Just as we were digesting the previous episode’s weirdness. We have to come face to face with another mind-bending episode of Doctor Who. This could very well have been a Black Mirror episode actually. Finetime has a Dot and Bubble concept which is an AI social media where a character called Lindy is in danger of being harmed by this AI Dot. Ruby and the Doctor want to save her but she clearly doesn’t want to take the Doctor’s help in escaping because, well he is Black (more on that later). Lindy has a friend called Ricky September, who has read history (more on that later too) and pays the price for it. Let’s get to the ending of the episode then
‘Doctor Who Dot and Bubble’ Ending Explained
The Doctor tells Lindy that the AI has achieved sentience and is out to harm Lindy. Lindy and Ricky fight off the dot but Lindy selfishly reveals Ricky’s real name to the Dot and the Dot kills him. Lindy escapes and lies to the Doctor and Ruby about Ricky’s whereabouts. Now, the next scene is what makes the end have many meanings. When the Doctor and Ruby meet Ricky she doesn’t thank them properly and her behavior can be summarized in only one word. Racism. She considers this an obligation for the Doctor to save Lindy, in the way of slavery. Lindy says “You were kind, but that was your duty to save me”. We know where that’s going.
Even when the Doctor offers to take the entire survivors of Finetime with him on Tardis, they refuse because the world isn’t willing to travel with a Black man even if that means extinction. Ricky was different though, he dared to read the history and knew that the Doctor was there to help. He claims to have read history which clearly isn’t the norm in Finetime and probably that’s what ultimately leads to its downfall. Lindy says “You Sir, aren’t one of us”. The profound messaging here is about a non-inclusive world scripting it’s own demise. This episode deals with many things together. AI, social media, and racism. This also in a way justifies Ncuti Gatwa’s casting as the Doctor because lets be honest, there’s been a lot of criticism about him playing the role and in a way, the apparent racism just tells us why there is a need for representation. The end is a little heartbreaking and leaves you with a slightly bad taste in your mouth.
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