Doctor Who Is Back, Baby! 6 Things That Made Rogue A Perfect Episode

Getting used to change is always difficult, whether it is a new way of life or a switch in the direction of your favorite show. In Doctor Who's long 60-year history, veteran fans have had to deal with change many times. Showrunners and leading actors all bring their fresh take on the iconic space adventurer, some of which are instant hits with viewers, and some take time to grow on fans.

For the new Russell T. Davies era, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, public love has not come as easily as one would hope. There is a fair amount of criticism of Series 14 online. Some fans have even dropped watching the show altogether, unhappy with the innovations Davies and Gatwa brought to the Whoniverse.

Even those who stayed with the show feel that some of the magic was missing. However, the latest episode Rogue, set in the Bridgerton-like environment, seems to be what Whovians have been waiting for all along. It has all the elements of a perfect classic Doctor Who episode and gets Series 14 back on track, laying a perfect foundation for the last two installments.

1. The Doctor/Companion Dynamic

The Doctor and Ruby (Millie Gibson) have an amazing best friend dynamic that shines through in Rogue. Seeing them dance, talk about Bridgerton, and bond over tragedy at the end of the episode was heartwarming and made up for the lack of chemistry in previous episodes.

2. The Companion Solo Arc

Ruby is an extremely likeable character, and Rogue made that even more apparent by allowing viewers to spend more time with her. Watching her bond with the Regency-era girl reminded Whovians of all the times the Doctor's companions spread their 21st-century wisdom and humanity throughout the galaxy.

3. The Doctor Coming Into His True Self

The Fifteenth feels more human than any of the Doctor's previous incarnations. But he is still a powerful alien, and Rogue was a much-needed reminder of that. From the use of the sonic screwdriver to the astonishing Lord of Time speech, everything screams classic Doctor Who. It seems that in Rogue, Ncuti Gatwa has really found his groove as the legendary traveler through time and space.

4. The TARDIS Time

The new TARDIS interior is great, but Series 14 was largely devoid of it, to the disappointment of many viewers. Rogue rectified this oversight by letting the Doctor and his new love interest, Rogue, spend some quality time in the spaceship. Hopefully, this trend will continue in the future.

5. The Love Interest

Speaking of Rogue, this new Jonathan Groff character is exactly what NuWho fans have been waiting for in the new era. A space bounty hunter named after a D&D class is a perfect addition to the sci-fi series.

His chemistry with the Doctor is off the charts (THAT KISS!), and it is clear that his arc in the Whoniverse is far from over. Rogue has filled the void left by characters like Jack Harkness and River Song.

6. The Antagonists

Finally, Rogue introduced new monsters to the Whoniverse, the Childur. Given their identity-stealing nature, they could easily have been Zygons, but the creators went a new route that we couldn't be happier about.

The idea of aliens who have watched too much Bridgerton and want to play pretend in the Regency era, wearing human bodies like costumes, is stunning and terrifying. At the same time, the Childur are comical and even satirical with their 'cosplay this planet to death' game. We sure hope they return in the future.