Doctor Who Season 15 Episode 6 Review

Season 15 Episode 6 of Doctor Who has a disarmingly messy story, but it’s still an entertaining adventure that effectively sets up the two-part finale.

This review contains spoilers for “The Interstellar Song Contest”, Season 15 Episode 6 of Doctor Who.

The episode is filled with all the glitz and glamour you’d expect from a Eurovision-themed Doctor Who adventure, and that’s easily the strongest aspect of this story. The production design is brilliant, and the way Doctor Who recreates such an iconic event with a slight futuristic twist is brilliant. There are also some really strong directorial choices in this week’s episode from newcomer Ben A. Williams, which repeatedly emphasize the scope of this intergalactic contest in a way that makes it feel very real. The use of framing, editing, and montages in this episode also gives it a very distinct atmosphere, cementing Williams as one of Doctor Who’s most promising talents.

Importantly, Season 15 Episode 6 of Doctor Who truly feels like an episode made for the show’s long-time fanbase, with some major cameos and reveals that audiences have been waiting for decades to see. While the episode’s biggest twist is underwhelmingly hidden within a post-credits sequence that several viewers may have easily missed, it’s still a very fun way of setting the stage for next week’s two-part finale.

Mrs. Flood’s (Anita Dobson) true identity may not be the most unpredictable one, given how much time fans have had to speculate and form theories, but it’s still a very exciting outcome that rewards those familiar with Doctor Who’s history. The return of the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) is also an exciting touch that brings the show all the way back to its very first season in 1963. These small touches are something that Season 15 Episode 6 handles really well, but the episode admittedly struggles with its more big-picture storytelling.

“The Intergalactic Song Contest” features some of the show’s messiest writing and most confusing subtext in a long time. While Juno Dawson’s screenplay is clearly a very refined one that’s excellently paced and includes some great ideas, there’s an unsettling atmosphere to the whole thing that feels dangerously conformist in its political ideas. Doctor Who has never been afraid of exploring politics over the years, both implicitly and explicitly, but “The Intergalactic Song Contest” feels like an episode that doesn’t quite wield its political influence in the most responsible way. As the story gradually reveals itself to be a thinly veiled allegory for racial oppression and corporate-sponsored warfare, viewers may be left unsettled by the episode’s implied moral stance on the matter.

It doesn’t require too much real-world application to notice the similarities between this episode and the real-world controversy surrounding Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest. The villains are an uncomfortably familiar one: a terrorist faction of a people who were subject to genocidal greed, fighting an institution that’s decided to associate with those responsible for the destruction of their home.

It’s a glaringly obvious allegory for the ongoing genocide in the Middle East, and the episode’s decision to frame the “Intergalactic Song Contest” as the victim, while the oppressed people are little more than supervillains, feels very insensitive. From the comically large victim count of “three billion” to intentionally obliterate any sympathy for the Hellions, to the Doctor’s jarring decision to physically torture their leader without ever condemning the genocide of their people, the whole episode is filled with very messy and irresponsible writing that feels antithetical to everything the show stands for.

Ultimately, “The Interstellar Song Contest” is a very entertaining episode right up until the point when it’s not. Once it becomes clear where this story is going and what sort of muddled political message lies at its core, it becomes very uncomfortable to watch. Perhaps the most underwhelming aspect of the whole episode is its treatment of the Doctor himself: a character who’s supposed to stand for virtue and justice, but who refuses to condemn an ongoing genocide because of the tyrannical actions of two people. 

Episode 6 of Season 15 (also known as Season 2) of Doctor Who, named “The Interstellar Song Contest,” is now available to stream globally on Disney+, and on the BBC iPlayer in the U.K.