Doctor Who (TV Series) Praxeus (2020) User Reviews

Stop this man writing!!!!

[Sleepin_Dragon · 4/10 · 2 February 2020]

I admit, I was blown away by last week's episode, and I found myself really looking forward to this, the trailer looked good.....

I don't want to already sound negative, but it was a mess. They had some very good ideas, but the writing was again the issue, the strands didn't sit together neatly, it wasn't cohesive. It was as if they put a group of very good ideas on a piece of paper, but had no idea of how to put them together.

The real positive was the visuals, it looks fantastic, great special effects, great location work, I also liked that Yaz was finally given something to do. Sadly the bad outweighs the good, they had to preach to us about plastic, we had half an hour of it. BBC, some of us do accept that plastic in the sea is devastating, but please, your preaching in shows such as this, can't we just have science fiction.

Those that accuse this show of being woke will once again have a field day here.

This will go down as a real waste of opportunities, lots of great ideas, we had a few fleeting moments of horror, but sadly they were ditched to preach to us. Marginally better than Orphan 55

Such a shame. 4/10

Okay, but quite boring.

[maxglen · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

There's nothing overly or overtly wrong with this episode it's just boring which I guess is a pretty big complaint now that I think about it. Last episode did all of this important, world building stuff and this episode just felt incredibly inconsequential and half baked. Hope next week is a bit more out there and interesting. 6.5

Disappointed

[Alvinfields · 5/10 · 3 February 2020]

This isn't a bad episode, it's just not very interesting and at times things get a bit confusing. I know it is a filler episode and the subject matter is topical but after last weeks amazing story it just feels like an epic let down. With the Judoon episode I thought that Doctor Who was back on track again but with Praxeus it seems that we're right back where Series eleven was.

Dafteus...

[Xstal · 4/10 · 7 January 2022]

An alien virus called Praxeus, has come down to earth just to see us, it's highly bombastic, lives off waste and plastic, makes you shatter then turn into dust.

Another bad episode

[peeedeee-94281 · 1/10 · 3 February 2020]

1. Patronizing lecture on the environment or any other current issue 2. Companions who apparently have the same level of knowledge of alien tech as the Doctor, and are able to use alien devices without any problem. 3. 53 minutes of danger, 2 minutes of ending. 4. All around bad writing

These are the ingredients that made this episode. Seems to be a formula used for every episode. Seasons 11 & 12 will go down as the worst in DW history. I don't even think these should be considered canon. They need to change everything, then act like these seasons were just a dream.

Isn't fantasy sci-fi for escapism?

[jareddavies-50035 · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

Look. I get it. I know. I think the vast majority of us would agree that plastic pollution in our oceans is bad.

I don't need a sci-fi fantasy programme to tell me this.

last episode was great. do more of that.

this episode was nowhere near orphan 55 level because it did have some redeeming features. Yax actually got something to do, the praxeus virus looked cool, even the side characters except the Brazilian vlogger (seriously whywas she there after the first 5 minutes?) were decent.

Ryan's actor is super wooden though and it stuck out more than usual in this episode

overall, not *awful*, but had a very dangerous property - it was bland as dirt. or in this case, microplastics

Stopped watching

[mcosteopath · 3/10 · 3 February 2020]

At first it seemed promising, but then degenerated into another self righteous lecture on plastic being bad. I turned it off at that moment and won't bother watching the last 20 minutes. It's not adding anything to the timeline or overarching story of the season. I don't need this from DW, especially after such a great ep last week :-(

Another disappointment from this season.

Counteracting idiots

[dBom · 10/10 · 31 December 2020]

Doctor Who has never been about "hidden agendas". It's always been out front, in our faces about science and inspiring young minds to grow up to be problem solvers. The constant "woke" bashing BS is coming from people who spend too much time on YouTube crying for the old days that never existed. If you don't see microplastics as a problem that needs the scientists of the future to solve then you're missing the whole point of the show going back to 1963. Many of us classic who viewers like to live in a future filled with science reality not constantly criticizing science fiction. If you want to impress people, be a real hero and solve problems in the real world not complain on review boards.

Not a HUGE fan...

[otv-14729 · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

Hear me out, although I do love the concept, the execution falls flat personally and it's probably the weakest episode of series 12.

Rubbish

[mark_renshaw · 1/10 · 8 February 2020]

What a load of simplistic tosh. Don't get me wrong. I like Dr Who. But this episode was dire.

Low ratings... again

[mattyrobinson7 · 2 February 2020]

Can we just be serious, if David Tennant was the doctor in this situation with the same writing everyone would love this series. I personally think this is the best season since Capaldi's last, the series definitely feel like doctor who again. This episode was great, (apart from orphan 55 which I didn't really like) every episode has been strong and much better than last season.

