigating one of his puzzles, but with this new companion, he gets something more: the chance to re-evaluate himself. “The Robot Revolution” wants us to understand that Allan and the Doctor should be listening as much as they talk. But it’s also about the power of words. The writer and showrunner, Russell T. Davies is also hinting that being a gamer-bro isn’t a personality.
More than anything else, the episode is about the power of words. Words have repercussions in “The Robot Revolution.” We see their power through Allan at the start, Belinda throughout the episode, and even in the Doctor’s reasons for seeking Belinda out in the first place. After talking with Ncuti and Varada, we know the things the characters say will continue to echo throughout time, causing reverberations through the season. Misunderstandings and misogyny tend to go wrong, the truth erodes over time, and apparently, The Revolution will be televised.
So, yeah, I’m intrigued to see where this is going. Belinda is a different kind of companion. As I mentioned above, she’s not a starry-eyed adventurer. Belinda is a woman with her own life, her own goals, and she’s determined to get back to Earth to help people at her hospital. “She doesn’t want to be somebody else’s little adventure,” Sethu explained. “She challenges him, she holds him accountable.” Their dynamic is electric, a partnership built on mutual respect and a shared mission. “They’re very much equals,” Sethu added. “They need to work together to be this team.”
But what makes this new pairing pop is the chemistry between Gatwa and Sethu. It just feels right. Sethu calls their partnership “a feast” to play. “There’s so many little tidbits to latch onto when you’re saying something. It’s like, oh, there’s a moment of comedy I can find there [when playing opposite Gatwa],” she said. “It comes so easily and naturally.” Gatwa feels, “exactly the same,” about her, saying, “Gravitas. Such gravitas, just rich.”
And let’s not forget our beloved Gatwa-Doctor serves looks as iconic as they are expressive. From spacesuits to cornrows, every fit has a story. “It’s really nice to explore each genre through the fashion,” Gatwa said, highlighting an upcoming episode set in Lagos as a standout. Sethu, too, has her favorites, including a stunning 1950s yellow dress that channels West Side Story. “I loved that dress,” she said. “And I do genuinely love a good spacesuit.”
As for the season ahead, expect plenty of twists, breadcrumbs, and callbacks. “Time is not linear,” Gatwa hinted. “There’s lots of echoes, an ebb and flow,” Sethu added. “There are breadcrumbs that all tie in. Things come and go and come and go.” It’s a tantalizing promise of a season that rewards close attention and repeat viewings.
Doctor Who has always been and continues to be about hope. “The world can be a scary place,” Sethu reflected. “It’s nice to be part of something that feels like it’s coming from the right place.” Gatwa agreed, emphasizing the show’s core themes of learning, compassion, and curiosity. “It’s quite rare to have a show that does that,” he said. “That’s the real message behind each episode—hope and upliftment.”
So, are you ready for the revolution? “The Robot Revolution” premieres this Friday, April 12, at 7:00 PM ET on Disney+
and the same day on BBC iPlayer in the UK
