WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Doctor Who has been a champion of LGBTQIA+ rights for a long time and has attracted queer people both to the Doctor Who community and to the show itself. A queer storyline for the Doctor certainly pushes the boundaries of Doctor Who. How well did this story succeed? Let’s take a look.
Rogue begins with the Doctor and Ruby in the middle of a party hosted by the Duchess of Pemberton. The Doctor suspiciously finds a man out of place, an outer space bounty hunter looking for a shapeshifting Chuldur. The Doctor and Rogue combine forces to help stop the Chuldur in their gross game of cosplay in a game which may put Ruby’s life in danger.
Season 1 has been a very experimental series, but Rogue offers a much more traditionally Doctor Who kind of story. You have a very run of the mill historical adventure with an alien threat right in the middle as the Doctor runs around trying to stop the chaos. It ticks a lot of the boxes and the expectations of what you expect to see in Doctor Who. However, for me personally, I think the issue is that it does it too formulaically. There is nothing wrong with a more status quo kind of story and a more traditional kind of adventure in spirit, feel and structure. However, you need to be doing something which is telling a new kind of story. You need some kind of intriguing and fascinating concept, interesting character drama or some level of science fiction storytelling which is interesting, memorable and sticks inside your head. There are plenty of Doctor Who stories which fit the generics of the show. However, the stories that stand out and that fans and audiences remember are the ones with a memorable monster or idea, which the story can centre around. Rogue does not have that special quality and essence about it. Its plot is overly simplistic and basic, which makes the main threat itself not very engaging.
With so many unique and experimental stories throughout the season, I feel like Rogue falls short and becomes underwhelming due to its run-of-the-mill nature. As someone who has seen a lot of Doctor Who, I will be impressed by its ability to do something brave and take the show in a unique and impossible direction. The stories that feel like they are recycling the past and not offering any new material are the ones which tend to bore me, which is how I felt about the majority of Rogue. It’s true that Rogue has the queer romance and emotional elements, and some stories are able to survive by the quality of the emotional material. However, by the nature of Doctor Who being a science fiction product, a large amount of it is concept and idea driven. Therefore, even if Doctor Who does have engaging character work, it usually spawns and comes from a creative and interesting concept. It’s the villains and the ideas which makes Doctor Who what it is. I don’t think Rogue has the recipe for success or a decent enough idea to forge a story around, which is disappointing.
I was interested in what would come from Kate Herron and Briony Redman as writers. They are fresh talent to Doctor Who, which the show will need to thrive and continue. I was also very fond of the first season of Loki, which I know Kate Herron was heavily involved in, and it had a very Doctor Who vibe and feel and a lot of creative energy. Unfortunately, I think in this case the writers didn’t deliver on a satisfying episode. What often makes a good Doctor Who story is its invention, its twists, turns and interesting directions and it feels like there is a significant lack of that in this story.
I imagine if you enjoy the regency period or like period dramas and historical romances, then this episode of Doctor Who might appeal to you somewhat. Whilst I have an interest in history, the regency period of upper-class people avoiding scandals is not something I find interesting. It does not have any relatable drama which I can connect with, and it bores me very quickly. What especially irritated me with Rogue, though, was the constant Bridgerton references. I understand that Bridgerton is a very popular series but the references towards it got very tiring very quickly. I don’t necessarily object to Doctor Who copying the vibe, style and aesthetic of Bridgerton and the regency era in concept. In the right story, it could work very well. However, the need to make the inspiration so obvious and blatant felt unwise. It feels like it’s trying to align itself with Bridgerton and its fans, and as such hammer its similarities down your throat, and after a while it drove me mad.
The aesthetic of the regency period largely involves glamour, a sophisticated manner and a sense of class. It’s the style, clothing and traditional period dynamics which draws in and invests a lot of audiences. I don’t think there is a lot of meat to explore in the superficial nature of the period. Not to say that there aren’t interesting aspects to the regency period, but this story isn’t interested in that. It’s simply mirroring a period drama feel and the surface level elements. The period is a vehicle for a mellow romance tone and feel more than anything else. The substance of the historic nature of things holds little weight or meaning, which is where I lose interest. It’s more of a backdrop to fit the genre which feels kind of shallow and pointless for me. It’s not playing with or doing anything interesting with history. The period is an interesting way to keep a traditional historical romance feel, but with a subversion and boldness with a queer relationship. However, as singularly defined romance plots don’t tend to grab me, I was still left kind of tired and disappointed by the outcome.
