Olivia Hughes
Season 15 of Doctor Who showed that the series has the potential to be fantastic, but lacks the capacity to follow through on dynamic storylines.
The fifteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 12 April 2025 and started off incredibly strong.
It felt that some of the character arc issues from the previous season had been addressed and Ncuti Gatwa settled into the titular role, giving a flawless performance across all the episodes.
The Introduction of Belinda Chandra
The first episode, ‘The Robot Revolution,’ brought the introduction of Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), who gave the audience a chance to see a multi-faceted Doctor.
Fans of the show are used to seeing an amenable companion who is awestruck at everything the Doctor does. But Belinda’s introduction saw his actions being questioned, revealing a manipulative and egocentric side of the Doctor that is rarely seen. It was a refreshing element to a show that has run for over 60 years.
Sethu stepped up to the role with ease and comfort, already familiar with the franchise from her role as Mundy Flynn in series 14’s episode ‘Boom.’
This link between Flynn and Chandra was explained away as distant relatives, but could have been explored further.
Addressing why the Doctor stumbled upon the two could have been an opportunity for a wider plot point, like Missy (The Master) connecting the Doctor and Clara in earlier seasons.
Rose Ayling-Ellis’ Performance
The show’s third episode ‘The Well’ saw an outstanding performance from Rose Ayling-Ellis as Aliss as the Doctor battled a familiar foe.
This episode calls back to ‘Midnight’, a David Tennant episode from series 4. Gatwa’s Doctor faces an evolved version of the unseen creature that drove a touring vehicle of people to insanity in Tennant’s episode.
The horror of the creature had not lost its edge, and Ayling-Ellis’ stellar performance in this episode made it shine in its own right without being tied to the previous incarnation.
However, this episode also started a phenomenon that plagued the rest of the season with the overuse of flashbacks in episodes.
Spelling out previous plot points of the show takes away some of the intrigue and detracts from the performances of current actors on the show.
The Standout Episode
Gatwa comes alive in ‘The Story and the Engine’. Inua Ellams tells the elaborate story of Anansi, a spider-like being, who is a storytelling god.
This is an intricate and intriguing story that stands out above the other episodes in this season. It is proof that having diverse writers on the show creates dynamic episodes that are fresh.
Not only was it educational, but thrilling as well, with a burst of energetic storytelling elements.
Character Arc Issues
‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ was an interesting and engaging episode, but it demonstrates that Belinda’s character arc is forgotten.
Belinda starts off in the series as a strong-willed, independent character who exposes some of the Doctor’s more manipulative tendencies.
Yet, in this episode, she hugs Gatwa’s character after she witnesses him brutally beating the antagonist Kid (Freddie Fox). It feels as if the Belinda that was portrayed in the first episode is now a distant memory.
‘The Reality War’ demonstrates the point that this show has struggled in the past two seasons to close strongly.
The urgency created to save Poppy did not make sense, as the audience wasn’t attached to the character.
Belinda’s character being shoved in a box for the majority of the episode, is further evidence that her character arc was abandoned.
Returning Characters
The finale of this series was split into two episodes of ‘Wish World’ and ‘The Reality War’.
In ‘Wish World’, despite The Rani (a returning timelord who fought against the sixth and seventh Doctor) proclaiming the episode wasn’t just exposition, it felt exactly like that. The pacing was all over the place, and there wasn’t a sense of urgency created to save the world.
Both The Rani and Omega were defeated in record time, similar to Sutekh last season, but it detracted from their characters and made them less threatening overall.
Archie Panjabi was wasted in her role as The Rani, in what could have been a fantastic opportunity to introduce a classic villain that would have a returning presence like The Master.
Episodes demonstrated a bright new era of Doctor Who, but hinted towards wider issues surrounding character depth and consistent storylines.
It would be criminal to talk about the final episode and not talk about two huge cameos from former faces. Jodie Whittaker (The 13th Doctor) returned moments before Gatwa’s regeneration came.
She brought her hyperactive, bouncy Doctor onto the set of the new TARDIS. It was a lovely moment for fans of the show.
When Gatwa does end his tenure, bursting with regeneration energy, the audience is greeted with another familiar face.
Billie Piper shines on the screen announcing hello. In some respects, this is an incredibly exciting moment. Piper was fantastic on the show and became a firm fan favourite. But this also feels a little bit like an attempt at a nostalgia grab.
Additionally, Piper does regenerate into the Doctor on the show, but isn’t introduced as the character in the credits.
Something traditional for new actors playing the role, this leaves the door open for an interesting returning episode.
Ncuti Gatwa’s performance
Perhaps the saddest moment of the show was the announcement of Gatwa’s departure.
The Sex Education and Barbie actor gave an enigmatic performance as the Doctor for his stint on the show. He was raw and emotional and made the show enjoyable from start to finish.
There wasn’t a moment in his performance where an emotion was out of place for who the Doctor was.
It’s a shame that he isn’t returning for a third series like many of his predecessors before him.
The Season In Review
This season had some standout performances from its actors and some stories that were brilliantly constructed by new incoming writers.
Episodes demonstrated a bright new era of Doctor Who, but hinted towards wider issues surrounding character depth and consistent storylines.
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