In Review: Doctor Who (S2 – EP1) Lucky Day

Synopsis: In Lucky Day, Ruby faces life on Earth without the Doctor. But when a dangerous conspiracy theorist begins to undermine UNIT’s efforts to protect the planet, everything she’s worked for is put at risk.

The Story

While using his equipment to try and get his new companion, Belinda Chandra, home, the Doctor lands them in London on New Year’s Eve in 2007. There, they meet a young boy named Conrad. Finding a fifty pence piece and declaring it a “lucky day,” the Doctor gives Conrad the coin before quickly moving on. The story then jumps forward to 2024, shortly after the Doctor has left Ruby Sunday to settle into her new life. Now a young man, Conrad has convinced Ruby to be interviewed on his podcast about the Doctor and his mysterious Blue Box. The two hit it off and begin dating, but during one of their dates, Ruby reveals to Conrad that he’s been marked as a target by an interdimensional predatory alien known as The Shreek. She gives him an antidote that will stop The Shreek from getting him. We can only assume that the Doctor provided Ruby with the antidote at some point off-screen, as there’s no way she could have known Conrad was targeted otherwise.

As the story progresses, Conrad and Ruby grow closer. On a date with some of Conrad’s friends in the countryside, the lights begin to flicker, and it’s clear that The Shreek is hunting near the pub where Conrad and Ruby are enjoying their evening. Concerned, Ruby calls UNIT and speaks with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, who expresses concern for Ruby’s mental health but asks if she should send a team. At first, Ruby dismisses it as paranoia, but things escalate, and UNIT is forced to intervene.

When UNIT arrives, it’s revealed that the Shreek attack is a hoax orchestrated by Conrad and his group of conspiracy theorists, who call themselves “Think Tank.” Conrad is streaming the entire thing on social media, using it to discredit Ruby’s experiences with the Doctor and undermine UNIT’s credibility. Naturally, UNIT arrests Conrad and his group, but they manage to get out of jail and continue to be a thorn in UNIT’s side.

Facing the threat of being defunded by the UK Government due to Conrad’s actions, things take a darker turn. Not content with that, Conrad endangers UNIT’s members by posting their home addresses online. Pushing his luck even further, he uses a contact on the inside to break into UNIT. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Ruby have had enough of Conrad. To teach him a lesson, they release a Shreek they’ve had in captivity to show Conrad just how real the alien threats they defend against are.

By the end of the episode, Conrad is rightfully incarcerated for his crimes. However, in a twist, the warden of the prison where he’s being held turns out to be the mysterious Mrs. Flood.

The Acting

Lucky Day features some really strong performances throughout. It was great to see the return of Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Jonah Hauer-King is deliciously manipulative and nasty as Conrad, who turns out to be a genuinely dangerous character—one who highlights the dangers of believing everything we see and hear online. The scene where Conrad essentially bins Ruby off is especially impactful, instantly making you dislike him and root for Ruby and UNIT.

Of course, it was brilliant to see Jemma Redgrave back as UNIT’s head, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, and to see her relationship with Ruby develop a little further. I especially enjoyed the joke at the end where Ruth Madeley’s UNIT advisor teases Ruby by asking if she’s collecting mother figures.

Overall

Lucky Day was a fun-filled, Doctor-lite episode that offers a glimpse into what life might be like for a former companion shortly after their adventures with the Time Lord have come to an end. Conrad was an entertaining character and very clearly an on-the-nose allegory for internet conspiracy theorists like David Icke and Alex Jones. In short, the episode holds a mirror up to the times we’re living in and reflects them right back at us.

Overall, it’s a fun episode that also sows a few seeds for the rest of the series, with strong hints that Conrad will be making a return later on.