The premiere of Doctor Who season 2 sees the return of Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor. But it also sees the introduction of our newest companion, Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both are thrown into a galactic adventure when Belinda is kidnapped in “The Robot Revolution” and The Doctor sets out to get Belinda back home. But with her timeline seemingly locked, The Doctor and Belinda are going to have to take the long way home in season 2.
Fangirlish sat down with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu to talk about Doctor Who season 2. Not only that, we got to talk about “The Robot Revolution,” the adventures ahead without giving anything away, and Sethu joining the long line of companions to join The Doctor on this grand adventure. But to start of, we needed to talk about fashion. Because in “The Robot Revolution,” The Doctor was sporting a tartan zip-up with a kilt and vest underneath and then distressed linens. And it follows a long history of this Doctor being the most fashionable regeneration ever.
MORE: Loved the premiere of Season 2? Read our review for Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 1 “The Robot Revolution.”
When we asked Gatwa how it felt to be the most fashionable Doctor yet, he was delighted from the very moment we started listing his outfits in “The Robot Revolution.” With a big smile on his face he said, “Oh my gosh, what a title. Thank you. Do you know what? It’s so much fun. I think it’s just such a great narrative plot of just a great narrative device, I guess.”
Gatwa also added, “We’re travelling to so many different places, times. We’re exploring so many genres and it’s just kind of interesting aesthetically to explore that sartorially. And it’s just kind of cool that The Doctor just picks up on wherever they are and equips them for the adventure ahead.” He credits Pam Downe, the costume designer on the show, for his incredible looks and said she “nails it every single time.”
When it comes to fashion, this isn’t the first or the last time that Gatwa will be asked about the memorable looks. But there is one question in particular that gets asked a lot: Does he have input when it comes to The Doctor’s outfits? And for that, he just trusts Downe. “I guess I do, but I daren’t, not I daren’t question, but like everything she puts out in front of me, I’m like, “Yeah, I’ll wear all of that.” So it’s fun. It’s fun to get to explore the character through that avenue.”
MORE: Those complaining about Doctor Who’s Rose Noble have never understood this show in the first place.
Then there’s our newest addition to the world of Doctor Who season 2, Belinda, played by Varada Sethu. When we get to meet her, she’s working as a nurse. It’s grueling work that leaves her tired. But you can tell she’s skilled and dedicated when it comes to her job. And her life gets turned upside when a ship lands in her backyard in “The Robot Revolution” and these hulking robots kidnap her.
We wanted to know what her reaction would be like if this happened to her. Would she also have the millennial urge to worry more about getting charged for the destruction of the rental or the kidnapping? “I would just have a mental breakdown,” Sethu answered honestly before continuing, “I’m not as strong as Belinda. I would just scream. I would not be in that house for any longer than I needed to be. But that is my attitude when it comes to, you know, things being wrecked in the house. It’s like, “Oh God, I’m a renter. Please.”
Talking about fashion, Sethu also wanted to point out that fashion is also a part of her journey. In “The Robot Revolution” we saw her in a relaxed outfit (a lilac shirt with a sunflower on it and a mustard coat) that was very much saying, “I would rather be home and curled up in bed.” Which, mood. And from what we’ve seen of the preview for the next episode “Lux,” her next look is a pinned up one with a 50s style yellow dress.
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“I personally think that fashion is a way of expressing oneself. And I love that this Doctor is a very expressive Doctor,” Sethu said before circling back to Gatwa’s comments about different adventures equipping them with different looks. “I never thought I’d be able to wear like a 1950s look head to toe. So I thought it was so much fun for me personally as an actor and me. But yeah, I love I think it’s one of my favorite things about Doctor Who. Every episode you get like a different different place, different look, different plot genre.”
Fashion aside, Belinda is unlike any other companion The Doctor has had before with her betraying him in the first episode of season 2. And it wasn’t because she’s secretly evil. It’s because as a nurse, she serves the people and she has no problem setting anyone straight, including The Doctor. Gatwa teased what that means for their future journeys together and said, “He has to go on a journey about thinking about himself and the way he operates in a way that he hasn’t done before, which is very, very exciting.”
Want to know more about what Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu shared about Doctor Who season 2, what this adventure means for Sethu, and watch them both glitch out while trying to give not spoil anything while still trying to answer our questions?
Watch the full interview below!
Doctor Who airs new episodes every Saturday on Disney+ and BBC.
