Watching this weeks episode I had the oddest feeling that I had seen this before.. then it hit me..this follows the same structure as an episode of Scooby Doo. I'll explain,the gang are happily travelling along in the mystery....er I mean The Tardis when they are interrupted by a mysterious message asking for help there's spooky goings on at the old fairgrou..er I mean warehouse.Who can it be?Is it the spooky robots,the mean old manager...nope it isn't. The real culprit is unmasked and he would have gotten away with it to if it wasn't for those pesky kids.I like Scooby Doo, hence the 5 stars, but this is Doctor Who not Hannah Barbera!
88 Reviews
Off Your Trolley...
Xstal5 January 2022
Simple but entertaining story as Doctor gets back to his/her roots
jamesrupert20148 January 2019
The Doctor receives a package from 'Kerblam!', an omnipresent on-line retailer that contains a plea for help. Needless to say, next stop for the TARDIS is the moon sized 'Kerblam!' shipping center, where 90% of the workers are robots and the 10% that is human is mysteriously dwindling. The episode is very much a throwback to old series - you could easily see any of Doctors 4 through 7 trying to solve the mystery (the supersize warehouse effects would be absent but the robots would look about the same). Being a fan of the original series, I liked "Kerblam!' (for all its plot holes) more than its predecessors in this incarnation of the Doctor. I'm still not sold on Whittaker's 'style' (especially her frequent grimacing) and like Matt Smith, she isn't very convincing when trying to appear tough and threatening, but at least this episode was an entertaining bit of pure science-fiction fluff, which is all I expect (and want) from a 900 year-old alien Timelord with two hearts and a transdimensional time machine shaped like a phone booth.
Parcel of fun and deeper themes.
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic28 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
My Series 11 Review: Episode 7
Kerblam!
This episode is a fun little adventure where the Doctor receives a call for help from the intergalactic postal service 'Kerblam!' and heads off with her team to investigate. The story features apparently friendly robots who increasingly appear sinister and creepy, two corporate managers whose intentions are called into question and a the TARDIS team interacting with 3 human workers while pretending to be new recruits in an under cover operation.
It is a simple story on the face of it but has layers of social comment about exploitation of workers, technology replacing humans, terrorism/radicalisation etc. It also has a twist that the robots are not the real villains and the real villain has been reprogramming robots making them kill for him. It is rather a modern twist on classic adventure Robots of Death but understandably isn't a match for that great story.
The villains motives turn out to be an intention to carry out a terrorist act which he believes is an act of necessary rebellion. It is made clear that it is the Kandokan government policies which he is rebelling against and that the Kerblam! Company and its management are not involved directly, they are just being used by the terrorist to carry out his attack. It is reminiscent in theme to RTD era stories like Planet of the Ood or The Long Game.
I do not think this is the most brilliant script or the most well executed episode of this type but it is a good effort. Not as good as Planet of the Ood in my opinion but I would rank it ahead of The Long Game.
Like most other series 11 episodes there are clumsy bits of dialogue, overly talky exposition and scenes that don't quite work such as the conveyor belt scene that I am not keen on, but it is a pretty solid, interesting and entertaining episode.
The deeper themes about terrorism/radicalisation are very serious and cannot be dealt with fully in the short amount of time given in the final scenes, especially in a family show. To jam this into a couple of expositionary scenes leads it to feel a little bit heavy handed but overall it does a decent job of making two points which are that unfair treatment of workers is wrong and that the way to deal with protests and problems is not with violence, particularly indiscriminate terrorist attack. The episode could have definitely been more cleverly structured and subtle at times but it was an admirable effort with plenty of good stuff in it.
There are very dark aspects like murder victims being liquidised and having two characters built up for us to care about who are then killed. I felt these aspects were a bit too easily glossed over.
Julie Hesmondhalgh and Lee Mack are great guest characters and this was enjoyable to watch. It had deeper themes for those who wish to consider them and was well produced. Dialogue, as with most other episodes this series, could be improved but overall the episode was decent quality I think.
Overall: 7/10.
Series 11 Episode Ranking: 6th out of 11.
Kerblam!
This episode is a fun little adventure where the Doctor receives a call for help from the intergalactic postal service 'Kerblam!' and heads off with her team to investigate. The story features apparently friendly robots who increasingly appear sinister and creepy, two corporate managers whose intentions are called into question and a the TARDIS team interacting with 3 human workers while pretending to be new recruits in an under cover operation.
