‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 Review

The Big Picture

• The new season of
  Doctor Who
  provides a fresh start for the franchise, with a captivating storyline and dynamic new characters.
• Ncuti Gatwa shines as the charismatic Fifteenth Doctor, balancing whimsy with emotional depth in a stunning performance.
• The chemistry between Gatwa and Millie Gibson as Doctor and companion makes for compelling viewing.

Back in November, Doctor Who bounded back onto our TV screens with three special episodes to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary. With the return of Catherine Tate and David Tennant, audiences were treated to a brief series of adventures that not only brought the 2005-2019 era of Doctor Who to a satisfying conclusion, but also paved the way for something new to begin.

Enter Ncuti Gatwa. In a shocking twist bi-generation, Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor appeared alongside Tennant’s Fourteen. Now, after sending his counterpart off to a peaceful retirement, Fifteen is back to set off on his own series of outrageous adventures with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), the companion he met by coincidence in the 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” Together, the two will face space babies, the Beatles, aliens, and more as they fight to keep the universe intact — all while having endless fun traveling the stars.

What Is ‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 About?

As this is the first season of Doctor Who produced by both the BBC and Disney, it also serves as a soft reboot of sorts. While the gap between the eras is much shorter, this new season — whether you call it Series 14 or Season 1 — serves as an entry point for new viewers, much like 2005’s Series 1, which rebooted the franchise with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.

Much of the first episode of the new season serves as a primer on Doctor Who as new viewers get an understanding of who the Doctor is through the eyes of newcomer Ruby Sunday. While it would be easy for this to feel redundant to an audience who’s been watching the show for decades, Gibson and Gatwa make it bright and fresh as we get a better sense of their dynamic while the uninitiated learn about how the TARDIS works, who the Doctor is, and where he’s from. There are also plenty of Easter eggs for fans who’ve been around to pick up on and a depth to Gatwa’s performance that is only enriched by the Doctor’s beautiful and tragic history.

The first two installments of the season maintain Doctor Who’s episodic nature, with each sending the Doctor, Ruby, and the TARDIS on a wild adventure through time and space. However, picking up the threads of the mystery surrounding Ruby Sunday, the new episodes set up an arc that will likely span both the first and second seasons. Ruby’s parentage remains a mystery, with little clues dropped that will have audiences hard at work attempting to put together the puzzle pieces. Not only will you want to look through every frame for the tiniest details, but you’ll also want to listen closely as connections are made and sound, in particular, weaves the new episodes together in an intriguing way.

On top of that ongoing mystery, the new season begins to dig into the Doctor’s own mysterious origin story, further exploring the franchise-altering lore of “The Timeless Child.” In doing so, the world of Doctor Who has also expanded past typical aliens and monsters — though there’s still plenty about to be sure — but in terms of what’s possible, the 60th specials have truly blown the lid off, with these new episodes leaning even further into the wild and wacky imagination of showrunner Russell T. Davies.

Russell T. Davies’ Return Infuses ‘Doctor Who’ With New Magic

Each era of Doctor Who has its own merits and each has a selection of top-notch episodes that anyone could make a case for as some of the show’s best. That being said, Davies’ first four seasons are arguably looked back at with the most nostalgia, and fans of that initial run are bound to find these new episodes a genuine delight. While audiences for the series have ebbed and flowed over the years — through no fault of the spectacular cast and crew of each season — viewers who may have drifted away will find it easy to jump back in with Fifteen and Ruby. Those who’ve happily consumed every episode since “Rose” will also find the stories they loved still woven into the very fabric of the series. Davies adds a richness to the stories of the previous era and stitches Fifteen’s journey to that of the past Doctors, with the help of Gatwa’s well-researched performance. Nothing’s been glossed over or ignored, despite not necessarily being required viewing for new audiences to keep up.

As he did in those early seasons — especially Series 4 — Davies has created a story that is everything you want from Doctor Who. The Doctor and Ruby are giggling and making jokes as often as they are running for their lives and going toe to toe with terrifying foes. There’s an inherent silliness and whimsy in Davies’ writing that makes it easy to pick up, but his best work is also laced with a deep well of love and loss. Each story will have fans laughing one moment and reaching for the box of Kleenex in the next. In addition to the Doctor and Ruby, Davies has crafted some fantastic supporting characters in these episodes. With guest appearances from Golda Rosheuvel and Jinkx Monsoon, the new season of Doctor Who is packed with powerhouse performers who each bring their own bit of magic to the story.

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson Are the Right Duo for a New Era of ‘Doctor Who’

From the minute he bounded onto the UNIT rooftop in David Tennant’s underwear, Ncuti Gatwa has embodied the Doctor. And with each episode of the new season, it only becomes more and more clear how utterly perfect he is for this role. Gatwa’s Doctor is incredibly charismatic and charming, always jumping from one thing to the next in his excitement to show Ruby the stars. But what really brings his performance to the next level is his ability to accompany that campy sense of whimsy and joy with a deep sense of suffering and loss. While the Doctor is by no means an innocent creature per se, it’s clear that they are always trying to make the universe better. Gatwa easily jumps from emotion to emotion as he strives to see the shimmering beauty and hope in every corner of the universe while also being haunted by the things he’s seen and done. He balances humor and madcap joy with a depth of emotion that the Doctor has always had but never really been able to express to this extent.

Alongside him, Millie Gibson plays the Doctor’s fearless companion, Ruby Sunday. From the start, Ruby is such a fully realized character in her own right, and she impressively holds her own opposite the wild and marvelous character that is the Doctor. Gibson infuses everything that she does as Ruby with love and uses that to fuel her every action, whether it’s jumping into danger to save someone else or doing something as simple as choosing where to go on her adventures. Ruby’s bravery, gumption, and love in her heart make her a perfect companion.

Ruby’s chosen family is still very much a part of her story, and her background as an average girl with an average job and a small group of queer friends instantly makes her feel very real and relatable. And her heart of gold makes it easy to see why she’ll be just as much of a hero as the Doctor in their many adventures. Davies’ writing makes heroes out of seemingly ordinary people because, in reality, ordinary people become heroes every day. It renders a show as outlandish and fantastical as Doctor Who more grounded in our world.

Together, Ruby and the Doctor are a dynamic duo that I could watch travel the universe together for many seasons to come. Gatwa and Gibson have a bright and bubbly chemistry as well as a level of deep trust in each other that will have fans rooting for them at every turn. These first two episodes do a really solid job of showing how they work together and why they’re drawn to each other. Reminiscent of duos like Ten and Donna or Eleven and Amy, Ruby and Fifteen have an easygoing relationship that makes them fast friends. And while you can see the influence of those past duos, Gatwa and Gibson are unlike any pair that has come before, bringing their own delightful spin to the show. Most importantly, they prove that there’s nothing better than finding that person you can be in cahoots with 24/7.

These episodes kick off a new era of Doctor Who that is bright and full of possibility. With love as its guiding principle, the new season isn’t afraid of getting silly, scary, and a little bit serious — all within the space of a single episode. Davies also returns at the top of his game, with a Doctor and companion that we just can’t help but fall head over heels for and an overarching mystery that will have fans eagerly awaiting every new episode.

Doctor Who Season 1 premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Disney+ on May 10 at 7 PM ET and on BBC iPlayer on May 11 at 12 AM BST.

Watch on Disney+