A rubbish present from an even more rubbish boyfriend sets Belinda Chandra on a course to the stars.

We’re back, bright and shiny and with something of a reset, despite being only one season into Ncuti’s time in the TARDIS. With, I think it’s fair to say, the mixed response to last season’s snot-infused opener (Space Babies) one might think we’d get something more trad to open with and on paper it sounds like the case. Peculiar robots, a futuristic society, rebellion and a splash of the timey-wimey sound like strands of the show’s DNA.

It wasn’t long before I felt a distinct Douglas Adams vibe; the central conceit is one of those off-kilter but beautifully simple sci-fi ideas that make you wonder why no one has done it before (they may well have, but not to my knowledge). There’s plenty of other neat ideas here that could also have come from the Adams playbook. While the story isn’t quite as silly as some of Adams’ work on Doctor Who it’s not far off at times, and some of the design choices reflect this – there’s a 1950s tin space toy look to this which pleased me.

The main talking point here is of course Varada Sethu’s debut as Belinda, after her appearance as Mundy Flynn in last year’s Boom. While I wouldn’t quite say that the Doctor takes a back-seat here, this is first and foremost her story. Belinda is a nurse, so she’s obviously not someone who will take any nonsense from anyone. She’s certainly no pupil for the Doctor to make “special” – she already is. Whatever this season brings us I’m sure I’m going to enjoy seeing this character’s journey.

This is a story with some hidden depth too. On the surface it looks like very traditional, even cheesy, sci-fi with its oversized robots with emoji faces and that spaceship (a design choice too far I feel). As it transpires this is a tale with something to say about an issue that’s very current, even if it’s really as old as the hills. It’s not going to solve the problem nor even try to but good SF should be about something, and I’m glad that this is.

Verdict: A bubbly episode with a dark heart and an engaging new companion. While it may not have the House of Mouse renewing their Direct Debit quite yet it’s certainly a pretty strong start for a new string of adventures. 8/10

Andy Smith