Space Babies, Broken Exposition

Well, simply put, my answer is a semi-no. The start of the episode serves this magical purpose of showing that the Doctor and the TARDIS can go anywhere, anytime, so it’s clear that this idea was at the forefront in the episode’s conception. However, the whole thing lacks a bit of imagination, and the choice of the first adventure may not have been the best, even though the theme itself is quite clever.

The Doctor shows Ruby that the TARDIS travels through time and space by taking her... to the age of dinosaurs. Wow. Original for a time machine. The idea is obvious and effective, but if you’re going to put the actors in front of a green screen, you might as well change it two or three times to show the range of possible journeys before landing into the main adventure.

And the main adventure takes place on a stationary spaceship in orbit, with babies and in dark corridors. Everything is relatively well done with a few exceptions, but it’s a choice that somewhat limits the imagination of the series. Again, as in the previous episode, the narrative staging is pretty poor. As a comparison—though it’s unfair in terms of analysis—the episode where Rose travels for the first time takes her to a ship with dozens of different aliens. That alone shows the series’ potential, even though it also took place on a single immobile ship (well, a station, but still).

Next, the entire aesthetic of the episode revolves around a concept that’s pretty neat in itself, but whose execution may not appeal to everyone. Basically, the babies created by a “baby farm” on a spaceship are afraid of a monster living in the basement—a monster the ship created because children need fiction, especially things to be frightened by. Okay, fair enough, but then... why didn’t the ship create other things that babies need in terms of stories? This aspect isn’t very clear. Still, I’ll let it slide because it’s evident the episode is also trying to showcase the basic concept of Doctor Who: the Doctor saves people from an misunderstood and mysterious monster in tight corridors.

The staging is decent but nothing more. Unfortunately, there are visual effects with camera movements and quick editing around the monster that feel a bit dated at the time of the episode’s release. All the inspirations from Alien are digested and reused more or less as is, but it’s effective. The little mysteries throughout the plot are introduced well, and you get caught up in the story. It’s over the top, but it’s Doctor Who at its core. Maybe it’s the exaggerated reactions of the characters that make it hard for me to take the episode seriously.

A major downside in the episode is the beginning, where the Doctor explains the whole concept of the show. It’s told in such a heavy-handed way and honestly, it’s not pleasant dialogue for the actor to deliver. Instead of choosing to show things and let Ruby discover them through visually entertaining landscapes and adventures, the series has opted ever since the previous episode to convey everything through ultra-explanatory lines. It’s quite surprising, but again, it feels like those in charge are afraid it won’t be clear enough for new viewers. It’s just like with kids—they don’t need fart jokes to laugh; the audience can manage just fine without being treated like idiots.

So that’s my general analysis. It’s an episode that doesn’t excite me, and I wouldn’t necessarily have placed it here in the season. But the little twists are nicely delivered, and it’s enjoyable to see the Fifteenth Doctor gradually take on the role.

Here, for those interested, is a more detailed breakdown of the episode with my personal feelings and reflections. COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF SPACE BABIES