Doctor Who S15E08: The Reality War (Commentary/Review/Full Breakdown)
Added 2025-06-03 23:39:14 +0000 UTCDecided to do something different for this. Here's a full watch-along breakdown commentary for The Reality War. Audio version is available also same place as the other commentaries if you prefer. I had to upload this to patreon directly to avoid copyright rules on YT even with unlisted videos. Hope you enjoy!
Comments
Yup. It makes no real sense if bigeneration is an attempt to prolong the timelords (which also doesn’t make sense outside of magic) it muddies everything else and also isn’t even necessary. It made more sense in The Giggle.
James Welford
2025-06-05 19:07:59 +0000 UTCI think Russell is actually in need of severe help
James Welford
2025-06-05 19:06:51 +0000 UTCWith them saying the Master's plan of the genetic explosion causing bigeneration, I feel like that implies that Jodie should have bigenerated since all of that stuff happened before her regeneration. I know the actual answer is that they hadn't come up with bigeneration yet, but this should mean that they can't say that bigeneration came from the genetic explosion, unless it's some sort of delayed effect which they don't really say. I haven't seen anyone else talking about this so maybe I'm just misunderstanding something.
Jacob
2025-06-05 15:11:48 +0000 UTC"I've decided to change the sonic screwdriver design, because we have a lot of young viewers and I don't want the sonic to look like a gun." "So anyway, then the Doctor shoots Omega in the head, with a gun".
LandShark_04
2025-06-05 14:57:15 +0000 UTCAfter thinking more and more about this last season — besides it generally being fucking shite — my biggest takeaway, and what’s angered me the most, is the show’s approach to socio-political commentary. It’s a massive problem RTD has to fix next time around. I’m staunchly on the left, and I’ve always loved Doctor Who’s careful, subtle, and often powerful critiques of prejudice, war, capitalism, and politics. But that’s been completely abandoned this season, replaced with overt, careless, and in some cases completely harmful messaging. For instance, look at the portrayal of incel culture in ‘Robot Revolution’. It’s one of the most serious growing issues affecting young men today — an ideology we’ve seen literally result in the murders of women and girls. And while it was obviously being criticised, it was done so with such a lack of care or depth that it almost felt like a fucking parody. Any guy already heading down that pipeline would’ve had their views reinforced, not challenged. RTD inadvertently made a mockery of the crisis, undermined the genuine work being done by progressives to combat it, and wasted an opportunity to actually change minds, even if only a few. And then there’s ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’. I’m still genuinely fucking disgusted by this one. Whether or not it was intended as an allegory for Israel and Palestine is almost irrelevant, as the parallels were blaringly obvious, and I’d bet most people watching clocked it without question. The message it sent about victims of genocide, resistance, and the portrayal of evil oppressors, was so incredibly insensitive and, frankly, disturbing. Even if Gaza wasn’t being bombed to fuck at the moment, the message stands as pretty awful anyway. But to put this out in the middle of one of the worst humanitarian atrocities of our lifetimes, when an apartheid state is literally murdering children live on our screens, and to then have it make the point it did? Un-fucking-believable. It’s got no place in a show like Doctor Who, and never would have stood in the last era. I know this might sound like I’m making more of a meal of this than what’s reasonable, and I’m sorry if that’s the case, but I genuinely think this needs more attention. We’re living through a time where far-right ideas dominate most online spaces, and fascist parties are gaining real political ground. I’m not blaming Doctor Who for that (obviously, the issues which led to this are huge and complex, not because of Robot Revolution lol), but progressive media matters. It has to be held accountable by fans when it delivers messages in this counter-productive fashion, or just generally delivers wrong and harmful messages— especially during times like these. Otherwise, we could risk undermining broader progressive movements and regardless of that, purely on principle with what this show stands for, we just can’t allow it. Ultimately, both fans and content creators need to make sure RTD hears this criticism, and James I appreciate you bringing it up in previous commentaries, because it’s so annoying seeing other delusion creators ignoring it. Fuck these penpidyn anti-woke grifters, we want more woke but woke done well 😂😂(fuck me what a shit word that was cringe). I hope to fuck RTD sees that, listens to the criticism and changes his approach, and if not I hope he’d just go. Ps, apologies for the rant. It’s been brewing without an outlet for a while lol.
Gwilym Evans
2025-06-05 00:05:29 +0000 UTCTotally agree with regards to Rose and of course I agree with Conrad too, lucky day needed to be more. I think the writing for him and Ruby is very solid in Reality War but it doesn't undo how trash Lucky Day is. I think Ruby is also lying about his world being nice, well maybe not lying but she's bending the truth, she's trying to find a positive to work to gain his trust and also in doing so she does recognise something made him this cruel and decides to choose kindness which I think over all all works out very well. But yeah Time ring is dumb, I didn't even bother discussing it because of how trite it is. Overall we generally agree here, despite any strengths it doesn't matter in the slightest because of just how poor the entire era has been, just waste after waste.
