Doctor Who (TV Series) The Woman Who Fell to Earth (2018) User Reviews

Jodie Whittaker good. Writing & dialogue bad. Cinematography good.

[radiantruffian · 6/10 · 8 October 2018]

I really liked Jodie as the Doctor, which is why I think she deserved a better script for her introduction episode. I'm not a film or TV critic by any means, in fact my standards for the quality of writing and acting are pretty low. But even I thought the dialogue between the family in the opening felt wooden and unnatural to the point of being cringeworthy.

To make matters worse, it seemed like the Doctor was a side character for the first half of the episode. Matt Smith's introduction went more or less straight into the action, and without deliberation delivered a good first impression of him as a character - as well as his to-be companion.

In Whittaker's introduction, it spent what felt like an age trying way too hard to introduce and develop the side characters, yet failed to make them interesting or memorable as it A: did not have enough time to do so, and B: provided them with dialogue so unnatural I couldn't relate to them as human beings at all.

To top it all off, Grace's death near the end was just lazy writing. She had no good reason to die. By this point The Doctor had already sent the Halo Master Chief back to his home planet, yet Grace still ignored her advice - and as anyone would, promptly climbed up the crane to electrocute the big fuzzy ball of wires to death and fell thirty feet on her back without so much as an "oof".

Then. just like in real life, she was given ten precious seconds in which to utter some touching and absolutely not clichéd last words before peacefully passing away of falling-thirty-feet-onto-her-back-related injuries. All the while expecting the audience to feel bad for such a random, silly, unnecessary death of a character who was never fleshed out enough for me to really care.

The good though? The cinematography was excellent. It did feel out of place at some points, but the atmosphere and suspense in the train crash scene was excellent. And even though it felt like it took an age to get there, The Doctor's introduction was pretty well done.

I don't know. Whittaker saved it towards the end but all in all I'm probably just going to try and forget that this episode exists like I did for most of Season 9. The upcoming episodes look very promising though, so despite this episode I still have hope for the rest of the season.

This has been an internet neckbeard who naively thinks anyone cares about IMDB user reviews, signing off.

New broom, fresh feel, underwhelming story.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 7 October 2018]

I was one of the fans that was a little concerned by this series, not because of the female lead, just because of the new cast, writers production, time slot etc.

When Moffat took over from Davies there was change, but it wasn't drastic, this felt like a whole new show, everything felt very different, good for some, bad for others.

This one was very much an introductory episode, personally I didn't really care for the story, felt a bit more like a Torchwood plot, then a Dr Who episode, but it was decent, just a bit dour.

Production values, filming, music etc were very good. The main question was Jodie Whittaker any good? I enjoyed her performance, she was energetic and charismatic, I think with better material she will sparkle. Her introduction felt seemless, the radical change into a woman seemed almost not to matter. No real time yet for Bradley and his fellow new companions to shine through yet.

Overall it was pretty good, but I feel very optimistic. 7/10

The Tooth Scary (Not Really)...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 4 January 2022]

A change is as good as a rest, let's hope Jodie is one of the best, with a new innovator, just where will he take her, new companions alongside and abreast.

Don't start as you mean to go on, this opener felt ever so slightly wrong, a new incarnation should go off like a bomb, with an episode twice as strong as King Kong. But it's still early days for the new Doctor, super fresh is the series concocter, he's conjured a curious group of companions, who I hope have the depth of Colorado's Grand Canyons. So we'll take this one square on the chin, put away our premature violin, develop some depth and thick skin, knowing Jodie will be the our linchpin (fingers crossed).

Just amazing

[nouraalthani-44511 · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

I checked the reviews even before the episode came out and there were just a bunch of people giving 1 star ratings. How could they have known it was bad if they didn't see the episode? I think they're just biased. Honestly, I really liked the episode, the beginning was a bit weird but then it was just amazing. The iconic moment I've been waiting for, " I am the doctor", was just so exciting. She really is the doctor, she's got it all, the funny bits, the smart bits, she even did the regeneration part a bit like David Tennant. Overall, great episode would definitely give it a 9 or above. Can't wait for the rest.

Let's get a shift on!

[DVD_Connoisseur · 7/10 · 7 October 2018]

This first episode of Chris Chibnall's "Doctor Who" felt fresh and different, not an easy feat for such a long running show.

With high production values and utilising cinematic lenses, the new "Who" felt reassuringly expensive. The episode didn't pause for breath or opening titles, and the hour running time seemed far shorter.

