Doctor Who: Lux Review - 6 Ups & 4 Downs
7. UP - Reginald Pye
Because the cinema is abandoned, and much of the budget has clearly gone on realising Mr Ring-A-Ding, Lux is quite devoid of memorable supporting characters. Thankfully, we have Linus Roache playing the tragic projectionist Reginald Pye. The revelation that Lux can bring Reg's wife back to life via old home movies is an emotional beat that the episode desperately needed.
When Lux works, it's a story about how light can bring images to life, and nowhere is this better realised than the scene where Reg dances with his dead wife. The monochrome gradually becoming colour is a nice touch, as is the tearful Mr Ring-a-Ding watching on from the projection booth.
It's the most striking scene in the whole episode because it has emotional heft, and helps to explain why Reginald Pye hasn't run a mile after his first encounter with Mr Ring-A-Ding. It also gives us a real sense of the seductive power that Lux can offer; living movies!
It's disappointing that this power isn't explored further in the episode, either through Lux offering Belinda a chance to be reunited with her much-missed parents or by menacing the Doctor with old movie villains.