May 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Take a little off the top with our review of Doctor Who S2E5: The Story and the Engine. On the menu: The power of stories, the TARDIS connection, a mysterious little girl, a Fugitive returns, gods at play, and more!
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(00:00) - Intro
(01:32) - General Thoughts On EP 5
(04:33) - The Power of Stories & The Barber
(11:37) - Abena & The Fugitive Doctor
(16:02) - Belinda & Getting Home
(23:08) - Mysteries & Space Babies?
(24:53) - Subway & Ending & Final Thoughts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Upon watching this episode I feel very relieved because often
when I'm watching TVI say which victim am I in this story but
because I am bald I no longer have to go get my haircut so I
am safe. So please start thinking of
stories for yourself. I'm Derek.
(00:26):
That's Noah, and this is a bite of And today we are talking
about Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 5.
Here we go more than halfway through the season, Sir.
Man, now I can actually hold up a 5.
That's right. I don't know numbers.
I never claimed to be a mathematician.
So, you know, here we are. Yes, we are.
Three episodes. Yeah, I think 3 episodes away
(00:47):
from the finale of Doctor Who orthe third episode of This is the
finale. You know, feelings, thoughts.
We got them for the 5th episode.Before we get into it, make sure
you're following, make sure you're subscribing, make sure
you're doing reviews. Comment below.
Do all those wonderful, amazing things.
But yeah, let's get into it. Spoilers The latest episode of
Doctor Who. Let us officially take a bite of
(01:09):
Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 5, The Story and the Engine,
written by Inua Alams and directed by Michaela McPherson.
The Doctor and Belinda land in Nigeria where the Doctor goes to
visit an old friend. He finds a cryptic sign telling
him to turn back. Once he enters a barbershop, he
is trapped with a group of missing men who must tell
stories in order to power a mysterious engine.
(01:32):
So Sir, what did you think of Episode 5?
I think this episode is very different and pushes a lot of
new concepts for Doctor Who. I really enjoyed it.
I love exposition heavy episodes.
I think the performances were off the charts here and I really
(01:53):
appreciated them. And not that we need to focus on
oh the doctor's a woman, oh, thedoctor's a person of color, Oh
the doctor's a queer person, theperson that's playing them,
right. But I like that they acknowledge
it and especially telling stories of Nigerian roots with
an actor that is Nigerian, I think is awesome.
And this is the things that I love about Doctor Who.
(02:15):
Like I don't think we've ever had a story set in Nigeria for
Doctor Who. So it's just, it's great, right?
I think with it being expositionheavy, it's going to divide
people that some people might think it's slow, some people
aren't. I like it, some people will
think it's amazing. So that's what Doctor Who's
about, right? You like some, you don't like
(02:36):
some, but here we are. Yeah, I, I think this, I think
this was an interesting episode.Like you said, you brought up so
many positives about this. I think the costuming, the sets,
the way that they told the stories within this episode were
really, really strong. But what's so interesting is
that I think part of the storytelling wasn't actually
(02:56):
that strong within of the episode, meaning I think that
the first half of this episode was really great and I think it
kind of got a little cumbersome a little bit.
It fell apart in the second-half.
So it it's kind of 5050 for me. Not that I thought that it was
terrible, but looking at it fromlike a reviewer standpoint, I
think that there were some things they could have done to
(03:17):
either tighten it up or maybe let it breathe a little more.
Yeah, I yeah, I think it, the concepts and the story itself
was bigger than one episode. And it's hard to really do a
beginning and an end with something that seems this big
and a lot of twists and turns inthis episode.
I feel that. I think I just liked it a lot,
(03:40):
but I wanted more. And it's going to be one of
those episodes where I have to watch it a few times to fully
understand it because we watch we watch the Screener and really
haven't had time to like, watch it again.
And I feel like a second watch will really benefit this story.
And I'm not sure if that's a positive or negative because
again, I enjoyed it, but I can see where it's like that.
(04:02):
Wait, what? That's kind of confusing.
Or like, how did we, what are wedoing here?
But I think the concept of powering an engine with stories,
sitting in the Barber chair, having you tell a story and if
it's a good story, powering the engine, we're good to go.
We get the green light. If it's not, we can't power the
engine. I think is such a cool concept
and just like you said, this showing the stories through that
(04:24):
painting and through those images was just just added a
layer to it. Yeah, I think there's an
interesting question at the heart of this of what makes a
good story, right? What makes the engine go green?
What is it about these stories? Is it the heart?
Is it how personal it is? And, you know, these men that
are trapped there, they're scared that they're going to run
out of stories. And the interesting thing is, is
(04:46):
because they're trapped there, they might at some point run out
of them because they're not out experiencing life.
So there's a bit of a conundrum in here of of these stories.
But you know, so much in I thinkour lives is, is is the value
and the power of stories. I'm going to step up my
librarian soapbox here. Just this week, Doctor Carla
(05:07):
Hayden was fired from being the Librarian of Congress.
And the reasoning that was givenwas that she was doing too much
work with DEI and putting dangerous books on the shelves
in the children's sections. So which we know this is
probably stories about BIPOC people, about gay people.
And so there's the power of stories there and how the regime
that is running this country right now is afraid of those
stories, right? So I think, although that's not
(05:30):
necessarily what's being said inthis episode, there is the power
of stories and how there is suchpower educating people.
But what's really cool about this is that this whole setting
of taking place in this barbershop.
So the writer of this episode, Inua Alam, is is of Nigerian
descent and wrote a play called The Barbershop Chronicles that
(05:52):
really centers on the a barbershop as a community hub
and the relationship a Barber has with their patrons and when
they come in and tell them stories.
And so it's such a central part of of our episode here.
But of course, you know, after they get their hair cut, the
patrons supposed to be able to leave the barbershop, which is,
of course, not what happens here.
(06:13):
But I did love Wheat. So we have this mysterious
Barber figure here. And one of the details I loved
was the trimmer that he had and how it looked.
And I thought that was such a cool thing and how they really
zoomed in on that mask, on that face, on that trimmer.
