It’s true that hope can change the world. Or the universe. That sentiment was at the heart of Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 2 “Lux.” But I think a lot of times people take that as a cliched sentiment instead of considering the deep connotations that come with having hope in your heart while being surrounded by people that want to crush you or are actively advocating for you not to be included in spaces. That’s what The Doctor and Belinda faced in “Lux.” And like every good Doctor Who story, it made me reflect on my life and the world that we’re living in. That’s how you know you have a great episode in your hands.
The Racism of It All
Casting someone like Ncuti Gatwa to be The Doctor was always going to come with people calling his casting “woke.” It’s not like we’ve had every single mainstream Doctor since the ’60s being white. But wait. That’s true. Besides Ruth, every single doctor has been white. And Doctor Who looks that right in the face in “Lux” and doesn’t run away from it. And it goes back to what The Doctor said about hope. Because they know that certain places in history are built against them. But they aren’t going to let that dull who they are or the good that they bring into this world.
MORE: Did you know we interviewed Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Seth for Doctor Who Season 2?
When it comes to Belinda, she looks at The Doctor’s comments/perspective with shock. Racism and bigotry should be called out. Always. But here is an alien who looks at the world through a different lens. And I found myself a little bit conflicted in Doctor Who “Lux” because hope is important to have in your heart. But let’s not forget that we need to call out these moments of racism and bigotry if we are ever going to change things. Turning the other cheek only gets you so far. And as much as I liked how “Lux” tapped into the conversation about racism, I wish the messaging about standing up against that racism was a little bit more pointed.
At the same time I have to consider that this is a kid show. I’m an adult watching this but Doctor Who is geared towards children and a younger generation. And “Lux” made these children take pause and consider that even though The Doctor is an extraordinary hero, the way that they look in this regeneration will lead them to face challenges that they never have before. Basically, the way they addressed racism in this episode is a way of having a difficult conversation and making it easy for a kid to understand. Because the color of The Doctor and Belinda shouldn’t matter while we’re having these space adventures. But if we’re going to ground their journey in our reality, we can’t deny or ignore the challenges they would face. Also, there are kids that look like this Doctor and Belinda. And they deserve to see themselves in this show. Period.
Belinda’s Perception of the Doctor
Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 2 is a turning point for Belinda and how she looks at The Doctor. She was rightfully nervous when she first met them. She wanted to go home and The Doctor wanted to show Belinda the universe. And I know we’ve had a lot of companions throughout time and space, but Belinda being so vehemently adamant that she wanted to go home and that this isn’t a game, it was sobering. Because we have also been lured into this full sense of security that this is just an adventure over and over. But we know the story and how it ends. And it always ends with pain and the realization that all things come to an end.
While I do think that a sobering moment was needed in Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 2, seeing The Doctor in action gave Belinda perspective. Yes, I do think that The Doctor loves humans. But I also think that they are a little disconnected from the fragility of who we are. That makes The Doctor someone harder to swallow for Belinda. But seeing them care for the people within this mystery, it made Belinda herself see the reality of the good work that The Doctor does and the world’s and lives that are saved along the way. And with Belinda being a nurse, helping others speaks to her at her core and shifts her into action. That’s not to say that she has completely changed her mind on The Doctor.
Belinda wants to go home. And it was great for the show to allow her to verbalize her fears to The Doctor and if she will be able to get home in the first place. Belinda isn’t being swept away by this adventure. She has her goal in mind. But she understands that good can come out of this time with The Doctor. And until they find a way for her to get home, she will help The Doctor in any way she can while staying true to her own needs. And that makes her stand out as a companion in a way that makes me feel like by the end of the season, she’ll be one of my favorites in the entire history of the show.
The Doctor is a God (Kinda)
In Doctor Who‘s Season 2 Episode 2 The Doctor has this whole monologue about the pantheon of gods. They explain to Belinda that there are bigger forces out there that surpass anyone’s understanding. And when they become aware of the existence of humans or similar creatures, that’s when destruction is on the horizon. Because those greater beings or gods, they see us as children. And it’s very important how The Doctor framed this speech. They included themselves when talking about who are “the children.” And in many respects I agree because these Pantheon of gods are bigger than him. But I also disagree with The Doctor.
When Lux finds out who The Doctor is, he calls him out for being the enemy of The Toymaker, Maestro, and the killer of the God of Death. This was an acknowledgment of what The Doctor has done in the past. But this is also making it very clear the power The Doctor holds. And the only way that you can go against Gods in this manner is if you hold power on the same level. It’s important to note that The Doctor is different from these gods because he chooses to protect these communities and end any suffering that the pantheon of gods try to inflict on them. But the fact remains that The Doctor is on the level of the gods.
His speech also made me think about how Belinda challenged him in Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 1. The Doctor was so excited to take Belinda here, there, and everywhere. And Belinda stopped him and basically made it clear to The Doctor and the viewer that while they are excited, she sees the reality of what an adventure with them could mean. And Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 2 clarifies that sentiment by mirroring the wonder and disconnect that Lux has in general with how The Doctor experiences life. Belinda recognizes it’s not a game. And to be fair I think The Doctor does as well. But I think The Doctor sometimes loses themselves to the mystery of it all. And that’s how people end up getting hurt around them.
Question is, if we’re focusing on this so much, is Belinda going to be the one to break that cycle? We sure hope so.
Additional Thoughts of Doctor Who 2×12 “Lux”:
- Breaking the fourth wall in this episode was surprising and hilarious at first.
- We are these people watching the show and yes, we love “Blink.”
- Then it turned really really sad at the thought of these three disappearing.
- And as silly as it sounds, this was probably the strongest tether and acknowledgement between the show itself and those who consume it.
- Really hoping the show does more cartoons.
- Because they way they were drawn was stunning.
- And if Supernatural can have a fully animated episode, then so can Doctor Who.
- The guy running the film. Mr. Pye? Him dancing with his wife is another tearjerker moment from this episode.
- WHAT DO YOU MEAN MR. RING-A-DING WAS ALAN CUMMING?!
Doctor Who airs new episodes every Saturday on Disney+ and BBC.
