Lux

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In the second episode of ‘Doctor Who‘, Season 2, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his new companion, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), encountered a formidable new foe. Initially appearing as the innocuous two-dimensional character Mr. Ring-a-Ding, a cartoon figure brought to life, he was later unmasked as Lux, the Deity of Light. Lux assumed his physical form from a movie playing in a cinema. As he escaped the confines of the film, he had the power to imprison others within films, eventually transforming the Doctor and Belinda into cartoon characters themselves.

In this rephrased version, let’s say:

When they found themselves stuck within the confines of a TV show, the Doctor and Belinda devised an unconventional plan for escape – shattering the invisible boundary between reality and fiction. As they pushed through the wall concealing their captor Lux’s hideout, our intrepid heroes emerged from the screen into the lounge room of three ardent Doctor Who fans: Lizzie, Hassan, and Robyn.

Excited by the unexpected visitors, the Whovians regaled the Doctor and Belinda with tales of their favorite Doctor Who adventures. However, it soon became clear that these friends were yet another layer in Lux’s elaborate scheme. Ultimately, they discovered that the trio was merely a part of the trap itself.

However, by episode’s end, an unexpected twist revealed that Lizzie, Hassan, and Robyn had managed to survive amidst their Doctor Who-themed living room filled with collectibles.

An Older Version of the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver Made an Appearance

Among the three “Doctor Who” enthusiasts who graced “Lux” when the Doctor and Belinda crossed into reality, one named Robyn, carried a replica of the Third Doctor’s sonic screwdriver. This toy was significant in the tool’s history as it marked the first regular appearance of the sonic screwdriver on “Doctor Who” and showcased its diverse functionalities, even though Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor was the first to utilize a sonic screwdriver.

Since Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor, the design of the sonic screwdriver has undergone numerous changes. The vibrant version he used was subsequently replaced by a sleek silver one without the yellow neck, which was then passed on to Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor. A similar prop was employed by Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor until the sonic screwdriver was destroyed and removed from the series during “The Visitation.” The sonic screwdriver did not reappear until the 1996 TV movie, eventually becoming a permanent fixture in Doctor Who once again with its revival in 2005.

The Doctor’s All-Time Most Iconic Outfit Choice

Among the strongest indications of a “Doctor Who” enthusiast and the most distinct article of clothing the show has ever created is the Fourth Doctor’s scarf, prominently displayed in the episode “Lux.” In the episode, Hassan wore this long, multi-colored knitted accessory, which was the most memorable piece of clothing in the Doctor’s wardrobe during Tom Baker’s portrayal of the Time Lord. Baker owned two such scarves – one boasting a variety of colors, and another, introduced towards the end of his role, that was primarily red and purple.

The scarf worn by the Fourth Doctor is now synonymous with the popular visual representation of Doctor Who. Following Tom Baker’s tenure as the Doctor, this distinctive scarf has resurfaced in the series. In “The Christmas Invasion,” the Tenth Doctor was seen donning his predecessor’s scarf while choosing his attire within the TARDIS. Additionally, Petronella Osgood from UNIT wore a similar scarf in “The Day of the Doctor.” The Master even adopted this iconic accessory when he assumed control of the Doctor’s body during “The Power of the Doctor.

These Cybermen First Fought the Second Doctor

As the Doctor and Belinda exited their television, Lizzie was spotted donning a sweater adorned with an identifiable illustration of a Cyberman, accompanied by the word “Telos.” This emblem originated from the second Doctor’s serial titled “The Tomb of the Cybermen,” where this very simplified depiction of a Cyberman’s visage was etched onto the tombs on the planet Telos. In this story, the Cybermen were awakened not as dead entities but merely in a state of suspended animation.

On the long-running show Doctor Who, various types and origins of Cybermen have been featured over its span. The initial, fabric-faced Cybermen originated from Mondas and clashed with the First Doctor during his final adventure. Later, it was the Telos Cybermen who confronted the Second Doctor for the first time. Over time, their appearance evolved subtly within the classic Doctor Who series. The modern revival introduced even more diverse designs. In “The Doctor Falls,” the Twelfth Doctor hypothesized that these multiple Cyberman races could be the result of parallel evolution happening across different planets.