So how did you feel about the Barber in this episode?
(06:35):
Yeah, I, I, well, I think the concepts are really cool.
The Barber is an interesting character because I think I
walked away being like, wait, who was he?
And maybe that was the point, because the at one point the
Barber, when questioned, says, I'm Loki, I'm Dionysus, I am
Anansi. I'm all of these things, these
(06:55):
pretty much these tricksters, these storytellers, right,
People that are known for lying or, you know, dealing with
consumption of things to, I don't know, exaggerate
something. I think that's really
interesting. And we do find out that it was
just a demigod that was scorned by the gods and took what they
made and wanted to get revenge on them, right.
(07:15):
I thought that was really cool. The detail with the the tremors,
awesome because it adds kind of new and old to this.
Doctor Who is very much leaning into the fantastical.
Ever since 14 did the salt at the edge of the universe, it's
kind of made things a little more mystical and magical.
So I like that they're leaning into that.
(07:35):
Do I think that we will see moreof this Barber?
Maybe. I think it would be cool.
There's a lot to explore here because there's multiple
characters are intertwined with this, but I think this is the
most we've heard about gods outside of like the pantheon.
And so we can assume that all ofthe gods are a real thing
(07:58):
because the Doctors actually interacted with some of them.
So I don't know, it has a lot ofinteresting implications.
I think this is a closer to alsoI think this is the closest to
Chibbles era, the one that did Jodie Whittaker that we've
gotten so far like outside of. His era, I did think it was fun
to hear of the doctors stories of partying with all of those
(08:21):
gods you know, and so when you are a being that can transcend
time and space, you're going to have run insurance with these
guys and I and I liked that it was also gods from all different
cultures, right. Not saying that you know, one
set of gods is the real gods, but doctor has been able to
party with all of them. What a wildlife, the doctor
(08:43):
leads. There's one thing that I think
is because the stories and everything that's a big central
part of this, of this episode, the one of the, the Barber, the
person that owns the shop, Oma, he tells the story of the
doctor. And it very much seems like a
story that people would tell about a God or something like
(09:05):
that. And the way that the doctor
almost when they're when he finds out that they're trying to
defeat the gods or like he's trying to get revenge on them,
which would essentially erase them from all of history.
It's it's a weird thing because it almost feels like and shooty
is or the doctor, I should say, is almost like, that's me too.
(09:26):
Like what am I without my stories?
And so there's this weird parallel between like, is this
like a complex the doctor has orit's just just something that's
really close and dear to their heart?
Like do they also need the stories for them to live on
because they're forever living at this point?
I think it's an interesting concept to to think about like
the doctors almost paralleling these gods themselves.
(09:49):
We still don't know who the Timeless children are.
We still don't know all of that.So like, where did the doctor
actually come from? I think it's, I don't know,
maybe keep our eyes out on that.And even in that story, so I
know that you said that they have released that story.
I haven't read it, but in what is described in this episode, it
does feel like he's a God, right?
The whole the whole village is on fire.
(10:11):
He comes down in his blue box. He pulls out a hose.
He puts out all the fire. And then he's like, love you
guys, see you later, you know? So he's there.
He's a savior in that moment. So that's something that, yeah,
he does feel like very much a powerful God who they talk about
in legend, in myth. And when will he return to save
them? Not to not to pat myself on the
(10:34):
back or but early in the early aughts of a bite of we used to
have special segments. And there was the Oh my
trickster God segment, which waswhen we covered Loki.
So if you want to hear about more Trickster gods, please by
all means go back and listen to that season.
What a throwback. We used to do the special
segments at the end of the episodes just for fun.
(10:54):
Just for funsie. You would listen to us for over
an hour and it'd be like, wait, one more thing that has there's
nothing. I mean, I don't think anything
will ever be. There's another edition of Bird
Facts, but. I still think about that every
time. Yeah, so I I do like the
addition of I don't I just thinkthat whole scene with when he's
(11:15):
lying to them, obviously, but saying how he's all these
different gods and just the transitions between those gods
and what they look like. It's just amazing.
The visuals again, I can't I can't praise them enough in the
season. I think that they're really
going all out in some of this. And next next episode, the Song
Intergalactic or Interstellar Song Contest looks to be another
(11:35):
stunning episode. Yeah, that's going to be really
cool. But kind of talking about the
doctor's relationship even more,we have a character here named
Abena who we learn is, I believethe daughter of Anansi the
spider, who's a trickster God. And you know, another thing that
we have seen, I think, within these last two seasons is how
(11:55):
the Doctor affects the lives of those around him.
And so Abena has a chip on her shoulder against the Doctor
because she was left behind. I would say more of a like a, a
vendetta, A vendetta or just, I don't know, just.
She's mad. Yeah, she's mad.
(12:16):
And so we see the doctor in thatmoment when he realizes who she
is, kind of going through that feeling of here's another life I
have affected and not necessarily in a positive way.
And then we get a glimpse of thefugitive Dr. Yeah, I this is
interesting and I, I don't know if we'll ever get the answer to
this. Or maybe it's in the Unleashed
(12:38):
episode or something. So the fugitive Dr. played by
Joe Martin. I love the future to Doctor
Doctor so much. I'm a big fan of the Jodie
Whittaker era of the chibble era.
Of course there's things that changed everything, but I think
Doctor Who needs to, I don't know, challenge itself and
expand its boundaries. And who cares?
The Doctor changed, so should the story.
(12:59):
Do I agree with everything? No, but I really like the
fugitive Dr. And with the addition of the Timeless Child,
essentially meaning that the Doctor has had more lives than
we know, right? We thought there was only 13 or
15 or whatever it is, and they could only regenerate 12 or 13
times. But it turns out the Time Lords
(13:19):
were the ones that stole that genetic trait from the Doctor.
But when we find the fugitive Dr., that's when we realize, oh,
so does this Doctor like was thefugitive Dr. before Artno, which
is the very first Doctor? It seems to be, yes.
So with the Doctor not knowing the other lies prior to
(13:43):
Hartnell, Jodie Whitaker and allof that, it begs questions of
like, oh, so do they now remember it?
