Episode: The Woman Who Fell to Earth
Airdate: October 7, 2018
Cast: Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor), Tosin Cole (Ryan Sinclair), Mandip Gill (Yasmine Khan), Bradley Walsh (Graham O’Brien), Sharon D. Clarke (Grace O’Brien), Johnny Dixon (Karl), Samuel Oatley (Tim Shaw)
Kleenex Required: Some – probably not a whole box
Anything You Need to Know Going In: There is one on-screen death and an additional one mentioned, depictions of heights, the monster has a thing for teeth.
Doctor Who returned in glorious fashion last night, bringing us new friends, a new monster, a new sonic Swiss Army Knife (without the knife), and a new Doctor. By all accounts, the debut episode was a huge hit, both in terms of reviews and ratings. In fact, early estimates put the total viewers of The Woman Who Fell to Earth at 8.2 million, the highest ratings for a series opener the show has seen in 10 years (with David Tennant’s debut only slightly higher, at 8.4 million), and the highest ratings the show has seen in five years (since the 50th Anniversary Special). Despite the hype, it did not disappoint, and here are just a few reasons why (warning: spoilers below):
Overall Impression
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As excited as I was to see Whittaker as the Doctor, I was a bit sad about losing Capaldi. He quickly won me over, and was the first Doctor who didn’t annoy me in their first episode. Despite my ardent adoration for him, Whittaker charmed me within the first few minutes of being on screen. Everything, from her enthusiasm to the string-heavy theme that scored her major moments, had me hooked. I knew I would like her, I did not expect to instantly love her.
The one drawback: where the eff are my opening credits??
The Plot
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The episode begins by depicting one of the new companions friends, Ryan Sinclair, vlogging about an “amazing woman” and his inability to ride a bike. Later, you see him trying to ride on a hilltop, being encouraged by his nan, Grace O’Brien, and his step-granddad, Graham O’Brien. Clearly, Graham and Ryan do not get along, despite both clearly loving Grace. Hurling his bike off the hill in frustration, Ryan is ordered to retrieve it by Graham and accidentally signs some form of interstellar waiver or invitation by touching glowing gold squares hovering near his bike. Later, he runs into a blue vessel, shaped kind of like a giant chocolate chip. This brings him back in touch with Yasmin Khan, a friend from grade school who is now a police officer.
On the train ride home, Grace, Graham, Yas, and Ryan run into both the Doctor, immediately after she falls through the roof of the train, and a giant ball made out of electrical wires (kind of like a rubber band ball only way bigger). In keeping with Doctor Who tradition, she’s not quite sure who she is but she does know that she needs to help. The ginormous electric ball seems to take an interest in Karl, one of the passengers, who opts to leave for work rather than staying behind. She and the rest of the gang quickly figure out that an alien named Tim Shaw is after Karl, and used the electric ball to track him down. Tim Shaw, for the record, is a giant blue-faced alien who mostly wears protective gear and is absolutely terrifying upon removal of his mask. Less so because of the blue skin and more because he implants a tooth from each one of his victims in his skin and holy crap is that ever gross.
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Karl is a crane operator, so the Doctor and her new friends have to brave the heights to rescue him. While the Doctor is able to save Karl, and get rid of Tim Shaw, there are casualties. Grace, clearly having the time of her life, and Graham decide to tackle the electrical ball. They succeed, but Grace gets hit with a blast of electricity. Proving that the new showrunners are not afraid of permanent death (one of the complaints about Moffat’s run), Grace falls off the crane and succumbs to her injuries.
In the aftermath of her death, Ryan continues to try to ride his bike, and Graham is clearly lonely and lost without her. The episode ends with the Doctor recruiting them, and Yas, to help her find the lost TARDIS, accidentally transporting them all to the vacuum of space.
What is Dyspraxia?
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The viewer eventually finds out that Ryan has struggled with bike riding because he has a condition called dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is a type of developmental co-ordination disorder, covering a broad range of symptoms. Some suffer with memory, planning, and organization, while others may struggle with fine motor skills, others still may experience challenges when trying to complete tasks that involve coordination, such as riding a bike or playing catch. It doesn’t mean that these skills are impossible for a person to pick up, just that it takes a lot longer and requires more effort.
Dyspraxia is common, though misunderstood, with relatively few depictions of the disorder in adults seen on television or in movies. Showrunner Chris Chibnall worked closely with the Dyspraxia Foundation to be sure that the condition was brought to the screen in the right way. Chibnall said that “it was important” to him to get it right. For many who have lived with dyspraxia their whole lives, it was incredible to see.
Next Week’s Adventures on Doctor Who
Doctor Who has officially moved to a Sunday night time slot, so you can expect to see episode two air on Sunday October 14. Time and relative dimension on your television depends on location. Check out the trailer for episode two, The Ghost Monument:
