Doctor Who Television Review: Rogue

Episode: Rogue
Story Number: 310
Series: 14
Screenwriter:  Kate Herron and Briony Redman
Director: Ben Chessell

Thoughts:

Doctor Who gets its full Regency Era costume drama on with this full-on homage to Bridgerton.  And since it’s Doctor Who, it also features shapeshifting alien bird-people who love cosplay and scandal.  And if that’s not enough, the Doctor gets a love interest in a time-traveling bounty hunter named Rogue (Jonathan Groff).  It makes for a fun and touching adventure with a lot of great character moments.  The script by Kate Herron and Briony Redman is the first by writers to new to Doctor Who since Russell T. Davies return and they should definitely be invited back.

Some highlights of the story for me:

• the costumes.
• the set up and pay off of the earrings with “battle mode.”
• Ncuti Gatwa lip-syncing to “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”
• Groff appearing to be playing a character like Captain Jack Harkness but actually be quite different in personality.  I have to wonder if he’s too famous to expect to be a recurring character.
• all the flirting.
• the twists at the end.

 Rating: 8 of 10