It is a simple story on the face of it but has layers of social comment about exploitation of workers, technology replacing humans, terrorism/radicalisation etc. It also has a twist that the robots are not the real villains and the real villain has been reprogramming robots making them kill for him. It is rather a modern twist on classic adventure Robots of Death but understandably isn't a match for that great story.
The villains motives turn out to be an intention to carry out a terrorist act which he believes is an act of necessary rebellion. It is made clear that it is the Kandokan government policies which he is rebelling against and that the Kerblam! Company and its management are not involved directly, they are just being used by the terrorist to carry out his attack. It is reminiscent in theme to RTD era stories like Planet of the Ood or The Long Game.
I do not think this is the most brilliant script or the most well executed episode of this type but it is a good effort. Not as good as Planet of the Ood in my opinion but I would rank it ahead of The Long Game.
Like most other series 11 episodes there are clumsy bits of dialogue, overly talky exposition and scenes that don't quite work such as the conveyor belt scene that I am not keen on, but it is a pretty solid, interesting and entertaining episode.
The deeper themes about terrorism/radicalisation are very serious and cannot be dealt with fully in the short amount of time given in the final scenes, especially in a family show. To jam this into a couple of expositionary scenes leads it to feel a little bit heavy handed but overall it does a decent job of making two points which are that unfair treatment of workers is wrong and that the way to deal with protests and problems is not with violence, particularly indiscriminate terrorist attack. The episode could have definitely been more cleverly structured and subtle at times but it was an admirable effort with plenty of good stuff in it.
There are very dark aspects like murder victims being liquidised and having two characters built up for us to care about who are then killed. I felt these aspects were a bit too easily glossed over.
Julie Hesmondhalgh and Lee Mack are great guest characters and this was enjoyable to watch. It had deeper themes for those who wish to consider them and was well produced. Dialogue, as with most other episodes this series, could be improved but overall the episode was decent quality I think.
Overall: 7/10.
Series 11 Episode Ranking: 6th out of 11.
Finally, an Alien threat!!!
Sleepin_Dragon18 November 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed Kerblam, an episode that felt more like those from recent seasons. It was funny, relevant, and finally, we get some worthy Alien threats. Very relevant nowadays with the rise of companies like Amazon, at a time where businesses are bigger then ever, and workers are even smaller cogs in the huge business engines.
It seemed to do everything I've been asking for, we get the alien threat in the form of the excellent robots (it harked back to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy somehow,) we got a mention of The Unicorn and The Wasp.
Whittaker was on great form, I thought she was excellent. I really enjoyed Julie Hesmondhalgh's performance too, she was terrific. Lee Mack fulfilled a lifetime dream by appearing.
Some of the best writing of this series so far.
Totally brilliant, loved it. 9/10
It seemed to do everything I've been asking for, we get the alien threat in the form of the excellent robots (it harked back to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy somehow,) we got a mention of The Unicorn and The Wasp.
Whittaker was on great form, I thought she was excellent. I really enjoyed Julie Hesmondhalgh's performance too, she was terrific. Lee Mack fulfilled a lifetime dream by appearing.
Some of the best writing of this series so far.
Totally brilliant, loved it. 9/10
The ideas are still good but again the execution falls short.
jackVSjack18 November 2018
If you are enjoying this season then I am very happy that Doctor Who still speaks to an audience. It's very important that this show still goes on.
But if you believe the quality of the writing and delivery is as good as the show deserves then personally I think you are quiet mistaken.
Doctor Who periodically changes and that is the very core essence of the show. This is what I love the most about the show. It's just a shame that I can't enjoy the changes this time.
I'll be the first to admit that a great annoyance I have (other than some regular bouts of very dry passionless dialogue) is very petty. But I've come to recoil at the repetitive nature of Jodie's use of the sonic screwdriver. It feels like every time she needs to use it, she swings it into action like she's challenging for a duel. Its ludicrous nature works when the device is that over used extension of the Doctor's hand. But she wealds it again and again in that repetitive fashion. It's stupid I know but it makes my teeth itch. lol
But if you believe the quality of the writing and delivery is as good as the show deserves then personally I think you are quiet mistaken.
Doctor Who periodically changes and that is the very core essence of the show. This is what I love the most about the show. It's just a shame that I can't enjoy the changes this time.