There also isn’t much movement or intrigue in the plot itself. You have a lot of drama and character relationships going on at the same time, but there is never much movement in the story. From the start you are aware of an alien shapeshifter race being present, but across most of the story there isn’t a sufficient increase in stakes or drama. It makes the threat, aliens and story feel redundant.
There haven’t been a great deal of alien designed threats in Season 1, but unfortunately, I don’t think the Chuldur have much to offer as monsters. Birds as aliens is an interesting and solid image for a creative and dangerous enemy, but I think the execution of the design feels pathetic and weird. I am in favour of having peculiar designs, but there needs to be something scary about the design, something grotesque to make them villainous and to be feared. The designs whilst having variety just come off looking silly and the performances can’t be taken seriously or have much threat. There is an overblown and comical nature to the Chuldur, but that isn’t made to feel threatening in any way, which is where they fail as villains and descend into stupidity. Their scheme is also very underwhelming. Their plan on cosplaying across the world is very generic and doesn’t have any weight or depth of further stakes. There is nothing to develop from it, which is its vital flaw.
You also have the issue that the performances from the actors playing the Chuldur are much more interesting as the human version of the characters rather than the Chuldur versions. The Duchess of Pemberton is played by Indira Varma, who previously played Susie Costello in Torchwood and featured in the Obi Wan Kenobi series. She brings a great sense of sophistication and class, and I like her posh manner as a character. Your eyes are really drawn to her. In comparison, the Chuldur version of her just feels bland. You should get a dominating presence at the centre of the story, but the Duchess of Pemberton does not fit into that role. Lord Barton, played by Paul Forman, has nothing to his character beyond his smouldering and patronising personality with little evil. There isn’t enough to the Chuldur characters to contrast with the human versions. Indira Varma and Paul Forman don’t get the chance to immerse themselves into a villainous performance.
Miss Emily Beckett is played by Camilla Aiko and is one of the best parts of the story. I like the humanity and struggle within her character, and it’s personified in a way which feels real and believable. You can see the strain and the shame in Camilla Aiko’s performance with the shame of polite society and the burden and expectations that have been placed on her as a woman of the era. She has been boxed into a certain role of expectations and there is a lot of anxiety in her character with what that carries and the cost of not living up to what society expects of her. Her dynamic with Ruby works well, showing two women with very different perspectives on life. It feels like Emily learns a lot from Ruby across the episode. Her turn at the end, as she is revealed to be a Chuldur, is a very surprising twist and there is a villainous turn in Camilla Aiko’s performance that is a fitting turn of character.
Now I’m going to move onto Ncuti Gatwa and his performance as the Fifteenth Doctor. After having a couple of episodes with the Doctor taking a backseat role, it was certainly satisfying to see the Doctor at the centre and the focus of attention. The story personifies how good of a fit Ncuti Gatwa is for the Doctor as it feels like he was born to play the part. Ncuti Gatwa is naturally a gentleman adventurer, and the part fits him as a personality. What I adore in his performance is that whatever silliness and heightened energy he presents, there is always more intelligence and cunning deviousness going on behind his eyes. Ncuti Gatwa is an extroverted and charismatic Doctor with a lively presence and a naughty cheekiness and humour to him which he nails. He also manages to convey a weight and pain behind his intentions, and has a coolness to him I adore. Through everything he feels calm, collected and in control. His confrontation with the Chuldur has such a sense of passion, energy but wonderful dominance and ease. I love the emotional pain and difficulty that is shown when he thinks he has lost Ruby. His emotion and guilt are sincere, and you feel the conflict and moral dilemma on his shoulders at the climax of the story. There is an emotional vulnerability to the Fifteenth Doctor, which is deeply impactful. He does not try to hide the tears or the impact of things, which means you feel the full emotional severity. I also love the darkness that is displayed within his Doctor. When he thinks Ruby is killed, the darkness, ruthlessness and remorselessness of his Doctor is exposed and it’s interesting to see what his Doctor is capable of when pushed to the emotional limit.
