“The Church on Ruby Road”

OK, so I knew about the goblin song:

This actually got released as a sort of teaser for the Xmas episode a few weeks ago. Eyebrows were raised about it, mostly because of the lyrics about eating babies. Somehow, though, I never got around to actually hearing it myself, and I’m actually kind of glad about that cos hearing it in the special for the first time with the accompanying visuals made it… something else. I knew about the song. Someone I was still not prepared for the full musical number, especially when the Doctor and new companion Ruby join in. And when the lyrics about eating babies accompany images of a newborn baby about to be devoured by the goblin king… JESUS FUCK. The goblins could actually be one of the most conceptually horrible monsters on the show since the Wirrn.

So yes, good stuff, perhaps more “New Who” than New Who has been before. Ncuti Gatwa OWNS the lead role immediately. I said in my last review how he broke the usual mould of the Doctor being at least somewhat malfunctional after regeneration, how he was pretty much immediately on top of things, and he’s even more so here. Authoritative straight away. Him and Millie Gibson are going to be a very solid team. Given that we apparently won’t be seeing his first full season proper until May or something, though, I’ve got plenty of time to watch Sex Education so I can catch up on his TV career so far…