I'll be the first to admit that a great annoyance I have (other than some regular bouts of very dry passionless dialogue) is very petty. But I've come to recoil at the repetitive nature of Jodie's use of the sonic screwdriver. It feels like every time she needs to use it, she swings it into action like she's challenging for a duel. Its ludicrous nature works when the device is that over used extension of the Doctor's hand. But she wealds it again and again in that repetitive fashion. It's stupid I know but it makes my teeth itch. lol
kerplunk!
ewaf5818 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I appreciate many are liking this new series but most of the stories have been rather thin and poorly paced.
Dr Who just seems to have descended into a series about a group of people travelling the Universe to deliver unfunny one liners with no real emotional interactions.
Take this story (please) a simple tale about the dangers of automation which lacked any real excitement because everything was signposted destroying any chance of mystery and suspense.
It should have started with shots of people being worked to the bone and bullied in some unknown factory - but here we just had a chirpy non threatening delivery robot arriving onboard the TARDIS (no explanation as to how it knew where the TARDIS was or even which time zone)
The interactions between the humans and robots lacked any wit or invention and I could almost guess what they were going to say next. If you want to see exciting - witty (and frightening) encounters with automatons check out the Doctors original encounter with the Nestene intelligence from 1970 the robots of death from 1977 or the automated Anne Robinson in Bad Wolf.
Effectively the writing has been simplified too much leaving nothing much for fans looking for a bold and innovative science fiction series
Dr Who just seems to have descended into a series about a group of people travelling the Universe to deliver unfunny one liners with no real emotional interactions.
Take this story (please) a simple tale about the dangers of automation which lacked any real excitement because everything was signposted destroying any chance of mystery and suspense.
It should have started with shots of people being worked to the bone and bullied in some unknown factory - but here we just had a chirpy non threatening delivery robot arriving onboard the TARDIS (no explanation as to how it knew where the TARDIS was or even which time zone)
The interactions between the humans and robots lacked any wit or invention and I could almost guess what they were going to say next. If you want to see exciting - witty (and frightening) encounters with automatons check out the Doctors original encounter with the Nestene intelligence from 1970 the robots of death from 1977 or the automated Anne Robinson in Bad Wolf.
Effectively the writing has been simplified too much leaving nothing much for fans looking for a bold and innovative science fiction series
Finally...
cameron-brewis-907-65607718 November 2018
This is the first episode of the new series that has delivered exactly what I expect of Doctor Who, and the first that I've rated over 5 stars. They managed to get some social commentary in whilst having a real sci-fi plot that kept you guessing; a balance that was sorely lacking in previous episodes.
If the rest of the season is like this then I'll be happy.
If the rest of the season is like this then I'll be happy.
For a concept thats mostly generic, this being so good is down to the writing!
kingkass19 November 2018
Best episode this series and I'd say in so long for Doctor Who. Everyone can say they miss Moffat but he had so many issues too. This is the first time writing DW for Pete Mctighe and he nailed it! The dialogue was so natural, the pacing was on point, the characters were all excellent, the plot was really well handled with the twist feeling like a twist. He also handled the companions better than in previous episodes. I hope to see this writer much more!
Doctor Who At Its Most Generic
Theo Robertson18 November 2018
Wait a minute , haven't I seen this story before ? Maybe not in an identical way but certainly in a generic fleeting way . It reminded me of some of the later McCoy stories from the late 1980s - not a compliment - and of The Beast Below and a couple of other NuWho episodes. Oh and a little bit of satire. A big Amazon gift voucher for anyone dumb enough for not being able to guess what mail order retail company Kerblam is supposed to be
Hold on is there anyone in the Universe that dumb ? The writer might think so because the episode constantly feels the need to spell out in great detail what is happening and why it is happening. Obviously the production team think the only people who watch the show have the eyesight of Stevie Wonder and the intelligence of a labotomised monkey. I know DOCTOR WHO isn't supposed to be taken seriously and is supposed to be great family entertainment but the classic show let the audience think for themselves and was all the better for it. Here however there is something very condescending about the way the episode talks down to the audience
Here's hoping it's a duff episode and the curtailed season picks up very soon , very quickly
Hold on is there anyone in the Universe that dumb ? The writer might think so because the episode constantly feels the need to spell out in great detail what is happening and why it is happening. Obviously the production team think the only people who watch the show have the eyesight of Stevie Wonder and the intelligence of a labotomised monkey. I know DOCTOR WHO isn't supposed to be taken seriously and is supposed to be great family entertainment but the classic show let the audience think for themselves and was all the better for it. Here however there is something very condescending about the way the episode talks down to the audience
Here's hoping it's a duff episode and the curtailed season picks up very soon , very quickly
A Big Step in the Right Direction
luellenhedges18 November 2018
this Doesn't deserve a bad review
eliotenns18 November 2018
Finally, Whittaker hints at her northern steel
sheffieldscotts19 November 2018
Prior to this episode, I'd virtually arrived at the give up stage - so disappointed I've been with the writing and Jodie Whitaker's primary school teacher take on the character. However with 'Kerblam', I've been given a slight energy boost.
The story, alas in its continuing trend of moralising from the producers, is still an engaging, futuristic and unashamedly subversive take on the Amazon machine. It borrows fairly heavily in feel from the early Matt Smith episode 'The Beast Below', it is a linear affair with a reasonable twist (let down only by a flat ending - again) and with a few nice nods to previous seasons, overall this would be considered a decent but lower-end Tenant or Smith offering.
More significantly, Jodie Whittaker gives her best performance to date - and finally we get to see more of the potential she has to offer. Whilst we are still subjected to the occasional-but-still-so-annoying vacant expression and rising intonation, Whittaker this time shows us a bit of steel and authority and even hints of the ominous, so largely missing from her performances to date. If she carries along in that vein, then we could have the makings of something good. Fingers crossed.
The story, alas in its continuing trend of moralising from the producers, is still an engaging, futuristic and unashamedly subversive take on the Amazon machine. It borrows fairly heavily in feel from the early Matt Smith episode 'The Beast Below', it is a linear affair with a reasonable twist (let down only by a flat ending - again) and with a few nice nods to previous seasons, overall this would be considered a decent but lower-end Tenant or Smith offering.
More significantly, Jodie Whittaker gives her best performance to date - and finally we get to see more of the potential she has to offer. Whilst we are still subjected to the occasional-but-still-so-annoying vacant expression and rising intonation, Whittaker this time shows us a bit of steel and authority and even hints of the ominous, so largely missing from her performances to date. If she carries along in that vein, then we could have the makings of something good. Fingers crossed.
Weirdly boot-licking but good world-building
arionvvw15 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is excellent at world-building, the Kerblam factory and its relationship with the planet it orbits is detailed very well. For that it gets its 4 stars. But this episode has some of the worst political commentary in Doctor Who's history and licks the boot of Amazon (which Kerblam is very clearly meant to be) for some reason.
The episode presents three problems with Kerblam: 1. The factory is creating more automation, thereby robbing humans of jobs.
2. The working conditions of Kerblam are terrible, workers are treated terribly and are not safe there. As demonstrated when we see one character being harassed by her boss, and when another employee warns Yaz that certain sections of the warehouse are very dangerous, with people generally not returning.
3. Workers are criminally underpaid and can barely afford to live on their wage. This is demonstrated when the same employee who protects Yaz explains how he works for Kerblam so he can save money for his daughter. However he barely makes enough to do so and can not afford to even see her anymore.
By the end of the episode, only the first problem is even partially solved, with Kerblam placing a quota to have more human workers. Kerblam is placed as a company doing good and being very moral by doing this, but the other two problems are never addressed and are definitely not solved. Employees at Kerblam are going to remain in their terrible working conditions, and they will certainly not be getting a pay rise.
The villain of the episode is a guy who is sending out explosives via bubble wrap in order to protest automation. This villain is pretty stupid. Though the episode ends with a decrease in automation, which is what he technically wanted, making him so evil as to bomb random Kerblam customers ultimately serves to undermine his point, and I worry the episode did this intentionally.
The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) also has an incredibly out of character moment which is completely against the ideology the Doctor has historically had. When the villain says "we can't let the systems take control", the Doctor says "the systems aren't the problem, how people use and exploit the system, that's the problem". This is extremely pro-establishment and denies the presence of any systemic issue, which is historically counter to the Doctor's own ideology. For instance, in the previous season's episode "Oxygen", the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), says "the end-point of Capitalism. The bottom line, where human life has no value at all. We're fighting an algorithm, a spreadsheet. Like every worker everywhere, we're fighting the suits." These two philosophies are complete opposites of each other and it is just very strange for the Doctor to think what she does in the episode.
In general, this episode is partially saved by its world-building, however its political commentary is quite troubling in how wrong it is and for that reason I really think this may be one of my least favourite Doctor Who episodes.
The episode presents three problems with Kerblam: 1. The factory is creating more automation, thereby robbing humans of jobs.
2. The working conditions of Kerblam are terrible, workers are treated terribly and are not safe there. As demonstrated when we see one character being harassed by her boss, and when another employee warns Yaz that certain sections of the warehouse are very dangerous, with people generally not returning.
3. Workers are criminally underpaid and can barely afford to live on their wage. This is demonstrated when the same employee who protects Yaz explains how he works for Kerblam so he can save money for his daughter. However he barely makes enough to do so and can not afford to even see her anymore.
By the end of the episode, only the first problem is even partially solved, with Kerblam placing a quota to have more human workers. Kerblam is placed as a company doing good and being very moral by doing this, but the other two problems are never addressed and are definitely not solved. Employees at Kerblam are going to remain in their terrible working conditions, and they will certainly not be getting a pay rise.
The villain of the episode is a guy who is sending out explosives via bubble wrap in order to protest automation. This villain is pretty stupid. Though the episode ends with a decrease in automation, which is what he technically wanted, making him so evil as to bomb random Kerblam customers ultimately serves to undermine his point, and I worry the episode did this intentionally.
The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) also has an incredibly out of character moment which is completely against the ideology the Doctor has historically had. When the villain says "we can't let the systems take control", the Doctor says "the systems aren't the problem, how people use and exploit the system, that's the problem". This is extremely pro-establishment and denies the presence of any systemic issue, which is historically counter to the Doctor's own ideology. For instance, in the previous season's episode "Oxygen", the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), says "the end-point of Capitalism. The bottom line, where human life has no value at all. We're fighting an algorithm, a spreadsheet. Like every worker everywhere, we're fighting the suits." These two philosophies are complete opposites of each other and it is just very strange for the Doctor to think what she does in the episode.
In general, this episode is partially saved by its world-building, however its political commentary is quite troubling in how wrong it is and for that reason I really think this may be one of my least favourite Doctor Who episodes.
And a kick at Amazon
samtimoney-7975824 November 2021
Another Solid Ep
danielcgrimes18 November 2018
Amaz.. I mean kerblam takes a look at our almost too realistic future. The twist wasn't that obvious, but I knew one was coming. I loved the consequences of the villain's actions. Some of the CGI was a bit.. iffy, but it is only a TV episode. Creepy, twisty, dark, and a grim future, this ep is one of the best of the season so far!
Fun, fast paced episode!
super-mooney23 November 2018
Ker-Krap
johnshields-8755818 November 2018
What this season of WHO is doing for some bizzare reason is to recreate the McCoy years which I and many other fans lived through - in real time- and whilst some of that era has improved with age it was embarasing to be a fan back then as it becoming now with cheaply made rubbish . There's a fine line between playfully macabre and silly and unfortunately this is is just silly and rather tiresome. Again graham is standing out as the main lead while Jodie garbles away in the background. There's so many great intelligent well written proffesionaly made SciFi shows out there showing this version of WHO up for the laughable rubbish it is.
Trouble in a galactic distribution centre
Tweekums19 November 2018
As this episode opens The Doctor receives a delivery from Kerblam!; a galactic version of Amazon. Along with a nice new fez there is a message... 'Help Me'. She and her friends decide to investigate and go undercover as new workers at the distribution centre. They quickly learn that the business is mostly automated but ten percent of the workers are human. The work is repetitive and fairly boring but none of the workers they talk to have any obvious complaints. Then the man working alongside Yaz disappears leaving only a few personal items. Research suggests that he isn't the first worker to vanish. Obviously something is very wrong but the cause is far from obvious.
This was a really solid episode; it nicely played with expectations before giving us a good, but not an expected resolution; I particularly liked the use of a mundane item as the object that provided the threat. The Kerblam! warehouse looked pretty good, there were impressive special effects as characters rode the conveyor belts to the bowels of the company. The robot workers were nicely creepy without quite entering uncanny valley. There are a few good shocks and tense moments although nothing too scary for younger viewers. The cast is on good form with bot regulars and guest starts impressing. I feared that the politics would be a bit too obvious but ultimately things were balanced out. Overall this was a fun episode with humour, danger and good characters.
