Doctor Who: 10 Underrated Stories In New Who
7. Praxeus
Praxeus is a season 12 episode that spans multiple countries and features one of the most grotesque deaths in Doctor Who history.
The Doctor is drawn into a mystery, joined by a handful of people who have been affected by a new and terrifying bacteria which causes a horrible death. Airing in the early days of the pandemic, just before Coronavirus changed the world forever, this episode felt a little bit close to home upon its release.
The bacteria is attracted to micro-plastics that have infiltrated our water and food and been consumed. It’s pretty horrendous and very relevant to our modern world.
The story focuses on the fam trying to help dying astronaut Adam and his husband, Jake. When the Doctor saves the doomed couple, it was a huge step forward in terms of LGBTQ+ representation and defied the “kill the gays” trope in which gay characters are usually a figure of tragedy. The Doctor themselves admits that they’re "a romantic" and couldn’t resist saving them. It ends with an opening for a new spin-off series about Jake, Adam and Gabbi... we wish.
This episode by Pete McTighe was not as popular as his debut Kerblam, but he consistently shows his talent at approaching unique and intriguing concepts.