The Doctor’s Most Adorable Enemy

In ‘Lux,’ Robyn was sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with the Meep, a character that joined the Doctor Who universe more recently compared to other Easter eggs in the show. However, the Meep made its debut in the Doctor Who world way back in 1980, through a comic book storyline called ‘Doctor Who and the Star Beast.’ This tale was published in Doctor Who Weekly (now known as Doctor Who Magazine), where the Fourth Doctor encountered Beep the Meep. This cute character was being chased by the fearsome Wrarth Warriors, but it was later revealed that the Wrarth were actually a police force, and the Meep was not just an adorable creature, but a ruthless war criminal.

In 2023, the comic book narrative was transformed for television in “The Star Beast”, marking the debut of David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble in one of Doctor Who’s three special episodes celebrating its 60th anniversary. In this TV adaptation, Miriam Margolyes lent her voice to the character known as Meep. The episode concluded with a hint that their enigmatic boss might take interest in the Doctor due to his dual-heart nature, leaving the identity of this superior figure unrevealed.

The Unified Intelligence Taskforce are Old Allies of the Doctor

With his fellow residents donning clothes inspired by the popular series “Doctor Who”, Hassan adorned a hoodie emblazoned with the UNIT symbol. For those who are fans of “Doctor Who”, UNIT stands for the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, which originally was called the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Due to a potential legal dispute with the United Nations in 2005, the BBC changed the name to the Unified Intelligence Taskforce starting from 2008’s “The Sontaran Stratagem.” During the time when the Third Doctor was banished to Earth at the outset of his reign, he worked for UNIT, which was headed by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney).

In recent times, UNIT has experienced a significant overhaul. The latest season of Doctor Who features them prominently in numerous Earth-based tales, with a modern headquarters situated in central London. Currently, UNIT is led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, the Brigadier’s daughter, and includes personnel such as Mel Bush, Donna and Rose Noble, along with an alien robot named Vlinx on its team.

Fezzes are Cool

In the “Lux” episode, Lizzie sported some Doctor Who merchandise, which included a fez hat. Interestingly enough, this hat is similar to the one Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor wore in different instances during his reign, notably after discovering it at the Natural History Museum in “The Big Bang.” Intriguingly, the Eleventh Doctor put on this fez and declared, “I now wear a fez. Fezzes are cool,” to River Song. Regrettably, River destroyed this specific fez, but similar ones temporarily took its place afterward.

In “Doctor Who,” the fez made a brief appearance in episodes like “A Christmas Carol,” “The Bells of Saint John,” and “Death is the Only Answer.” However, it played a more significant part in the 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor.” During this special, the Eleventh Doctor discovered a fez hidden under the National Gallery’s Under Gallery. He then launched it through a time window, which transported it to his past, causing the Tenth Doctor to don the fez. Later on, even the Thirteenth Doctor wore a fez, presumably after several regenerations had taken place.

“Lux” Confirms Doctor Who Fans’ Favorite Episode

During a conversation with The Doctor and Belinda, three fans of “Doctor Who”, who had appeared in “Lux”, expressed their preferences for past episodes of the show. When asked about his favorite adventure, The Time Lord was intrigued to hear that they all favored the episode titled “Blink”. Even Lizzie’s mug hinted at this preference with the phrase “Lizzie, don’t blink.” However, The Doctor disagreed and proposed some of his own memorable moments such as encountering goblins in “The Church on Ruby Road”, meeting the Beatles in “The Devil’s Chord”, or stepping on a landmine in “Boom” as superior stories.