This was a really solid episode; it nicely played with expectations before giving us a good, but not an expected resolution; I particularly liked the use of a mundane item as the object that provided the threat. The Kerblam! warehouse looked pretty good, there were impressive special effects as characters rode the conveyor belts to the bowels of the company. The robot workers were nicely creepy without quite entering uncanny valley. There are a few good shocks and tense moments although nothing too scary for younger viewers. The cast is on good form with bot regulars and guest starts impressing. I feared that the politics would be a bit too obvious but ultimately things were balanced out. Overall this was a fun episode with humour, danger and good characters.
Can we rename this "the Graham Show"? I'm
Thebuddahofsuburbia19 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Easily my favorite of the first seven episodes (that's not saying much). The doctor is still pretty meh and Yas is completely useless and without character but Ryan was certainly enjoyable and Graham stole the show in every scene he was in (probably why he was separated from the rest of the group) The main reason I'm not giving this a 7/10 is that we still don't have a single good monster after 7 episodes the only monster that was actually a monster was Tim Shaw from episode 1 and he was mediocre at best. The episodes without Chis Chibnal being involved ( so far only 6 and 7) are the only episodes I've considered average or higher. So it proves that you can make watchable TV with this team. Hopefully Chibnal will be given much fewer (hopefully none at all) episodes next series (which I'm guessing will be in 2020 because apparently doctor who can't release seasons consistently anymore)
What was that ending?!
urshymon26 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Yet another "the aliens aren't the monsters it's the humans" for the 100th time this series. Getting a bit boring now.
All, the Doctor murdered hundreds of robots and Charlie for what reason exactly? Surely 10 against 1 they could have retained him and taken him to whatever police exist on their home planet. But instead she chooses to blow him up? The old doctor would never had committed cold blooded murder when it literally wasn't necessary at all. Don't get it.
All, the Doctor murdered hundreds of robots and Charlie for what reason exactly? Surely 10 against 1 they could have retained him and taken him to whatever police exist on their home planet. But instead she chooses to blow him up? The old doctor would never had committed cold blooded murder when it literally wasn't necessary at all. Don't get it.
Getting Better!
alexmalia18 November 2018
Since the start of the new season, I have had my doubts about the new doctor with the exception of the "Rosa" episode but this new episode brought back all the great memories from the David Tennant era. Yes, it has its negatives but overall the writing, the dialog and the acting was far better! Onto next week now 🤞
Kerblam!
Prismark1019 November 2018
The Australian soap Neighbours has a random moment every month when some characters suddenly start to talk about Doctor Who. It has been happening for years.
Who knew that the soap writers were actually auditioning to write for the show. Pete McTighe joins Sarah Dollard as the second ex-Neighbours scripter to pen for the time lord.
The Tardis gets a late delivery for the Doctor. A fez delivered by the largest retailer of the universe, Kerblam! The delivery also contains a cry for help, something the Doctor cannot resist.
Kerblam! has a warehouse on a moon. 10,000 workers that only amounts 10% of the workforce, the rest is automated or run by robots.
The Doctor finds that some workers have gone missing and the head of personnel did not even notice them gone.
Actor Lee Mack plays one of the human operatives, Dan. Lee got the role by pestering head writer Chris Chibnall for a part. Dan is a subtext of those foreign workers who leave the Indian subcontinent to work in the middle east. The ones hoping to earn enough money to get their kids a better education, a nice house and get a economy flight home once or twice a year to see the family.
The episode is a parody of huge corporations like Amazon who are increasingly using automation to replace humans. The humans in Kerblam! are lucky to have jobs.
The episode really makes good use of CGI to make the warehouse look huge and the conveyor belt scene was done really well. It also had a script that wrongfooted me as to how it would pan out.
The downside to me was pacing which has been an issue for several episodes. It really shows as this new season wants to concentrate more on character than action. This would had been less noticeable if the episode had maintained its 45 minutes runtime. However there just seems to be a lot more talking than action.
Who knew that the soap writers were actually auditioning to write for the show. Pete McTighe joins Sarah Dollard as the second ex-Neighbours scripter to pen for the time lord.
The Tardis gets a late delivery for the Doctor. A fez delivered by the largest retailer of the universe, Kerblam! The delivery also contains a cry for help, something the Doctor cannot resist.