Or did our current Doctor remember Abby here and being the
fugitive Doctor because they're in this story engine?
Like, was it a situational thing?
I think there are some weird questions and they're playing
(14:04):
with like we're kind of soft retconning it or not is to be
seen. But I just as soon as Joe
Martin's face came on that screen, I was like, yes, it's
just so cool. So, so cool.
Yeah, I, I really enjoyed that, where we're kind of behind a
bana and we're looking at Anshuti and then as it pans
(14:25):
over, it goes to one side, there's Joe and then it comes
back to Anshuti. So, you know, it really is
showing that they are 1, you know, in a way, and that their
memories are a part of each other.
So yeah, that was, that was a really cool part.
But I think if you're looking atit from a like the world and the
universe of Doctor Who, there are definitely some questions
(14:45):
there. Yeah.
And I like that they almost explained to that because Abena
is very much like you left me. And it's one of those things
that we have seen a Doctor Who before of like the forgotten
companion or the person that wasleft behind or the mistake that
the doctor did. And I like to the line of the
fugitive Dr. saying like I was afugitive, but like I was already
in another story like that mightanother story was happening and
(15:07):
I, I couldn't, you know. So I, I'm curious if we'll, I
believe she says a line of something like has yet to be
told or like maybe we'll find out.
And I'm wondering if it's going to be in a Big Finish audio
story or will we see it again? They could very much, hey, do a
whole series of just showing what happened with future to
Doctor. I would be down with it.
But yeah, I think it was a fun episode for Easter eggs for fans
(15:29):
of the show. Not only that, but we saw all
the other incarnations of the Doctor again, another weird
parallel from last season to now, when in the Rogue episode
we saw all of his faces. This episode we see his faces
again. But I did like that this episode
was very much a black cast outside of flashbacks or TV
(15:50):
screens. So I I, I like that.
I, I think again, adding the fugitive Dr. here is
acknowledging that the chibble stuff happened.
How far it will go, I don't know.
We'll see. One of the things that I was a
little disappointed in this episode and I I'm still hoping
will change that. At the beginning of this season,
I was really hoping that Belindawould be a more actionable
(16:12):
character. And, and in this episode we
don't even again, it's the role of the companion, I guess, is to
follow the Doctor and do whatever the Doctor's doing.
And so, you know, she's always, she's just kind of taking orders
from him. She's running after him.
But when he leaves her behind initially when they land in
Nigeria. And so she is in the TARDIS and
(16:35):
we're seeing the TARDIS react tothe barbershop engine, which is
something interesting as well, right?
Because for the TARDIS to be mimicking something outside of
it, like, what does that mean? What does that connection mean?
I don't, I'm not sure. I don't know.
I don't know if it was just likean added effect or added mystery
or we'll never get acknowledge it again, because I don't think
(16:57):
Belinda even mentioned it. Maybe she did to the Doctor.
Like the TARDIS was acting weirdso that's why it came out.
I don't know. I, I, it was weird that anytime
the barbershop door opens that then the TARDIS would act funny.
Maybe they're connected somehow,because at the end, in the
climax of this, the Doctor is very much connected to the story
engine and their story alone could power this entire thing,
(17:20):
which I think is just a fun, I don't know, like a heart warming
thing with the Doctor. Like they've lived so many
lives, they have so many storiesto tell that they could just
power an entire interweb, you know, on the side of like
Belinda. I, I agree with you, but I also
don't only in that this is kind of the role of the companion.
(17:40):
And I do think that this episodewas very much for Anshuti, very
much for this Doctor. But I did like that they were
able to find a way for Belinda to be involved in this, in that
talking to Abina and saying hurtpeople hurt people.
And that flips kind of, Oh, OK. So I shouldn't just be festering
(18:03):
in my hate for my father or for the Doctor hearing what the
doctor had to say and that they wish they could have taken them
with them. And yeah, my, my father hurt me,
but maybe I should stop hurting people and be good.
So I, I do like that. Like, she kind of came in and
was like, hey, by the way, maybeyou should just, like, be nice.
Then this guy does like, you know what?
(18:23):
You're fucking right. Yeah.
Totally. But also just I honestly like, I
love the story of the doctor in the blue box and putting out the
fires and everything. Belinda's story was so heart
warming and also so sad. I just again, the power of a
story that was such a simple story.
And the doctor talks about like,you don't need these big things.
(18:45):
You just the an ordinary life issome of the best stories.
And that was just such good storytelling.
And that she's trying to go to her, her gran's birthday and she
has to stop. And this doctor's not listening
to her. And it's like, OK, you want to
fix it. It's your story.
But then she ended up saving this woman's life and this woman
came back and was like, thank you.
It's just, it's so good, that little moment.
(19:06):
Yeah, and I think we see that often nurses are the unsung
heroes, right, of the medical profession.
And so that is very much illustrated in this.
And like you're saying that, youknow, the doctor tells this what
can be deemed as an ordinary story of an ordinary person's
life, but it's still powerful enough to charge this engine,
right and make it move forward. And I think that, you know, I
(19:27):
guess that is part of the magic of Belinda.
I do like that she still had very much is seen as a valuable
figure whether she's in the TARDIS or at home and and I
think that's why I want her to have more moments in in this
season. Do you think I I almost feel
this way a little bit? Not to say Doctor Who usually
(19:49):
doesn't have like a series or even season long arc of like a
story. A lot of times I feel like in
the past it's been like kind of something that's like kind of
snaked its way to the finale. I think with it, starting with
this big mystery of Belinda and like, can't get her back home.
I think sometimes it's hard for us to be like, I like the things
(20:09):
that are happening and I like these stories that we're getting
because that's Doctor Who, right?
Landing somewhere, story happens, go somewhere else.
But I think what I'm feeling with this Belinda stuff is love
everything about the actor and the character.
But like, he went out, put the vindicator down, done.
And then it was almost like, OK,now we're getting a Song
Contest, which obviously the vindicator is going to come out.
