In this week’s episode of Doctor Who, the sci-fi show manages to capture the pompous camp of the Eurovision Song Contest and blend it into a powerful story about colonization. It doesn’t sound like it should work, but it may be the best episode so far this season.

On his journey to get Belinda back to Earth in May 2025, The Doctor finds himself at the 2925 edition of the Interstellar Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contestant has now gone intergalactic, beaming into the homes of trillions across the universe from the Harmony Space Station.

Staged on a floating spaceship, the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest has all the small details of the very real Eurovision Song Contest, only with a little intergalactic spice. They even pull real-life English TV host Rylan out of cryogenic suspension to host the show alongside a French-speaking cat lady. Anyone who is a fan of the European song competition will love the little Easter Eggs woven throughout the episode.

We finally get a hint about Mrs Flood, but sadly, it’s merely a line of dialogue. Although Anita Dobson’s mysterious character has appeared throughout the series, weaving herself in and out of The Doctor and Belinda’s lives, this feels like a confirmation that she is following them. She notes that the vindicator is ready and thanks the Doctor for helping her.

Meet Kid, Who Makes The Doctor Very Angry

The Doctor and Belinda decide to stick around to watch the show. What is the worst that can happen when 40 contestants are taking part in an intergalactic song contest?

Of course, The Doctor can’t have a nice night out as The Interstellar Song Contestant is soon overtaken by terrorists. Led by Kid (Freddie Fox), this Hellier sweeps in to chew scenery like Captain Flashheart in Blackadder. If you need an actor who is bold and brave enough to stand out amongst the spectacle, it’s Freddie Fox. There is not a single line he doesn’t deliver with a delightful campness.

While the episode starts as a fun and accurate version of Eurovision, the threat level soon becomes unexpectedly high. This episode has actual stakes, as Kid literally blows the roof off the stadium. He is the scariest villain of the season so far. He isn’t a prosthetic alien or a monster, but a human-looking alien on a vengeance mission threatening three trillion people. Even scarier than when his backstory is revealed, he almost has a point. Of course, killing trillions is not okay, but this layered villain has a valid motivation behind his terrorist action. He’s not another bad guy trying to win power, money and glory. Much like ‘Lucky Day‘, Doctor Who’s villains have been updated to reflect real-world threats.

With The Doctor missing in action, Belinda is left to try to save the day herself. She joins forces with the contestant Cora (Miriam-Teak Lee) and her songwriter Len (Akemnji Ndifornyen). This season has frequently split Belinda and The Doctor, so their chemistry still does not match earlier pairings. This episode does allow Varada Sethu to have her moment without Gatwa overpowering her. Sethu is great, but Belinda still feels underwritten, and I am starting to think this may be a direct choice by the showrunner.

When Belinda is trying to understand what has happened to the contestant with Cora and Len, The Doctor pairs up with nurse Gary (Kadiff Kirwan) and his techy husband Mike Gabbastone (Charlie Condou) to save the day. Although there are more characters than usual for Doctor Who, this episode manages to balance them all perfectly. The Doctor’s dynamic with the Gabbastones is especially a highlight. The ever underrated Kadiff Kirwan really shines this episode (can we campaign for him to become a companion, because his chemistry with Gatwa is a season highlight?).

Gatwa’s charm is fully unleashed as The Doctor, and you can tell he is having the time of his life making this episode. There is something unapologetically queer about his performance this season, and it’s delightful to watch someone fully unleash themselves on screen. This episode didn’t just feel like a celebration of Euroviion, but also a celebration of queer joy and culture.

But also, we finally see the timelord lose his cool. Many have critiqued that 15’s default emotion is crying, when we have generally seen more angry regenerations. In the last act, Ncuti Gatwa channels his inner David Tennant as he gets so angry with Kid that he doesn’t know when to stop. It’s reminiscent of Eccleston and Tennant, who were much harsher Time Lords still suffering the guilt and anger of the Time War.

An Ode To The Glitz Of Eurovision But Also A Very Real Lesson

Written by Juno Dawson, this episode is an ode to Eurovision in all its camp glory as well as a tale about colonization. The writing seamlessly blends together fun, but also a real heart-wrenching story that could easily be compared to our geopolitical climate.

There is such attention to detail when it comes to the Interstellar Song Contestants, which has its own original songs. It’s clearly made by a fan who has an immense love for the annual ridiculousness that is Eurovision. Rylan and Graham Norton appear as themselves, maintaining their national treasure charm and adding to the world-building. Rylan, who has no prior acting experience, manages to bring his on-screen charisma to the drama with ease.

That jovial silliness runs throughout the episode, especially when The Doctor rides a confetti cannon through space. Long gone are the days of Daleks chasing our time lord around quarries, and that isn’t going to be a positive for everyone.

Despite this upbeat nature, it doesn’t feel out of place when the story becomes very, very serious. Hellier was a harmless planet brought by a corporation to harvest honey flavoring. These people had their whole world ruined in the name of capitalism. Now, through lies and rumors spread, the universe sees them as cannibalistic losers who deserved everything they got.

It’s a powerful message delivered in a very matter-of-fact way. There is no subtlety or timey-wimey-ness to get lost in; it’s very clear what the episode is trying to say. Even the final act of the episode manages to skirt the cliché Doctor Who showdown. The ending may slightly annoy people as it chooses sentimentality instead of the usual sci-fi/high-tech action. Instead of any real big reveals, there is a powerful song for peace.

Where Does This Leave The Second Season of Doctor Who?

This second season of the rebooted Doctor Who has fed fans breadcrumbs throughout, teasing a big showdown during the season finale. May 2025 still doesn’t exist, as Graham Norton points out, and that was the day it all ended for Earth. Norton’s hologram confirming the unknown collapse of Earth’s civilization is an unexpected jolt ending to a happy moment.

The end of the world just happens to coincide with the upcoming season finale. It’s a little frustrating that we are so close to the end of the series, which hopefully gives us more answers than last year’s, and so little is known about Belinda, Mrs Flood, and why a certain date on Earth is blocked off to The Doctor. Although there are fewer threads to wrap up compared to last year, it still feels impossible for the finale to give fans everything they need to know.

We also finally get something more about the mysterious Mrs Flood. She knows about the vindicator and is actively following The Doctor. Her presence throughout the show has been frustrating because she is always there, but there have never been any clues about her. How does she know The Doctor, and how can she break the fourth wall? Let’s hope it’s not The Master in a new face, that would just be too obvious.

And Belinda feels like another puzzle piece that doesn’t quite fit. She feels purposefully underwritten, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to many if she turned out to be a secret villain flying under the radar all season. She lacks the layers of previous companions; her family is a vague story, and every time she talks about them, it comes across very generic. Have you noticed how unfazed she is by everything?  It could be poor writing, but considering the calibre of storytelling in this series, it seems unlikely.

This episode also brings up Susan, The Doctor’s granddaughter. She was mentioned numerous times last season, to the point that people thought she would appear in the finale. Now, she is back in play, could she appear in the upcoming episodes? The new reboot with Ncuti Gatwa is fascinated with The Doctor’s past and the lore of his people, and it constantly reminds us that he is ‘The Last Time Lord.’  This usually means in Doctor Who, that we’re about to meet a new time lord.

The next episode is the penultimate one. This series still has many loose threads waiting to be unravelled. The Gods, Conrad, Mrs. Flood, and the huge event that ended Earth in 2025 all loom over it.

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