Most importantly, this episode introduced the new Doctor, in the shape of Jodie Whittaker. Whittaker is an absolute delight as the 13th Doctor. Her strong Northern accent is brilliant and she's as cute as a button.

The introduction of a new Doctor can be tricky and this tale is one of the stronger first episodes in the show's history. It's also quite dark which bodes well for the future. A new generation of viewers will be hiding behind the settee.

The new ensemble cast is strong and shows promise.

The baddie, "Tim Shaw", in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is memorable and the stuff of nightmares, with a face full of victim's teeth embedded in his alien skin.

I was hoping for a retro-Who theme and I'm very pleased with the new version by Segun Akinola.

I genuinely believe this will be a memorable series.

7 out of 10.

5.8 Stars?! I bet half of the people that have rated this haven't seen it.

[skyfall-33402 · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

It does not deserve a 5.8. It deserves an 8. It is very good, and I can't wait for next weeks episode.

Seems a bit forced

[breadcrumbs-47157 · 7 October 2018]

Her acting seemed a bit forced and didn't seem like her own character, a lot of the lines were just forced comedy "what's this? A tongue clever boy biology" well done you smashed comedic writing there. Definitely seems like doctor who has decreased in quality, doesn't help that I keep thinking I'm watching The Chase..

I like Jodie , Didn't think much of the episode.

[geoff_oldroyd · 6/10 · 8 October 2018]

So I just watched the first episode and have very mixed feelings.

Firstly, Jodie Whitaker, I liked a lot! Yes, it's going to take a few episodes to get used to her being the doctor but I had the same feeling about Matt Smith. I felt she was channeling David and Matt and strangely a bit of Odo from DS9.

Bradley Walsh .........Just Yes! He works and a welcome addition to this season (Flashbacks of the David and Catherine season).

The others felt very unneeded and forced into the episode and the death of Grace seemed unnecessary. She was a mother hen character that would have been brilliant on the Tardis.

Didn't understand why the new sonic screwdriver had to be phallic shaped and I enjoyed the Sheffield steel line but imagine most in the U.K go huh and the American viewers scratching their heads.

Messy story line that didn't seem very well constructed.

The bad guys were underwhelming and when unmasked had the feeling of the Hellraiser franchise character which wasn't used to its full effect. The alien wore a Spiderman-like mask throughout most of the episode with Cyberman movement noises this was very distracting.

I must admit to getting super excited that the Egg/Transport vessel had the shape of the Tardis console and thought we could have got a new tardis causing trouble in the who universe but we didn't.

So a very mixed episode with very large expectations for next Sunday.

New enemies, new friends!

[hjboon · 9/10 · 7 October 2018]

I liked it! The beginning was David Tennant-ish. Nervous, excited. Later it was more herself. Dark storie. Was this the first (human) funeral? Sad, but nice. The enemies was impressive! Steaming the whole time. I like the team. A pity that the next time was only names and no trailer.

It Could Go Either Way.

[hazzablabber · 6/10 · 8 October 2018]

Not much of a reviewer, so I'll just keep it simple:

Plot: Thank God we've moved away from the convoluted puzzleboxes of the Stephen Moffat era. This episode was easy to follow, chocked full of character moments, and was a fab introduction to Jodie Whittaker's acting chops. It's no eleventh hour, but certainly more enjoyable than Capaldi's debut.

Jodie: Although I loved Jodie's performance, I have to take issue with Chibnall's writing of her doctor. She seemed very 'Matt Smith' in the episode in her mannerisms, geekiness, etc... I hope Chibnall manages to distance Jodie's doctor from Smiths in the coming series. Aside from that, she fearlessly played the role with charisma and charm - excited to see her returning next week.

Series: My overall biggest praise I can give to the episode is the reintroduction of, well, normality. Moffat was a notoriously bad writer of families and communities, something which RTD excelled at. This episode excelled in how it presented Sheffield, and also the families/motivations behind our new companions. Let's hope the momentum keeps up, if it does we'll have some great character moments on the way.

So overall, my opinion is positive (hence over 5 stars), but the episode is more of a decent prelude to something which /could/ be fantastic. Its no Rose, but it's definitely a huge improvement.

Meh

[danzorny · 5/10 · 7 October 2018]

Good camera work, good lighting, good sound design. Technically well made. However the characters felt a bit generic for me, hopefully they get a bit more fleshed out. Script was a bit meh, felt a little flat at times. Some good comedy bits but mostly dark stuff. Very obvious plot points and concequences.