(20:30):
It's going to do its thing, right?
But almost like, I know there's a rush, but sometimes it doesn't
feel like it. And that's just because of the
nature of the show. So I don't know if it was a good
thing or a bad thing for us to start that way.
But I am feeling very much like,how is this story going to like
actually give room for it to breathe when we're like not
(20:51):
really dealing with it only in the aspects of Belinda be like,
when am I going home? And then it goes into the story
of the episode. So I don't know, I think there
is some weird structural things,but I'm hoping the two parter
finale is going to give enough time for like the story to
really pay off I. Mean, if we think about it right
as we saw in that story of Belinda's life, she's with a
(21:14):
Doctor Who isn't truly seeing her value.
And here she is again with a doctor.
Not that I don't think he's seeing her value, but her
problem is not as big as all thestuff he wants to deal with,
right? Because they land here and she's
like, all right, we'll go have fun, right?
And whereas she wants to go home.
(21:36):
Yeah, I, I think it's hard for Belinda in that instance when
the doctor explains to Belinda of, you know, this barbershop is
the place that I feel like I canbe myself.
And it feels very much like because I'm a, I'm a black
person, I can go here and it just feels like home.
It feels safety. And Belinda, we've seen even in
the story that the doctor tells,it's like always putting other
(21:57):
people before herself. And so it's just perpetuating
that of like, well, yeah, sure, go, go on.
I want to say just like anytime you guys do that, something
happens. Just like either do it or don't.
Like what's to stop him from solving Belinda's mystery and
then just going back? Well, then we want to have the
story. Yeah, it's funny.
(22:18):
It's like a weird better thing where it's like you could not do
that but like. Then there wouldn't be an
episode. Right then we want to get this
beautiful episode, right, Right.OK, so one thing I did want to
touch on with this is so we talked about the gods, we talked
about the story. I think the the way the story
engine looked with the heart andthe brain.
Fantastic. Ebena telling the story of
(22:42):
slaves putting like roots to freedom on the hair and for
other people to read it. And it was passed from
generation to generation, slave to slave.
And then she did the thing to the doctor of showing the route
to get to the story engine. I think was just, oh, whenever
that happened, I got chills. I was like, that was just such a
(23:02):
smooth way of telling that storyand then incorporating it into
the story I thought was beautiful.
But there's one mystery that happens on the set, kind of gets
mentioned again, but we don't really talk about it.
And I think it's going to come into play later is when Belinda
is walking to the shop, she seesa child and the child seems a
little out of place. My theory with that child,
(23:25):
because she says something to the doctor.
I saw, I saw a child. It was really weird.
And doctors like, oh, it was stories were just spilling out,
right? I for some reason, my gut
reaction was like, that's Poppy from Space Babies.
And I don't know why, but that'swhat I felt.
And I don't know why she would be there.
But it also makes me think, like, is Belinda a space baby?
(23:50):
I don't know. I don't know.
It's just like, for some reason it just my first reaction was
like, that's Poppy. Yeah.
It just, it just felt like something that it would be
Doctor Who, right? Just tying in the first episode
into this somehow. I don't know.
I think that would be a really great call back.
That would be very cool. But I guess the question is why
is Poppy there? Right, right.
And are the space babies off exploring all corners of the
(24:13):
universe and time? I mean, they are adventurers at
heart. Are the space babies the
Timeless Children? Is the Doctor a space baby?
How many generations of space babies are there?
I just like saying space babies.Space baby Yeah, yeah, that
that's definitely a mystery. I think hopefully we get an
answer to it. But again, I feel like I feel
(24:34):
like I'm mad at the doctor this this episode because and she's
saying she saw something weird and he's like, oh, don't worry
about it. It's a typical doctor though,
until it bites them in the butt.Why don't they ever listen to
their companions? They do only when this story
needs it. So final thoughts.
(24:54):
Let's get to final thoughts of this.
We did get a Missus Flood sighting, of course.
I think she's been in every episode so far, just like Susan
Twist was in every episode last season she was in Belinda's
story, which again, very weird that Misses Flood is involved
with the companion so much. But final thoughts, I think
again, conceptually and storytelling wise, great.
(25:14):
There was some interesting moments where maybe it was
solved a little too quickly. Exposition was good and also not
good. But I think overall an excellent
episode for Doctor Who. Overall, I thought it was a good
episode, but my main problems are really with how things were
tied up at the end. I thought the the 180 turn of of
(25:36):
the Barber really kind of came out of nowhere.
And granted, look, I love the this, this notion of hurt people
hurt people. So stop the cycle.
I think that's very important but but I just thought that he
was like so vindictive and so hell bent on destroying these
gods for him in a moments to just turn around.
(25:58):
It felt way too easy. Well, I will say, yeah, that's
Doctor Who, right? Doctor Who is very much all
about non violence. They don't use guns, you know,
So it's like it's a lot of always talking the person into
coming to the realization that they should come to.
And sometimes in this case, it just feels a little out of place
because highs of them being so sought out for revenge is so
(26:21):
high that when they do finally become good or get defeated, it
does seem a little quick. And I would say that's kind of a
criticism with Doctor Who as a whole, especially with these
almost self-contained episodes, which is a bummer because
everything leading up to that point was so good.
Yeah, that I think in like 40 minutes they had to be like,
well, how do we do the turn? I don't know.
(26:43):
He saw the error of his waist, you know, and.
If, if only it were that easy. That would be a beautiful thing.
Yeah. OK.
So next week we have the Song Contest, which very excited for
the next time on. That was just so intense.
And also it takes place during Eurovision, so you know.
Yeah, they time things out real,real good and right.
There's like that. May 20 something date.
(27:05):
Does the does Doctor Who end on the May 20 something date?
That they're trying to get back to May 24th.
May 24th, right? Yeah.
So maybe the first one will landon May 24th and then the next
one will finish after that. I think it's in the middle of
the week maybe, I don't know, we'll see.
All right, calendars, Yeah, get your calendars.
All right, let us know what you thought of the story in the
(27:28):
engine. Just the title of the episode.
