Doctor Who Review: Praxeus (Season 12 Episode 6)

The enemy is plastic on Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 6, “Praxeus.” Well, plastics and a virus, but mostly plastics. 

Overall this episode is alright. It opens with the Doctor and her fam investigating those strange readings on three continents. The divide and conquer approach allows the companions to finally take an active role and help solve a crisis. It has a lot of confidence in the audience to be able to pick up on what’s going on, and that level of trust is something that this series should lean into more. 

We get some good character building when it comes to Ryan, and his rapport with Gabriela is interesting to watch. It does still feel like the writers are turning him into a Kirk-like figure where he romances the ladies. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I do think that revolving door might get old.

Since they were in the present, and Gabriela is an interesting character, I wouldn’t be against her returning at some point. She was a funny and quirky character and the Two Girls Roaming vlog was an interesting way in but wasn’t too annoying.

However, when I imagine the vlogs that would occur if she was to join the merry band in the Tardis, I can’t help be imagine Peter Capaldi’s reaction when a student put photos of the moon and him online. Fair bets the Doctor would be confiscating that camera the second she figures out what a vlog is. 

I did love how the fam kept saying that they were out of touch with popular culture since I imagine traveling with the Doctor is a lot more entertaining than YouTube.

The story between Adam and Jake is interesting too, but it also feels a little cluttered with so many peripheral characters. Arguably, Adam was the most important factor in the whole episode, but the fact that there are so many voices competing makes it hard to focus on what’s happening to him alone. 

Even the moment when Jake saves the world feels swallowed by the rapid succession of events. 

Despite all the background noise, the Doctor is still at the center of it all. The premise of this episode after Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 5, “Fugitive of the Judoon,” is to get the Doctor out of her head. It accomplishes that, but it also returns to the preachy and very on-the-nose messaging we’ve come to expect from this era of the Doctor. 

That’s not to say that this story is unimportant because microplastics are an issue, and science fiction does have a history of confronting these problems head-on. It is a little less preachy than Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 3, “Orphan 55,” but it still stands out enough that it feels like this is the only takeaway I should leave the episode with.

Perhaps that’s a good thing, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of a story. 

Overall, the vehicle and method used to deploy the twist and get to the root of the problem is pretty well crafted. The virus that the Doctor is tracking has a very scary progression and the exploding people covered in spikes is not exactly a gentle goodnight.

The fact that it made the birds attack people reminded me a little bit of Hitchcock’s The Birds, but I would argue that this is scarier.

The twist, that Suki is actually an alien who has purposely infected Earth was a well-earned surprise. The episode isn’t afraid to lull us into a false sense of security and that’s one of its strengths, but it is also relentless with its pacing and eats plot like a kid with Halloween candy.

One of the biggest regrets I have from this episode is that Suki didn’t make it out alive. I am honestly curious to see how the Doctor would have dealt with her after the actions she took. It feels like she had to die to serve the story, but it also seems like an easy way out.

In the middle of it all, it’s hard to shake the feeling that there’s something off with Yaz. I keep thinking that the Kasavan must have done something to her during Doctor Who Season 12 Episode 1, “Spyfall: Part 1.” It felt like the writers were setting up for something then but it was never paid off.

Now I am wondering if everything will be connected in some way as they amp up to some of the mysteries they’ve been building to. 

Overall, “Praxeus” feels cluttered and rushed.

This plot could have used more space to breathe, a gentler delivery, and perhaps a slower burn after initially letting the audience dive in.  

While the episode has good pacing and actually puts the companions into action, it ultimately feels like another standalone episode, and it doesn’t feel like those good qualities will be carried through. 

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Doctor Who airs Sundays at 8/7c on BBC America.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

33 Female TV Characters Killing it in S.T.E.M.