I Wasn't Enjoying Ncuti Gatwa's First Doctor Who Season Enough To Actually Finish It, But That New Season 2 Trailer Just Convinced Me To Go Back

Ncuti Gatwa panics as he floats through space in Doctor Who Season 2 promo art.
(Image credit: BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf)

No, you’re not hallucinating, readers. While Mick Joest is still very much CinemaBlend’s Doctor Who expert, I do remember a time when I was the biggest Who aficionado here. As a fellow fan, I'm aware of the return of the BBC’s legacy sci-fi adventure amid the 2025 TV schedule. Said footage has given us all a look at Ncuti Gatwa’s return to the TARDIS, which has probably revved up fans of Russell T. Davies’ once and future run steering the franchise.

It’s this very event that forces me to make a confession: even as a Doctor Who fan, I couldn’t bring myself to finish the first season that saw this landmark saga become a Disney+ subscription driver. Though it seems I'm going to have to rectify that now.

Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor in Doctor Who

(Image credit: The BBC)

Even After Falling Off The Doctor Who Bandwagon A While Back, Season 1 Disappointed Me

I remember a time when I had to struggle to find new Doctor Who episodes as they were airing in the UK. Gradually, through BBC America and home video releases, that access grew - and so did the show’s pop culture imprint. Ironically, the moment this series became the easiest to watch was when I found myself needing a break, as Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor headlined stories I wasn’t digging.

That’s not the Broadchurch alum’s fault though, as I continue to tell people in conversation that it’s rarely ever The Doctor’s fault a certain storyline isn’t working. Rather, it’s the writing that tends to be the problem, which is something I can totally acknowledge as someone who holds Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor as their favorite.

Even fan-favorite scribes like Steven Moffat can find themselves falling down on the job, as seen with most of Peter Capaldi’s run as the Twelfth Doctor. By time Chris Chibnall took over, I stayed on the bandwagon until the 60th anniversary specials - which were early signals of even more problems.

The Doctor on Doctor Who

(Image credit: Disney+)

Doctor Who's Season 1 Story Made Me Quit The Series Again

With the work of previous/current showrunner Russell T. Davies, I feel that everything past Season 4's Christmas special “Voyage of the Damned” was a mixed bag. (RIP Astrid Peth, you beautiful soul.) His new "reboot" era of Doctor Who only irritated me even more, and for the same key reason I stopped watching the show before.

While I adored Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, as well as his Companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), Season 1's primary story was not up to snuff. Yes, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” dropped a twist that was meant to feel like Professor Yana being revealed as The Master all over again. However, I couldn’t bring myself to watch the finale - or Steven Moffat’s Christmas special.

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Looking for all of time and space, but don't know where to start? The Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle is what you'll need to keep up with The Doctor and their (time) travels! With Nine through Thirteen available on Max, and all the current adventures streaming through Disney+, you can fill in knowledge gaps, revisit old favorites, and generally be, well, fantastic!

That last case was only because I’d need to watch Doctor Who’s Season 1 finale, “Empire of Death” (which left Who fans with questions) in order to clean my plate. I will say that for once, Davies beat Steven Moffat for my favorite episode of the season, as the impressive “Boom” was bested by “73 Yards.” (Though honorable mention goes to the end of "Dot and Bubble," which gave Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteen a quintessential Doctor moment.)

It wasn’t enough to make up for the psychic damage I’d incurred along the way, especially with a Beatles episode that was a total waste. But somehow the latest look at The Doctor's return and the debut of new Companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) is primed to hook me all over again.

Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu stand smiling in FIfteen's TARDIS for a Doctor Who Season 2 promo shoot.

(Image credit: BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf)

How Doctor Who’s Season 2 Trailer Has Lured Me Back In

As you can see, while I’m not as hard in the paint as I once was for all things Galifreyian, I’m not totally soured on The Doctor’s adventures. That much was proven to be true when watching that brand new trailer that accompanied the recent Doctor Who Season 2 title drops. You can watch the trailer for yourself below:

Two very big questions need to be asked, in the wake of the beautiful footage I’ve just witnessed: how did it take THIS LONG for Russell T. Davies to not only do a Eurovision parody, but also utilize Alan Cumming for a Doctor Who episode under his perview? I’ll gladly wait for answers to those queries, because this look at the road ahead is only made more entertaining by the use of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home,” which is exactly the Davies energy I enjoy.

What’s also encouraging is that Doctor Who’s showrunner is only writing the bookending installments that start and finish Season 2. The rest of Doctor Who’s latest is penned by other writers, with Steven Moffat’s “Joy To The World” being the official start. I may have been away from the fandom for a while, but even I remember that the Christmas Special is the functional beginning of any season.

Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa look horrified while dressed in 50s costumes in an episodic episode for Doctor Who Season 2.

(Image credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf)

That makes all the difference because, the more unique voices we get into any Doctor’s run, the better the chances are to find something that sticks. It’s what’s made previous seasons fun, as whenever names like Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss showed up on the screen, you knew you were in for some fun.

So, after this exciting trailer debut, I'm ready to give Doctor Who another shot. Whether you're in the same phone box, or are just continuing the journey, April 12th is the day we should all prepare for - as that's when The Doctor makes his next house call to us all.

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Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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