Season 2 of the softly rebooted science fiction classic Doctor Who opens with a gentle episode that isn’t afraid to tread on old ground. In “The Robot Revolution,” we meet The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) hunting to find Belinda ‘Bel’ Chandra (Varada Sethu), a nurse from London. No sooner than the titular Time Lord finds her, does she get kidnapped by a group of menacing robots.

These robots believe she is the queen of their planet, which is named after her. The world is called Miss Belinda Chandra-1, the humans who inhabit it are called Belinda Chandra-kind, and they primarily live in the city of Belinda Chandra-Ville. Stick with it, it does get an explanation.

Luckily, The Doctor is one step ahead of her and has teamed up with a group of human freedom fighters. The group work together a rescue mission to save Bel and overthrow the android oppressors. The plot is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s peppy and goofy enough to enjoy.

“The Robot Revolution” speeds through the narrative, only stopping for some of The Doctor’s trusty exposition-heavy dialogue. In the first 15 minutes, we meet Bel, the robots, and the planet. While the episode is hardly a boring watch, almost every element feels reminiscent of another. The robots aren’t originally designed, and their method of killing is so reminiscent of an old Doctor Who foe, you may momentarily think they are returning to the show. If you are introducing new, younger audiences to the series, this episode is a suitable entry point.

Ncuti Gatwa has really warmed into the role of The Doctor, feeling more natural in this season than in prior ones. The generic and safe writing doesn’t give the skilled actor much to work with, but he appears to be handling the quick-paced dialogue and science jargon better than previously.

The beats throughout the first 25 minutes of the episode are pretty familiar, and the writing does not want to do anything too bold in the opening episode. While the first half of this 46-minute episode plays it safe, the second half is loaded with intrigue. The show rushes through the last act, setting up plot points that are expected to haunt the whole series.

The final act will likely cause controversy as it tackles the topic of toxic masculinity in a pretty blatant way. Although directly addressing the issue of men’s treatment of women, it does it in a bite-sized, user-friendly way that will be comprehensible to kids. Doctor Who has always bravely tackled present-day issues through the lens of science fiction. In the last two rebooted seasons, the writers have really pushed the socially aware elements and laced them cohesively through the show’s family-friendly narrative.

Who’s That Girl?

If you recognize Sethu’s Bel, she originally appeared in last season’s “Boom” as Mundy Flynn. Unlike Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi, who appeared in other Doctor Who episodes as supporting actors before being cast in lead roles, her double appearance is purposeful.

The show doesn’t hide the fact that Bel and Mundy look identical. It seems to be setting up a major season 2 plot. It does feel a little repetitive that there is another companion who is scattered through time.

Bel is likable enough, although this episode adds little that isn’t just a hard-working nurse to her lore. It’s hard not to compare her to Martha, David Tennant’s Time Lord’s second companion. Bel certainly feels like the Martha Jones to Ruby’s Rose Tyler. Despite her overfamiliarity, this episode is a good introduction to the new companion, who has a bit of grit and toughness to her.

Writer Russell T. Davies is reusing some worn-out tricks with this companion’s backstory. You can’t help but wish he would try something new and have a totally normal companion who doesn’t have a timey wimey secret. Let’s hope that, moving forward, this series has some new tricks up its sleeve.

Also returning is Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson), first introduced in “The Church on Ruby Road” as Ruby Sunday’s nosy neighbor. She continued to appear throughout the previous series, always knowing too much about the Doctor and the TARDIS. Showrunner Davies has promised she will play a bigger role in the upcoming series, although how or what is yet to be seen.

While “The Robot Revolution” feels like a throwaway, peppy episode more aimed at younger viewers, the ending is chilling enough to grab the older audience’s attention. The closing scenes place The Doctor and the TARDIS in a sticky situation, and is a promising tease at the future of the show and the darker tone it could be going on.

Doctor Who returns on April 12. Episodes will stream on Disney+ in the US.

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