So good. Yeah, but see you next time.
And then go listen to our Loki season.
And then you can hear the special segment.
And then tell us who your favorite trickster God is.
Yes, Loki season 1. There is no video for that one,
Apologies, but you can just hearour voices, all right?
Until next time, goodbye.
Upon watching this episode I feel very relieved because often
when I'm watching TVI say which victim am I in this story but
because I am bald I no longer have to go get my haircut so I
am safe. So please start thinking of
stories for yourself. I'm Derek.
(00:26):
That's Noah, and this is a bite of And today we are talking
about Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 5.
Here we go more than halfway through the season, Sir.
Man, now I can actually hold up a 5.
That's right. I don't know numbers.
I never claimed to be a mathematician.
So, you know, here we are. Yes, we are.
Three episodes. Yeah, I think 3 episodes away
(00:47):
from the finale of Doctor Who orthe third episode of This is the
finale. You know, feelings, thoughts.
We got them for the 5th episode.Before we get into it, make sure
you're following, make sure you're subscribing, make sure
you're doing reviews. Comment below.
Do all those wonderful, amazing things.
But yeah, let's get into it. Spoilers The latest episode of
Doctor Who. Let us officially take a bite of
(01:09):
Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 5, The Story and the Engine,
written by Inua Alams and directed by Michaela McPherson.
The Doctor and Belinda land in Nigeria where the Doctor goes to
visit an old friend. He finds a cryptic sign telling
him to turn back. Once he enters a barbershop, he
is trapped with a group of missing men who must tell
stories in order to power a mysterious engine.
(01:32):
So Sir, what did you think of Episode 5?
I think this episode is very different and pushes a lot of
new concepts for Doctor Who. I really enjoyed it.
I love exposition heavy episodes.
I think the performances were off the charts here and I really
(01:53):
appreciated them. And not that we need to focus on
oh the doctor's a woman, oh, thedoctor's a person of color, Oh
the doctor's a queer person, theperson that's playing them,
right. But I like that they acknowledge
it and especially telling stories of Nigerian roots with
an actor that is Nigerian, I think is awesome.
And this is the things that I love about Doctor Who.
(02:15):
Like I don't think we've ever had a story set in Nigeria for
Doctor Who. So it's just, it's great, right?
I think with it being expositionheavy, it's going to divide
people that some people might think it's slow, some people
aren't. I like it, some people will
think it's amazing. So that's what Doctor Who's
about, right? You like some, you don't like
(02:36):
some, but here we are. Yeah, I, I think this, I think
this was an interesting episode.Like you said, you brought up so
many positives about this. I think the costuming, the sets,
the way that they told the stories within this episode were
really, really strong. But what's so interesting is
that I think part of the storytelling wasn't actually
(02:56):
that strong within of the episode, meaning I think that
the first half of this episode was really great and I think it
kind of got a little cumbersome a little bit.
It fell apart in the second-half.
So it it's kind of 5050 for me. Not that I thought that it was
terrible, but looking at it fromlike a reviewer standpoint, I
think that there were some things they could have done to
(03:17):
either tighten it up or maybe let it breathe a little more.
Yeah, I yeah, I think it, the concepts and the story itself
was bigger than one episode. And it's hard to really do a
beginning and an end with something that seems this big
and a lot of twists and turns inthis episode.
I feel that. I think I just liked it a lot,
(03:40):
but I wanted more. And it's going to be one of
those episodes where I have to watch it a few times to fully
understand it because we watch we watch the Screener and really
haven't had time to like, watch it again.
And I feel like a second watch will really benefit this story.
And I'm not sure if that's a positive or negative because
again, I enjoyed it, but I can see where it's like that.
(04:02):
Wait, what? That's kind of confusing.
Or like, how did we, what are wedoing here?
But I think the concept of powering an engine with stories,
sitting in the Barber chair, having you tell a story and if
it's a good story, powering the engine, we're good to go.
We get the green light. If it's not, we can't power the
engine. I think is such a cool concept
and just like you said, this showing the stories through that
(04:24):
painting and through those images was just just added a
layer to it. Yeah, I think there's an
interesting question at the heart of this of what makes a
good story, right? What makes the engine go green?
What is it about these stories? Is it the heart?
Is it how personal it is? And, you know, these men that
are trapped there, they're scared that they're going to run
out of stories. And the interesting thing is, is
(04:46):
because they're trapped there, they might at some point run out
of them because they're not out experiencing life.
So there's a bit of a conundrum in here of of these stories.
But you know, so much in I thinkour lives is, is is the value
and the power of stories. I'm going to step up my
librarian soapbox here. Just this week, Doctor Carla
(05:07):
Hayden was fired from being the Librarian of Congress.
And the reasoning that was givenwas that she was doing too much
work with DEI and putting dangerous books on the shelves
in the children's sections. So which we know this is
probably stories about BIPOC people, about gay people.
And so there's the power of stories there and how the regime
that is running this country right now is afraid of those
stories, right? So I think, although that's not
(05:30):
necessarily what's being said inthis episode, there is the power
of stories and how there is suchpower educating people.
But what's really cool about this is that this whole setting
of taking place in this barbershop.
So the writer of this episode, Inua Alam, is is of Nigerian
descent and wrote a play called The Barbershop Chronicles that
(05:52):
really centers on the a barbershop as a community hub
and the relationship a Barber has with their patrons and when
they come in and tell them stories.
And so it's such a central part of of our episode here.
But of course, you know, after they get their hair cut, the
patrons supposed to be able to leave the barbershop, which is,
of course, not what happens here.
(06:13):
But I did love Wheat. So we have this mysterious
Barber figure here. And one of the details I loved
was the trimmer that he had and how it looked.
And I thought that was such a cool thing and how they really
zoomed in on that mask, on that face, on that trimmer.
So how did you feel about the Barber in this episode?
(06:35):
Yeah, I, I, well, I think the concepts are really cool.
The Barber is an interesting character because I think I
walked away being like, wait, who was he?