Main question though, does it feel like doctor who? Honestly, not currently, but it is only the first episode.

How's Jodie? She's alrite. The other characters didn't stand out for me. I would've preferred one companion.

Overall just ok. While technically well made, the story didnt really do much for me.

What was that?

[nikolaussaager · 9/10 · 7 October 2018]

The acting was fine, the cinematography was good, but the script?! Awful. The story was boring and lame and the villain was crap. I really hope the next episode is better.

Solid for introducing a new doctor and a whole new team

[lemoche · 7/10 · 7 October 2018]

Not the best episode I have seen, if this was in the middle of season I might tend more to a 7 maybe, but as it's a new doctor and new companies I think I it's ok to give them some time to grow together. I mean, of course the characters are not fleshed out yet, but I see potential. I also like Jodie's doctor... I like her accent and her quirkiness is something fresh again after capaldi's grumpiness, but we will see how this developes further. I'll admit that the monster was a bit generic, but I'd rather don't have an overbearing entity in an episode which mostly is there for introducing new characters. But i really hope we see something better in the rest of the season.

This was an episode 5 or 6.

[Kfaust926 · 5/10 · 7 October 2018]

An episode you'd expect mid season. Basic evil alien story that reminded me of a Predator movie. Would have worked fine if most of the episode was devoted to getting the new Doctor established. But not enough time introducing the new Doctor. And too much time introducing other characters. And when the Doctor was doing something, she was more like Macgyver. A new Doctor deserves a much better kick off.

Have the people rating beneath 5 even seen this episode?

[p-56587-18890 · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

I think this was a fantastic start for the 13th doctor. An exiting story, good acting and great writing. I'm just astonished that there are people thinking this was a bad episode. No offence, but these people are either idiots, daleks or not a real doctor who fan.

The doctor is now a (fill-in-the-blank)

[UNOhwen · 7 October 2018]

How does one know something's past its time; when one can do Mad Libs; The sidekick is a (adj) (noun), who is (verb) which makes everything (adj). This makes everything so 'new', because having a(bother) (white male) is ((adverb).

Nothing against Ms Whitaker, not yet another else. This is just... tired.

Maybe - as sometime else (did correctly) say - this would be better had it been not the first, but a later episode. As it is, we don't have time machines, so we excited stuck with what we got.

I think Peter Capaldi got shafted. His iteration of the Doctor was dark, and perhaps that's not good for the kiddy-winkies, but, as an adult, I wanted to see more

The Woman Who Fell on to Our Telly

[Eve_Whyman · 7/10 · 7 October 2018]

Ignore the poor reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if these 'critics' hadn't even watched the episode. Now don't get me wrong, I was dubious about a female Doctor, it was a role we all knew to well and we all hate change but my god has Jodie Whittaker delivered. Put simply the Doctor screams energy and madness, you never quite get where he's (Now she's) going with their train of thought or plan or adventure and we love it and Jodie has embodied the character so well. It's not the same, you can't expect to be with a new cast, new writers and a new time slot it's all been thrown into wack but I guarantee it won't be long because this wonderful programme is situated back into it's rightful spot in our nation's hearts (9/10 because I didn't like how Grace died sorry)

10/10

[benmil2505 · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

Great first episode....great acting, didn't feel like a kids show. A little bit dark in places, but that's excellent! Theme music was spot on too! Can't wait for the rest of the series!

The Woman Who Fell to Earth

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 7 October 2018]

It's The End And The Moment Has Been prepared for.... When John Nathan Turner teased a female Doctor far back in 1981. It seemed like a fanciful idea back then.

Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon. A 40.1% viewing share for The Woman Who Fell to Earth. A higher viewing share than Capaldi, Smith or Tennant's debut episode.

When a female Doctor was revealed back in July 2017, I admit I was initially hesitant and then about 30 minutes later I was all for it.

We watched Jodie Whittaker's debut episode as a family. My kids were raring to see a female Doctor in action.

Debut stories can easily be a miss. New showrunner Chris Chibnall made an early television appearance as a 16 year old teenager on the BBC program Open Air back in 1987, telling the writers of Time and the Rani how awful it was. I will not personally blame Pip & Jane Baker who were drafted in at the last minute to write Sylvester McCoy's debut story. Chibnall had a point and I agreed with the shabbiness of that first story.