Kerblam! has a warehouse on a moon. 10,000 workers that only amounts 10% of the workforce, the rest is automated or run by robots.
The Doctor finds that some workers have gone missing and the head of personnel did not even notice them gone.
Actor Lee Mack plays one of the human operatives, Dan. Lee got the role by pestering head writer Chris Chibnall for a part. Dan is a subtext of those foreign workers who leave the Indian subcontinent to work in the middle east. The ones hoping to earn enough money to get their kids a better education, a nice house and get a economy flight home once or twice a year to see the family.
The episode is a parody of huge corporations like Amazon who are increasingly using automation to replace humans. The humans in Kerblam! are lucky to have jobs.
The episode really makes good use of CGI to make the warehouse look huge and the conveyor belt scene was done really well. It also had a script that wrongfooted me as to how it would pan out.
The downside to me was pacing which has been an issue for several episodes. It really shows as this new season wants to concentrate more on character than action. This would had been less noticeable if the episode had maintained its 45 minutes runtime. However there just seems to be a lot more talking than action.
The message is terrible
horwoodpaul13 April 2019
Typical filler, with a few interesting ideas.
celeste-cooper-163-38362518 November 2018
Kerblam! is a very average episode of Doctor Who, but it was entertaining nonetheless. It's fairly filler, with some interesting ideas; but lacking a good enough execution to really make it into a good episode.
The episode centres around the monolithic galactic megacorporation, Kerblam!, an Amazon analogue with an entire moon for a warehouse; The Doctor receives an unnerving message for help with a very late package, and brings the team along to investigate.
Starting with the good stuff, the feeling of unease towards the middle of the episode is practically palpable, with the operation of Kerblam! feeling strangely Orwellian; with the remarkably creepily designed robotic "team-members" striking a rather imposing figure across the banners of Kerblam!, and in the background of several shots.
As far as the visual directing goes, the episode is absolutely beautiful, in the practical scenes the lighting and camerawork match the tones of the scenes very well; aside from that it's nearly completely CGI, and the computer generated scenes really present a sense of the tremendous scale of the warehouse. Jennifer Perrott (who I've previously been critical of due to the absolute travesty that was The Tsuranga Conundrum) did a good job with the visuals.
The bad things however revolve a lot around the writing of the episode combined with the generally poor direction of the actors. The payoff for this episode is pretty bad and, despite the unnerving buildup and the seemingly satirical themes running through the first half of the episode; the second half of the episode subverts the expectations of the viewer in the exact wrong way.
Characters who have their own subplots seemingly have them terminated, with little resolution and little satisfaction in the way that they're handled; and the overall character direction feels like something from a soap opera (with many of the same problems as The Tsuranga Conundrum in that regard).
The resolution is bland and highly cookie-cutter and the villain is just dull and isn't really explored very well.
A very mixed bag. Worth watching? Yes (at least for the visual imagery). 6.5/10
The episode centres around the monolithic galactic megacorporation, Kerblam!, an Amazon analogue with an entire moon for a warehouse; The Doctor receives an unnerving message for help with a very late package, and brings the team along to investigate.
Starting with the good stuff, the feeling of unease towards the middle of the episode is practically palpable, with the operation of Kerblam! feeling strangely Orwellian; with the remarkably creepily designed robotic "team-members" striking a rather imposing figure across the banners of Kerblam!, and in the background of several shots.
As far as the visual directing goes, the episode is absolutely beautiful, in the practical scenes the lighting and camerawork match the tones of the scenes very well; aside from that it's nearly completely CGI, and the computer generated scenes really present a sense of the tremendous scale of the warehouse. Jennifer Perrott (who I've previously been critical of due to the absolute travesty that was The Tsuranga Conundrum) did a good job with the visuals.
The bad things however revolve a lot around the writing of the episode combined with the generally poor direction of the actors. The payoff for this episode is pretty bad and, despite the unnerving buildup and the seemingly satirical themes running through the first half of the episode; the second half of the episode subverts the expectations of the viewer in the exact wrong way.
Characters who have their own subplots seemingly have them terminated, with little resolution and little satisfaction in the way that they're handled; and the overall character direction feels like something from a soap opera (with many of the same problems as The Tsuranga Conundrum in that regard).
The resolution is bland and highly cookie-cutter and the villain is just dull and isn't really explored very well.
A very mixed bag. Worth watching? Yes (at least for the visual imagery). 6.5/10
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
