The second episode of the season of Doctor Who, “Lux,” which was once again written by Russell T. Davies, takes the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) on their next adventure together when the TARDIS spits them out in Miami 1952. Still unable to figure out why they can’t return Belinda to the time she left, she agrees to take a detour and check out what it can be like traveling with the Doctor.

On exiting the TARDIS they happen upon the abandoned cinema, the Palazzo Picture Palace, where fifteen people have vanished never to be heard from again. Investigating, they discover an enemy that isn’t as two-dimension as he seems, when the cartoon, Mr. Ring-A-Ding (voiced by the marvelous Alan Cumming), steps out of the screen.

Blending a cartoon villain with real people can go either way, but overall, to me, the episode was a positive experience. The adventure was so much fun, and there was a lot to really enjoy about this episode. Doctor Who is often quirky and this episode is exactly that, and it’s something very different. There were some bits with them escaping the cartoon, while corny it had me chuckling. Also, as a fan, there were parts of this episode that I absolutely loved, because one scene is full to the brim with Easter eggs, like so many my head was spinning, and I plan to break down all of them after the episode airs. Aside from the in jokes, I also was pleased to see continuity in the episode, pulling in some pieces from season one and the previous specials that I won’t spoil.

I also appreciated that the episode tackles the subject of segregation and how the duo might be treated in the fifties and their experiences with it, as well as how it would hinder their investigation.

While I think the second episode is one that will possibly be one of the most popular among the Fifteenth Doctor’s run, I also think it’s going to be very polarizing among viewers, especially those that aren’t as familiar with the series. There are times that the episode straddles the line between the being the normal Doctor Who version of wacky and being a little too overly silly. To me, though, for the majority of the episode it never crossed it enough that it took me completely out of it, although I was not a fan of the method of the villain’s demise.

As for the relationship between the Doctor and Belinda, I like that she’s letting go and trusting him a bit more, yet is still independent.

The costuming of the episode was another highlight, and something Doctor Who always is phenomenal at. I can see why Sethu said the yellow dress she wore in the episode was one of her favorites.

Overall, I really liked “Lux” and the direction this season is headed so, and as always, I eagerly await the next episode.