Three decades later and Chibnall has put himself in the firing line. This opener was fast paced. It introduced three new companions and a new Doctor still going through post regeneration trauma without her Tardis.

Set in Sheffield the new Doctor investigates an alien incursion on a train carriage. Acting as a bodyguard who has just dropped in to the stranded passengers who have been implanted with an explosive.

The alien is a predator, on the hunt to prove himself as a leader of his people. The new Doctor exposes him as a toothless cheat but needs to use some wily tricks to send him back to his planet empty handed.

Like Russell T Davies, Chibnall goes for a simple story at a breakneck speed. Sheffield looks amazing and everyone gels together well. The new theme tune goes back to the Delia Derbyshire arrangement with a modern twist.

Fantastic!

[littleredjuno · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

Wow! Feels like the old Doctor Who. Everything that has been missing

Ah what it could have been...

[hen-9 · 6/10 · 7 October 2018]

On the surface, overall not bad. However, either or both the director and editor are terrible. I get that the idea isn't generic DW, but what they have chosen as a replacement 'style' is generic Casualty. Generic cuts and angles you'd expect from a film student. Very poor choice of some performances that either leave you feeling the editor wasn't supervised or the director didn't do more than one take on the day all of those actors have more range than they were allowed to show Not because the characterisation wasn't there but because the director wasn't capable of getting it That usually happens due one of four reasons... You're George Lucas and actors are an obstacle to the story you want to tell; your budget is so small, one or two takes its all you can afford; you don't actually understand or respect the material you're working on; someone else is putting together the final cut without you. Thankfully, you can mostly see the intention behind the poor execution, so I remain optimistic for the rest of the doors. Not so much for this director's other project His Dark Materials... I was hopeful for that until I saw this.

Not as bad as I'd expected... but still pretty bad

[pppppppppppppppsomanyppppppeees · 5/10 · 24 December 2020]

The most noticeable thing about this era (judging from the ep alone) is the shift in tone. Gone is the whimsical Harry-potter-esque fairy tale look Moffat brought to the show, as is the feel-good light hearted nature. Now it is gritty and dark and lacking any sort of comedy (although there are some shoddy attempts at humour). Now it reminds me of the show 'Dark' mixed with a procedural like "Cracker" perhaps, although nowhere near it's quality. Maybe 'The Bill' then.

Being the first female doctor Jodie Whittaker has a lot on her shoulders and she almost pulls it off. Unfortunately there are too many people to focus on for any to be properly developed.

As for the heavy handed liberal themes a lot of people have mentioned, I'd say other than the doctor being a woman and the rest of the cast multiracial, these themes seem less forced than they were in much of Capaldi's run (having said that, it does open with a mixed race couple teaching their disabled 19 year old son how to ride a bike, but to call them out for that would be nitpicking. Bear in mind not too long after this Chibnall will retcon the entire mythology of the Doctor in the timeless Child, much to many's ire, and for good reason) Overall I'd say it's lost some of its charm, but to some the shift in tone will be refreshing.

Incredible

[themomenttheory · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

That was absolutely incredible. Jodie will be such a fantastic doctor and it was just all round amazing from start to finish!

Am I watching Doctor Who...?

[philneil · 6/10 · 15 October 2018]

... is the question I always ask myself after each regeneration.

When this series was rebooted (so-to-speak), with Christopher Eccleston as the titular hero, I was engaged once more in this time-travelling, dimension shift drama.

I absolutely love the direction this show has travelled, with Tennant, Smith, and Capaldi all answering my initial question - 'Am I watching Doctor Who?'

So with Whittaker now at the forefront of this iconic show, I ask myself the same question...

and the answer is absolutely a 'yes'!

She has masterfully made the role her own without the pitfalls it can bring. By that, I mean becoming a whole new character, plonked within a beloved series.

Despite the writing being sub-par, the new Doctor has still manged to harmonize to the show's core atmosphere, theme and ethos.

Wow...what the Hell happened?

[fredwmeyer2 · 2/10 · 31 January 2020]

This is the worst "new Doctor" episode in the series run. Lackluster villian, minimal focus on the Doctor, and no stakes whatsoever.

The focus was more on the companions than the Doctor. Matt Smith's first was so much better than this. So was Capaldi's, Tennant's, Eccleston's, Pertwee's, Troughton's, Baker's (both of them), and even McCoy's. Heck, itmade Castrovalva look strong.