And maybe that was the point, because the at one point the
Barber, when questioned, says, I'm Loki, I'm Dionysus, I am
Anansi. I'm all of these things, these
(06:55):
pretty much these tricksters, these storytellers, right,
People that are known for lying or, you know, dealing with
consumption of things to, I don't know, exaggerate
something. I think that's really
interesting. And we do find out that it was
just a demigod that was scorned by the gods and took what they
made and wanted to get revenge on them, right.
(07:15):
I thought that was really cool. The detail with the the tremors,
awesome because it adds kind of new and old to this.
Doctor Who is very much leaning into the fantastical.
Ever since 14 did the salt at the edge of the universe, it's
kind of made things a little more mystical and magical.
So I like that they're leaning into that.
(07:35):
Do I think that we will see moreof this Barber?
Maybe. I think it would be cool.
There's a lot to explore here because there's multiple
characters are intertwined with this, but I think this is the
most we've heard about gods outside of like the pantheon.
And so we can assume that all ofthe gods are a real thing
(07:58):
because the Doctors actually interacted with some of them.
So I don't know, it has a lot ofinteresting implications.
I think this is a closer to alsoI think this is the closest to
Chibbles era, the one that did Jodie Whittaker that we've
gotten so far like outside of. His era, I did think it was fun
to hear of the doctors stories of partying with all of those
(08:21):
gods you know, and so when you are a being that can transcend
time and space, you're going to have run insurance with these
guys and I and I liked that it was also gods from all different
cultures, right. Not saying that you know, one
set of gods is the real gods, but doctor has been able to
party with all of them. What a wildlife, the doctor
(08:43):
leads. There's one thing that I think
is because the stories and everything that's a big central
part of this, of this episode, the one of the, the Barber, the
person that owns the shop, Oma, he tells the story of the
doctor. And it very much seems like a
story that people would tell about a God or something like
(09:05):
that. And the way that the doctor
almost when they're when he finds out that they're trying to
defeat the gods or like he's trying to get revenge on them,
which would essentially erase them from all of history.
It's it's a weird thing because it almost feels like and shooty
is or the doctor, I should say, is almost like, that's me too.
(09:26):
Like what am I without my stories?
And so there's this weird parallel between like, is this
like a complex the doctor has orit's just just something that's
really close and dear to their heart?
Like do they also need the stories for them to live on
because they're forever living at this point?
I think it's an interesting concept to to think about like
the doctors almost paralleling these gods themselves.
(09:49):
We still don't know who the Timeless children are.
We still don't know all of that.So like, where did the doctor
actually come from? I think it's, I don't know,
maybe keep our eyes out on that.And even in that story, so I
know that you said that they have released that story.
I haven't read it, but in what is described in this episode, it
does feel like he's a God, right?
The whole the whole village is on fire.
(10:11):
He comes down in his blue box. He pulls out a hose.
He puts out all the fire. And then he's like, love you
guys, see you later, you know? So he's there.
He's a savior in that moment. So that's something that, yeah,
he does feel like very much a powerful God who they talk about
in legend, in myth. And when will he return to save
them? Not to not to pat myself on the
(10:34):
back or but early in the early aughts of a bite of we used to
have special segments. And there was the Oh my
trickster God segment, which waswhen we covered Loki.
So if you want to hear about more Trickster gods, please by
all means go back and listen to that season.
What a throwback. We used to do the special
segments at the end of the episodes just for fun.
(10:54):
Just for funsie. You would listen to us for over
an hour and it'd be like, wait, one more thing that has there's
nothing. I mean, I don't think anything
will ever be. There's another edition of Bird
Facts, but. I still think about that every
time. Yeah, so I I do like the
addition of I don't I just thinkthat whole scene with when he's
(11:15):
lying to them, obviously, but saying how he's all these
different gods and just the transitions between those gods
and what they look like. It's just amazing.
The visuals again, I can't I can't praise them enough in the
season. I think that they're really
going all out in some of this. And next next episode, the Song
Intergalactic or Interstellar Song Contest looks to be another
(11:35):
stunning episode. Yeah, that's going to be really
cool. But kind of talking about the
doctor's relationship even more,we have a character here named
Abena who we learn is, I believethe daughter of Anansi the
spider, who's a trickster God. And you know, another thing that
we have seen, I think, within these last two seasons is how
(11:55):
the Doctor affects the lives of those around him.
And so Abena has a chip on her shoulder against the Doctor
because she was left behind. I would say more of a like a, a
vendetta, A vendetta or just, I don't know, just.
She's mad. Yeah, she's mad.
(12:16):
And so we see the doctor in thatmoment when he realizes who she
is, kind of going through that feeling of here's another life I
have affected and not necessarily in a positive way.
And then we get a glimpse of thefugitive Dr. Yeah, I this is
interesting and I, I don't know if we'll ever get the answer to
this. Or maybe it's in the Unleashed
(12:38):
episode or something. So the fugitive Dr. played by
Joe Martin. I love the future to Doctor
Doctor so much. I'm a big fan of the Jodie
Whittaker era of the chibble era.
Of course there's things that changed everything, but I think
Doctor Who needs to, I don't know, challenge itself and
expand its boundaries. And who cares?
The Doctor changed, so should the story.
(12:59):
Do I agree with everything? No, but I really like the
fugitive Dr. And with the addition of the Timeless Child,
essentially meaning that the Doctor has had more lives than
we know, right? We thought there was only 13 or
15 or whatever it is, and they could only regenerate 12 or 13
times. But it turns out the Time Lords
(13:19):
were the ones that stole that genetic trait from the Doctor.
But when we find the fugitive Dr., that's when we realize, oh,
so does this Doctor like was thefugitive Dr. before Artno, which
is the very first Doctor? It seems to be, yes.
So with the Doctor not knowing the other lies prior to
(13:43):
Hartnell, Jodie Whitaker and allof that, it begs questions of
like, oh, so do they now remember it?
Or did our current Doctor remember Abby here and being the
fugitive Doctor because they're in this story engine?
Like, was it a situational thing?
