MovieChat Forums > Doctor Who (2023) Discussion > Thoughts on dot and bubble

Thoughts on dot and bubble

posted a month ago by peter_t_2k3 (1016)
8 replies | jump to latest

After Space Babies I've found this series is having fun exploring different ideas.

This one was not as good as the last 2, it kind of starts out feeling a bit stupid but there's a lot of stuff happening under the surface.

The episode has a big Black Mirror vibe, exploring the dangerous of reliance on technology and social media. I originally thought it was just about classism and a society that prefers to use social media over real life interaction but as people have rightly pointed out there is a dark side to it.

I'd found the line about the main character saying I thought you just looked the same to the doctor a bit racist but as people have pointed out, the episode is actually full of racism from the the group and the group is all white.

The fact they where in the same room and the character was shocked, I just presumed it was because this group didn't socialise physically but it brings another meaning when you realise she's racist, and she has been in rooms with other people. There's also the line he's not as stupid as he looks.

It's an odd episode. I think what's made it stand out is that it's rare for the show to have an episode where your rooting for the monsters. The bit where she turns on the Ricky celebrity guy was a great moment that felt very black mirror esque. I half expected when she escaped for a twist where it was a test or something.

The group refusing to take the doctors help allowed 15 to finally show anger which was what I've been waiting for. I don't think the tear was necessary though. It's odd seeing the doctor cry but if this is going to be 15s thing then fair enough and in Boom it felt right but it felt a bit odd. I get he was probably sad that he couldn't save them and they will most probably die rather than let someone different save them.

Only downside of this episode is we are going to probably see people saying it's anti white. For anyone tempted to post that it's not anti white it's anti racism. The Ricky guy also seemed fine talking to the doctor while as the others always seemed shocked when they first saw him.

[–] JVM1P5 (13) 25 days ago

When she turns on Ricky September born Richard Coombes as Lindy Pepper-Bean said he really was, also fell back on she didn't feel he was one of them really.

Remember there was this:

Ricky: Building Number 7Z2.
Lindy: No way! How do you know that?!
Ricky: Come on, it's almost night-cycle, we've got about ten minutes till the sun clicks off. Oh! Is that OK?
Lindy: It's fine. You're so good at walking.
Ricky: Don't tell anyone, but... I open the Bubble, drop my songs, and then... I turn the Dot off for the rest of the day.
Lindy: Oh, my eyes, you're wild!
Ricky: I know. I just... stay in my apartment and... read, kind of thing.
Lindy: Oh, you're crazy!

So that along with seeming fine talking to the Doctor, in Lindy's Bubble Worlds eyes likely made him disposable as he wasn't one of them, probably would have got blocked by all as well, hence his don't tell anyone. So really I see it as anyone too different to who they are doesn't fit with how they live, in essence Ricky's musical career would have been nothing if they all new he didn't Bubble outside of work. In today's world Ricky wouldn't have been part of the Bubble's Matrix to them, as he was too different to how they thought, like now how News and etc., can vary depending on your likes, follows and that sort of thing, if it isn't how you are you rarely see it.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1016) 25 days ago

People have pointed out Ricky feels a lot like the doctor, and Lindy is a lot more receptive to him and his rule breaking, because he is white.

There is definitely a lot of classism and popularity messages. The goth person is the only one that seems to notice people are missing and someone has also pointed out all their profiles show their follower totals and he has the least out of their group.

The racism is the big thing though

[–] JVM1P5 (13) 24 days ago

Yeah I actually noticed how Ricky was a lot like The Doctor myself.

In fact when he first popped up in the Street talking to Lindy at a distance, for a brief moment I actually thought it was The Doctor using that image as an Avatar to get through to Lindy, like a computer generated Peter Davison looking Doctor (all he needed was a Celery stalk).

[–] KiwiJim (337) 25 days ago

I zoned out early, which I didn’t expect after the genius of 73 Yards. Your review has made me want to take another look though.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1016) 25 days ago

I wasn't sure if I was liking it at first but actually it's a great social experiment.

I didn't even notice the racism message and a lot of others didn't but that's kind of the point. It makes you wonder what else you haven't noticed.

[–] hurricane (1944) 25 days ago

I actually didn't mind it.

I felt the ending was frustrating, but in the way it was supposed to be. (Unlike the previous episode, where I felt was slightly off the mark and made another wise excellent episode end on a strange note.) Here, you were supposed to be angry at the actions of the characters. You were supposed to be frustrated their refusal to be saved, for such a nonsensical reason. You were supposed to be upset that people like this still exist, even more so when you consider this was supposed to be a somewhat futuristic episode.

Usually The Doctor saves the day to some extent, here his effort felt wasted. And though The Doctor heroically still wanted to save them, you were left wondering whether he had wasted his time trying to save horrible people like this.

I feel this had a message in a better way than Chibnall ever did. Who seemed to be trying too hard to stuff messages into every aspect of every episode. I feel, Doctor Who, should at heart be a fun adventure show. Not to say that you shouldn't throw harder episodes in, or put messages into the episodes. But if you forget to have fun with it, and everything is just; "Have I told you this season that you shouldn't litter? Oh, I have? Never mind, I'll tell you again in this episode..." it lessens the impact.

I can't decide whether I enjoyed this more, or 73 Yards more. My problem with 73 Yards was, I'd prefer if they hadn't let us know that Ruby was the woman who watched. They were obviously going for an ambiguous ending, which is fine. But, if it's ambiguous, make it ambigious. Make us never know who the woman was. Don't explain who it was, but don't explain how it happened, because you end up with a confusing ending. Rather than an intriguing one that invites the audience to make their own conclusions.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1016) 25 days ago

Yeah this is really how to do messages in an episode.

It reminds me of the original 1978 Dawn of the dead. The late George A. Romero liked to put in social commentary messages and this one was about consumerism. I watched it when I was young and didn't see the message but loved the film and then my appreciation grew when I realised there was more stuff under the surface. It wasn't subtle but the film works if you don't get it.

If your just screaming the message or even speaking to the audience as if lecturing them like Orphan 55's ending, it just doesn't work as well and actually people will feel lectured.

I also do agree about the previous episode. Revealing on her deathbed that the old women was herself just made things more confusing. How did she get back into the past, was she there the whole time etc.

I also feel it had ideas, the Welsh countryside horror and the political element and both where interesting but never really explored enough due to the runtime

[–] hurricane (1944) 25 days ago

Yeah, if you're going to be leaving things ambiguous, it has to be done well. It can work, but it didn't here. The Watching Woman would be fare more effective if you didn't know who she was. Knowing who she was, but not explaining how she did a lot of things felt more confusing than anything.