However, the part of his Doctor which I didn’t like in this story is the romance storyline. I don’t have any objection to gay and queer relationships on Doctor Who. In fact, I think it’s very positive for the purposes of representation and inclusion and I’m sure there are queer fans who this storyline meant a great deal to, which may make it all worth it. However, I am someone who rarely likes romantic relationships and pairings with the Doctor. I enjoy the Doctor as a mysterious and unknown character and their romantic preferences should be mysterious and unknown. The best romantic relationships have been the ones that have been vague and interpretable and don’t feel like a generic romance. I didn’t buy, believe or feel invested in the Doctor’s interest in Rogue across the story. The whole relationship was based on the fact that the Doctor found him “hot” which feels incredibly superficial. There isn’t any depth or connection to the relationship, which means the whole thing falls flat. I don’t like the idea of the Doctor as someone with sexual or romantic interests which are overt. The Doctor always strikes me as someone who is too in love with the universe to be bothered about relationships. The relationship seems to be more sexual, and attraction based rather than one of developed emotional connection which would feel more believable for the Doctor. The Doctor having sexual interests and relationships normalises them too much. The idea of the Doctor as a pursuer is also something I don’t think works with the Doctor’s love for the stars and the Doctor’s actions and motivations feel out of character. It’s a very generic romance, which means Rogue fails to live up to some of the Doctor’s other romantic partners and connections. We’re not given a good enough reason for the Doctor to fall in love and the time isn’t taken to develop a believable romance you can invest in. It feels like the two characters barely know each other, which hinders the emotional connection which is rushed to the finish line.
Rogue is played by Johnathon Groff and starts off as a vague and mysterious character, but by the end of the episode feels like a second-rate Captain Jack Harkness. Johnathon Groff plays the character in a more restrained manner and Rogue is more of a sensitive romantic. However, he is still a dubious, handsome adventurer with a lot of charisma. This wouldn’t be so bad if any interesting aspects of his character had been explored. The ethics and morals of Rogue as a bounty hunter and their ruthless and morally dubious nature are barely touched on. This would have been a great opportunity to deal with some level of conflict within the character, some disagreement with the Doctor and for the Doctor to see the good in Rogue and help them change. The romance might have had more weight if Rogue had felt like a character and not just a prop and love interest for the Doctor. Rogue feels like a very generic character and whilst I can’t deny the chemistry between Johnathon Groff and Ncuti Gatwa, I think the actor deserved more.
Millie Gibson once again impresses as Ruby Sunday in a story where she was given a very active and relatable role. Ruby is someone who is clearly enjoying the glamour and the fun of the era and the Bridgerton style environment. I also really enjoy the way Ruby’s values, ethics and attitudes as a person contrasts the views and attitudes of the time. She is coming into a time where certain expectations were placed upon women, but Ruby can’t shake off her 21st century attitudes and fully hold herself back, which I enjoy. The blunt rudeness of the way Ruby talks to Lord Barton and addresses his misogynistic attitudes is something which you can admire. Her relationship with Emily Beckett adds a lot to the story, with characters of contrasting societal views. Ruby’s compassion towards Emily and the way she comforts and encourages her shows her heart as a companion. She has a stride to her and can very much handle herself in chaotic situations, but it’s her compassion which makes the character. The way she sees the Doctor’s pain and comforts him at the end shows the care she is motivated by.
The story is directed by Ben Chessell who previously directed the Devil’s Chord earlier in the season. I love the way the camera frames the scenes and central moments in such a gentle manner. It fits the feel and the tone of the regency era and the glamour and style of it. Ben Chessell’s directing in this story feels really natural and organic, and you barely notice it. During the dance choreography scenes, it makes sense to have a more laid-back approach with such movement on screen. I also really like the way the frame focuses and centres around characters, giving some moments sharp focus and drama. It centres things around the actors and performances in a scene. The directing in this story is very sharp and focused.
So, overall, how do I feel about Rogue? Well, whilst I don’t think it was a terrible episode, I thought it was a very weak one that didn’t hold together. It fails through how run of the mill and conventional it feels. You have a very predictable plot, a historical environment that doesn’t appeal to me and a set of villains which feel silly with no kind of weight. The Chuldur had potential but their silliness and lack of danger ruins them. Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor is excellent, but the romance feels very superficial and Rogue feels like a generic love interest and second-rate Captain Jack Harkness. I was always going to be a difficult person to win over with a Doctor focused romantic storyline but it’s not impossible, and the lack of emotional depth really hinders the entire relationship which is where it falls down.
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Here is what blew the episode for me and I haven't even watched it yet. In the trailer that I saw.....there was two men running somewhere holding hands. I don't know if they were running from something or towards something. Two men just don'tdo that.