Doctor Who Review: Kerblam (Season 11 Episode 7)
We can now add bubble wrap to the list of things that Doctor Who has made scary! Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 7, “Kerblam,” is an adventure that builds a world and finally gives the companions equal footing.
The episode opens with Team Tardis trying to outrun a teleport beam with a package for The Doctor. It’s kind of fitting that a package carrying a fez starts this adventure off because the last time The Doctor was this excited about getting mail it was Eleven and he led them to the planet that drained the Tardis’ soul.
I am starting to think that The Doctor should make it a point to scan her mail with a sonic screwdriver from here on out.
The Doctor fangirling over the Kerblam Man is charming. It’s almost like she loses her childhood hero when she has to blow the robots up in order to save the customers.
As thrilling it may be to get a teleportation bot sent to your home, Kerblam is all about branding, and likable characters help with that. (I’m personally thinking about a certain goose.)
The package also has a note asking for help, which leads The Doctor to the largest retailer in the galaxy: Kerblam. The premise of the company is very wish-fulfillment-y of the online shopping age. It’s a company that can deliver anything quickly which buys into the human need for instant gratification.
“Kerblam” is the episode that I’ve been waiting for. Remember when I asked that they stop telling us about things like “dead-eyed turtle” armies and actually show us? “Kerblam” is what I meant.
It really builds a new world and constructs a scenario that gives the companions each their moment to shine. Each companion has their own moment in the hijinks and it works.
While the doctor and Kerblam version 1.0 ultimately save the day, they are only able to do so with the unique expertise and observations from her companions.
The way we are introduced to Kerblam gives us a chance to delve into the world and see how it functions. It’s fitting because, in a system like this, I imagine that tasks are mechanical in nature, and the “teammates” commentary on efficiency solidified that.
But, much like how Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 6, “Demons of the Punjab,” helped flesh out Yaz’s background a little, “Kerblam,” gives us a chance to see more of Ryan’s talents.
It helps that we see Ryan in an environment he’s familiar with, and his knowledge of how a warehouse works is helpful in solving the mysterious case.
RYAN: Halfway across the universe and I feel like I’m back at work.
Ryan’s coordination disorder also comes up in this episode when he, Charlie, and Yaz jump down the dispatch chute. The sequence leads to some intriguing CGI work as the imagined delivery system carries three people along conveyor belts meant for parcels.
And then we get to the bubble wrap twist. Doctor Who has managed to ruin the childhood joy of popping bubble wrap by turning it into a weapon. A twist that is ingenious and so very simple compared to the surveillance state that is the Kerblam warehouse.
It’s almost impressive that he managed to pull it off, and scary at the same time. His crush on Kira is a nice touch and it made her death a little more heart-wrenching, but at the same time, the story didn’t overshadow the conspiracy at large.
These are the kinds of adventures that Doctor Who is known for and the kind of episode that I can get lost in.
Stray Thoughts:
- Jodie Whittaker can pull off a Fez.
- Funny coincidence, this morning I just unwrapped something in several feet of bubble wrap, but I didn’t pop it, and I probably never will now.
- So, if the packages are dispatched by robots in transport beams then how are there still postal workers? Wouldn’t ten percent of the dispatch workers have to be humans too?
- Can we please get some more scenes with Yaz and Ryan together? I feel like we get a lot of Graham being the wise old Uncle, but we don’t really get to see Yaz and Ryan together.
What did you think of this episode of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Doctor Who airs Sundays at 8/7c on BBC America.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.