Major spoilers for Doctor Who’s ‘Lucky Day’ episode below!
Summary
Doctor Who’s’Lucky Day' was the latest installment in the iconic science fiction series. It was a unique episode for multiple reasons. The main one was thatit featured very few Ncuti Gatwa scenes, while Millie Gibson was able to return as Ruby Sunday to take on the lead role.
There were many differences from what happened in previousDoctor Whoepisodes, but that didn’t stop it from having a lot of entertaining moments. However, the show took a gamble by having a big twist in the middle of the episode, and unfortunately, this was an example of it not quite paying dividends.
Doctor Who Provided An Underwhelming Villain Switch
Throughout the opening third of ‘Lucky Day’, the Shreek was pushed as the villain of the episode. The creature was mysterious, appearing in the shadows and hunting on people’s fear. It seemed likea classicDoctor Whovillain, with some great effects being used to bring it to life in a believable and frightening manner. The start of the episode brought a lot of darkness, with the show tapping into some classic horror tropes. The scene with Conrad Clark going past various mannequins in the darkness felt genuinely scary, and it seemed like it would be an episode where audiences would be left feeling fearful throughout. That tone continued when Ruby and Conrad went on a date in the pub as the Shreek appeared outside. However, it all ended up being a ruse. It ended up being revealed that Conrad was behind the ‘Shreek’ in the middle of the episode, as they were simply friends in costumes. Rather than being a love interest for Ruby, Conrad was revealed to be the episode’s villain, which was a major twist.
Conrad was the leader of a conspiracy group that had spent yearsattempting to bring UNIT down, believing they were wasting taxpayers' money to hide lies. He questioned the authenticity of the monsters that UNIT was fighting against to keep Earth safe, and the rest of the episode became an exposé as he attempted to uncover the truth about UNIT. Few people saw it coming, and it will have been a genuine twist to many. Unfortunately, it was a bad one for multiple reasons.
The Focus Was On UNIT, Rather Than The Doctor
This Episode Didn’t Fit The Rest Of The Series
‘Lucky Day’ was always going to be a tough episode for the showrunners to navigate because it was light on the Doctor himself. The lead character only appeared in a few brief scenes, with the heavy lifting being done by Ruby. While she proved popular last season, the problem is that she hasn’t been involved in this season at all, withthe Doctor gaining a new companion in Belinda. That meant the entire episode felt like it was operating away from what had previously happened, as Ruby isn’t part of the ongoing storyline. There was a real detachment throughout the episode as people were left wondering if or when the Doctor would appear, and the villainous switch didn’t help things. All it served to do was take Ruby’s character right back to where she was at the start, pining for adventure while creating an exposé angle that few people cared to watch.
Doctor Who Once Again Pushed Political Themes
This Was A Big Issue From The Previous Season
Human villains, as opposed to monsters, often feel a little underwhelming when it comes toDoctor Who, especially when the episode is set in London. Fans want to be wowed by something great, a trulyunique villain such as Mr. Ring-a-Ding, who appeared earlier this season. However, Conrad wasn’t interesting as a villain until the final few scenes, which were essentially tagged on once the main storyline was over. The Doctor visiting him in prison was a great scene, andseeing Mrs. Flood appear to break him out provided some big questions moving forward. However, the story’s core, with him trying to expose UNIT, was rather bland. It also leaned into current, modern-day issues again, which will infuriate many fans. Online groups trying to expose the secrets of businesses and people are becoming frequent in society, butDoctor Whodidn’t need to weigh in on that.Fans complained that this happened too much in the past season, and yet again, it’s a theme of an entire episode. While there appears to be a bigger picture with Conrad inDoctor Whothis season, the big twist to reveal his intentions was ultimately disappointing.
