Review
Warning: SPOILERS for Doctor Who season 15, episode 5 — «The Story and the Engine»! «The Story and the Engine» takes Doctor Who to places the show has never been before in an incredibly satisfying and engaging way. Doctor Who season 15 has come out swinging with some of the best modern era episodes of Doctor Who. Now, «The Story and the Engine» is another adventure that deserves a spot at the top of the rankings. From the writing to the stunning setting and the outstanding performance from Ncuti Gatwa, this episode is a highlight of the season.
While still searching for a way to get Belinda home, the Doctor makes a stop in 2019 Nigeria, where he spends a little extra time mingling in the community and visiting an old friend. However, when the Doctor sees that several people are listed as missing, he attempts to find out what is going on.
Ncuti Gatwa Absolutely Delivers In This Episode Of Doctor Who
Doctor Who is often a show with a lot of moving parts. Between companions, larger narrative arcs, aliens, and whole new worlds, the Doctor isn’t always the center of attention, especially in recent years. However, this episode of Doctor Who was made to showcase Ncuti Gatwa’s incredible talents, and his skill at playing the character.
The performances from the entire cast were strong here, but Gatwa’s performance was even more spectacular than usual.
Gatwa has had several moments that highlight his potential up to this point, and there have been episodes where he embraces and embodies the Doctor with confidence and swagger, but this episode is different. With the focus on storytelling and the setting of Nigeria, the Doctor reveals more of his hearts. The Doctor expresses how at home he feels in this environment, and the way every new face provides a whole new experience — and it’s absolutely beautiful. But unlike some other episodes, it didn’t feel like the Fifteenth Doctor was breaking down in tears or afraid of what was to come.
What’s more, when Belinda comes to ensure the Doctor is safe, the progress and unity these two characters have fostered over the last four episodes comes shining through. Overall, the performances from the entire cast were strong here, but Gatwa’s performance was even more spectacular than usual. And the way he confronts and resolves the episode using his own stories is powerful, resulting in one of the most satisfying episodes of the season so far.
The Mythology & Magic Was Well-Designed In "The Story And The Engine"
One of my biggest gripes with recent seasons — under the care of showrunner Russell T Davies — was the fact that Doctor Who had begun to turn away from its sci-fi roots to focus more on fantasy. Fantasy can be spectacular, but for a sci-fi show with a history stretching back more than 60 years, it’s a risky move to change the core of the show. However, the inclusion of mythology and stories about gods in this episode is particularly clever, and it does a great job of tying into the show’s sci-fi core.
[T]the inclusion of mythology and stories about gods in this episode is particularly clever…
The idea of a psychic image that draws energy from people’s stories and a giant space spider climbing over the web all add up to some truly spacey concepts that feel right at home in the show. Even more satisfying is how the Doctor confronts the story’s villain and finds a way to make them see things in a new light. Choosing to use a villain who isn’t inherently a god, but is someone who served the gods, also adds to the Pantheon’s lore in a way that works better than if these godly characters were simply the focus of every episode.
The episode also does a lot to call back to previous iterations of the character, which is a great way to stir up emotion and remind viewers that, despite the reboot, this show is not isolated from what came before. However, including Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor didn’t entirely make sense narratively, as she is supposedly from a different regeneration cycle that the Doctor has no memory of. Despite this, the cameo was an exciting moment, and ultimately delivered more of what made this episode of Doctor Who so great.
New episodes of Doctor Who air Saturdays on BBC and are available to stream at 12pm PT/3am ET on Disney+ the same day.
Pros & Cons
- The cameo from Jo Martin was exciting, in addition to the clips of previous Doctors.
- Ncuti Gatwa delivers an outstanding performance in this episode.
- The magic is well balanced with the sci-fi heart of the show.
- Narratively, it doesn't make sense for the Fugitive Doctor to make a cameo.