I think there are some weird questions and they're playing
(14:04):
with like we're kind of soft retconning it or not is to be
seen. But I just as soon as Joe
Martin's face came on that screen, I was like, yes, it's
just so cool. So, so cool.
Yeah, I, I really enjoyed that, where we're kind of behind a
bana and we're looking at Anshuti and then as it pans
(14:25):
over, it goes to one side, there's Joe and then it comes
back to Anshuti. So, you know, it really is
showing that they are 1, you know, in a way, and that their
memories are a part of each other.
So yeah, that was, that was a really cool part.
But I think if you're looking atit from a like the world and the
universe of Doctor Who, there are definitely some questions
(14:45):
there. Yeah.
And I like that they almost explained to that because Abena
is very much like you left me. And it's one of those things
that we have seen a Doctor Who before of like the forgotten
companion or the person that wasleft behind or the mistake that
the doctor did. And I like to the line of the
fugitive Dr. saying like I was afugitive, but like I was already
in another story like that mightanother story was happening and
(15:07):
I, I couldn't, you know. So I, I'm curious if we'll, I
believe she says a line of something like has yet to be
told or like maybe we'll find out.
And I'm wondering if it's going to be in a Big Finish audio
story or will we see it again? They could very much, hey, do a
whole series of just showing what happened with future to
Doctor. I would be down with it.
But yeah, I think it was a fun episode for Easter eggs for fans
(15:29):
of the show. Not only that, but we saw all
the other incarnations of the Doctor again, another weird
parallel from last season to now, when in the Rogue episode
we saw all of his faces. This episode we see his faces
again. But I did like that this episode
was very much a black cast outside of flashbacks or TV
(15:50):
screens. So I I, I like that.
I, I think again, adding the fugitive Dr. here is
acknowledging that the chibble stuff happened.
How far it will go, I don't know.
We'll see. One of the things that I was a
little disappointed in this episode and I I'm still hoping
will change that. At the beginning of this season,
I was really hoping that Belindawould be a more actionable
(16:12):
character. And, and in this episode we
don't even again, it's the role of the companion, I guess, is to
follow the Doctor and do whatever the Doctor's doing.
And so, you know, she's always, she's just kind of taking orders
from him. She's running after him.
But when he leaves her behind initially when they land in
Nigeria. And so she is in the TARDIS and
(16:35):
we're seeing the TARDIS react tothe barbershop engine, which is
something interesting as well, right?
Because for the TARDIS to be mimicking something outside of
it, like, what does that mean? What does that connection mean?
I don't, I'm not sure. I don't know.
I don't know if it was just likean added effect or added mystery
or we'll never get acknowledge it again, because I don't think
(16:57):
Belinda even mentioned it. Maybe she did to the Doctor.
Like the TARDIS was acting weirdso that's why it came out.
I don't know. I, I, it was weird that anytime
the barbershop door opens that then the TARDIS would act funny.
Maybe they're connected somehow,because at the end, in the
climax of this, the Doctor is very much connected to the story
engine and their story alone could power this entire thing,
(17:20):
which I think is just a fun, I don't know, like a heart warming
thing with the Doctor. Like they've lived so many
lives, they have so many storiesto tell that they could just
power an entire interweb, you know, on the side of like
Belinda. I, I agree with you, but I also
don't only in that this is kind of the role of the companion.
(17:40):
And I do think that this episodewas very much for Anshuti, very
much for this Doctor. But I did like that they were
able to find a way for Belinda to be involved in this, in that
talking to Abina and saying hurtpeople hurt people.
And that flips kind of, Oh, OK. So I shouldn't just be festering
(18:03):
in my hate for my father or for the Doctor hearing what the
doctor had to say and that they wish they could have taken them
with them. And yeah, my, my father hurt me,
but maybe I should stop hurting people and be good.
So I, I do like that. Like, she kind of came in and
was like, hey, by the way, maybeyou should just, like, be nice.
Then this guy does like, you know what?
(18:23):
You're fucking right. Yeah.
Totally. But also just I honestly like, I
love the story of the doctor in the blue box and putting out the
fires and everything. Belinda's story was so heart
warming and also so sad. I just again, the power of a
story that was such a simple story.
And the doctor talks about like,you don't need these big things.
(18:45):
You just the an ordinary life issome of the best stories.
And that was just such good storytelling.
And that she's trying to go to her, her gran's birthday and she
has to stop. And this doctor's not listening
to her. And it's like, OK, you want to
fix it. It's your story.
But then she ended up saving this woman's life and this woman
came back and was like, thank you.
It's just, it's so good, that little moment.
(19:06):
Yeah, and I think we see that often nurses are the unsung
heroes, right, of the medical profession.
And so that is very much illustrated in this.
And like you're saying that, youknow, the doctor tells this what
can be deemed as an ordinary story of an ordinary person's
life, but it's still powerful enough to charge this engine,
right and make it move forward. And I think that, you know, I
(19:27):
guess that is part of the magic of Belinda.
I do like that she still had very much is seen as a valuable
figure whether she's in the TARDIS or at home and and I
think that's why I want her to have more moments in in this
season. Do you think I I almost feel
this way a little bit? Not to say Doctor Who usually
(19:49):
doesn't have like a series or even season long arc of like a
story. A lot of times I feel like in
the past it's been like kind of something that's like kind of
snaked its way to the finale. I think with it, starting with
this big mystery of Belinda and like, can't get her back home.
I think sometimes it's hard for us to be like, I like the things
(20:09):
that are happening and I like these stories that we're getting
because that's Doctor Who, right?
Landing somewhere, story happens, go somewhere else.
But I think what I'm feeling with this Belinda stuff is love
everything about the actor and the character.
But like, he went out, put the vindicator down, done.
And then it was almost like, OK,now we're getting a Song
Contest, which obviously the vindicator is going to come out.
(20:30):
It's going to do its thing, right?
But almost like, I know there's a rush, but sometimes it doesn't
feel like it. And that's just because of the
nature of the show. So I don't know if it was a good
thing or a bad thing for us to start that way.
