TV Editor Jasmine Davies reviews Season 2, Episode 2 of Doctor Who, praising the nostalgic yet refreshingly unique energy that ‘Lux’ brought
*Spoilers for Doctor Who Season 2, Episode 2*
Russell T. Davies – I am sorry for ever doubting you. Doctor Who Season 2 is off to the strongest start. ‘Lux’ felt innovative and unique, yet still embodied the heart of classic Doctor Who.
“‘Lux’ felt innovative and unique, yet still embodied the heart of classic Doctor Who.
On the journey to get Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) back home, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) is unable to get the TARDIS back to Earth on 24 May 2025. The TARDIS lands in 1952 Miami. Like all adventures with the Doctor, they are bound to run into trouble. Upon investigating a chained-shut movie theatre – where fifteen people disappeared – they discover a living cartoon character to be responsible: Mr Ring-a-Ding.
However, this is not just your standard cartoon character. Lux Imperator (voiced by Alan Cumming), the god of light, has taken the form of the character, and he is trapping people in the film reel. He does not stop with the fifteen people, deciding to trap the Doctor and Belinda in the film reel as well. It somewhat reminded me of a childhood favourite of mine (for nostalgia reasons, let’s be honest) – ‘The Idiot’s Lantern.’ But I do have to say, Lux was a lot more entertaining than the villain in ‘The Idiot Lantern,’ The Wire.
Coming after the season premiere, this episode did a good job at continuing to introduce Belinda. So far, I am loving Belinda as a companion. I feel more connected to Belinda across just two episodes than I did with Ruby throughout the whole of Season 1. I’m glad to see that Belinda being a nurse isn’t just a throwaway line. There are constant references to her profession, through both her nature and the little quips she makes. It’s refreshing to have a companion who hasn’t lost all substance outside of her life with the Doctor. It is also comical watching her reluctance around the Doctor. Belinda challenges him and does not idolise him as much as past companions. Speaking of idolising the Doctor, let’s talk about the Whovians…
“I feel more connected to Belinda across just two episodes than I did with Ruby throughout the whole of Season 1.
The parody of Doctor Who fans was relatable, funny, and heartfelt. The one fan, Robyn (Steph Lacey), who says “I knew this would happen because it was leaked online” – that line summed up exactly how I’ve felt about every Doctor Who plot twist in recent years. Also, it was packed with Easter eggs referencing past versions of the Doctor – Eleven’s fez, Four’s scarf. The only unrealistic part? All three fans agreeing on ‘Blink’ as their favourite episode. Let’s be honest: are they really Doctor Who fans if they’re not arguing with each other?
Then there’s the racial elements of the episode – the segregation in the diner, the way Lux weaponises the era’s prejudices against the Doctor and Belinda – with the policeman (William Meredith) pointing a gun at him and Belinda, and the woman from the diner – Renée Lowenstein (Lucy Thackeray) – calling him suspicious.
As the audience, it wasn’t shocking to watch – it felt real, and I believed it just as much as Belinda and the Doctor did. It reminded me of last season’s ‘Dot and Bubble,’ where we got to see the Doctor experience racism not just as an outsider, but directly. Humans letting their biases get in the way. They were more suspicious of him than they would have been of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. They are not so quick to let the Doctor help them.
I, for one, am glad they’re not ignoring the fact that the Doctor is a Black man. It’s part of his character now, and it shouldn’t be brushed aside. It’s a far cry from when the Tenth Doctor told Martha Jones to “just walk around like you own the place”, as now he actually has to live through it himself.
This episode was fun, quirky, and a little bit silly, while still managing to portray deeper themes of racism and prejudice. ‘Lux’ captured everything I’ve always loved about Doctor Who. And to make it even better, it ended with my favourite kind of ending – an “everyone lives” moment. Even Lux gets a somewhat poetic ending, receiving exactly what the god of light would want.
“This episode was fun, quirky, and a little bit silly, while still managing to portray deeper themes of racism and prejudice.
However, that ending also highlighted the episode’s deeper message of racism and segregation. Unlike many other endings, there was no crowd of thankful people rushing to hug the Doctor, instead focusing on their own family reunions. That absence said a lot. And I wish we got to see the aftermath in the TARDIS from the Doctor and Belinda – a snippet of their thoughts and feelings from the ordeal.
What I do miss about the most recent seasons is the lack of TARDIS debriefs. Also, I will forever complain about the new TARDIS interior. It just feels like an ordinary spaceship. I miss the cosy vibes of past Doctors’ TARDIS interiors – the warm lighting, the comfort and homeliness it brought outside of chaotic adventures.
Overall, ‘Lux’ was a standout episode of Doctor Who. In the current landscape of AI, the animation in this episode was beautiful and refreshing. I hope, and I am sure, the rest of the season will continue to be as strong as the first two episodes – I feel like the Doctor Who we know and love is back!
Rating: 4/5
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