The financial spending power of Disney has transformed this series - no longer the wobbly, Crossroads sets and air vents so spacious you could hold a picnic in them, as well as escape from the Daleks.
Previous episodes in the current series have, however, wobbled, neither going in a consistent direction with a moral like Aesop's Fables, nor causing those famed sofas to be moved, so we could hide behind them. But this was much better.
Lindy Pepper-Bean (Callie Cooke) was in a futuristic bubble sharing inane, introspective, bland and banal talk and experiences with Zoom-call-like friends, so superficial they'd probably be more properly considered ficial, certainly not super.
Into this Fineworld come monsters eating them in alphabetical order - not as the delightful but not entirely selfless Lindy implies, because they are saving the tastiest til last!
Why they are there and why they're eating them, is not explained. Maybe this planet has no McDonalds.
Callie plays Lindy exceptionally well, temporarily escaping her bubble, meeting a heartthrob, betraying him in a callous act of self/interest and eventually refusing the Doctor's offer of a lift to safety for her and her friends in the Tardis. Good to see some bcu's (big close ups) and tears of emotion from the Doctor at the end.
The parallels with our swiftly, evolving, superficial, virtual society were clear to see; if we're not living in a bubble yet, we will soon will be.
Acting was impressive and the special effects, for once, were an integral part of the story.
It had some similarities with the brilliant 1960's series 'The Prisoner' where everyone - apart from Number Six - was happy and content - because they were conditioned to be.
As for the moral of it? You'd have to ask Russell T Davis or AI. I just hope I can walk in a straight line now, without the need of arrows or a bubble.
Previous episodes in the current series have, however, wobbled, neither going in a consistent direction with a moral like Aesop's Fables, nor causing those famed sofas to be moved, so we could hide behind them. But this was much better.
Lindy Pepper-Bean (Callie Cooke) was in a futuristic bubble sharing inane, introspective, bland and banal talk and experiences with Zoom-call-like friends, so superficial they'd probably be more properly considered ficial, certainly not super.
Into this Fineworld come monsters eating them in alphabetical order - not as the delightful but not entirely selfless Lindy implies, because they are saving the tastiest til last!
Why they are there and why they're eating them, is not explained. Maybe this planet has no McDonalds.
Callie plays Lindy exceptionally well, temporarily escaping her bubble, meeting a heartthrob, betraying him in a callous act of self/interest and eventually refusing the Doctor's offer of a lift to safety for her and her friends in the Tardis. Good to see some bcu's (big close ups) and tears of emotion from the Doctor at the end.
The parallels with our swiftly, evolving, superficial, virtual society were clear to see; if we're not living in a bubble yet, we will soon will be.
Acting was impressive and the special effects, for once, were an integral part of the story.
It had some similarities with the brilliant 1960's series 'The Prisoner' where everyone - apart from Number Six - was happy and content - because they were conditioned to be.
As for the moral of it? You'd have to ask Russell T Davis or AI. I just hope I can walk in a straight line now, without the need of arrows or a bubble.
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