Doctor Who: The Story and the Engine – season two episode 5 recap

Set in Lagos, The Story and the Engine tried to weave components of western African folklore with wider myths and legends, along the mythology of Doctor Who itself. Like numerous contemporary episodes, it was once desperate to play with the concept the viewer is conscious they’re observing a tale.

At the Q&A after the London premiere of The Robot Revolution, Ncuti Gatwa stated that this was once the episode he was once maximum having a look ahead to other folks observing this yr, and he looked as if it would have had an absolute hoot on set. He obviously relished appearing his Doctor feeling alive and permitted inside of a Black African group on Earth, however as occasions opened up, he additionally were given to flex flashes of anger along the entire pleasure.

The wild oscillation between camaraderie and worry within the barber store allowed Ariyon Bakare (the Barber) and Sule Rimi (Omo Esosa) to polish of their roles, with every of them attending to experience important personality beats in opposition to Gatwa. Omo’s obvious betrayal of his Time Lord buddy and the unexpected outpouring of laughter after the Barber’s large “reveal” of his identification had been highlights. Michelle Asante as Abena was once scene-stealingly just right, as a most commonly silent however obviously tough presence, who seemed to know precisely what was once occurring, and to be playing the Doctor’s discomfort.

Writer Inua Ellams has tackled the Black male haircut enjoy prior to, in his 2017 play Barber Shop Chronicles, and has described his Doctor Who episode as a decision to artists to “always give credit where it’s due”.

But in an episode so ruled by means of the tales of guys, it was once in truth Belinda (Varada Sethu) who deserved the credit score for pushing the answer on. Her easy word – “hurt people hurt people” – was once the spur for Abena to desert her sour want for revenge, and arrange the Doctor’s break out, the usage of a technique as soon as hired by means of enslaved African other folks.

Sum it up in a single sentence?

What if Doctor Who did Desmond’s, however at the again of a big spider?

Life aboard the Tardis

At first Belinda appeared content material to let the Doctor roam loose and experience feeling at house in Nigeria whilst she stored the Tardis ticking over. Those crashing purple alarms quickly drew her into motion, even though, with the Time Lord’s large blue field proving to be reasonably extra useful to this better half than it was once right through the ones episodes comparable to The Rings of Akhaten and Hide the place she had obviously taken a dislike to Clara.

Fear issue

Maybe worry isn’t reasonably the precise observe, however every now and then the discussion inside of Omo’s Palace crackled with threat. It was once additionally every other uncommon episode the place everyone lived – so long as you don’t rely the enormous spider.

Mysteries and questions

It was once pretty to peer Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor make a short lived look, making it the primary multi-doctor tale to function the 2 Black other folks to have held the position in individual, even though it did elevate some baffling questions on how the 15th Doctor seemed to take into account an off-screen journey involving Abena that had came about to Martin’s “forgotten” incarnation.

Deeper into the vortex

• Doctor Who has seldom visited Africa on tv, even though the display filmed at the continent for Spyfall and Praxeus, in part set on Madagascar, right through Jodie Whittaker’s tenure.

• William Hartnell’s Doctor spent one episode of 1965 tale The Chase being pursued by means of Daleks, Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster inside of a haunted space that was once later published to be on the Festival of Ghana within the yr 1996.

• As smartly as a short lived look right through the marketplace collection by means of author Ellams, the opposite notable cameo was once the ghost girl who seemed to Belinda. That was once Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, as soon as once more taking part in Poppy, who we closing noticed when she was once captaining the team on Baby Station Beta right through 2024’s season opener Space Babies.

• Bakare’s Barber was once additionally a returning face, with the actor having performed Leandro, Maisie Williams’s ill-fated lionlike sidekick in 2015’s The Woman Who Lived.

• The display’s opening collection showing as a fourth wall damage inside the barber store echoed when Maestro started taking part in the theme track on their piano firstly of The Devil’s Chord closing yr.

• Doctor Who has up to now used animated storytelling clips. The origins of Zellin and Rakaya had been defined by the use of animation right through Can You Hear Me? in 2020.

• The six-word tale the Doctor was once alluding to – “For sale, baby shoes, never worn” – is incessantly attributed to Ernest Hemingway, however it sort of feels not likely he was once in truth its creator.

• The Doctor has watched the Marvel superhero motion pictures, which means they exist within the Whoniverse. We now have a canonical in-universe clarification of the place Unit were given the design for his or her Avengers-style tower in London.

• Ellams has written a prequel tale, detailing how Omo first met the Doctor.

Next time

Rylan! Graham Norton! The Eurovision track contest … however in area! On the evening of the Eurovision track contest! Provided the FA Cup ultimate doesn’t selfishly overrun and crash in the course of the BBC One night time time table like a wrecking ball! See then you definitely!