James Welford
2025-06-04 18:08:03 +0000 UTCMaybe it would be fun to do something like this for episodes I do like too, was thinking of maybe doing these for TLOU season 2... We shall see!
James Welford
2025-06-04 18:04:29 +0000 UTCGlad to hear I could brighten your mood, I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, sending you my love and wishing you all the best
James Welford
2025-06-04 18:04:05 +0000 UTCI understand this is a totally subjective line but I think the 14/15 bi-generation would be completely fine if they stopped bringing Rose Noble back. I could accept that 14 is just sequestered off in his own little pocket bit of the canon no problem, personally. But Rose is this constant reminder undermining all that and making 14's continued existence a bigger and bigger issue the further from the bi-generation that we get. I agree with you that Conrad's ending was quite nice but I don't think we can let Davies/McTighe off the hook that easily. I think a complete arc for Conrad would be to touch on his weakness/soft side/family problems and desires in Lucky Day instead of just making him a cartoon villain, show how the Rani manipulates that into working for her somewhere in Interstellar Song Contest/Wish World, THEN have it come back in the ending with Ruby. Same with Ruby's joyous reaction to seeing The Doctor, Belinda and Poppy re-united. If they had felt like more of a family for longer, that would've been much more earned. I like that The Reality War does right by Conrad by showing that who he became wasn't completely in his control and that he's a kind of victim in a sense. But having Ruby dive into that by saying that Conrad's Wish World was quite nice is obscene. A world where homosexuality is banished into non-existence and non-gender-conforming/disabled people live on the streets invisibly being seen as an attempt to make sure everyone is happy as Conrad wished to be is insane writing. It's truly insane that Ruby overlooks that to draw some positive out of this Waltons-esque forced family values, Stepford Wives, 1984 fascistic nightmare world. It wouldn't surprise me if this final Conrad scene was a re-shoot considering how at-odds it is with everything else Conrad does and says. And the "Time Ring". How does the Rani get about to follow the Doctor? Time Ring. A TARDIS you can wear on your wrist. A concept clearly yanked from the deepest crevice of Russell's arse. Maximum audience disrespect. These are just a few of my issues with the episode, don't have it in me to go listing each one. All in all, this era has been a disgrace. It has alienated any fans with intelligence left to be insulted, wasted Ncuti and Millie and achieved nothing for the show's legacy or profile other than sticking the boot into what Chibnall (and Moffat, IMO) already did to harm the show.
Dennis Gallagher
2025-06-04 15:10:09 +0000 UTCI actually really loved this format and you got me CACKLING multiple times, so you may well have to do more of these in future mr lazerzz sir
Harry Alexander
2025-06-04 13:54:14 +0000 UTCAh lad your a legend for sticking to posting these commentaries, despite how wank the show is, especially this watch-along its great. This video really helped me today aswel, putting me in a better mood as a month ago today my dad passed away (the day before my 18th lol fucking luck on me😂), so yeah cheers boss x
Gwilym Evans
2025-06-04 13:02:16 +0000 UTC😭😭
James Welford
2025-06-04 12:52:32 +0000 UTCYeah I also thought when Ruby was trying to remind him of poppy he was trying to pretend he couldn’t remember. I think that would’ve been far more emotionally charged than what we got
James Welford
2025-06-04 12:52:10 +0000 UTCIt seems like Russell has realised he's a good writer, as opposed to knowing that he is, if that makes sense. In saying that though, if the show is cancelled again it would be very very funny as that would mean that Modern Who started and ended with Billie Piper's face
Disciple NickZan
2025-06-04 11:19:18 +0000 UTC15 should have been passing Poppy's coat back and forth to distract Belinda from slowly forgetting about her. Implying that the Dr knew that Poppy would fade out of existence along with the wish, solving the whole Poppy situation. Idk anything apart from this ending would have been better, Poppy continuity is too confusing
LandShark_04
2025-06-04 11:03:02 +0000 UTCBizarre
James Welford
2025-06-04 01:38:39 +0000 UTCOH YEAH, I remember that
James Welford
2025-06-04 01:38:30 +0000 UTC34:38 yes it is, that version of it was already used when 14 lands in the helicopter in The Giggle
EruditoHacker
2025-06-04 01:27:15 +0000 UTCThe bit with the weird score when they show Poppy to everyone is from the (great) ending of The Doctor Falls
EruditoHacker
2025-06-04 01:23:52 +0000 UTCI wish you nothing but joy on that journey. Doctor Who has some of the most wonderful storytelling there is when it's good, I really hope you enjoy that early stuff, and even when it gets rocky around S6 and 7, there's still moments of gold in there.
James Welford
2025-06-03 23:45:05 +0000 UTCYes oh my god this is peak. Listening to these commentaries has now got me into doctor who after only having brief bits of Capaldi and Jodie eras shown to me in the past, gonna actually watch from season 1/9th doctor soon and am heavily looking forward to it. So thanks James for your deep hatred towards RTD2 😭🫶.
TheChoogoo
2025-06-03 23:43:35 +0000 UTC
