Doctor Who - s14e06 - Rogue

While deciding to adventure in 1813 at a royal ball, the Doctor and Ruby decide to appear to enjoy dancing. Ruby gets to use psychic earrings so that she doesnt miss a beat while dancing. The psychic earrings experience sonar interference which is quite odd in 1831 and the Doctor uses this as a trail leading him to a mysterious brooding figure who goes by the name of Rogue. Rogue and the Doctor go on a walk outside and find a dead body, using his sonic screwdriver to analyze the body, the Doctor in a sense shows off. Rogue sees the non-human technology and misidentifies the Doctor as a Chaldur, a shapeshifter who preys on drama, intrigue and cosplaying for fun. 

This episode has the Doctor battling a shapeshifter species called the Chaldur. In choosing their victims for shapeshifting, the Chaldur essentially kills them and then assumes their form. The more drama and intrigue the person has, the more the Chaldur can't resist preying. After capturing the Doctor and threatening to transport him to a prison, the Doctor eventually convinces Rogue that he is not a Chaldur and is much more powerful, wiser and older. He and Rogue devise a plan to catch the Chaldur, not realizing there are five of them rather than just one. The Chaldur decide to try to mimic Ruby and the Doctor, a scene shows Ruby about to be consumed by the Chaldur before it fades to black. The Doctor captures all the Chaldur and the Ruby imposter, however in a twist the Ruby imposter turns out to actually be Ruby as she made use of her psychic earrings to fight off the Chaldur.

In a valiant display of self-sacrifice, Rogue steps into the trap and pushes Ruby out then activates the teleport, telling the Doctor to find him. The show ends with it appearing that the heartbroken Doctor will not even bother to look for him.

Analysis

Six episodes into the season and I have no problems accepting Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. For every new actor that plays the doctor, by mid-season he/she should be in full form and he definitely is. The flirting with bisexuality is over and he is full on showing his "woke"side by snogging and kissing Rogue. 

Granted that he does not know Rogue that well, it is weird the Doctor would just give up on someone so easily, as he destroyed a star and used its energy just to communicate with her in the past.

Best line of the episode

Do you ever wonder why keep going? Because we have to, we have to live every each day because they cant.

Interesting characters

• Doctor Who - Shows the queer side of his character by hooking up with Rogue.
• Ruby Sunday - birth date of Christmas Eve. Shows her ingenuity in a dicey situation by making use of the psychic earrings to survive. She also 
• Rogue - a human bounty hunter, who strangely reminds me of Jack Harkness. I wonder how this Doctor would react to Jack. Rogue seems like a genuinely good person who self-sacrifices for the Doctor.
  

Royalty in this episode

Lord Barton, Lord Galpin, Duchess of Pemberton, Emily Beckett, Lady Ruby Sunday of the Notting Hill Estate

Lingering Mysteries and unanswered questions

• They are still using the term Mavity, will this be a gag that runs all season but then becomes important in the final episodes?
• Will the wonder of Ruby Sunday's parents be a theme in the show and perhaps spawn episodes dedicated to it?
• Who is the lady who jokes about never seeing a Tardis before in the preseason show?
• Who is the boss that the Meep mentioned in the first episode of the 60th anniversary show?
• Who is the one player that the toymaker dares not challenege?
• What legions are coming that the toymaker refers to?
• Will we see the Master again this season?
• The Doctor and Ruby were able to think their thoughts into existence. Was this the result of the parthenogenesis machine or something inherent to them?
• What is the significance of the Snow coming and staying still in mid air?
• Will we ever see Rogue again?