Dr. Who Reaction 15x5 - The Story & The Engine
Added 2025-09-20 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
Comments
"You are the greatest story I know.", Omo (to the Doctor), "The Story & the Engine" I appreciate the sentiment - Doctor Who stories are great! "But here, in Africa, in that barbershop, I'm accepted. I'm able to forget. We [...] we laugh, we tell stories.", The Doctor, "The Story & the Engine" The origin of this story was the author's stage play "Barber Shop Chronicles". RTD had seen his play about people telling stories in barber shops - and eventually it turned into this episode. "Go on, then. Take as long as you need.", Belinda, "The Story & the Engine" This is a really quite a companion-lite story for much of the episode with Belinda stuck in the TARDIS for a while in her overalls. "What the hell is this?", The Doctor, "The Story & the Engine" That's when he spots the giant spider walking through the web. Um, that's a bit absurd. I mean, a city on top of a space-whale is ok, but ... wait a minute! I guess I let things like this just roll over me. "The Nexus. I used to call it the World Wide Web... until the humans named something far uglier after that.", The Barber, "The Story & the Engine" We've seen the actor playing the Barber before - well, not really "seen" - he was Leandro (under all the "lion" Leonian makeup) in "The Woman Who Lived". "Okay. You want a story about Weeping Angels and Ice Warriors, but nothing is more vivid than an ordinary life.", The Barber, "The Story & the Engine" I agree with you - I think a brief, but moving, (unseen) adventure about the Doctor would have worked well as the Doctor's story. "Ah! Madam, you must pay for this.", Market Seller (after Belinda has knocked a pile of goods), "The Story & the Engine" As Merlin's Cat mentioned, the Market Seller in the Nigerian market was the author of the episode, Inua Ellams, in a small cameo role. "My body is like a barbershop. All of them inside, telling their stories, bickering! I will not fail them!", The Doctor, "The Story & the Engine" I love seeing clips of old Doctor stories. BTW we see all of the Doctors except the 7th - although a clip of the 7th Doctor was meant to be included. "You know Hemingway. I saw some of his books back there. I met him. I wanted to see how good he was, so I challenged him. “Hemy, baby, write me the shortest story you can.” He wrote it in six words.", The Doctor, "The Story & the Engine" Do you know the famous six-word "Hemingway" story? Actually, although it's attributed to Hemingway, it is not likely to be his story. Anyway, it's pretty impactful. "The difference between good and evil is what we do with that pain.", Belinda, "The Story & the Engine"
Andrew Vignaux
2025-09-22 20:01:03 +0000 UTCFor me it's 4/5 and very close to a 5/5. I love the setting, the themes. The brief appearance of the Fugitive Doctor and the flashback scenes showing Doctor who as the story that never ends. I think it's one of those story that becomes better with a second viewing allowing you to pick up on stuff. This on top of the other great stories we've had this series makes it much better then the first series (although originally this story was planed to have followed Dot and Bubble, tying in the the racist themes from that story. This might be why the scene where the Doctor and Belinda laugh at the idea of the barber being all those gods and Belinda knowing what to do when the Doctor shouts now, because originally it would have been written for Ruby. I don't think we've seen on screen the friendship developing between the Doctor and Belinda into what we see here. Also just a heads up but there's a mid credit scene in the next episode.
Jade Ellis
2025-09-20 19:26:56 +0000 UTCI think I mostly agree with you the story was a bit confusing, I enjoyed it second time around, but wasn’t any clearer on what it all meant. I loved all the colourful market scenes. I have been to countries with markets such as these and they are wonderful. I liked seeing The fugitive doctor again. Fun fact the writer makes a brief appearance when Belinda leaves the Tardis and is searching for the doctor. I think it was great to give other writers a chance to shine as Russell has tended to dominate the writing this and last series.
Merlin’s Cat
2025-09-20 15:39:30 +0000 UTC
