Doctor Who Season Two, Episode Two
“Lux”
Posted by Sage
It’s been controversial, but for the record, I come down on the side of being very pro the fourth wall breaks in Fifteen’s first season. The Doctor engaging with the idea of being a story himself is certainly nothing new, but the blatant nods to there being a long-running TV show about the Doctor in the Doctor’s own reality were fresh and sort of cheeky. I’m also of the opinion that those hints don’t actually have to lead anywhere significant and can be in-jokes for the sake of being in-jokes. It’s been literal decades since the fandom transcended the media itself, to the point where it’s fans who are (and have been) creating and defining Doctor Who for new generations of viewers. With that in mind, it’s only fair that we be included in the content, too.
Alas, if Mr. Ring-a-Ding/Lux Imperator was the culmination of this meta arc, I will be disappointed. To echo Kim’s recap of “The Robot Revolution” from last week, I fully enjoyed myself watching “Lux” for the first time but found it quite thin and un-impactful the second time around. The character design is fun and creepy, and Alan Cumming has now delivered two instantly unforgettable vocal performances on Doctor Who, but other than that, Mr. Ring-a-Ding is a film reel’s worth of missed opportunities. Why is he a cartoon? How is he, as a character, different from the character of the Doctor? Or the fans, for that matter? With all that runway establishing the blending of fiction and nonfiction in this era, this episode could have had some fun drawing parallels between the god trapped in a strip of celluloid and our Doctor, beholden to his 42-minute, three-act structure. Instead, Lux is only compared to the other gods of chaos we’ve met thus far, and the Doctor is simply presented as their ultimate nemesis. Leaving money right on the table, Russell!
The fact that he’s made of and feeds off light is actually the least interesting thing about Lux, but since that’s also his ultimate downfall, discussion of that dominates his scenes. And it’s boring! The few gags about his onscreen existence merit a smile, but again, being that this is happening in a TV show that’s recently become aware it’s a TV show, why stop there? I am not in the least bit offended by the fans the Doctor and Belinda meet and find those scenes quite sweet, but they stick out like a sore thumb because they don’t actually support the plot. I just wanted a little more am-I-real-or-not-real from the Doctor in the face of this unique enemy, and maybe that’s unfair, because I’m asking for a different episode. But I say all of this out of love, because the material is so rich, and the writing over the past two years has laid the groundwork to make such conversations credible. And what did we get? Another “last of the Time Lords” lament that means just about nothing to Belinda.
Don’t get me wrong: There’s a lot to like about “Lux.” The production designers and costume folks always shine in a period piece, and do I even have to point out how incredibly stunning Varada Sethu looks in that sunshine yellow halter dress?! The Scooby Doo references are so apt that I don’t understand how no one’s pointed this out to him before. And, as the Doctor expresses to Belinda, an abandoned movie house inhabited only by an old projectionist slowly losing his mind is too delicious a setup to resist. The episode handles segregation reasonably well, mainly by explicitly addressing the truth of it without making the Doctor and Belinda endure racial abuse from any “real” people. (Could’ve done without Lux making the nice diner lady bigoted in his film, however!)
Now to the “Hmm” section: I still don’t know quite what to make of this duo. I continue to adore Ncuti’s interpretation of the Doctor, and Belinda is so sharp and cool and ADULT. The relationship itself still feels fuzzy to me. In the TARDIS scenes at the beginning of the episode, Belinda still seems frightened of the Doctor and suspicious that he’s holding her on purpose. Moments later, she’s trusting him implicitly. I can see how one wouldn’t have much choice in that situation, and I like some static in my Doctor/companion dynamics. Still, I’m eager for their friendship (even if it remains tentative!) to smooth out and not feel like it’s ping-ponging from one extreme to another.
Timey-Wimey Observations:
- As a handful of viewers have pointed out, the fans do have surnames in the credits, despite their insistence that they’re the type of characters who don’t merit full names. It’s a poignant show of respect for our avatars. Thanks, fam. <3
- Shout out to former Law & Order DA Linus Roache, our Reginald Pye.
- Embarrassed to admit that I did gasp at The Giggle. Harbinger, on the other hand, HAS TO STOP.
- How I wish that Rock Hudson dialogue had been a little less cringey.
- “Pardon me, missy. That’s crazy talk.” Logan for mayor.
Were you also whelmed by “Lux”? Let us know in the comments!
Featured Image Source: Disney+
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