The Story and the Engine has been my most anticipated instalment of Doctor Who’s 2025 season. The programme’s adventure-of-the-week format allows for a variety of writers to tell different stories that mean something to them, bringing new themes, concepts and perspectives to a series that’s been running on-and-off for over 60 years. Perhaps one of the disappointments with this era of Doctor Who so far has been the lack of new writing talent, with a majority of episodes penned by returning showrunner Russell T Davies. This isn’t to say that Davies isn’t a good writer, far from it – he has crafted some of the finest Doctor Who stories – but The Story and the Engine is so compelling because it has come from the mind of a writer with a fresh perspective in the Whoniverse.

Inua Ellams’ script fully leans into the fantasy vibe that a lot of this era has touched on, telling a story about stories involving characters from otherworldly backgrounds with very relatable and human personalities. The episode slowly unveils its ensemble cast, introducing us first to Omo (Sule Rimi), who has met the Doctor before and the two developed a friendship in off-screen adventures. Initially it seems as though this is a way of setting up the episode quicker, with the supporting characters already knowing who the Doctor is, but then the script turns this into an interesting character beat for the Fifteenth Doctor: the barber shop is a safe place for him to simply relax. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability for the Doctor, and Ncuti Gatwa plays that initial comfort and Omo’s subsequent betrayal incredibly well.

Rashid (Stefan Adegbola), Tunde (Jordan Adene) and Obioma (Michael Balogun) all get nice moments of characterisation, although they’re mostly marked as prisoners for the bulk of the episode before the Barber (Ariyon Bakare) is revealed. It’s a nice touch from new director Makalla McPherson to tease the Barber before unveiling his face, instantly providing the antagonist an engaging screen presence. His motivations get a little lost amidst the exposition – there’s a twist that rather than usurping the Gods, the Barber wants to cut them from memory, which in a curious structural decision gets revealed not long after his ‘fake’ motivation – but Bakare (who starred in Bad Wolf’s production of His Dark Materials) is terrific in the role. Finally, we’re introduced to Abena (Michelle Asante), who is working with the Barber to defy the Gods having been betrayed by her own father Anansi. Her role makes for some interesting drama with the Doctor; the two having met centuries ago in a plot from Anansi that makes for some vague and mysterious universe-building (once again, Ellams plays with the exciting idea of off-screen adventures for the Doctor that the audience are left to imagine however they wish). It’s a pity that Varada Sethu has less to to do as Belinda, especially given her reduced role in last week’s Lucky Day, although The Story and the Engine is very much a Doctor-centric story.

Unsurprisingly for a story about stories, The Story and the Engine is a very talky episode of Doctor Who, feeling incredibly theatrical with its confined location and emphasis on dialogue. Some audiences may not be on board for this, yet it’s a welcome change of pace this season. The camera tilts and moves around the actors, leaning away from spectacle to focus on the human (or humanoid) drama unfolding. Omo’s betrayal of the Doctor is given a real sense of dramatic weight, even if the ending leaves the two on a more friendly note than one would have expected. The door-opening sequence livens up the episode at the midpoint, giving us a bit of action and a giant CGI spider to make up for the claustrophobic setting, while the scenes of the Doctor and Belinda wandering around Lagos allow the characters and audience to soak in the setting in a way that previous episodes this season haven’t had time for (and gives writer Inua Ellams a nice cameo role, too).

Despite its slightly extended 47-minute running time, it’s difficult not to wish that The Story and the Engine had a little more breathing room, as a few moments feel glossed over or rushed in order to keep the pace up. Moreover, while the storytelling animations at the start of the episode look beautiful, it’s difficult not to be disappointed when these transform into ‘live action’ sequences later. Seeing animated Doctors and monsters would have been a more fun and inventive way of showcasing the Doctor’s rich history. Jo Martin’s cameo may have been cheap fan service, but it felt at home in this kind of episode, and her line about being “busy in a different story that might be finished one day” is a nice meta moment for Whovians to speculate about.

The Story and the Engine is the most interesting episode of Season 2 so far, offering a unique premise that delves into the fantasy realm of the Whoniverse in fascinating ways. The final act feels a little muddled in places, and it may be too talky for some, yet there’s a real sense of depth in the script which the ensemble cast convey brilliantly. This may not be an all-time classic, but The Story and the Engine is an episode that’s sure to be well worth revisiting for years to come.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One next Saturday at 19:10

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