Since the end of season one, the rumour mill for Doctor Who has been going crazy. Whispers of Ncuti leaving and the show’s future in jeopardy have threatened to overshadow the start of a brand-new season. Despite the blanket of clouds looming overhead, Saturday saw the return of Doctor Who with a new companion in tow.

The Robot Revolution opens the new season. It finds The Doctor crossing paths with Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), an ordinary nurse kidnapped and made queen of a planet named after her by an old boyfriend.

Those familiar with RTD’s work on Doctor Who will recognise The Robot Revolution as an opener in his classic style. It is equal parts chaos and whimsy.

Sethu’s portrayal of Belinda Chandra shines brightly and is easily the best part of the episode. She’s feisty yet calm under pressure, handling herself well through any given situation.

As an introduction to her character, this episode sets the foundation for her traits well. From the beginning, her training as a nurse comes across immediately. Even in the most pressurised of environments, it’s something she reverts back to, and it is clear that helping people is in her DNA. Her job in science is also what draws her closer to the people of Miss Belinda Chandra and The Doctor. She is instantly fascinated by their foreign biology and how it differs from those on earth.

This episode also sets out Belinda’s dynamic with The Doctor and how it differs from Ruby’s, the previous season’s companion. Their dynamic has more of an equal back-and-forth. It is made clear from the outset that Belinda doesn’t see herself as one of The Doctor’s adventures and is more than willing to call him out on his questionable actions. A welcome change from a companion who was willing to go along with The Doctor’s every whim.

Where the episode starts to fall beneath the weight of its whimsy occurs as the episode progresses. This is when it transpires that the one leading the killer robots is a being known as the AI Generator. In a twist of a reveal, the AI Generator turns out to be Belinda’s former boyfriend (Jonny Green) turned living mass of hatred and coercive control.

While this is a prescient topic, given the rise in “Alpha Male” influencers and Incel culture, the episode doesn’t telegraph this theme well. The story has problems conflating video game violence with coercive control-style domestic abuse.

The robots in the story are linked to the AI Generator’s thoughts and directly carry out its wants. This follows with plentiful moments of video game-style violence, but the habits associated with coercive control never make it through, ultimately losing touch with the episode’s central theme. Putting Belinda and Alan’s breakup story at the end also doesn’t help matters. Having it earlier in the episode would’ve helped make Belinda’s connections in the climax flow more naturally.

Despite a chaotic and clunky ending, The Robot Revolution mostly succeeds in opening a new season of the show. Fun and whimsical, the episode provides plenty of opportunities to build towards the foundations of Belinda’s character, and especially her dynamic with The Doctor. On this front, the episode and the series more widely hold infinite promise, as conflict and consequences seem set to play a central role in the season to come.

I Give The Robot Revolution: 7/10