But I am feeling very much like,how is this story going to like
actually give room for it to breathe when we're like not
(20:51):
really dealing with it only in the aspects of Belinda be like,
when am I going home? And then it goes into the story
of the episode. So I don't know, I think there
is some weird structural things,but I'm hoping the two parter
finale is going to give enough time for like the story to
really pay off I. Mean, if we think about it right
as we saw in that story of Belinda's life, she's with a
(21:14):
Doctor Who isn't truly seeing her value.
And here she is again with a doctor.
Not that I don't think he's seeing her value, but her
problem is not as big as all thestuff he wants to deal with,
right? Because they land here and she's
like, all right, we'll go have fun, right?
And whereas she wants to go home.
(21:36):
Yeah, I, I think it's hard for Belinda in that instance when
the doctor explains to Belinda of, you know, this barbershop is
the place that I feel like I canbe myself.
And it feels very much like because I'm a, I'm a black
person, I can go here and it just feels like home.
It feels safety. And Belinda, we've seen even in
the story that the doctor tells,it's like always putting other
(21:57):
people before herself. And so it's just perpetuating
that of like, well, yeah, sure, go, go on.
I want to say just like anytime you guys do that, something
happens. Just like either do it or don't.
Like what's to stop him from solving Belinda's mystery and
then just going back? Well, then we want to have the
story. Yeah, it's funny.
(22:18):
It's like a weird better thing where it's like you could not do
that but like. Then there wouldn't be an
episode. Right then we want to get this
beautiful episode, right, Right.OK, so one thing I did want to
touch on with this is so we talked about the gods, we talked
about the story. I think the the way the story
engine looked with the heart andthe brain.
Fantastic. Ebena telling the story of
(22:42):
slaves putting like roots to freedom on the hair and for
other people to read it. And it was passed from
generation to generation, slave to slave.
And then she did the thing to the doctor of showing the route
to get to the story engine. I think was just, oh, whenever
that happened, I got chills. I was like, that was just such a
(23:02):
smooth way of telling that storyand then incorporating it into
the story I thought was beautiful.
But there's one mystery that happens on the set, kind of gets
mentioned again, but we don't really talk about it.
And I think it's going to come into play later is when Belinda
is walking to the shop, she seesa child and the child seems a
little out of place. My theory with that child,
(23:25):
because she says something to the doctor.
I saw, I saw a child. It was really weird.
And doctors like, oh, it was stories were just spilling out,
right? I for some reason, my gut
reaction was like, that's Poppy from Space Babies.
And I don't know why, but that'swhat I felt.
And I don't know why she would be there.
But it also makes me think, like, is Belinda a space baby?
(23:50):
I don't know. I don't know.
It's just like, for some reason it just my first reaction was
like, that's Poppy. Yeah.
It just, it just felt like something that it would be
Doctor Who, right? Just tying in the first episode
into this somehow. I don't know.
I think that would be a really great call back.
That would be very cool. But I guess the question is why
is Poppy there? Right, right.
And are the space babies off exploring all corners of the
(24:13):
universe and time? I mean, they are adventurers at
heart. Are the space babies the
Timeless Children? Is the Doctor a space baby?
How many generations of space babies are there?
I just like saying space babies.Space baby Yeah, yeah, that
that's definitely a mystery. I think hopefully we get an
answer to it. But again, I feel like I feel
(24:34):
like I'm mad at the doctor this this episode because and she's
saying she saw something weird and he's like, oh, don't worry
about it. It's a typical doctor though,
until it bites them in the butt.Why don't they ever listen to
their companions? They do only when this story
needs it. So final thoughts.
(24:54):
Let's get to final thoughts of this.
We did get a Missus Flood sighting, of course.
I think she's been in every episode so far, just like Susan
Twist was in every episode last season she was in Belinda's
story, which again, very weird that Misses Flood is involved
with the companion so much. But final thoughts, I think
again, conceptually and storytelling wise, great.
(25:14):
There was some interesting moments where maybe it was
solved a little too quickly. Exposition was good and also not
good. But I think overall an excellent
episode for Doctor Who. Overall, I thought it was a good
episode, but my main problems are really with how things were
tied up at the end. I thought the the 180 turn of of
(25:36):
the Barber really kind of came out of nowhere.
And granted, look, I love the this, this notion of hurt people
hurt people. So stop the cycle.
I think that's very important but but I just thought that he
was like so vindictive and so hell bent on destroying these
gods for him in a moments to just turn around.
(25:58):
It felt way too easy. Well, I will say, yeah, that's
Doctor Who, right? Doctor Who is very much all
about non violence. They don't use guns, you know,
So it's like it's a lot of always talking the person into
coming to the realization that they should come to.
And sometimes in this case, it just feels a little out of place
because highs of them being so sought out for revenge is so
(26:21):
high that when they do finally become good or get defeated, it
does seem a little quick. And I would say that's kind of a
criticism with Doctor Who as a whole, especially with these
almost self-contained episodes, which is a bummer because
everything leading up to that point was so good.
Yeah, that I think in like 40 minutes they had to be like,
well, how do we do the turn? I don't know.
(26:43):
He saw the error of his waist, you know, and.
If, if only it were that easy. That would be a beautiful thing.
Yeah. OK.
So next week we have the Song Contest, which very excited for
the next time on. That was just so intense.
And also it takes place during Eurovision, so you know.
Yeah, they time things out real,real good and right.
There's like that. May 20 something date.
(27:05):
Does the does Doctor Who end on the May 20 something date?
That they're trying to get back to May 24th.
May 24th, right? Yeah.
So maybe the first one will landon May 24th and then the next
one will finish after that. I think it's in the middle of
the week maybe, I don't know, we'll see.
All right, calendars, Yeah, get your calendars.
All right, let us know what you thought of the story in the
(27:28):
engine. Just the title of the episode.
So good. Yeah, but see you next time.
And then go listen to our Loki season.
And then you can hear the special segment.
And then tell us who your favorite trickster God is.
Yes, Loki season 1. There is no video for that one,
Apologies, but you can just hearour voices, all right?
Until next time, goodbye.
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