Who Review: Orphan 55

The TARDIS crew want a break, some time away from the perils of life with the Doctor. Responding to an advertisement, the crew end up at Tranquility Spa, a seemingly idyllic oasis with a luxurious pool and a stunning view. But, of course, all is not as it seems. The view from Tranquility Spa is an illusion created by an ionic membrane that is protecting the facility. But that ionic membrane has been breached, and something is attacking the guests. A linen cupboard that turns out to be a security room and armory becomes their safe room… for now. Somehow the Doctor and friends must find a way to protect the guests and fend off the enemy at the door. And even there, a shocking discovery awaits them…

SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those who haven’t seen the episode. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!

Last time, the Doctor’s “fam” (i.e., companions) were grilling her over her backstory. The Doctor was somewhat open, but definitely a little cagey with regard to showing them Gallifrey. This we can understand given the revelation she received from The Master. She’s still processing this herself. Her sullen mood, plus all their recent adventures, have become too much for Ryan, Yaz, and Graham. They want a break. A vacation. The vacation-turned-adventure is not a new premise for Who–see “The Romans,” “Death to the Daleks,” “The Leisure Hive,” and “Paradise Towers” to name a few.

This story starts out well. I was a little confused by Hyph3n, their customer host at Tranquility Spa. Was she supposed to be a hybrid animal-human, or was she in a costume? Given the higher production values of New Who, I thought it had to be a Tranquility Towers host costume. She looked like she’d just walked off the stage from a production of “Cats” (the 1980s version, not the 2019 CGI movie version). But she never took off her “hat” or detached her tail, so I remain uncomfortably uncertain.

Hyph3n’s costume aside, there was a lot to like about the first half of this story. Ryan’s encounter with a Hopper virus, which seemed incidental when it happened, proved to be important at the end. Things like that make for satisfying storytelling, so well done there! Also the stakes are very high, everyone’s life is on the line, and there are few options for the Doctor and friends to get out alive. Again, this makes for great drama and edge-of-the-seat (or behind-the-sofa) television.

And then it fell apart.

There were a few things in that first half that made me roll my eyes, but I set aside judgment in the hope that these would turn out to be minor niggles and not foreshadowings. The first was the use of the “stupid father-smart kid” trope with Nevi and Silas, the green-haired mechanic and his precocious son. I’ve seen this so often in Disney Channel sitcoms it’s become boring and hugely annoying. Yes, there are stupid Dads with clever kids. But when this tired trope serves no purpose to the narrative (and here it didn’t) other than supposedly make kids feel empowered, I find it annoying. Kids don’t need to be better than their parents to feel empowered. This is blatant pandering to the audience.

The second was the fact that the women were the ones who drove the narrative. They led the charge against the creatures, they sacrificed, they came up with the plans, they solved the problems (except for the boy who fixed the transporter–*eye roll*) and the men were along for the ride. As I said with the last story, I have no problem with strong female characters and women doing heroic things. But this is not the 1970s. This is not new, different, or interesting. It comes across, again, as pandering. Letting a social agenda dictate the story.

And this is where the whole thing really collapsed for me. About two-thirds in, it became clear that my worst fears were about to be confirmed. Those minor niggles were, indeed, just foreshadowings.

So, it turns out Orphan 55 is actually Earth in the future devastated by global climate change and nuclear war. Of course, Yaz figured this out just after the Doctor (Ryan or Graham couldn’t have figured it out because… well…). And the creatures, the Dregs that had killed people at the Spa and were chasing them? They are mutated humans, survivors of the nuclear war. Yes, this is what becomes of planet Earth if people don’t eliminate fossil fuels, get rid of their nuclear weapons, and learn to get along.

Once they escape the planet, the team arrive back on the TARDIS with Ryan, Graham, and Yaz shaken by the experience. But the Doctor reassures them that this is not a fixed future, just a possible future. People can change their ways and prevent this from happening. The Doctor becomes The Pastor and preaches a warning to us that we–yes us, the people in Yaz, Graham, and Ryan’s time–need to stop arguing about the washing up while the house is burning down. “Unless people face facts and change, catastrophe is coming,” she says. But it’s not fixed. It depends upon “billions of decisions and actions and people stepping up.” And the parting shot? “Be the best of humanity, or…” then cut to a Dreg.

So that’s what this whole episode was about. It was a call to action on climate change. Whatever was good about the story evaporated into a political screed that Greta Thunberg would have been proud of. In fact, I half expected The Doctor to shout “How dare you!” into the camera.

It doesn’t really matter what your views are on climate change, the fact is this is the worst kind of storytelling, where political or social activism take over and turn what could have been a good story into a campaign commercial. Doctor Who has a long history of weaving social and political messages into stories. But story ALWAYS came first. And the message was always presented as something woven into the plot to make you think, not an in-your-face sermon.

I suggest Chibbers take time out and watch some Classic Who stories like “Inferno,” “The Curse of Peladon,” “The Mutants,” “The Monster of Peladon,” “The Green Death,” “The Sun Makers,” and “Vengeance on Varos.” Each of these has a message, and some of the writers had very strong political views. But their primary mandate was always to tell a good story, one that didn’t depend upon the message to hold and entertain an audience.

“Orphan 55” failed at this. Big time.

Has this dashed my hopes that Chibbers will deliver some classic Who stories? Not entirely. There are still seven more episodes in the season. But I’m not optimistic that I’ll change my view. Perhaps it is time for The Doctor to park her TARDIS for a few years. Five or ten should do the trick. Come on, Chibbers–prove me wrong!

If you watched the episode, what did you think? Am I being too harsh or too kind? Share your thoughts in the comments.