2007 saw the broadcast of “Blink,” a creation by Steven Moffat. This episode, however, didn’t feature much of the Doctor. Instead, it focused on Carey Mulligan’s character, Sally Sparrow. In this episode, Sally found herself deciphering cryptic messages left behind by the Doctor, who was stuck in 1969 without his TARDIS. These chilling statues moved with astonishing speed, but only when they weren’t being watched. This gave them the perfect opportunity to catch their prey in the twinkling of an eye. The Weeping Angels quickly became fan favorites and have since reappeared numerous times in Doctor Who.

The City Last Seen in “Dot and Bubble”

As a devoted Whovian, I have a poster in my home that depicts a city called “Finetime” from Doctor Who’s Season 1 episode “Dot and Bubble.” This city was home to colossal slug-like creatures known as Mantraps. Here’s the interesting part: Finetime was actually run by an AI, designed to manage the social media dots of its exclusive populace – the offspring of the wealthy elite. However, this AI developed a disdain for the inhabitants and unleashed the Mantraps, using them as instruments to wipe out their own kind.

Doctor Who‘s Doctor-Lite Episodes
SeasonEpisode NumberEpisode Title
Series 2 (2006)10“Love and Monsters”
Series 3 (2007)10“Blink”
Series 4 (2008)11“Turn Left”
Series 6 (2011)10“The Girl Who Waited”
Series 8 (2014)9“Flatline”
Season 1 (2024)4“73 Yards”
Season 1 (2024)5“Dot and Bubble”

In the poster displayed in “Lux”, there’s an echo of the simple posters typically used for episodes of the Netflix series Black Mirror, hinting at how “Dot and Bubble” was impacted by Black Mirror‘s influence as a social science fiction story. To put it another way, “Dot and Bubble” marked the first time since “Blink” that an episode didn’t focus on the Doctor or his companion, but rather on a new character named Lindy Pepperbean. At first glance, Lindy appeared to be starting a journey towards redemption, but the chilling truth about her was revealed in the final scenes of the episode.

Doctor Who’s Greatest Villains Were Well-Hidden in “Lux”

Any depiction of Doctor Who enthusiasts would be inadequate without a subtle reference to the Daleks. The Doctor’s most notorious adversaries were subtly concealed in “Lux,” but a tiny Dalek Easter egg was noticeable. Robyn’s mug displayed the words “Robyn will be refreshed!” in a font that has been used consistently across various Doctor Who publications and merchandise since the 1960s, specifically to symbolize the Daleks. At the end of the episode, when the group of fans reappeared, the reverse side of the mug was momentarily shown, revealing an image of a Dalek.

Originating from the planet Skaro, these genetically modified beings, known as Daleks, survive primarily by harboring intense hatred towards anything that is not a pure Dalek, a trait engineered by their creator, Davros. Over the course of Doctor Who’s storied history, the Daleks have proven to be the Doctor’s most formidable and relentless adversaries. In the latest episode titled “The Power of the Doctor,” they made their last appearance, but in the current era, they have not yet reemerged, although they were mentioned in Season 1’s “Empire of Death.

The Doctor’s Faithful Tin Dog

In the “Lux” episode, the third and final Doctor Who mug, which was Hassan’s, displayed an image of the robotic dog K9 on one side and read “Affirmative, Hassan” on the other. Originally debuting in “The Invisible Enemy,” a creation of Professor Marius from the year 5000, K9 eventually proved to be a faithful friend and traveling companion to the Fourth Doctor. Later, the sole episode of the spinoff series K9 and Company unveiled this canine robot to former companion Sarah Jane Smith.

In the 2006 episode titled “School Reunion,” K9, the Doctor’s loyal metal canine companion, made a return appearance alongside Sarah Jane. This was followed by appearances in the spin-off series for children, The Sarah Jane Adventures. After a brief cameo in 2008’s Series 4 finale “Journey’s End,” K9 assisted the Doctor and his comrades in navigating Earth back to its correct position in the universe.

You can watch new episodes of Doctor Who streaming every Saturday on BBC iPlayer within the UK, while those outside the UK can find them on Disney+ if it’s accessible.

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2025-04-20 01:53