A surprisingly ambitious and solid episode

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 3 February 2020]

"Praxeus" manages to weave its ambitious plot on a global scale whilst, at the same time, delivering a moving and very human story.

A throwback to the politically charged days of early Pertwee, I enjoyed this episode.

8 out of 10.

Just OK, nothing very interesting.

[nabilemara · 7/10 · 2 February 2020]

Story is quite bland, use of companions were surprisingly very good. The virus was so, so, so revolting and gross I wanted to poke my eyeballs out, It looked like growing some exoskeletons and then breaking, It was horrifying. It had a little bit of the preachy (orphan 55) attitude but just a little, which is not so bad. It was more educational than fun, which I didn't really enjoy, like how much plastic, bla bla bla, and that alien Tsuki I think searched the galaxies to find a plastic infested planet, and it was earth, seems like a stretch and not good at all for the plot. I am not against educational messaged me or calls to action, but they really need to make it more subtle, so as It doesn't affect the plot badly.

Insipid, sanctimonious dreck

[jamesrupert2014 · 3/10 · 4 February 2020]

An alien pathogen that infects plastics threatens Earth (an ideal environment because of our villainous polluting lifestyle). The writers' heavy-handed and simplistic attempts at forcing progressive tropes on fans of the venerable show might meet less resistance if they spent more time on developing interesting stories and less time shoehorning 'messages' into contrived nonsense such as 'Praxeus'. Nothing in this episode worked: the swirling bird effects looked fake, the swirling garbage vortex was deliberate disinformation (look up an actual image), the companions' companions were even worse simulacrums than the companions themselves, the Doctor proved that she can save pretty much anyone when she wants to (begging a lot of questions), and the thudding techno-music was out of place and awful. On par with 'Orphan 55' for pandering to progressives rather than appealing to fans.

More lecturing, more boring

[BenW1999 · 1/10 · 2 February 2020]

Bore bore bore. Lecture lecture. We get it. Polluting is bad. Dumping plastic in the ocean is bad. Didnt really need to spend loads of money and 50 minutes telling us this.

Meh

[maxx_ · 5/10 · 3 February 2020]

Did they just forget about the guy that got attacked by the birds??? After he was attacked he was COMPLETELY forgotten. Not only that, the whole Pathogen part and the cure made no sense scientifically. The definition of Pathogen that was given was wrong as well. It had massive potential but things like that ruined it.

middling episode...little bland

[super-mooney · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

While not awful.. the episode is a bit of a plod to get through...nice effects though.

For the love of god can we have a new writer?

[daviddp-63772 · 1/10 · 2 February 2020]

I'm hanging on with watching what has to be the worst series so far. Please can we stop with hidden agendas and just have an old fashioned family sci fi series ?

Representation

[sykesforlife · 9/10 · 23 February 2020]

An interesting storyline with a gay couple who actually get a happy ending?! How rare and how delightful! I know people like to whinge and moan about the current season being 'progressive' but it represents the modern climate and the modern generation well. Tragic that some people can't keep up. But Chibnall's writing really is great and is such a vast improvement from Moffat

I Kinda Liked It... but Bang Bang Maxwell's Silver Hammer Came Down Upon Our Heads!

[Gislef · 7/10 · 3 February 2020]

Jodie Whittaker's energetic performance has grown on me. I've always liked Graham, and at least Ryan and Yasmin have something to do. Even if I'm a little tired of every girl Ryan meets fawning over him like he's some gift from God.

The guest stars were okay: McNulty, Brown, Borga, and Harris were all okay. And the killer birds were an effective visual device. It's a shame they were all wasted on a piffle of an episode.

The first problem with Praxeus is that it drops one big anvil on the audience's head. "Bang bang" and all that. Pollution is bad (can't it be a natural evolution of humanity? The name-checked Autons seem to be doing pretty well evolving into a plastic-based species), there's lots of pollution, humanity is poisoning itself and Earth (isn't it speciest to say unpolluted Earth is better than polluted Earth? Gallifrey was a wasteland except for the cities), and so on and so on. I could see that plot device coming about 20 minutes in.

The other is who "woke" it all is. Jake and Adam are married. That's not so bad, but then they just both happened to be involved in the shenanigans going on. And Jake just happens to be in a bar drinking when he sees the news report about Jake's capsule going down. And somehow he gets to Hong Kong on an ex-copper's salary. They seem to suggests means Gabriela is bisexual, because she seemed pretty attached to Jamila but also fawning over Ryan.

