While on a hunt in the middle of a junk planet, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh), and Ryan (Tosin Cole) are injured and stranded on a ship where they must work together with strangers to escape an unusual and extremely dangerous alien.

Other than the opening, the episode is pretty much a bottle episode, at least in regards to sets, and there are only six guest cast members (the effects are still spot on, and the alien is as spectacular as it is surprising). However, this made no difference, as the whole episode taking place on the ship gave a more claustrophobic and thrilling feel as the team is running out of time to escape from danger.

Day two of the Midnight, Texas press day started out similar to the day before. The other journalists and I met at the hotel and were picked up and driven to Stage 9 at Albuquerque Studios. Stage 9 would once again be our base camp, at least for the start of the day.

First up were the round table interviews. First to our table was François Arnaud, who plays the character of Manfred Bernardo in the show.

One of the things Arnaud discussed is how the series will be a bit different this season because of the new showrunners and teased a bit of what’s to come. “I think the writers this season really expanded the mythology. I mean, I’m really surprised at how ambitious it became. It really departs from the book. It’s still relationship centered, but it departs from the soapy dynamics of the couples. By the end of the second season, we physically move into other realms, and it’s surprising to read at first, but it all makes sense. They tie up loose ends, and by the end of the season, the world that the writers managed to create with the show goes well beyond Midnight and well beyond the physical world as we know it. It’s very cool.”

Halloween is fast approaching, and tonight’s episode of Doctor Who fits right in. The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) returns her friends home to their own time, but when they visit Yaz (Mandip Gill)’s family, they find things not as they left it, with the arachnid population in Sheffield stirring - and growing. Giant spiders, just in time for Halloween.

The episode guest stars Chris Noth and Shona Gulati.

On tonight’s episode of Doctor Who, the TARDIS has a mind of her own and brings the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her friends to Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, where they encounter the seamstress Rosa Parks (Vinette Robinson). They quickly realize it’s the day before that fateful day when she refuses to give up her seat on the bus and changes history. But can they preserve that history?

This week, the Doctor is all in and knows who she is. This time, to me, she really feels at home. She has become the new Doctor, her own version, and it feels like a normal episode of the series now, not like she’s just testing the waters.

Her interactions with the companions were once again enjoyable, and I really felt her sympathy for what they were facing in the episode. The Doctor is always about fairness and equality.

The first of the round table interviews on 9/12 during SciFi Vision’s Midnight, Texas set visit in Albuquerque was with Nestor Cabonell, who plays the character of Kai Lucero, a healer, who moves to Midnight in season two with his wife, Patience (Jaime Ray Newman). The two, who build a hotel and spa next to Home Cookin’, are greeted with suspicion by the other Midnighters.

Carbonell took time to tell us about his character and working on Midnight, Texas this season.

**Following the review is a detailed recap of the episode, including quotes. Note that there are many spoilers for episode 11.02 in both the review and recap, so please don’t read any further until you’ve watched it. You can also check out my recent spoiler-free review if you prefer**

While first episode was more of an introduction about getting to know the new Doctor as she remembers who she is, I feel the second episode to some extent is along the same lines, but it’s about her finding her TARDIS, which is an extension of her character. You do get more of a feel for the new character, but I think it may take another episode to really see her in her element. That being said, I continue to like Jodie Whittaker more and more as the show progresses.

The companions are becoming more fleshed out as well, especially Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh), as we get more into their relationship and continue to see Graham wanting to be closer to Ryan. I also like a lot of quotes from Graham, because many of his comments are what the audience would be thinking.

**This is a spoiler-free preview review, for my full reaction, stay tuned for the post mortem after the episode tonight**

Doctor Who – 11.02 – The Ghost Monument

Once again, out of the gate, Doctor Who starts with all systems go. The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Graham (Bradley Walsh), and Yaz (Mandip Gill) quickly find themselves stranded on an unknown planet with a hostile alien environment, with the only other two lifeforms around desperate to get off and not eager to help. However, they quickly discover they must all join forces if they want to get out alive.

**Below is a detailed recap of the episodes, including quotes and spoilers. You can also check out my recent review.**

Doctor Who - 11.01 - “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”

The episode opens with Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole) recording a video on YouTube about the greatest person he ever met. He continues by saying that he’s not an idiot, he is capable, even though he’s nineteen, and because of the thing he’s talked about before, he can’t yet ride a bike.

The scene switches to Grace O’Brien (Sharon D. Clarke), Ryan’s grandmother, and her husband Graham (Bradley Walsh), trying to help him learn to ride. After falling and becoming frustrated, he throws the bike over the cliff, to the disappointment of his nan. They want him to not give up. They send him to retrieve the bike and tell him to meet them on the train.

Doctor Who - 11.01 - "The Woman  Who Fell to Earth"

*Contains spoilers for 11.01*

Before going into the premiere, I knew the episode would be different: new Doctor, new showrunner - a new start. I have to admit, I’d been hesitant about how the show would feel with a female Doctor. I trusted the writers, and I already knew that Jodie Whittaker is an outstanding actress by her work on Broadchurch, among other projects, but as a super fan of the show, I was still afraid of change. Don’t get me wrong, the idea to me of a female Doctor was fantastic and empowering, but could she fill the shoes of those before her?

The television series, The Gifted, is set within Marvel’s X-Men universe, but in an alternate timeline where the X-Men have left. In the series, the government is trying to eradicate all mutants.

The story starts in Atlanta, Georgia, when Clarice Fong (Jamie Chung), known as Blink, a mutant with teleporting abilities, escapes from prison. After being tracked by John Proudstar/Thunderbird (Blair Redford), she is brought by his group to the mutant underground, where they run a safe haven for mutants.

Meanwhile, mutant Lorna Dane/Polaris (Emma Dumont), is captured by the anti-mutant Sentinel Services and sent to prison, where a collar is put around her neck to suppress her abilities. She is seen by district attorney Reed Strucker (Stephen Moyer), who offers her a reduced sentence if she gives up information on the underground movement. She does not.