This review was made possible by advance screeners of Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 6, titled Rogue. Rogue premieres on Disney+ (excluding the UK) on June 7 and on BBC iPlayer on June 8.
Oh, my Bridgerton! One week after taking a page out of Black Mirror‘s book, this week’s episode of Doctor Who takes us to Bath, 1813 with The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) arriving at a duchess’s party, however, guests are being murdered and a mysterious bounty hunter called Rogue (Jonathan Groff) is about to change the Doctor’s life forever.
DOCTOR WHO MEETS BRIDGERTON
Having never actually seen an episode of Netflix’s regency series Bridgerton, I must admit I do hold some knowledge in regards to the show, knowing what it’s about and was able to spot a few of the show’s beloved conventions. You have your popular tracks, balls galore, as well as the potential for a cheeky scene set in the warm comfort of a carriage, though I hear things get incredibly saucy in the source material.
Audiences familiar with the show will know the show loves to put a regency spin on some beloved pop songs, and Rogue does not disappoint – with two string covers from two of the biggest pop stars in the world. One is a subtle nod to a chart-topper known for her unwavering gaze and another to a hit that questions the nature of villainy. I’ll let the Detective Whovians figure them out.
Rogue makes further proof that the production quality for this season of Doctor Who has been nothing short of glorious, and I recommend everyone watch BBC Three’s Doctor Who Unleashed for a wonderful behind-the-scenes angle of the show, a mandatory watch every week following the episode’s airing. This season’s quality is a testament to both Russell T Davies and the whole production team, but also the generous budget, clearly provided by the Mouse.
Every scene within Rogue feels incredibly immersive, whether in the halls, the gardens or when we’re transported to the bridge of a mysterious spacecraft – everything is clearly defined by its visual identity, and the attention to detail for the architecture and interior decor adds a wonderful historical touch to the episode. Major props to Ben Chessell, responsible for directing this week’s episode following his previous work in The Devil’s Chord.
The Regency-focused costumes in Rogue are exquisite – perfectly detailed and help capture the elegance of the era. Perfectly contrasting the pristine glamour of the time, the prosthetics for the villains, named The Chuldur, are equally impressive, adding a wonderfully eerie touch to the episode. More on them later…
GROFF’S GREAT
This week’s Doctor Who introduces us to a new character, Rogue – a bounty hunter on a mission which clashes with the TARDIS team and finds him crossing the paths of The Doctor and Ruby Sunday. Rogue, whom the episode is named after is played by American actor, Jonathan Groff, who I have admired ever since he blessed the world with his cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” whilst Quinn Fabray gave birth during the Glee Season 1 finale – an empowering moment, for sure.
Following his appearances on Glee, Groff went on to lend his voice for Disney’s Frozen as Kristoff, even appearing in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton and other titles including Mindhunter and The Matrix Resurrections. I was over the moon when Groff was first cast, and am happy to report that his performance delivers! He’s remarkably charming yet reserved when coming toe-to-toe with the TARDIS team and makes for one of the show’s best guest stars in recent memory.
Groff’s characterisation for Rogue makes it seem as if he’s pulling from a lot of his recent performances, which makes it feel illustrious. He has the charm of Kristoff, the mysterious side of Jesse St James, with a glimmer of sarcasm from King George piled on with so much more great acting. Groff’s presence will certainly create a lot of buzz for the show, I am 100% sure of it. He is a wonderful and moving addition for sure.
A lot of the episode sees Gatwa and Groff sharing scenes with each other, with some of the best on-screen chemistry with a guest star for quite some time. I would be lying if I didn’t say I really hope we get to see Groff’s character again.
Other supporting cast members worthy of note include Camilla Aiko‘s outing as Emily Beckett, one of the many guests at the Duchess’ party who spends a good duration of the episode with Ruby, learning her ways and even picking up a bit of modern-day England slang along the way, which is incredibly funny with Beckett mocking Sunday on a number of occasions, providing some well-needed horror whilst the villains run rampant through the manor.
Once again, Gibson delivers a mesmerising performance as she navigates a real fantasy, living through an episode of a show she’s obsessed with. Her excitement really sells the episode at times, especially when she gushes about the setting and the people she meets.
CLASSIC-LIKE VILLAINS HUZZAH!
Whilst this week’s aliens are new, they do feel like a proper traditional Who villain which I adored. Led by a fantastic performance from Indira Varma, who I haven’t seen since her scene-stealing role in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Varma’s aura as The Duchess is unmatched, such a powerful presence in any of her scenes, both as a human and when in her Chuldur form, it’s incredibly impressive the duality displayed.
Imagine if the Slitheen and the Zygons got together and had a baby on Noah’s Ark, that would produce The Chuldur – which is such a kick-ass name too. 10 episodes into Russell T Davies‘ second tenure as showrunner, and slowly but surely I find myself craving some returning villains, which is an odd sensation given the fact I really enjoyed these funky, furry new villains this week. It’s bizarre to think we’ve been treated with the Daleks for pretty much every season in some shape or form since the show’s revival in 2005 and have yet to see them anywhere, not even a reference! Whether or not we get something at Christmas or in Season 2, I feel the key to unlocking the maximum potential within RTD2 is some more familiar foes.
THERE’S ALWAYS A TWIST AT THE END
Though not the Twist you’d expect, there are a number of fascinating twists featured within the episode’s story, which effortlessly accelerate the pace of Kate Herron and Briony Redman‘s immaculate script. The twists come out of nowhere, unexpectedly (as you do) and it feels really fresh mixing with the show’s beloved formula, especially when it comes to “shapeshifters”, I was really impressed. Dare I say I find it amusing that so far, the season’s two strongest episodes come from guest writers, albeit one is a former showrunner.
Herron, of course, is no stranger to working with Ncuti Gatwa, having directed 4 episodes of Sex Education. After working on Rogue, the pair will go on to co-scribe the Margot Robbie-produced film based on the hit gaming series The Sims, which is a very exciting prospect, not because of the proven quality of the pair, but if Barbie is anything to go by, we’re clearly in for a treat… Is there an actual Susan Twist in the episode? You’ll have to tune in and find out! It feels a bit like the calm before the storm with this week’s episode, after 7 serials building up to the arrival of Susan Twist’s final form during the two-part finale, The Legend of Ruby Sunday and Empire of Death.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Rogue turns out to be an elegant treat, from the moment Jonathan Groff graces the screen. His guest performance is nothing short of captivating, the episode is further elevated by its top-notch production quality – its costumes and set designs effortlessly transport you to the Regency age. A wonderful story to leave us with before we head into the finale.
Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 6 “Rogue” releases on Disney+ (excluding the UK) on June 7 and BBC iPlayer on June 8. Check out the trailer below.
The Review
'Doctor Who' Season 1: "Rogue"
'Rogue' is gorgeous, both the episode and the character. The show is perfectly transported to 1813 with glorious production design, an interesting, excitement-filled episode and a great roster of actors, led by Jonathan Groff's top-notch performance. Bring on the finale!