Warning! This assessment accommodates spoilers for Physician Who season 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Music Contest”
“The Interstellar Music Contest” completely captures the magic of Doctor Who
in a enjoyable, emotional, and highly effective journey that makes the a lot of the 40-minute runtime. Ncuti Gatwa builds on the unimaginable energy of last week’s Doctor Who episode to ship his finest episode of the season to date, with an unimaginable vary of emotion and depth on show. Past that, this episode takes a leap ahead when it comes to the season’s total narrative forward of the two-part finale.
Associated
The Physician visits Nigeria in the most effective laid-out episodes showcasing the abilities of Ncuti Gatwa because the Fifteenth Physician and honoring the previous.
This episode is a playful spin on the Eurovision Music Contest, reimagined as an intergalactic affair going down 900 years into the longer term. When the Doctor and Belinda contact down simply as proceedings are underway, they resolve to take a second and benefit from the present. Nevertheless, when the competitors is hijacked, issues go unsuitable shortly with a number of the highest stakes in Physician Who historical past.
“The Interstellar Music Contest” Delivers The Finest Of Physician Who
Physician Who is a singular sci-fi sequence with all of time and house at its disposal. Regardless of the huge stage, the present depends on one unimaginable character to drive the narrative ahead. And when the Physician is being performed nicely, the present is unmatched, with this curious, excitable, genius alien diving into the depths of house and taking the viewers on a journey. This episode completely delivers in that regard.
This spark of rage and complexity is precisely what I wanted to see from Gatwa’s Physician, and he didn’t disappoint.
The setting is ideal for Ncuti Gatwa’s camp Fifteenth Doctor, who will get a real kick out of attending the quirky music contest, and attending along with his pricey good friend Belinda. Nevertheless, when the lives of three trillion lifeforms throughout the galaxy are hanging within the stability, the Physician struggles to include his anger. In fact, it is not helped by the truth that the Physician believes his pricey companion could also be close to loss of life. However this spark of rage and complexity is precisely what I wanted to see from Gatwa’s Physician, and he didn’t disappoint.
The strain of the scenario additionally permits the Physician to shine as he places his thoughts to saving everybody, whereas additionally permitting others to step up and have their heroic moments. And whereas the Physician is concentrated on saving everybody, Belinda is studying from species past her planet and time, embracing others regardless of the huge variations between them. This all combines to ship an ideal Physician Who episode that captures the essence of the present, whereas telling a coherent, satisfying story.
Physician Who Is Transferring Into The Finale Sturdy
After a season that frequently dropped a trail of breadcrumbs with Mrs. Flood appearing, this episode provides the character a barely expanded second that comes simply in time. Nevertheless, the foreshadowing of what the Physician and Belinda can anticipate to witness after they lastly arrive again in 2025 was the true kicker of the episode, with Graham Norton delivering the ominous and haunting dialogue that units up the two-part finale.
[T]his episode is among the finest outings in Physician Who‘s latest historical past…
Past that, the episode’s closing moments make for a way more efficient and tentative conclusion that builds intrigue forward of “Want World” and “The Actuality Battle.” This season of Physician Who has confirmed to be a lot stronger than the one which launched Gatwa because the Physician, and it is fantastic to see the actor settle into the function and make it his personal.
Total, this episode is among the finest outings in Physician Who‘s latest historical past, bringing the characters to life in a manner that they haven’t been proven beforehand. The enjoyable, quirky nature, mixed with a darker and extra tense tone, work in stunning unison, and all of it provides as much as every part that makes Physician Who nice. Now, so long as the season sticks the touchdown, Physician Who’s future might but be brilliant.
New episodes of Physician Who air Saturdays on BBC and can be found to stream at 12pm PT/3am ET on Disney+ the identical day.

Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 6
- Launch Date
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December 25, 2023
- Administrators
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Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie
- Ncuti Gatwa is spectacular delivering vary and depth.
- The story is coherent, enjoyable, and intelligent.
- The setup for the finale is gorgeous.