Doctor Who: The Interstellar Song Contest Review - 5 Ups & 4 Downs

I think, based on the promos for this episode, it’s unlikely anyone would have assumed that this was the week Fifteen was going to go off the deep end, and much like The Waters of Mars, this made his about turn all the more shocking (the pun was an accident but I’ll pretend it was intentional).

First things first, I’m delighted that Ncuti Gatwa has been getting some ice cold moments this season, such as telling Conrad he’ll die in prison at the end of Lucky Day, but this episode was the first time we’ve seen him overstep the line and verge into Time Lord Victorious territory. Firstly, telling Kid the Hellion he’s going to watch him freeze to death, and then actively continuing to electrocute him out of spite even after he’s been incapacitated – honestly, it feels quite vicious, especially from this incarnation, and that’s a rather interesting facet of Fifteen to explore, so long as we don’t pretend it never happened when it comes to next week.

This is what happens to this Doctor when he thinks he’s lost a companion, except this time he isn’t standing on an stress-activated landmine to help him keep his zen on. He might have jumped to violence a little too suddenly for my liking, but it’s certainly compelling to see. As much as I love Belinda, I am very intrigued to see full on, no-mercy Fifteen before the end of his tenure. Not that I want anything bad to happen.