And the ending, with Jake, Adam, and Gabriela saying that the planet is safe in their hands (just up the beach from Aramus's bird-picked skeleton), reaches 'Captain Planet' levels of self-hilarity. What exactly are they going to do to stop pollution?

So "Praxeus" says all the right things, and it's very 2021ish. And the performances are decent. But it's a bit of a snoozer. 'Doctor Who' was doing anti-pollution mesages back in the 70s with "The Green Death". I suppose this type of story is a rite of passage for 'Doctor Who' writers, but give it a rest, folks. Or step up the game a bit. I nu-Who episode that _doesn't_ come across as all 21st-century modernist and all would be a surprise and a change at this point. nu-Who isn't boring, it's just... predictable.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?

Meh again

[SpiralScratch · 3/10 · 2 February 2020]

Back to boring...another save the planet kids storyline. We get it the planets polluted. Dull after last week. Still no character development. Bog standard.

Why the hate?

[mijif · 8/10 · 9 April 2020]

Seriously? This is a good episode. It's fun, feeling like an RTD era outing. Graham is again wonderful here, Jamie Stone's direction is very good, and so is the music. Lots of twist and turns! 8/10

Praxeus

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 2 February 2020]

There was a very unsubtle message that was crowbarred in. Liverpool are going to win the Premier League this year. Chibnall could not resist highlighting the points gap between Liverpool and Man City.

Filmed in South Africa, the location ranged from Peru, Madagascar and Hong Kong. Taking it cue from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. There are bird attacks and a British astronaut that has gone missing.

The opening first half was tense and hinted at a malevolent alien presence. The tension did not manage to carry through to the end because of the large cast involved.

However there was a subversion to the plastic pollution message. Earth was an experiment for amoral scientists attracted by all the plastic.

Praxeus was an unusual title. I thought it was the Klingon moon that blew up in Star Trek 6.

Mystery science theater 3000

[tallsingle · 1/10 · 9 February 2020]

This is horrible. The best science fiction series in history has devolved into something so bad that it's only entertaining value is as fodder for criticism and jokes. What a shame. Change Whitaker And the creative team while there's anyone left watching.

What a bad mix

[doctor-934-207111 · 1/10 · 3 February 2020]

0/10 - Doctor Who Praxeus - Chibnall and McTighe. Chibnall tries to mix Hitchcock The Birds and Orphan 55 and add Power of Three lameness for good . Back to regular styled preachiness Measure. And now for your plot breakdown.

Uninspiring Doctor speech that makes you go to sleep. Spaceship in trouble. Jake tries to Stop thief In an English shop. Youths exploring Peru on a junky river edge with birds flying about. Birds attack one youth at night. Astronaut missing in Hong Kong texts Jake in UK. Peru - Dead birds and why does Ryan make an appearance? Hong Kong -" Missing astronaut hunt. Graham and Yasmin come to help. Madagascar - Doctor find a missing missing naval person. Peru - one girl looking for missing friend Jemilla. Ryan trying to figure out dead birds. Hong Kong- looking for missing astronauts while being watched. Madagasar - British naval officer disintegrates in front of Doctor and 2 witnesses. Peru - Hospital for Ryan and friend to see what is going on. Jemilla in quarantine and then disintegrates with Doctor as added witness. Hong Kong - Rescue of Adam by Jake , Graham and Jaz. Under attack, Jake takes a weapon and deal the attackers. Doctor comes to the scene. Ryan and new friend in Hong Kong in TARDIS. Jaz and Peru Traveler looking for something valuable. Inside TARDIS , Jake is confused about the TARDIS and Adam gets an examination. Madagascar - Mad birds hover Hong Kong- creature in NBC suit transports out in front of Yaz and friend Madagascar - discovery of alien pathogen killing humans. Hong Kong - Yaz and friend transmat to where? Madagascar - Emotional talk between Jake and Graham Jaz and friend are where? And what is a submarine doing there? Madagascar - Doctor trying to determine what is going on and figure out microplastic using microplastics to attack - Praxeus. Suki who not human. Birds in mad attack mode. TARDIS retreat to Yaz. Turns on this place Yaz is in is in the middle of the Indian ocean full of plastic junk. Adam is healed by Doctor's antidote. Suki is an alien . She dies of Praxeus. The Doctor and crew uses ship to cure Earth. Alien ship launches with Jake on board. The rest are safe on the TARDIS. Jake releases the antidote with Suki's ship. The Ship breaks up and TARDIS to the rescue. Cheesy ending with 2 gays and a girl traveling the world . Bad memories of Power of Three to boot.

Snoozer- The Doctor will not be himself at this rate. Save Doctor Who! Chibnall Out! Whittaker out!!