Doctor Who Series 10, Episode 1 Review - The Pilot
- SimplyWho
- Sep 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 17
What did you think of this episode?
Sonic!
Good!
Bumpy-wumpy!
Exterminate!
Peak TARDIS team incoming!!
The Pilot is such a refreshing, confident start to Series 10, and for me, it is extra special Doctor Who goodness because my dream TARDIS team is finally here. The Doctor, Nardole, and Bill just click right from the start. Each of them brings something different. We have the Doctor's dry wit and just being a general legend, we have the humour and silliness of Nardole and then we have the warmth and curiosity of Bill. It’s a team dynamic that feels both fun and full of heart.
"Still making eyes at a puddle?"
From the moment we meet Bill, she’s instantly likeable. Pearl Mackie brings this effortless charm and relatability, and the script makes her feel like a real person straight away. Her scenes with the Doctor have this teacher-and-student energy that’s so satisfying to watch. She asks the questions you’d actually ask in real life, but never in a way that slows things down.
The story itself works perfectly as an introduction, even for someone who hasn’t watched in years, which I believe was the aim? It’s part mystery, part horror, with a sprinkle of good old Doctor Who weirdness. There are some great little jump scares too. Heather’s eerie, watery appearances are genuinely unsettling in places, especially that eye down the plughole. The chase sequence across time and space, as they try to shake Heather, is one of the highlights. Seeing them pop into different locations, with the Doctor slyly showing Bill what the TARDIS can do, is great fun.
"Time and Relative Dimension In Space. TARDIS for short. You’re safe in here. You’re safe in here and you always will be. Any questions?"
The episode is creepy, but it also has a lot of heart and humour as well. We have a standard Doctor Who relationship that means people are practically planning to buy a house together after being on screen for a couple of minutes together, but I will forgive that this time.
The Pilot does exactly what a series opener should do. It isn't up there with Rose or The Eleventh Hour, but it made me want to spend more time with the Doctor, Bill and Nardole, and that is a crucial ingredient for a series opener. It is probably one of those episodes I would tell a newcomer to watch to give them a glimpse of what Doctor Who has to offer.
I think after my rewatch series 9 is going to be hard to beat, but if anyone can do it, it is these lot.
Oh, and just on a rather large side note, fuck anyone who was marching in London on Saturday. And by marching, I mean being a racist, coke snorting, violent fuckwit of course! And fuck you Elon Musk! Cunt!
What did you think of The Pilot? Let me know in the comments below.
RATING: Sonic!
BEST LINE: Well first, you have to imagine a very big box fitting inside a very small box. Then, you have to make one. It’s the second part people normally get stuck on.
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